Easter: Sunday Best

Spring is such a rejuvenating time. I'm enchanted by the rich fragrance of the tree blossoms. I swear, the sight and smell of trees in bloom inject happiness into my veins.

The phase that we're in now, though, is a little stressful for a planner like me. We don't know where we'll be in the fall, or after that. We can't buy plane tickets, find housing, fully plan storage, or prepare ourselves emotionally for changes ahead, because we don't know the whens and wheres and how-much-moneys and for-how-longs. It doesn't sound that bad written down, and I am aware that I'm incredibly blessed, but while I'm packing up my little family's first real home and get ready to move to a summer sub-lease, while my husband pulls long hours in the week before finals with a full-time job, I can practically feel the hair falling out of my head.

Enter Easter. It didn't really make me feel less stressed, but it did remind me to balance the worries of today against the eternal scheme. Jesus Christ overcame the world for me; He swallowed up my sorrows and sins; He wants me to be happy. And you, too. And every person, ever. I hope I'll sharpen my vision on that Gift a little more each day.

And on a more shallow note, look how cute! Alex's Easter dress was my sister's and mine when we were her size. Her hat was in the Target $1 aisle (yes!).

 All the cousin-friends who came to my parents' (except one, who was napping :( ) sat on the porch, per this tradition:

(Amanda and me, ages almost-4)

Here's the cousin missing from the group photo, trying to blow bubbles with Alex:

After a delicious dinner, Alex got to finger paint for the first time, on some eggs, and I used the video on my camera for the first time (thanks, Rob!):

 
Alexandra's Easter morning egg hunt (per Matthieu's family's tradition):
She was a good little hunter, albeit not very greedy. She'd play with her eggs for a while before we prodded her to find more. She brought all her found eggs to Tori's boyfriend, and they practiced naming the colors. Then she arranged them on the couch in a row.  Once she knew there were fruit snacks/Oreos in the eggs, she inhaled the contents of all nine. She moved the empty shells to the bookshelf.

It's fun to be at a bustling house for Easter, but there's always someone missing. Thank goodness for Skype, eh?