On an Easter Sunday Morning...

We have a favorite song that talks about a family sitting down to their Easter morning meal.  They eat eggs, toast, and squash, and it sounds so simple and charming.  Despite my best efforts our Easter morning was anything but simple and charming.  Here's the break down...

5:30 a.m.  hit snooze for 10 more minutes
5:50 a.m. kiss Dean goodbye for what we both thought would be a short hour of rounding at the hospital and preheat the oven
6:00 a.m. put the shortcake in to bake
6:30 a.m. realize the cream of mushroom soup I needed for the funeral potatoes got left in the Winn Dixie shopping cart.
6:35 a.m. rescue a screaming Sadie from her crib and throw a banana at her
6:40 a.m. receive call from Dean informing me he would be staying to do TWO surgeries that couldn't wait and asking me to have the boys postpone "anything Easter" until after church
6:45 a.m. give up on the potatoes and go shower
7:00 a.m. intercept the boys at the bottom of the stairs and convince/force them back upstairs to shower and put on church clothes.
7:30 a.m. receive text reminding me my presence was needed at the choir rehearsal for the Easter Cantata at church and would I please be there at 8:00 a.m.
7:50 a.m. drag three basket deprived children to the car in their Easter best with breakfast in hand

I was tired, (I'd been up a little later than I wanted ironing everyone's Easter clothes, and, yes, knitting the ears on the rabbit featured above.)  The Cantata performance was actually for our sister ward, so I made it into Young Women's late. I debated going for the last fifteen minutes, but I'm so glad I did.
I got to see this...

http://easter.mormon.org/

Because of Him.  Have you seen it?  It changed my perspective.  Our teacher asked us to write down what was possible in our lives because of Him.  I wrote, "because of Him I can be better than I am." then I added "and live in Alabama and not be depressed every single minute." It was a moment of clarity for me.  I really am able to live here and be happy with and for my family (most of the time) because of Him.  His gospel, His priesthood, that I have used for a blessing or two since I've been here.  His atonement and the realization that He's been alone in a strange place too. It was good to have fifteen minutes of reflection in the middle of a busy day.

I should stop here, because really, that's why we have Easter, and this is turning into a novel.   Just as we were getting in the car we were invited to Easter dinner with some ward members (an answered prayer to the morning's ruined potatoes? I think so).  The boys hurried and found their Easter baskets and barely looked through them, then we all hurried into the car again for the drive to dinner.

 It was wonderful.  Lot's of people and kids and ham and potatoes and noise.  Everything we were missing.   Of course I forgot the camera so no pics, but we have good memories.  (I also realized while writing this that I have no pictures of us in our Easter digs.  We'll just have a do-over next Sunday when Dean's with us and snap a picture then.)

Dying eggs on Easter Eve

When we got home Ben said, "Wow, I thought I got a lot more in my basket than this?"  I peeked around the corner and saw egg halves and tinfoil scattered around the room.  While we were gone Bailey the Beagle had also found Ben's basket...Now we will be the experts on what an entire solid Dove chocolate bunny will do to the inner workings of a Beagle.

Target dollar bin tops that turned into favorite toys in an instant.

Ben whispers to me, "Mom, I saw you buy my Lego bunny when we were in Birmingham."
Oops, cat's, or should I say bunny's, out of the bag.

I set out to make another bluebird, but only had gray yarn so I made a rabbit instead. A rabbit that turns into an egg? yup, and guess what? They all want one.  It is THE hit.  It warms my heart.

I'll leave you with Ben's very own Easter joke.
 "Why did the chicken kill her eggs on Easter? Because she wanted them to DYE.  Haha, get it Mom? dye, like die, but dye?  I am so funny, huh?"

Happy Easter from Alabama!!

#becausofHim