Easter

There were a few things I missed about Cali during this Easter season.  The warm weather.  The blooms.  The green.  The one whole week off of school before Easter and the other whole week off after Easter.

 

This year felt rather rushed.  We crammed in some egg dying after school the day before our egg hunt.  Had to get those puppies done.  But sadly, I had no white vinegar to make the dye vivid and bright.  So I had to make do with rice wine vinegar, which seemed to have worked just as well.  Just smelled a little odd.  I decided to use food coloring this year.  I chose some frosting dye in cool colors, which interestingly enough dyed the eggs colors very different from what the dye water looked like.  

Doesn't look like eggs like this should come our of jars like that, does it?

But the kids didn't even notice the discrepancy.  They were fascinated by the process, as always.



We used rubber bands and stickers to add a little pop of white to our eggs.

I even managed to get in a picture this year.  Without combed hair or a shower.  But, whatever.

J and B made kissing eggs, apparently.

One of which was promptly demolished by a hungry toddler.

R was really proud of her rainbow egg.

I enjoyed having colors other than the standard ones that come in those kits.  I think I may be done with those forever.  Just need to remember to buy some vinegar.

My very favorite way to color eggs is with melted crayons (see here).  But I didn't think that would be such a hot idea with B in on the process.  So we stuck with the color bath method.  And even then, trying to limit her mess making potential was no picnic.

We almost postponed the egg hunt.  We'd had a very busy Saturday and had to jam in some dinner before the girls and I sped off to a youth broadcast.  But I couldn't face the disappointment of the kids, so we went for it.  Quickly.

The kids swear that jelly bean carrots are the very best kind.

It's blurry, but I love their faces as they tear out to begin collecting eggs.

And then we had to follow the clues to the last treat.

Which took us all over the place and finally down the long driveway to the mailbox for the final surprise.

J had to make sure that no one beat him down there.

Love those sugar-coated lips.

 

The kids all know, as do we, that Easter is not really about eggs and egg hunts, jelly beans and peeps.  Those are merely fun traditions our family has built up over the years which we all look forward to.  Sort of like Santa and presents and gingerbread have worked their way into the way we celebrate the birth of Christ.

These Easter traditions are things that we enjoy along with our celebration of the resurrection of the Savior.  We've always left Easter Sunday for the spiritual aspect of Easter.  I like it that way.  I like the separation.

 

After a nice Easter dinner of homemade calzones, (I never said we had traditions for everything, did I?  Any day is a good day for homemade calzones.) . . .





and a nice dessert of chocolate chip cookie egg nest things . . .

we got down to the business of the meaning of Easter.  The big girls rolled their eyes and asked if we had to talk about it again, because we talk about it every year.

 

Yes, my dears, we do.  But it was nice this year that we could go more in depth about all the events that led up to Christ's death and resurrection.  K really enjoyed chiming in with all her newfound seminary knowledge.  And the little kids still got their basic meaning of Easter conversation.

 

It was a great Sunday.

 

And weeks and weeks later, when spring had finally started around here, we were hooked up by a fab friend and went to an orchard to take some very late Easter photos.  Which made me happy, and the kids not so much.  But I figured that since the rest of Easter is always for them, they can do this for me, all grumbling aside.

It was soooooo nice to have someone there to take these family pictures rather than dealing with the tripod and a timer.  So much less painful.  And way faster.  Which is why it's less painful.

And she was so good at being engaging behind the camera.  Way better than I am.  She made us alternate between happy and goofy faces.  But only some of us were actually paying attention, apparently.

I love my family!

And I love that we have a Savior who lived a perfect life, who died nobly and for our sake, and who makes both repentance and resurrection possible for all of us.

 

Happy Easter!

 

You can think of this as a month-late wish for this year, or an 11-month-early wish for next year.  Whatever floats your boat.