Easter weekend

Thanks for all your excitement and well wishes about our plans for the summer. It hardly seems real, but we're leaving in 5 weeks!

You will be hearing much more from about the trip as we figure out our living situation there, what sites we'll get to see, and how in the world I will pack clothes for 4 days in NYC and then 4 weeks in Italy, all in one suitcase.

In the meantime, Easter weekend! This weekend was a time for us to reflect on Christ's sacrificial atonement for us, and his Resurrection that gives us life. It's the most meaningful event of the year for us as Christians.

On Saturday we went to see The Pageant of our Lord. It was a production of living art, in the style of the Pageant of the Masters.

Essentially actors create famous art pieces (in this case, religious-themed) on stage, holding their poses perfectly still for 2-4 minutes. The art was really stunning. (E kept hoping they would move or blink!) it made me all the more excited to see The Last Supper painting again in Milan.

We finished the evening off with wine tasting and totally indulgent Italian fare

On Easter my in-laws had a hodge-podge of people over for Easter, mostly friends whose family is far away.

I made the vegetables (including an incredible broccoli casserole recipe by Paula Deen.) and a carrot cake for desert.

I over-ate and have to admit my disappointment when I checked the scale. I now have 8 total pounds to lose...by Italy? I'd settle for 5 in 5 weeks, but it's going to take a lot more work.

Shortly after this post I hit a wall (which proves to me that I never should have had those first 7 lbs!). It's gotten harder to lose, and harder to motivate myself.

[despite the loss of momentum, we are starting to see noticeable progress--and others are as well! We're also maintaining it, a total of 20 combined lbs...and counting!]