Easter Dinner

It was our turn to host Easter dinner this year and we really had so much fun putting it all together. Unfortunately, Don was out of town the entire week before, so the day before was a bit stressful trying to get everything ready, but once he got home, it all came together and made for a very enjoyable family easter celebration.


I have to show off the jelly bean bracelets I copied out of the Family Fun magazine. They are made with elastic string and pastel colored jelly beans (which are hard to find). I made one for all 10 girls and boy were they a sticky nightmare! It seemed like it would be an easy task to whip them out, which is why I took on the project, but when the needle got sticky after the first jelly bean, it got a little tricky! The girls loved them, though, and that's all that matters, right?

And, the cupcakes? I can't take credit for those. Don's Mom made those and can you guess what the flowers are made of? Tiny marshmallows that she simply cut in half. Go ahead...double click to enlarge the picture and see for yourself. She insists that it was the easiest thing in the world to create. I thought they were the cutest things ever and they LOOK like they took hours and hours to create, so everyone thinks you slaved over them. And that's all that matters, right?

Easter morning

What is wrong with this picture? Oh yeah, it's Easter morning, my kids are dressed in spring clothes and it's freezing, raining, dark, and depressing outside. Not exactly my idea of a lovely Easter morning. But, it was a beautiful day anyway. The talks in Sacrament meeting were so uplifting and inspiring and it was good to take some time to reflect on the Savior and His atonement and resurrection. That is what Easter is all about.

The Ward Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, before Easter, we attended our ward's Easter Egg Hunt, and Don was still out of town. It was a great little party, complete with a hunt for eggs, picnic lunch, and games for all the primary children. All five of my children are in primary this year, and I had my nephew, Hank, for the weekend, too, so it made for a great distraction!

Aren't Home Teachers the Best?

Last week the kids and I came home to find our faithful home teacher mowing our lawn! Don has been crazily busy, or gone, and just hasn't been able to get out and mow. The young men were supposed to come and help, but when they didn't show up for a while, the kids pitched in and helped. Thank you, Bro. Ferguson!

"Thanks, Easter Bunny!"

On March 15, eight days before Easter, our family was assigned to clean the church. So, we got up early, worked hard, picked up our traditional donuts, and headed home to find this note on our door...

The kids went ballistic! The hunt was on as they screamed and ran all over the house filling their baskets with eggs and candy.

Wasn't it nice of the Easter Bunny to let Dad be part of the fun?

It's Tradition!

Every year when I leave for Girl's Weekend, Don gathers the kids together and they make their plans for their "special weekend with Dad". They make their menu for the weekend, go shopping and then plan all their activities. This year, Don wanted to do something a little extra, so they booked a cabin at Zion's camp for the night. The kids LOVED it. Before their trip, they caught the elementary school production of "Puss In Boots" and then hiked and canoed and explored and played. My kids really look forward to this weekend all year. And wasn't he cute to take all these pictures?

Girl's Weekend 2008

a.k.a. Girl's Gab Fest, as my brothers like to call it. We had another fabulous girl's getaway, our 7th annual! Yes, we started this tradition 7 years ago, and we love it. We leave our poor husbands and children at home (or kick them out if it's our turn to host) and enjoy a weekend of talking, laughing, crying, walking, shopping, eating, staying up WAY past bed time, actually getting to sleep in, and bonding together as women. It really is such a wonderful weekend to regroup and reconnect and refocus and remember what our role as women and wives and mothers is. I love my sisters and mom so much and feel so blessed to have them as my best friends!


Oh, and one added bonus. It's usually in California, so I got to soak up some much needed sun! It was a beautiful, warm, sunny weekend. And, yes, I took a picture of the sun. In fact, I think I might just put it up as my desktop picture.

Don's Creation

This is what happens when your husband has too much time on his hands stuck in a hotel somewhere far away...

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