10for10for10: Sunday, Easter Day with pictures finally added

Yesterday was our holiday meal. This morning the children were up early, so early, to get their easter baskets and sneak back downstairs to check them out. Noah woke the girls up around 5 a.m. Much later, at 8am, we breakfasted quickly and left for the early service at church. After the service there was an all church brunch, so we visited with friends and enjoyed the time. When we returned home, no one was in the mood to fix food or think about eating, so we turned on the computer to catch Mars Hill Church in Seattle streaming their Easter Services live. You can find them here and see some of the baptisms. Those baptized got a t-shirt saying "I got dunked at Mars Hill Church." Innovative.

We have a special affection for Mars Hill, because we know its preaching pastor, Mark Driscoll. Mark used to baby-sit our children back in the day, when he and Grace were in college, just to be nice and to hang around a Christian family. So we know him personally, especially the older kids and us parents, and really love to hear him preach.

Anyway, the children broke out more treats from their Easter baskets and microwaved some popcorn for everybody, and we had something akin to Sunday morning at the movies. It turned out to be the highlight of our day. After that, we all took naps, and even made Noah nap, because he had been up since 5am.

In the late afternoon we headed over to Cascade Gardens for an egg hunt and a visit with cousins. My sister really knows how to make an egg hunt fun. The eggs she hid were all filled with money. Mine only had candy, and some were actual eggs!

When we came back home, the kids ate their eggs with salt and butter. I supplied crackers, and that made supper.

For bedtime snack I pulled out the apple pie I baked last night, along with a can of whipped cream, and finished off the day with a flair. Some people didn't feel well from eating too much candy. The mood was also a little somber, because the children remembered that their vacation is over. That means up early for school in the morning.

I'll post some pictures and food details later this morning.

Right now I'm heading out to see my nephew Tim and his wife Heather and their new baby at the hospital. Heather was in labor all day Easter, but didn't tell people until after festivities, and then went up to the hospital in the evening. Baby James was born after midnight, so April 5 is his birthday.

The laptop is sitting in our living room on a stool. Mark is showing us some historical places in Jerusalem. He is standing in the historical house of the chief priest where Jesus was interrogated and beaten.

Pastor Mark in his Easter best streaming over our computer in our living room. We later heard that over 19,000 computers tuned in to Mars Hill live on Easter.

Two of the kids donated their Easter treats for general consumption during the service. Generous. Tasty.

Mandarin oranges were part of the Easter baskets. I tried to steer away from too much candy. Here is what I filled the baskets with:

M & M peanut candies

York mints

beef jerky

carmel chocolate eggs

mandarin oranges

balsa wood glider planes

a small age-appropriate gift for each

pistachio nuts

We do Easter gifts in an effort to make Easter special for the children, to celebrate and to show in a tangible way the importance of the day for our family and our faith. I hear that is why pastor Mark broke down and actually wore a suit as he preached on Easter Sunday, an anomoly for him.