7 Quick Takes (the procrastinator's issue) + photos from our Bright Week and more!

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Hard to believe Holy Saturday was one week ago.  This week (the Bright Week -- don't you love that?!?) was actually cloudy, rainy, windy and -- even -- COLD for a few days there.  Brian and I loved having our kids together for services Thursday through Sunday.  And for a feast on Sunday afternoon (with a couple guests added in).  It's a very strange thing to have gone from being the kids who go "home" for holidays to becoming the "home" the kids come back to.

thanks to our friend Ahna for getting a group shot for us --

even after all this nonsense

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I love Holy Week.  I love that Lent is almost over.  I love the liturgy for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  I love the family liturgy we've crafted for Holy Saturday (aka, Silent Saturday.)  I love the way each of our five senses is engaged in all of our worship practices.  I love that we were invited for our first Passover Seder in someone's home on Holy Saturday. Talk about multi-sensory worship!  (the most biting taste of horseradish in my entire life!)

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I guess I never posted Saint Patrick's Day pictures either.  We enjoyed a few performances -- including a set by Raising Jane -- at the Austin Celtic Festival with some good friends.  And, honest, only one beer each.

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This week we had the pleasure of guests visiting us from New England.  Listen, Northeast friends, the best time to visit us in Austin (and we sure hope you do) is late March to mid-April.  Springtime in central Texas is gorgeous.  (locals might enjoy clicking through to this post of best places to enjoy the bluebonnets rather than pulling over on the side of the the four-lane highway and crawling into the median to get a photo.)

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And, really, it doesn't matter what time of year you visit, we'll certainly be taking you out for Texas BBQ...

Texas, New York and Massachusetts united over BBQ

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Seems Easter week inspires some really good blog writing...

To Those Whose Work It Is...Get Up! from Heather Kopp at Sober Boots

A Muslim Celebrates Passover and Easter via Djibouti Jones

Official Text of Pope's [Easter] speech 

National Letter Writing Month Prep, Printable + a Giveaway! via The Dollar Store Diva at Cha-Ching on a Shoestring

This one made me feel pretty sad.  7 fastest shrinking cities [Binghamton, NY] at CNN Money

And, this one just made me laugh.  A lot.  7 Humiliating Slow Takes With Huffing and Puffing Afterward at Simcha Fisher

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Honest I'm not really an animal lover.  I just seem to be a sucker for these sorts of videos....

A beauty and grace-filled week for us all, dear ones.  And a special prayer for our Quick Takes post hostess Jen Fulwiler who at this very moment is sitting in a hospital bed, preparing to give birth.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!