CHESAPEAKE, Va. - With Easter time rolling around, there are so many reasons to be "hoppy!"
And after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, a beloved tradition that dates back to the 1800s is back.
The White House stirred up some egg-citement with the 2022 White House Easter Egg Roll, which returned on Monday.
And a couple special "somebunnies" were chosen from right here in Hampton Roads to participate.
Last week before the roll, they told us they were egg-stremely ready for this race.
The three Chesapeake sisters were hard at work Friday getting their practice in before their big debut Monday on the White House South Lawn for the Easter Egg Roll.
“I think I'm most excited about going to see the White House,” said the eldest of the three, Annaliese Thames.
Out of thousands of online entries, the girls were picked in the national lottery.
“I was shocked. I couldn't believe it,” said Annaliese. “And then I guess I started thinking, 'Wow, this is actually real. This is actually happening.'”
“I think it’s going to be really pretty and have a lot of Easter stuff,” said little Avonleigh Thames.
To surprise her girls with the news, their mom put together a scavenger egg hunt with clues.
“Inside the egg were words, and each egg had a word inside, and as they put all the eggs together, it spelled out a sentence that surprised them with where they were going to go,” said Angelique Thames.
The egg-ucation roll will also include a story time, games and a talent show before kids scramble down the lawn to roll colorful eggs using wooden spoons.
“I think it's really nice,” said Avonleigh. “A president to let us go onto his lawn to let us do that egg roll.”
The tradition dates back to 1878, and the family of history lovers said they were egg-static to now become a part of it.
“History has always been a fascinating subject to me, so I think taking part in an Easter Egg Roll at the White House is a memorable experience,” said Annaliese.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed thousands of people to the White House for the Easter Egg Roll.
Angelique shared with News 3 these photos
