Easter

Hayley's first Easter was a success!  

Nick and I have decided that holidays are much more fun when you have a child.  I found myself evaluating our favorite traditions and dreaming of new ones I want to start in the upcoming years.  

We always spend Easter at my parent's house in Clear Lake.  My dad's side of the family makes the trek out to the lake and we spend a weekend crammed into the house.  It's a big, big house... but we manage to make it feel tight!  This year we had a grand total of 34 people staying at the house.  

We have some fun traditions that we carry on year after year.  My personal favorite is the Easter sunrise service.  My uncle Al delivers a message, we sing a few worship songs, and watch the sun rise over the peaceful lake.  It is majestic.  This year, Uncle Al incorporated our family history into the message.  It was a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness to our family and the rich legacy that we carry.  I am excited to teach Hayley about our family history as she grows.  

My other favorite tradition is the Annual Wine and Cheese Competition.  Everyone brings their "winning cheese" and then we eat, vote, and anxiously await the results.  It is not only a fun tradition, but a delicious one too!  Needless to say, we don't eat lunch that day!

On Easter Sunday, we have a big Easter egg hunt for the little kids.  Hayley just watched this year, but it was fun to imagine her running around hunting for eggs next year!  

It was a wonderful weekend celebrating Jesus and spending quality time with family.  We are blessed!