Passover and The Passion

 My 6 Boys Easter Morning

My 4 Girls

We had a wonderful Easter, or Resurrection Day as I like to call it, this year.  We had some precious extended family come in town for the weekend and did all our usual Easter traditions.  One thing we did different, or new to us, this year was to have a Passover Meal Thursday night.  We had not done a Sedar for a long time.  I think the last time we did one we only had 4 children.  My husband had the idea to have the meal, complete with the readings, and then follow-up with showing the Passion.  We told the older chidren they could invite some friends to both the dinner and the movie.  So, we had 3 extra teens for the meal and movie.  The younger ones and I skipped the movie, since it's pretty rough.  It's a great new tradition that I hope we can keep and use as an evangelical tool.  

I was pretty worn out by Sunday Easter dinner time after all the extra cooking and fun.  I love to make big party type meals, but I was glad when Sunday afternoon rolled around.  Here my husband is consoling his tired wife.

A big surprise visitor we had out our annual, family egg hunt.  This Copperhead was in our backyard right by our little girls play house.  After they had all been running around searching for the hidden eggs, my 8 year old daughter saw this guy.  The boys quickly destroyed it.  I'm just so glad no one was hurt.  And all my girls were out there barefoot doing the egg hunt!  God and His angels were protecting us!

Bye Bye Mini

Well, after 3 wonderful years, my mini or "coopie" as we all called him, has been hauled-off for parts.  The insurance company called us today and officially told us that he was totaled.  About 3 weeks ago, my 17 year old son was driving him and got in an accident.  He was following my niece to a soccer game and he had 2 of my boys with him and my niece had 2 of my girls.  All of them in a wreck together, including 2 of my nieces! I was just so thankful that no one was hurt (just one scratch on Caroline.)  But both my niece's car and my mini were totaled.  It was a nice 3 years with him.  It really is wonderful having a "knock around" car.  My other vehicle is a 5 year old, 12 passenger Chevy Express van.  It's a great large vehicle when I have all or even half my kids with me, but it gets horrible gas mileage.  The mini was perfect for all the close trips I take with only 3 or less kids, around my home town of Cary. I actully drove it everyday, while the van I only drive 2-3 times a week. My husband got me the mini as a surprise for my 40th bday.  Anyway, we are making out pretty good with the insurance company and hopefully I'll be able to get another "knock around" car.  But we all have had to say good-bye to coopie. It was nice while it lasted :o)