Easter in Jackson

Easter has always been my favorite holiday. I just love that it is so joyful, and fills us with so much hope. It doesn't hurt that it occurs during the most beautiful time of the year. And when I think of Easter in Jackson, I think of sunshine, azaleas, and spending time with friends we have known forever. It has been four years since we have gone home for Easter. We have spent the last three Easters here and had planned on doing the same this year, but when we realized we haven't spent the night with my parents in a YEAR, I decided we need make a trip. Of course when all of us are there together, it is chaotic, loud, and full of squabbles and time-outs. But still, there is nothing like going home, and it filled my heart with such peace to be there this past weekend.

The girls and I left early Friday morning. It was our first road trip since New Year's, and it was our first trip in the minivan, so I was excited about that part. My girls are pretty good travelers, so I figured it would go fairly well, but I do get nervous driving with them by myself sometimes, only because I can't easily hand them things or address their needs while driving. But they did great besides a few hairy minutes where SC was trying to fall asleep but dropped her paci on the floor, and she started screaming bloody murder. So we pulled over in Tuscaloosa to use the restroom and retrieve said paci. Smooth sailing after that. She only slept for about 20 minutes, but she was content the rest of the way. The girls were SO excited to be going to Mississippi! Even Sallie Cate, although I'm sure she didn't really understand what she was so excited about. :) 

Unfortunately I forgot my big camera, so most of these are from my cell phone {and some are from Chris' camera}.

Leaving Bham

 When we got to Jackson, we ate lunch and I took SC with me to the grocery store {C wanted to stay at the house}, and then we ran to a toy store because when I was going through Easter bunny stuff earlier in the week, I realized I only had ONE things for SC! Poor second child. We don't do too much for Easter, but I wanted to get her more than one thing! :) Luckily she was oblivious to what I was doing as she happily destroyed the store got into everything.

She loved the fountains at Highland Village. I love seeing my girls enjoying the same things I did as a child.

Then we just played outside the rest of the afternoon while we waited on my sister and her crew to get there {John and Craig worked most of the day and arrived that evening}. We were sad that my brother wasn't able to come in town.

On Saturday morning, I took my girls on a long walk. It's so nice and FLAT in Jackson- way different than all the hills in Bham. We really enjoyed ourselves. Then we ate lunch at Keiffer's, and the girls had so much fun playing outside that afternoon. My parents have a wonderful backyard, so we spent a ton of time outside.

This girl and her poses.

We have a rope swing in our backyard that the girls have always wanted to play on, but they have really been too young to hold onto it by themselves. But this year Curran was big enough to play on it, and man did she love it!

Playing on the see-saw.

Late Saturday afternoon, we went to the annual crawfish boil that some friends have every year on the day before Easter. 

SC had her first Sprite.

The girls had a lot of fun playing and C enjoyed some crawfish.

Then when we got home, we dyed Easter eggs. 

 We quickly realized that the girls were getting a little too messy inside, so we had to move the party outdoors.

We tried to get a cute pj picture before bed. The two big girls had so much fun playing with these stick horses {pictured} that were ours when we were little. Sinclair named hers Sparky {she also has a stick horse named Sparky who lives in Birmingham} and Curran named hers.... wait for it... Caroline. :)

And then the Easter bunny hopped by later that night.

All Curran had asked for were Elsa and Anna dolls, but I also got her some doll house furniture and some pretty, hard-back chapter books.

And all Sallie Cate cared about were the jelly beans that were in her basket. The other girls had more fun playing with her toys!

Waiting to go see what the Easter bunny brought on Sunday morning.

Mouth full o' jelly beans.

She was pretty pumped.

Then it was outside to hunt eggs!

My dad gave them clues to find the silver and gold eggs. They were so excited {and we may have had to break up a fight over the gold egg}.

After hunting eggs, we scrambled {hehe} to get ready for church. I did not get any cute pictures of my girls in their Easter dresses. The only ones I have are the blurry ones from my phone. Such a bummer. But we made it to church early {never happens} and got a seat {almost never happens on holidays}, and the girls did mostly great during Mass. C is always good, but we normally take SC to the nursery. However, there wasn't a nursery on Easter, so she got to go to "big church" and lasted for almost half of it before she had to be taken out.

After Mass, we went to the front of the sanctuary to take a picture with the cross my parents designed and had made for the church. 

Sc didn't want to pose at first {typical}, but then I was surprised when she hopped up there.

After church we went to eat our friends, the Raff's house. We grew up going to eat at their house most Easters. Their next door neighbors had a swing set and trampoline the girls had fun playing on.

We practiced a little tennis with Sinclair's new racquet. 

I don't have any other pictures from the rest of the weekend, but we left Monday morning to head back to Birmingham. Curran had story time with the principal at her new school at 1:30, so we screeched in on two wheels and went straight to that. And of course she fell asleep when we were 5 minutes from our house.

It was a truly wonderful weekend spending time in my hometown, surrounded by the people I love most, and celebrating the most significant holiday in our church!