Easter Sunday

Every Easter we've been going down to my folks. Easter is probably my favorite holiday -- mostly because of the absolutely beautiful truth of Christ's rising to life and reigning forever in beautiful, atoning splendor!!!!! Because I love this holiday so much, I really love spending it with with my mom and dad. It reminds me of sunrise church services in the graveyard and the over-the-top twirly Easter dresses my mom made or bought me every year and seeing my brother in a new suit (he always loved suits) and malted chocolate eggs (my favorite!) and early breakfasts in the church basement with funny egg casseroles and little sausages. And an entire church service of just singing and music -- the yearly Easter Cantata that my cousin Carolyn Ackland always (in my memory) orchestrated and joyfully (in my memory) brought to us each year. And the perfect feast my mom always seem to have magically appear on our table for lunch (and she was with us at church!!! -- amazing magical mother!). This year, though, Brad and I decided it would be best to stay and celebrate with our new church's first Easter together as a congregation.

I thought that Brad and I would need to get together Easter baskets, but my crazy and generous mom came up for Lincoln's birthday party in March with these three individualized "baskets" to save for them for Easter morning. Wasn't that so sweet of her? (-: Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Tom sent a card and fun-money for summer toys -- which we've "squirreled away" for warmer squirt-gun weather. Still Brad and I couldn't resist -- We bought the boys the Fantastic Mr. Fox DVD to share and a couple small treats like cloth frisbees and stickers. The not so festive part of this day was that Brad was deep into the stomach flu and couldn't come to church with us or join us for Easter dinner. Because of this sad turn of events, I really didn't get pictures of the boys in their Easter outfits (too difficult to corral them all and keep them clean enough to get a photo). We were able to still have Liz and Eric Berget come for lunch though because they'd already had the plague go through their house and Liz and I were too disappointed to not celebrate together and share the food we had already prepared. Still it made the day weird -- I just don't feel like things are right unless Brad is right there full-tilt experiencing life with me. Oh I love that man!!!

My only picture of just two of the boys dressed up

Easter egg hunt in the back yard later in the afternoon after naps

My sister chose to work Easter Sunday but later I gave her a fancy pretty set of bug chocolates...for fun.