Annual Easter egg hunt fun for all

Lolita Harper

It was the yellow one, just off the brick path that had not been

spotted by the bunch.

The lone egg sat patiently under a branch of pine, while the

children milled about the backyard, looking for the last egg.

“It’s on the ground, close to the brick walkway,” said Denny

Pender, the proud hider of the elusive egg.

“Dad, where?” daughter Presley Pender asked.

Her father was silent, answering only with a smirk.

Nearly two dozen children scoured Elaine and Dick Smith’s huge

frontyard, the sight of the neighborhood egg hunt. Their baskets and

bags overflowed with booty, but that last egg had yet to be found.

On the northwest portion of the seven-lot property on the east

side of Costa Mesa, the younger children of the group toddled around,

looking for more obvious treasures.

“Aren’t they just the most beautiful children you have ever seen?”

said Elaine Smith, who raised four children in that house.

Although the Smith children are grown and out of the house, the

family still opens their home to the neighborhood during Easter

weekend for an egg hunt. The Smiths have lived in their house for 48

years, Elaine said, and have watched the neighborhood change from

empty nesters to young families.

And those young families were there Saturday to pluck hundreds of

plastic eggs from under the ivy, behind the garden statues and out of

tree limbs. Elaine Smith knew the names and a personal story for each

of the children wandering about her property. There were the Drenk

triplets -- Ethan, Zoe and Brandon -- who lived on the Esther Place

side of the looping block.

“Two families have lived in that house and each had a set of

triplets, so stay away from there,” she joked.

The mother of the three 2-year-olds was appreciative that her

little clan was so well entertained for the afternoon.

“It is so great that you did this,” Dawn Drenk said.

It was hard to tell who was having more fun -- the children on the

hunt, or the adults reveling in their children’s happiness.

Especially if you were judging by the mischievous expression on Denny

Pender’s face.

“Oh my gosh, you guys, I can’t believe you haven’t found it,”

Pender said while casually strolling the brick walkway. “I can see it

from here.”

Suddenly, Presley Pender sprinted off the path and bent down to

uncover the last egg.

“I got it,” she said, as she threw it in her bag with about 50

others.

* LOLITA HARPER is the Forum editor. She also writes columns

Wednesdays and Fridays. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or by

e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.