Easter is a-coming...

Easter is just days away.

I'm more excited about the commercial side of Easter this year than I have been in years.  Not only do I have a little girl to dress up:

But I also have a little girl who has found a love of Easter Eggs:

I'm not sure who is more excited - Ella or me.  I can't WAIT to take her to see the Easter Bunny tomorrow.  We're going to Short Pump Towne Center where they have a BROWN Easter Bunny.  We've been to visit and wave "hello" so I'm hoping she's not going to freak out when we go up and she gets to sit on his lap.  Guess we'll see.  I'll dress Springy in case I end up in the picture (unlike the Santa pic where I look totally awful).  I'm excited about the Easter Egg Hunt at church this Saturday, too.  Ella is big enough to walk around carrying her basket and picking up eggs.  It is going to make for so much fun!  Mom may have to hand off the microphone and allow someone else to supervise the kids inside while we all watch Ella hunt.  Just wish Warren & Rach could be here for it.  Her first egg hunt when she can actually hunt!

I'm also more excited about the HOLINESS of Easter this year.  I was excited to sing songs about Jesus on Palm Sunday - "Hosanna!  Hosanna!".  I wish I were going to a Maundy Thursday service this year, but alas my Christmas gift from Jeff which was snowed out is rescheduled for this Thursday (we're going to see The Wedding Singer musical).  I am debating going to the Good Friday service at First Baptist where I've been attending Bible Study on Mondays.  I need to see if they have a nursery for that time.  Jeff's aunt and I were recently talking about Easter and her Catholic upbringing.  As a child, she wasn't allowed to speak on Good Friday from noon - 3 p.m. in order to pay tribute to Jesus at his time of death.  Wow!  Can you imagine?  What an amazing way to force yourself into reflection!

My friend, Amanda, who died one year ago last Thursday, tried very hard to get our church into the practice of recognizing Holy Week.  I believe that next year, I will pick up her torch and try my best to create the atmosphere of respect and majesty she was aiming for.  I'm going to do my research over this next year to be sure I pick carefully what I want to do and what can be picked up at a later time.  Our church isn't big with attendance outside of Sunday morning, but I believe that with the proper education as to the importance of remembering that last week of Jesus' life, they may just support that Amanda was going for.

I haven't blogged in a week because I wasn't sure what I wanted to say about Amanda.  If I had blogged on Thursday it was going to need to be all about her.  I have so much to say about her that I'm not sure I can channel it correctly.  I'm going to keep thinking on it and blog about Manda on April 22, her birthday. 
I will say right now that I was BLESSED to have Amanda as my friend:

Speaking of birthdays - Jeff's is THIS SUNDAY - ON EASTER!!!
Just makes this weekend all that much more special...