Our 1st Easter

The annual Crews Easter Eggstravaganza took place yesterday. We were worried that we might be rained out...but thankfully the rain held off!

Picture this....5 little girls under the age of 6 with a better-than Martha Stewart Nana on site...and boy did we have some fun to take care of!

First off..."Ok girls...take your clothes off" WHAT?! You heard right...clothing was not optional for the first event ~ egg dying. We had small buckets of pink, green, yellow, purple, orange and blue dye spread out across the table with 36 eggs just waiting to be colored. The girls couldn't wait to get started and what a mess it was! Maggie was the first to spill the green vinegar all down her arms, stomach and legs. Oh how I'm glad that we took the clothes off (and that we did all of this outside!) Gabriela, Isabela, Maya & Samantha went after the dying of eggs like there was no tomorrow. They couldn't wait to get their hands dirty and their eggs colored. Gabriela even got creative (on her own, she'd remind you) and would stick half the egg in one color and flip it to another color.

After we got everyone cleaned up (what a chore!), it was off to the egg hunt. We started youngest to oldest, so Maggie went first. Then Samantha. Then Maya & Isabela. Gabriela was last, which she was not happy about. Oh the trials of being the oldest ~ I know how it is, Gabriela! 5 girls running around all over the back yard, side yard, front yard, in the bushes, up in trees, under the swingset...battling for who would get the most eggs. I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised that Gabriela filled up her basket the fastest, but don't worry ~ we divided the eggs all up equally. While the kids were out playing, the adults were eating all the good candies (we needed some rewards too!).

Then it was off to eat some burgers and dogs ~ turned out to be really nice outside. For dessert? Undecorated cupcakes to make Easter-looking baskets. Nana provided the icing, grass (green food colored coconut) and jelly beans for the "eggs". Turned out very cute ~ a hit by all!

The girls had tons of fun playing together ~ whether it be riding bikes, dancing to country music, swinging and sliding on the play set, or playing dodgeball (which provided a few crying moments). Gabriela got smacked in the mouth with the huge ball and then shortly thereafter, got kneed in the chin by her sister. Gabriela was pretty hurt but the sweetest thing, as a Momma, was that Maggie was the first one to go up to Gabriela and give her a kiss and a hug. Maggie is very sensitive to other people's feelings, especially when they're crying. I'm thankful for her tender heart.

We got loaded up, dropped Mimi off at her house, made a last stop at the grocery store, got home and took a much needed bath, and finally got Maggie to bed around 10:30. She was zonked out. It was now time to put Maggie's Easter basket together for her to find the next morning.

Easter Morning brought huge thunderstorms our way and a loss of power for about 2 hours. So we celebrated Easter quietly together as a family. Our first Easter together. It's been so fun to celebrate all these "firsts" with Maggie. Maggie came in to find her Easter basket filled with goodies ~ bubbles (of course), a coloring book with stickers, a Bible story book, a stuffed bunny, a chocolate bunny, and some obnoxious noise making toy that to this day, I don't know why in the world I thought it would be a great gift. :) We went from a cool, rain-trodden morning to a clear blue warm day that ended in a swim in her pool. Only in Houston!

We took time together as a family to celebrate the wonderful gift of Jesus' Resurrection and while we know that Maggie doesn't understand what we read to her about today, Michael & I enjoyed sharing with her to the story. She knows about Jesus and she prays to Jesus and our hearts' prayer is that Maggie will one day know & accept Jesus as her personal Lord & Savior.

We enjoyed the fun of Easter & spring yesterday with all the kiddos ~ the eggs, the hunt, the candy and decorations...and we're thankful to have a Risen Savior who loves and cares for us, as only He can! May we always remember to celebrate Jesus' resurrection, every day...not just on Easter Sunday.