EASTER IS OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR
I think this Easter was the best one I've had in recent memory. It was just
full of all the things that make my heart happy - so much joy shared with
those I love. I thought I'd do a little recap of it all as my small homage
to The.Best.Easter.Ever....
WHY WAS THIS EASTER SO SPECIAL?
To sum it all up I thought I'd use Five "F"s:
1. FAMILY
This Easter we had lovely long visits from both our adult children and
their families. We started with our son and daughter-in-law and two
grandgirls who arrived on Tuesday and stayed through until Friday afternoon.
Merging into that, our daughter and son-in-law arrived on Thursday and
stayed through until Sunday morning. So, we had time with just the
grandgirls, times with just their family, times of all of us together, time with just my daughter, and time with our daughter and son-in-law.
2. FABULOUS WEATHER
The weather throughout the week was absolutely gorgeous - blue skies,
moderate temperatures, and sunshine that made you want to be outside. When
you get days of perfect weather you can't help but smile and want to be out
and about enjoying the last warm days before winter sets in.
3. FUN
Because the weather was so lovely, there was lots going on, our son and DIL
headed off for a day together enjoying being childfree - they ate at a
lovely restaurant for lunch, wandered the streets of little towns, and
enjoyed spending time together. We had the grandgirls to ourselves and took
them walking, and to a playground (or two) and out for morning
tea.
Our son-in-law went off mountain bike riding while I got a shopping morning and coffee date with our daughter, and we all had plenty of time to relax and chat.
4. FEASTING
We certainly ate ourselves into a food coma several times during the week.
There were morning tea excursions, a HUGE Chinese takeaway dinner that my
mum joined in with. There was a joint birthday afternoon tea, a roast
dinner, and hot chips (my favourite) on two (!!) occasions. On top of that
was the abundance of chocolate eggs and a hot cross bun or two along the
way.
5. FAITH
We find it important to remember that Easter is more than just food, and
chocolate, and fun. There's also the "reason for the season" where we
remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. Since we've moved churches and
now attend one that we used to be a part of when our kids were young, they
were happy to join us for the Good Friday service - and found plenty of
friends from their childhood to catch up with and compare life journeys
with. It was lovely to be able to worship together as a family again.
THE RETURN OF SILENCE
Everyone is now back in their own homes, the noise and general chaos is a
memory. The house is quiet (VERY quiet!) and life returns to normal. I feel
like my tank is full and my heart is happy. It's so refreshing to be able to
spend time together as a family and just enjoy each other's company - it
made me so very grateful that it was so simple and yet so special.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
How was your Easter? Did you get to enjoy time with family? Did you eat too
much chocolate? And the big question....are hot cross buns only for Easter?
Or can you enjoy them all year round?
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That sounds perfect, Leanne. I'm a no to the chocolate - okay, I might have had a single dark chocolate Lindt ball... I'm also a no to Hot Cross Buns at any time other than between Easter Thursday and Easter Monday. And then, it is all about the butter.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo - I can imagine you're foodie nature would definitely rule out over indulging in cheap chocolate and hot cross buns. I'm not a big fan of all the chocolate, but I do enjoy a hot cross bun here and there throughout the year (my bad!) :D
DeleteHi Leanne. Happy Easter. I'm glad you enjoyed time with your family, and that the weather was so perfect for your time together. We're enjoying our slow journey, up the coast, to our new home in North Carolina. We even had a chance to stop in Melbourne, Florida, where Tim and I met, and got married, almost 42 years ago. It's been a lot of fun. ♥️
ReplyDeleteHi Christina - I didn't realize you were on the move already - and you have a home ready to go to! I'm even more excited for you and can't wait to hear all the details. How lovely that you got to do a little wedding reminiscing along the way. x
DeleteLoved this so much. A great Easter for sure. And lots of memories made AND photos taken. Wonderful to see and enjoy your quiet house! It's been awesome weather here too but no get togethers as families and changing and some are with other parent. We are gearing up for this Friday a a play day for 4 granddaughters who are still keen to come! Ages 10, 11, 13 and 15!
ReplyDeleteDenyse x
Hi Denyse - dates like Easter and Christmas can get quite busy with so many extended family members to deal with. I think getting 4 granddaughters together for a play day sounds absolutely wonderful - a delayed Easter delight - you'll have to throw in a few easter eggs for morning tea! I probably should have taken a lot more photos, but I get so caught up in just being with everyone that I forget to take them - and nobody else seems to be into photo taking - so I'm glad I remembered to take a couple here and there for the memories down the track. x
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ReplyDeleteEaster is a celebration of spring & nature. Here in NE Alberta, Trees are starting to bud; the hills are greening up; robins have been sighted; the river is open; gophers are scampering about; newborn calves are born. On the practical side, time to take off the winter tires & vacuum the vehicle interiors. Happy Easter/Spring.
Forgot to mention the bear sightings. There's a den nearby where 4 cubs have been sighted!
ReplyDeleteHi Mona - I'm always amazed at how different the seasons are - same time, different side of the world. We're finally feeling the cooler temps after an extremely hot and dry summer. No bears or gophers around here - a kangaroo or two now and then though :)
DeleteIt's just such a lovely mid-season time of the year, and sharing it with family was the icing on my cake :)
Leanne, Happy Easter. You have captured it beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much - nothing is more special than having time with family (especially when they want to spend time with us out of love and not out of obligation!) :)
DeleteLoved reading about your wonderful, fun family Christmas. Ours was quiet with the only near enough family, our 2 dogs. Lots of video long distance calls. A great dinner with an Easter Ham
ReplyDeleteHi Judith - I don't remember the last time we had them all down here for nearly a week - it was just the perfect blend of time together, time separately, comings, goings, stayings. My mother-heart was very full indeed by the end of it all. x
DeleteHi, Leanne- Your 'F' words sum it all perfectly! Your Easter sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHi Donna - it was pretty "F"abulous all round - nothing beats time with family - especially when your family is all together and happy to be there. :)
DeleteLeanne, your Easter sounds wonderful! I love that you had such a great mix of time with your kids and grandkids, both alone and together. That makes the time together so enjoyable. Great photos too! Your grandchildren are adorable. We had a lovely Easter weekend, much quieter than yours but fun to catch up with some friends and family.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue - I think any time with friends and family is special - I'm so grateful that ours wanted to come for an extended visit - it just gives us time for all those different interactions - a lovely blend of busy and quiet times. And now we're back in our quiet house like it never happened - except that my heart reminds me and is very happy. :)
DeleteIt sounds like you had a lovely Easter with your family! And your daughter looks so much like you!
ReplyDeleteI have somehow got out of the habit of celebrating Easter, but we had cake and my husband cooked lamb in the bbq, if that counts.
Hi Susanne - yes any fun activity counts when it's such a lovely time of the year. One of my friends' husband commented on how much my daughter and I look alike - neither of us can see it - I just see a younger, fresher, prettier, more confident woman - and it makes me very proud :)
DeleteYour Easter holiday sounds lovely. You just can't beat that combination of family, fabulous weather, and feasting. My husband and I spent a quiet Easter day at home. Then family came by in the early evening, and we had a lovely visit. It was a perfect relaxing way to celebrate following our recent travels.
ReplyDeleteHi Christie - nothing like a little wind-down time after a busy time away. To be able to combine that with a family visit just seems like the perfect combo to me :)
DeleteThis sounds absolutely perfect Leanne, time for everyone, food and lots of fun! Our Easter was very similar and I loved it all (apart from the accident my granddaughter had on her bike, but she's fine so all's well). I'm so happy for you sharing this time with your family!
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - I'm so glad she's okay - bike accidents are a part of childhood - but not if there's a serious injury. I watch kids flogging along on electric scooters with no helmet or proper shoes and it does my head in - they all think they're so bullet proof!
DeleteHi Leanne, I wholehearted agree with you “… joy shared …” the best kind! Your granddaughters are getting cuter by the minute! I also ‘get it’ on the noise and chaos. Chuck and I beyond love our family, yet we appreciate the quiet time. We are heading off camping again in a few days where we are not in cell range. A time to recharge our body and spirit. I extra love the photos you shared, Leanne. 💕Erica
ReplyDeleteHi Erica - I love the noise and the busyness and the interactions, but I also love my peace and quiet. I guess you don't truly appreciate one without the other. Enjoy your time away in nature - it always refreshes your soul and centres you - something that's so important as the world is so loud and demanding - it gives you a moment or two to breathe. xx
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