Easter 2011-Year of the Egg Hunts

No dying eggs this year. Far less presents. Egg hunts galore. (They were a hit!!) Lessons to be learned.

The girls and I started our festivities this year on Friday at Mimi and Papa's with Julie, the girls, and the Bray 3. We did tons of cousin pictures in Easter outfits, ate pizza, and GAB hid eggs for a hunt. (This was the first year they weren't stuffed and that I didn't hide them.) Mom's mobility and stamina is poor, so the festivities were limited...which sometimes less is best. Maddie and Reagan were team purple!

Rileigh was a TROOPER during all the pictures. She had her "lunch" which wasn't pizza and then passed out. Here she is before the hunt...

And here she is after the hunt with her $1 from Mimi (which Rea put there) for doing a good job...

Saturday we attended our church's big annual EGGtravaganza. It was challenging for JMA and I not to serve at it, but this year we needed to be with our girls. We brought GAB with us which was fun for RCA. RJA just chilled the whole time in the sling. (a post to follow about the sling) Here is the 2 year old (and her helper) during the 2 year old hunt....

RCA would shake the egg to see if it was filled. If it didn't rattle, she would throw it back down. We later discovered some of those had Chick-fil-a coupons in them!

I didn't get any other pics that morning, but she loved the inflatables and she had her first snow cone...but without any flavoring...just ice. :)

Sunday we went to church for a rockin' service. I listened to the preaching in the stairwell while I fed RJA because I didn't plan well. We attempted to take a family picture afterwards. Then an impromptu lunch with friends.

Mom, dad, and Bray kids came over for dinner. It was our first family style dinner at our new table. Love it! (no pics taken though) :( Then we went down to the pool for a swim. RCA's inaugural swim of the season.
(I can't wait to get in there with her this summer to see what she can do.)

This is what RJA was doing...
Some of the Patterson family was coming in town the next day, so we waited to celebrate Easter with them the next night. I had a challenging afternoon (maybe a post for another time...let's just say the girls and I were all crying at one time) and was super late for the gathering. As a result, they graciously postponed the egg hunt until after dinner. Well...during dinner, it started storming for the first time in WEEKS! After waiting some time for it to at least stop lightning, the hunt began...in the dark....while it sprinkled...and my child didn't have pants or shoes on! Nice!!! Classy! Eggs were hard to find and candy was wet, but we certainly made a memory. Look at the big picture below..think my girl enjoyed herself?!?

I love the way God CONTINUES to use situations that are not what I had "planned" to stretch me and challenge me to be more like him...to see his plan, to seek his will, to serve him, to be still and know he is God...REAL and ALIVE...sitting on the throne. I rest confidently knowing that on Easter and everyday throughout the year my family and I are held in the palm of his hand.