Boats?

Our jam-packed Easter weekend is drawing to a close... it's late. I'm sleepy. Sarah Jane is sleeping soundly in our guest bedroom because, for some reason, she likes that bed better than her own. George is "laying down with her until she falls asleep" --- even though I am pretty sure that he was asleep before she was. And here I sit, in my green chair, with my *new* computer (insert YAY sound here) trying to figure out words to sum up this weekend.

It was crazy, wonderful, exhausting, exciting, busy, emotional, fun, great, and just flat out LOVELY. We had a great weekend.

Yesterday we had 100+ people at our house for our church Easter Egg Hunt. I've been trying to get ready for it for weeks. I rounded up all kinds of yard games and goodies --- and our church even got a giant blow up slide (that was was a HUGE hit). With my friend, Gretchen's, help we pulled together volunteers for snacks and face painting... Everything was all set--- and suprisingly enough, went off without a hitch. Saturday morning was crazy trying to get everything ready... but it came together and we had a great time.

We had some really good friends of ours drive over Friday night for the hunt on Saturday, it was so great to spend some time with them! We always enjoy a visit from our future in-laws. :)

At some point during the day yesterday, I stepped back for a second and looked around for SJ. I heard her laugh and looked around --- I spotter her at the snack table (of course). In that moment, while watching her decorate her own cupcake, I realized how much of a little girl she is becoming. She stuck her own butter-knife in the icing and took care of all of it herself... when she was done, she ushered her visitors over to the bouncy slide... and then they got their face painted. During the hunt, she ran around and found all the eggs that she could fit in her basket... but careful not to get too many. She's a great kid. I am so blessed beyond words that she is my daughter. --- at the end of the day yesterday she hugged my legs and said "I'm so glad you're my Mommy." After watching her for most of the day yesterday, seeing her in her own element with her friends... I have never been more proud to call her my daughter. I am so in love with that kid.

We ended the day at another friend's house for dinner followed by a MUCH needed hour in a hot-tub. It was the perfect end to a great day.

This morning, Sarah Jane woke up to find her Easter baskets right where the bunny had left them... she was SUPER excited about the pre-made, knock off doll basket that she wanted... and could have cared less about her other basket that had a new i-pod in it. Oh well. We went to church not long after that and enjoyed a really great service. --- after church we went to June's for lunch. It was WONDERFUL. I think that from now on, I will call her Martha June. :)

We had dinner tonight at Cracker Barrel (don't make fun... there was NOTHING else open)... but aside from the Dolly Parton c.d. on repeat, It actually was great. It was nice to sit down with Sarah Jane and George and laugh. When George and I first got married we lived in a cute little duplex on the other side of town. I stayed at home and George worked in the kitchen at Zaxby's... we had I don't even know how many cats and we thought things were terrible. Tonight we agreed that we would both go back to that tiny little duplex and do it all again--- only this time we would laugh our way thorugh it. That's the house we brought Sarah Jane home to, the house that she learned to walk in... that is where George bought me a wooden swing for Mother's day that broke when you sat in it. That was Janey's first nursery and our tiny little kitchen. She pushed her riding toy up and down the tiled floor hallway... and we had a Big Lots entertainment center that was made of cardboard on the back. We laughed about our Guest bedroom and how cool we thought it was... we called it our "office" -- and for some reason we had lots of pictures of boats on the wall. We don't even like boats. It was nice to laugh about those "terrible" times... especially since we have certainly seen worse since then. Tears fell in the middle of Cracker Barrel thinking about what might have been. I'm so thankful for our little family and our "little" house and our pictures on the wall that in no way resemble boats...

Happy Easter, everyone. He is risen.