EASTER

Easter is one of our all time favorite holidays.  We love the sheer joy of celebrating our Risen Savior in a real and tangible way.  I love the joy in the kids’ faces as we gather to celebrate with family and friends.  This year was slightly different for us.

On Saturday morning, I had wanted to take the kiddos to our church’s Easter event.  This is a time when they reach out to those in the community with an egg hunt, prizes, and an Easter village with lots of fun games. I was the only one who wanted to go; no one else was interested, so we didn’t get to go.  I must admit I was disappointed, but there was no point to pushing people into going.  We just opted to stay home instead.  Saturday night was the Best Family Easter Event, but we didn’t go to that either because of Robert’s work schedule.  So our Saturday wasn’t what I had hoped it to be, and in all honesty, I was slightly bummed.  BUT, I didn’t let that stop us from having fun on Easter Sunday.

Sunday morning the kiddos woke up and had fun hunting for their Easter baskets.  After a delicious breakfast of sunny eggs (eggs baked in crescent rolls with bacon and cheese), we headed to church.  Of course we wound up having to leave a little early so Robert had to go and check his plants.  While Robert was gone, I had a wonderful time dealing with the sheer chaos and craziness of five hungry kiddos being told to WAIT to eat.  I broke my favorite drinking glass and had glass shards spatter everywhere.  Then I was out of a key ingredient for my strawberry shortcake and the gravy was too watery.  Then the cake wasn’t set when Robert came in from work and we had to head to my parents.  So on top of grumpy, starving kiddos, Mama had her own disasters to deal with. 

Hiding Easter Baskets and Presents.

The kiddos had a lot of fun hunting their gifts from Mom & Dad.

Everyone in their Sunday Best for Easter morning service.

Of course we wound up having to leave a little early so Robert had to go and check his plants.  While Robert was gone, I had a wonderful time dealing with the sheer chaos and craziness of five hungry kiddos being told to WAIT to eat.  I broke my favorite drinking glass and had glass shards spatter everywhere.  Then I was out of a key ingredient for my strawberry shortcake and the gravy was too watery.  Then the cake wasn’t set when Robert came in from work and we had to head to my parents.  So on top of grumpy, starving kiddos, Mama had her own disasters to deal with. 

BUT, we made it to my parent’s house where the kiddos had a lot of fun looking for the prized money egg.  This year John Robert, once again won the $20.00 grand prize egg with Ethan coming in second place with the $10.00 egg.  Maggie, Cole, and Jacob all won the $5.00 eggs.  The little boys were thrilled, Maggie was bummed John Robert won again this year.  After the egg hunt and the meal where the starving boys could finally eat, we went and visited with Robert’s dad and Granny B. since we didn’t get to see them the night before.  The kiddos had a great time riding and driving the side by side in the woods where daddy grew up.  I think Robert had fun showing the kids his old stomping grounds too.

Egg hunting fun at Nana and Papa's house.

Easter weekend didn’t go as I had planned.  At times it was stress filled and chaotic.  BUT, none of that matters.  What matters is the reason we celebrate this holiday.  For us it isn’t about bunnies or egg hunts; but it’s about the Risen Lord.  Truthfully the best part of the weekend for e was when Cole shouted: “Jesus is ALIVE!” with pure and sheer joy on his little face.  That is the real reason we celebrate Easter Sunday, because Christ is ALIVE!