Easter Weekend: In Photos And A Few Words, Too

Good Friday was for dying Easter eggs using Kool Aid (thank you, Pinterest.  It was the easiest, quickest method we've tried yet).  To be noted: this was the first year that I did not have to end up finishing the egg dying process on my own thanks to kids who lost interest.  Isabelle is at the most wonderful age and really, really loves these sorts of projects.  For the most part, I got to just sit back and relax and let them have fun creating beautiful things.  They made a big mess and I didn't care one bit, also to be noted.

Holy Saturday was for planting flowers and enjoying a cup of tea on the back porch with visiting best friends. We gathered at my cousin's house for a big Easter dinner with our extended family, lots of babies and aunts and uncles and good food. We had our annual egg paqueing contest, a Louisiana tradition that involves lots of egg knocking and people hollering.  Brees said, "Mommy, you wanna paque?  I got the best egg!". The kids hunted for Easter eggs long after the sun set and the grown ups laughed and talked and enjoyed each other, something we don't get to do as often as we'd like in this crazy busy world.  We drove our sleeping babies home and prepared for the Easter Bunny's arrival, feeling completely grateful for the overwhelming amount of love this big crazy family gives us.

Easter Sunday was for a very early wake up call and alone time with my mother in the kitchen as we prepared the Easter feast: slow roasted brisket, fresh green beans, homemade mac n'cheese, and "dirty rice". The kids woke up and took in their Easter basket treats, River still sleepy and annoyed with the bunny ears we forced on him to commemorate his first Easter. He warmed up pretty quickly, though, and smiled big enough for us to discover that he grew two new bunny teeth overnight! We got all dressed up and headed to church, one of the most beautiful masses and a renewed sense of faith filling my soul.  My brother and his family joined us for a relaxing day in the back yard, the cousins playing, the sun warming our faces, our plates overflowing and our laughter big and loud.  It was such a special day, so relaxing, so full of love.  Shawn and I cleaned up the post lunch mess after our guests were gone and then sat on the back porch while the kids napped, talking the whole weekend over and counting our blessings.  "That was a really good weekend, babe.  Everything just worked out so nice" he said to me, smiling proud.  And it was.  A very happy Easter indeed.