Um....Easter pictures finally!

Easter weekend, we went to the Delta.  FINALLY.  other than running home in early February for a friend's wedding, it was the first time we had been home since Christmas.  

now for just anybody, this is no big deal, but for me, it was pure torture.  i felt like i had seen people from home because of basketball tournaments, etc., but it's just not ever the same as going home.  i treasure these times.

so anyway, we had planned to go to the Easter egg hunt at renaissance and then head out towards home.  well, when we woke up saturday morning, tommy and i both changed those plans quickly.

we were home in time to eat at one of our favorites, the blue parrott, shop at sweet pea just a little, and go out to my  mom's church for an Easter egg hunt.  it was such a good day!

tommy and i decided to take advantage of having someone to watch mary peyton, so we went to eat at lusco's.  a real date night.  wow!  that's a rare occasion!

my sweet girl at the Easter egg hunt:

me and my angel!:

that night we went out to Minter City - REALLY home.  ya'll, if i could just stay out there away from all things city, i probably would.  yes, i love the conveniences of the city, but (as i sit here an my ipod just randomly shuffled to bon jovi's "who says you can't go home?") home is home is home.  i would love to be able to ride 4-wheelers with mary peyton and tommy whenever we wanted.  for her to come home from school and play out in the yard - a BIG yard.  or walk across to her grandmother's house and have "coffee" like i did.  only my "coffee" was coke in a mug and mpb's would be the real thing!  =)

i love home.  and the older i get, i want to be there more and more.  maybe God will have that in His plans one day, too!

oh - an aside - now the ipod just shuffled to daughtry's "home".  coincidence?  =)

so anyway - on to the story - the Easter bunny came and saw mary peyton at my daddy's.  and filled up the same basket that he used to fill up when i was little!  i'm glad my mama saved it - i'm way too much the sentimental type!

here are the goods!:

we then got dressed - mary peyton all in her beautiful new dress that was a gift from jeremy.  i can't wait to have her 4 year portraits made in it - i know they will be great!  we headed out in my daddy's new truck (that we LOVE) and went to my home church - Minter City Methodist.  

i love going in this church and just looking around - reminiscing.  i love the stain glassed windows.  the light fixtures.  the beautiful stain glass piece behind the pulpit that has a light behind it and is lit during church.  the wooden ceilings.  the pews.  the needlepoint pillows on the altar.  the record board that tells attendance, etc.  the 3 chairs that are behind the pulpit.

i just love this little church.  

we sat on the pew that is marked "edgar b. smith family".  i don't know if the "jr." is on it or not, nor does that matter.  to me, it shows my family's part of this special place.

oh - "from dixie with love" is now on my ipod.  yep - i wish i was in a land of cotton - old times there are not forgotten.  i grew up in an island surrounded by cotton fields........

here is a picture of mary peyton right before we went in church:

our family Easter morning:

i love this next one - the light in her face as she was holding the door open.  of course what you don't know is that she was talking to mrs. annette mize - another precious influence on my life.  her daughter, molly, is one of my oldest friends.  annette was our girl scout leader and just always a positive influence.:

this is priceless to me.  the hands of 2 angels in my life - my sweet grandmama and my mary peyton.  one day she will treasure these pictures like my heart does already!