Weekend Wrap-Up | Version 04.09.23 | Easter

It has been a HOT minute since we had a “normal” Easter weekend.
Last year (2022), we were sick.
In 2021, we were sick.
In 2020, we were still in the “two weeks to slow the spread” bubble, so we celebrated Easter by ourselves.
In 2019, we were sick.
GUYS – 2018 was the LAST time we had a “normal” Easter.

No wonder I’m having so many feelings over this past weekend coming and going – I’ve been looking forward to this weekend’s “normal” Easter holiday for FIVE YEARS!!
(That isn’t to say that we didn’t still celebrate Easter on our own – because we did – or celebrate it at a later, delayed time with family – because we did – but it still wasn’t “normal”, “on-time”, “as-planned” Easter. That makes sense, right?)

Needless to say: I held my breath all weekend long, hoping and praying that we would make it through without any sickness. And goodness-gracious-me, we did it!!

If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane, you can go back & see past Easter posts I’ve written here:
Easter 2022
Easter 2021
Easter 2020
Easter 2018
Easter 2016 (if you only go back and look at one post, go back and look at this one just for Derrick’s hair!)

As usual, I took photos of my kids in their Easter outfits a few days ahead of time. It gives me a chance to make sure everything fits and looks right and then there is no pressure on Easter Sunday to take these “formal” photos. Look how big my kiddos are!

This was all Braelynn’s idea! I was laughing so hard I could hardly take the photo!

Okay, so we should back up.
Our “Easter holiday” started on Palm Sunday weekend. We spent it up north with Derrick’s Mom and family. On Saturday, we took our girls and went to see their local high school’s musical production of “The Little Mermaid”.

And then we came home and Nana hid the kids’ Easter bags for them!

On Palm Sunday, we drove across the state to have lunch and spend the afternoon with some more extended Abbeys – including Derrick’s Grandma! Leander was quite taken with her and I think her heart melted into a puddle with all the attention he lavished on her!

On Wednesday night, our church had a big Easter event for the kids! There was an egg hunt, dinner, prizes, crafts, and of course, a lesson about the true meaning of why we celebrate Easter.

Which brings us up to Easter Sunday!
I bought these baskets for Braelynn and Leander back in 2019 and every year when I pull them out, I think, “I should get bigger baskets”. But I never do because it turns out that they are the perfect size to keep me from going over-board!

This little guy was SO excited to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to hunt eggs!

Here’s to hoping that it isn’t another five years before we do another “normal” Easter! Fingers crossed!