Easter Break Highlights

HIGHLIGHTS~

To kick off their Easter Break, Noah and Emilie were pulled out of school a week early (they did not complain about that!) to participate in a local mission trip, "I {Heart} Fresno," with The Well Community Church.  They had the opportunity to love on Fresno by: serving school aged children (who were on Easter Break before us) with a daily recreation program, spending time with the elderly at nursing home, cleaning area parks, and painting over graffiti.  Both kids had many stories to share from their experience. In one experience Emilie told how a local mission provides lunches for the children at the school. She was treated to that lunch, but was disappointed by the "old brown salami" she had received on her undesirable sandwich. That's when she noticed that a few children collected a number of sandwiches to take home to their families. She recognized how fortunate she forgets she is, while expressing tenderness and compassion for the sweet children she had loved on that week.  Both Noah and Emilie are grateful to have been immersed into situations that are foreign to them, and both are looking forward to participating again next year.

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Though we do life together day in and day out, sometimes we still really miss each other, and desperately need to reconnect.

We reconnected with a fun Easter Break get-away!

We hit the road on Good Friday, stopping at Sbux, where the kids used their Tia-Toni-gift-cards to caffeine up for the trip with some frappachinos.

From there we headed to the valley, and to my sis's to deliver her birthday gift.

This Gaither Trio song was a favorite of ours when we were little. We use to play it again and again and again on our record player. We had no idea then that Good God was speaking "hope and a future" into both of our lives with that sweet children's melody (listen to it here ... I'm listening to it now... my kids all turned and gave a huge smile.... now we're all shouting/singing "I. Am. A. PROMISE!!").

After making my sister good-cry we headed to Boomers, where we used another gift card (thanks to our "great-parent," Papa Dan, for the treat) and played put-put-golf, drove go-carts, and played some arcade games.

 After our Boomer's treat we headed towards the California Delta, and to our free-firty-free-off-the-hook accommodations for the long Easter weekend.

 Yep! We stayed in the Tomato Shed.... in Gramps & Nana's Boat! (you should say that like your Rod Rodey from the Price is Right)

Here's a peak of our view from Callisto (boat's name).

Life is rough.

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The next day we slept in, lingered on the cool delta for a while, then headed out for a little adventure.

First stop "Disneyland for Mommies," IKEA (or as Mama Holly refers to it, "IKILLYA")

  Next we hopped in the car and headed towards our state's capital

Sacramento.

We splurged and took the kids to Joe's Crab Shack.

Noah and Emilie were thrilled to have crab for the first time. We liked treating them to it, and watching them enjoy it.

At Joe's the employees bust a move (dance) every 45 minutes.  I may have joined them. 

I had to.

Because Joe's is in Old Town Sacramento we ventured off for a little post-over-eating-exercise/shop perusing.

Michael discovered this hottie along the way. 

  The fam begged me not to take a zillion family pix.

 This is just 3 of the 20+ they had to wanted to pose for.

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On Easter Sunday we woke, lingered at the boat again (lingering is delightful. note to self: linger more), then we all cuddled together, and listened to Michael read to us about the best gift given to us ever- Savior! 
 
Next we got in the car, cranked up Tree 63's song, Sunday ("It's Friday, but Sunday is come'n, ...darkness is already crumble'n... Sunday! Hallelujah, it's not so far, it's not so far away..."), and  headed to Roseville to see lots of family.

We ate a feast and Easter egg hunted with my cool family- the Teodosio's.

  (Just some of the Teodosio great grand-kids).

After filling up on food, candy, and love from my Teodosio family (let me just exclaim that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE MY TIA'S, Violet, Marie, Vicki, Vera, and Hilda!!) we headed over to visit a few members of the Jones' clan.
Our family of 5 is in 100% agreement that Uncle Don & Aunt Pam are the coolest Jones'ever! It's seriously a bummer that we live 3.5 hrs away from them... it's also a bummer that I failed to snap some pix of them, cousin Jessica, and her 3 darling children, who we also visited. Thankfully, I didn't fail to snap pix of Gram.

 The matriarch of the Jones' clan.  This photo makes me happy.

Though not as happy as this one

*Love*

I know Easter is "so last week," 

but what was one of your 2013 Easter highlights? 

Live in Peace,