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| Happy Easter from The Rehomesteaders! |
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| Decorate your own bunny pancakes. |
I’m never surprised when I’m awoken before the sunrise on the day of a major holiday. There’s some sort of internal clock that knows just when to flood children with a burst of excitement and energy (I remember it well myself). Easter is no exception. Shortly after Jack The Easter Bunny went out to do his duty and hide the eggs, the kids came storming out of their bedrooms to try and find their baskets. My alarm clock was shrieking and banging doors as they searched in vain. Having listened to their bragging the night before that last year it was so easy to find their baskets, I decided The Easter Bunny decided to give them a bit of a challenge. A few of them found theirs within a half an hour but most of the kids wandered the house, moping that their baskets were nowhere to be found. I took pity on them and pointed them in the right direction. They all learned a bit of humility by breakfast. 😉
After a breakfast of personally decorated bunny pancakes, we hurried to clean up so we could beat an approaching rainstorm. Jack makes everyone wait in age order so the youngest have a chance to find a couple of eggs before the older ones trample over the yard.
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| Peter found one! |
For about forty-five minutes, the kids ran front to back and front again, trying to fill up their baskets. It’s hilarious to me how many they miss because they’re either moving too fast or too focused on their feet to see anything at eye level or above. The rain clouds were a little ominous but otherwise, it was a lovely spring morning to be outside to get some fresh air and burn off breakfast’s calories.
This year we experienced a small miracle: we managed to find all the eggs we decorated. That hasn’t happened since The Easter Bunny first came to visit Evelyn. We all felt very accomplished after that.
The rest of the morning was unhurried and stress-free. Though we haven’t been attending church at our building since we’ve been asked to temporarily suspend worship with others, we still like to take the time to get dressed in our Sunday best. It makes the day feel holier and more special. It’s not every day I put on makeup and a dress, especially nowadays. Nails were painted, makeup applied, hair fixed, ties zipped and suits put on. Sunday best? Check.
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| Henry looks a little bit like a vampire. Maybe he has Halloween on the mind, too. |
Though we missed the online church devotional due to our internet being out (🙄), it was still special Sabbath. We spent time casually putting together an Easter feast for dinner, then the rest of the day we rested from our usual hard work and instead relaxed, snuggled, talked with family, played gamed, and participated in our own family worship. In a word, it was lovely.
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| A Zoey taco. |
All those eggs the hens laid, we hardboiled and dyed, the Easter Bunny hid, and we found again were turned into some very lovely deviled eggs by Evelyn and Jack. I usually slap some Miracle Whip in with the yolks and slop them back in the whites, but this year, it was seasoned and piped, then decorated with wild ramps and redbud blossoms. Beautiful AND delicious.
I had to laugh at Claire’s comment when contrasting my contribution to Easter dinner along with Jack’s. When I pulled out the little bunny rolls from the oven, she smiled and said, “Oh! So dad’s not the ONLY one who can make fancy foods!” All I have to do is shape my foods into a rodent to impress kids. 😂
By the time we’d had a piece of carrot cake and were still riding the high of eating candy straight from the Easter basket, the kids were a tad loopy, but beginning to fade. They’d been up early, and despite the sugar and adrenaline, they crashed early and hard.
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| Ah, Evelyn. Totally losing it. 🤣 |
As relaxing and refreshing it is to have a Sunday off from the grueling pace of life with small children, a farm, and jobs, Easter Sunday is so much more than candy and running around in search of dyed eggs. It’s more than ham and deviled eggs and rolls and it’s certainly more than a passing thought in our year. Easter is a sacred time to remember our Savior, His sacrifice, and what it means for people everywhere. It means that families can be forever, that we can be forgiven, that death has no sting, that we can do better, find joy, and peace. It means we always have a best friend, and that there is always someone watching out for and working for our best interests. Easter Sunday may come once a year but its effects are universal, lasting, and permeates every aspect of life.
We are so grateful for Jesus Christ and everything He has done on our behalf. We love and honor Him and hope to follow in His footsteps in loving and forgiving others, so the world can be a better place.
