I love holidays. I do. I just love them all. And Easter is no exception. I have the best childhood memories of dying mountains of hard boiled eggs. My mom covered each of us in a garbage bag and let us go to town. She encouraged us to be creative. And she always had lots of crayons, stickers, markers, stencils, and boiling water ready to go for those plastic shrink wrap things - you know what I mean! In Coleman's words, it was SO SO SO fun! (Does he still do that, Mels?)
And my dad was the world's best basket hider. I mean, AMAZING! I think that man must have lain awake for weeks thinking up spots for our baskets. For example, one year my dad emptied one of those Costco 5 gallon buckets of detergent out. He then wrapped my basket in a plastic bag and lowered it into the bucket and covered it up with detergent again! Another year he hoisted someone's Easter basket up into the chimney. You could only see it if you got your head inside to look up. And yet another year he hid a basket in the emptied tank of the toilet bowl. And he was downright cruel in his delight in making us find them. I wonder one year Brittany crying in the evening because she still hadn't found her basket. My dad wouldn't tell her where to look, but I think he did let us all help her. :) And poor, poor Griff married into this. :) Although, he did get a lot, and I mean A LOT, of help finding his basket this year. TJ helped me hide it in an ingenious place...and not in a mostly empty cupboard. :)
We hid it under the plastic liner in the garbage can! (Don't worry. We had covered it with a new liner... with a couple of paper plates in it so it would look full). He never would have found it if we didn't end up playing "hot and cold" with him. Heehee.
The Easter Bunny hid my basket in a tree out back. Thank goodness I had TJ to get it for me. I was totally wearing the wrong shoes for tree climbing. :)
I couldn't get Jack to pose with his basket. But his was hidden under a table at Griff's parents' house. I can't say that he was that impressed with it at first. But once out of the excitement of parties, he has thoroughly enjoyed its contents... especially the "bookas."
And his chocolate bunny...
Griff's parents had us over for a delicious texas french toast and ham Easter breakfast. Thanks Randy and Cindy! Jack was too enthralled with the basket Grandma gave him to collect eggs in and would not look at the camera.
Griff's parents also prepared a huge egg hunt for the kids. Jack was into the egg hunt for about five eggs. Alas, maybe by next year he'll have better endurance. He
was very interested in the contents of the eggs when he realized they opened...
Kara made up for Jack's lack of enthusiasm with hers. She ran around shouting, "I love it down here!" and "I found one, I found one!" She had a heaping basket when all was said and done... what a little cutie pie!
Chet did pretty well, too. His shirt is too cute, isn't it?
We ended the day eating a beautiful dinner at my mom and dad's house. Thank you, Mom! Connor, Tanner, and Brad were here on a ski trip, and it was such a blast to have them here. I had forgotten just how much they add to my happiness! Brad's witty comments inserted here and there kept us all laughing. And TJ and Connor are just boys of my heart! I couldn't stop hugging them every time they ventured close to me. We played games, watched movies, laughed and just had so much fun. I have more pictures to post of their visit with us, but this post is quite long enough. :)
What a special Easter! I loved that it was conference weekend, too. The talks were so good (at least the ones Jack let me listen to), and I can't wait to heed the prophet's counsel and study them when they come out in the Ensign next month. I do love the Easter bunny, dyed eggs, and baskets full of goodies. But I am infinitely more grateful for the true meaning of Easter. I am full of gratitude for the atonement and my Savior. I do know that he lives. He lives, and I
know he loves me. And that is what I love the very most about Easter.
