EASTER - Our 3 days of Celebration!

Well, Easter has to be one of my favorite holidays! (Ok, I really like every holiday!) Much like Christmas, the holiday is fun and spiritual - how great is that!?! In order to keep Sunday as the holy day and not the "holi-day", the Easter Bunny always comes to our house on Saturday morning. That allows us to focus on the purpose of Easter on the Lord's day (which is far more refreshing and uplifting).

With our family this year, we started a new tradition - the 3 day Easter celebration (in representation of Christ's death and resurrection). So, Friday night we colored easter eggs with the kids - one of my favorite things to do - and the kids absolutely loved it, especially my little Tyler. Their Easter baskets were down in our shop in Nampa, so we had to improvise a little. And since money has been scarce, I gathered a few things I had around the house to create them and the kids thought that was great. They weren't missing their baskets at all!!!

This is great and cheap family fun!

Ahh, Tyler - just loving it!

The artists and their masterpiece of color!

New Easter Bag-skets!

"Say Cheese!"

"You make it. I'll eat it!"

I knew if I left our stocking hooks up they would be good for something?!? You've got to love dads who make crazy faces while moms take pictures - LOVE IT!

And Saturday morning came and the Easter bunny dropped some goodies in their bags, along with bunny ears (that was a great hit)! The kids also got some rain gear - for mountain living and enormous melting snow puddles - thanks to the help of some wonderful people! They were truly excited.

Some-bunny loves her! Sweet-innocent-joy! Ahhh!

The rest of our bunny patch!

Ready for the rain and geared up for the grime!

Jason's brother came up to get more information on a few business opportunities and offered to take my two big girls down to Nampa to see their cousins and hang out for the week until we could come down the end of spring break. They were stoked. And I was a bit excited! It was just going to be mom and the boys (and Emma, of course) for the week! A little one-on-one time is always good!

Sunday came and gave us a chance to reflect on our Savior. What a wonderful blessing to have the gospel in our lives. To truly KNOW that the tomb was empty and the fantastic blessing that awaits us! Once we got home from church, I sat down with the boys and we talked about the resurrection and the events that took place, and what that means to and for us. What a marvelous plan our Heavenly Father has set before us! I am so grateful. I missed my girls today. I felt a little empty not to be able to share the joy and testimony I was feeling with the rest of my children. I feel so blessed to have a large family and to have the sweet little spirits that my father in heaven has "graciously" blessed us with, even though some of them "test" my patience more than others!

Jason and I had quite a faith-promoting experience this morning, one that we will treasure forever. Just when it seems like you have struggled enough and prayed your heart out for answers, the Lord shines his tender mercies on you and reminds you that He is still there and that He LOVES you. He truly wants us to have all that is HIS, but we have to be truly converted to Him. Sometimes the journey seems unbearable, until you read about those who have come before you and the adversities that they ENDURED, simply because they LOVED their Savior and submitted their lives to Him - TRUE OBEDIENCE! Oh, what great blessings are ours if we are obedient! So, although the struggle is not enjoyable and continues to try to beat us down, we are pushing onward and upward!