Easter weekend 2013

Besides some sickness in our family, mostly my husband, this was a really great Easter! We didn't dye any eggs and none of us felt like we were missing out (the kids didn't say anything about it). On Easter Sunday I felt the Spirit before, during and after church. I know my Savior lives and loves me and that I need Him.

The day before Easter I took the girls to our ward's Primary Easter party. I stayed for "Pin the Tail on the Rabbit" and the bunny hop sack races, and then I went for a lovely walk/run with Third Girl in our little stroller. The leaders gave the kids activity books and snacks that had Christian messages on them. The bag of pretzels says that the pretzel shape was designed to remind us of arms folded to pray; I'd never heard that before.

 

after the party

We have church at 9:00 this year, which is an early time for us. After we got home from church the kids were patient as I put their baskets together. We had told them at least the day before how it was going to be. I hid their baskets in the living room, and then my husband made First Girl's even more challenging to find. These dolls from Walgreens really are pretty cute, and were very cheap. We had been there buying some things we needed when the girls told me that they wanted these dolls. I made a few more trips to different Walgreens stores by myself to be able to buy the right kind and have them not be identical. Oh, they named them Tina and Rosette. I'm not positive which name goes with whose doll, because they switched.

I guess C could have had a new doll, too. We gave her some dried fruit and a few Easter things that we already had (to play with for a few minutes). In sandwich bags inside their tissue-paper-wrapped carrots the other two also had dried fruit -- I think just banana chips and prunes -- plus pecans, walnuts, almonds, and a little bit of dark chocolate candy. Even though my husband thinks I'm crazy for it, I'm happy to reuse my shredded green paper because I hate the Easter "grass" the stores sell. Especially the stuff that's not even green. 

Of course I made the kids pose for pictures, and the sun was too bright. But I couldn't wait until evening, which was good lighting last Easter, because I knew we wouldn't be home in the evening. I do like the pictures we got.

Soon after that we went over to my Mom's house. My poor husband slept in the spare bedroom most of the time we were there. We talked, had dinner, went for a lovely walk in her neighborhood, and watched a little of a Book of Mormon Stories DVD. I think the part we found showed Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. My family ended up doing the Twelve Days of Easter eggs as a family home evening another day.

My niece was crawling around a lot. I like how you can see on the deck the dirt that her brother had dumped out of the pot.

All of our kids have worn these bunny slippers.

(First Girl had a little owie on her chin.)

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Edited to add this. Yep, they look a year older!