Easter was different this year. We are so used to doing the dinner thing and the easter egg hunt with our kids (yes, my grown up kids still looked forward to the chocolate bunny and eggs every year), then doing the dinner thing and easter egg hunt again with all the neices and nephews. The first didn't happen this year, as all of our children stayed in Ontario when we moved. Not having dinner and doing the chocolate thing with them wasn't as hard as I thought (although I've had to buy chocolate for myself as theirs hasn't been around for me to "pick" at). I am resigned to the fact that we will have other times where we will look back and see as quality time (Jenn & Kevin are coming to visit in May...........YAHOO!).

What was hard was when I called home and I heard a sick daughter on the other end. Her sinuses were already bothering her a little when they went to the house of a friend. While there, she began having trouble breathing and had to leave. It seems that the person who lived in the house before the present owner had many cats. Although it has been a while since the cats inhabited the house, Jenn's allergy is as such that she still reacted. She has also now come down with a virus, so she is a sick puppy. When we lived in Ontario, although I did not necessarily run to my kids if they were sick, I always knew I could get to them quickly if I needed to. Now it would take me a day to get there. I guess this is something else I will have to wrestle with for a bit.

The second dinner happenned, only on a much smaller scale. Bruce & I went to the Good Friday Service with my brother Stephen and his family. Emily (my neice, age 9) came home with us after to spend the rest of the day and the night with us. What a blast. Emily & I did some scrapbooking together (she has a great eye for colour and space) and we pulled a special page together for her to take home and do a journal on. She was so excited though to be able to watch cable TV (they don't have cable in their house right now). She wrestled control of the TV remote away from Uncle Bruce, and didn't give it up the whole time she was here. She also downed a whole jar of peanut butter. They can't have any peanut products in their house as her sister has a peanut allergy. Emily was in seventh heaven.

On Saturday, we had a mini Sears family easter dinner at Stephen and Gayle's house. Bruce & I came bearing easter goodies for the kids. The plan was to do an easter egg hunt after dinner, but.................We plan, God laughs. Two older little ladies showed up at the house to drop off some items for easter Sunday morning just as we were getting ready to have dessert. Stephen, being the pastor he is, invited them in for tea. That cup of tea turned into a very long visit. Needless to say, Bruce & I didn't get to do the egg hunt. Oh well, the kids still got their goodies, so that is what counts. We, Stephen, Gayle, Bruce, myself and the kids all really missed not being with the rest of the Sears clan for the annual dinner and egg hunt, but we all see how God has watched out for each of us over the past year, and for that we are thankful.