Monday, April 21, 2014

Sring has Sprung.

It's been a busy couple of weeks around the Erickson household! A few weekends ago, we did an 80's Pub Crawl with several other dental friends. It was a blast! It got a little crazy, as it was on campus the same night the University of Minnesota Men's Hockey played in the national championship game. The game was actually played in Philadelphia, but riot police were on full guard and a riot did indeed break out after their loss. We were still at our friends apartment grilling while the game ended, so thankfully we avoided the mass chaos, but we did still see the riot police out a few hours later. We thought the pub crawl was going to be a huge event, but our group made up roughly 50% of the participation. It was still so much fun though. Adam and I wore my parents high school letterman jackets. They both graduated in 1983 from Park Center High School, so it was pretty much as 80's as you could get ;)  



Easter was spent with my family this year in Maple Grove, and we couldn't have asked for a better day! We went to Grace Church in Eden Prairie (the church we have recently started to call home) and it was an amazing service. It was a beautifully written sermon and was obviously centered around the resurrection of Jesus. The message was so powerful. As Christians, we know what the meaning of today is. We know that Jesus died for our sins on the cross and today was the day he rose again. We've been told the story since we were little children. This sermon, however, was in-your-face and had a very unique approach. It was not sugar coated or meant to make us feel whimsical when leaving the church. It was thought provoking, truthful and tough. Had Jesus not been resurrected, what would that mean for us? What would our fate have been? Is the story of his resurrection symbolic, or the actual truth? Those were the main questions posed and discussed during the sermon. I never want to feel comfortable in my faith, and this message pushed me out of my comfort zone. As a person, you are constantly learning, growing and experiencing new things. Life as a Christian is no different. There are always lessons to be learned and ways you can better yourself and others by glorifying Him more. A few tears were shed as a man shared his testimony and 30 people were baptized on stage while the band and congregation sang worship songs. It was so moving. Our Easter service was incredible and left us with a fresh appreciation for our everlasting life.

After church, we headed to my parents for a brunch with the family! Both sets of grandparents were there, along with siblings, nieces, a few extended family members. So great seeing everyone. This was the first Easter that my niece, Emeri, was old enough to appreciate an egg hunt. My parents hid eggs around the yard and decorated the trees with them too! It was adorable. She loved it and thought her treats inside (usually an animal cracker or a couple fruit snacks) were the best thing ever. The weather could not have been better! I think we hit the mid-70's, which is so bizarre after our snow storm last week. We relaxed, filled up on delicious food and enjoyed each others company. Later that night, after most people had left, we went on a bike ride with my parents and brother. I felt like it should have been filmed and titled 'Griswold Family Bike Ride'. We only had one helmet (which I wore), Adam and I didn't have exercise clothes and had to wear long basketball shorts of my brothers and my dad wiped out, almost rolling into a lake lined with dead floating carp (low oxygen levels this year). Nobody got hurt and we enjoyed the sunshine. I'd call it a success! On our way back, we passed a lemonade stand ran by these three adorable little kids. Nobody had money, so Adam and I biked back later to get some quality fresh squeezed (I'm sure...) lemonade. As we were leaving we heard them yell 'lemonade for sale!' at another passing biker, to which she replied that she didn't have money. They had the sweetest response ever, 'you can have some anyways!'. A small, perfect reminder of what kindness there is in the world. God is good.

Our first Easter as the Ericksons!


The gang.

Adam and Emeri

Easter Egg Trees

 
Willa girl
 
What's a girl to do with Good Friday off work? Play with puppies!


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