Easter has always been about friends and family at our house. A four day feeding frenzy that kicks off on Good Friday with Georgie’s legendary homemade hot cross buns. The gift of a four day weekend is such a welcome reprieve after the stress of another dark winter filled with work and sports and snow… always the snow… to shovel, to slip in, to curse at!

Easter is also the first true gathering of the Clan since Christmas. That short pause – between a winter filled with hockey games, dance recitals, soccer, and track meets and the launch of greenhouse season and a summer spent at the Farmer’s Market – finally providing an opportunity for everyone to gather.

On Friday, the Grandparents host an Easter egg extravaganza – Rusty boils up dozens of eggs and the grandkids surround the kitchen table, creating a rainbow of dyed masterpieces for the parents to ooh and ahhh over.

Greg rarely makes it to the egg dying – he always needs to be the first guy through the door at the annual Draggins Rod and Custom Show. This will be his first year without his car buddy Jordan by his side.

A group of close friends started an annual egg hunt and brunch tradition that lasted for many years. Lucas and Jordan loved it so much they insisted on hiding eggs around the greenhouse before Sunday dinner for all the little cousins to find. Or not. I think Grandpa Rusty still periodically unearths a plastic egg filled with melted goodies!

The highlight of the weekend though, the one “can’t miss” event – is Grandma’s made from scratch hot cross buns. I am in awe of this wonderful woman who can churn out as many as 20 dozen buns in one day! The kids and grandkids burn their fingers grabbing the fresh out of the oven buns, smothering them in icing sugar and eating till they end up rolling around the living room – their stomachs ready to explode.

One of the many things Jordan’s illness robbed him of, and the one that caused him the most heartache, was having to miss several of the last few Easter’s. It is the one thing he could never forgive me for – as it was usually my actions that precipitated him being in treatment and therefore away from his family.

Last April, the very first thing Jordan did when he got home was to head to Grandma’s to spend a day baking bread and buns with her. He was absolutely joyful when he returned home bearing his creations. And that’s what I will be thinking of today – the joy that Easter brought him.