holidays should be everyday

Easter to me has always been a fun holiday simply because there are a lot of pastels and bunnies parading the store shelves. One year, my most favorite, Aaron and I did an egg hunt at my parents house. They had no idea that we ransacked their front yard with plastic eggs. We knocked on the door and told them that each egg contained a dollar bill - some with even more. We laughed so hard the entire time. Our parents enjoyed themselves and we enjoyed watching them push each other out of the way.

Sorry to regress - the point is that I will always cherish the fact that my parents allowed us to participate in the festivities that came along with the holidays even if they were outside of our faith. Easter was no exception. So in keeping up with our own childhood traditions, we visited Froggie's 5 and 10 toy store- and gathered some items without the kids looking. And around midnight last night, Aaron trekked up into the attic to find the plastic eggs for their first egg hunt. He filled it with pennies and Cheerios and I hid them this morning. Of course, the entire time I'm debating the rationale behind all this and wondering if I'm "spoiling" the kids. But then there was this...

Pure - delicious joy in seeing our kids chase each other as they collected eggs hidden throughout the yard. Ava, still in her pajamas, threw on a sweater and with much anxiety but perfect restraint, waited for Noah to get ready before heading outside. We handed them both baskets to carry and the smiles just kept getting bigger.

After they played with their new toys, we went over to my in-laws where we had a delicious Easter lunch. This year, they hosted an egg hunt for the grownups - which was such a wonderful treat. From children to grown adults, what is it about finding small surprises so exciting and following a path that leads to somewhere - well, surprising? These are the kind of activities that must be had traditionally but also ... just because. The excitement, the hunt, the prize... it's all wonderful. I feel as though we shouldn't wait for the "holidays" to experience these kinds of joy but instead on any random day.. for no reason at all.