Easter

Another holiday has come and gone here in Okinawa. Easter dawned rainy and slightly cool, but that did little to dampen our excitement. I was up at 6:30 am to get the cupcakes baked and the 7 hour lamb in the oven. Once everything was prepped the lamb was placed in the oven and forgotten about for the next 7 hours. Gabriella was up at 7 am anxious to find out what the Easter bunny had brought her. She immediately found the Alice and Wonderland plush doll and gave it a tender hug before she realized that the living and dining rooms were covered in plastic eggs. Immediately abandoning her easter baskets she went to work trying to find all the eggs. She found all of them without any help, each time one of the eggs was discovered she squealed with glee. After a quick chat with my parents we headed off to church, which was packed. We barely managed to get a seat, but thankfully people squished over enough for us to slip into the pew. It was a wonderful service and the priest hopes to see all the attendees back next Sunday. Once we got home Gabriella went through her Easter basket with a fine tooth comb, playing and examining every single gift.

Later in the afternoon our friends arrived and we shared a delicious meal. The 7 hour lamb was tender and juicy as expected. I prepared a lot of side dishes, green beans, orzo salad, scalloped potatoes, and saffron rice. For dessert the kids decorated cookies and ate quite a few cupcakes. The movie of the day was Alice in Wonderland which was enjoyed by the girls. The boys weren't as interested and entertained themselves with the toys from Gabriella's cave. The dinner was a fantastic success, it was great to see our friends and share this special holiday together. A bonus of all the food was today I enjoyed the leftovers.