Easter at our house

There are some things I especially like about Easter at our house.
Every year we do the same thing.
After church services are done and we've changed into comfy clothes, the kids all line up for their Easter picture. (long ago, we did the dress-up, matchy thing for pictures: oh, I worked so hard to coordinate those outfits!)



Then they race out to the back yard to see which one can collect the most candy-filled eggs. (The bodies may be grown-up, but inside they are still kids!






Everyone then sits down on the ground and compares their "spoils." When they were little, they would check amongst themselves to see if each one got the same amount of each kind!









This year Miss Morgan joined in the fun. (a single m&m in each egg--she was a happy little girl!)


I love that our children value traditions, even if those traditions are a bit goofy. Somehow,looking forward to the sweet predictability of treasured customs adds a sense of stability in a world that is often random and chaotic. For me,it's a way of preserving my sanity, keeping me grounded and connecting me with a past that is very precious to me. Maybe it does the same for them...




Both my extended family and Carl's is getting so large that it is increasingly difficult to "get us all together" for each holiday, so we have started inviting my parents and his mom to join our family for our Easter meal each year. I rather like the one-on-one interaction that happens in these quieter settings, since when we are all together, (40 plus for the Beilers and...I've lost count with the Smuckers!!) there is an abundance of noise, activity and hoopla going on!



Okay, humor me...here's a few pictures from Easters gone by.









HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!