Seventeen on Saturday

1. I stayed up for 37 hours from 9:30am on Holy Saturday to 10:30pm on Easter Sunday. Was this a good idea, I have no idea. Was it worth it? Totally!

2. I have never been awake for that many hours before. Ever. And I have no yearning to go beyond that many hours of “wakeness”.

3. I would never recommend someone with Easter Sunday morning liturgical commitments to have an Easter “wakover” with youth the night before. Not unless you’re superman/superwoman.

Peaceful water

4. It was wonderful to gather with family on Easter Sunday for dinner. First time I saw my grandparents since February. Even with the 12 grandchildren who were there we still felt the missing presence of the 3 who were unable to make it. And we really missed them. When the “kids” begin to grow up things seem a bit weird!

5. The conversations that my family has with me at these large family gatherings have not changed: marriage plans, boyfriend plans, school plans, career plans, and church. And no – I’m not the one initiating them and no, almost none of those topics have plans!

6. Traveling immediately after Easter when you’ve been awake for too many hours is very silly. That being said, missing the last week of classes is also silly – oops!

7. And yet I’d do it again, exhaustion and all. Being with the Vision 2019 Implementation Team and engaging with the work and the people made it all totally worth it.

8. Actually, I’ve just arrived home and I’m missing Toronto already – the work and especially the people and conversations that took place.

9. My classes are over, my first exam is on the 17^th and I have one more paper to write and handed in one yesterday afternoon. I picked up books that came in through the library this morning… that means that I now have four books to read– my life of reading and writing begins today!

10. I’m really missing Toronto… really missing it. I kinda sorta wish I wasn’t already at home.

11. I went to bed early last night, which I really needed… sleep was wonderful!

12. I’m trying to figure out how much I can get done today and how much will need to wait until tomorrow. I wish that papers would just write themselves.

Easter Gift

13. Anticipating making a cauliflower crust pizza tonight with my roommate and super, super excited!

14. After I tackle a huge chunk of work today I’m headed to see Titanic with some friends… excited!

15. I’ve realized that in just over two weeks I’ll be moving to Sorrento Centre and I’m mixed with excitement and the feeling of not being completely ready.

16. I received this lovely gift from a good friend in the midst of Holy Week… it made me smile and reminded me not to let the small things bring me down.

17. I’m going to go face Milton now… pray for me. :P  

Post Easter Reflections

I think my tiredness is setting in. I was unable to tell just a short bit ago but now I’m feeling tired and still sitting in the Vancouver airport awaiting my soon to depart flight. I feel better though seeing at least four small children around me also waiting for flights all of who are obviously exhausted. Last complaint then I’ll move onto more exciting things: I’ve been sitting way too much since Tuesday at 6am. And my beloved shoulder bags, well they will have limited airport travel time with me now… backpack all the way. I must be starting to get old or at least my bones have prematurely aged on me. And in an attempt to not spread out on the floor I have managed to sit “criss cross apple sauce“ on this chair that has become my temporary home!

Maundy Thursday @ Cathedral

Easter. Yay – Easter has come!!! Yahoo, the Lord is Risen!! Holy Week was amazing and very full as it can only be. And I made it to my first ever Maundy Thursday service, loved it of course! Now I have too many ideas for future Holy Weeks/services going through my mind (not uncommon at all!). We had a course over Monday – Wednesday of the week “The 3 Mary’s”, I enjoyed each session and learned lots. Things went well and somehow I managed to make it though alongside school and many other preparations.

Fifteen young people gathered together on Saturday night to attend the 9pm Easter Vigil service and then spent the night at the Cathedral. It was a night with no sleep, I didn’t even get my pillow out of the office! We had a massive Easter egg hunt around 1am with glow-in-the-dark eggs alongside all things chocolate themed. Folks played games and watched a movie. Around 3am I gave up on the topic of sleep, made tea and sat in the chapel for a bit. We left the Cathedral around 4:30am to attend the Sunrise service on the beach. It was freezing out but the moon was beautiful and full and the service lovely. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite services.

Glow-in-the-dark Easter Eggs!

By the time we got to Denny’s for breakfast the youth were close to collapsing into sleep in their breakfast! I attended the 10am Easter service at the Cathedral and then headed out to Savona. Joined the community there fore their 4pm service and then spent the evening with the family – it was so wonderful to be together.

All in all everything went well and we all eventually got home and to sleep. I heard the Easter Resurrection story four times in twelve hours and heard something different/new each time. One can’t get tired of the Resurrection story! Joy, joy, joy, joy!! And much, much celebration! I love Easter.

New Life

Signs and smells of New Life and the Resurrection are being experienced and beginning to surround us all.

Happy Easter!

Easter

Well, I know Easter was a few weeks ago, but only now am I finding a few minutes to write about it. As I'm sure you can imagine Easter in my house is very exciting and maybe even a bit crazy. The young ones still like getting up early but this year I didn't hear them wander into the living room until around 6AM and they amazingly enough were content until 7AM when they finally got me out of bed. So, I wander to go get ready and they go to wake up the rest of the kids, the next thing I heard were the pots and pans being banged on, what a wonderful wake-up call! Very glad I was already up!

After everyone was up and functioning for the most part the Easter egg hunt was on! Even after six years in this house the Easter Bunny is still finding some very good hiding spots for the colorful eggs filled with chocolate and candy! The taller of us in the house (no, not me!) 

assisted in lifting the young ones up to get at the eggs, or even just look in the possible hid

ing spots. After a fair bit of searching the kids decided that all the eggs were found (although for the next few days they continued to pop up in the most random of places!) and I started the breakfast preparations. 

The morning went very well, and before we new it was time to get ready 

to go for an afternoon dinner. We had Easter dinner at one of my mom's friends houses. It was nice to be with them all and was great to get to know everyone who was there. And the kids had lots of fun with all 

the other kids who were around. 

Eventually dinner was over and it was time for me to head to the church. We had a great Easter service in the evening,

a wonderful way to end a wonderful day!