March 29, 2016

Easter 2016

We celebrated Easter this year with joy in our hearts, following the most fruitful Lent we've had in a long time. Here are some pictures of our simple, family Easter...

We started Saturday afternoon by baking and decorating our traditional Easter Bunny Cake...

and it turned out sweet as can be!

After that, we moved on to egg coloring. Which we don't always do...but a certain little lady in this house LOVES eating hard boiled eggs. For real.

They turned out pretty well. : )

After dinner, there were baths and showers...Early Church on Easter...followed by the traditional "Picture in our Easter pajamas holding our baskets that Mom insists on taking."
I'm blessed to have good sports. : )

We set out a snack for the bunny...

and enjoyed treats while watching Here Comes Peter Cottontail.
Possibly the cutest holiday movie. Ever.

And then it was bedtime.

But not before making sure everyone was ready for Easter Morning Mass!

My baby was the first one ready...


So excited for Mass on Easter Day!

Peyton was a close second...and I was happy to snap a quick picture of these two. : )

And we made it! All four of my children...together in our home on Easter Sunday.
I am blessed.

After a beautiful Mass, we returned home, changed back into our jammies, and searched for the baskets! Some took longer than others, but in the end everyone was happy with the gifts that sneaky bunny left them. : )
Then we enjoyed a simple breakfast of cinnamon rolls with fresh fruit and dip...



and chocolate. Because...Easter.

The afternoon was filled with opening and reading and playing and napping.
Yay. Napping. : )

Soon enough it was time for dinner...

and this year we took a detour from ham and had steak that Steve prepared perfectly on the grill.
Peyton made Green Bean Casserole, Madison made a spinach, tomato, and fresh mozzarella salad, and I made some Hungry Jack mashed potatoes and opened a bag of rolls.
Yay me. ; )
And I admire some people who serve their food in lavish decorative dishes. But I am way to lazy too be some people. So aluminum pans it is. : )

Easter Dinner.
It was good.

After Flynn...my expert letter picker...and I beat everyone at Scrabble, we had dessert. Peyton's delicious Cherry-Berry Pie. : )

And that's a wrap on Easter Day 2016.
I hope yours was filled with faith, family, food, and fun.
Thanks for visiting, my friends!

















March 24, 2016

Wednesday Of Holy Week

Wednesday of Holy Week found us with all our work completed. What remains now is for us to sit back, relax, and meditate on the meaning of this week. As my children get older, I am finding it easier to find the balance between The Passion and The Resurrection...the true meaning of Easter, and The Easter Bunny and all that entails...the fun part of Easter. I truly believe there is room for both. : )

On Wednesday of Holy Week, the kids and I enjoyed an Afternoon Lenten Tea. It was simple and cozy and fun. All it should be for a Momma and her littles. And not so littles. : ) We drank some tea. And milk. And juice. We snacked on cookies and candy and crackers. We talked and visited. And then we prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. And it was good.

The rest of our week will be quiet and reflective. Friday we will abstain from all electronics during the hours between noon and three. We will also pray The Stations of The Cross together. And we will enjoy the last Fish Fry of the season.

Saturday we prepare and we wait. For Sunday is Easter Day! We will rise early and attend early Mass. Then we will come home, put our Easter jammies back on...yes, I'm serious...and hunt for the baskets so carefully hidden by that sneaky bunny. : ) We will eat and rest and celebrate together. And it will be good.

Have a wonderful, fruitful, blessed Easter, my dear friends. Thank you for visiting!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

March 23, 2016

Monday And Tuesday Of Holy Week


Holy Week is here, and I am hoping it is a fruitful and blessed one. Monday we cleaned our country home in preparation for Easter. Madison vacuumed while Flynn and I dusted and scrubbed and polished. Peyton unloaded laundry and took care of the dogs! Rhett was at work with Steve for the day, but I saved the vacuuming of the steps for him. : )

Tuesday we washed and changed all the sheets on the beds. And then, once our home was spic and span, we baked! Peyton and Flynn mixed up the dough and all the kids iced and decorated. I watched  with a full heart as I quietly thanked God for this day...this day with all my children together, laughing and giggling and spending time together.

Today we will have a small Lenten Tea during which we will pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Have a blessed week, my friends!

 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



March 22, 2016

Palm Sunday Weekend

I say Palm Sunday Weekend because we go to Mass on Saturday evening. So it's like Palm Saturday? Or no? In any case, it was a beautiful...if chilly...weekend to start off our Holy Week. : )

How happy am I that Madison is home?
She actually asks to do my hair and makeup!

My girl was excited to get her very own palm branch...

and to hear the Passion read at Mass after we studied it last week. : )

Palm Sunday was a nice day! My sister brought her granddaughter Cambree ...who happens to be Flynn's very best friend...to visit and they played and went to the movies. : )

And we ended the night with delicious "Palm Sundaes" enjoyed around the table.

Have a blessed and fruitful start to your week, my friends.
Thanks for visiting!




March 21, 2016

A Touch Of Easter

With but a week to spare, we adorned our country home with all things Easter. Five minutes after packing away the leprechauns. Here is a peek at our bunny filled home...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Baskets waiting to be filled. : )
 
Happy Easter Season, my friends. : )