Easter Weekend

Good Friday service was of course somber which left my son alone with his thoughts. Knowing the story of Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead sounds like one thing, but seeing adults writing down what Christ did for them personally and then stamping that sin as paid in full was powerful. He had questions. I am grateful our church plans for kids and doesn't make truth more gruesome than needed to teach. We once had an experience where a three year old was shown the Passion movie in a church preschool. The nightmares were intense for months. This momma was livid. Sometimes the best of intentions are wildly out of line. And as if our world understood the symbolism of the saddest day in history, we had dramatic temperature drops with pouring rain for two solid days and then Easter Sunday arrived with sunny skies and warmer weather. The rain and cold meeting the mood of Good Friday and a day the world waits for the resurrection.

Shifting gears. Greg's father called with news we are expected at the family reunion this year because they are hosting. We haven't made an appearance in years as we genuinely lack real connections and haven't wanted the four hour haul each way to make small talk for an hour, which has been our previous experience. He ended his call with a threat of sorts, "attend this year or you host next year". I laughed out loud. Call his bluff! There is no way that group will make the same four hour drive here and the few who might be threatened by their parents? Heck, we will serve something amazing off the smoker. No problem! Greg, feeling the pressure to please asked me to make a  reservation for our favorite Dayton area room. Hotel Sanderson offers the best family meals and comfortable guest room at no charge. So given the reunion is an hour closer to us this year and will involve a visit with Kristin, it appears we are attending this year's reunion in June.

Layla pulls off the most pitiful expressions. We have a note that is placed on the counter when we feed her because her weight is so far out of line, her thyroid has been checked to confirm she didn't need medication. Upon closer investigation, it was determined Big Girl as we affectionately call her, has fooled us more than we cared to admit. She convinced us she needed fed when she had already been served. Sometimes I think she is smarter than I often give credit.

In full celebration mode on Easter Sunday, one of our children was mean on steroids, one was hangry (hungry+angry) fasting for a colonoscopy, an alternator was replaced on an old truck (this involved Walmart, for the love) and despite her best efforts,  the Easter Bunny failed to provide the correct Nerf gun in the boy's basket. Sigh. Christ is risen despite the hot mess we are.

After the repair, we took a test run through the neighborhood that suddenly turned into an off road experience behind our field despite me worrying it was the last thing Kate's asthma needed. Her dad, likely correct in his assessment, countered she needs to unwind a little and the five minutes of laughter was a welcomed mood change. We saw neighbors working in their backyard and mentioned they now knew who their redneck neighbors might be. They promised to keep our secret but always knew this fact about us.

Ty gained a new tree at school for Earth Day this week and couldn't wait for the rain to cease so he could plant it. Although it is crooked, he did all the work alone and is very proud of his accomplishment. We are going to try to keep it alive despite a track record that doesn't fare well for the sapling.

Our grandson celebrated his first Easter and got his first haircut. We are smitten.