My swap with Amy, Our little trip and Easter Pics of the kiddos!

Good morning everyone!
I hope you had a blessed Easter!

It was absolutely beautiful here yesterday and we had a lovely day. 

I have so much to tell you about today, so I will keep the chit chat to a minimum and get on with it.

First up is a LONG overdue thank you to Amy!  She was  my partner in her latest swap.  I received her package about a week and a half ago, but with our little trip, visiting relatives and then Easter preparations, I am just now getting around to thanking her.

Here is what Amy sent me.

little chick pillow and a bunny air freshener

cute little bucket with burlap label and egg nestled inside

This bunny and chicken were perfect - I love them!  They will be staying out all year long.

sweet picture...and some candy...which I have to say disappeared too quickly to get pictures of.

THANK YOU AMY!  Amy's swaps are always such fun!

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Our  little trip to the Divine Mercy Shrine was very nice, despite the weather.  During our drive over, we followed a cold front, which poured rain on us the entire way there.  The weather didn't dampen our spirits too much though, until the next morning when we woke up to snow on the ground....brrrr....the wind was very cold!

We stayed at a nice B & B in Lenox for two nights.  Each room was named after a former first lady.  We slept in the Abigail Adams room.   It was a spacious room with canopy bed, fireplace, etc.  Our hosts provided a crackling fire for us each night in the parlor, and offered us homemade cookies, candy and port or sherry for sipping by the fire.  We enjoyed being pampered.  

We spent all of Wednesday in Stockbridge, Mass, where the shrine is.  Stockbridge is also famous for the Red Lion Inn...

 and the Country Curtains shop.  We had coffee to warm ourselves in a quaint little cafe along the main street, and poked in a few shops...then it was on to the Shrine.  

We spent time praying at the chapel and attended Mass, then we walked around a pathway on the grounds of shrine.  Along the path, there were life-size depictions of Christ's journey to the Cross...they were a moving reminder of all He did for us...here are just a few pictures...

 Inside the chapel of the shrine - it was much more beautiful than this picture shows, with hand-painted murals on the walls and ceiling.

Chapel

Nabbed a picture of Chris on the walk.

Chapel from the pathway.

 This area of Massachusetts was the summer playground of the wealthy in the late 1800s.  These well to do families came to the area around Stockbridge and Lenox and built themselves 'cottages' for vacationing in the Summer.  These cottages were not cottages at all, but mansions of wonderful splendor...some even bordering on being called castles.  Many of these lovely homes still exist in the area and are so gorgeous.  We enjoyed riding around looking at these wonderful reminders of days gone by.  Here is a  picture of just one such cottage...

Chris & I had a very nice little get-away, and drove home with sunny skies leading the way. 

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Yes, all those pictures are wonderful, but....NOTHING compares to these!

Drew, Maria and Peter

Scott, Steph & Allie

Have a blessed week everyone!