Easter

The Saturday before Easter was filled with neighbors and Easter egg hunts and decorating cookies. We got so involved in decorating Easter egg cookies that the hard-boiled chicken eggs went undyed this year. BUT, the Easter Bunny DID come and hide the baskets for our little family for Sunday morning, which is a family tradition that I enjoy carrying on to the next generation.

Isn't it funny how much those little things matter as much as they do? The year in, year out traditions of my childhood like, going to the cabin in Idaho every year & shopping for a souvenier at Macks Inn, floating down the Snake River with sisters and cousins, card games, eating "garbage", singing Aunt Nola's traditional songs, sleeping in a big pile with everyone, tickling backs, Yellowstone National Park and feeding bread to the ducks, watching our parents enjoy the relationships with my dad's siblings and their spouses. Then there are the yearly family reunions-alternating years in Utah and Southern California and having such fun with our cousins. Christmas mornings we'd line up on the stairs to come down to the tree to open our presents-after waiting for dad to light the fire (which felt like an eternity!). Easter, always with hidden easter baskets filled with treats found with the thrill of running around with your sisters and trying to find where yours is THIS year. Putting "makeup" on dad using the malted milk easter eggs-I swear they used to have so much more color that came off of them.

All of these memories (and more) hold alot of happiness and power for me in my life. I want my children to experience traditions that come each year-over and over again-consistently. It is the FEELING of the traditions that stay with me, not what I got for Christmas, or Easter-I don't even remember what most of those gifts were that I wanted so much.

Seems the neighbors here have some great Easter traditions within the circle. Great Easter egg hunts and fun with all the kids, even the older teenagers. I am so grateful where we live, for great neighbors and help with fun holiday traditions.

Ironically, on top of all of this, there is an undercurrent of sadness that seems to come with the holidays. I'm still not exactly sure what that is about, but it is lessening over the years. This year it popped up and surprised me. Nevertheless, I had fun and felt grateful for great friends and neighbors that helped ease this uneasy feeling.

Note to Self: Sometimes just pull it together for the kids & focus on just keeping traditions.