On Good Friday Ben's school had a visit from the Easter Bunny. Jude got out of work for an hour to go join in the fun and it was great craic altogether. All the kids received and Easter Egg (see Ben clutching his there) and got to run around outside in the lovely weather.
Later that day and Ben and his Granda went for a wee dander ..... though sometimes Ben forgets which direction he is going!
On Good Friday evening Jude fired up his BBQ .... ehh .... well actually it was the landlord's BBQ. You see Jude had got talking to Gerard (the cool, accommodating and altogether 'sound as a pound' landlord) earlier and when he started rambling on about having to go out to buy a BBQ Gerard the landlord said, 'sure you can have my BBQ for the weekend as I'm going away to Donegal'. 'Perfect', replied Jude. Here he is cooking up a sausage!
And here enjoying the grub are Marguerite, Ben and Emma. This was the first proper BBQ of the year and as you can see these three were mightily impressed!
As soon as Ben was fed he wanted out and about. These days Ben is always wanting to get out to walk about the gardens. So he got wrapped up .......
....... and was sent out the door with a wee kiss or three on the cheek ......
......... before being dragged into this pic ..... whether he liked it or not!
On Easter Saturday Ben was all dolled up for the day. Here he is marching off around the back of the house so he could ........
........ play in the garden. Today he was rocking his cool new pair of shorts. His new shorts were quite long but they were definitely shorts!
Ben loves playing with the football in the garden. 
Here Marguerite tries to teach him a few tricks.
And Ben is learning quick ........ and if the good weather keeps up ....... 
........ then maybe he'll be a good footballer by the end of the summer!
He loves the footballs ..... no matter how big or how small.
He also loves messing about on the wee patio area at the front of 6A The Park.
A wee while later and now he is out in the back garden playing hurling. In the background Marguerite is getting set for tonight's BBQ.
Look at that for a great touch!
An hour or two later ......... so it's an Irish BBQ ...... that means bring yer coat!
Ben and his Granda get settled in by going for a wee dander in the garden.
By now Ben has his hat on and is all wrapped up. He loves that wee tent he got during the week. What could he be hiding in there?
By now Jude had the BBQ fired up again and was cooking away goodo for the guests. Look at him, he thinks he looks the part ...... little does he know!
So tonight they had Marguerite Snr and Michael Snr over for the BBQ along with their mucker from Malden (and Belfast) Clare.
So what was hidden in Ben's tent?
Easter eggs that's what. Here is Clare after having found her egg!
Moments later ...... Marguerite Snr is on the hunt for more eggs .......
....... and here she is looking all surprised and all having found her egg and Michael's egg.
So what's the golden rule about Irish BBQ's?Besides bring a carry out ........
..... remember to bring your coat ....... or your quilt ....... or a radiator or something. Once that sun goes down the temperature plummets. 
Happy Easter to Granda and Nana ...... from Ben.
The next day was Easter Sunday and first stop was Mass. Like it was said earlier this was Marguerite and Jude's first Easter in Ireland since 2008 and in that time they usually went to Easter Sunday Mass at their cousins place in Haworth, New Jersey. Here they are sitting outside, and just about to enter, Clonard Monastery.Another sunny day ........... nice!
Riona, Ben and Grace. Take 1 - Look this way Ben!
Take 2 - A wee bit more this way Ben!Take 3 - Perfect!
Today Marguerite, Jude and Ben were joined by Kevin, Mary, Grace and Riona. Here are the ladies less the lads.
Today's main event was the Easter Egg Hunt. Here is Grace picking up her bag for storing goodies in.
Moments later ........
....... and they were off .......
....... hunting all over the garden .....
..... for some well hidden Easter Eggs. Her Mary, Riona and Grace are knocking each other out to get in at this one ...... looks like Grace has won though!
Here is Riona scooping this one.
Ben looking cool.
Riona is celebrating finding another egg, this time it's a small cream egg hidden in the bark of this tree ............. but can anyone spot Ben's Easter gift anywhere in this pic?
Even Ben is laughing at that one. Ben was having a great time altogether .... he loves the craic with everyone running around having fun on occasions like this.
One of the funny things about this Easter Egg hunt was that Jude actually forgot where he hid some of the eggs. What a wally!
This time it's Grace's turn to find a cream egg in the tree bark.
Riona bags another prize!
Then Marguerite spotted something .... and showed she has not lost any of her old speed as she scooted across the garden ........
...... and with a little help from Riona .....
....... she found her magical Easter Egg which read, 'Mama from Ben'.And what about Ben's toy that was hidden in an earlier pic ........ where was it?
Here is a close up of Marguerite Easter Egg.
Sitting on top of the tree stump, that's where! Here Ben's Uncle Kevin gives Ben a lift to get it.What do you think Ben's gift is?
Out on the laneway and Mary and Grace are celebrating scooping an egg, this time it's one of those tasty Thornton's numbers.
Kevin and Riona head off down the lane in search of the final egg. This egg was a large one but it had been well hidden in a hedge by Jude. Moments after planting it Jude turned around to see the owner of the house to the left of this hedge dandering down the lane. He didn't think much about that at the time but it would later prove to be an important sighting. Why?
Well an hour later the egg had gone missing. I mean how could you lose an egg the size of a cereal box? Maybe it wasn't lost .....Did a bird fly away with it? Did Jude get mixed up and just think he set one here when maybe he didn't do so? Or ...... was it nicked, pinched .... half inched like?
Jude went back a couple of times and searched high and low ...... but as much as he looked he was never going to find it ..... the truth was there was a better chance of finding Shergar in thon hedge than the egg he planted ........ it must have been scooped by someone not taking part in the hunt.
But who?
'That's odd', they all thought. 'Who would steal an egg on an Easter Egg hunt? Surely not! Folks I hate to break it to you but the egg was stole by that very auld doll Jude had spotted earlier (she joking mentioned it a week or so later). Seriously ........ you can't make this stuff up folks.
Even later when driving around to Marguerite's Mum and Dad's for Easter Sunday dinner Jude looked again.
Round at his Granda and Nana's house Ben was busy playing football before .....
........ receiving his Easter gifts. Thomas the Tank Engine .......
....... and a cool Rock n Roll guitar!
Marguerite tested it out and showed how she could easily have made it into The Bangles.
'Hey, this is class', was what Ben was surely thinking.
Here he is a couple of days later with his hair all gelled up and all ...... looking like a real rock star!!
And folks ....... just in case you were ever in any doubt about what is the right way to eat an Easter Egg ......
....... well let Ben show you how it's done.
Ohh yes ...... I nearly forgot ..... what was Ben's Easter gift ...... well it complimented his guitar very well .... it was ............ his very first Drum kit!
Now that's a Rock n Roll Easter folks!
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