The Hughes Family: Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! We've had a great weekend surrounded by friends and family (with one small Stella mishap) and celebrated a risen Savior today!

He is not here. He has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee. The Son of Man must be delivered to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.

Luke 24: 6-7

We kicked off Easter weekend with our weekly Thursday night Y trip. While Chris and I work out, Madeline always meets up with Stella from school. I snapped this picture while they jumped in the rain shouting, "The fun never stops!" I have no idea where they got that but they did it while laughing hysterically.

Sydney just jumps right in.

Friends since 12 weeks old!

On Good Friday, I finally threw out Madeline's seizure medicine. Madeline had two febrile seizures in 2012 - at 13 months and then at 20 months. After her second seizure, we were given rectal valium to give her if she had another seizure. And, for the next several years I pretty much lived in fear fevers. Anytime Madeline felt hot, I'd get panicky. Since she had had two seizures in six months, studies suggested she could continue to have them. But - she never did! We've had several high fevers, with strep and the flu, and no seizures. And, since she's five, we're almost in the clear! Typically, kids outgrow febrile seizures by 6 so we are so close! I had to go ahead and toss the valium as it was expired and I am so grateful I never had to use it!

Friday night, we had our first real Stella scare. When we started to go to bed around 11, we realized Stella was missing. She has never run off in this house, and we were so worried. Chris looked for until after 1 in the morning. I was home while the girls slept, shouting for her around our yard. Cory and Laura were in town and came out for a bit to help Chris but we just couldn't find her.

Obviously, we didn't sleep A WINK. I emailed the lady who manages our neighborhood email chain around 1:30 (assuming she could send out the email in the morning) and tossed and turned all night.

Around 6, I checked my email and saw that Stella was snoozing at some neighbors several houses down. I had actually got a response to my email around 2:30 AM, if you can believe it.

A nice couple who had just lost their golden retriever before Thanksgiving found Stella and drove her around for awhile. That little stinker never acknowledged our house!! I think she was enjoying her mini vacation. I picked her up around 7:30 and then she spent the rest of the morning like this.

MOM. Please let me out! Why don't you trust me?!

Her battery was dead in her collar and her name tag (with contact info) had fallen off awhile ago, so before she went out again, we changed her battery and got our phone number on her collar. So scary and so grateful for good neighbors. The couple have a 9 year old son so we told him he could come play with Stella any time.

Chris dominated the Papa John's 10 Miler - his personal best pace time! He was a trooper! He was up all night Friday, ran 10 miles Saturday morning and then went to two Easter parties.

We met my dad's side of the family at Joe Creason park for lunch and an egg hunt.

After the park, we headed to nana and grandpa's.

Chris slept in this awkward position for about an hour.

The kids loved their egg hunt.

And then we attempted for a hot minute to take the cousins' picture.

Sydney was NOT into it.

Well, there's always next year, I guess.

Sunday morning, we went to church and then had brunch with grandma and grandpa at our house.

I tried to get some pics of the girls in the Easter wear.

Side note: I had 2 different pairs of shoe possibilities for Sydney. She refused gold sparkle, she refused black Mary Jane. She demanded princess light-up and I went with it.