Oh Easter! What a joyful day to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord! I hope everyone that hops on here to peek into our little family had a very blessed Easter indeed.
Such a beautiful time of renewal (even my silverware drawer is singing of renewal, ha! as I'm making my way through our home spring cleaning!)
We started our day at 8:00 AM Mass at our favorite place, our church! We've been going to this church since 1997 (we 'found' it after we had been married a year and were going to our neighborhood parish). It's our 'home' and our girls were 'raised' here. I walked for eight years through those doors just holding on to Scott's hand. And then in 2004 we were blessed to bring Anna home from China to be in our forever family. And then we were three in our pew. Just three short years later we had another little bundle to bring to church, our darling little Abigail. And now they are almost all grown. Not quite! But it is still our favorite place on the planet to be, all four of us sitting together the pew.
"It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass." ~Padre Pio
When we were walking there was something about the doors I've seen and walked through countless times. There was something about the huge potted flowers. And there was something about my girls right in front of me. I asked them to to turn around and in one moment I captured joy. Easter morning at Mass joy. So glad I took my camera out!
My sweeter than sweet daughters: Anna Jian Qian (19, sophomore at Holy Cross) and Abigail Mei (15, sophomore in high school)
Here's a peek back at Easter Mass throughout the years.
2022 (one big picture of church that I love)
2021Mass was live streamed
2020 Mass was live streamed
2018 (changing and growing)
2017 (little girl sitting in her daddy's lap before Mass)
2016 (those big, red church doors)
2015 (love these pictures so much)
Abigail is no longer in the youth singers but she will still stand for a picture for me near the alter.
We really loved the 8:00 AM - although we all had to get up at our school time, there was something oh so peaceful an beautiful about that Mass.
When we got home we got right into Easter preparations. Busy busy we were! Love this one below of Abigail in our kitchen helping to prep things.
I adore holidays. And setting the table when I am hosting is one of my favorite parts. I started about a month before, yes I did! I love having a dining room. I know a lot of new homes have a great big great room. I think those can be wonderful of course but I do so adore a dining room -- a formal place where I can start my table scape anytime I want to because it's not a room we need to eat in daily. You can read more about our dining room furniture back here.
The sunlight was streaming in that morning and it made it all the more lovely. Bring and sunshine for Easter was so pretty.
Our tablecloth was from Lovely Lady Linens (linens inspired by the Blessed Mother Mary) I added these natural colored mats under each plate and the 'made in England' dishes for dinner rolls and butter on the side. The china cups and green glass held fruit and the silver was from our wedding registry years ago.
Those lambs (gosh I didn't get a closer picture of them) are antiques called Lefton and I used milkglass on either side of the Burleigh bowl.
It's hard to see but I also put a tiny vase of flowers in front of each place setting -- baby's breath made it so delicate, light, and pretty.
I had so much fun putting this table together. Throughout the year I jot ideas and little notes down in a holiday notebook I keep. And I look for little treasures all year long.
After Mass they girls got their baskets. Always set up in our family room on their old childhood tea party chairs. Same baskets each year, just a new springtime bow on the front for a cherry look.
When I see this picture I feel oh so blessed that I have two darling daughters, two Easter baskets just as pretty as can be.
We took these right after we got home from church. It was still pretty chilly outside and our back porch doesn't get sunshine until later in the day so they were quick!
I love my family!
Never, ever too old for an egg hunt in our house!
Love this joy!
In their eggs were little coupons for special little family dates:
💛Popcorn night
💛Ben & Jerrys
💛A snack trip to Trader Joes with daddy (pick out any snacks you want)
💛 A shopping trip to J Crew Factory with mommy
💛A fun drink at starbucks
💛A trip to Dunkin
💛A family lunch out to Little Oak Cafe
💛Smores night
And then it was time to feast! We had ham from the Honey Baked Ham Co (thanks Mom!) (the only ham I'll have)
and we feasted on fresh dill & chive homemade rolls, fruit salad...
Mimosas
Amazing scalloped potatoes!
Deviled eggs...
and homemade crepes will will jam and cheese!
And for dessert I baked a carrot cake and lemon sour cream pie. My oh my! And there was coffee and tea of course.
One of my favorite pictures of the day... oh that pie ...
And we waved goodbye as guests left. And now we have a whole huge week off from school. Ahhhhhhh!
"The Lord is my strength and my shield. I trust him with my whole heart. He helps me and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." Psalm 28:7
The joy of the Lord IS my strength. No matter what trials we walk through it the Lord's hand that I hold on to. I am so blessed and grateful for my rich Catholic heritage and the promise of everlasting life.
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