A Bunny Trail Full of Easter Memories!

 

 

When I was at Blissdom in February, I had a chance to visit the Hershey’s booth!

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It was a great booth to visit because they had baskets full of Easter candy that they were handing out all day long!  I may have stopped by that booth one or two or three… (ahem) times a day

Oh my, I love Hershey’s chocolate, don’t you?!

One of the cool things we were able to do was create our very own Easter basket full of Hershey’s goodies.  easter 003

We chose our basket items on a computer screen, and then a couple weeks after Blissdom, I received my basket in the mail!

Yum!

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I chose:

Cadbury Crème Mini Eggs – 12 ct.

Cadbury Mini Eggs

Jolly Rancher Sour Bunnies

Reese’s Mini Reester Bunnies

Reese’s Reester Peanut Butter Bunny

 

I got items that I thought my boys would like, so I could use them in their Easter baskets this year.

Over at the Hershey’s website site, they have a place for us to share our favorite Easter memories.

 

Two years ago, I shared with you some childhood Easter pictures that I found.  Here are a few of my favorite memories…

Every year we colored Easter eggs to take

to my grandmother’s house for the big Easter Egg Hunt.

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(Cyndi, Blake, Me)

I was always so excited on the night before Easter when we got to sit our Easter baskets outside our front door.  I knew that the Easter Bunny would be hopping down the street as I slept and would fill my basket with lots of goodies.   We would awake on Easter morning, open the front door, and find our beautiful Easter Baskets wrapped in colorful cellophane!

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(me, Cyndi, Blake)

 

 

I loved getting dressed up for church on Easter morning.

It was always a special day of celebration!

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(me and Mom)

I especially loved it when we got to wear a corsage!  I loved the smell of those Easter flowers below my nose!

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(Cyndi, Me, Blake, Mr. Inchworm)

 

But my favorite Easter memory of all has to do with my mom.  I shared this story two years ago, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to share it with you again.

 

I don’t know exactly what year it was, but I was in elementary school.

Mom was our Sunday School teacher at church, and she was always inviting other little children to come with us.

I remember for a while that every Sunday morning we would pick up a little girl across town and take her to church with us. She was probably 5 or 6 years old.

I don’t remember much about our relationship with this family, I just remember that this little girl was very poor and didn’t have much.

Easter Sunday was approaching and this little girl had told Mom that she didn’t have a dress to wear on Sunday morning. (She usually wore jeans and a shirt.)

Mom asked her what kind of dress she would wear if she had one? The little girl said she always wanted a pink dress with lots and lots of ruffles!

(I could see the wheels turning in Mom’s head.)

Mom was an amazing seamstress. She could sew anything. And her mind was set on making this little girl an Easter dress.

Because Mom was always busy and usually did things last minute (just like me), she started making the dress the night before Easter.

I remember going to bed and hearing the whirl of the sewing machine as Mom worked quickly to get the dress sewn before morning.

When I woke up the next morning, I could still hear Mom working on the sewing machine. She was putting the finishing touches on the dress. She had stayed up all night, never sleeping, to finish the dress.

Finally it was finished, and Mom held it up for me to see. It was the most beautiful dress you have ever seen! A beautiful pale pink with 3 or 4 layers of ruffles in the front. I remember touches of white lace on the sleeves and bottom, and it tied with a big pink bow in the back.

Mom quickly got dressed, and we were off to deliver this Easter surprise to the little girl.

Of course, she was so excited, and she ran in the house to put on her new Easter dress! I don’t know who was smiling more…her or Mom. (or me.)

That memory not only made it into my mind, but it made it into my heart as well.

I saw first hand what joy it brings to do things for others.

Mom had sacrificed her sleep and her time to bless this little girl, and I saw first hand the rewards our sacrifices can bring.

Mom showed me how to put the interests of others above my own.

She had always told me to do this, but she also showed me how to do this. Our actions speak so much louder than our words, don’t they?

It is an Easter memory I will never forget, and you can bet that little girl never will either!

 

Have a blessed Sunday!

24 Comments

  1. I love that story! And I really enjoy those Reese’s peanut butter eggs- somehow, they just taste better than the regular cups. Enjoy one for me! :)

  2. Traci, this brought tears to my eyes. Your mom makes me want to be a better mother to my kids. You make me appreciate all the things my mom does for us, I spoil her when and as much as possible now. She had given up so much of herself and worked so hard to raise 8 kids.

    Can I forever borrow the Easter baskets outside the door tradition? There were 8 kids in my house under the age of 12 so we weren’t able to each have easter baskets. What a great tradition for the kids!

    Thanks for sharing.

  3. First: That story is absolutely adorable and I bet you that woman has never forgotten that dress. Second I’ve always wanted one of those little inchworm toys! and third: I love hearing about Easter bunny traditions. The Easter bunny at our house would hide our baskets. Every Sunday morning we’d wake up and have to go looking for our Easter baskets (wooden baskets my grandma had painted). One year mine was on the dryer and another year my sister’s was outside hanging in the tree. Moms and Dads, don’t let your kids read this next part!!!! …………………… I was in the 4th grade when I walked in on my mom stuffing the Easter baskets. But the best part was I still believed in Santa, well, I still do believe in Santa! I was told that if I stop believing he won’t bring me presents. I’m 27 and Santa still comes to my house. :D

  4. what a precious story! I am 80 yrs old .. and it took me back quite a few years! I had this same “surprise” happen to me … only at Christmas! My Aunt was “making” a dress for a little girl, my size, and she used me as her model! I was so excited to be trying on such a beautiful dress! and was so sad when she finished it as I would never get to try it on again… my surprise was shock at Christmas! That little girl has never forgotten either! Bless you, Dear One …. and listen to your Mother! :) I lost my Mother when she was 38 and what a huge loss.
    Pink Hugs,
    Dee

  5. Isn’t great to have such wonderful memories. I too have memories of growing up in a large family of 6 kids plus mom & dad. We would hunt eggs and then hunt again till they would crack and then it is time to make deviled eggs. Thanks for sharing at this time of year we could all give to someone less blessed. Thanks so for stiring up old memories. God Bless.

  6. Traci, I don’t comment often but I do read your blog often! I love reading your blog so much just because of the great/awesome/inspiring stories you tell of the godly woman your mother was! I always get teared up reading your posts of her. Amazing how God is still using her faithful obedience to encourage and challenge many of us today! PS loved that sofa in the picture of you and her! :)

    I’m also a little jealous of that Hershey’s basket! Yummy! Reece’s are a favorite at my house. I’ve actually had the pleasure of going to Hershey, PA and it was awesome! Almost a little slice of heaven for a choco-holic like me!

  7. What a precious story – it brougt tears to my eyes also. My husband and I are Children’s Church leaders at our church. I hope and pray we can touch the hearts of those kids in the same way – even though I can’t sew! lol!

  8. Thanks for sharing the story again Traci. I get a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes each time I read it. Your mom definitely had a servant heart and got great JOY doing for others. What a blessing she was not only to that little girl, but her own children as well.
    Hugs to you sweet friend,
    Cheryl

  9. Easter is my favorite holiday at my favorite time of year, new life and rebirth.

    I love your little shed project. Oooo my imagination gets going. I love painting and without making any phyical additions, using only paint, I would give it a new color. The gray and white of the first picture is so nice. Gray and white looks so crisp and fresh and blends so will with the greens of a garden. I would then make the little window look bigger adding some picket fencing slats below it or by painting a fake lower part of the window and then either a real or a painted flower box. Have fun with it!

  10. Tracy,

    I cannot yet imagine what it must feel like to miss your own mother. My heart goes out to you. But her amazing legacy is so vibrant through your memories and your gift of storytelling. I am typing through tears right now. What a beautiful story! And I can tell through reading your blog over the years that you have her same drive for things you feel passionately about and you have her same heart.

    On a separate note, I am now craving Easter candy! If I weren’t already bummed about missing Blissdom, the Hershey booth makes me really sad!

    Thanks for sharing your Easter memories with us!

  11. What a great memory to have! I love easter as well, I hope that one day my kids will also have great memories even if they complain about our easter traditions now.

  12. Every story you tell about your mom is a true testimony of the amazing Christian woman she was! This story was so touching that it makes me want to pay it forward in honor of your mom :) Like you said, I’m sure not an Easter goes by that, that girl doesn’t remember your mom & that beautiful dress! By the way, I can sooo see Eli in those pics of you when you were little!! Too cute!! You both have the same facial expressions :)

  13. That was such a great story. Thank you so much for sharing it. Your mom sounded like an incredible woman. She had a generous spirit like my daddy did. I love hearing stories like these. How others are such givers of the heart. So blessed we were to have them in our lives. It’s memories like these, that stick with us our whole life. Love the pictures too! You were all adorable.

  14. OMG Traci!!!!!! In the second picture of you, Cyndi and Blake you look just like Eli!!!! You have three boys that look just like their daddy, but Eli is the spitting image of his mommy!

  15. I can only wonder where you will meet up with that little girl again. Maybe she will read this post or see you on Facebook. Imagine that!

  16. I’ve just recently started following you and Cyndi :) You girls had an amazing mother! I cried when I read this story!!! My mother in law was this exact same way!! She and my father in law were killed in a car accident. I wish I’d had more time to learn from her, as my mother was worthless :'( THIS is the mother I want to be! Thank you for reminding me to not forget the little things!!

  17. Thank you for sharing your Easter memories. I really enjoyed your one with the recipe from your mom. Growing up I was always so excited to get a new Home Life every month at church. I love the fact that I know I read stuff that your mom wrote. Now I tend to get Parents Life and look for Home Life when I visit my parents.

  18. Oh…oh…just Jesus giving you a special gift…He made all this possible because you’ve always honored your sweet mother. I’m going to get a ride to get out to buy an Ideal Magazine <3
    Oh yes what a sweet blessing your post is today too.

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