Easter Sunday with grandparents

 Little game of pool while the boys wait for the girls to get  ready.

Having our church meetings start at 1:30 (yes, that's right!) makes for

a LONG morning. Good thing, Nick's pool partner, "Jimmer" (James Buckwalter has a new nickname) was here and could help Nick pass the time. :)

 Ted's mom, Diane (Grams), Maddie, Nick and Ted's dad, "Jimmer" (Bompa)

We had a beautiful Sacrament service due to a gorgeous duet by two Broadway-quality voices and our choir sang a gorgeous rendition of an Easter hymn. Nick sang in the children's part and I sang with the adults. It was so fun to have him come to choir practice with me! yea, Nick!

 I'm loving the matching green ties!!!

The Saturday before Easter, we have always hid lots of plastic eggs with candy and coins all over the yard (since the kids were babies) and often invited neighbors to join in the hunt. *The "Easter bunny" has never visited, we have never talked about him...it was hard as a parent to create that much fiction for a religious holiday, so I'll admit, I ignored the bunny. But we, as parents, did make & buy treats and hide them for a fun Saturday hide-n-seek.

This year, with Grams and Bompa here, we did so much on Saturday, that we weren't even home: yard sales, lunch, movie (Soul Surfer, amazing, beautiful movie!!!!), grilled for dinner and played cards.

So, after Easter dinner, FHE on the Resurrection, and Key Lime Cheesecake (oh yes, to die for!), Ted and I hid two Easter baskets in the dryer:



 the kids read clues that Ted wrote (which we terrific as he is a word-guru!)

They were somewhat cryptic clues and the kids had a BLAST running to the garbage cans, the bathtub, the dog's crate, Ted's desk, garage, etc...

This clue was taped to the bottom on the trampoline...

the sweet rewards were quietly sitting in the dryer and that was the hardest clue of all; in fact, they couldn't figure it out without some help from us. The clue said:

"Heavy duty or touch up"

Since the kids do their own laundry, we thought they would get it, but they didn't...oh, and the clue before that read, "you're getting warmer" aluding to the dryer and the end of the hunt. Great clues! Fun activity!

Way to go, Teddy B!

Beautiful Easter Day

We started to celebrate Saturday with our traditional egg hunt (photos to follow) and this delectable dinner that Nick thought up, "Let's eat dinner like a rabbit would!" he cried enthusiastically. Luckily, both kids love raw veggies; Maddie decked out the table in her usual flair for special event-themed tables/meals and we did add some mini-pizzas to this fair table.Even the little "sticks" (fry-looking things on the right) are veggies! And good, too!

Can a carrot get any bigger????

"What's up, Doc?"

Who is old enough to remember that FAMOUS line from either (a) Barbra Steisand in same titled movie from 1972, a huge family favorite at my house, or (b) Elmer Fudd, of Looney Tunes cartoons. Get acquainted with both if you aren't privy to them--the movie, particularly, is hilarious!!

Having 2 guests like these really made the kids' weekend! This is Brax and Jae, the 2 dogs we often babysit for our buddies, the Sedricks. These two hung out with us everywhere, including watching a movie, which was super cozy for all of us.

Ted didn't know that he and I were getting baskets, too...hello? we like a bit of candy now and then, too!

Here's normal guy face...

Here is savage guy face...

Nick on the run for more eggs

A few years ago we got these pink 'camo' eggs -- they are a bit obvious...

Every year we have put on an egg hunt for the kids, since they were tiny. No bunny comes hopping by, I'll admit I'm not a fan of the 'bunny story' but I am a fan of the kids' excitement that comes from 'treasure hunting' for treats, notes, coins, whatever we put in the eggs.

We threw in a couple of pairs of socks for Maddie; Nick's new socks had sports' balls all over and he put them on that moment and wore them for two days...

Doing all this on Saturday, leaves us Sunday for focus on what Easter is and means to us.

We have a nice brunch or dinner (or both depending on what time church is) and often with friends since we don't live by family (bummer!)

We had a "dramatic reading" though it wasn't super dramatic from the New Testament and music (piano man lives here and that really adds to the moment) and singing to match the theme of Jesus' life and resurrection. Having the chance to share the real message and joy of the holiday is what I want the kids to remember; and what brings meaning to the weekend.

This photo of Ted in New Hampshire, 2004, on the year it didn't snow for easter... We never used to have Spring in New Hampshire and our Easter awakening of the earth was never witnessed like it is now in north Texas. We had all our bulbs popping up last month and we always have delightful warm weather for our egg hunt. Bluebonnets and other wildflowers of every color are blooming on all the grassy medians and side roads and in the country where we live. It's gorgeous! Texas has one beautiful season and it's Spring! If you are going to come visit, come in the Spring! We used to bundle the kids to the hilt and hide eggs in the snowy forest behind our last house in NH. Now we worry about the sun melting the chocolates that are in the little plastic eggs we put all over the yard. Sometimes we find one months later that was so camoflauged, that they missed it. Today Ted spoke in church on a scripture found in Mosiah chapter 3 verse 19 about the 'natural man being an enemy to God, unless he(we) yield to the Holy Spirit' and put on 'meekness' and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I have always loved that scripture since my mission, as I have felt the powerlessness of the natural self, o sea, (as the say in Spanish for 'o rather') the human, mortal self when we forget who we are and who wants to guide us. I love yoga's emphasis on "honoring the divine within ourselves and our fellowman" 'namaste' and it seems that life's Greatest Truths have been found by True Seekers throughout all of time. It takes pure humility to see your faults honestly and then true faith to believe that you can be better, stronger, overcome weakness, and yet know, that you'll always be in need of Mercy; but that we can hold our head's high when we let the Lord take the reins in our lives and show us a way we had never considered or thought possible. I love personal revelation more than anything (except my family) and my experiences with it are my most valuable possession. Back to the topic: Mi Amor. He always has a joke or humorous comment to start his talks (which he loves preparing for and giving) and I love to hear and watch him speak; it is where he shines and his talent for the written word/communication is most apparent (well, it is as apparent in his writing, also). I loved it when he said, "As a musician, I..." and then he explained why he used quotes from songs that teach about the Savior's power to heal us. I sometimes forget that he is a musician as our life is too busy for him to play the piano, but I told him tonight, we must make time for him to tickle those keys; he used to when Maddie was 1 and 2 years old and she danced like a wild thing to "Great Balls of Fire" -- those memories are some of the smiliest ones I have...and then Nick would sit on Ted's lap and play for long moments. Anyway, I was inspired by Ted's talk, inspired by the scripture, and touched deep down to my core by the choir's song about the Savior's deep love, suffering, and forgiveness for us; all of us, all the time. I love the message of Easter. Love the colors, love the thought of new life, a new "spring" in my step and a lift up to get closer to living like I want to live: focused, calm, content, and joyful!