We woke up to a grey, cold day. It was unexpected because this year’s Easter was the latest in years. You’d think being closer to May than March would have made for a sunny, warm, bright, brilliant day.
Some of us attended church. Sam wasn’t feeling well—he had a wheezy cough. My husband stayed home with him. Archie and Teddy stayed home, too.
The rest of us attended services at the church we left almost two years ago. Honestly, we have been feeling adrift and a little lost regarding church lately. The church we settled on was okay, but nearly every Sunday I wondered why I bothered to bring my Bible. They heavily emphasize missions, which is awesome, necessary, commanded. But in that emphasis, they overlooked hardcore teaching, study, connecting with the people who were actually in the pews.
I felt at home immediately. It was great to celebrate Easter amongst old friends.
When we returned home, one of the kids noticed the big, Target-shoppin’, bunny had been in our backyard. Bad bunny forgot to remove a price tag when he packed 8 baskets on Easter Eve.
It was Teddy’s first Easter. He got a new pacifier, Bambi, and Voyage of the Dawn Treader on DVD. He hasn’t allowed his siblings to borrow the DVDs yet. Maybe he can be convinced this weekend.
The day was especially bittersweet because Aidan and Ryley left for big school trips on Monday. I was pre-missing them and appreciating their energy and whimsy so much. Aidan is currently in New York City. My mom is a chaperone. Ryley is in southern California.
Because it was a holiday, I had to get a group photo. As usual, it was an exercise in patience, timing, and surrender.
Finally, I’ll share one of my favorite photos from Easter. Beatrix got Amazing Bubbles, hot pink. Sometimes, I wonder about the more commercial aspects of Easter. Why do we bother? Should we? I compromise by making sure church comes first. The Easter bunny has always arrived while we are at church or soon after. It makes logistics tricky, but I love blessing my kids with trinkets on holidays. It’s a nod to my own childhood Easters, which I wrote about in detail several years ago.
This year my MIL gave the kids big plastic eggs with small bags of M&Ms and Skittles in them. So we told the kids she had a deal with the Easter Bunny to fill in for him this year. Lazy on our part, but I just wasn’t feeling the more commercial aspects this year. In the past we have done baskets and trinkets and it is so fun. I just wasn’t there this year.
We also had a gray, rainy-ish day. But it was still great. I love all those pictures–your kids love for each other really shows in the pictures you share. I know they are not always like that, but I like to see it anyway.
I loved reading this so much. A peek into your Easter. The kids are gorgeous. All looking so grown up now. The photo of Bea is priceless.
I probably say this every time you post a pic of all the kiddos…but it makes me want to add 4 more to my family! So great!
And the last picture, oh my heart. Every kid should be so excited about BUBBLES!
Oh good on you!!! All about Easter and a family photo… I gave up in despair… I couldn’t get mine into the same room let alone the same photo frame!!! We even attended a wedding this weekend and everyone was dressed to the nines.. As we got into the car to go home… with eight shoeless kids, and a number of disheveled -post wild reception- characters… I thought: man we should have had a family photo… got home and two youngest were asleep and that was it, our family photo was just a passing thought!!!
Teddy is SOOOO CUTE!!!
Our church emphasizes hardcore Bible, sometimes to the expense of missions. Too bad we couldn’t combine the two and come up with that elusive ‘perfect church!’ 😉
I laughed when I saw Aidan’s closed eyes. Just like my Sydney’s closed eyes in our kid photo! Whether there’s 3 kids or 8, someone’s going to have their eyes closed 🙂
And is that light brown hair I spy on Archie? Didn’t he get the memo about the dark brown hair?
I can’t believe they are that big. Big enough to go on their own trips? OMy.
Steph