Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter Pictures

How many times can I complain about working in one year?  Many.  Well I am so close to having experienced every phase of the year while working full time.  One of the last things I did before coming up with this crazy life changing plan was to celebrate Easter.  The day after my mom and I loaded up her little convertible for the 4 day drive back to MN and on the road God planted this life changing idea in my head.

SO, this year I didn't get out a single Easter decoration. Did not dig out any reserection eggs, did not pull out my stations of the cross booklet, did not give up anything for lent, did not read any children's books to Isabelle about Easter. Not even the lame Dora one that is all about the colors of the eggs with no message at all about Christ. And I am bummed because I have the book, "parable of the Easter Lilly" and I have always been amazed by the fact that the little girl gets up early on Easter morning to pick fresh flowers for the breakfast table and sees the special lily. No flowers are ever blooming on Easter morning in Minnesota. Except this year when they are! So I really wanted to read that book to Isabelle in anticipation of blooming flowers on Easter. But I didn't.  Still we managed to go to 2 of the 3 Holy Week services at our church and each one was a wonderful blessing.  As was the beautiful Easter morning service.  I praise God because even when I don't do anything but show up his sacrifice has sanctified me for eternity.



Not an Easter Lily but still a pretty exciting sight on Easter morning.


I had totally forgotten about dying eggs until Isabelle came home from the neighbors where she had helped them do thiers.  So we managed to squeeze it in Saturday afternoon before the Easter Vigil, Jake was already at the church.






And I managed to sneak off to the store for some Easter basket goodies on Saturday morning.  I spent way too much time in the Christian bookstore contemplating my options but it was enjoyable.  I always put a devotional in my kids baskets.  This year Jake told me he doesn't really like traditional devotional books so I got him a bible commentary instead so he can do his own research.




Also, I hid them the night before as usual.  When Isabelle was little I would just set the basket next to a chair or something and she would come upon it.  I figured she was old enough to actually search this year and so I hid it a little better than usual.  She was totally confused when after a cursury scan of the room she didn't see it.  Apparently I needed to step up my hiding a few years ago.  And even thought I told Jake what room his was in it still took him a while to find it.  I stuck it in with a pile of toys and although it was somewhat in plain sight there is so much visual stimulation it was hard to distinguish.  For some reason making basket hiding a challenge thrills me every year.

After church we met my brother's family for brunch.

Isabelle and Sofie 

Mike and Julia, neither really wanted thier picture taken but better to smile than be stuck with a bad picture.


Caleb, aka the bottomless pit, ate more than the rest of the kids combined but managed to be just the right age to still eat free.


The charming Lilia


Baby Gloria, not particularly excited here but once she got a little sugar in her system she smiled and chatted away.




My boys finishing off a couple more plates of food.  It is a buffet after all.  EAT UP boys, I am not serving dinner. 


There was a corner next to our table the kids couldn't disturb anyone and they stood there playing rock, paper, scissors and then going through Sofie's reserection eggs while we finished off the meal.  Then as we were paying the bill and getting ready to leave they all ran back for one more plate of food.


After the meal we walked a block down to the lake for some family pictures.  It was a bit bright and I am not thrilled with my squinting face, even though I felt like I had my eyes WIDE open.  Otherwise it is a pretty good picture.  I let my stylist darken my hair last week and now that the initial shock of not coming home blond is wearing off I think I like it.


Then we tried to get my brother's family to sit for a picture.  It takes a few shots,





but I think we got something worth posting somewhere in there.



Happy Easter.  He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

1 comment:

  1. Lonely for all of you!! What a special post. Everyone looks like they can be tooooo happy without Gma in the mix!! hee hee

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