His Love
It’s funny how it feels like we’ve been celebrating and anticipating easter for weeks and yet, it also just passed us right by. Months ago, I saw the cutest craft that I just had to do. In the long winter months I can get kinda stir-crazy.. even though, I always long for the boring months of long breaks between my photography work (no one wants winter photos when its -40 outside!). Sometimes, its nice just to keep my hands and mind busy. I decided to do what I think is the cutest easter craft. I had all the materials in our recycle bin and to be honest it really did calm that part of me that needed it the most at that time. So really, our “easter’ing” started in January this year. Haha.
Bentley and Penny helped put a few of the bunny portraits together and I will cherish them for as long as they last!
Each year we try to easter craft.. like dying eggs or the painting together. This year we tried something different. It was messy and sticky and I’m not sure they’ll last longer than this year but thats ok. It was fun to try something new. And.. they’re cute so, worth it.
We celebrated Easter a week early with the Gardiner side of the family. I am grateful it worked out because our easter weekend was filled with a huge basketball tournament that our kids love so much so this weekend was kind of a write off. We got together all last weekend and it was so fun. Cousins played, dinner was amazing and the treats were overflowing. My parents were so thoughtful with easter treats for every single one of us. A big chocolate bunny, handfuls of easter chocolates and a toy for the kids. We all left feeling so full! Physically and emotionally! I’m grateful for this beautiful messy family we have. So thankful for each and every one of them. My niece, Bella, just comes and gives me hugs at the most random times and I don’t think she will ever truly know how much that means to me. I love being her aunt. Their aunt. Im the luckiest!
It was sad to realize that we would be missing the Reed’s easter dinner. It felt weird but everyones schedules were just not complimenting each other this year, including ours. We know that this will happen but it doesn’t make it feel better. We wish we could have been in two places at once because what I do know is that the love at their easter dinner was ABUNDANT! Grandma & Grandpa Reed always always go way out of their way to love on their grandkids and kids. I’m positive the dinner was perfect with a million options and I’m drooling just thinking about it (which is maybe making the fact that we couldn’t make it feel worse right now lol). Regardless of us physically being there.. thats where all our hearts were on Saturday. Love that family of ours, endlessly.
Mom Reed even dropped off the kids easter egg hunt activity earlier in the week so they wouldn’t miss out. She stuffed them with toys, candy and chocolates. I hid them around the main level of our house on Thursday and after school the kids went on Grandma Reed’s easter egg hunt. Urg, I love her so much.
The spoiling doesn’t stop there… on Friday evening (see.. literally celebrated Easter a million times haha) we got a text message from our favourite neighbour, Scott. He texted to let us know he was.. “pretty sure I just saw the easter bunny in your front yard”. Like, are you serious right now?! He left this giant easter basket for our family. I could have cried. Not because there was a 50 pound (literally!) basket of easter goodness at our front door but because he is constantly thinking of our family. Taking care of us in all the ways a great neighbour would. I hope he never moves.
There was SOOOO much in this basket and the best part… NOTHING had peanuts or gluten in it! Every single thing was safe for Carter. My mom heart exploded.
AND ALLLL of this before our own easter bunny arrived… which was Saturday morning. He left the typical scavenger hunt this year with a twist! Those kids blew through those clues which was a huge blessing actually because it was 7:30am and we needed to leave to the tournament in 30 minutes. They were giggling and laughing and worked together and razzed each other. It was awesome.
God is so so good.
Easter has been celebrated for so long but its been nice to reflect on why we celebrated easter in the first place. I truly, truly am so so grateful for our Saviour. Through him I am finding every part of me. Learning to love all the things he loves about me that I never did. He has changed my life. Made me appreciate others. Learn to serve those around me with so much joy, it fills my bucket completely. He turns the bad into good. I am so thankful for him. The healing he has given me. The hope, faith and unwavering love I have for him and his act of love at Easter rushes over me like a river of love. I am thankful for Easter. Thankful for the Saviour and his sacrifice for every single one of us. For this precious holy week that just brings a different tone than the rest of the year. I am so thankful.
Happy Easter.