Easter weekend

First of all - HE IS RISEN!! Allelujah!!! This is my FAVORITE holiday!!! I just love it!!!

ZZ knows the whole easter story and we are so proud of him. He is asking such great questions. Today, he asked - what does Salvation mean? And we answered. Then he says, "Well, really it means you should build your house on Jesus' salvation." (he meant "foundation" but it kind of makes sense this way too!!)

When ZZ was first born, I had a little sewing business. I called it My Little Blessing - after him. Little did I know back then how TRUE it was!! He is such a total blessing to everyone around him. Truly a gift from the Lord!


We started off our weekend with an easter egg hunt at the nursing home. Some other moms and I are trying to teach "serving" in an age appropriate way. And on the way there, I talked a lot with Zac about showing Jesus to the older residents at the home.

I can't even express how proud I was of him. He hugged the residents and even kissed some on the cheek! He held some hands and walked around with me talking with them. The nursing home was so gracious. They hid eggs for the kids, dyed eggs, had candy and treats. Zac was given a little bunny by one of the sweet residents there - which he has slept with all weekend.


He proudly wore his Policeman badge - which was really cute and funny. :)

We made that "basket" before we left. It's an egg carton decorated with stickers. I didn't want him to be the aggressive egg stealer kid - so I thought limiting him to 12 would be a good way to prevent that. And to Zac, 12 eggs is a LOT. :)

It was at this Egg Hunt where I saw what a sweet little egg hunter he was. He made sure the littler kids had more eggs and he only brought home about 5 or 6 eggs. I was so proud of him. He didn't race around with a take-take-take attitude. He was so giving and kind. LOVE HIM!!

I didn't say anything. But this sweet lady was clearly not the easter bunny. What you can't see is her cell phone in her basket. Zac was sweet, but I knew HE knew it was definitely not the "real" bunny when he didn't even bother telling her his one easter basket request: Elefun.

After we left the nursing home, he asks, "Mom? Why did that Easter bunny have a cell phone?"

We were on our way to the mall to meet some friends, so I told him she was just a sweet lady who dressed up - and we'd see the real one at the mall.

YAY!! This bunny got to hear all about Elefun and how much fun it would be to receive it on Easter morning. :) Thank you Nordstrom's kid's shoe department! :)

Saturday morning, we had another Hunt to go to. But we've been *really* putting off putting the final touches on that silly bathroom of ours. You know - the one we started about a year ago? :)

So, we vowed to get the toilet paper holder and towel bars hung before the Egg Hunt.

The problem is... Brian and I are both so very independent!! Thankfully Zac provided some comic relief as we worked through that. ;)

Although, working on the house with a 4yo underfoot is not always easy. The hallway was destroyed as we gave him toy after toy after project after project to keep him out of the way.

Here he is with an allen wrench tightening all the screws on his Ikea table and chairs.

Of course, we were running late at that point. Brian finished up while I raced to get ready and get to the Easter Egg Hunt - not exactly something you can be late for!

But - right when we were about to leave - I couldn't find Zac's easter basket ANYwhere!! I was stressed and Brian was stressed and we both felt rushed and frustrated.

We never did find that darn basket (and now we are wondering if we ever brought it home when we bought it the other day b/c it's NOwhere in our house!!)

I was so embarrassed that he had to bring his ghetto egg carton to this really nice Egg Hunt. I had picked out this really cool, really BIG brown woven basket JUST for this hunt!! Grrr!

BUT. Zac never fails to amaze me.

I joined him in the car (where he was waiting patiently while his frazzled parents raced around on our OWN hunt for this basket). Brian had to meet us there since he missed any time to get ready.

I hand Zac his lame old sticker-covered egg carton.

And Zac says, "Mom? I'm so lucky to have the coolest basket of everybody."

Is he not the most beautiful child?!?!

We got there - and ended up being early b/c the actual hunt didn't start for an hour. We went to the petting zoo, which he LOVED.

Brian and I cracked up at these poor chicks. Bless their hearts. But the children sure loved their pretty colors!

That silly donkey just cracked him up. :)

And, although we've never been able to convince Zac to get his face painted, he sure loves the balloon makers! A SWORD!!

He played some games and got a really cool ring (which we promptly lost at Target that afternoon...lol).

And he got to make a great little bunny bracelet.

He made his own cookie concoction (notice that great egg carton).

Girl Scout cookie with icing and gummy bears anyone?

Then came the Easter Egg hunt.

First they called the 2-3 year old kids outside. I knew Zac was a very gentle egg "hunter" so I kind of wanted him out with the little kids. But we waited for the older group to be fair.

Then they called the 4-5 group and we headed outside.

Brian stayed inside b/c he had found some old friends and was busy talking. No biggie - what could go wrong at a little kids' easter egg hunt?

One rule was given to everyone: Only 10 eggs per kid. The lawn was covered in eggs, so we were all assured that everyone would get enough.

Well, the 4-5 year old group doesn't mess around on an egg hunt. It's a ruthless hunt-or-be-hunted mentality out there. When the eggs were all gone, Zac had ONE.

ONE EGG.

Being pregnant and completely hormonal, I admit, I did confront a mom whose child's basket was overflowing with eggs.

I'm not proud of this. But I gave her a friendly little clenched-teeth-smile reminder that the kids were only supposed to get TEN eggs each.

But she didn't speak english and smiled sweetly right back at me and walked off.

I'm not mad anymore. Now, I am holding back my tears.

Like a crazy pregnant lady, the field is clearing, and I'm with my sweet little boy who has ONE egg, and my eyes are filling up with tears.

I say, "Zac - I'm so proud of you."

And he says in the saddest little voice, "Why? I only have one egg."

**omg.... self control!!**

I found the director and I don't know what he thought was more pathetic - my wavering voice, Zac's egg carton, or the fact that there was only ONE egg in there. So he gave Zac a couple of the extras in a bag he was carrying. We were very thankful and ran in to find Brian and open up all the eggs.

Now I just wanted to go home. We were having an easter party that afternoon and I needed a NAP.

Our party was so much fun. We are so blessed to have such sweet sweet friends with wonderful children for Zac to play with.

Brian even got to hold baby Caroline!

(He tells me later that babies are soooo easy - he has no clue what an ANGEL Caroline is!! Hopefully our new baby will be HALF that good!!!)

The weather was so beautiful and all the kids stayed outside the whole time. They are SO cute! :)

Then we had an egg hunt for the kids. I made Brian buy 160 eggs so Zac would have more than one this time. :)

He started with his egg carton...

But ended up with a Walmart bag because there were SO many eggs!! YAY!!!

After everyone left, we set out to make Easter Cookies. My camera was acting TOO good all day and this is the last picture it chose to take for the day. I was hoping to get a picture of each step of the cookies, but oh well.

Didn't really matter anyway, since they didn't even work. (they were supposed turn out hollow and they didn't)

The next morning - it was FINALLY EASTER!!!! During our morning cuddle time, Zac was sure that the bunny had his basket on the back porch.

But it wasn't there.

And -of course - it wasn't a basket either... LOL

It was on the fireplace!! And the Bunny left ELEFUN!!! Hooray!!! And we were early for CHURCH!!!

Easter Sunday - truly a day full of miracles. :)

We got great seats at church and Zac took our picture. He was AMAZING during the service. He loves the songs and he lifts his hands up while singing to Jesus. How could that not make a Mommy cry all over again?! The people around us LOVED him. He just blessed so many people that morning!

Easter, 2009 - a blessed wonderful amazing weekend for our family.

Thanks for visiting!! :)