"Happy Easter egg!"

The last post cut off so abruptly because I'd been working on it for weeks.  Rather than finish up an already outdated post, I figured I'd just start a new one.  Reading over what I had written just a few short weeks ago really hit home to me how quickly Violet is changing.

Last week was Jack's Spring Break.  In a change from how it's usually done, Easter was at the beginning of the break, instead of the end.  We participated in our annual Easter traditions.  The kids walked down the aisle of our church carrying palms on Palm Sunday.  I have a feeling that this may be the last year I'll need to walk with Violet. She was almost willing to walk just with Jack, but at the last minute she requested my escort.

The next week, we went to our church's Easter egg hunt the day before Easter.  For the first time in a couple of years, Jack didn't find either the gold or silver egg, which I was glad about when I saw the huge chocolate bunny they gave the golden egg winner.

We also had the kids take their annual picture with the Easter Bunny.  This was the first year that Violet actually smiled.  This picture is always so poignant for me, because the Easter Bunny used to be played by a wonderful lady at our church.  Her husband told me that he thinks that the last picture taken of her as the Easter Bunny was with Jack.  She passed away a few years ago, but a member of her family has dressed up as the Easter Bunny every year since.

All Easter (and for several days afterward, including today), Violet kept saying, "Happy Easter egg!"  The kids were thrilled with their Easter baskets.  They each got piggy banks and some Pokemon cards.  Violet also got a Curious George doll, while Jack got a Pikachu doll.  It's funny, I feel that Jack believes in the Easter bunny more than he believes in Santa.  We've never really done anything to have him believe in either.  I don't know if it's because someone gave us a book about how the Easter bunny began, but he was asking, "How did the Easter bunny get all this stuff for us?" 

We also helped flower the cross on Easter Sunday and were given a lot of different flowers for our garden at the end of the service.  Then we went for an late lunch/early dinner with some friends.

Easter has quickly become a favorite holiday in our household.  Not only do we have our traditions, but it's extra special because Violet was born on Easter three years ago. Somehow, it makes both the holiday and her birthday even more fun.