Easter 2013 + Big Brothers Bday

Easter this year was different. Great! But different! This was the first Easter the whole fam hasn't been together! It was fine, but I missed the egg dying and treasure hunting and silliness with my sweet nieces and nephew! I traded my brother's family for my best friend's family, which was awesome, but there was a place missing in the house that Barry's sweet people typically fill! 

As evidenced below, Barry was super sad to have missed Easter with us and instead suffered through celebrating his 37th birthday on the ocean with his awesome brother in law! I love this picture! Fishing is so fun and Ryan gave Barry a great day!

Also sadly, that's the only picture I have of the Rhea's Easter! When the psycho photographer isn't around, we tend to have less photos for the ole' family blog! 

On to the patriarch Rhea Easter vacation! My best friend Jill's husband is the track coach for UAB. This is 'track season' which is filled with much travel and work. Jill was going to be alone with her sweet boys on Easter so naturally mom and I were having none of that.
So, bright and early Saturday morning, we all packed up and headed to C-town. It was a quick Saturday/Sunday trip, and it rained the whole time, but there is no matter of weather that can squash a child's enthusiasm. The kids loved dying eggs and the adults decided to leave a set of eggs in overnight to see how bright they'd get! They were beautiful and there is documentation of them somewhere but I'm just now realizing I didn't save all of my pictures to this post! If I can find the others, I'll do a part 2 recap!

Knox. He is seriously this darling all the time. 

Sweet, amazing Jill and her mini-me, Lucas. 

Due to the rain, all of our egg hunting was moved indoors. Let me remind you the hunters are all of three years of age. We're still in the general 'keep things simple' stage.  Jill, the worst (best) egg hider ever, hid the eggs like this. Invisible eggs. Have fun finding eggs you will never lay eyes on kids!!! :)

Jill has a TV in her car. ENTERTAINED. 

Cutest early morning boy ever!

Best friends and future spouses! 

I put this picture on Instagram and asked everyone to vote if this was an early morning cheese face or drunk, ornery old man. Hard to tell. 

London hiding eggs for Knox and bossing the mess out of him to not follow her into the other room. This is her, in her best bossy voice, hand in a 'stop sign', saying 'stop right now, Knox.' 

.... and here are the eggs she hid for him. :) She's a bit more fair than Jill!

Bubbles!

We had a great, fun 24 hours but we are definitely planning a re-do so these kids can run in the big green field and just be kids! (And the mommy's can fix a margarita and not worry about them breaking anything!) I'm so very thankful for my sweet-hearted parents who open their home to anyone who needs a loving roof over their head! I am so proud to be their child.

And, as you noticed, my initiative to blog about the week leading up to Easter week fell rather flat. On the drive home, I was feeling a bit defeated that I didn't do a better job of pouring myself into Easter this year. As I crossed the bridge in Tuscaloosa, I glanced to my left, and there it was. The most beautiful, gloriously orange, sunset over the water. 

I had this immediate, heavy sense of  reason for that moment. I was awash with joy that just like the sun rose this very day, so did my Savior. I felt like that sunset was proof that he is right where he belongs; sitting on his throne, with his feet propped on the setting sun, speaking peace to us through the sky he paints. I was renewed that even though my initiatives may not fully flesh out, there is grace for that. God understands I'm a busy momma. I know my calling here. I'm doing my very best to encourage and engage people in conversations about salvation. And for the times I just right fall flat, there is a bottomless pit of grace for that and a loving Savior who loves me in spite of my shortcomings. 

Amen. Amen. Amen.