Easter 2012 Thoughts & Festivities

I've said it before.

I'll say it again.

I think I live in a zoo.

I'm sure you can imagine the volume involved, too, ha!

We dyed some eggs with my parents Saturday afternoon, and then...well...this. There was a lot of laughter, and that's always nice. After church yesterday, we ate lunch with Mimi and Grampy, and my brother and his family. It was very low-key but nice. Then we headed over to Bill's parents to celebrate with them. We are lucky to have our families so close! Grandma and Grandpa did a fun Easter egg hunt with the kiddos, but it was freezing cold and I was a wimp so I watched from inside. They had a blast, but I don't have any pictures to share.    :(

Admiring the loot. We don't really do the Easter bunny, though we have baskets with some candy and something really exciting like pajamas or...underwear!  =)

I managed to get this one picture of my brood after church. My plans for posing on the front steps were thwarted by the gusts of wind and spitting snow, so...we may have to recapture a picture later on when it warms up. (That's happened before, ha!)

Someone's always goofing and someone's always scowling and I was rushing, so it's blurry.

Sigh.

I worked hard on Isabelle's dress (actually, two dresses) all last week and we both love how it turned out. So feminine and kind of old-fashioned. I just adore it. I'll have to share more pictures of the dress in another post!

And this morning, Bill is coughing and miserable, Jonah woke up early puking, so I've got two extra boys home. Not that I mind that. Caleb was so sweet and made Jonah a Get Better card, and Isabelle has set up a princess ball on the dining room table. If only you could hear the conversations going on in there! Hysterical!

I was disappointed in myself for not doing a few special activities I had wanted to do with my children to celebrate this special holy-day. My mind and heart have been a little heavy lately, and that makes it much harder to put a smile on my face and do fun things. That probably sounds really selfish. It probably really is selfish. I know I have been given so much! And I know that Jesus died on that cross so long ago for me and for you, and I believe with all my heart that he loves us more than we could ever begin to fathom. 

I think I'll imagine being among the women at the tomb, whose utter grief was transformed to unimaginable joy as Jesus approached them and greeted them. Isn't that what he desires for us as well? To meet us where we are- whether that's in the midst of crisis or great happiness- and walk alongside us? To "show up" for us? To transform our grief into unimaginable joy.