As the Dryer Turns....: Easter Fun @ our House....

We had a great Easter Sunday- starting with a WONDERFUL church service. As far as I was concerned I could have left after the singing was over- it was so good!! I woke up singing "UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE!!" That was the first song we sang in church. Then Brother Steven preached and AWESOME message. Easter is so refreshing to know that someone who lived long before I did- yet knew of all my sins and short falls before I ever was born....to die FOR ME!!! I can celebrate everyday not JUST Easter but each day for my Eternal LIFE with my Heavenly Father!!

Then back to our house we went to enjoy a lunch and fun games with the kids. We had a FULL house of family & friends. 12 adults and 3 kids....we had chicken, ham, twice baked potatoes, green bean bundles, fruit salad, green layered salad.....and desserts GALORE!!! Needless to say the DIET was OFF!!

I just love entertaining....I LOVE using my china, crystal & silver. This year I used my Mamaw's dogwood China and then some of mine. It was so special and I knew she was looking down smiling seeing her dishes on my table!!

Every chance I can get to use my China & Crystal!! That is what it is for right?? The only thing is it takes forever to clean it all BY HAND!! That is why I am glad I just use it for special occasions. I got my centerpiece at Hobby Lobby- it is a scene of a stone rolled away with Jesus standing outside....it is kinda hidden by the salt & pepper shakers in the picture. T loved it and loves to talk about Jesus and how he died for our sins!!

The kids decorated a cake with Aunt Vickie....it was on the cover of a local grocery store add. It was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing....then add yellow peeps and chocolate chips in the middle to make it look like a sunflower!! They did great- C although got a little chocolate on his hand and could not figure out how to get it off.....so he wiped it on anything he could find! He had an immediate wardrobe change...how he got it on the BACK of his shirt I will never know?? But the CAKE was great!! Thanks Aunt Vickie for your help....you did great!!

Yes, I forgot to take an AFTER picture...I was busy with the chicken that didn't cook all the way...Thanks to Pampered Chef and my new covered stone- I finished baking it in the microwave for 15 minutes!! It was my first time to fix 3 WHOLE chickens at the same time....I did not judge the time and degrees right......but it baked perfect in the stone!!

So how hard to do think it is to get three kids to stand and smile in their Easter outfits......

TAKE ONE..... TAKE TWO...... TAKE THREE- FORGET IT!!!

C would not put his gun down- or stand still and AG would not look up- Good Ole T stood and grinned the whole time.....I know 20 years from now on Easter Sunday we can pull these pictures out and laugh!! But at the time we were all sweating trying to make kids smile!!

So on to what they really wanted to do.....hunt some Easter Eggs!!! The older ones really were into it. And the both are VERY competitive too!!! C was ok with it but eventually got tired of it. He got some help from MiMi on a few eggs- because he was getting tired of getting run over!!

Okay truth be known they were ALL empty eggs.....I am not a BIG fan of candy or JUNK that comes along with holidays......so I was going to fill the eggs with spare change. Well, then I thought what if it all fell out in the yard.....so I told them whoever found the MOST eggs wins a DOLLAR!!! After about a half full truck load for T he looked up and said "this good- do I win a dollar!!" I ended up giving all the kids a dollar for all their hard work!! They had a fun and it shows too!!

We did give the kids a bag of goodies with books, and a few small toys. Pretty sad when you are done eating lunch and T walks up and asks...."when do we open presents??" B told him this is NOT Christmas....this is Easter!! So funny how kids think and then funnier when the say it out loud!!