Yesterday was Easter. It was a beautiful Easter day. For our family, it was a "real" day with "real" moments and where I put a "real" post on my family photo sharing. Sometimes on blogs you see all kinds of posts with neat ideas, great tips, knowledge worth sharing and other cool stuff. Just like on social media, we sometimes forget that online posts do not always share the real stuff that happens outside of the positive stuff we see online, but everyone has those "real" moments where things do not go perfectly. I am sure it is not typically intended that way, but just a result of sharing the positive and fun moments of our lives with others.
But yesterday, the Miller family had a "real" Easter morning which I shared with our family.
"Well, this morning we were still trying to get food in the crockpot 2 minutes before leaving the house for church (including the browning meat, spices, sauces and veggies. Veggies did not make the cut before church), we forgot Lincoln's shoes (because he was refusing to get dressed and only made it to the car seat with a shirt and diaper on), Lincoln made it through the greeting at Mass before Scott had to take him out (and they never returned), after Mass Lincoln grabbed Adelyn's Squeeze-It drink she had brought from her Easter basket and it spilled all over his white church shirt, and on the way home people in the car had a hard time remembering to not say things that are not kind, necessary, and helpful...but the joy today helped us to laugh and I know we are so blessed. Happy Easter to everyone. Jesus is risen and we have life."
It was a morning yesterday when one thing after another was frustrating and/or going wrong, but for some reason yesterday I was able to feel the joy of Easter and just laugh at all of this with Scott as we were driving home. In fact one child accused me of laughing at them in this moment.
I am not always able to see the positive. Some moments I know that I should be excited or happy because of whatever the event, you know such as Christmas Eve, but sometimes that stress just takes me over and I am grumpy central. Yesterday I was blessed and fortunate to be able to enjoy the day anyone and find all of these irritations funny in the end. I had been thinking a lot about the preparation for Easter and in the story of Easter, Jesus, the gifts he gave us on Holy Thursday, all he went through and suffered following the Last Supper until death, his compassion, and his immense love for us. I was also thinking of how joy filled the disciples must have felt on Easter discovering the truth. I think the little things we do in the house together as a family help me get into the spirit and mood just as the Christmas decorations, advent candles and calendar do in the season of advent (if only the holidays were not crazy days in December). I guess these things altogether reminded me that in the end, I have an amazing gift of family in my husband, children, and each of our families on each side, we have a great place to live, we have food on the table, Jesus rose from the dead and saved us all, and we have life. I hope that all of these things continue to impact us in this way during future Easters, but also throughout other moments of the year.
Here's to real life, imperfect humans, forgiveness, and life! God's joy and peace fill us all this Easter season!
Holy Thursday celebration of the Last Supper (a day early because we had events out of our control in the afternoon on Thursday).
Sampling the bread before the Holy Thursday meal.
Waiting, waiting, waiting for everyone to get to the table so we can start!!
Finally! Eating!
Family service and doing what Jesus has done for us. Lincoln not knowing exactly what was going on, saw his sister getting her feet washed by Dad so he hurried over to join in the fun!
Adelyn enjoying the water and Lincoln patiently waiting. As patient as a 2 yr old gets.
Egg dyeing on Friday. Lincoln's first time to try this!
This is way too much fun! Look at my colorful hands!
Palm Sunday and Good Friday decor up. Baskets are ready! Forgot to photograph our stations of the cross in the backyard with the baskets collecting from each station. Decor ideas from our church parish and Pinterest of course!
Our scripture snack.
Got this great idea from http://www.catholicicing.com/lenten-activities-for-children/
Happy Easter!
