Easter

Holidays are different when you are far from the fun family that you love. Hawaii, though, is a happy alternate. Love as a verb is openly encouraged in Hawaii and so everyone treats each other like family. Total strangers refer to other adults as Auntie or Uncle. Once, I was in a grocery store carrying too many items and as I was ready to drop something, a lady said to her son, go help Auntie. The son came right over to help me. A few weeks ago, Eric, Pearce and I were walking through a beach park and a family asked if we wanted to join them for BBQ or grindz as they call it here. Those are just a few of the examples. Of course, once in while we come across a rotten egg. But overall, the aloha spirit exists. And not just on holidays, birthdays, or special occasions.

We celebrated Easter this year with our Ohana. We had several Easter egg hunts. Some with plastic eggs, and some with real eggs we dyed. At our McCully playgroup a creative mom hollowed out real eggs, dyed them and carefully filled them each with stickers and treats. The idea was when you find an egg you have to crush it to get the prize inside. It made for a lot of excited toddlers. But first she had the kids make and decorate their own Easter baskets.

Decorating Easter baskets.


And Voila! A beautiful Easter basket.

Ready, set, hunt for Easter eggs.


Jackpot!


Open please!



The kids really loved stomping and crushing the eggs.

Grandmama and Papa Piller sent an Easter Rabbit filled with goodies.

Pearce had fun finding the treats.

The rabbits neck and belly also held treats. Yummy treats.

As always, this season filled us with gratitude for the life we have been given and the opportunity to make it better.