The First Easter Festivities

The Sunday before Easter we visited a new church close to our new home.  Eddie's old church youth pastor from his hometown has been pastoring a church in the neighboring town of Fuquay-Varina, and we have been planning to visit them since finding out we were moving here.  He and his wife are just the sweetest people, and their church has a lot of young children so we thought it would be a good place for our kids.  It is also a more traditional church like we hoped to find here.  After the service, the church hosted a little Easter "egg" hunt after lunch.  We went out to grab lunch and returned for the hunt.  It wasn't technically an egg hunt because they just hunted for candy and not actual eggs.  It was still fun, and they came home with baskets full of candy.  No need for the Easter bunny to bring candy to our house!  Good thing since I have really fallen off the wagon buying my kids Easter goodies.  Sigh.  I feel like they still had a good Easter though.  Anyway, I was also happy to see one of my old childhood/adolescenthood friends at the Easter hunt.  She and her family of three young children attend this church regularly so that is a bonus.  She used to attend my dad's old church with her grandparents, and we became very close during that time.  Her grandparents were also very dear to me, and I was sad to hear that they passed away a few years ago.

Before church, we took the opportunity to take our first family picture in our new home.  I love that our Mattie is also in this picture.  

Brody was a bit excited. 

And then he pouted. 

And finally a little smile. 

The kids listened to the Easter message before the hunt. 

I doubt Brody was really paying much attention.  Hopefully, he will begin to get better at this since he is almost 4. 

Candy everywhere!

Brody spent the whole time in this position picking up candy.  It was actually kind of hard work. 

He was determined to get it all. 

Evan was pretty fast gathering candy.  He and his group of Kindergarten through 2nd graders went over to help the oldest group when they were finished.  Haha! 

Still gathering. 

Evan's area was cleaned out in record time. 

Yes, he was on his knees. 

Basket was getting pretty full.

And as a treat for his hard work, he indulged in a cupcake. 

And Baby Mattox got two huge baskets full of candy.  Haha!