When I was little...

...I use to get very disappointed when "the big day", whatever day that was, was over. All the anticipation and excitement was here and gone in the blink of an eye, or so it seemed. When I "reverted" to the faith and started learning the truths and traditions I had been denied, one discovery was a delightful surprise. The Church has Seasons!

I had no clue that Christmas was the beginning of the Christmas Season, not the end. You mean Easter lasts all the way until Pentecost? I was thrilled! Now, on the day after "the big day", there is a tiny voice in my head saying "OK...time to clean up. Everything back in the box and up in the attic, let's go...move it out!" I love that I can politely tell that little voice to PIPE DOWN! We are just getting started.

No, we probably won't leave everything out until Pentecost. The Easter baskets will get undecorated and most likely find themselves in the linen closet holding hand towels and pillow cases within the week.

They definitely served their purpose well! The Easter Angels filled them with lots of books, holy cards (to add to the collections), bubble blowers and of course, chocolate eggs.

This is how our fireplace mantle has looked all of Lent. Red reeds tied with raffia, purple ribbons and a little reminder of our Lenten duty!

This is what it looks like now. Saturday night I was kicking myself for not thinking of replacing the PRAY with ALLELUIA and wondering if Stuf-mart sold wooden letters. It's only 11:50PM. I could just run out and....Oh well, next year!

The children awoke to find the breakfast table covered with decorated eggs (on the tablecloth) and roses from our rose bush. I hated to clip them, but with the temperature in the 20's overnight, I thought it best to enjoy them indoors.

The crown of thorns was replaced with our Alleluia candle. This will stay out all season but probably retire to a higher location away from tiny hands. The flowers around the lamb are very delicate and break easily as we discovered a few years ago. The two books you see were our gifts to the cousins we saw later that afternoon (and of course, I bought copies for us as well). Both were very nice reminders of the true meaning of Easter.

The crown of thorns (sans thorns) has already been re-claimed as decoration for the flowers we offered The Blessed Virgin on Good Friday to commemorate the March in Silence. It is a custom in Mexico (I believe) to process in silence and escort Mary home after she has seen her Son laid in the tomb. (I know it looks like we have twin Mary's, but the one on the right belonged to my beloved grandparents and the one on the left was a wedding gift from my matron of honor. They both mean so much to me! I can't choose between them.)

Mass was very lovely at the Abbey and we enjoyed getting to visit with the priests who came out afterwards to chat, especially those who very seldom have the time on any other Sunday.

We enjoyed ourselves very much visiting family and friends later in the day. The children played with their cousins like I remember playing with mine many Easters ago. It wasn't on a farm or in Grandpa's orchard, but it was just as enjoyable for them, I am sure. These are the memories they will carry with them.

That's why we do what we do.