Easter: done & dusted.

Easter called for a Lace Dress :)

Well well, another Easter has come & gone! Done & dusted for another 12 months! It seems each year the 'chocolate' season rolls in quicker than the year before & then slips out even quicker!

With that said, we had a really awesome Easter Weekend this year! It contained absolutely everything that a 4 day weekend should entail, I think! We didn't go away....in fact, we hardly left the house! As Monday morning rolled around, it occurred to me that the kids & I had not left the house in almost 4 days! We had basked in the luxury & comfort of our new home & neighbourhood. It was so unbelievably nice!! And as much as I love to fill my days with adventures & being out in the big bad world....I also love slow days at home full of crafting & coffee & lazy couch sessions watching movies! It's all about balance baby :)

The lead up to Easter was beautiful.

Dyed boiled eggs & crayon drawings :)

{we gathered sticks on one of our evening walks, stuck them in a vase and decorated them with a packet of $2 foam eggs....simple, easy & kind of fun!}

Ella was a buzz of excitement on Saturday afternoon. She carefully drew pictures for the Easter Bunny & put a lot of thought into what she was going to leave out for him. She asked lots of questions about the famous Bunny, and I stumbled my way through some sufficient answers :)

She went to sleep that night a very excited yet content girl. That's something I really love about being a parent....seeing & feeling the magic & joy of life through the eyes of a child! It opens my memory up to wonderful flashbacks of my own childhood. Sometimes, having children around makes life seem even more worthy of celebration!

And at 4am, Ella crept into our bed and whispered "in the morning I have to show you the most amazing thing Mummy!!" ..... she had spotted the trail of shiny eggs on her way to our bedroom :) And just like that, she fell off to sleep again, snuggled between Mummy & Daddy...waiting for the sun to rise!

And, it did.....so the festivities began...

We haven't spoken a lot about 'Christianity' to our kids yet. It's been briefly talked over & I've attempted to make some simple explanations about God & Jesus & Church & beliefs! But for now, we're keeping their minds open. Open to choice. Open to their own beliefs & values. As parents, we will instill faith & a sense of doing what's right. I want my kids to be kind & honest & loving. I want them to be grateful & aware. I want them to believe in something....in life. But....when it comes to religion, I want them to follow their own instincts & beliefs. Some people may find that shocking that we're not driving our children down a 1-religion road....but to be honest, Chris & I are both still figuring out what & who we believe in....so who are we to force just 1 religion on our children? Christianity will probably be the main drive, but an open mind & an educated choice is what I'd rather present to my kids.

However, with that said.....as Easter & Christmas celebrations roll around, I do relay stories {Christian Stories} about these special days & why they are significant on the calendar. 

As a child, my Mum would take my Brothers & I to church. I liked it there. I enjoyed the safety of growing up with a Christian upbringing. But now....I'm grown and have the freedom to do & follow whatever I like....and I do believe in something.....but what? I don't know! While I figure it out....my church; is wherever my family is. Being surrounded by happiness & love & homely things is religion to me....

Nanny & Ella. Easter Sunday 2012.

Grandma & Ryder enjoying some snuggles.

Pa & Ella. Dancing on his feet.

'Aunty Mon' sharing the Easter Joy.

I regularly talk about traditions, and how I want to embed them into my parenting. Well, how's this for tradition....Chris's Nan has worn these exact Bunny Slippers for 24 Easters now!!!! Every Easter Sunday she whips them out & sports them all day. LOVE!

We hosted 'brunch' {basically a fancy way of saying come around for wine, food & fun mid-morning} on Easter Sunday. Surrounded by family & friends we celebrated Easter, we celebrated life & we simply enjoyed the little things in life. That makes me happy. And having the space to now accommodate guests & host such events makes me VERY happy.

Easter 2012 was lovely. And as it winds down and is done for another year, I can look back at these photos & smile. Remember & smile!

I hope your Easter was filled with things & people you love!

Now, to pack away the Easter crafting & decor and look forward to the next chance to celebrate :)

P.S. 15 days left to go into the draw to win an iPad3. Over here for details.

P.P.S. I'm also giving away a $50 iTunes Gift Voucher on my Facebook page if you spread the word about the iPad3 promo. Ends this Sunday night....QUICK!

P.P.S. The TEENAGE TO ME photo project will be wrapping up late next week. Have you entered?? If not, please do!