Easter 2014 was a Good day. 
Easter 2014 was a Full day.
Easter 2014 was a Good, Full day.

One of the kids said it was the best Easter ever.  I’ve gotten used to these proclamations, however.  The current *event* always seems to be recalled as the best.  To me this doesn’t dismiss previous experiences as much as it means they felt joyful at this time. 

My alarm rang at 5AM to remind me to start the crock pots.  With a smallish oven and two 10 lb hams to cook, I resorted to doing my two potatoes dishes in crock pots.  [I won’t keep you in suspense; they turned out fantastically.]

Some of the kids were up by 7AM itching to look for their baskets.  I had a lot of pressure with this, let me tell you.  Last year’s hiding places were superb and they remembered that.  No pressure.

The girls donned their dresses, despite the fact some had to take baths AFTER the basket hunt…
It was fun to have them matching. ♥

They hunted high and low…

Johanna found hers in the hamper.

Tabitha found hers in the Play-Doh cupboard.  (Doesn’t every one have a Play-Doh cupboard?]

Marie found hers in the bathroom vanity under a pile of towels.  She was elated to receive a clip-the-clothes-on Princess.  (Tab has 6 and Hanny has 4 already!)  She hasn’t played with it a ton, but she was so pleased to get a princess the other girls didn’t have.  They love to mix and match the clothing.

Stewart found his in the pantry.  Eventually.  Nigel found his in a dress that I had hanging in Daddy’s closet. 

Swim goggles, a protractor, and a puzzle book.  We are a fun crowd, aren’t we?

It was off to church for 10:30 AM.  The kids couldn’t believe how packed the parking lot was.  Just moments before someone had suggested that church would be empty because people were out of town, or busy, etc.  Nope.  The church smelled fantastic.  Our friend snapped this picture. 

After church we tried to grab some photos. 
You know the old saying: “You can dress them up; but you can’t make them smile, tilt their heads just so, and look in the lens.” 
Or something like that.

We had a lovely dinner; and although the food was delicious, it paled in comparison to the awesome fellowship.  John’s parents, my mom and sister, and our dear friends the F’s joined us for the afternoon.  [I did not make the adorable hatching chicks.]

 

Sunday was also John’s birthday.  We opened gifts in the early afternoon.

 

 

Our family then left and we headed outside for an egg hunt.  Stewart offered to help Daddy hide the eggs this year. 

Johanna had a particularly awesome time finding eggs with J’s on them. 

Katriel was super-cute.  We’ve never had a baby at quite this age at Easter.  She was tickled to find out the eggs weren’t just fun to hold, but you could open them up at eat a Teddy Graham.  🙂

She doesn’t like getting herself up from the grass!
And can you imagine how fantastic this picture would have been… if I didn’t have princess stickers on me?  Good Grief. 

And – the BEST photo of the kids I have had in years… in play clothes.  *sigh*  Of COURSE they took off their church clothes as soon as we said they could (after the mid-day meal).  So when I spontaneously asked them all to sit in the yard I never could have anticipated that I was about to capture the first photo ever with all six of them smiling and looking at the camera.  Smiling AND looking.  No eyes closed, no hair in the eyes, no stray toy or cup in the corner.  Best picture ever… orca whale shirt and all.  ♥

The day ended with us watching a movie together.  It was such a sweet, full day.

As I lay in bed that night I was reflecting on all the goodness we’d enjoyed.  We aren’t a family that has a standing Easter tradition.  We’ve celebrated it differently almost every year – different guests, different activities, different food.  We even once were guests elsewhere.  I’m not sure things will line up for us to replicate such a great day in Easters to come.  But it was SUCH a wonderful, wonderful day, I just basked in the joy we all had felt.

And as I drifted off to sleep I startled awake as I remembered what we had done LAST Easter. 
If you want a good laugh – check it out.  http://dayspringdisciples122.blogspot.com/2013/04/easter-2013.html
Um, last year was R.O.U.G.H! – A day at the DMV would look like fun compared to LAST Easter.