Easter Weekend

I have a confession to make. I am not a great holiday planner! I love holidays and have great memories of holiday activities and special things growing up. Mom always had just the right things for each special holiday and the house was decorated in special ways. I usually blame my unpreparedness for holidays on the fact that we live in China. Yes, that has something to do with it. I can't just pop into the store and pick up a cute Easter basket or Valentine's Day decorations. But I could plan ahead and try to find things when we are in the US or at import stores, etc. here in Shanghai. So every year after a big holiday I promise myself that I will be better next time! So, here are photos from our Easter, and I promise next year my girls will have cute Easter baskets. Thankfully, a few friends gave me some stuff this year and the girls and I rallied around and had a nice time preparing for Easter.

First, I actually had two matching pink gift bags, which we decorated with Easter stickers from my mom and some that a friend had sent over to use. The girls really had a good time decorating it themselves. Some of the stickers that my friend sent were all mixed together in a bag...and the girls thought the frog stickers were pretty cool. I'm not used to seeing frogs at Easter, but why not?

On Thursday we made these little chicks from a kit that the same friend sent to us. They were fun to make, and the girls carried them around in the little plastic eggs and would pretend they were hatching in different parts of the house!

Then on Good Friday we dyed Easter Eggs. The girls love hard-boiled eggs, so I had to keep reminding them not to eat the eggs until we had at least taken them home to show Daddy.

Saturday a few other moms and I planned an outdoor egg hunt. We each invited some neighbors and kids' friends from pre-school. There was an egg hunt and then the Easter story and coloring pages. It was a really wonderful event and such a blessing to be able to enjoy it with both chinese and expat neighbors.

(OK...I like this photo for two reasons. One, our neighbor's daughter is seriously striking a pose for this photo! Two, check out Geneva in the stroller. She is wearing her UNC windbreaker...so cute!)

And finally, Easter Sunday! The Church service wasn't until 11, but the girls were up bright and early and excited about the day, so we had a little in-home egg and gift hunt. They each got a new dress, a new polly pocket, and some candy and coins in Easter Eggs. The best treat was from some friends in Chengdu who sent the girls each a bag of Hershey's Easter Egg Chocolates...yum!

Geneva's first Easter

I also purchased a small bag of Cadbury cream eggs (my absolute favorite growing up) from the import store here. I paid waaaaay too much for them, but it was worth it! Here is Vera, experiencing her first Cadbury Cream Egg...