Easter

This year for Easter we did an advent of sorts starting the Sunday before. Taylor and I had talked about it way back in February as I wanted a meaningful Easter this year focused on Christ and His resurrection. We created a chart with symbols for each day and read scriptures from Jesus' life. We had a small palm tree we presented on the first day for Palm Sunday. During the week we did several service opportunities as a family (one of which was jam we took to some ladies as you can see the boys prepping the strawberries), we celebrated Passover. We made Easter rolls that you put a marshmellow in and then bake (with guards watching over the oven), when the rolls come out of the oven they are hollow inside symbolizing the empty tomb. Friday we barely remembered to leave the baskets out as we'd not spent any time thinking about a bunny or candy. It was a great year and I really feel that we all developed a closer relationship with our Savior and truly enjoyed celebrating what He did for us.

The kids also got new Easter attire for Sunday and they looked lovely! We also had a little egg hunt in the backyard with our friend Jack. And I made cake balls for a new try...real cake balls made from real cake not Oreo and cream cheese or some box cake. It was more difficult then with the fake stuff, but I have a better idea of how to make them next time. We also dyed eggs to which Hannah screamed like a maniac because Taylor took her pink egg out of the dye after like 20 minutes. She was beside herself with grief. Taylor decided no egg dying in the future for children under 4. We also had an egg derby. It was a great, fun filled, Spirit filled, family happiness of a week.

My Kiddos

Matthias found a book on mummies at the library, like a National Geographic book so it has excellent real life pictures of mummies.

Me: Oh, that looks scary. Those mummies are scary looking.
Hannah: I want see scary book. Oh! That's a bad mommy.
Me: It's a mummy.
Hannah: You a good mommy (touching my face). That bad mom.



Also at dinner the other night I announced we have a family rule of no cell phones at the dinner table so they better remember that for 10 years from now.

James: Why? You have your phone at the table sometimes. (like twice ever)
Me: Well I won't any more. That's the rule.
James: But why?
Me: Because we are going to spend dinner talking as a family with those around us not to people that aren't here.
James: But we can still talk to both.
Me: Well we want to talk as a family and you can talk with other people later when we aren't eating.
James: But,
Me: Why are we even having this conversation?



And Matthias keeps saying lately how much he misses his daddy and I think it's cute.

James Speak

While driving home from school/library yesterday...

James: When I see Jesus again I am going to ask how many of the three wise kings there were. And their names. Then I when I come back to earth I will tell everyone.
Me: People don't generally see Jesus and then come back to earth.
James: Then I'll be living the rest of my life in heaven and then when I come to earth I'll tell. Oh, I will just put it in the scriptures with my mind for people to read. A whole page.

Small Find in Our Backyard

We thought it was a wasp hive at first glance since it is so little, but no it's a very small bird nest.

Matthias Chatter

"The wild cows are warrior cows."


Lately the boys have been talking about how they are going to live here forever, even with their wives and their children. All of them in the boys room. Matthias is having 100 kids and James 9, Hannah only 3. And all the boys' kids are going to sleep on the trundle of the bunk bed. So Matthias also decided that he is going to plant a corn patch when he is an adult and he tells me about it every now and then.

Matthias: I like flowers. When I am an adult I am going to plant a bunch of flowers too. That is even bigger than the corn patch. And you and Dad will do all the work while we jump on the trampoline with our kids.
Me: That doesn't sound very fair.
Matthias: That sounds fair to me.
Me: It might sound fun to you, but it shouldn't sound fair.
Matthias: No you're going to make the dinner and sew.



When we were out walking Matthias and Hannah got dead dandelions to blow and make a wish on.

Matthias: (to Hannah) Wish that Dad never has to go to school again.
Me: You can't tell people what to wish. Why don't you wish that?
Matthias: Because I already wished that we could have a princess baby.

Hannah's New Pony

Today Hannah and I ran to Toysrus during kindergarten/preschool to use her $3 coupon from her birthday. She was of course obsessed with the doll aisle and spent forever looking at all the babies...

"This baby has a binkie." "Can we get this baby out?" Etc, etc.

Then we walked through all the pink aisles and she found a My Little Pony and decided to get the pink one. "This matches my shirt." Hannah then proceeded to pull off 2 more ponies, one for James and one for Thias. I told her the boys probably didn't want ponies.

Later in the day I was sitting on the floor folding laundry and all three of the kids sat on James' bed combing the hair of Hannah's 3 ponies (she had 2 others already). The bed was their boat and they sat calming brushing away. They each had a pony and a pony brush and combed hair for at least 20 minutes. It was pretty hilarious. Maybe the boys did need their own pony...

Gummy Bears

While at the park a friend gave a couple gummy bears to each of the kids. Hannah stuck hers in her mouth, took a couple chews, looked over at me quizzically and said, "I don't know how to eat this."