Easter 2022

 Resurrection Sunday.  Service was great, the sermon about God being Greater was wonderful. 

We've realized we miss the richness of celebrating the Lent season/ Resurrection in a base chapel. We are not from a high church/liturgical tradition but some of the rhythms we've learned through the years really DO focus one's heart and soul on the season.  We found ourselves remembering the Friday Lent Lunches and Devotionals, the Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday services, the studies and readings on the sayings from the cross, the march towards that terrible sacrifice paid on our behalf and then Jesus' victory over the grave. He arose! We'll be looking to add a few of those practices back into our celebration next year. 

After our church service there was a giant egg hunt. Our crew chose to head home. We had wild thoughts of a quick nap before everyone arrived at the house - but that was not to be.  Look at Annie's excitement. 

Annie - 📷by Lindsey

Bre and Josiah - 📷by Lindsey

Quite the haul! At least as much sugar potential as Halloween. LOL They'll be bouncing off the walls unless Bre can hide the stash VERY well. ::snort:: 

Bella & Gideon - 📷by BreAnne

Twenty-one Gherkins gathered at the house. The table stretches from the dining room across the living room....we may have to begin figuring out another seating arrangement if the family continues to grow. We were all so happy to have both Nolan and Alex at home this month. Nolan has previously put in lots of over-time and missed family gatherings.  SO....Nolan baked over 70 pigs-in-a-blanket and Jamin was NOT going to give up the title quite so easily. He brought the red plates. My WORD. That's a WHOLE LOTTA pigs-in-a-blanket! NO, we did not eat them all. ::snort:: 

I think the girls got a bit carried away with the torch. 

Thankfully, the rest were very edible. 

In addition to the aforementioned food, we burned burgers and brauts. I had hoped the yard would be melted - but it wasn't. Oh well. We still cooked out.  The Gherkins brought plates and plates of go withs. It was the easiest meal yet. 

Cy and Michael manning the grills 📷by Carrie

Jared! is here this year. This is our first time to catch up with him since he arrived in the area! Larissa will be here soon, and we can barely wait! 

Jared - the human jungle gym

CyRi - the boys report standing room only crowds at their services. There were 40 new baptisms at the first service. What a great day to make a public confession of faith!  CoRielle - Arielle successfully navigated her first Easter as the Children's minister at their church. She was downing ibuprofen and finding a happy place when she arrived. LOL 

CyRi, CoRielle and Danny

Sweet Girls - Auntie Allie and Livie

We missed Izaak today. He is in Fairbanks. It was great to have Bre and the children join us. 

Bre, Jojo and Jamin 

Cousins for the win! Benny and Bella 

Auntie Stacia mans the munchy table - Gideon/Annie

Benny moves on to tickle Uncle Alex

Benny's going to get Uncle Jared! 📷by Carrie

Pure Joy! 

"Someone" might have shown the kids an old tradition from our years in San Antonio....and someone may have suggested they smash a few eggs on Papa. One thing led to another....

Such pretty confetti...and such scratchy egg shells down the back....

I had hoped the egg fight would range the breadth of the yard - but I'm thankful it was on the deck...though we are sweeping up confetti inside. 

In addition to the Resurrection, we celebrated March and April birthdays. Cory (always sweet to wear the pig hat) is 29, GG is 81, Allie is turning 18 and Bella has turned 6. 

Since Cory and Grandpa had their gifts last month, and Bella is having a party on the 30th when her daddy can be home, Allie scored the most gifts. The kids were quite willing to help her open gifts. LOL 

Mr. Jojo was quite happy to finally be home! It was a long day for him. 

📷by BreAnne

Carrie and Cy 📷by Carrie

GG and Jared enjoying the sun 📷by Carrie

 

Gideon 📷by Carrie

Livie and Bella discovered there was still enough snow to slide. LOL 

📷by Carrie

Benny 📷by Carrie

Gideon and Annie📷by Carrie

Bre and Jojo📷by Carrie

More cascarones! Gideon, Benny, Bella and Livie loved them.

📷by Arielle

📷by Arielle

📷by Arielle 

It was a fun day. We'd not seen Krista and Luke for a month and they were able to come. They sure looked tired. Krista is in the midst of transitioning to a True North billet, but as the chapel is low she is still doing her current job as well. It was good to see them. They brought a sweet-smelling Easter Lily. 

It was a great day. And now....the sun is rising earlier, the days aren't dark and gloomy....it's time to retire the tree until fall. I mean we COULD keep it going through the summer, but there will be lots of outside things to focus on for the next few months.  

Jared seemed aghast to see the Christmas tree still up. I told him it is an Easter tree and it was an Iditarod tree and a Valentine's tree before then....

"No," he said, "It doesn't work like that." 

Yes, it works just like that when one is embracing winter and finding whatever light and cheer they can in the long dark months. 

Random Glimpses From This Week

 It's time to share random glimpses from our week.  This was the BEST SPECIAL DELIVERY we received all week! Danny continues to dislike the sun and the snow. 

It's fun to see this room being used as we envisioned. Puzzles and painting this week. 

THIS was a highlight of my week.  A new Alec Benjamin album was released and the girls decided to see if they could play one of the songs together. 

We are proud of Jamin! He passed his exam and is now a full-fledged Broker! He's going to places and it's fun to watch. Way to go! 

📷by Jamin 

Two catalogs - different covers, came insides - one student! We'll find time to start planning next week. 

 I'm glad KrUke found the time to get out for another snow machine adventure...

Our girl sees the world through some serious rose-colored glasses.

Ah - we've all felt like this off and on this week. Allie took a nice bath and relaxed after a busy morning out and about. 

Easter Sunday Prep

 Today was a day to prepare for tomorrow's full house. We had a couple of appointments out and about...but for the most part we stayed close to home and worked on desserts.  Tomorrow we will celebrate the Resurrection as well as our March and April birthdays. 

Today, I made an ice cream cake and a 9 x 13 cake. Stacia made an ice cream cake, macaroons, butter cream frosting, fondant flowers and meringue. 

I saved my table from being torched. She had fun "torching" half of the meringue candies. 

Look! This part of the yard is melting. 

All of these individual pieces came together in the cake she made to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection. 

At some point in the day, she and Nolan went shopping. He was going to bring soda and chips to the potluck in our home tomorrow...but he changed gears when CyRi said they were bringing chips and dip. He said he would look for snacky type food to bring. He came back with the ingredients to make pigs in a blanket. Thus, begins the Pigs in a Blanket war of 2022.  I posted this photo in a group chat with a comment about how he made 2 pans and told Jamin the game was on. Jamin is known for bringing pigs in the blanket to dinners. BUT he had NOT said he was bringing them this time....he responded we are going to have a LOT of them this year. I think the fam is up to the challenge. 

We are happy Nolan and Alex are working early tomorrow and will be home by lunch time. It's been a long time since they've both been at a family dinner.  Nolan stepped up to help boil water and sugar for the butter cream frosting. 

We grabbed some dinner and Nolan needed to go to bed.  GG, Michael, Allie, Stacia and I watched an episode in LOST and we skipped through most of a 2nd (we don't watch the junk).  It's been interesting to find the themes in this show...we found a Jesus, satan and Judas character. 

We're looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.