This was an unusual Easter weekend for us. The stake (a regional collection of congregations) scheduled a fun four-day beach camping and service outing for fathers & sons so we knew the boys would be occupied all weekend with that.  

Once we got past the idea that we wouldn't be all together as a family for Easter, Maddy and I thought we would take a little retreat of our own and decided to head a couple of hours north to Sydney. We think we got the good end of things but--funny thing--the boys think they did. It was a win-win situation. (But [shhh] we really did.)

We walked and walked and walked. We shopped and bought red lipstick and new shoes. We ate really good food. Our hotel was right near the harbour so we spent a lot of time exploring the inside and outside of the stunning opera house. (I love the story behind its design and completion but will post about that another day but will still go overboard with photos here.)

As it was Easter weekend, we seemed to see remembrances and symbols everywhere: in the light and shadows of sunset, in the soaring sails and structural details of the opera house, in the sepulchral texture of the rocks surrounding the harbour and in the fishing boats sailing out into the surely tempest seas.

Happily, we also caught the last weekend of the Anish Kapoor exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, his first in Australia. Spot us here?

I love his My Red Homeland, constructed of 25 tons of red-pigmented wax. A motorized blade slowly traces a circle as it makes a full rotation through the sculpture about once an hour, constantly changing its landscape.

Hosanna!
​And Happy Easter.
​p.s. We heard from the Easter Bunny that he will be coming through here tomorrow on his way back home to drop off a few baskets.​ Hope there are still some Cadbury eggs in his supply!