Of memory-challenged Easter bunnies and sacrifices

By: 
Editor Stephanie Ferriell

It was a filled Easter, and much of it was fun.

Our official activities began on Good Friday. Father nabbed Hays to serve and I’m so glad he had the opportunity. The Good Friday service is much different than a regular Mass so it was a new experience for Hays, who just began serving a few months ago.

The most moving part by far is when the congregation processes to the front where the servers are holding the cross and pay it homage in some way; some kiss it, others genuflect, some simply touch it. Hays said he enjoyed the service, but admitted his arms ached after “holding that huge book for Father for 20 minutes!”

He recovered after receiving fortification at The Place to Be. There were no fish fries near us, so we ate out. It is pretty convenient when there’s a restaurant basically at the bottom of your driveway. It’s a win-win when it has the best catfish I’ve had in a restaurant, maybe ever. We officially ended our Lenten sacrifices at sundown. That meant Sylvia and Warner could have soda again, I could eat chips, Darin could enjoy ice cream and Hays could plays games on his tablet. They all did really well with not giving into temptation. We talked a lot about how our little sacrifices were difficult, but were nothing when thinking about Jesus dying on a cross for our sins.

We topped the night off coloring eggs. Warner drew bugs on all of his beforehand. I know we haven’t managed to color eggs every year, but my kids all insist we have, so I am not arguing with them on that one! I have enough mom guilt already.

Saturday we headed up to Fredericksburg to the Masonic Lodge’s annual egg hunt. Those guys are something else. Talk about going all out. As if hiding 4,000 (that’s not a typo) candy-filled eggs isn’t enough, they serve a very hearty lunch beforehand. It was so nice to enjoy one sunny day in this cold, dreary streak we’ve been stuck in.

Hays helped me clean the garage and I kept at my housecleaning process in anticipation of hosting Easter dinner after returning home. There were a lot of things that didn’t get done, but (warning: brag moment!) organizing by bathroom closets was accomplished. I tackled that mess last month, motivated by some cute, colorful baskets I found at Dollar Tree. It turned out so well, I begged Darin to just leave the folding doors open so everyone could enjoy my organizational masterpiece as much as I have.

The Easter Bunny visited, but I’m not sure what happened. I ran into him at CVS on Thursday and he showed me some things he’d picked up for the kids. Curiously, those items were not in their baskets. How he could misplace candy he bought just two days earlier is beyond me. Perhaps he should visit Dollar Tree for some organizational items.

We went to Mass at St. Joseph-Marengo, our “second” church and the one closest to our home. I managed to get us color-coordinated this Easter, something I hadn’t accomplished the last couple years. We also got to take up the gifts, which the kids enjoy. The Easter Bunny was even there after Mass. He was masquerading as a priest, but there’s no hiding those ears!

Being the mean mom that I am, I forced my kids into hard labor on a Sunday, Easter no less after we got back home. They did a good job of picking up the Easter explosion before guests arrived.

Our dinner was tasty; is there an entree more mouth-watering than a sweet-glazed, spiral-sliced ham? Not in my opinion. My sister-in-law and I usually go all-out on the desserts, but not this time. Things sort of fell apart in that department, with us both admitting we were just too tired to tackle one more thing. I don’t like admitting I don’t have the energy I did seven or eight years ago (when I had three babies, no less), but it’s true. I guess that’s just life.

At least my memory’s not fading like the Easter Bunny’s. Yet. But I have to give it to him. Apparently, he found that missing candy. It was inside of three, huge glittery eggs that Warner found Tuesday morning when he went downstairs in search of his shoes.

That discovery made for one sweet conclusion to this Easter!

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