The Gerdes Family: Easter Flashback

Every year one of our absolute favorite Easter traditions is joining our sister-in-law's family for their annual Easter weekend extravaganza. For those of you unlucky enough to not yet have heard about this wonderful event, perk up! If you love hanging out and having a great time, you're invited next year!
Easter Sunday is always the real big event. (The pictures below are from that day.) But, it's really a weekend filled with fun. Marissa's parents live on five acres in Carefree and their whole back lot is dedicated to the weekend. Starting Friday people bring out campers, tents, umbrellas, chairs and food and start camping out. There's also a large covered area, a barbeque, tables and bathrooms set up back there. Every night is good food, cold beer and bonfires. So much fun. Then, Sunday...
For the adults there's a huge horseshoe tournament that lasts hours and all are competing for a big cash prize at the end.
For the kids, it's endless. There's an egg hunt, a watermelon eating contest, an egg toss and/or a water balloon toss, bobbing for apples, a pinata, and a contest wherein the contestants must be the first to find the jellybean at the bottom of a pie dish, under a pile of flour. They are not allowed to use their hands; they must only blow the flour out of the way to find it. It makes for fabulous pictures, but it's the one contest we didn't do this year. Squirt guns made an appearance this year though, and that turned out to be an awesome idea! Usually the Easter Bunny makes an appearance for the little kids too, but I think the costume's been misplaced. Hopefully it shows up again in the years to come.
If this sound like a good time, you should join us out there next year! This family is so inviting. The more the merrier is a phrase coined by their easy going nature and extra hugs and laughs for everyone. We always have a fabulous time. Definitely one of my favorite holiday traditions!

Easter Morning - at Mom and Dad's, before mass