New Easter Tradition

As some of you may have read, this September we lost my Great Uncle Don and the last few holidays have felt pretty sad without him being here.  However, Easter was HIS big holiday.  My family always went to his house and spent time with my mom's cousins (his kids) and all their kids.  And trust, there is a ton of them.  This would be the first Easter I have ever spent without him.  Even if my parents were out of town because of a Final Four or I was at college, I always made the trip back. 

The location is pretty unique because Uncle Don owned a piece of land and gave all his kids several acres to either build a house on or sell.  Soon after he died, his kids sold his house, but we still spent Easter right next door at his daughter Susan's house.  I knew he was hanging out while we were finding eggs and eating our traditional early dinner. 

I thought this would be a good day to honor him so I must admit, I stole this idea from my super sweet a.k.a the best family photographer in Kansas City, soon to be Tulsa friend Bethany.  I changed it up a little, but the heart of it is her idea and I cannot take the credit.  E and I wrote Uncle Don special messages on balloons and then sent them up to heaven.  Mine may have included a little Rock Chalk and a few miss yous and although E's was a tad on the scribbly side, I am pretty sure it said something about him wearing a KU hat that day just like his Uncle Don and saying something about how he wishes he could see him start T-Ball this year, but knows he'll be watching from the best seat in the house.  I mean, I think that's what a two year old would say...right?

Well, I hope this did our buddy justice and I am thinking it may be a new family tradition to honor Everett's "stand-in" Great Grandpa.