Easter Weekend

I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter Sunday!  What a joyful day it always is and we are so truly thankful!

We had a very nice Easter weekend.  We went to my parents’ house this year and were joined by both my sisters and their families (minus Oscar who was on call that weekend, boo!).  Friday we went to the Veneration of the Cross service at 3:00.   It was really special this year now that Joseph is older and can understand more, so we were able to try to explain things a bit more to him and have him participate with us.  So during the veneration when we go and kiss the cross, we had Joseph kiss the cross too and it was so sweet.  I even tried to have Andrew at least touch it but I'm pretty sure he just wanted to grab it.

Saturday after Joseph's birthday party, we spent the rest of the day outside.  My mom is always really great about planning fun little games for the kids.  So the kids enjoyed playing with the parachute, an Easter egg roll with wooden spoons and then an Easter egg hunt!  Since the age range of the kids is from 1-10, the eggs were numbered and each kid was assigned a number and they had to find all the eggs with their number on it.  It was great to make sure everyone got the same amount of eggs.    Joseph had fun with it and enjoyed collecting his and Andrew's.   Most of Andrew's were all in one area so they were easy, but he preferred to reach between the eggs to grab a handful of mulch instead.  ;)

We had a yummy dinner of smoked pulled pork that my Dad made that day.  After bathtime, the kids had fun dying eggs before bedtime.  Easter Sunday was so beautiful too.  I always feel like Good Friday truly has a very lonely and empty feeling.  And then Easter Sunday always just feels like such a special and different day than just any regular Sunday.  (thank you Holy Spirit!)  After going to early Mass, we headed back to my parents for lots of Easter pictures and then a yummy ham dinner.  So many blessings to be thankful for, but most of all for our Lord Jesus rising from the dead!

All smiles on the swingset

Watching the kids jump on the trampoline and play on the playset  

Michael and Jim helped my Dad with his big burn pile

Parachute time

There goes Andrew and Michael

Dress up time with mustaches and silly teeth

Egg roll with wooden and plastic spoons

Andrew loves to be part of everything

A very sweet moment where they got in the little car together and sat there for a while just playing

My little loves

Easter Egg hunt

Finding his eggs!

Andrew actually picked up a couple

Joseph enjoying his treats with Grandma and his aunties

Later in the day we played bocce ball

We take it serious too - even got out the measuring tape, haha

Me and Roo

The guys playing dominoes

Joseph feeding the donkeys from the pasture behind my parents house

Dying eggs

The Easter bunny came

He was so excited for all his treats!

And Andrew too!

All the cousins on Easter Sunday

My family!

All the girls

My sweet husband

Love my parentals!

Makes my heart melt