Easter 2013

We had a wonderful Easter...and week leading up to Easter (Holy Week).  As Judson gets older, it's fun to start new traditions, and I found one I'm really excited about.  I ordered "Resurrection Eggs" and a book that goes with them this year.  Each egg has a little item in it that represents part of Jesus' death and resurrection and every page of the book goes with one of the eggs.  I thought it would be a neat hands-on way to help Judson get excited and understand what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Even though some of it was above his head, he LOVED opening the eggs and reading the story each night.  (We did two eggs per night.)  I would definitely recommend this to other Christian families!

We dyed eggs but I didn't get any pictures worth sharing.  Something about trying to keep an 18 month old (and a three year old, for that matter) from spilling dye all over, I guess...  We'd gotten a sheet of stickers in an advertisement in the mail that day and eventually I let Cooper go to town with them to keep her occupied.  :)

Anyway, the weather was pretty fabulous all week and we spent lots of time outside having Easter egg hunts.  Both kids loved it, and I loved having something new to do outside.  :)

Both Saturday and Sunday were in the high seventies and it was FABULOUS.  Just the way Easter should be.  Our church had three services and Nate and I helped with children's ministry at the 9:45 service.  Since we didn't want to miss out on church ourselves, we managed to make it to the 8:00 service (which didn't have childcare).  It was quite a feat - Easter baskets, baths, making sure the kids and I were packed to stay overnight, dressing in our Easter best...and out the door at 7:45 am (five minutes late, but I was still pleased)!  We had to sit in the third row, which I knew was risky.  Cooper's at that age where she'll just start screeching if the mood hits her or if she doesn't want to do something.  Miraculously, she made it the entire service!  Hallelujah!

The rest of the day was spent at my parents'.  We had lots of fun and were thrilled to be outside most of the day. 

These two absolutely adore each other!

You don't even want to know how many pictures I took trying to get a good one of all three of them.  And I'm not talking about a smiling picture.  I would consider it a good one if they were all looking at me.  :)

Rowland at two and a half months...quite a big guy!

Helping Macy step down into the yard during an egg hunt.

Something was hilarious!  :)

 Okay, I'm including a bunch of similar ones, because my children rarely smile at the same time...

 

My parents' new dining room furniture (for family members who care :)

Also for family members who care: my parents' driveway and all their gorgeous bulbs

More daffodils ("quilting barn" pictured; house to the left).  They are everywhere and it's SO pretty!

All in all, it was a prefect Resurrection celebration.  Thank you, Jesus, for dying for our sins!

P.S. Cooper's shoes matched her dress perfectly, but did not come with it.  The shoes came from Goodwill a year ago and I'd forgotten all about them.  Right before Easter, I realized they matched her dress.  So fun!