Hosting our first family holiday- Easter!

Family on Easter Sunday!
One of the things I miss MOST about our time in East Asia is making holidays special.  Everyone is far from family & loved ones so you go out of your way to share each others' traditions and celebrate birthdays, successes, holidays- even cinco de mayo was celebrated by our American group in EA more than I've ever celebrated it here.

So, when my dear husband suggested we invite his mom, older sister, brother-in-law, younger sister, younger brother and younger brother's girlfriend to celebrate Easter with us and stay in our 2 bed/1 bath bungalow, I was eager to see if we could make it work!

                           

He even gave my gift-giving-self freedom to get personalized "Easter mugs" for everyone- it was a practical-enough idea in that our whole family are coffee LOVERS and this way we wouldn't get our mugs confused.

initials of everyone's first names- flowers for the girls





Couldn't have survived the weekend without these ladies in the kitchen with me!
We had so much fun! Everyone was super flexible about the sleeping arrangements (2 on the pull out couch, 2 in the finished attic on an air mattress and 2 in our guest bed) and just glad to be together.  We spent Good Friday afternoon at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, a place I've wanted to visit since we moved here and it did not disappoint (R took some great photos).  We spent lots of time in the kitchen and because the weather was SO nice we spent a solid afternoon playing bocce ball in the yard.   I always wish I had taken more pictures but we did get a few good family shots on Easter Sunday.

                   
awkward solo? always

                          

                             
                               

                           



Sharing Good Friday & Easter services at Atlanta Westside with our family made the importance of the meaning of Easter even more real.   I even cried at the same points in the service as one of my in-laws who will remain nameless.  :)  Christ's death & resurrection which gives me new and eternal life promises so much more than I can consider and meets me in my deepest disappointments and frustrations.   We were so thankful to host and share the most important holiday of the year with such a great family!

PS- I did get homesick for Indian Shores and my seester & mom & Bill in the midst of the new family.  inevitable I suppose!     


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