Thursday, April 16, 2009

Easter

So, Easter, aside from Christmas, is probably my favorite holiday. I love spring time with all the new life...flowers, blossoms, trees and bushes getting their leaves back...the sunshine (even more appreciated here in Oregon) and the warmer temperatures! It really is a wonderful time of year. We did most of our typical traditions the week of Easter; Easter egg dyeing, Easter egg hunting, and we even did a special Family Home Evening activity/lesson on Monday night...it had Easter eggs in it too!!! :) I got the idea from a friend of mine...you have 12 plastic Easter eggs and inside each one you have something that is symbolic of an event during the last week of Christ's life and a scripture reference to read that goes with the object...ie. money - Judas sold the Savior's identity for silver, nails - what he was held to the cross with, nothing/empty - the Savior was resurrected on the third day (Easter Sunday) and the tomb was left empty...etc. I don't know that Jemma really understood it all, but it was something that kept her attention and we were able to help our family focus a little more on the true meaning of Easter.


Anyway, here a some pics from the week...we just didn't get a shot of the kids on Easter in their cute Sunday outfits...oh well.





Jemma dyeing Easter eggs...





Carter wasn't all that interested...he just played under the kitchen table the whole time. That is until...




the container with the blue dye got knocked over and started dripping through the crack...not good.




But seriously, what fun would egg dyeing be if you didn't have at least a few casualties...when Jemma dropped a couple of eggs on the floor, she told me, "It's okay, they're just a little broken". Good thing we hard boil those bad boys before we dye 'em!





Jemma with all her eggs...she was super proud of them...if anyone came over, she was quick to get into the fridge and pull them out to show off her handy work! In fact, when I finally through them away and she went to the fridge to show them off again, she was not real happy with me...oh well...and no, I didn't make deviled eggs out of them...I've decided I'm not a huge fan...especially when they smell a little like vinegar and the white part is...pink or blue or yellow. I just find it a little unappetizing.





The Easter Bunny was totally on top of things this year and came Friday morning! He must have known I was going to be gone for the weekend and came early so I could be there for it! What a nice guy! :)


Carter got a hold of a few pieces of chocolate and followed me all the way to the garbage HOLLERING when I took them away...sorry buddy!






The kids with their Easter baskets...Carter really like dumping his out and then putting them back in the basket.


The Easter bunny brought the kids some new bath toys this year (Foam ABC's and Numbers for Jemma and squirting sea creatures for Carter) along with some spring pj's. He must have heard about the black gunk that would come out of the bath toys every time we would attempt to get all the water out when bath time was over. (Sick and wrong!)


The kids in their new jammies (right before we got in the car and headed for the airport so I could see Reed off!!!)




Jemma at Bard Park hunting for eggs on Saturday...there were like 300 eggs hidden out there for family members of PAVA (I'll be honest...I don't know what those letters stand for, but all the wives of the optometry students are members, so, I am too...) Thanks Brandon for taking the kids out there and taking pics so I could see!



Jemma with Carter...climbing up her...after the hunt.


So, I really do love Easter, but not because of all the goodies and stuff. I love Easter because of what it means...Easter is a Christian festival marking the resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for his sacrifice on my behalf. I know that He lives.


My sister has this link on her blog, and I really think it's appropriate when commemorating this holiday. If you haven't already heard/seen it, it's an Easter video presentation narrated by Elder Jeffery R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the church we belong to). It's only like 4 minutes long, so hopefully you get a chance to view it. Enjoy!


2 comments:

Sharee Gariety said...

I love all the pics of your cute kids. Jemma's hair is getting long! What an awesome guy is Brandon to take the kids down to that Easter egg hunt while you were gone. Did he get a picture of Jemma in her Easter dress? I always look forward to her red carpet moments, because she is darling and always has such cute clothes. I'd be really impressed if he thought to take one, because I know that's the LAST thing Arthur would think of. Well, if she does have an Easter dress, I'll settle for a late picture of it. :) love you guys.

Mason & Laura said...

That is so awesome you got to fly home to see your brother off on his mission!! How exciting for the first one in your family (out of the siblings) to serve :)

Also your easter pictures are so cute! I love how artistic Jemma is--definitely takes after her mother! Gwenn was afraid of the egg dye. And holy cow carter is adorable!