Easter Weekend 2012

Next to Christmas, Easter is my favorite holiday. Sometimes I think I might even like it more than Christmas.
I usually say this after the Christmas Season has passed however and I am exhausted from all of the cooking, shopping, wrapping, entertaining, opening, cleaning, etc.

Easter is easy. And fun. And hopeful.
It is particularly hopeful in this part of the country. By the time Easter rolls around every year, we are all suffering from mild seasonal depression and  feigning for a day of sunshine.
I love the traditions of Easter... one of them being early morning Mass (though not relaxing in any sense of the word... this year Kennedy announced she had to go poop right in the middle of it.)
I love Easter baskets, little girls in Easter dresses, yummy food and just the general feeling that Spring is soon to spring... we hope.

We basked in the glorious sun the entire weekend.
We kicked off this fabulous holiday weekend by dyeing Easter Eggs ... Kennedy demonstrated her precise, slightly type A personality when she spent an entire hour on three... yes three... eggs. Three pink eggs.

 She is one of a kind... that is for darn sure.

We hosted an afternoon BBQ on Saturday with a few great friends.

This was an evening that I will never, ever forget.
And I will always look back on it with a heart full of gratitude.
Kennedy choked on a large grape and was given the Heimlich by my friend, Sarah.
The grape popped out, completely whole and un-chewed.
It all took place within a 30 second span of time and literally... it was the scariest half minute of my life.

And so, when I woke up on Easter morning to two baskets and two happy, healthy girls... I said a prayer of thanks for our good luck and a good friend who jumped in and quite possibly..... prevented the unthinkable.

And then we were off! To Mass and to my Aunt Jeanie's house where we had a lovely afternoon filled with family, an Easter Egg hunt and a ridiculous amount of delicious food. The only downside was my mom and Rachael not being able to make it. They spent Easter morning in the ER where Rachael was diagnosed with a nasty case of bronchital pneumonia. Poor girl! She is on the mend now but we missed them.

Can I just say that I love my family?
Most of my extended family is in Montana but there are a handful of us scattered out here.
When we all get together, it is just so fun.
I have so many cousins near my age and we have a ball when we are able to see each other!

Mara with Aunt Jeanie who is also her newly appointed godmother!
I love my aunt dearly and wanted her to have an extra special spot in this little one's life.

And so we wrap up another Easter and as usual it is full of great memories.
Until next year!