Easter 2013

Easter weekend was busy!  We were in Provo from Wednesday-Saturday and drove home Saturday morning we could be at home for Easter Sunday.  I hate how Spring Break always ends on Easter Sunday! We either have to come home early, drive home on Easter Sunday, or have the kids miss school on Monday.  None of those are good solutions to me.  We chose the first option though so we could be here for church and because Connor didn't go with us to Provo, we wanted to be together as our family on Easter.  At Grandma Penny's we colored eggs.  I found this new way on Pinterest to color them using shaving cream and food coloring.  It gave those eggs a marbled effect and it was messy fun!  We also colored some other eggs using Koolaid.  The Pitts and Gessel family's joined us Friday night for dinner and our egg-stravaganza!

Sunday morning we had to get up a little bit earlier so we could see what the Easter Bunny had brought and then still get to church on time.  Connor slept at Grandma Dottie's but he came home around 7:30 when we go the other boys us.  Funny story-we had less problems/stress/fighting/ stalling etc. this morning than we have had most Sunday mornings and we had extra stuff to do.  We made it to church on time and everyone was well behaved.  It was an Easter miracle!

 Dad and I made a special Easter breakfast of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream and bacon.  It was delicious!

 Yes, I do have 5 children but since Connor doesn't go to our ward he was not in the Easter photo.  Yes, this makes me sad but it is what it is.  The Easter Bunny did bring each of the boys a new tie and Kyle a new Easter outfit.

 After church we had lunch and a nap and then had ham, potatoes, rolls, spinach salad, asparagus and strawberry shortcake for our Easter dinner.  The potatoes were supposed to be those smashed ones that you boil first to get soft and then put them on a cookie sheet and smash them with a potatoe masher, season them and then bake them until they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  I didn't boil them long enough and so they didn't smash right.  We just ended up roasting them instead.  Love it when my cooking skills stink!

After dinner Connor went outside and hid some Easter eggs for Cayden and Kyle to find.  It was a fun day.

I am grateful we have the gospel of Jesus Christ and that we know why we celebrate Easter.  I'm grateful that Jesus was resurrected and grateful to know that we will all be too and that we can be together again.  In Primary during Sharing Time we had some special visitors come to talk to the kids.  Kathy Wheeler came dressed as Mary Magdalene and told the children her account of when the Savior was crucified and resurrected.  The children were absolutely mesmerized!  The spirit was so strong in that room and I am so grateful that I could be there for that.  I am grateful to know that the Savior was loved by so many and that He showed himself to a woman First!  We also had Ryan Wheeler, a member of our Bishopric talk to them as Peter, and then Lance Turner, our Primary second counselor's husband, was dressed as a Nephite and spoke of when the Savior came to the Americas after He was resurrected.  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ!