Easter 2011

This picture cracks me up. I have one thing to say about this vision of egg-dying: My sweet husband handled the whole thing. I boiled the eggs, but I had nothing to do with the decorating, which I am grateful for this year. I wanted the kids to have a good time doing it, but I was weary and it would have been pretty hard for me to carry it out. Looks like a lot of fun though.

Good, creative fun. :)

Will is using a sponge to add a second, mottled color over the top of the original color.

Cal is in consternation. "Millie is using all the stickers." :/

Easter morning surprises. Amelia found a play ring in an egg.

Cecily is telling me she got a ring like "dister's".

Sorting candy

The boys got some candy and a kite. The girls got some candy and some small gifts (plate, bowl, coloring book, play jewelry) in a basket.

Millie's pretty egg that she ate for Easter breakfast.

Our amazing, healthy, homemade breakfast was...Frootloops.

They ate a hard-boiled Easter egg, so it wasn't all bad. :)

Speckled egg made by Sam.

Littlest one, ready for church.

We didn't manage to get a family photo with everyone in it this year. But I took some of the kids and Peter.

Boys.

Girls.

I managed to get a couple of pictures of the girls alone. I planned to come back out later in the afternoon for an egg hunt and take more then, but it rained and it didn't happen. My mom made the beautiful, matching dresses. They needed to be photographed!

She's definitely at that age when it's tricky to get a genuine smile from her.

The dresses were so fun to wear! Aren't they sweet?

Whoops. This is out of order. Dessert first. I made a coconut layer cake.

Ham, Garlic-Parmesan Potatoes.

Whole wheat Challah. That was really fun to make.

And that's all, folks. Easter was very meaningful, a wonderful remembrance of what's important. You can't see that so much in what we did to celebrate in these pictures. On Good Friday we managed to read aloud each of the gospel accounts of the crucifixion throughout the day. That was a wonderful way to prepare and have our minds meditating on the sacrifice made. This is our 4th year of fasting on that day. We don't fully fast, because of the children and me, who's usually pregnant or nursing. We eat plain bread and water. Actually, it's a church-wide fast and we all come together in the evening for a Good Friday service and a meal following, that breaks the fast.

This tradition has made the festivities of Easter day appreciated even more after having gone without and felt hunger. It's a great contrast between the fasting of Friday and the feasting of Sunday, that emphasizes the magnificence of the Resurrection.