- This was the first year I’ve decorated Easter eggs in probably 20 or more years. We bought our kit about 3 weeks ago. Being the “plan ahead” person I can be when I’m not under the control of my other procrastinator personality, I had bought the kit ahead of time so we wouldn’t have to settle for picked over dye kits. First off I let the two year old pick out which one to get. Secondly, there were about 612 different kits to choose from. Last time I dyed eggs I only remember the store selling one kind. It was the little color tabs that dissolved in water mixed with some stinky vinegar. As I opened up the one Chloe had picked out, I recalled with mild dread that I had no vinegar. No need to worry there. This kit required no vinegar, had no dissolving tabs. It only contained packets of liquid paint/dye and a paintbrush. The directions showed holding the egg between your fingers and painting it a brilliant marble color. That’s a ridiculous expectation for a two year old. Don’t get me wrong, she loved trying. She ended up mixing the colors together, no matter how much I instructed against it. Orange became brown and pink became a maroon/purple color. All of those colors got everywhere. One thing the box didn’t mention was that the dye that you’re supposed to use with your bare hands, will not wash off, ever! We all went to church with multi-colored hands. The crazy clean freak in me almost lost my sanity. I assumed they would dry overnight, before the egg hunt today. No. Something else the box didn’t mention. The dye dries and stains everything except eggs. It slides right off the egg onto any surface they touch. It was no trouble finding those eggs. Just follow the trail of brown dye. I suppose I’m gonna take this year as a learning experience for me. I’ll know better next year.
- I can’t even describe how much I enjoyed church today. I made a decision before hand that I wouldn’t stress over getting everyone ready, picture perfect, and out the door on time. It will never happen, so there’s no use getting in a bad mood over it. On a side note, we were only 15 minutes late, and that’s pretty good for the Gowens. I can’t explain how my heart feels when I see my little Chloe learning to worship God. Watching her dance before The Lord, waving a small flag, joy emanating from her countenance, lifts my own spirit. All my family was in attendance, and it made my heart happy to have them all around me. We chose today to have Bailey dedicated. It was a time for Ben and I to commit ourselves to raising Bailey in a manner pleasing to our Father, while also handing her over to Him. We hold her sweet little body, but hand the reigns of control to Him. We also choose to live our lives as He would desire, thereby shaping Bailey in the best way possible. While Ben and I already committed to such, we feel it’s important to do it in front of our church family. While I really enjoy listening to the sermons on CD during the week, it doesn’t compare to hearing it in person. Worshiping with music on the radio is wonderful, but it also doesn’t compare to being present for a worship service, and feeling the power of the Holy Spirit descend, to almost feel how pleased God must be to hear such heart-felt praise. I truly didn’t know I much I missed it.
- We enjoyed a family gathering after church. We invited everyone to our house. I had really hoped for nicer weather, knowing it would be a tight squeeze in our house. But like you can always do with close family, we managed to have a great time despite the cramped quarters. The girls hunted eggs inside. Chloe didn’t seem to remember last year, so she had no memory to reference things by. Marlie seemed to grow bored quickly of the hunt, which served to remind me that she’s growing older. Overall, it was a lot of fun, good food, and excellent fellowship. We finished off the day’s festivities with a Birthday party for my sister-in-law. This was a perfect opportunity for my children to act cute for others, eliciting many compliments, which I just revel in. It also was a chance for the girls to have cake and ice cream since that hadn’t ingested enough sugar today (insert sarcasm). I enjoyed the visit, though it was too short. It felt good to get back home though. As the children begin to settle and Mom and Dad unwind, I’m so content and full. It was a mighty fine day, a mighty fine day indeed.
That is all 🙂