Our Weekend : Easter

Happy Monday everyone!

For those of you that celebrated this last weekend, I hope you had a great Easter!

Ours was super busy and I realized I took no photos.  Well, I did take this one of us at Culver's sharing some ice-cream before the Good Friday Service:

The service was good, but just too loud/busy.  I do realize that walking out of church, especially on Good Friday, when we are commemorating the slaughter of the lamb- that we shouldn't necessarily feel too great.  But, I also think that the Crucifixion is an incredible time to be in self-reflection and to be in of mourning the the unfortunate barbaric tendencies of human nature.

Think of humanity 2000 years ago.  Jesus was not the only man to be subjected to such a cruel and disgusting form of punishment.  Jesus was killed, at the hands of man, in the most barbaric, despicable and inhumane way that was possible that they had 2000 years ago.

Can you imagine?  People nailed other people to a cross.  We may not do that exact same thing today- but we as humans have equally disturbing ways of slaughtering, murdering, inflicting pain on one another.

What a contrast of words v. image of my smiling family enjoying ice-cream and then discussing human cruelty.  But, alas- that is exactly what Good Friday represents, no?

And just like all things terrible and beautiful, we are not able to recognize one without recognizing the other.  And, that's what my soul needed on Good Friday, but didn't necessarily get at the service.  But, that is okay!  I'm sure there were many people whose souls were screaming for something loud and commanding!

We came home and went for a night walk which took us to the Lutheran Church down the street from our current house.

We played on the small playground, and walked around the campus.  Taking time to just be a family.  I ended up getting the quiet reflection that my soul craved.  I also got to bed rather early and that was wonderful.

Saturday, we spent the morning at a local park for an Easter Celebration.  There was an Easter Egg Hunt (that was actually kind of a bust.  My daughter was almost trampled, and me and my huge body displayed some unlikely ninja-like qualities to get her out of the crowd) but the day was sunny and beautiful.  We took time to enjoy downtown Cedar Falls, looking around the thrift store and a few of the privately owned apparel and bike shops.  I also enjoyed an almond roca latte that was absolutely delicious.

We decided to go to Easter services on Saturday evening as opposed to Sunday.  This is a big holiday and thousands flock to our church.  Saturday, though full, wouldn't be quite as crazy as the 3 services on Sunday.  We got dressed up (can I be girly and shallow for a second and say how nice it felt to actually curl my hair, put on make-up and wear a dress?  I may be a whale right now, with cankles for days, but I rarely make time to put myself together and it felt good!) and met two other couples at the church.

Can I just say that we have been so fortunate to find Prairie Lakes Church?  Pastor John had the entire congregation make our way up to the front and take the keys that were handed to us as we walked into the church and use them to unlock a small lock.  This was a representation of us becoming unstuck from whatever was/is holding us back.  It was beautiful.  It's always nice to be reminded that every single one of us has pain in our hearts, has sinful tendencies, but that we are not those things.  We can be free!

After service we went over to our friends house.  There were three couples total.  We had a late supper and the kids played while the husbands and wives got in some good conversation.  Again, left feeling filled up.

Sunday we enjoyed Easter baskets and neighbors while getting a lot of packing done.  We move next Saturday and it was nice to put a large dent into all the work we have to do.  Garrett's boss even stopped by the house and dropped off a delicious Easter feast for us!  I couldn't believe it.  It was so kind!

Eva and the neighbor kids spent the day running in and out of the house.  It was funny to hear them speak about the church service they had attended in the morning.  Apparently the church handed the kids worksheets to fill out with different questions to help keep them focused.  One of the questions was, "I hear..." and then a blank space for them to fill in.  Oliver, who happens to be in my daughters kindergarten class wrote, "I hear... music that I don't like very much."

Only from the mouths of babes.

I also realized, this was the final Easter I will ever celebrate without the precious baby growing in my tummy.  Just a few short weeks until she is here!

How was your Easter? 

 Did you attend services anywhere?  Or are you more of an Easter Bunny kind of person?  

Did you get an Easter Basket?