Epic Easter

Easter Best

SS's First Easter

I had seen toddler and baby ties for sale online and, of course, I decided that the boys MUST have matching ties for Easter. But I did not want to pay for matching ties (like, $20 or something! Later I found some for $4 each at Target, but still). So I thought about it, and the more I thought it over, the more convinced I became that ties couldn't be that hard to just make myself. I found this free tutorial online and used some colorful fabric I already had (from SS's nursery, which was fitting since this was SS's first Easter) and voila, free matching toddler ties!

This was the first time I have ever sewed using a pattern, and a pattern makes things so much easier. I guess that's one of the downfalls of teaching myself to do things without much instruction from someone experienced - I do things the hard way first (and for a long time) sometimes. (I also never used an iron in sewing until the last year or so (because I didn't want to move the iron and board or set it all up - lazy) and it makes everything soooo much easier, it's unbelievable. Sewing has become so much more enjoyable since I started using the iron.) Anyway, Easter. Matching Easter ties!

Men of the Family

Our Easter celebration was multi-faceted - first, we spent Easter morning at church - our church has a potluck breakfast out on the lawn before the service, which is also held outside.

SS's First Easter




In the car on the way to church, we talked to BB about Jesus' life, death for us, and then life again, and how Jesus comes and lives inside our hearts, and really introduced the concept of sin for the first time.

On Good Friday I spent some (much-needed) time reading the accounts of the first Good Friday in the gospels. I was very struck by this verse in John, 16:33:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Jesus spoke these words to his disciples shortly before his arrest.
I love how he tells his disciples that he has overcome the world just before his crucifixion, during which every circumstance pointed to the world overcoming Him. For me this was (and is) a pointed message not to gauge my life on my present circumstances, but on God's revealed truth. Because Easter is coming - not just ambling along, but bursting forth in glorious day - God's often mysterious truth revealed.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave he rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am his and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ


After church, we went to a park for an epic Easter egg hunt (...for Jesus, obviously). It was epic mainly due to sheer volume. J and I had 67 eggs to hide for BB and his two cousins - and that was just us. J's sister (who splurged at Target) hid even more - including eggs that were camouflaged to look like grass and rocks and pinecones!


SS lounging on his quilt that matches his tie while we prepared for the egg hunt

The girls arrived at the park brandishing their Easter basket booty, and were shooed to the playground with BB while the Easter Bunnies got to work hiding the eggs.

Cousin B made her bunny ears look like piggy ears

Auntie Seen presented the boys with a special Safari Bug Hunt Easter gift - a kit with lacquered rocks, each hand-painted with a different colorful bug, that Mama can hide in the yard for the boys to hunt. And she included a safari hat to wear while bug-hunting, and pictures of the bugs. Such a special gift, and BB has been playing with it in the living room already (since our grass is just now sprouting - hopefully we can bug hunt in the backyard again soon!).


The cousins, ready for the hunt


They're off!


SS fulfilling my vision of him rolling in the grass on his first Easter




I made them stop and pose




Discovering his eggs
(this one contained a little fluffball bunny Auntie Seen made)

We did make some of the eggs harder to find...


These were the grown-up's favorites - we watched the kids run right by them over and over. We finally had to help guide them towards them in the end.



Found it!


Help from Papa


Tada (as BB says her name) shaking the eggs out of the tree


This is where BB found an egg broken open and exclaimed "There's jelly beans!!.....I can't believe it..."


Auntie Shawna made sure SS had an egg to play with too



And J's pièce de résistance

(J still has healing cuts on the side of his hand from hiding this egg!)


After the egg hunt, we all headed to Auntie Shawna's house for a feast - because not only were we all celebrating Easter, but we were celebrating J's Mom (better known as Nacky)'s birthday!

Shawna not only coordinated a delicious meal, she also created a beautiful backyard tablescape to celebrate.



The birthday girl and her man,
our Mater and Pater Familia


Our hostess and host


Easter Best

J and I had gotten the kids Easter gifts - to keep it interesting, we gave them puzzle pieces in color-coded eggs that they had to find during the hunt in order to claim their prize.

Here they are putting the puzzles together
(And by puzzle, I mean index cards we drew on and cut into shapes)


They solved their puzzles and claimed their prize

A cardboard chandelier they can decorate with jeweled stickers and things and put up in their bedroom when they are done

Auntie Seen made Jello eggs, and they were a hit with everyone...except me, because Jello grosses me out. Food shouldn't wiggle like that.



Of course, because it grosses me out, J sucked a whole egg into his mouth...so I time-lapsed photographed it so you could all be equally uncomfortable.



Shawna and Jeff had also gotten a badminton set for the occasion, which was how we spent most of the afternoon.


While the food was prepping, Jeff gave BB a lesson

The boys had to nap eventually...and because J and I forgot the pack-and-play for SS, we made do and SS napped in a laundry basket.


BB took a nap too, but since he doesn't fit in the laundry basket we let him nap in the bed.


We had a delicious meal alfresco in the backyard, and later enjoyed birthday cobbler

I had too many helpings of our delicious cobblers

It was a lovely, full day.

And because our Easter day was so full, BB ended up getting his Easter gift a couple days later. But here he is receiving his gift.

A no-spill bubble container with 3 wands - excited face!

Enjoying Easter Treats