I know. I know.

Inexcusable. Unpardonable. Unforgivable. Unjustifiable.Indefensible. Intolerable. Deplorable. Awful. Unwarrantable. (Anymoresynonyms? My thesaurus stopped at those.)

I’ve been MIA. And I have so much catching up to do.

It’s been a long, LONG, week and a half since Chris left to go back home. Crazy how it feels like it’s been weeks upon months already. I never thought this would be harder than it was a year ago. It totally is.

Anyway, there have been lots to do and be busied with. My parents’ surprise bash is coming along well. We’ve set the menu, reserved (almost, anyway, just getting the contract in it’s final stages) the place, set our guest list, invites are in the making… the plan is in the making! It’s at a cute little nature center with an apple orchard next to the site itself with a concrete path that winds around the trees. As far as décor, we’re thinking simple and clean tea lights in mason jars on shepherd’s hooks. So excited!

Wedding plans are also in a fuller swing. The 3 bridesmaids dresses are in—though I’ll need to exchange Rachel’s -- and then send them out to the girls. Hli’s dress has been purchased as well and so has my mom’s. The only person left is Pa Houa. I’m so glad everything seems a little more set. I do have to get crackin at my invites though. Whew. Set. In. Stone.

Oh! We’ve also decided on the guys’ attire-- we’re going to go simple and clean with a gray button up shirt and charcoal tie and Chris is going with the suit vest but without the actual jacket with a white shirt and the charcoal tie. I love it and it looks so great on him.

Our menu is set as well. Yum. I. Can’t. Wait.

Speaking of yum, Easter was peachy. The potluck after church was nice and I’m realizing how much I honestly love my little church family.

On a deeper note, Anela, Kayla, & Meya reminded me this weekend of what matters most during this remembered day. You see, they had an egg hunt on Saturday with the rest of the kids’ program where my sister is the children’s programs director. There were eggs filled with candy scattered everywhere and among them also sat the completely empty ones that many times were thrown to the side because they were empty. Kayla, Anela, & Meya (& Kezzy!)were excited regardless of if the eggs they found were empty or not. Turns out, every one of the eggs that they picked up were empty. They smiled and laughed and were ecstatic, anyway.

As the kids sat down, the story of the death and resurrection of Christ was shared and I wondered if those little girls understood what was being shared at all.

Later that day, I told Anela to tell Tais-Tais & PaPa what they learned and she went through the whole finding the eggs and then I asked her if we should be sad when the egg is empty. She goes “Noooo. Jesus is not dead.”

Amen.