In Your Easter Bonnet...

Easter was a little different for me this year. Russ was on call Saturday night into Easter morning, so he wasn't able to travel north with me. Farley and I went it alone! Although I missed my hubby terribly, Farley and I had a fabulous time. Easter is such a special time for many reasons. Easter service, Easter baskets, Easter eggs, Spring weather, and Easter clothes. But, most importantly, Easter is a day of remembrance of all God has done for us...giving his only Son to die on that cross for us. And a day of celebration...celebrating that He is risen!

"Sin has lost its power; death has lost its sting.
From the grave He's risen VICTORIOUSLY!"

This Easter was no different! I woke up to a beautiful Sunday morning - one that only God Himself could have produced. My mom was busily working in the kitchen, preparing our Easter lunch.

Mama cooking in her Easter apron

The table was set with all her silver pieces and fine China. Mama says that at least once a year, we will learn what a fork is used for! Ha!

I also rolled out of bed to see Easter baskets! One of my favorite things about Easter morning!

One for me!

One for Farley!

And, even one in honor of Russ!

After a wonderful church service filled with amazing music and a great message, we came home for our own little "Easter parade." Not really. But, what is it about the south? In the south, Easter is filled with family pictures in our new Easter clothes, babies in their bonnets, and men in their pastel shirts and ties. I've been reading a great book, What Southern Women Know About Faith. It is so genuine and very funny. This book speaks to Easter Sundays in the chapter of Southern Sundays.

"Every Easter, I had a completely new outfit, right down to my socks and lace-trimmed bloomers. What a woman wears on Easter in the South is of enormous importance. 'Have you got your Easter outfit yet?' women will ask one another for weeks leading up to the celebration of Christ's victory over death. To this day, it is the bane of my existence - finding the right hat and outfit for the big day of celebration. It may not be perfectly and humbly Christian, but I do try to outdo the other women with my attire. In my family we even have an Easter parade after church in which each person walks out the door onto the front porch, waves at my brother-in-law, Rodney, who is filming it while adding both necessary and unnecessary commentary, then sashays down the steps, and walks up the sidewalk out of view. It is an austere tradition, envied by many. 'How did we get started with this tradition of new clothes on Easter?' I asked a friend. 'It signifies the beginning of all things new,' she responded authoritatively. 'Christ died on Good Friday and arose on Easter, so that signified the dawning of the new Day of Grace. No longer were we shackled to the Law. It was a new day. That's why we have new clothes to wear on Easter.' I think she made all that up, but it sounds good, so I'll just go with it too. After all, the Bible has a lot of symbols, so we'll just let new clothes - at least in the South - be symbolic of new life under the Day of Grace."

Every time I watch the children come in the sanctuary with their new frilly dresses and boys in their clip-on ties, I think of that old song, "Easter Bonnet." I've been singing it to Russ all night. There's just something about it that is so nostalgic.

Although we have outgrown the "buy new clothes for Easter" part (and it could have something to do with us having to buy our own clothes now!), we still pose outside for an Easter picture. Of course, we still try to look our best on Easter! And, for some reason, the Smith women all wore pants. This was a first for us all on Easter Sunday.

Smithites

Soon-to-be Tull family

Johnsons (minus Russ)

And, Dustin. No commentary necessary!
Take a look at those shoes! Those belonged to my grandfather! Dustin loves them! He is also wearing a pair of faded black Nike socks. Nice!

Expanded Smith family
(minus Russ again!)

While we waited on the finishing touches for our delicious lunch, the guys played a little badminton with Lee's new bunny-shaped raquets.

And Maw Maw and Daddy spent some time visiting.


After lunch, I presented Kristin and Dustin with a little Easter happy. I was so excited about these gifts! If you follow me on Twitter, you may remember me getting an "exciting Easter package in the mail." This was it!


Easter Egg Hunting gear!


We all sat around laughing while Mama sneaked over to her cabinet. This is what she pulled out...

The Smiths were ready! Bring on the annual Smith Easter Egg Hunt!