Happy Easter 2015

Christus surrexit alleluia, alleluia!

After forty days of Lent, you can believe that we were ready for Easter.

The feast is always sweetest after the fast.

As joyful as our Easter celebration has been, 

it is but a faint, faint shadow of the celebration of Heaven, 

pale in comparison to Christ's glorious return. 

 There are much, much greater things for which we still hope.

This year, we braved the Easter Vigil with our kids for the first time.  A dear friend was entering the Church, and we couldn't wait another minute to begin the Easter celebration.  The boys were decked out in their navy suits and the girls in their Easter dresses, for which they all received grand compliments on the way to church.  The kids loved the candlelight procession and the passing of the pascal light.  But, we don't have a picture of the evening because both the boys were asleep in the pews before the Gospel reading.  It was a late night at the end of a big, exciting week.

But, when we all awoke early the next morning, there was great rejoicing over the Easter treats and feast!  The egg hunt was over nearly before T and I were in the room, and the kids were soon emptying candy into the candy dish.  J-Bear wasted no time biting into a chocolate lollypop.

There were fancy bandaids and Eos lip balm for everyone (after all, Jesus heals!), and a few other little treats in each basket :), but the greatest excitement was over our bean basket filled with jellies, the chocolate crosses at each seat, and the tiny nests of chocolate eggs set out at the table.

MoMo and Papa joined us for brunch, complete with sous vide lamb that T made for all of us.
Such a perfect Easter treat!  We also had berries and yogurt, scones and biscuits, scrambled eggs (for the kids) and onion frittata (for the adults).

Our Easter lamb.  Well done, T!

It was quite the spread!

Our crew awaiting Easter brunch.

Later in the day, we got to go to my Aunt S's for a lavish Easter dinner.  We were full and exhausted by the time the day was done.  

 Remember, Easter is a full season, longer than Lent by a full ten days.  Talk about a feast.  How can we use this feasting season to be a blessing to others?  We'll be celebrating quite a bit over the next seven weeks, with all the birthdays and G-Bear's First Communion.  I am excited to do Easter crafts with the kids, open Resurrection eggs, celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday next weekend, and hopefully do the Stations of the Resurrection (which now replace our Stations of the Cross on the buffet).  As always, Christ, be before us.

 Christ is risen indeed, alleluia, alleluia!

Happily Ever,

Queen B