Easter 2017

Emma was so proud of the fact that her birthday was on Easter this year!  I knew it would take some planning and flexibility to pull off all of Emma's birthday wishes as well as our usual Easter traditions.  This year we dyed Easter eggs at the local nature center with natural dyes so that saved time and prep at home.  We went with friends, and learned of various items that can be used to dye your eggs without the artificial colors.  The eggs turned beautiful, muted earth tones and I am looking forward to trying this new method out at home next year.

Lucy took it upon herself to decorate the house for Easter, and it was such a nice feeling for me to see her come up with her own creative ideas and execute them so nicely.  I used to decorate the house when I was her age for holidays and it was a big help to see that karma come back to me this year.  We spent the day before Easter at Will's parents' house, and did an Easter egg hunt and had a full Easter dinner.  Will's grandma was there too, which made it even nicer.

After our Easter dinner, the kids lounged on the couch with grandpa and showed him their favorite YouTube videos.

On Easter morning, the kids found their Easter baskets, and Lucy was the last to find hers.  This seems to happen every year and she spends several minutes ticked off while her sisters excitedly discover and go through their baskets and she is left wondering if she didn't get a basket at all.  Then, moments later she finds her basket and all is well again.

Emma got a birthday surprise in her basket - a giant chocolate Easter bunny - and a note on the table from the Easter bunny wishing her a Hoppy Birthday.  Here we are below, waiting in the church vestibule for the previous church service to end so that we can get seats for the next service.  Easter is so crowded at our church and we have learned that if you don't get there super early, you will be standing for the entire service.  This has dampened many a holiday for me, as it is no fun holding toddlers in an overcrowded, hot church for over an hour.  We got a great seat, and while we waited quietly in the pew for the service to start, I read our favorite Easter books to the kids that I had brought from home.  I love this part of our religious holiday, as it is such a special and quiet moment in an otherwise busy day.  I will be sad when my kids are too old to enjoy the stories.

 After church, the girls went on an Easter egg hunt in our yard.

 The rest of the day was spent enjoying their new Easter and birthday presents and of course, eating too much Easter candy and celebrating Emma's birthday.

 Lucy had been so excited to pick bouquets of daffodils in our yard ever since the first bloom opened, but I told her that she needed to wait until Emma's birthday as I wanted some of Emma's birthday blooms on her actual birthday.  Here Lucy is below, happy the ban on daffodil picking has finally been lifted.

According to Google Calendar, Easter will fall on Emma's birthday two more times in her lifetime.  Once when Emma is a teenager, and another time when Emma is 79 years old!  I hope all of our friends and family had a beautiful Easter!  Happy Easter!