Monday, April 1, 2013

Easter 2013

Easter is such an uplifting holiday & I've spent it at my Grandma Hughes' house nearly every year as a child & now Chris & I enjoy going as a married couple with our little Jack. Jack loves "nanny" & "papa cake" & would spend his entire life in their beautiful backyard if he could! Easter is a time to reflect on our savior and the gift of life he gave me, my family, and the whole world.

We started out our weekend with the free egg hunt at Taylorsville City Hall, we took my mom's cousin Adrian, who was in town, and her family. It lasted like 5 seconds, but it was FREE and jack was laughing so hard the whole time. We then decided to go to This Is The Place and show Jack the baby animals. He was in HEAVEN! We had SO much fun, it is quite the cute place to take your little ones. We got to ride two trains, pan for gold, make a craft, ride some ponies, eat fresh made donuts, & hold the cutest baby farm animals! Definitely worth the trip!


Ready for the egg hunt!


Jack and Morgan

This Is The Place:



























Sunday Easter Morning:
Our little family had SUCH a fun morning sharing the tradition of egg hunting with Jack. He thought it was so neat finding all the eggs in our living room and throwing them in his bucket. We then got dressed in our Sunday best and went to our church for the wonderful Easter program they prepared. The little children (primary) in our ward sang a few very emotionally touching songs about the Savior, nothing brings me to tears faster than a bunch angelic little children singing about Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ. It was just beautiful.

Be parents is WAY too much fun!
Ready to hunt!
He was super exited :)

All ready for church!


Chris helped me make a VAT of potato salad for our little shin-dig at Grandma & Grandpa Hughes' house and we were able to help her set up for the party :) Chris got to hide the eggs for the first time and he was really excited and proud of his hiding skills! Jack found the "Magic" egg (with my help) and Grandma and Grandpa Hughes were all too generous with the AMAZING dinner they prepared as well as the gifts they gave their grandchildren. Everyone brought such yummy side-dishes, appetizers, & desserts! After dinner I gathered everyone outside and read them a poem I found and had prepared to share. I painted a little picture of the apple blossoms referred to in the poem and everyone was so kind to sit reverently and listen.

"Jelly Beans taste good for Easter,
They are blue, green, red, and pink.

What's important at Easter time?

I'll give you time to think.


Easter is a time for chocolate.
Chocolate eggs and bunnies too.

Easter Sunday is more important.
 It's about a story that's really true.




Sure the Easter Bunny's great,
at Easter time, it's true.

But what else is there at Easter,That's more important to you?


What is the most important thing about Easter?

I'll give you a clue.

These apple blossoms that come each spring,
Are all fragrant and new,
They show there is still life,
In this apple tree.

It was just sleeping for winter.
It's alive as you can see.

A long time ago,
When Jesus lived on earth,
He had a great mission.
It started with His birth.
He taught about the good things of life,
How each of us should live.
How we should love one another.
How we should share and give.
There were some who would not understand,
The words that He said.
They hated Him and feared Him,
And rejoiced when He was dead.
He died...yet He lives.
That's the joyful message Easter brings.
We'll all live after death....
Just as these trees live every Spring!"

Afterwards my sweet cousin Sage shared the talk she had given in sacrament meeting about the Savior. She explained how happy it makes her that our church focuses on how the Savior LIVED more than on how he died. She really did a wonderful job and she is an amazing young lady. 

We had fun on the swing set, chatting, and the boys had WAY too much fun playing a game of baseball and hitting the ball over the fence (& then climbing OVER the fence to get it). You should see Chris' knee, he is DEFINITELY one of the little boys. Mason said I was the best pitcher, I was pretty excited about that and I was surprised at how good my dad is at batting! We even stood still long enough to get a big family picture! I was so sad not to have the Harrison family with us, as well as everyone else was, but it's so wonderful to know families are forever and that we have a Heavenly Father and Savior who loves us all. It was a WONDERFUL Easter full of love, fun traditions, and family :) 


 
Grandpa Great and Mason chillin
 My cute cousins Sage and Morgan
The Vat :)
Eating his "Jack" cookie made and personalized by Sage and auntie Tina
The whole fam, minus the Harrison's, best family ever!
Jack cuddling with Grandpa Great, "Papa Cake".

Tina reading Jack his new book from Auntie Mindy, Brett did awesome sound effects :)

1 comment:

The Halls said...

Good job updating. Jack is sure a lucky boy.