Easter Bash 2012

Not sure how many years we have been doing these now.

Something like 6 or 7 years.

I have even hosted them (with a TON of help from amazing friends) while Jake was deployed.  

It is tradition now.

We'd choose to be with family if we could, but since we can't....well, 

we'll just be with family.

It's just a different kind of family, that's all!

This year had a splash of super duper special.

Liz came up on Saturday from Yorktown (3ish hrs) to be my right arm.

She has been to many of our Easter parties so it was sweet and nostalgic and very family-like to have her right by my side sweating beads of blood while she worked the skin off her fingers.....truly.

Ok.

Not really.

But she's a hard worker, let me tell ya!

And so stinkin' beautiful!!!

I love this girl:

and it doesn't make me love her less when she brings me what I didn't even know was one of my favorite foods ever.

Portuguese Cod Fish Casserole.

I'm not a casserole girl but this was Amazing:

 I scheduled for me, Jake and Liz to be in our beds by 10pm so we could be rested and ready to CELEBRATE Jesus ALL day the next day.

We did ok.

It was like 10:10pm 'er something.

I guess I'll let it slide.

UP for CHURCH on Sunday and ready by 8AM.

three adults and six kids.

we did great!

Church was awesome!!!

One of my favorite services ever.

Pastor talked about HEAVEN on Easter.

duh.

Never heard that approach before but totally LOVED it!

We took some pictures at a park, after church and then went right back to WORK.

We had a party to host people.

Sometime between 3 and 4pm, 41 people showed up for the best Easter Party ever.

for memories sake...we loved having:

Lindsay

Shawn & Gordon

The Brooks

The Cassadas

The Williams (minus Todd...boo!)

The Miners

Jess & Tom

Slaw & Jenn

Johnathan & Liza

Drew & Candace

Reesa & Ben

21 adults and 20 kids.

LOVE!!!

Jesus...MAY YOU BE GLORIFIED!

and from here, I'll let the pictures do the talkin'.

 (I know I said I was done talking but this you must know about.

There were 20 kids coming and the whole 'juggle the plate' thing at parties always annoys me.

Sooo....we did what we started calling "The Happiest Meals On Earth".

Each kid had a fully stocked Happiest Meal before they got to the party.

Kids found their bags....pre stuffed with plates, napkins, labeled water bottles, a prize and food...and headed outside to eat it.

I could audibly hear the sighing as mamas just stood around not knowing what to do with themselves 'cause they were bored.

This will be a REPEAT idea!!!)

 the Panter Ladies painted/designed those amazing crosses!

 Greek.

I made Gyro meat.

No joke.

And I liked it.

FUN!

 I'm not sure who had more fun!?

Adults hiding eggs vs. Kids egg hunting.

for reals...those adults know how to hide an egg with a smile on their face!!!

 ...on your marks! get set! go!!!!

 Amanda! The hunt is for the KIDS!!!

 Lincoln's first Eater Egg hunt...I think he likes it here in this crazy American place!!!

(SAD. Notice the absence of Samantha??  That little girl came down with 103.7 degree fever about two hours before the party started.

right.

She curled up in mommy and daddy's bed and spent her Easter watching Netflix with a bottle of juice and some shots of Ibuprofen.

What funny about that? It will probably go down as one of her favorite Easters!)

I love it.

I just love love love it all!

Jake and I get a weird charge out of these parties!

We love the people God puts in our lives.

We want the ones who don't know Jesus to see our relationship with Him and the ones who do know Jesus to know that we love celebrating what we have in common.

Ok.

gotta go plan for next year!

but I'm gonna go sleep first, k?