Some Funny Things Happened When We Went Home For Easter

We drove to my small hometown in Indiana for Easter to spend it with my family.

We crammed a lot of visiting, 

eating 

and relaxing 

into the weekend.

My niece’s friend, Brittany is a master at
creative things like this.
Aren’t they adorable?

We found this big container waiting for us
in the kitchen.

Deliciousness! The whole mix was covered in
white chocolate. The secret special part was
that Brittany used white cheddar popcorn.
Yummmm!

But we still managed to teach McDaniel to drive in the parking lot of the elementary school that I attended, where my mom taught 1st grade and where my father was the principal.

My niece graciously let us use her much more manageably sized car.

Monte giving McDaniel lots of instructions.

Before Monte gave McDaniel lots of instructions.

McDaniel’s first attempt at parking. She will not be
a parking lot favorite. 

I was a little “jarred” after I rode with her. She was not light of foot
with the brake or the gas going into a turn. I said, “Stoppy stoppy!” like
my mom. A lot.

We squeezed in a little bit of basketball after the driving lesson.

My new favorite picture.

I am not sure there is a better place from which to shoot hoops than barefoot in the bed of your late great-grandpa’s truck in the parking lot of the elementary school that your mother attended and where your grandparents both worked.

It doesn’t get more Hoosier than that.

We, (Monte, my dad, my brother Kwin and I) also managed to take a “walk” after breakfast Saturday morning that turned into a hike which turned into us getting lost on The Pinnacle Trail.

I have hiked The Pinnacle many times. 

But I have never hiked the Pinnacle without getting lost. 

The Pinnacle is not flat, paved or well marked. 

My dad “assured us” after walking 2 1/2 hilly miles, that our hike would be a “quick up and down”.

We emerged 3 hours later 

muddy, 

wet, 

sweaty, 

whiney 

and limping. 

Well, I may have been the only one limping. 

And whining.

My dad didn’t even seemed winded.

The back of my knee still hurts.

And my “walk” this morning to my hair appointment 

ended up with a fire-like burning in my shins.

We also managed to attend a church with no screen, no drums and no electric guitars.

We sang “He Lives” holding hymnals accompanied by an organ played by a retired teacher who worked with my mom and dad and a piano played by my high school choir teacher.

We heard announcements like there were still homemade chocolate eggs for sale in the church basement that were made by the women, including my mom.

We brought some home for Ellie to share at bible study this morning.

We listened to a sermon by a preacher allergic to lillies from a pulpit covered in lillies.

We felt like rock stars as faces from my past came by to hug and smile and fuss over us.

A sweet old man told Monte that he hadn’t seen him since he was “yay big” holding his hand waist high.

Since I first brought Monte to my hometown in 1994 when he was 28 years old and fully grown, this made us smile.

We managed to put on a pretty competitive egg hunt with the ages of the hunters ranging from 11 to 21.

Notice Brittany’s “game face” complete with
eye black and a bandana.

Brittany found the one and only big egg.

Monte managed to sneeze a lot due to all the beautiful blooming everything.

The weekend was a wonderful mix of slowing down that went too fast. 

We didn’t want to come home.

It certainly helped that our Bradford Pear tree bloomed while we were away.

And a few tulips popped out.

And this beautiful azalea was waiting for us from a very unexpected source.

Above all else, it was great to celebrate our risen saviour,

who died for us, in the greatest expression of love,

with the ones that we love.

What did you do for Easter?