Easter, Yosemite style

Every year, the Zentil side of our family heads to Yosemite for a week of relaxation during early Spring. It's safe to say that we all start looking forward to the next Yosemite trip the minute we have our cars packed up and are heading home on Highway 41. It's that special.
I don't know many families who have yearly gatherings in which almost EVERYONE attends..and EVERYONE, including the tweens, look forward to it like it's Christmas morning all over again. On our drive home today, I was telling NZ just how cool this time is that we ALL spend together, and I am so thankful I married into it. I believe this tradition was started in the early 80's by my father-in-law ( Someone correct me if I am wrong), and has continued on each and every year since.

This year, Yosemite week ended up including Easter weekend...an ICY. Cold. Easter. Weekend.

Let me just say, Southern California bred children do not "do" ICY COLD weather very well without freezing to death and telling everyone around them, multiple times just how cold "we" are... Instead of our usual picnic area noshing and cribbage playing (which got vetoed by most of the women due to the 30 degree weather) much of our time was spent hiking during the warmest hours and jumping from Lodge room to Lodge room playing games and hanging out during the rain and snow showers. Definitely a different pattern than in years past, but as the Zentils do, we made the most out of it and enjoyed every stinkin' minute together. My favorite part? A rousing game of Charoodles on Friday night. If you haven't played it before, you're missing out on a ton of fun. Think charades with props. AWESOME.Just how many of us were there, you wonder?

40+

On Saturday, the adults took the opportunity to hide easter eggs in a nearby field during one of the brief moments in which it was not raining or snowing. The kids LOVED it, and it was a good ending to a fun weekend together.

Now it's time to unpack, put laundry away and start looking forward to Yosemite 2011.