Becoming Family: Easter - Multiplied like Bunnies

I am sure I am not alone in having fond memories of Easter growing up. It was quite a predictable holiday in my household. We would all awake somewhat early and head downstairs to find that we had cute little baskets filled with treats and little toys. It would soon be time to hunt for the Easter eggs that we had all so carefully colored just days before. We would all search the normal spots for the eggs and I would always end up in tears, always because my big brother would see me going for an egg and would quickly grab it just before I reached it. Then we would dress in our new Easter outfits and head off to church to hear the Easter story. After church it was time to eat, a dinner that took place at various relatives' houses and sometimes at restaurants that were preparing a special Easter feast. Sadly, I would return home to discover I had eaten too much ham and didn't have any room for that mound of chocolate in my Easter basket. Surely before the day was through we would discover lots of Easter eggs that we hadn't been able to locate that morning. In fact, for weeks to come we would often be stumbling upon old and rather fragrant eggs. And that was Easter. One day a year.

Things are different now. Ever since Greg and I have been together, holidays seem to be extended a bit. It is mainly a result of our families living far enough apart that we can't visit both sides in a single day without exhausting ourselves with driving. My kids will remember Easter lasting for two days and the spread looking something like this:

Easter Baskets x 3 (one from both sets of grandparents and one from Greg and me)
Easter Egg Hunt x 3 (one at both grandparents' houses and one at their house)
Ham Dinner x 2 (one at both grandparents' houses)
Chocolate x 0 (but only because Greg and I are going to eat it all)

Those fortunate guys of mine!

Saturday we went to visit with my family early in the day. (I had to be back in the evening to head out to my concert.) Sunday we got up and did some Easter festivities at home. Since we are bad Christians and haven't put too much effort in finding a church to visit, I have been explaining holidays to my kids during the past year and a half. Over breakfast I was telling them the story of Easter and had just said, "Jesus was an amazing person who performed many miracles." Greg, attempting to be all silly, yelled in from the kitchen, "Don't forget the part about the tamales." Without missing a beat I continued. "One of his most famous miracles was when he had only one tamale and he was able to feed an entire village with it!" After lunch we headed to Greg's family's house for even more festivities. By the end of it all, we were all tired, a little fatter, and happy to have such wonderful people to celebrate with.

Easter Eve

Hunting Eggs