Easter 2015!

I LOVE EASTER! 

We dyed eggs Wednesday, and poor thing was pretty bummed out that he wasn't old enough. Sorry bub, better luck next year.

Fun times people. Fun. Times.

Saturday was our annual Easter Brunch at the country club. It's like a kids paradise. TONS of crafts and candy out, dancing with the bunnies, a buffet full of kids food (i.e. fried and small), an entire ice cream cooler rolled out with no limitations, and a darn stinking entire 9th hole completely overtaken by Easter eggs! 

Just need to ask...which photo would look better on our wall? 

ONE?

Or TWO?

#nailedit

Managed to grab one photo as soon as I saw the face paint come out. I was pretty sure in that moment that any hope of a family shot would be out the window.

Any way, my kids were so very unimpressed with this year's bunny crop...

But bring out the face paint and it's a party!

Watch this unfold...

Death grip...

Warming up...

HECK TO THE NO HE DIDN'T! 

Mommy to the rescue.

E was finally on the mend from his near bunny abduction, and all was well.

Saturday night my husband and I went to church and left the little ones with my mother-in-law. I began to grow increasingly concerned for her as the picture texts started rolling in. She had no idea how much candy they had had hours prior...

#sorrynana

Easter Sunday!

We woke up and made our annual resurrection rolls, followed by some lunch prep. 

My mom made the most adorable veggie tray, and my sister-in-law is one crafty goddess. #wellplayedladies

My girlie made her now famous Mississippi Mud Pie, and I bawled my eyes out as I made my Momo's carrot cake cupcakes. She was so very missed that day. 

Things felt "real" when my grandpa arrived without my Momo, but took a turn toward funny when baby E wouldn't let him operate his walker alone. We all joked that he was just showing off his skills now that he has graduated the walker himself. 

Gotta love babies! 

OK, so did you notice that the babies matched? Funny thing - my sister-in-law and I bought all six kids the EXACT same outfits for Easter without consulting one another, and did not notice until about 20 minutes into dinner. We are, apparently, a one-stop Gymboree shop.

Love my peeps.

It's tradition to take a terrible family photo on Easter. Terrible. Every year. Only Easter. We just own it, now! 

I really hesitate to do this, but I feel the need to prove just how serious this problem is...

Ain't none of these ever gonna see the light of day again. 

Moving on (thank God!)

Egg hunt! We leave one egg empty with a note saying "He is risen" (get it? empty egg!) so that rather than having a "golden egg", the kids don't know who "won" until after the hunt is over. Winner gets a chocolate cross.

  

He was pretty mad (he can't read) that he didn't have candy in an egg. Then he realized what was up.

   

My aunt and I handed each lady a gift we had spent hours on the week before - homemade cookbooks of my Momo's original dessert recipes. A true piece of her heart that we each get to keep with us. And while we were doing that, the kids scored yet again with - you guessed it - more gifts! This time from Gramma and Grampa, All the parents breathed a sigh of relief when said gifts did not include sugar, dyes, or things that may poke eyes out if used in a fight.

All jokes aside, this was a tough year of loss for our family, and God knew exactly what he was doing when He made our Easter invite list. My best friend's Grandfather also passed away two days prior, and her grandmother and mother were left in town with nowhere to come, just as they were, with their grief. Another man in our small group just lost everything. EVERYTHING he owned, and his job, on top of that. My husband and I were honored to host all of the hurting hearts (including our own) in our home this year. In all sorrow, there is hope, for He has overcome the powers of this world. And what better time to celebrate that hope than Easter? Just as we are. Imperfect, hurting, filled with joy, or filled with sorrow - we all have one thing in common. We have hope, because He lives!