life lately with the GRANDS! our APRIL antics & adventures!
- May 8
- 8 min read
Updated: May 16
Friday, May 8, 2026
Welcome Back to Our Grand Lives!
April always seems to have a way of reminding us
that brighter days always return!
Even the longest, coldest seasons
eventually give way to sunshine, growth, and new adventures!
The month of April brought plenty of all three to our worlds!
From playful moments with our Littles to special memories spent with family and friends, April was filled with GRAND antics, a bit of happy chaos, and sweet signs of a new season unfolding!
As we look back on life lately,
we’re sharing a few of the silly antics and sweet adventures
that made this month simply GRAND!
Between the antics that kept us smiling and the adventures we enjoyed along the way,
the past month was anything but dull.
Here’s our April recap!
Of course, the month of April began with lots of Easter fun and family
BUT
the day beforehand, I was able to attend a very special baby shower…
My Son D’s best friend since first grade and his fiance
are waiting for their little girl to be born any day now!
In fact, we call this young man our second son!
So does that mean that I get to be a GRAND once again?
We moms do wonder…
When did our little boys get to be so big??
We spent Easter at my sister’s house with our extended family and friends.
It was a cold, gloomy day but that didn’t stop us from having a lovely time together!
We always say that my sister got the food (and cleaning!) gene in the family, and I got the games gene! So, you know what that means… I got to plan all the antics for our day together!.
We started with the Littles’ traditional egg hunt.
Then, our Middles (our grown children) tried a new game this year. Working as couples, they rolled eggs across the table, trying to score points by landing them in cups hanging off the end. (The house was roaring with laughter and cheers!)
Then we all headed outside for our annual family event. As you may recall from past posts, we have a long standing tradition, a friendly competition we’ve enjoyed with friends and family… If you’d like, you can read all about it in last year’s post, A GRAND Egg Drop! Family Fun for Easter!
Since my sister was hosting and does not have the right slope on their roof for this event, we changed this year’s competition to a Peep and Parachute Drop!
My brother and his wife were the proud recipients of
this year’s trophy!
But, we'll get 'em next year!
Later in the month on a drab April day,
we tried to find a little spring
by taking an adventure to see a flower show at a local mall!
The smell was heavenly, and lifted our spirits!
NO SURPRISE!
I loved, LOVED, LOVED seeing our Little D heading off to her Kindergarten Roundup!
Her mom and dad sent the best pics of the event!
I can’t wait to watch her transition to kindergartner status next fall!
So many new adventures await!
At the end of the month my 88-year-old father-in-law finally put his house up for sale here in the Minneapolis area with plans of making his winter home in Arizona his permanent residence. My sister-in-law came home from Wyoming and the siblings spent their time in the house packing, cleaning, reminiscing and good-heartedly arguing about the special items they each wanted. As anyone who’s been through this knows, it’s been quite the adventure!
Drawing cards for the coveted family “fruit bowl”!
Do you happen to see my FIL in the chair directing traffic?
The love in our family flows strong and deep,
leaving us memories to treasure and keep!
We can’t wait to see what you bring to us, May!
Our remodeling adventure continued into the month of April!
While our bathrooms were left with a punch list of items to complete,
we also began preparing our lower level family room for some revamping!
First step… We spent the first few days of April
decluttering and packing up the space!
Oh my! I’m a bit embarrassed to say
that we had not really updated a thing in this family room
since we first moved in 30+ years ago!
It was quite the job!
We took a break from this work,
and quietly celebrated Easter Sunday with our youngest daughter.
Together, we attended a beautiful service at church.
(photo taken from our church's Facebook page, St. Andrew Lutheran)
That was followed by a yummy brunch buffet at a local restaurant.
No cooking or guests this year!
Then we enjoyed a Facetime chat with our Littles
while they discovered the Easter baskets we’d left for them during a recent visit!
Note to Self… Do not fill any future Easter Baskets with plastic cellophane grass!
Our SIL was not a fan at clean up time! LOL! 😑
Our Easter Day ended with us doing some final decluttering because the next morning, College Hunks arrived and took away years of clutter! We love this service as they recycle or donate 70% or more of what they pick up!
By Tuesday, we were ready for the construction crew to begin demolition,
and, boy oh boy, did that step go fast!
While the flooring is now in and the walls are painted, we are still waiting for the new window, doors, trim and lighting. So… I’ll update you again when our May recap rolls around in a few weeks! (Hopefully the bathrooms will be completely up and running by then, too, as we’ve been waiting for shower doors and mirrors to be delivered!)
While all these antics were going on,
we took in a few other adventures in April, as well!
The week after Easter, we followed our often traveled route
south of Madison, Wisconsin
to see our oldest daughter and her family!
Lucky me!
I was able to spend almost a week there
while Hubby and Daughter A joined us for the weekend!
Our Littles and I began each morning with time spent in Bacco’s room!
Long time readers will remember… Bacco is the GRAND name given to me
by Little L when she was about 18 months old!
Our routine is that once the girls are awake, they come into my room and we read stories and do puzzles together in bed and, of course, a bit of snuggling takes place, too! I love hearing the pitter-pat of their little feet each morning!
I sure love spending time with these two!
Another highlight of our trip to Madison
was a special baby shower we attended!
Our daughter and her mother-in-law had planned a lovely event for Daughter J’s sister-in-law and her husband. These two are expecting their first baby in early June!
The shower theme was so sweet!
(The baby's last name has been removed for obvious reasons!)
The mother-to-be is an expert thrifter
and the theme, the decor and even the venue reflected this passion!
Everything was either recycled, borrowed or thrifted
and, since the expectant parents are waiting to find out what they are having,
everything was gender neutral, too!
The shower was held in a charming old building on the town’s main street,
near where my daughter, her sister-in-law, and their families live.
Look at the bones of this place!
My daughter made this adorable backdrop for the photo booth,
a garland made of recycled burlap and fabric scraps!
Here’s a bit of a close-up view of her creation!
So cute!
There were vintage baby blankets and quilts decorating the tin walls
and thrifted lace doilies, table runners and vases on each table!
Guests were asked to bring unwrapped gifts when possible
and, instead of a card,
a favorite children’s book with an inscription to the baby was requested!
So many special touches!
Hubby and I were thrilled to be included in the celebration!
After I returned home,
I met some friends at the same flower show that Laurie described above!
Several area florists participate in this show each spring
and it provided a great opportunity to connect with dear friends!
Each display was so stunning
and created with so many vibrant flowers!
The one on the left pays homage to a Twin Cities icon…
The character of Mary Richards from The Mary Tyler Moore Show!
For any of you who remember the show, it took place in Minneapolis
and during the opening credits,
MTM throws her hat in the air on a legendary corner of the city!
Finally, speaking of good friends,
look who I got to spend time with a few days later!
YEP!
Laurie and I met at our favorite coffee shop for a few hours
(or more, as we often do)
to do some spring and summer blog planning!
Hmmm! You’ll have to wait and see…
We may have a few antics up our sleeves!
April was filled with its own share of antics and adventures
at Our Grand Lives, too!
We had 5 new posts this past month!
Life Lately, our first post of the month, took a look back at March
as we shared our own versions of March madness in our daily lives!
Soon after, came our second post…
April’s Story of the Month was highlighted in our next post,
We bet you’ll love worms too, after reading our post!
We celebrated National Library Week and our own love of books
with our next post,
Our final post of April, focused on
the holiday being celebrated this coming weekend!
In our Mother’s Day Treasures! Our GRAND Ideas for 2026! post,
we shared our memories of Mother’s Days of the past
AND
we offered some favorite gift ideas for the moms in your Littles’ lives!
During April, things have been busy over on
In fact, rather than mentioning them here as we typically do,
an upcoming post will highlight some of our favorite IG ideas!
OH, APRIL…
Thanks for the antics & adventures that filled our days!
It’s always a blessing when you stop by
and take the time to visit our world!
THANK YOU!
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April certainly didn’t skip a beat, keeping us moving from the first of the month right through to the last few days. While the "antics" occasionally bordered on mayhem and the adventures took us in every direction, those GRAND moments are exactly what made the month stand out.
The past month also reminded us that
every cold season eventually runs its course,
making room for fresh beginnings and brighter days!
Proof, once again, that some of life’s sweetest moments
— with all their antics and adventures —
are found in simply being with those we love…
And in remembering, with every April breeze, to breathe it all in once again!
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I look forward to seeing your life lately posts each month. I enjoy seeing what your up to. What a great month ladies.
Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friend's this month dear friends.
I loved this post. I especially enjoyed the peek into your everyday moments. It’s a great reminder that the best memories usually happen in the middle of the "antics" and the simple times spent together. Thanks for sharing the joy. 😊
Steph@CrazyLittleLovebirds
April was certainly a very full month for you! I loved seeing all your Easter fun and the pretty baby shower photos I wish your father-in-law much happiness in AZ. I have family there-- my sister and brother in law have lived in Gilbert over 40 years! My sister and brother-in-law retired there about 15 years ago. We came out west tfrom NY to live close to our children and grandchildren about 13 years ago, but we kept the four seasons which made me happy!
What a wonderful month. I love those flower displays! Amazing. Thanks for sharing this with us at the Will Blog for Comments #83 linkup! We hope you'll share more posts (old or new) with us at #84 which opens next Monday. Wishing you a great week!
It looks like y’all had a busy but wonderful April!