Have a glorious Easter!

 

Isn't this the best time of year?  Maybe it's because it ushers in spring and all the spring birds and flowers and soon everything will be green instead of white and brown.  Beautiful!  Everything is coming to life!  Hope abounds!  It's because this week tells the historical stories of the bible and the roots of our faith.  From Palm Sunday, to Holy Thursday, to Good Friday, to Holy Saturday, to Easter Sunday.  The death and resurrection of our God, of Jesus. Of how He suffered (took all our afflictions and sins upon Himself as the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb) and died on a cross, was buried, and ROSE FROM THE DEAD!!!  No other man, or any other faith can claim the resurrection and being witnessed by thousands as He walked and ministered, made dinner and ate with His friends.  No one else rose into the heavens, witnessed by many, and saying "as you see me rise up into the sky, you will see me come again".  Praise the Lord of Lords!  Easter is a wonderful celebration of life!

 

 

I was thinking about the many times we've been able to spend Easter together.  I would like to share a few that come to mind today:

 

 

At Linda and Dennis's.  We had a wonderful time that day.  But Chuck, Russ, and Dennis all ended up with pretty bad owies from playing dodge ball. 

 

 Where's the food?  I'm hungry!

 Clean up after the food!

 Visiting!

 Finding eggs and playing dodge ball!

 Napping.  Bandit, too!

 

 

One Easter Janet and Eric and Kailey came.  Chuck and Deedle came over and Linda, Dennis and the boys as well.  It was a beautiful day, so we ate outside and played out there all day. 

(can't find this picture, but I will and I'll post it later)

 

We went to my Mom and Dad's in Chinook several times for Easter.  We always had fun there.  I remember one of those times.  I had made Kay, Karen, Janet, and Linda all a beautiful purple coat and hat.  And a pretty pink dress for each as well.  They found their Easter baskets, and Linda wanted all of them.  She put up quite a fight for them, too.  I think she was one! 

 Easter dresses I made.  And the bows, too.  Pretty?
(Actually I won a contest with these lovely models.  And I made Chuck a shirt, too.  No picture of his!)

 Grandpa, Chuck, and Brian all dressed up!

 In Chinook.  That is Linda, not liking how the grass feels.  Mickey beside her, laughing at her.  Janet picking Grandma's lilacs!

 A picture of us in Chinook.  I made your dresses - and mine and Dad's shirt, too!

Kay - she got her basket and bunny! 

 

I remember an Easter at Bev's in Bozeman.  Her and I and Pat and Sharon hid all the Easter eggs we had colored out in the yard.  So many of them, for so many children!  You all ran out there with your baskets to find them.  You came in quickly with your baskets filled.  I counted all the eggs and there were lots missing, so I made you all go back out there until you found them all!  Pretty soon you had them.  Happy day!  A few years later, I found out you all went around the neighborhood and gathered all the eggs other people had hidden outside for their families.  I wonder what they did when their eggs weren't there!  Oh my.

          (I don't have a picture of Easter at Bev's.  Maybe I can post those later, too.)

 

Sharon always made up fun games - with a little help from Karen - always fun and funny.  Very clever minds together like that can do great things!  We went to the Tinnes's house on Rhubarb many Easters.  This time, Sharon and Karen had figured out a treasure hunt game for the eggs and candy in Karen's back yard.  It was so much fun.  She had all these things they had to do and places to look for the "treasures".  We looked out once and there were all the kids and some of the adults, too walking from the pool to the pond on their hands and feet - all in a row!  And another time they were all out there quacking and waddling like ducks.  So involved and engrossed in what they were doing.  Fun!  Sharon had fun things for everyone to do everywhere she went.  Here is a picture of a fun thing at our house here:

Yes, this is me and Sharon.  Who knows what she's doing?

  This is Brian, Teresa, and Monique.  At Sharon's.  Maybe they are hiding?  Or finding eggs?  ?   ?   ?

 Me, Pat, and Sharon at Mother's

 Sharon, Pat, and Bev in Billings.

 Chad and Brea at Red Lodge.

Josh with his Easter fish?

We spent Easter at Kay's in Boise.  Couldn't wait to go to the beautiful cathedral mass at 10:00 P.M.  They had beautiful musicians, and the bishops from a couple of dioceses were there.  Lots  of people. Beautiful.  We played lots of "crowns".  Boise in the spring is so nice!

We had fun times in Ronan at Easter with Grandma and Grandpa Eve.  One time I remember you were all sitting on her couch for a picture and you were all wearing blue suits and scarves I had made for you.  You looked so cute, and sweet and innocent.  Wayne thought you looked like the hutterite children!

(Maybe I'll be able to find these pictures, too, and I'll post them later)

Brian spent a few Easters in the army in a foreign land and in Germany.

There were so many fun Easters, we were very blessed.  But the time that I remember most was in March of 1995.  Our home burned down on Holy Thursday.  My Mom and Dad had been staying with us, but just left a couple days before because a bad storm was on the way and they wanted to miss it.  And it was a bad storm.  So bad that schools were closed, stores were closed, even the mall was closed!  But - CCD was still going (Jr. Hi and Hi school), and so was Chuck and Debbie's band concert

 (6th grade).  So Reimer's came and picked up the 4 older girls and Dad and I and Brian went to the concert.  Miraculously, we were all gone when the house blew up, according Mrs. Jensen, the next door neighbor.  No one was home!  Miracle!  Otherwise someone would have died or been burned, the firemen told us.  I was so thankful!  I remember going to church at St. Luke's that Sunday and everything we saw and heard was as though God was speaking love and hope and comfort to us!  Everyone prayed for us.  I'll never forget that Easter!

Because of that Easter miracle our family is still here, and we have grown from 9 to 23!  Hallelujah!  HE IS ALIVE!!!

Let's celebrate!

 Now? says Debbie with one eye open!

 I'd rather be fishing, replied Jade.

 I'm ready - me and my dog, proclaims Kailey happily!

 My grandmothers:Grandma Josephine and Grandma Sadie.  Dad's knees.  Sleeping on the bench right then and there!

 

Comparing length of leg bones, maybe?  Or color of socks?  Or Dad's beautiful knee? ? ?

 

                          ?  ?  ?          ?  ?  ?

 

So long, Folks!

 

Have a blessed and joyous and wonderful Easter!

 

Take pictures and post them, and your remembrances of Easters past and present would be so wonderful!