Easter

This year we didn't do Easter baskets and I didn't even buy all new outfits for the kids.  We just kept it simple and spent time as a family.  I bought some plastic eggs and 1 small bag of candy for the kids which they loved.  Then after church we dyed eggs - each of the kids got a dozen eggs.  Everytime one cracked Luke or Sophie would eat it up.  My parents were in Peru so we hosted dinner at our house and instead of the traditional ham dinner we bar-b-qued and it was amazing.  I love spring!! 

Easter

Hooray no snow this year on Easter.  We got to enjoy a perfect spring day!

Easter 2012

Easter this year was less of a production than most years.  Between the wedding and spring break and how busy we were it was just fun to do a few small things together instead.  I bought the kids new blankets for Easter but gave them to them weeks ago so there goes the baskets....oh well.

 

We did make these yummy birds nest treats.  Delicious and Fun!

Sunday morning before church we dyed eggs

I'm pretty sure Sophie and Luke couldn't look much funnier.  

Crazy hair and Sophie did dark eye makeup.  Ha.

The sun was in their eyes so we couldn't get a cute picture ... oh well.

After church we did a lot of egg hunting at my parent's house.

Easter Outfits

Since I will be gone for Easter this year I dressed up my kids in their outfits the week before for church. Tayson was sick so it was just me and these adorable kiddos. I love love love Lukey in a tie. He is just so handsome. When we got to church he looked around and then said "mom, only 2 of the other kids my age are wearing ties....but I guess it's ok".

Owen's Blessing

Sunday we went to Owen's blessing. My kids were so impressed that Uncle Todd conducted the meeting. The blessing was great and the kids were great in church - thank goodness. After church we went back to Amy's house for lunch and then the long drive home began. Timmy flew down to Cali on Friday night after work and stayed with some friends then drove me home. It was soooooo great. The trip would have been so hard and stressful alone. We made great time too. It took us just under 9 hours with a 30 minute stop at McDonald's for the kids to eat dinner and play at the play land. We forgot to top off the gas in St. George when we stopped for dinner and ended up making a 3rd stop to fill up with only 30 miles to go. The kids woke up and were SCREAMING for about 10 minutes. I can't believe we almost made it home with 2 stops. I stopped 7 times on the way down over a 2 day period.

It was really cold outside so the pictures aren't the best. Amy and I didn't plan to have our boys matching we just happened to buy the same outfits and Children's Place.

Carson, Emma, Tayson, Sophie, Luke, Claire, Wyatt

The kids in their Easter outfits
Sophie, Tayson, Luke & Claire

I need to get a better picture of the girls - their skirts are so dang cute and you can't even see them!

Easter Breakfast at the Park

Even though Easter is over there is no reason not to celebrate it so Saturday morning was a breakfast and egg hunt at the park. It was a little chilly at the beginning but it ended up being warm and sunny. We had lots of yummy food (donuts, eggs, ham, potatoes & fruit) then Amy, Uncle Mark and Matt took the kids on a walk and we hid eggs, granola bars, capri suns, and fruit roll ups for them to find. The kids had a blast!

Making breakfast

Matt helping Claire get an egg that was way too high in a tree

The boys on the hunt

Tayson

Luke

The girls found the special egg (in great-grandmas hood)

Claire & Emma - they are too cute together

the boys weren't as cute together thanks to Tayson making a face
but they sure have fun playing

Silly faces!!!

The girls enjoying their treats

the boys enjoying their treats (not talking of course)

Easter Morning

We woke up Sunday morning to lots of good snow. Ryan came over and said they were having a snowball fight so my kids hurried and put on their snow clothes. They had so much fun!

No teams at the start - it was a free for all fight. The only rule was be nice and no hitting Claire. Steve of course joined in the fun. I left Sophie inside and came out in my PJ bottoms, boots and coat to take pictures.

I love this shot of Luke hitting Tayson and Claire trying to get Allen in the background.


Allen got a great shot on Steve and the snow went right down the back of his coat.


Claire had so much fun!
And EVERY time she made a snowball she showed serious crack. Hilarious!


After I went in for a few minutes Sophie wanted to come out to get the kids with me so I carried her outside to get them in her PJ top and diaper. She was having nothing of me holding her and I thought if I put her down she wouldn't like it and would let me carry her back from Steve's house (where the snow ball fight ended up for more fresh snow). She could have cared less than she didn't have shoes or pants on. Tayson was hot so he took off his hat and gloves so she grabbed those and I helped her put them on. She was grabbing the snow and throwing it and eating it and cracking up. She didn't fuss or cry once in the whole 5 minutes she was outside. It was so cute. I feel like a slacker mom but it really wasn't my intention for her to play in her diaper.


Then we came inside for Conference and drank hot chocolate and ate pancakes. What a great day!


Speaking of Conference. It was amazing! Pretty much all I heard in every talk was "parenting is key" and I need to do a better job. I loved the talks and I loved the focus on family but it sure did add extra pressure to me to step it up as a mom and do more to teach my kids the gospel. It's time for me to ensure my kids know how special they are and how much I love them and that they are children of God. I'm going to try a little harder to do a little more. I can't wait until I get the Ensign so I can read all the talks again.

Easter Egg Hunt

We got invited to a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt this morning at 9:00 am. Fun. The morning run took a bit longer than I had anticipated (ended up being 8.8 miles and lots of it uphill) so we were running late and didn't get there in time to hide eggs. It was still fun to go eat breakfast and hang with friends but the kids didn't do eggs. It was freezing outside too.


Then after we got home Tayson invited Ryan over and Todd and I hid lots and lots of eggs for the kids to find. The kids had so much fun finding eggs and eating candy.


Sophie found one egg, opened it and found a candy necklace and sat on my lap the rest of the time chewing on it.




Tayson found the hardest egg we hid.

Happy Happy Easter to all!