Happy Easter!

 I've been busy for about the past year scanning our thousands of slides.  It is truly a labor of love!  So many sweet memories of the past years.  Just look at my cute little kids celebrating Easter through the years!  Some years we didn't take a photo and we stopped taking slides the year Scott was born but these photos are treasures to me.

1979

Sweet little Mary.

1981

Mary and baby Matt

 And a very young looking Marilyn and George

1983

At our new house in Fort Collins, Colorado

1985

Sweet little curly headed Johnny joined the family

1987

Fort Collins backyard with the daffodils blooming

I have often said that I wish I could have a magic portal to let me spend just one day with my cute little children again.  One day would probably wear me out but it would be a wonderful way to get tired.  Looking through the 2000+ photos from the first 13 years of our married life, I am so happy to see all the joy we experienced.

What a life we have had!

Easter

 George and I started our Easter season by visiting the Living Christ which was a community celebration of Holy Week, Easter, Passover, and the atonement and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  First we got to see a rare authorized copy of Michelangelo's masterpiece, Pietá.  There are only 4 of these replicas in the world.

In addition there were live depictions of da Vinci's masterpiece, The Last Supper, and two other paintings of the Savior's life and resurrection, with narration and live actors. 

Also a model depicting blood on the doorposts for the first passover of the ancient Israelites. 

The event helped us to focus on Jesus as we celebrated Easter Week.

A couple of years ago a young man in our ward spoke at Easter and mentioned that he didn't understand why we decorated so much for Christmas with nativity scenes but didn't do much religious decorating for Easter.  That sentiment touched me and since then I have concentrated on having more decoration focused on Jesus and not just lots of bunnies!  Although I do still decorate with bunnies.  That's just a fun part of Easter that I can't completely give up.

Easter Creche 

Crosses from Iceland and Armenia and another that I just liked (thanks Amazon)

'He is Risen' plaque

Emmanuel Candle Wreath with one of the names of the Savior at the base of each candle.

I plan to add more each year...and yes I am going to collect crosses even though it isn't normally a part of my faith tradition.  

Since I didn't get home from my trip to Utah until 1:00 a.m. on Easter Sunday, George and Matt helped me by dying eggs and adding Ukrainian egg wraps to some.  Plus they peeled and dyed eggs to make our deviled eggs look especially festive. 

I love how my table looked.

And I love the faces around the table!

Happy Easter

Feliz Pascua

 

Easter - A Week Late

 I know that I am a week late talking about Easter.  What a wonderful day to celebrate our risen Savior!  In Sunday school I was asked to share some Easter memories and my mind immediately went to the Easter Sunrise services that were held at the park in Lonoke during all my growing up years.  The words, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?"  "He is not here. He is risen".  I have always known that these words were truth.  Because of Him we will live again!

So glad to have family with whom to enjoy this special day!  

I loved making the table look pretty. 

 And I even made a Bunny Cake.  Amazing what one will do for a grandchild! 

I think she liked it!

This is the only photo we got of Bella in her new dress.

Thought I'd share a few of  'Little Marilyn" 
Easter in Sicily in 1960

 I remember that dress and jacket.  We had a tailor make it for me and it was a really pale blue.  I loved it.  We were at the British Military Cemetery in Catania, Sicily in 1961.  

My mother is wearing a hat.  Unusual for her!