Easter

 I feel like each holiday gets more fun the older the kids get. They understand more and I'm getting more and more out of survival mode and thinking of ways to make the holidays meaningful.

We spent several weeks before Easter talking to them about the real reason we celebrate it. We talked about how the Easter bunny and egg hunts are all fun, but the most important thing we remember is Jesus and His resurrection. We did a couple of Family Home Evenings on it, and by the time Easter came, if you asked the kids why we celebrate Easter, they could both tell you all about Jesus.

 The Easter Egg Hunts really were so fun this year though. The kids got to do 3 of them and with each one they got better at finding the eggs.

The first one we did was with our neighborhood. Each parent brought 8 eggs for each kid then hid them around the area and then each kid would get to pick up 8 eggs.
My kids stood and watched as the rest of the kids were running getting their eggs. They finally started to find some and I noticed they'd point one out to another kid but then move right on. They needed a little coaching to actually pick them up, and when it was all done, my kids were the last to find their eggs and look through them.

Season got excited about the ones that had candy and Cache got excited about the ones that had money. They are too funny.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

 Egg  Hunt #2 - The Youth in our ward decided back in January that they wanted to do an Easter Egg Hunt for the Primary kids as a service project. That left the Young Women leaders in charge and we didn't mind since it was such an easy activity for set up and cleanup! Plus, we didn't have to do refreshments or anything. It was great. The Young Men and Young Women helped fill over 400 plastic eggs with candy at an activity earlier in the month, and then they came a half our early the day of the hunt to help hide them.

Among the hidden eggs were empty eggs with a "B" written on them for "Bishop" each kid was told they could find only one of these "Special" empty eggs to turn into the Bishop at the end of the Easter Egg hunt and he would give them something special in return. Our Bishop did a wonderful job talking to the kids at the end about the special meaning of the empty egg and relating it to the empty tomb after Jesus had risen. Then the Bishop gave each of them a picture of Christ after he was resurrected and told them to keep it someplace special so they could always remember him. Great Activity! We walked home after only being there about 45 minutes total! That included Set Up and Clean Up! Sign me up for this EVERY year! :)

At this Easter Egg Hunt Season ran to the first egg she could find, picked it up, and immediately wanted the candy. She didn't care to get any more after that. Cache was better at finding the hard ones.

Ward Easter Egg Hunt

Easter morning the kids and Daddy got to look for their baskets that the Bunny hid for them. My gifts from the Easter Bunny were hanging around the house. :) The Easter Bunny always brings us a little candy, a new Sunday Easter outfit, and a picture of Christ for the kids that has a child in it about their age. The picture hangs in their room for the year. Uh, and Daddy got a gift certificate to Buffalo Wild Wings. :)

Easter Morning

We ate Yummy Orange French Toast for Breakfast and then Grandpa Jim and Grandma Barbie and Sarah Beth all came over and then went to church with us. I didn't have any meetings and didn't even have to teach Young Womens because we were all combined for the last hour of church. It was quite relaxing. For Dinner we had Dad's Delicious Ham, Mashed potatoes, Veggie Tray, Rolls, and Deviled eggs. For desert we celebrated my Mom's birthday which would be a few days later by singing and eating an ice cream cake they brought down. Everything was delicious.

 After dinner and naps the kids got to have another Easter Egg Hunt just for them right out in front of our house. They were too cute about it, and I got a great video which maybe I'll post someday. Or maybe not. :)

Oh and the kids looked so cute in their Easter outfits and my Sister and Parents got great pictures of them which I will have to post later.

We had a wonderful Easter, remembering the Savior, spending time with family, and our church.