Easter celebrations

(written Easter Sunday) Well, our home is home again - we were so thankful to welcome Trevor back on Friday afternoon. I just love that fresh-off-a-trip buzz, it seems like even after interminable travel and extreme exhaustion there is this vibe of excitement and relief and reunion. It brought back memories of when I used to travel (in my former life) and I guess I felt I could experience the adventure vicariously through Trevor. He had a tremendous trip, he said it went from one highlight to the next (except for the parts that he didn't feel well . . . which wasn't too often, thankfully).

I found an analogy for how I deal with Trevor being gone for any extended amount of time: I'm like a baby in daycare - I remember reading about how infants in daycare will often hold it together the whole day, they play and are happy and interact. Then the parents pick them up, and the babies sometimes fall apart. Well, I don't think I quite fell apart when Trevor got back, but I definitely crashed. I think I was on high all week, and then he got back and I felt so wiped out.

Trevor was doing so great he made it to Good Friday, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday service, one birthday party, and a dinner out.  We enjoyed the start of catching up, it's hard to know where to begin.

Easter memories from this year:
- "No picking my nose in church" To which I say, "Good idea". This was Karis's temptation all through the Good Friday service. Shockingly, she really seemed in tune to the somber nature of the service and was quite observant. Most meaningful to this momma was walking to the cross with her, kneeling beside her, praying with her for repentance, renewal, rightness with God through the Cross. Then receiving a special blessing from our pastor. Later before bed, Karis was practicing kneeling. 
- "Your Grace is Enough . . . " Karis sings this along with Larry the Cucumber as we drive in the car. Cutest thing I ever did hear.
- "Bones!" For some reason, during the Easter vigil on Saturday, this is the one word from the many, many readings that Karis latched on to and said over and over.
- "Emerson getting baptized!" Karis has a fascination with her friend Emerson and she was enthralled watching him get baptized at the vigil
- "I have candy, I have candy!" said while dancing up and down our walkway outside after discovering some Easter eggs from the neighbors on our way to the car on Sunday morning. After church she ate some of the chocolate and made the most hilarious little slurping noises
- When I went up to read prayers of the people Sunday morning, Karis started screaming/crying. Trev took her to the basement where not even pretzles or snacks would calm the poor girl . . . oh Karis. I forgot to explain I'd be doing that, not sure if an explanation would have helped? Also not sure if I'll be asked to do prayers of the people again!
- "I want nappers!" said through tears an hour before naptime. She is still sleeping as I write this three hours later, I think Easter is tough on toddlers (at least it is when you go to two evening services that make for late bedtimes . . . but I think so worth it to have her there experiencing it all with us . . . )
- Trying on shoes at DSW. Yes, we went to DSW in the afternoon - didn't you? Karis found some hilarious bright pink-and-orange heels (women's size, of course) and tried them on
- "Christ is Risen!" (hard to decipher, but said with zeal)