Passionate Perseverance: pretty, happy, funny, real...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. I know that we did. It was a weekend filled with wonderful liturgy, family traditions and lots and lots of food. Just how I like it!

My husband surprised me with these beautiful flowers to grace our Easter table. I just love fresh cut flowers. I truly do. Hydrangeas are my favorite with calla lilies and roses being close seconds.

We also brought home a lit candle from the Easter Vigil Mass. It will burn for the next 50 days. Not to worry, I have another candle when this one is out of wax. I love this tradition. Mama Mary likes the the constant company and the beautiful orchid hanging over her makes me smile. A little happy flower umbrella for Our Lady.

Holy Week was filled with lots of cleaning, baking and our annual egg dying fiesta. I so enjoy the traditions that come around once a year. This year I decided that I wanted our dyed eggs to be really bright. No pastels here. My son and i tried a few different methods but ended up with weak colors. So as a last minute punt, we ended up buying two Paas Dye kits and using two tabs of each color in each glass container.

That did the trick. I let the eggs sit for five to eight minutes and bammo...we had nice bright happy dyed eggs. I actually did a little gig. Seriously...I did. I also loved the paper towel left afterward. It looks like a water color painting.

We took a ton of Easter photos the night of the Easter Vigil. You cans see all of them here. The ones below were the outakes. My guys were getting very punchy and had about enough of me and my photo snapping insanity. Yes, they are very funny knuckleheads these two boys of mine but golly how I love them.

I set the table with a Christmas Gift my mother gave me. It's called the Army/Navy tablecloth and it was given to my parents as a wedding gift 48 years ago. I remember it gracing the dining room table for pretty much every special event my family ever had. Thanksgivings, Christmas's, Easter celebrations, Baptisms, and special Sunday dinners.

I was so honored that I received such a special sentimental gift from my Mama. Daddy has been gone now for almost twelve years now and Mom is slowly letting go of some of their special items. Because my beloved was in the Navy, something he shared with my Mom and Dad, this is the piece of family history we were given. Such a beautiful piece of family history.

I look forward to using it for years to come. I set the table with my wedding china. I think it turned out very well. Especially the chocolate bunnies on everyone's plate. That makes everything look good!