Celebrating the Easter Triduum

We were blessed to experience a wonderful Easter this year, so many precious moments. Thought I’d capture the highlights.

Holy Thursday

Anna Maria arrived safely home on Holy Thursday. She drove all the way by herself, her mumma was praying her home every mile of the way. A precious moment when she was swarmed by us all.
Einstein delighted me by hanging picture book shelves, finally I am happy:)
Holy Thursday we enjoyed a special dinner at home.
We then raced out the door to celebrate Mass with Our Lord. Two of our boys served, and two other children were in the choir. We were honoured to be asked to take up the Offertory.
Bonus, two children fell asleep on the way to Mass, due to experience we had blankets, we laid blankets under the pew and rolled the children under the seats. By 9pm we had four children asleep under the pew. Have to confess I thoroughly enjoyed Mass with little ones asleep.

Good Friday

Children enjoyed our tradtional hunt for Resurrection eggs and then we read Benjamin’s Box
We prayed the Stations of the Cross as a family
Service at 3pm. Two of the boys were serving, two children in the choir, Anna Maria was part of the crowd in the Passion Play and Carpenter was Peter, both were involved in other tasks.
Bonus, two children fell asleep on the way in, and again slept under the pew.
Enjoyed our traditional Hot Cross Buns after the Service.

Holy Saturday

Early Saturday PC and I had a date, shopping;) Afterwards we meet up with family members on their way down the highway.
In between the busyness of driving children to and fro we baked for Easter Sunday.
Everyone was keen to be in on the action, making pavlova and cheesecakes.

Carpenter was thrilled because the moment he had planned for literally years, had finally arrived.

It was time to make his gigantic Easter Egg!!!

2 large slabs of Cadbury chocolate, marshmallows and lollies

Melted and poured into a 1kg yoghurt pot.

This project had been much talked about all Lent. Finally the grand event was closely watched by all, great excitement raged!

Easter Vigil we were blessed to have all three boys serve Mass and Princess once again sang in the choir. Anna Maria read a reading and had another task.

Jem fell asleep a short while into Mass and by the end of the Vigil we once again had two children tucked under the pew. It is amazing how delightful the Services all were with sleeping children, we were extraordinarily blessed.

For the first time, some of our older children helped us be Easter Bunny, Michelangelo was extremely humorous as imitated the Bunny as he hopped up and down the hall with eggs.

Easter Sunday!!

We were awake bright and early!
After a leisurely morning eating chocolate eggs and enjoying a delightful breakfast we headed North on the highway to visit with family.
For the first time in ten years my brother was home.
My mother had seven of her children (one missing), their spouses and for the first time all of her grandchildren together.
Highlight was definitely the Easter Egg hunt for the Cousins, so cute! We won’t discuss how some parents were so competitive;)
Afterwards we took our children to the park for some action.

Easter Monday
Quiet family day with Anna Maria. The children spent the day playing together, board games, Total Annihilation competition and just hanging out together.

Anna Maria and her Dad playing Pool.
A day full of precious moments with all spending much time with Anna Maria before she was due to depart on the morrow.