Our Easter (at last!)

Some photos to share from Easter Day.  I can share them with you only because my sweet sister Caroline shared them with me... my camera was missing on Easter (still is missing, incidentally), much to my disappointment.  I'd thought about skipping an Easter post entirely, but then I read through our post from two years ago and discovered I'd totally forgotten that Madeline first crawled on Easter day.  Who knows what else I'll forget if I don't at least write it down...

Easter morning dawned cold and rainy, just as the weather forecasters had predicted.  We'd hoped otherwise, wanting to do an afternoon egg-hunt in the backyard, but it was not to be.  The girls came racing into our room as soon as they could (when the light on their little clock told them they could get up), cheering, "It's Easter!  It's Easter!"  The morning continued with Easter baskets, a hunt for some mini, foil-wrapped eggs around the house, and breakfast.  We made Resurrection Rolls again this year, an activity the girls seem to love.  Kathleen in particular loves to tell the story of the resurrection (she's been quite clear that it's her favorite part of the Bible), and she talked and talked about it as we made the rolls.  I realized she's not entirely clear on the symbolism of the rolls, though, as she explained them to her dad, "See, Daddy.  This marshmallow is Jesus, and we dip him in the butter and roll him in the sugar, and then we roll him up in this dough.  And we put it in the oven.  That's the tomb!  And then when we take the roll out, the marshmallow is gone!  Jesus does it."  Maybe next year, right?

After a truly lovely worship service, we came home to finish preparations and (for the littles, at least) to nap.  We hosted family and friends for dinner, for the second year in a row.  Much to the girls' delight, their best friend Audrey (and her parents, and her little sister, too!) were able to join us again.  (It makes me more than a bit sad to think that next year's the last year we'll be able to host these friends and family in this place.)  Between our girls, their two girl cousins, and Audrey, we had quite the gathering of little girls!

Grandpa read the girls Madeline's new book (and one of our favorites!) The Seven Silly Eaters.  I think the poor man had to read it three times before the afternoon was over.

Mama in an apron, with John David on her hip.  This is pretty typical, even if it's cliche.  In fact, the girls had to remind me to take off the apron on our way to church!

Fortunately for us, the girls decided to play upstairs early in the afternoon.  We enlisted all the adults to hide plastic eggs while Caroline made sure none of the girls came downstairs too early.  It was a good thing, too, because they couldn't wait to come downstairs.  Caroline captured just a bit of the girls' excitement on film!

And then, the hunt was ON!  The girls raced around the house, seeking and finding lots and lots of eggs.  We laughed and laughed about the way the three girls insisted on searching together.

Madeline was more than happy to show off her sugary loot to her daddy and brother...

John David tried to crawl around and gather eggs, too, but we had to put an end to that when we discovered that not only could he find the eggs, he could pry them open!  Maybe we'll let you try some candy next year, sweet boy.  Just not yet.

We ate and ate and talked and talked.  We savored every bit of our Easter.  We hope you did, too.