Easter Egg-stravaganza!

This is the third Easter I've spent in Omaha. It's a holiday I've always loved. It's always been an indicator of spring and renewal- physically and spiritually. I love Easter in Amana. But now that I've been here a few years, I can say that, if given more of an opportunity to go home for the holiday next year, I'm not sure that I would, to tell you the truth. I've liked my Easters here. And this year was no different.

Yesterday afternoon I went over to the Pleiss house. I always enjoy going back there and catching up with Ann's family, who are all growing at alarming rates. Emily, Ann's niece, is almost nine (holy crap!) and said to me, "I'm almost as tall as you are!" She is. It's scary.

Then last night, my friends and I had an Easter party at "the house" (four of our friends are renting a place that's become our central hub). We hid Easter eggs. We hid one fewer than there were people, so that each round there would be someone who didn't find an egg, who would then have to do a dare. First Luke lost, and had to lay outside for a few minutes with no coat or shoes. Then when I lost, I had to write and recite an Easter haiku:

Jesus rose today.

That was very nice of him.

Jesus is my friend.

Then Luke lost again, and had to dye his hand. So we dyed our fingers and a couple of dozen Easter eggs and really had a lot of fun.

Today after church, a group of us went to the Whitney's (a family in our church) for a huge, yummy Easter dinner with all the fixins. I truly felt at home, and have just been smiling all weekend over the fact that I continue to feel more at home here as time goes on. The people at this church are so wonderful, and it was great to celebrate the most important holiday of our faith together, and to have some silly fun in the process.