Photogenix

At Easter all the Siswick siblings were reunited here in Huddersfield, partly to enjoy the long weekend and partly to bid Jan, Geoff & Luke (Rob's Aunt) farewell as they've just moved to China. As all of us Siswick's only get together a few times a year it was decided we need to be more diligent in taking advantage of these photo opportunities. So we all stayed dressed up after Church instead of pulling on our comfy pants to make room for the obscene amounts of chocolate we all planned on consuming. Somehow the pictures got postponed until after dinner, and then after the Easter Egg hunt and finally after the kids were high on sugar with chocolate stained clothes and tired. Sounds like a perfect recipe for disaster right? We didn't even attempt a group shot with adults, the kids made it more than clear that they had had enough! Siswick Family Grandkids Easter 2008. From left Jacob, Grace, Abigail, Ben, Thomas and Eli (with Gee-Gee naturally!)
Some other recent pics taken by Rob's Sister Emma

I know, I know, they're so handsome! I agree!

Our Easter Miracle

Now this isn't a miracle quite on a par with the resurrection of Jesus but still very significant all the same. The Prodigal Penguin returned to the fold once more. Eli's head nearly exploded with joy when he saw he now had three of his adored fatter Gee-Gee's and rushed to greet them all in one big Gee-Gee embrace. We don't know where he came from or where he has been but Eli is certainly happy to have him regardless.

Happy Easter After

I am only slightly embarrassed to admit that I had no idea whatsoever that Easter had any connection with Jesus until I reached the grand old age of 9 years old. I was raised in a household where religion was non-existent (though we did have brief episodes of attending Sunday School but I think that was less for our spiritual welfare and more to provide an opportunity for my parents to have a Sunday morning sleep in) but still you'd imagine I'd have gotten an inkling somewhere, at school maybe or even the TV, but no! So you can imagine how ashamed I was as a nine year old to discover there was more to Easter than Easter Bunny's, Bonnets, Chicks and of course most importantly Eggs. (Though surely those are reason enough for a holiday.) So I committed myself on Easter Sunday morning once I had received my Easter Eggs to give a few moments to ponder about Jesus before I delved right into my chocolately treats. (Yes I was a weird child, obviously) But what can I say? Chocolate was like opium to me back in my childhood days and as soon as I received my eggs I practically inhaled them giving little thought to anything, let alone Jesus. I plunged from my chocolate induced happiness coma later that day when I realised in all my consuming that I'd totally forgotten what I had previously committed to do, remember the real reason for Easter.

I can only keep my fingers crossed that I do better at that this Easter Sunday when the lure of the Easter Eggs hits me. But still, I am only human!