Happy Easter!

I love Resurrection Sunday! I love how simple our church is. No pomp and circumstance, no redundant rituals that have become meaningless. Just heart. Engaging, profound teachings that change your heart and life. I love how the members hoot and holler and shout for joy when the pastor reminds us that "THE TOMB IS EMPTY!" Thank you, Lord, for your indescribable gift, for washing us with your blood, for redeeming us.


















The kids woke up Easter morning eager to find their baskets. I don't know if everyone hides their baskets or just us. I remember my mom always hid our Easter baskets. One time mine was in the oven! We went to Papa and Grammy's for lunch. It started with an egg hunt of course! What fun! Then lots of delicious food and conversation with family, a few pictures and Easter baskets too! The kids were excited to see big buckets of new sidewalk chalk, huge markers, and lots of goodies.


















Next we went to Great Grandma's for dessert and another egg hunt! Olivia and Ethan were so funny, they would skip over tons of eggs for no apparent reason. Great Grandma gave Ethan a Lightning McQueen car that you shake and it takes off. He loved it! And for Olivia she had a My Little Pony - Pinkie Pie, Olivia's favorite color. She was tickled. It was so fun to watch Ethan have a conversation with Great Grandma. He was so adorable talking about candy with her. He also loved Aunt Bonnie too. They were playing cars together. Marianne and Christina gave Ethan and Olivia the cutest Easter bags filled with all kinds of goodies: candy, stickers, silly putty, sunglasses, and other little trinkets.

















Then it was home for a short nap before Nana came over. Nana coming over is always lots of fun! She brought the kids little wooden bunny baskets which Olivia was so thrilled about because we can use them next year as decorations (Olivia loves holiday decorations). The baskets were filled with yummy chocolate and cute stuffed bunnies. Ethan also got a dump truck filled with candy. We Skyped with Gigi and the kids played with Nana on the porch. They were taking turns being the teacher. They are both excellent teachers by the way! It wouldn't surprise us one bit if they both were teachers when they grow up. For some reason, Ethan was wearing Olivia's rain boots when he was the teacher.




















It really was a glorious day, beautiful weather, sunny and warm, filled with lots of love and our Savior.

Here are some more cute photos from the weekend...

Eggs and animals

On Thursday night Nana came over to help us decorate Easter eggs. The kids loved putting the stickers on but weren't too thrilled with dipping them into the colors. Ethan accidentally tipped a cup of yellow dye onto himself and the floor. His legs and tummy looked jaundiced the rest of the night.

Today, Saturday, we went to the Circle of Friends Easter Egg Hunt at Veteran's Park in Coopersville. It was packed! Luckily, after collecting some eggs, we quickly hopped right into the line to see the Easter Bunny. We thought the kids would go it alone after all of the characters they met at Disney World, but as you can see I am in the picture! After the egg hunt we went to the Coopersville Farm Museum for the spring petting zoo. There were rabbits, goats, a pony, a calf, chickens, rats (ew) and an Air Bud dog (Golden Retriever)! Olivia and Ethan petted the animals and had a good time. Ethan at one point even said while looking longingly into the lamb's pen, "I want to go in there." His face was so sad and cute. In the petting area the goat kept trying to eat Ethan's shoelaces.

Questions and Prayers

Yesterday we went to get gas before heading to Parker's house. Olivia asked, "why do we need gas?" Oh boy, I tried in the simplest way possible to explain supply and demand. Her questioned continued, "what happens if we don't buy gas?" She sure is a smart one! I love her inquisitive mind, but the questions are getting harder the older she gets.

While at Parker's the kids played on the wood piles, in the sand pit, and in a bit of mud. They had a blast.

























Last night Ethan said the most adorable night-night prayer:
"Dear God, Thank you for the Easter parade (?), thank you for making the eggs, thank you for the eggs, and thank you." So cute.

And then, of course, there is a bunch of noise and talking going on instead of sleep. So I am about to walk into their room when I overhear this exchange:
Ethan is getting out of bed, which he is not supposed to be doing, and asks "Is God watching me again?"
Olivia: "Yes, God is always watching you."
Ethan: "Well where is He?"
Olivia: "You can't see Him but He is still watching you."
Ethan: "No, I want to see Him."

What great kids we have!

Kenneth Laug

The day before we left for our vacation to Disney World, March 11, the Laug family was told that Grandpa had multiple cancerous brain tumors. He passed away on March 28, 2009 at his Centennial Farm home where he was born, raised, and lived most of his 81 years.

Grandpa worked all of his life farming and then splitting wood for Scott's Dad and Chum. Grandpa was not only a hard worker, he was meticulous. He took great pride in whatever work he was doing and always did the job better than anyone could have asked. He kept the Laug homestead so beautifully manicured that it was photographed often (aerial views) and even made the cover of a dairy magazine. He had famously strong, large working man hands (his daughter Lori even wrote a beautiful poem about them). He loved to work, watch sports, hunt, golf, drive John Deere tractors, build birdhouses, and work. He was a "man of the Earth." He was an icon.

Scott and Grandpa had a very special relationship, in fact it was more like a friendship. While Grandpa split wood out at the tree farm Scott would have to dump wood and chips from the days' work and they often found themselves in conversation. Sometimes about what work that had to be done or the weather, sometimes about sports (Lions or Tigers) and sometimes Grandpa was just giving Scott a hard time. Scott loved talking to him and arguing with him about sports. Grandpa told Scott stories about when he was younger, like when he went to New York.

Their relationship was so obviously special to everyone. On the day he died, Grandma said to Scott, "You were the apple of his eye." Boy was she right. Scott and Grandpa's friendship is truly irreplacable.


Scott and Grandpa in conversation while Ethan looks on. (Christmas 2007)













Grandma and Grandpa, Christmas 2007.














Four generations of Laug men: Grandpa, Mike, Scott and Ethan. Grandma gave Grandpa a surprise with the Centennial Farm recognition sign. (July 2007)