For at least the past decade, we have been somewhere in Canada leading the services for an Easter weekend. So it was a delight to be home this weekend – and what a weekend! The weather was spectacular, our friends came to visit, we had a lovely family dinner and I got some work done around the house.

Let me start with being home!

It was a glorious weekend of warm sunshine and comfortable temperatures, so much so I had to break out the blue chair and have my coffee on the deck! There is something soothing for the soul to sit like this and feel the return of the warmer weather at the end of winter. Though I am sure our weather may yet include some cool days, this weekend was a wonderful gift.

As it was so nice I brought my four butternut squash plants out to bathe in the sun a bit and to move them into larger pots. I started this from seed so it is fascinating to watch them grow, and so very quickly. But to get fruit on them by the end of the season they need an early start. We were too late last year and by the end of August we had flowers but nothing for mature fruit.

As well as cleaning up the garden a bit Wendy was busy making the house look nice – especially the for the visit of our friends Floyd and Tracey – we’ve known each other well since 1987. That’s a long time to be friends. We had them to the house and then out for dinner – it was lovely!

Good Friday was a wonderful combined service for the city of Edmonton. It’s been a while since we’ve been in a combined service in Ednonton and it was a lovely service.

But of course, on a long weekend like this what is just wonderful is having Phil, Amanda and the kids around. When I see their shoes lined up at the door I can’t help but smile!

We had a really loved dinner – family dinner as we’ve come to call it – and so nice that we could do it in our home which is so close to them.

Of course, Wendy had the table set so nicely and it looked so spring-like! I don’t post the picture of us all around the table, but you can imagine – it was great. And the standard question for around the meal table is, “what was the best part of your day”? My answer would be – having us all around the table!

And then on Easter Monday – the office was closed – I began to, at Phili’s instructions, take apart the floor in the main entrance. So here’s the before and after pictures as we get ready to say goodbye to the ceramic tiles and see something much warmer and newer take its place!

Finally, we’re still awaiting our first robin – but his guy did land on the rail of the deck!

and let me say it again – it was great to be home this Easter weekend!