4/22/10

P.S.

I love having chickens. I never expected them to be so affectionate, so funny, have so much personality. Best $3.50 I ever spent.

They are a bit of work...but there are some big payoffs - like the way they snuggle and fall asleep in my lap, or the sight of them waddling over to me in the garden.

Also, Bill is making the most outstanding chicken coop. I'm so proud of him.

Busy busy days

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4/5/10

Easter Sunday with family living and deceased

The Lucken children were spoiled this Easter! They were included in an Easter Egg hunt in my sister's neighborhood, which was fun. The Easter Bunny left them baskets and a multi-step scavenger hunt leading to a few extra presents. (The Easter bunny is a gifted poet! Her iambic pentameter is flawless!) Grandma Sybil, Aunt Julie, and Aunt Perry brought over the cutest things, and now our house is trashed with Easter presents, candy wrappers, and plastic eggs.

In my first attempt at (co) hosting Easter, we had two Easter Egg hunts - one for big kids and one for small kids. Total number of hidden eggs = 160

Today, I definitely feel like I overdid Easter, but I think that is understandable. It was both our first Easter without my Dad, and our first Easter with the Gibbs in town. Added to the crazy Easter festivities was Katie's family birthday party on Friday night, and I am tired! I went all out for my little family - I can't imagine how the Easter Bunny must feel!

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All 5 of us went to Mass on Easter Sunday. More than anything, following family traditions like egg hunts and Easter Sunday Mass made me feel like my parents were right there with me, celebrating Easter with my family.

My Catholic upbringing gives me a soundtrack for these holy days, and I loved that the opening song was one that I had been serenading my kids with as we looked over our Easter Baskets earlier that morning. The kids looked at me like I was magic when they heard it in church. The offertory hymn was "Morning Has Broken" - the hymn I chose as the opening hymn for my Dad's funeral. Emma remembered it, and was sad, but I explained that it's meaning was perfect for my Dad then, the way it was perfect for Jesus now - the suffering was over, it was a new and beautiful day.

I looked at my little family, and the tears rolled down my face as I whispered to them - "I am sad your grandparents are missing this [being with my kids as they grow up], but I am so happy because I feel like they are HERE."