Easter Weekend 2014 (better late than never....)

During my little bloggy hiatus, I totally missed recapping a very special weekend that we were able to share with both of our families. Easter has always been special for us, you can read all about why here and here

Easter was the first holiday we spent together with both sets of parents when we were engaged. Kev and I have started a tradition of hosting it at our house. 

We were thrilled to have my parents, baby brother and baby brother's girlfriend up on friday night and were able to take them to one of our favorite local spots in Cincy. If there is one place we fell in love with fast, it was Eli's bbq. Hello amazing and delicious bbq in a place that allows you to BYOB and sit outside on wooden picnic tables. It's right up mine and Kev's alley. We took a few six packs and posted up listening to some live bluegrass music. It was the perfect friday night. I was so over the moon to have my family in town. 

Saturday morning we all woke up early. I cooked it up in the kitchen most of the morning and put the boys out back with momma for some yardwork. The weather was absolutely perfect. 

Kev's parents arrived Saturday afternoon and we had Easter dinner on our back porch that evening. We loved having everyone under one roof. LOVED IT!

Sunday morning we headed out to Easter service at church. We were thrilled to have them join us. When we were back in Lexington, we loved taking our parents to church on the weekends that they would come and visit us. We were so in love with our old church and loved sharing that experience with them. We have became pretty settled in our new church and have definitely been getting more involved. It was great to share that piece of our new environment with them. Easter services was absolutely perfect and so moving. 

After church it was time for left overs followed by some pretty photo snapping in the back yard. 

Kev and I were so content the entire weekend. Family is such a priority for us and we try to make the most of anytime we are able to get together with the entire clan. Easter is such a special holiday for us and to share it again with the ones we loved most was just icing on the cake.  

Easter Weekend 2013

Easter is one of my favorite holidays.  It ties for 1st place with Christmas for me.

Easter is also very special to Kev and I as a couple. Last Easter Kev was baptized and you can read all about it here and here.

This past weekend definitely had a different feel to it. With my grandmother being in the hospital here in Lex for over two weeks, my family and I have just been plain exhausted. My parents have been staying with Kev and I off and on since St. Patrick's day as they live 2.5 hours away from Lexington.
We decided to make the best of the weekend and took a needed break from our recent reality on Saturday night, and enjoyed some time outside of the hospital together. Exactly what the doc ordered!



My hair is finally growing!!! Ok Ok- you know there is some wee bit of weave up in there. Fake it till you make it right?!?

Baby Bro, his gf - Brittany, Hubs, Momma and Moi headed out for some sushi and hibachi grill grub.
Daddo would not be meeting us till Sunday for Easter festivities.

We had so much fun getting our faces soaked with sake by our hibachi chef and we made our best attempt to catch flying shrimp in our mouths.



After dinner, we checked out the new hot spot in Lex called Coba Cocina.
I have been intrigued ever since they started building this place. It looks like a 3 story night club you would see in Las Vegas. What the heck is it doing in Lexington, Ky? Not to mention, in the two weeks it has been open there has been an hour to two hour wait list. Say what?!?
Coba is a 3-1 stop shop in one building. Think one part restaurant, one part gelato bar and one part bar/nightlife area.
Did I mention it has the world's largest private jellyfish aquarium? Again - so random and bizarre to have this establishment here, but I am still so intrigued.

We headed to the gelato bar and it did not disappoint.

The remainder of the evening Hubs and I got the rest of the fam hooked on Game of Thrones. We are semi-obsessed with the HBO show. Any other fans out there?

Sunday morning, the sweetest Easter bunny ever stopped by the house and left this .....

there was a sweet lil Ulta gift card in mine - that momma bunny knows me well :-)

We went to the Sunday morning church service and it was so powerful, emotional and spiritual. It was so great to have them all here and go to church together as a family.   

We met my daddy after church for brunch. With all the craziness going on at the hospital, it was just going to be too much for momma and I to prepare a big Easter meal. All that mattered is that we were all together.

After brunch we went back to the hospital to spend the rest of the day with my grandmother. My mom had made her an adorable Easter surprise. She was having such a good day that day, sitting up laughing and smiling the whole time we were there.

We met with all the doctors that would be involved in her heart surgery scheduled for Monday .....

.....and praise God she came through it all beautifully yesterday and is doing amazing. 

It was a great weekend and we are so very blessed to be together and for my grandmother's health.

Lots to be thankful for!

Easter 2012

Kev and I had quite the Easter weekend.

One for the memory books!

We had so much going on Easter Sunday that we opted to do the Saturday evening Easter service, just the two of us, before both of our families were under one roof for the first time.

Exciting stuff!

So we put on our Saturday best and off to church we went.

and that would be our new memory wall in the background. full of pics of strangers. it's a work in progress.

though if you look closely there is a baby bailey pic on the wall ;-)

That evening Kev's parents came to town with pizza and fresh salad in hand.

We spent Saturday night in with them on the couch watching a movie and enjoying each other's company.

My parent's drove up early Sunday morning for our Easter lunch/dinner.

My mama and my future MIL helped me out in the kitchen and we made enough food for an army!

Deviled Eggs, hashbrown casserole, broccoli casserole, my special green bean bundles, daddy's smoked ham, coleslaw, mama's baked beans and oreo/dirt pudding cake. Delish!!

My future MIL and her baby boy

KR and baby bro

Uggie Sue in her normal state of mind

It was so nice to have everyone under the same roof for such a special holiday.

Everything went perfect!!!!

The doggies loved it too.

This pic was taken moments before uggie decided to jump up in my spot and try to steal a piece of my ham.

little rascal!

We pigged out

and i think after our feast Charlie had already read all of our minds.....

We had around an hour before we needed to leave for the baptism.

So we put on a pot of coffee and sat around on the back patio enjoying the beautiful day in KY and talking all things wedding.

Please look at Uggie's face in this pic.

(kev had an outfit change for the baptism)

Of course I had to have a group photo :-)

And look who decided to get in on the action all on their own....precious doggies.

We then headed over to our church for the pond baptism.

Kev signed up

look out how many people were there for support.

there were over 300 people signed up to baptized in the pond that day.

it was amazing and so powerful!

Prayer circle involving our pastor and associate pastors performing the baptisms.

lines of people ready to wash away their sins on Easter Sunday

No matter where we go, those tattoos are already a source of conversation. Even if you are getting baptized :-)

Kev was baptized by one of the main youth pastor's at our Church, Nate.

Discussing Kev's "journey"

Praying

These pics speak for themselves

This one is my favorite, the one of him coming back up from the water.

Every time I look at it I am so emotionally overwhelmed and so proud of him.

So blessed that Kev's parents and my parents were able to be part of such a special day.

I can not even begin to describe the emotions i had last Sunday.

I am so in love with this man and I am so thankful that God put us in each other's lives.

So blessed that we were able to share this holiday with the most important people in our lives and remember what Easter is all about.

And for Kev to be baptized....just made this Easter even more special.

To God Be the Glory :)