Easter, An Anniversary, The Sicknesses and The Toothfairy

Another blog busting at the seams.  I just can't seem to catch up these days.  Just ask the single load of laundry that I have washed three times because I keep forgetting to put it into the dryer.

Eck, the laundry.  How I loathe it. 

Last week was a doozy for the Coles.  We were all sick with something at some point during the week and/or previous weekend.  Rich had a touch of something a couple Sundays ago that lasted a few days.  Then it was Lena and Sam for a couple of days.  Then mine came and wouldn't leave.  Fevers, sore throats, upset stomachs, boxes of tissues, barrels of Tylenol and sinus medicine, gallons of soup, and too many days missed at school and activities and church and work.   

Oy vey. 

Today we all seem to be securely on the mend and I'm refusing to acknowledge any further symptoms from anyone. 

Denial...in the end it's the only way to combat the constant barrage of villainous viral infections.

Other than the fever fairy who has taken up residence in our house lately, the tooth fairy also stopped by for a visit!  Yes.  That's right.  Sam's snaggle tooth finally came out!

Hooray!

He has two other loose teeth, so we'll see if those take as long to come out as this one did.  He looks so cute with his big gap.  Love this boy.

We went to Mom and Dad's this weekend for Easter and had an awesome time!  Lori's family was there too and even with 6 adults, 5 kids, and Lilly, the world's best dog, that big old house still held us all very comfortably.

Meals were devoured, expeditions of the egg and old wedding dress varieties were had, old friends were embraced, rockets were launched, church songs were sung, ball was played, food was prepared, Mom and Dad's 45th wedding anniversary was celebrated, conversations and laughter were in endless supply...

As were the love and joy that always surround us when we are all together. 

(Notice how I seamlessly glossed over the children's exhausted laments, mealtime meltdowns and sugar crashes?  That was purposeful.)

Easter morning.

Church pictures. I think Sam is still trying to figure out how to smile without a front tooth.

There's a good one.

 
Egg hunt!

Rich provided a bubbly environment for the egg hunt...and posed for a few bubbly model shots. :)

Love...

Sisters...with a wrinkle filter in place! Yeah!

Our brood.

Anniversary flowers!

Lori recreated our Nan's coconut Easter bunny cake!  It was perfect, of course. 

The roots of this family's tree...On April 20, 1969, Mom and Dad pledged to God and to each other that they would build a life together, respect each other, take care of one another, love each other through all life had to throw at them. And so it's been over these 45 years.  They have traveled hand in hand over the peaks and through the valleys of their lives and have continued to honor their love and commitment to each other every step of the way. The beautiful life they have made together...the beautiful way they share their days and have loved each other and the rest of us, even when the road hasn't been easy...they have "trusted steadily in God, hoped unswervingly and loved extravagantly". 

That is marriage.  That is love.  That is my Mom and Dad.

And this is silly Sam...

Lovely little Lena girl...

Looking too grown up.

My beautiful mother.  Seriously, look at her.  That's what many years of clean happy living gets you, folks.  Flawless skin, timeless beauty and a joyful soul! 

And there it is.  Lori's wedding dress.  She swore Mom has had it all these 20 years.  Mom swore she didn't.  And after a dark and dangerous expedition to the WAY back of my dad's closet, lo and behold, she found it!  Of course we made her try it on and it very nearly zipped all the way up!  My ageless, beautiful, skinny sister.  The dress had come unzipped here, but I still made her pose with Lena, who was wearing Lori's veil and beaming with excitement over her aunt, who looked like a princess.

Love that girly girl of mine!