If I’m honest, this has been the longest Lent I can remember. We’ve been grappling with the consequences of significant mental health diagnoses for for two of our kids, juggling therapy appointments and changing medications. Then in March, I spent 4 days in the hospital being treated for sepsis yet again. Then the day I got home, another child wound up in the ER and remained in the behavioral health hospital for two weeks. Since being released just before Palm Sunday, things have been a little dicey around here. We’ve seen some gradual improvements, Deo gratias. And though we know that God is guiding us through the complexity of this minefield that is our world right now, suffice to say, our prayer life has become very focused.
Therefore, it is with great relief that we bid farewell to Lent and enter into the joy of Easter! Our Sunday began with a glorious Easter Mass, made extra special by the musical gifts of Sister Holy Hope directing the choir, and playing our magnificent pipe organ, as well as the harp! See photos of Easter at Ss. Simon and Jude here.
After church, we picked up Ana and Jose. With a cooler taking up one seat, we filled up every remaining seat in our 12-passenger van, and after a quick stop at Circle K for drinks, off to Grandma’s we went.
As gatherings go, it was somewhat low-key. The East End Heidmanns were doing their own family thing, while the West End cousins all had lots of Easter singing to do. Jeff was going to drive Jacob over to grandma’s after their Latin Mass was finished, but I cut him off at the pass when I learned that none of the older girls could make it, because (as I mentioned) our van was completely full and there would be no way we could get him home! So it was just our crew and Grandma this year. And as you can see from these pics, that was plenty!
We also sang me a happy birthday and served up an ice cream cake. I got the birthday plate, too. (Ellie wanted me to let her have it, but I said no: My birthday, my plate.)
Today the kids are off school – yay for a 4 day Easter Weekend! That means they have plenty of time to clean the trash out of the van before we head back into the fray of school, appointments, softball games and track meets tomorrow.
And whatever else a new day may bring, we can face it with joy because Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
