busy days, Easter, and inappropriate laughter

I feel like we've been really busy, but with not much to show for it. 

We hosted potluck at our house at the beginning of  March. I made pork loin for the first time.  It turned out well and wasn't too dry :)

I finally put our chairs back together. 

I really like them with our table. 

I brought these inside and they started blooming. 

On the 15th,  Nathan's nephew, Isaiah, celebrated his first birthday.  We went out to Camp Grove for supper and for the party. 

Isaiah quickly learned what his cake was. 

There wasn't much left.

St. Patrick's day fell in the middle of the week again. Which meant that the parade shut down our part of the city.  They block off all of the roads surrounding our building at work, so we are pretty much stuck, and forced to watch the parade.  ;)

I took a picture of the bag pipers, of course. 

Palm Sunday,  the Sunday school did their Easter Program.  I, a less then thrilled teacher, got to lead my lovely children in song.  I'm telling you. It is exhausting trying to get them to stand still, stay in line, watch the person in front of you so you aren't looking at the ceiling when they start walking,  pay attention to the teachers so you start singing together, watch what I'm saying so you say/sing the right words, put your dress down,  sit still, get off the floor, stop touching him, look where you are going.... ayiyiyi...  I think this is the reason people don't give birth in litters. 

One of the lovely students was doing something very obnoxious and I laughed. Well of course that dear child thought he would do it again and again....

I have the unfortunate characteristic of laughing at the most inappropriate times. It seems, the more inappropriate the time, the more funny I find it. 

And, then there is communion.  We had communion in Washington, the Saturday before Palm Sunday.  I have gotten better over the years at preparing myself for communion. And, I mean preparing myself NOT to laugh.  Here are reasons I could have laughed:

1. A sea full of men in fresh white shirts about to drink from a glass of very red wine passed to them from the person beside them. Oh the stains that could happen!

2. The slurping, glugging, sipping noises echoing across the somber silence of the church. 

3. The wave of coughs following the wine glass.

4. The number of times you hear the elder or minister refill the men's side goblet v.s. the women's side.

5. The sudden shock, and gag reflex, I feel when I take a sip. The expression I know just shot across my face.   I don't like wine. I don't like grape.  I don't like alcohol. I know it's just a sip. But, every year...ugh. :)

6. The bread. It's cut into long, unnatural tubes.  

7.  The bread sticks to your teeth and the back of your throat. You feel like you have to pry it off with your tongue. All very irreverent. But, you can't help it.

8. The sound of coughing and gagging and such that follows. 

I know. I'm supposed to be thinking about how Christ's body was broken for me. How he poured out his life for me. How he suffered in agony for my sins. How wonderful and amazing, how horrible and beautiful, God's plan was.  You're supposed to let the depth sink in, feel the communion with Christ and your fellow Christians. 
But, me. Nope. It's quiet, it's somber, and it is ever so awkward...and every little detail, every sound, it's funny.  More funny than any joke.   The irony of the awkward humaness next to such a holy and perfect thing we are commemorating.  I've gotten better over the years, but I still stiffle my giggles and try not to notice how much some people seem to enjoy that wine. 

The other evening, Matt and Lena kindly allowed us to come over and play games.  I got to 'help' give Jack a bath.

Isn't he the cutest baby ever?

I had Friday off work, so Jenny invited me to come over and color eggs with her. The girls joined in. ;)

Emmy was enthusiastic as usual.

Cecily checking her blue egg.

Emmy got bored pretty quick. So, Jenny gave her a cup of water and a plastic egg. 

they're so springy!

I played with the girls on the swings for a bit. 

It was fun.

Easter snuck up on me.  I was not prepared.  It seemed way to early this year.   Or, maybe I just need to look more than one day ahead on the calendar. 

We spent Easter with Nathan's family.  Tim and Becky hosted in Eureka, so we didn't have to go far. That was nice.  We had a good evening and ate too much food. :)

The Sunday School Easter program's theme was: Alive.    And it did stick with me through Easter. He is alive.  Though, I may never feel the same joy the disciples did (I never thought he was dead) there is an inexplicable joy in that. He is alive.  

"...Why seek ye the living among the dead?" ~ Luke 24:5

In Christ
~Michelle