Easter

I have to admit that Easter snuck up on me this year.  I had kind of forgotten how soon it was coming up until I saw a sign in our neighborhood advertising a community Easter egg hunt on Saturday....agh, that was just the next day!  Since Jeremy was working in the morning it was a great little activity for the girls and me.  When I told Cambrie to get dressed, she said that she wanted to be colorful like an Easter egg and found the brightest clothes in her collection.  I kind of like the effect. 

The only problem was that it was snowing!  Yes, it was freezing during our egg hunt, and my stubborn girls won't wear gloves to warm coats.  Oh well.

But the girls were tough and had no problem finding their six eggs each.  I was very glad when those twelve eggs contained toy rings, aliens, and bouncy balls instead of oodles of candy. 

McKenzie was such a pro little egg finder that when she wasn't looking I had to sneak the extra eggs out of her basket and throw them a little farther away for the other kids to have a part of the excitement.

My Easter morning started out with a youth sunrise fireside at the park.  It was still overcast, so we weren't able to see the sunrise, but the fireside was very nice.  One of our ward members is an expert about the period of time when Christ lives.  He knows a lot about the customs, lifestyle, society, traditions, etc... that really help the stories of Christ come to life.  It was a great way to start the day.  When I got home the girls were awake and were excited to see what the Easter bunny brought them.  Every year they get new dresses, and usually some type of toy.  But I've decided to start a new tradition where they will also get something Christ-related to help remember the reason for all he celebration.  This year they got a picture of Christ holding a little boy's hand.  I hope when they look at it they can feel how much Jesus loves them and cares for them. 

Once they saw their big gifts it was time to look for their Easter baskets.  Even after much hint giving, McKenzie still couldn't find hers for a long time.  She just thought I wanted her to play on her slide, not look under it. 

When Cambrie found her basket, she ran all around the house calling out, "Best Easter ever!" 

She got "Toy Story 3"...and chocolate. 

Then it was time to get ready for church.  I always have my doubts whether Cambrie will wear the dresses or not...she's very picky.  I was very glad when she wore it without much fuss.  Yea! 

Even though McKenzie's turned out too big (cute petite child) and I ended up safety pinning it on her, I still think they turned out all right.  With the girls' smiles, they turned out great. 

I just have to say that I love this holiday.  It is so nice to be reminded to think about Christ all the time and what he did for me.  The resurrection validates Christ's whole life.  It is why he did what he did.  He taught us, loved us, and showed us what we should do to return to Heavenly Father but without a resurrected body, we can't return to Him or become as He is no matter how hard we try.  I am grateful for his sweet love for me and for his role in my life.  He is my Savior, he has risen, and he lives.