Easter 2012

Easter always begins with Mass. We were so happy to have Pooker home for the day from college to join us.

Mass did go long but Jumba had fun playing with his new tie.

We arrived early but the traffic from the previous Mass was just getting out.  By the time we got inside we were sitting on the floor in the back.  We had spent the past few days working very very hard transforming the old school room into the new baby room/school room/mom's office.  I was wiped out and I sat resting against a pillar thinking about how tired I was and how my Easter didn't feel like I had prepared enough for. 

My pregnancy started before Advent.  I have been "giving up" and offering my struggles for a little bit longer than 40 days.  Yet as Easter came my relief did not.  In fact that tired feeling is back with the beginning of the third trimester.

Then my Easter gift came.  I looked over at my hubby and kids, when all of the sudden all of the love of heaven hit me like a ton of bricks.  I cried and cried, I couldn't stop.  When my friend Linda was dying of cancer she explained God's love and I told her that I only hoped I could be loved that way.  She said I was but it wasn't my time to feel heaven yet.  I got a taste and it is so beautiful.

Thank you God for trusting J and I with these crazy kids.  We are so blessed to know them, much less to be a part of their beautiful souls. 

No picture turned out great and I love each one. 

I never would have planned to have this many children and over this many years.  Thank you God for following your own plan, mine would have been so boring.

Home in time for an egg hunt.  They wouldn't even wait to get inside to grab baskets which meant we got some funny pictures of them trying to hold as many eggs as they could.

The bunny went all out this year, hiding some way up high.

Eggs were everywhere and so were my kiddos while on the hunt looking for them.

I always love these shots from Easter to Easter, seeing kids all dressed up and looking fantastic as they run around playing. 

Not sure if we found them all, but if we didn't they will show up soon enough.  Now to the baskets.

OK Bear, let's cut back on the chocolate bunny, please.

Happy Easter from my family to yours.  God has blessed us in so many ways and I hope that you can see God's love in your life. 

Happy Easter 2012.