Easter

Usually, I don't go to church services on Easter. The Youth Group at my church has a flower sale that day and I work the flower sale and miss the service. This year, however, Easter fell on the first Sunday of Spring Break so we didn't have a flower sale. I decided to continue my streak and attend church at my Aunt's church. Especially when I learned she would be playing the bells.

Easter morning dawned gray, rainy and very cold. If I got resurrected on this day I would be mighty grumpy. I made my way to my Aunt's church via the yellow line and the #44 bus which dropped me off right out front of the Hillsdale Community Church (UCC)

Here is one end of the church. I really like the wooden sculpture. Also, my Aunt and her friend Lori made the banner on the left.
There is also lovely stained glass in the back, as well as on the sides of the church.
Here is my Aunt Pat (and the minister and another person) ringing the bells during the choral celebration. There was some intense counting going on. My aunt is the one on the right.
There were a lot of Alleluias going on during the service. The sermon, by the Reverend Jennifer Brownell, was titled "While it was still dark" and cited, among other people, a man who grew up to become the chief of police of Nampa, Idaho. It was a good sermon.

At the end of the service, the choir sang the Hallelujah chorus from the Messiah. As a bonus, anyone who wanted to could join the choir and sing along. Several people from the congregation joined the choir and a few people had their parts memorized and stayed in their seats and sang from there. It was a very moving performance and I enjoyed it much more at Easter than at Christmas.
I caught a ride to my Aunt's and got my dip ready. Then I borrowed my Aunt's car and drove to pick up Matt. He had taken the yellow line and the #12. Back at the ranch, my brother and Matt played Battlelore.
My Aunt Carol fries the shrimp and the oysters.
My roasted artichoke dip was demolished.
My mom fries some oysters and shrimp.
After this point, I forgot to take pictures, but we ate roast pork, the aforementioned shrimp and oysters, baked potatoes, Waldorf salad, and hard boiled eggs.

After dinner we had an Easter egg hunt in the basement because the weather was so not fun. Then the MAunts and I played a game of Skipbo while Chris and Matt finished Battlelore. After that, we combined forces and played Shadows over Camelot. It was the first time Chris had played and he enjoyed it so much that Chris, Matt and I played another game afterward while the MAunts chatted in the living room.

A great time was had by all.

The next day, the weather was much better.