Kate-Lyn's Reminiscence II: Easter 2013

Weeks ago Peter and I discussed how we would spend the Easter holiday. We typically gather with my niece and her family. It was sad to be parted from them, but we did have dinner together and attended Good Friday service as a family. What an amazing service it was! Very moving with awesome worship music and a powerful message from Pastor Paul. I just LOVE Easter and all that it means!

So after lax practice on Saturday we left for NH and made a hasty drive straight to the hotel. Well, we did make one stop for "necessities". The hotel we chose was very nice. We stopped and grabbed dinner to go at Panera and ate in the lovely great room while we waited for them to arrive. We were starving! We had barely settled in when Ryon, Kaitlyn and baby Alexander arrived. Oh my heart, how he has grown and it is SO overwhelmingly joyful to witness the love between these three who are now a family, all of their own. My heart overflows!

I promised Miss Grace some playtime in the pool (and Peter some relaxation in the hot tub LOL!) so we all hung out there for a bit. Miss Grace made a friend and had fun splashing and playing in the water. Her fears are seeming to disappear little by little. I think by mid-summer she will be swimming like a fish, or at least that is our goal.

Since Ryon, Kaitlyn and Alexander had a long and busy day we said good-bye about 10:30 with a plan to attend Easter service, then have lunch and explore lovely Portsmouth together. We all slept very well but were excited for the fun day ahead.

Miss Grace woke up Sunday morning absolutely delighted that the Easter Bunny had found her at the hotel so far away from home. She was even more pleased to see that he had delivered an item she has longed for...Shimmer. Naturally, right after breakfast she had tattooed both of us. I must say it is a lot of fun!

Shortly thereafter, we all piled in my car and headed to church service at lovely Bethany Church in Greenland. You honestly could not have fit one more Easter egg in my car, but who cares we were all together.

What an absolutely amazing place of worship, OMG! Really! What a blessing to be in such a beautiful place for this sacred time together. I truly pray that Ryon and Kaitlyn will return again as they are very fortunate to be so close to such a church as this.

After service Peter turned the wheel over to Ryon as we didn't know our way around and it was much easier for him to navigate. Ryon drove by the place where he works and showed us the general area. Then we explored Portsmouth on foot. It rather reminds me of a cross between Saratoga and Annapolis. I could feel quite at home there.

Ross and a diaper bag? Really?! Had to take a picture...

After working up an appetite we had a delicious dinner together at a quaint, pub-like restaurant called the Rusty Hammer. Little Alexander and Miss Grace were very well behaved and it was a fun time together.

Poppie and Alexander

All My Boyz

The Treasures of My Heart

My favorite girls!

Since we were all "stuffed to the gills" we decided to skip dessert and head to beautiful Hampton Beach for an ocean fix, house gazing and some souvenir shopping.

Can I freeze this moment and make it last forever?!

Hurry Summer!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to return here in the summer weather and play in the sand with Miss Grace and Alexander!! It's going to be AWESOME!! For now though, I'll settle for a chilly, breezy stroll on the beach as it will do just fine.

Wanna hear a bit of irony? As we sat gazing upon the lovely view, Peter told me that the land we could see in the distance is Gloucester, Mass. When I think about this it amazes me. You see Gloucester is the very place that Peter proposed to me in August of 1986. On a lovely moonlit night at Good Harbour Beach to be exact. Now, of all the places on earth, 27 years later our son met someone who was born and raised here and they live less than one hour away. This blows my mind! Not sure of the significance but I am confidant that God knew all of this and it is part of His perfect plan for our family. I find it better to not over analyze and simply enjoy these gifts from our Creator.

I cannot help myself but to boast a bit about little Alexander here, please forgive me if I gush! During church he TOTALLY poured on the charm and had us all enraptured with his special little smirks and smiles. Oh dear, this Nonnie is completely and totally defenseless while under his little spell!