Callum on the Santa Monica Bluffs
My seriously handsome and cool big boy in his new transition lenses glasses
Saint Monica's RC Church
Callum's lovely blue eyes reflecting the sky
Awe and wonder in the church
Reuben insisted on signing all the capital letters on the list noting the Benefactors for the 1994 earthquake relief for this famous church. He loves to read with fingerspelling. Sometimes it takes me a while to see the letters he's seeing
Reuben with the Easter basket from Nurse Jenn
... to all our family and friends.
We had a lovely day at the LA Zoo, and then mama went to see Scottish rockers Travis by herself, then a day at Disneyland and today Easter mass at St Monica's.
I remember growing up how Mum and Dad tried to convince us that Easter was a bigger celebration than Christmas and I couldn't quite understand it. We had a choice back then between a Cadbury's Easter egg (a large chocolate egg filled with smaller chocolates) or a huge chocolate bar and mum and dad would get us girls the eggs even though they tried to encourage us that the bars were better value. After Easter, I would go to Woolworths, an old institution which has now closed down in hard times, and stock up on clearance Easter eggs the day after Easter. I would perhaps go to the Ideal Home Exhibition as a teenager because I love kitchen design. We would watch Jesus of Nazareth and endure the 2-3 hour Good Friday service or attend vigils for the coming of Easter. Easter is now my favourite time of year; loving the joys of spring, delphiniums, Easter lilies, bluebells and the promise of new life. The community of Saint Monica's continues to humble me, a gospel singer searching her soul as she sang Amazing Grace to a huge congregation spilling out into the school's gym, his halls and the streets, overhearing the lovely Monseigneur of the parish say "Let's fill her up" to his consort between masses, the queues of people block long outside awaiting the next service. I miss Advent and Lent, the way we used to celebrate them growing up. The waiting. It gave the great feasts ("holidays") meaning. Sadly, I rarely go to church now and yet, each time I do, I wish I made (or had) the time to go more. I missed the turkey dinner. The whole family bar us and Joseph were with mum and dad. I miss too the way these holidays are celebrated in the UK. Christmas has the public holiday of Boxing Day following it (26th) and Easter has both Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays. Just cultural differences between the US and UK.
We had a lovely day at the LA Zoo, and then mama went to see Scottish rockers Travis by herself, then a day at Disneyland and today Easter mass at St Monica's.
I remember growing up how Mum and Dad tried to convince us that Easter was a bigger celebration than Christmas and I couldn't quite understand it. We had a choice back then between a Cadbury's Easter egg (a large chocolate egg filled with smaller chocolates) or a huge chocolate bar and mum and dad would get us girls the eggs even though they tried to encourage us that the bars were better value. After Easter, I would go to Woolworths, an old institution which has now closed down in hard times, and stock up on clearance Easter eggs the day after Easter. I would perhaps go to the Ideal Home Exhibition as a teenager because I love kitchen design. We would watch Jesus of Nazareth and endure the 2-3 hour Good Friday service or attend vigils for the coming of Easter. Easter is now my favourite time of year; loving the joys of spring, delphiniums, Easter lilies, bluebells and the promise of new life. The community of Saint Monica's continues to humble me, a gospel singer searching her soul as she sang Amazing Grace to a huge congregation spilling out into the school's gym, his halls and the streets, overhearing the lovely Monseigneur of the parish say "Let's fill her up" to his consort between masses, the queues of people block long outside awaiting the next service. I miss Advent and Lent, the way we used to celebrate them growing up. The waiting. It gave the great feasts ("holidays") meaning. Sadly, I rarely go to church now and yet, each time I do, I wish I made (or had) the time to go more. I missed the turkey dinner. The whole family bar us and Joseph were with mum and dad. I miss too the way these holidays are celebrated in the UK. Christmas has the public holiday of Boxing Day following it (26th) and Easter has both Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays. Just cultural differences between the US and UK.
1 comment:
I love all the new pictures and I hope you all had a nice Easter even tho there are some diffences between the 2 places you have lived.
Hugs,
Crystal and Eva
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