Family Easter Weekend

We have had a glorious weekend with the family in PA. This is one of my favorite things about spring, for so many reasons.

The kids love the time playing with their cousins. My parents' backyard is one of their favorite places in the world to be and it's easy to see why...

 Grandpa had four of them on the tire swing....

The centerpiece of the yard is its huge tree- any child's dream!

And not only is it perfect for climbing and swinging, it is also beautiful. Every spring it is completely covered in the most intricate pink blossoms...

On Saturday afternoon, the ladies had a very special appointment. My sister said, "Yes." to a very important question and that afternoon, she said "Yes." to the dress!We had a great time watching her try on dresses. She looked stunning in all of them, but found just the right one for their special day. Sorry, no sneak peeks till the big day.

Then it was time for the activities to begin. We have a project/craft/art loving crowd with these kiddos and this weekend was right up their alley. We started by decorating egg-shaped sugar cookies. Love the new Flavor Creations icing mixes- so yummy and beautiful colors!

Logan, working hard. I think his tongue knew what was coming...

Julia and her bunny creation...

Zach getting a taste test. "That's okay, right?!"

Two artists creating masterful stripes. Julia and Mammy (great grandma)...

Anderson, our resident Martha Stewart and master crafter, ready to eat his yummy creation...

Brooke enjoying one of her many pretty cookies...

Carter had dibs on the mint chocolate chip bowl...

After dinner and a full day of outside fun, we had the kids dye eggs. They were very serious about their endeavors and did a really good job on their own.

I love the egg spinner. We have used it ever since Carter was a toddler. (They still sell the same one.) It is so easy to use, just like a toy. It spins the egg to cover it in dye. We have never cracked an egg, no matter how enthusiastically we pump the spinner. And if you help with the process, they can actually come out with clean hands never having to touch the dye.

Sunday morning we were up bright and early. The kids loved the surprises in their Easter baskets.

Apparently when Mimi stayed with them a few weeks ago, she asked them what kind of surprise they might like for Easter and their answers were Star Wars costumes...

The one day a year when candy is an acceptable breakfast food...

The kids were all excited to be going to church together. Our family is growing and we now take up two pews! They all did great.

The service had a really good message about the hope and peace we can find in death in our own lives because of the hope offered at the cross. The power of the Easter message is never more real than when we find ourselves saying goodbye to someone we love or facing our own mortality. But it is not just there. The cross brings hope to suffering, injustice, human sin, failures, and to every seemingly hopeless, moment of despair. In all its mystery and impossibility, it brings the fullness of life when this world has nothing left to offer. Hallelujah, He is risen!!

Grandpa, Mimi, and their munchkins...

Beth and Erik with Anderson, Brooke, and Zach...

 

While we got everything ready for Easter dinner with our extended family, the kids decided to make tiaras and crowns...

Queen Amadala hard at work...

The royal court...

Some baseball practice out back...

Then it was time for another project- painting figurines....

Carter and Grandpa took a break to watch the Masters (Way to go, Bubba! We loved it! Here's a great article about his win and his faith)...

Julia checking out the lamb butter before we feast...

Uncle Mike carving the lamb...

A delicious feast- spinach salad, ham, roasted lamb, cranberry gastrique, brussel sprouts, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, pineapple casserole, scalloped tomatoes, and homemade bread.

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And just in case you were still hungry after that, don't worry, we have dessert- homemade candy (dark chocolate covered coconut eggs and PB eggs), chocolate kahlua ganache cake, pineapple trifle, fruit streudel, PB balls,

fun marshmallow pops...

and these adorable pretzel candies...

The weather was beautiful all weekend and we had a fun afternoon together outside.  Nicole and Echo...

Kyle playing basketball with the kiddos...

The egg hunt is an annual tradition. This year the kids eggs were color coded. Each child was assigned a color and that had 20 eggs to search for. This works great because the hiders can tailor the difficulty to each one and no one feels the pressure to race.  Carter found himself up a tree retrieving a few of his...

Alex and Justin getting in on the fun...

Great Gramma K watching all the fun...

Looking back on this weekend the blessings just overflow... Julia's clean scans, Beth and Erik's engagement, our 10 year wedding anniversary, Kyle and Echo's coming baby, the gift of four generations of family under one roof, abundant food, good health, the joy of cousins, endless playtime, shared laughter, the joy of family, and the true peace and hope of our Savior!

Happy Easter from our family to yours!