For the Love of Family

Easter and my Birthday feel on the same weekend this year. The plan was for my Dad, Daniel and Katie's Family and Jason and Michell's Family to come and work/celebrate with our Family. After illness and broken cars. Thankfully my brother Jason and his family were actually still able to come and share the weekend with us.

Upon them getting into town and the kids running off with their counterparts and disappearing into the woodwork. We all got to work on the "to do list" that was made while everyone was here surveying the situation around the house during their stay for the funeral. It was to say the least, a busy weekend! With kids to take care of, meals to prepare, many trips to Home Depot and Lowes, kitchens to clean, the "to do list" to be done, not to mention... the Easter Bunny needed to make it's infamous debut, Easter dinner to be cooked (thanks Michelle...it was Yum!) and church needed to be gotten to, and my dreaded birthday which I would rather have laid in a tub of blood sucking leeches than celebrate this year. But I do have children... and I am their example... that life must go on and we were created to have joy. So we went on and we celebrated both Easter and my 36th Birthday 36. It was lovely~!

Widowed...with 5 children and Damn it...

I will have JOY! I will have JOY! I will have JOY! :)

Easter was a lot of fun! The Easter Bunny came and we went to church extra thankful this year for the sacrifice of our Saviour and the plan of Salvation.


We then came home and had a HUGE Easter egg hunt in the backyard...Seriously I had never seen so many eggs. Michelle is serious business. She is a great Mom! I am so glad she is my kids aunt!
When it came time to celebrate my birthday it was not easy...the tears flowed freely the night before and a fake smile was painted on my face all day long. I feared that one slight crack would send me over the edge. My brother Daniel later described the horrific feeling as anticipatory mourning as the actual event wasn't as bad as it felt that it would be but the feelings that lead directly up to the celebration of my birthday were really bad. Stone hid in the backyard and refused to come in and like mother like son. I hid in the garage rearranging the Food Storage which had been completely messed up during a project my Mom had undertaken while here a few weeks earlier. The party finally got underway and with sadness in my heart for the painfully obviously missing family member...my beautiful brother, his kind wife and their lovely children gave me a wonderful day full of new fun memories which I will cherish forever!

Notice Stone in the below picture (This was after both Jason and I chasing him around the backyard and me physically bringing him into the party...He eventually got into it...but like I said it was not an easy day for anyone)
Thanks J&M! By the way...Happy Birthday to you today Jason...You are the greatest! Regardless of how many beautiful, sexy woman are banging down your doors to be able to drag you away from the love of your life Michelle. I just don't know how you deal with it Michelle? I think I might get you a broom for Christmas to beat away the hot women from your man...:) Love you Jason!