Easter 2014

Fun Fact:  Most people experience all holidays prior to their first birthday, but not Lucy.  She is already a big 1-year old on her first Easter because the date changes every year.  In fact, Easter actually fell on her birthday back in 2011, and that will not happen again until 2063, her 50th birthday.  Thanks Kimmie for the Trivia Tidbit :)

We attended "Easter service" at church on Good Friday this year.  I tried for some good honest Easter photos before we left.  Sam thought the tricycle made a perfect photo prop.  I pick my battles.

I love this one…

No tricycle.  No smiling face.  Period.

Lucy loves our "dandelion field" that is our front yard.

I texted the Bunny and asked him to drop by our house a day early since we had to be at church by 7:30 Sunday morning to volunteer.  He brought some pretty great prizes for two very good kiddos.

Apparently, clothing is optional when unpacking Easter baskets.

On Sunday afternoon, we gathered at CedarRock for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. 

Kimmie had the best egg hunt planned.  Color-coded, age appropriate hiding places made for a perfect hunt for every egg hunter.  No fighting or crying; it was bliss.

The egg hunters lined up and got their color assignments, and off they went.

YaYa bonded with our guest "Marley"

Lucy would hunt a little bit, then swing a little bit.  Then repeat.

The boys had to really use their heads.  Eggs hidden high in trees, down in holes.  They really had to think to get those eggs this year.

Egg hunter extroadinaire found himself worn out and needed a quick break.

After all the eggs were found, we sat at the picnic tables to survey the loot.  Some eggs had slips of paper telling the boys to complete and activity to unwrap a big prize from the table.  Clever.

Dance to pick a prize...

Make a funny face to pick a prize...

A short break to swing with PawPaw

A wagon ride around the farm with the whole family

And finally, a "Shine Your Light" birthday cake for Lucy and Uncle Drew, who both had birthdays during the week of Easter.

Cake and icing = happy girl

Happy Easter 2013

We love Easter at our house.  We love Easter at our church.  We also love that Easter weekend kicks off the beginning of my spring break!  Sam set out his Easter basket in hopes the Bunny would fill it up while he slept...and he didn't disappoint!  The Easter bunny brought Sam some new pajamas, big boy underwear, a new book, bubbles, chalk and more candy than any child should have.  

When Sam got up this morning and saw what the bunny had left for him, 

he said, "I think the bunny likes me!"

It dawned on me this morning this was an extra special holiday, our last one as "the three of us."  Here is our last holiday family photo that doesn't include another sweet face.  God has blessed our family so abundantly.  Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to celebrate your tremendous act of love and courage so that we may live redeemed.  There is no greater love.

Willie Robertson was our guest speaker at church today for Easter, and boy did he attract a crowd.  We have one Saturday service and one Sunday morning service at the Murphy Center for Easter.  Both services were filled to capacity, over 12,000 people at each service.  

After church, we headed to Suzy's annual Easter feast and festivities.  Somehow we missed the memo to bring galoshes and rain gear, so we improvised.  Daddy made Sam a "rain suit" using two Kroger bags and some fancy knots.  We rolled his pants up, took off his shoes, and sent him off to hunt for eggs...in the rain.

 Daddy and Kimmie guided the kids while I watched from the porch and took photos.

Sam was particularly interested in the rubber snakes and made a run for two of them almost immediately.  After they were secured in the basket, he was ready to move on to looking for eggs.

Cameron has become quite the expert egg hunter.  

My boy didn't even seem to mind the cold, wet weather.  He had a blast hunting eggs.

Kimmie helped him through one minor setback...

All that tip-toeing through the grass tripped him up and he lost his loot!

My boy and me

Logan and Austin filled their baskets to the brim, 

emptied into bigger bags, and went back out for round two!

 Kayden is the master egg hunter at these gatherings.

This is what it looks like to set up a great family shot... (I kind of love this one!)

And, if you're lucky, this is what you hope to get!

The Norwood Clan

After watching Sam play with Grammy for a while, I got this great (yet crazy) idea to pile all the boys up in her lap and get a picture of her surrounded with all her great-grandsons...

Take one...

Jordan crying, Austin eating, Sam wondering what Austin was eating, and the others basically uninterested in getting a remotely good photo.

Take two...

Getting better, Jordan still not happy, Austin defending his food (probably from Sam)

and the rest are smiling and looking in the same direction.

This was about as good as it ever got.  

Gotta love a bunch of boys and a very patient Grammy.

Happy Easter 2013, that's a rap!