Before the family arrived, Jackie planted eggs, and I swept the paths.
Soon after Danni, Andy, and Ella arrived this morning we were joined by Elizabeth.
As an indication of how long it has been since they were last able to visit, our niece and nephew-in-law brought their Christmas present to us –
a stained glass kingfisher which was immediately pinned to the patio kitchen wall.
Soon afterwards, armed with a little basket Jackie had made, Ella gleefully ordered her parents and grandmother around the garden on an Easter egg foray.
Danni carried the photographic clues I had produced yesterday. Apart from the last, each find sported a clue to the next one.
The last package was tucked inside my waistcoat and bore a little white lamb which then accompanied Ella on her travels. The first three of these photographs were Jackie’s; the next one, Danni’s.
Our visitors stayed for a buffet lunch. Ella had her own little table photographed by me and by her mother.
We have not yet finalised the positions for the new water features which fascinated our great-niece.
With the two images featured above, Danni e-mailed this last picture upon their arrival at home. Part of the message read: ‘Ella did not stop chatting all the way home about the owls, the dragon, the ladies [sculptures], Uncle Derrick, Aunty Jacquie and CHOCOLATE!’.
Elizabeth left after lunch with the others, and returned for this evening’s roast lamb (not Ella’s) dinner, including crisp roast potatoes, parsnips, and Yorkshire pudding; crunchy carrots; tender cabbage; firm broccoli, and meaty gravy with which Jackie drank Peroni and my sister and I drank more of the Dao.
What a sweetheart! Happy Easter to the whole beautiful family Derrick დდ
Many thanks, Cindy
What a lovely celebration ❤️
Thank you very much, Donna,
What a sweet family, you are so blessed, Derrick. ??✝️
I am John. Thanks very much.
You and Jackie obviously made a little girl very, very happy today.
It was lovely, Liz, as is your comment. Thanks very much
You’re welcome, Derrick.
I love that chocolate was last on Ella’s list. She quite obviously (and visibly) had enjoyed herself.
🙂 Thanks a lot, Sheree
Delightful ❣️So glad you got together again.
Thanks very much, Val
What a lovely heart warming post, lucky Ella what a fabulous hunt you planned out.
Thank you very much, Charlotte. I am pleased you thought so.
What a delightful day! Thank you for sharing. I have a feeling everyone will sleep well tonight!
For me you were so right about sleeping. I had a good eight hours which is unusual (not that I normally have problems). Thank you, too, Merril
You’re welcome, and I’m glad you slept well. ?
What a great day! I was really looking forward to seeing little Ella. So sweet! Ack! I think that’s a hummingbird, not a woodpecker! LOL!
Thanks very much, Jill. I thought hummingbird at first – but packaging, he say kingfisher. 🙂
Interesting…it looks just like a hummingbird. 🙂
You would certainly know – perhaps they have similarities
I always thought the kingfisher was a breed of hummingbird. I learned something new…thanks!
🙂
What a great post! So glad you got to celebrate with your family, Derrick and Jackie. Ella is precious – love her curls! What a fun day you put together. That hunt looks like it was a blast. Happy Easter to you.
Thank you so much from us both, Jodie. Your good wishes reciprocated.
<3
What lovely pictures – life how it should be!
As Ella had recalled on her way home, your wonderful garden does, indeed, have so much to ‘find’ – even without Jackie’s easter eggs! Those are the garden I most love; ones where there’s something new to discover at every turn, whichever route one takes 🙂
Roll on opening of the NGS again!
Thank you so much, Emma.
What fun! I remember finding colored eggs in the garden, but even more, jelly beans inside calla lily flowers and in the holes of a telephone dial! The hunt was as much fun as the eating! The idea of each find being accompanied by a clue to the next one is a great idea, too!
Some good ideas there, Janet. Thanks very much
Oh, this made my day! What a treat to go around with Ella on her Easter egg hunt. Truly, your garden is a magical place for a child to look for special treats. No wonder Ella talked about it all the way home. Tell Jackie I spotted a couple owls. And that she has inspired me to add to my frog and toad collection.
So pleased you saw the owls, and am glad you’re inspired to get more frogs and toads. J
Your gardens are always in inspiration to me.
🙂
Thanks very much, Laurie. An apt comment from a writer such as you.
YAY! Such fun! Ella’s expressions, chocolate-y face, and “commentary” on the day’s events says it all! ‘Twas a HUGE success!!! 🙂
Happy Easter to all of you!!!
? ? ? ? ✝️ ? ? ? ?
(((HUGS))) 🙂
PS…I wonder if next time she in your garden Ella will be looking around for chocolate! 😮 😉 😀
PPS…OOH, I’m excited about your new water features!!! 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn. That was a perceptive thought about the next visit. She certainly knows where all the toys are.
Aww…. Sounds like you all had a wonderful day.. Fabulous photos.. Happy Easter both of you <3
Thanks very much, Sue. You, too
A grand day. It is good when efforts are appreciated.
It certainly is, Tootlepedal. Thanks very much
Oh my goodness, Derrick, Ella fits all the cliches: she is cute as a button, with a peaches and cream complexion, and a gorgeous crown of auburn curls. She looks quite engaged in her Easter egg hunt. My compliments to Jackie for designing the cute basket and to both of you for the pictorial clues. I miss the days when my boys hunted for eggs. They had great fun looking for them, and I loved planning and filling eggs. It will be the end of your day now. I’m glad you had such a nice day.
Thank you very much, Alys. I thought you might like the colouring. Ella is also very tall so she might really resemble you 🙂 Craftswise you and Jackie would have much in common.
I hope to meet you both one day, Derrick. All sorts of interesting people in this world can be found through blogging. I never would have thought that a decade ago. Pauline spoke highly of “her friend Derrick” which is how I found your blog. If things could have been different, I like to imagine visiting England with Pauline, then finding you, Helen, Lynn, and a few others I’m sure I’ve missed.
That would be lovely
I think your penultimate verse said it all Derrick .. “With the two images featured above, Danni e-mailed this last picture upon their arrival at home. Part of the message read: ‘Ella did not stop chatting all the way home about the owls, the dragon, the ladies [sculptures], Uncle Derrick, Aunty Jacquie and CHOCOLATE!’.” .. simply gorgeous my friend ??
I’m pleased you appreciated that, Ivor. Thanks very much.
The stained glass hummingbird is beautiful belated Christmas gift!
Ella is a beautiful, sweet, happy child! She looks like she had a wonderful day, and enjoyed everything, especially the chocolate. 🙂
Thanks very much, Lavinia. The packaging claims the bird is a kingfisher – so amended. Especially the chocolate, indeed 🙂
Sounds like a good day was enjoyed by all. Happy Easter.
Thanks very much, Pat
What a Blessed day for you all. So glad you all had such a joyous time.
It was, indeed. Thank you very much, Maj
What memories you stirred. I once received a stuffed bunny — it was in the oven! I suspect Ella will cling to her lambkin long past the exciting day!
I think she will. Thank you very much, Linda
Ella is absolutely adorable. You and Jackie are creating wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing them with us!
And thank you very much, too, JoAnna
This made me smile
Thanks very much, Gary
What a gorgeous wee lass. I do love her curly mop.
Okay, I can forgive you for dining on the “L” word, because of the words in the bracket: roast lamb (not Ella’s) dinner
That is a merciful relief, Yvonne. Thanks very much
Ella is simply adorable! precious time with family, Derrick! Happy Easter to you and Jackie! 🙂
And to you, Lola. Thank you very much
Clues to finding Easter eggs are such fun! I did this for my children and for my older grandchildren until they left for Norway. To my delight, they composed clues for each other in order to continue the tradition. Your pictorial coverage of Ella’s delight revives fond memories of such times. Thank you for sharing them.
I’m pleased to have prompted the memories, Anne. Thank you, too.
What a beautiful and happy day! Happy Easter to all of you ? ??
And to you Ribana. Thanks very much
Adorable child, adorable photos! Excitement is clearly conveyed and we can see that little Ella, who is growing big, truly enjoyed the day.
Thank you so much, Dolly
My pleasure, Derrick.
A wonderful family day!
Thanks very much, John
What a day you had – outstanding, my friends!!
Thanks very much from both of us, GP
Wow! A fun day for whole family.
Thank you very much, Rupali
Glad you got to see your family. I am still not allowed to travel to see mine.
Sorry to read that, Sherry. Thank you very much
“the ladies,” ha ha ha. Of course that’s what they were in Ella’s mind. I’m glad she appreciated the dragon. What a darling little pink Easter sweater on your grandniece, and what a lovely day for egg hunting. Oh, and the basket made by Jacquie is darling. It is sad that a Christmas gift had to wait till April, but those are the times. The stained glass is perfect and worth the wait.
Thank you very much for these comments, Crystal
So lovely! Ella has grown! I love her curls ☺️
She has, indeed, Sandra. Thanks very much
The bird is breathtaking. The little girl hunting eggs is precious.
Thank you so much, Mrs W
Your welcome.
Looks like your Easter Egg hunt was a success with an engaged Ella. My, how she has grown 🙂
Thank you very much, Rosaliene. She has, indeed. Given that she was only 2 in January we thought it a bit of a risk, but we needn’t have worried 🙂
What fun! … looks like Mother Nature obliged as well. 🙂
She certainly did, Widders 🙂 Thanks a lot
Wonderful photos of a sweet, memory-making day! And the commentary is delightful, too. Lovely! Thank goodness it was not Ella’s lamb that got roasted. 🙂
Thanks very much, Ed 🙂
Oh {{{Derrick}}}, I am so glad you posted these pictures of your day. Your grand-niece is getting so big… and I can just hear her shattering all the way home about what she experienced I loved seeing all the photos of her various expressions as she was on her Easter egg hunt. The chocolate face was my favorite! Thanks for the link, {{{Derick}}} hugs to you and {{{Jackie}}}! Were you as tired when they left as Bob & I were when our great-grandkids went home?
We certainly were 🙂 Thanks very much, Jan 🙂
There is a lot of joy here. ^_^
I remember good-weather years when we hid the eggs outdoors, so fun
Thanks very much, Rose.
What a wonderfully sunny and chocolate filled day.
Perfect.
x
Thanks very much, Melanie X
What a lovely celebratik of Easter.
Sorry Derrick, that should read “celebration”.
🙂
Thanks very much, Arlene
We have just returned home after visiting the youngest granddaughters, Millie (8 )and Ella (now 3) for 5 days over Easter. Ella woke at 5.30am to discover an egg basket on her bed with a few eggs in it then promptly started the hunt on her own. At 6.30am she woke her mum in a desperate need for a drink of water. No wonder with chocolate all over her face and hands. Fortunately she only managed to destroy a few finds and mum was able to reset the hunt to include her sister after breakfast. Children can be so much fun.
I’m glad you and Jackie got to enjoy the day.
I’m so pleased you made the trip, Chrissy – and that your Ella had a different kind of hunt 🙂 Thanks very much
https://gardeningnirvana.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/1-mac-at-two-with-alys.jpg?resize=438%2C438 A photo of me with my then-two-year-old son and a photo of me at two: https://gardeningnirvana.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/alys-at-two.jpg?resize=438%2C438
Do you think we’re related? 🙂
I’d say so. https://derrickjknight.com/2013/11/09/genes-will-out/
Wow! This is fun.
Thank you very much, Alys
Thanks very much, Alys
I’m so glad you had a lovely visit from the family. Wonderful pictures of the Easter Egg Hunt too.
Thank you very much, Sue
I love your gardens!
Thank you very much, Dunelight
Oh such fun!
Cheers, Lindsey
Such love, what joy for all. Thank you for showing us these fine photos. A whole big story there. 🙂 We saw the twins, too, as well as a few other family, if distanced and briefly. It was a lovely Easter.
Thank you very much, Cynthia. I’m pleased you had a lovely Easter, too.
What a lovely day it seems to have been. Great pictures of Ella, she seems to have had the most pleasure of you all.
I was wondering about the kingfisher you say you pinned to the wall. Is there a special technique to get it done so quickly or do you have special material to pin something to the wall?
There was a hook already in place, Geetha 🙂 Thanks very much.
Thank you although I am disappointed 🙂
I thought you had a fantastic way of hanging things on the wall with minimum effort 😀
When someone else put the hook up before we got here that is minimum effort 🙂
Little ones are so adorable!
Thank very much, Dwight
:>)
Looked like fun for the big and little people alike 😀 Soooo you were part of the clue! Now did anyone tickle the prize out of you? 😀 Your garden looked perfect for an Easter celebration. Cute little baskets too Jackie. xK
Thanks very much from us both, Kelly. Actually Ella balked at going fishing for the prize. I ended up giving it to her. 🙂
It’s such a heartwarming post! The expressions on the face of the tiny chief guest as she pondered over the photographic clues is priceless. The entire post is loaded with endearing cuteness of Ella. I am sure she can read it too and leave an appropriate comment, reliving the moment. Happy Easter, even if it is past by a couple of days.
Thank you so much, Uma. I hope you are fully recovered and your family are well
We are doing fine, my friend. Thank you.
That is good to know 🙂
My goodness, hasn’t Ella grown! I am so glad you had such a fun day and the weather was wonderful too!
She has, indeed, Clare. And conversing, since we last saw her. Thanks very much
🙂
what a beautiful – adventurous day for all of you
Thanks very much, msw