Thanks, Mom!

For the past few years my parents have visited us over Easter weekend. Most years it was just a fast visit, spending Maundy Thursday until Easter Monday with us. Since we moved to ID they were unable to make the trip out here for Easter this year.
Last night at the Good Friday service there were several visitors, family of our church members. I missed my parents not being at that service with us.
When we dyed Easter eggs this morning, I missed my mom doing the clean up.
When I ironed my Easter dress this afternoon, I missed having my mom do that task for me.
When Ram cooked the Easter dinner tonight (no churches around here have an Easter Vigil service so we decided to eat Easter dinner tonight), I missed that mom didn't cook anything for the dinner and my parents weren't here to eat it.

I have boys so it was easy to pull out their dress shirts, dress pants, and ties for church tomorrow. I can't imagine that many years my mom made our Easter dresses for both my sister and for me. Then there was usually ironing of the dresses and doing our hair more special than every day hairdos.
We almost always had company for Easter when I was growing up. Grandmas/Great Aunts/Great Uncles/and others. That company stayed for a few days. So there was house cleaning before they came and cooking/baking for the time they would visit and of course for the big Easter meal. This year I didn't have any house cleaning to do and just the one meal for our family. I did bake hot cross buns and bird's nest cookies, but that was just for fun and I wouldn't have had to do it.

All this was to say, thanks, Mom, for all you did for all my Easter celebrations while I was growing up, and for helping me with the last few years of Easter celebrations when I had young boys and needed the help. I appreciate it.