Easter

The weather was forecasted to be really nice for Easter, and I was just itching to use our brand-spanking new patio, so we invited everyone over for a ham dinner. By everyone, I mean all the family we could possibly claim in the area. Jason and Joy and their five, Carla and Doug and their four, and Jake and DeAnn and their two. (That's a lie, there are more cousins and relations in the area we didn't invite, but they have grown children and wouldn't appreciate the special dynamic that fifteen children under the age of nine provide...) Doug and Carla also invited a coworker and her mother; we were happy to have them over too.
Carla had found a great way to teach about Jesus' resurrection with different types of symbolic foods. She prepared all of the foods and then had the kids come up, one by one, to help her explain how they symbolized a part of Christ's death and ressurection. It was really neat; perhaps a new tradition was born. 

 Of course we carried out the traditional Easter egg hung, complete with "don't touch any cactus," and the requisite pair of tweezers for the children who got poked anyway.

 I just realized that Jacob somehow managed to be absent for this picture. I'm not sure if he's hiding or simply not present...We are also missing Joy's baby Wyatt.

 Joy and Rachel

 It was a really fun and special day, thanks to good family and a loving Heavenly Father.