March 28, 2005

• This weekend we celebrated Easter.  Saturday, our little city of Santa Paula had a tiny carnival and we attended with Serra~V~.  She participated in the hunt for candy and did a few rides and made a few crafts.  It was very warm out and we all came away a little pink. 

  
  

  We purchased a new chair a few weeks ago and it arrived Saturday as well.  It is a rocker-recliner, and nutmeg colored leather that makes the living room smell great.  The chair we had before (that has since been retrieved by Salvation Army) was never like the one we thought we bought at the store.  It always had a bar that hit us at our lower back.  It started getting to the point that neither of us wanted to sit in it and so we decided to replace it.  Now we have to share time in the new chair as it is very nice. 

  
  

  Sunday our meetings start at 9am and Brian was off just after 7am for his regular meetings.  I came in early to go through the song I was to sing for Sacrament meeting.  I sang His Hands.  I vow to never sing it again.  It is such a moving song in the lyrics written and the music that goes along with it that it invokes too much emotion.  I knew it would be a problem weeks ago when I decided to do it so I came up with a plan.  I sang through it several times a day and if I started to get emotional I would think about coming home to our house strewn with garbage from our well behaved hound, Mo.  The visual worked well in rehearsal and I hoped it would serve me in front of the microphone as well.  Another interesting side note.  The accompaniment tracks are several steps lower than the music written.  The music written was just high enough to pose a problem in the early morning so my gifted pianist TRANSPOSED it for me.  It is beyond me how anyone can do that.  It is truly a gift.  I was able to sing it in a comfortable range and make it through the whole thing without breaking down.  (And yes, during the high point of the song, I was thinking about our naughty little dog.)  It was a great meeting all around with our speakers addressing Easter from the point of both continents we have records from. 

  
  

  Directly after church we fed our missionaries.  I signed up for the day before I knew it was Easter and didn’t want to leave our Elders in the lurch for a meal.  We grilled them up some burgers and as soon as they were on their way we headed to Calabasas to celebrate with our family.  Upon arriving we learned that Serra the elder’s Justin intelligently wasted little time and popped the question to my littlest sister Saturday evening.  It is a bit bittersweet as I don’t like to see her grown up enough to make these kinds of decisions.  But, indeed she has done and I hope Justin will treat her as she deserves to be treated.  I certainly hope he recognizes what a jewel he has.  Serra has always represented what I thought of as good a pure and I knew I wanted a daughter to carry her name, that hopefully my child would emulate her namesake.  She doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body and she is quick to please others.  She has always had a special place in my heart since she was a baby.  I was given a lot of responsibility in her care and she was my personal little doll.  And she was a perfect baby.  She hasn’t changed since then with a gentle nature and a sweetness that attracts everyone to her.  I wish her all the happiness in the world.

  
  

  We had dinner with Gary’s contingency and Dallas, Matt Alan and a friend, and the Calabasas ward Elders.  Afterward the kid’s took a little walk and while we did dishes the Easter Bunny showed up and hid eggs for the kids, and even color coated them so everyone got an equal share.  It was a little confusing at first for Gianna and Serra~V~ who kept picking up each others but soon they got the hang of it and everyone had a good time.  SV insisted on opening each one to see what was on the inside and in some cases eating it before moving on to the next one.  With all of her eggs open it looked like she had double the booty the others got.  Jacob of course noticed and asked why Serra got thousands and thousands. 

  
  

  Brian had to pick up his car at the office and Gary and Liesl needed extra space in their van for some pungent garden additives and so I traveled with the singing band of Joseph, Katrina, and SV.  They sang the whole way home trying out rounds with different songs and shooting monsters in between.  SV was in heaven with the company.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  Here is the new chair.

  
  

   

  
  

  Serra was not quite sure what to make of the giant bunnies and was reluctant to take the offered candy.  But in the end did not refuse.  Serra’s basket insinuates that she was optomistic.  In reality it was the only one I had on hand. 

  
  

   

  
  

  Serra showing a little leg.  It didn’t take her long to grasp that she had to act fast to get the goods.  Look at the determination on her face and the muscular definition in that leg.

  
  

    

  
  

  New Easter frocks.  The dress with matching hat and a new spring frock from Grandma Anderson.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  And all the cousins having fun with the hunt.

  • 9:11 pm
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