Reflections

While fresh in mind, and my heart full, I want to write about the moments I shared with my family here over the past Easter weekend.

I feel tremendously blest that they were able to come. For my dad, it was a huge country long journey, flying from Virginia Beach to St. Louis and driving the Silver Bullet 7 hours to Kansas. For my mom, it meant giving up a busy week to help Anna and her baby. For my siblings, it was thier "get away". :) For Tricia and Phil, it was turing back around to travel again, just to be with family. Even my cousin Bridget joined in the family fun with her beautiful baby Margaret.

I thank all of them for making the trip. For me, it was home coming to my home....happiness.

For Nicholas and Christiana, they woke up everyday with sheer excitement and wonder and hours of play time with their Aunts and Uncles. Nicholas cried this morning when he heard they left.

Some Favorite moments....

1. Food: Cooking is one of my passions and when it is for my family over a holiday, it is even greater joy. Memories are made with good food and family sitting around a table together. To be able to provide a piece of that for them was pure enjoyment.

2. Nicholas and Christiana: watching my kids literally jump out of bed to spend the day with Aunt Gianna and Grace and Uncle Peter and Paul...the love they have for them is instant and strong. Family bonds are such a gift from God.

3. Easter morning coffee with my dad who joyfully and dutifully sang the Alleluja Chorus in beratone ; ) Easter morning would not be Easter morning without dad's singing to our risen Lord, even though it still always brings Anna and I to giggles.

4. Easter Baskets, Hunts, and Eggs....traditions in my family are carried out to the umpth degree. Hard boiled eggs have names....certain candy from 20 years ago is searched for and bought for the baskets ..... the 10 hour long wait of many children in some basement or living room with the blinds shut with absolutely no peeking aloud - while 20 million plastic eggs and one silver egg with lots of hard cash are filled and hidden for a serious and fun egg hunt...brunch must include egg casserole, bicuits, and fresh fruit with whatever else we want to add as long as those staples are there.

Gianna found the silver egg this year. All these activities are necessary and carried out in detail by various members of myfamily who each hold fast to each of his or her own favorite traditions so that they are all miraculously repeated year after year.

5. Tights, Hats, Ties, and Dresses....everyone gets in their Easter best for Jesus. The Easter bunny turned white when he saw the risen Lord. There is usually a few who no matter how hard we plan ahead, are missing a tie or tights in the Easter morning scramble.

Other Highlights....

The Town Easter Egg Hunt: "If ye don't find an egg will give ya one!"
Interesting concept for an Easter egg hunt. My family got to experience first hand, Kansas style.

As Phil said, "This Easter Egg hunt is not for the faint of heart." We all trooped to the park in blankets and coats in 50 degree weather to see the kids vie for a few jelly beans and a prize at the end.

Easter Egg Wonder

The Newly Hatched...

Veronica Rose

John Philip

Margaret

Hanging Out...

Every day for an hour sometimes two...