Happy Easter!

Bruce and I were thrilled to learn that our youngest son, Cade, was able to make it home for Easter. He drove in Friday afternoon, and had to leave Sunday late morning... but he came HOME! I was ecstatic.

I hadn't even decorated the house (unheard of for me!), so I scrambled to unpack all our favorite Easter decorations.

And, once I'd gotten them out.... I felt better. I'd forgotten how much I love our Easter things. :)

We kept things pretty low key.  For instance... even though I demanded we dye Easter eggs, this WAS the very first year, we didn't take the time to make the eggs into things... like flowers, ladybugs, bunnies, etc.  I actually take pride in that tradition of creativity- and I missed it.

But the dyes WERE pretty.

And we did have a lot of fun dying the eggs! and listening to our silly Easter Songs tape.

Bruce made a self-portrait :)

And the eggs were pretty.

Our tradition has always been for the children to line up at the top of the stairs... youngest first. They can't come down to find what the Easter Bunny left, until they hear the special Easter song playing. I made poor Cade line up all by himself! *L*  Some things are just sacred.

BUT I didn't put out all the things the Easter bunny usually puts on the table- like Easter grass. And there were only two baskets, Bruce and Cade's, this year. And I didn't buy MAD candy, like I usually do... and we didn't put ANY of the candy in Easter eggs- hence no hunting for Easter eggs, either. I mean... Cade IS 20 now.  But I missed it.

Most of the candy, I just left in the bags, and gave to Cade to take back to college. Bruce and I don't need it around the house, tempting us.

Bruce waited patiently... I'm sure he was wondering why there was next to nothing in his basket! It's just that his gifts were too big (size wise). He didn't have to wait for long.

Bruce got an extra keg for making beer... some more beer mix, some cider mix, AND the 5th season of House :)  Cade got a season of Seinfeld, SNL commercials, a razor, candy, and Jones soda pop. I got some books, and some kitchen utensils, so it was a good Easter for everyone!  After opening our baskets, we had our traditional breakfast of popovers, scrambled eggs, and sausage, and some sparkling cider. Yum!

But then...... Cade had to leave. For me, Easter was over... I distracted myself by going riding.

I even let Dakota come with. :)

If Easter is the beginning of new life, then I guess our Easter reflected that. Definitely not like our bustling, exciting Easters of old... where there was barely enough time to cook dinner for our large family inbetween egg hunts, dressing up, giggling children, etc. but the new, quieter, slower (dare I say it? lonelier) lifestyle of empty-nesters.  I am so grateful Cade came home. I am also, very grateful for our life here- and grateful for wonderful memories.