Bean,  Family,  Florida,  Holidays,  Marriage Confessions,  Out and About,  Suburbia,  Travel

Easter Fun

This morning, Chris, Bean, and I woke up and put on our Easter duds and headed out to try a new church.  Its the second one we’ve tried since we’ve lived in Florida and the 6,000th we’ve tried in the 5 years we’ve been married.  The minute we walked in, I knew we’d found out church.  It was welcoming, but not intrusive.  It was big, but still personal.  It was traditional, but full of young families.  I just fell in love with it.  And the message was just perfect – we are able to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord only because of the incredible sacrifice He made.  It was all around a great Sunday morning.

Except Bean had issues.  He woke up on the wrong side of the crib.  Just look at his face in these pictures…

Although, I don’t know what his problem was.  I mean, he was wearing new shoes.  How bad can life be when you’re wearing new shoes?  And these weren’t just any shoes.  These were shoes that his Daddy picked out especially for him…  Converse sneakers.  I think it spunked up his little Easter outfit, don’t you?

After church, we ran home and change into play clothes and we met up with Chris’ sister, Annie, and we all headed up to visit my Grandmother and spend Easter with her.  My Grandmother has lived with my family since…well…for as long as I can remember.  She is a hoot and a half and I’ve loved growing up with her living right down the hall from me.  Now, she lives with my parents and it has been so great to see her more often now that we live so close.

Grandma cooked us a huge lunch and while we were eating THE EASTER BUNNY CAME!!

And then after Easter baskets and more ham than a person should eat in a lifetime (especially if they are supposed to be in a bridesmaids dress in about three weeks…), we dyed Easter eggs.  Bean was not a fan of the Easter egg process.  Probably because I wouldn’t let him touch anything.  So, he sat with me and lunged at the dye when he thought I wasn’t looking.

Bean preferred the plastic eggs from his Easter basket.  Those tasted better.

Later in the afternoon, we all piled in two cars and headed up to the town square for an arts festival.  Now, I should tell you a little bit about where my Grandma and parents live.  They live in a retirement community called The Villages.  When they first moved here right after I went off to college, I was a little nervous.  No one in my family seemed old enough to live in a retirement community.  But after just one visit, I declared to Chris that I was ready to retire to The Villages myself.

First of all, it looks like Disney World.  Everything is perfectly manicured and bright and beautiful.  Secondly, its a golf cart community and so everyone gets around on their golf carts.  I think it is the most fun EVER.  But then again, I’m very easily entertained.

As you can tell, Bean loves The Villages.  He just kicks his feet up and fits right in with all the retirees.

He’s actually a lot like The Village People.  He’s balding.  He eats dinner early.  He falls asleep in the middle of the afternoon.  He goes to bed when its still light outside.  He’s like an old man.  A very short old man.

All in all, it was a pretty great Easter Sunday.

On the way home from The Villages, Chris announced to us all that he would like to go to the shuttle launch tomorrow morning in Cocoa Beach.  The kicker?  Lift off is at 6:30 AM, which means we’d have to leave our house at 4:30 AM.  Which means I will have to be awake at 4:00 tomorrow morning.  So, check in tomorrow afternoon for pictures of the launch.  Should be a lot of fun.  Well, it should be as much fun as you can have at 4:00 in the morning…

40 Comments

  • Sarah

    Love love love the converse. And I can’t believe how RED Bean’s hair looks in these photos. More than ever before! Yay!!

  • Erin B

    I’m glad you found a church that you love – that is not easy! I can’t WAIT to see photos of the shuttle launch. I have always wanted to see one in person.

  • Sarah H.

    So happy you found a church, I know how hard that is!! We’ve had to look in three different cities, so I know your pain. Glad you have a fun and sunny Easter 🙂

  • Christina

    The launch should be awesome…although I’d have to say I prefer just heading out onto the beach in the afternoon to see it from where we stay in the summer! 🙂 You are devoted.
    Yay for church! What a great Sunday to find one for your family to worship at.
    I love the pictures with your Grandma-she looks spunky! And about the retirement community? So funny! You look gorgeous in all those pictures! Florida is being good to you. 🙂

  • Jordan

    well 4am can be lots of fun if you haven’t even gone to bed yet 😉 But waking up at 4am… that’s rough. The launch will be awesome though; you’re lucky to have all this time off work to do as you please!

  • Dyanna

    LOVE the easter outfit….and from what we can see you’re skirt looks really cute. I would love to see a shuttle launch.

    Happy Easter!

  • Kelly

    On Friday afternoon, NPR had a story about the Villages. From the way it was being described (especially the bit about the made-up history it was given, you know, just for kicks), I pictured a cross between the Dharma village on Lost and whatever the town was called in the Prisoner. I know, I’m weird.

    Did you see any of the luxury golf carts that are made up to look like cars?

  • Jen from OurSuperLife

    Happy Resurrection Day to you and yours!
    Congrats on the church finding… tough process… but OH SO SATISFYING!
    Sorry little man was not in the best of moods… his shoes ROCK!
    I want to move to your parents community!
    Ah! what a random post… I’ve had TOO MUCH Easter candy!
    What a great post!

  • Casey

    I am excited you found a church! We have been trying to find one we love just as much as our college church and I think we found ours today, too! Woohoo!

  • Ella

    Thats great that you have found a new church. Bean looked super cute in his church clothes – love the converse! Happy Easter 🙂

  • Kristen

    I am jealous of your grandmother’s cooking abilities. I’m close to my grandma too (I’m her carbon copy, I think) but she has zero cooking skills. She can’t cook at all. 82 years old and she can’t cook. So, I have no “grandma making chocolate chip cookies” memories. Jealous. 🙂 Happy Easter!

  • RACHEL

    sounds like a great day, happy you found a church you like. Read your blog with crazy envy now you live in Florida 🙁 was a much easier read when it was cold and rainy like the UK lol x

  • deepa

    Ah! Rohan got those shoes a few weeks ago! One of the first times I put them on him, he leaned over and started chewing, stopped, and made his this-doesn’t-taste-good! rasberries. Hopefully this means he won’t be chewing on any more shoes….

    Glad you had a good Easter! It must have felt good to be near family for the holiday.

  • Katy

    No way! My grandparents live in the Villages, too! And my mother ABSOLUTELY refers to it as Disney World for old people.

    Bean looks adorable.

  • Tawny

    My parents have a home in the Villages and my husband I love to go visit. It really is Disney World for adults – I mean who does not love dancing in the square every night. I love love the movie theater in Lake Sumter – the seats are leather and recline nicely, plus who can beat the 4 dollar price tag.
    Have some Steak n Shake for me ok?

    : )

  • Meredith

    OMG!! Shuttle Launch. That is one of my life goals- to attend a shuttle launch. Quite possibly the coolest thing EVER. Seriously. So envious. I can’t wait for pictures!!

  • Layne

    I absolutely ADORE Bean’s shoes. Too cute. Looks like a wonderful Easter was had by all.

    Congrats on finding a great church! We’ve lived in Orlando for about 2 years and still haven’t found one that felt right. I have a couple of friends who go to SUMMIT and I’ve heard good things but haven’t checked it out yet.

    Would it be too creepy to ask which one you liked? If so, just tell me to stop being a stalker and I’ll shut up! 😉

    ~Layne

  • Stephanie

    My husband and I just moved to a new location about 10 hours away from where we both grew up. We too have been searching for a church and it is great to hear that you guys found one! Gives me hope 🙂 Glad you guys had a great Easter!

  • Jenn

    Excited for launch pictures… Clay Anderson, one of the crew, went to my high school, and his mom was a teacher @ my elemetary school. I think it’s neat. 🙂

  • Linda

    OMG – My parents are looking to move to the villages in a few years and I don’t know who’s more excited about it me or them! You can drive your golf cart to Walmart. WALMART!!! How great is that?!?

    Happy Easter!

  • mindy@thesuburbanlife

    My parents have a park model home in a cute little prospering Arizona retirement community. I’d move there tomorrow. The people are super nice, the pool water is kept at a cool 72 degrees, gray hair is not only accepted by the norm and the golf carts are fast! Retirement is the life, eh? Only have another 30 or so years before my application will be accepted. =)
    Mindy
    http://www.thesuburbanlife.com

  • Jaclyn

    Your Easter looked so fun! And Bean is handsome in both of his Easter outfits. Glad to see you’re finding fun things to do and share in your new FL life and I’m looking forward to your update on the shuttle launch! They posted a really cool picture of the shuttle shooting over the castle in Disney World over on the Disney Parks blog.

    http://jaclynclaire.wordpress.com

  • Tressa

    I think you all three looked really nice in these pictures! Although, Beanie does look alittle ticked off in the first two. His expressions always have cracked me up 🙂

    And the previous post, you looked really hot in your bathing suit! And Beanie, absolutely adorable

  • Tara

    I love your blog. Would you be willing to tell us openly or even privately what your church experience has been like. I know myself and a few friends with young families have been searching for a church to call home for some time now in Central Fl. We believe the best way to find our place is others testimony. We would love to know if we have already explored the church you have found or if we have missed something. Sorry for the late comment but we werent sure if this was too intrusive.

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