Happy Easter

It was fun to have an early Easter this year. It came right at the end of our Spring Break here, so we had a whole week to prepare for it. We did a few small activities (games, videos, crafts) on Easter as well as the days leading up to it. On Saturday we officially started our Easter celebrations with an early morning temple trip. We left our house at 5 am to get to the temple next to BYU-Idaho by about 6:30. We had a couple family names that we needed to do baptisms for, so both Rebecca and I did that this time. The temple workers told us just 30-45 minutes, so Rebecca just sat in the car with the kids while I went in first. Unfortunately it was really crowded and it took me 2 hours. Rebecca went next. Knowing that it would be a while I took the children to the BYU-Idaho campus to play some games and walk around again. We spent some time talking about the temple and how the work done in there only makes sense if there is a resurrection.







When we got home the kids hung out downstairs for a bit and while I was "taking a nap" upstairs the Easter bunny came. Earlier Christian, Elliott, and I had organized all of the eggs by color so I just hid all of the eggs around the upstairs and then all the children got to go at the same time and just find their colored eggs. I hid them extra hard for Julia and Ethan this time so they needed a little extra help.



















Then on Sunday we tried to keep things more Christ-centered. We started breakfast with our resurrection toast tradition (really toad in the holes, but the middle bread piece represents the stone that they get to roll away). It was sunny out, so we were able to walk to church again. There were many great talks and lessons. We had our Easter sacrament meeting a couple weeks back, but the talks on that day still had an Easter focus, but linking it to the temple. It was great because it was exactly what we just talked about with the children.









For dinner we had ham like usual, but this time Rebecca boiled it, shredded it, then baked it in the oven with a little brown sugar and mustard powder. It was really good. We also had rolls, asparagus, and scalloped potatoes.



That night we got to do skype with my parents who are on their mission in the Philippines. Rebecca also got to talk to her parents. Overall it was a wonderful Easter weekend. I am so glad that we have this holiday to celebrate the resurrection of the Savior. What a wonderful gift that we have been given. That after we die, not only will our spirit go on living, but because of Jesus Christ our spirit will be reunited with a perfected body - one without flaws a limitations and one that will allow us to enjoy all of the physical things that we get to enjoy in this life, like eating yummy food, giving our loved ones hugs, exercising, and so much more.