Easter Family Fun

We had a really fun family get-together for Easter:

If you’re wondering who the people are in the picture with us, we wouldn’t have been able to tell you two hours before it was taken.

Let me back up to say that holidays and special occasions make us feel the distance between us, our families, and friends.  On our Easters here, we haven’t had big family dinners or the annual Easter Egg hunt rivalry (among adults, that is; my brother is probably glad for my absence since it has given him a break from his annual Egg Hunt defeat.  J)

This year, with the exception of church at 6 pm, we had a wide open Easter Day.  We started out with a very unlikely activity…we saw a movie – at a theater – at 9 a.m.  (Yep, they have movies here at all hours!)  On our way home we decided to stop at a park in Central.  Lydia started playing with a couple of kids on the playground and was having a great time…the next thing you know, we were invited to join the kids’ family’s Easter celebration. 

Dave and I tried to bow out gracefully many times, not wanting to intrude on a family event. However, the host family and all their family members/friends insisted that we stay.  Without missing a beat, everyone knew our names, told us all about themselves, and joked with us like they’d known us forever.  The kids had an Easter egg hunt, then the adults played some hilarious games – Dave and I won the raw egg toss; we didn’t fare as well with the egg eating contest.

We laughed until our stomachs hurt.  We teased each other.  We shared stories about our kids.  We cheered each other on. 

It was a day with family. 

Needless to say, we are filled with gratitude to our new friends who reached out and so warmly welcomed us.  It was a good reminder of the goodness of people and the kindness of strangers. 

To the friends and family we couldn’t spend the day with – Happy Easter!