Easter

I LOVE Easter. 

This year Easter started on early Saturday morning.  I didn’t sleep well, my mind racing with every thing I needed to do and I was eager to get moving and quell my nervousness.  You see, I coordinate the neighborhood Egg Hunt.  It’s something I completely volunteer for but thoroughly enjoy doing.  I did it last year for the first time and heard it went sensationally well.  Ironically I wasn’t there.  I planned it and then the night before, dropped everything off to friends and headed out for a funeral.  So I was really glad that this year, I got to enjoy the whole process.  I collected donations and hosted a mini girls-night/egg-filling party.  We spent three hours talking and filling eggs which was actually a lot of fun.  We got a TON of donations.  At least 50% more than last year.  So much in fact that we ran out of eggs twice and I finally decided to buy the rest of the candy back and save it for other projects.  On Saturday morning we taped off the sections (Husband arrived just in time to help having been gone the whole week) and scattered hundreds of eggs across our spacious park and grassy field.  I got the prize table set up and my mom and friend settled in to run it.  And then at the magic appointed hour, we turned the kids lose and then swept across the field, collecting 10-16ish eggs each.  They got SO much loot.

We returned home and settled in to watch the first session of conference.   The girls were thrilled to play “conference cups” again and it works amazingly well to hold their interest.  (A dozen red solo cups, each labeled with a key word and filled with treats as a reward if they listen as hear that keyword.)  Meanwhile I filled egg shells again in preparation to be joined by cousins! My brother brought his six kids to visit and we loved having them here.  He’s getting divorced and while that breaks my heart, I’m so glad to get to spend time with him and the kids.  We had a big barbeque in the backyard, watched conference (his kids loved conference cups too!), did an egg hunt and dyed eggs.  Mom and I put together a traditional dinner just as the men headed out for the evening Priesthood session of conference so we ate without them and then played into the evening until bedtime.

On Sunday morning, the kids played for awhile as all the adults stumbled into wakefulness.  Then they came downstairs together and discovered their baskets.  My girls loved their new books, chocolate bunnies and treats.  We feasted on pancakes and watched another session of conference, during which I slipped away to begin making rolls.  We had a quick lunch together and then everyone headed out.

We left, picking up Grandpa on our way and stopping briefly at the cemetery.  Grandma bought Easter lilies every year so Grandpa continued the tradition, bringing us an Easter lily as well as taking one to the cemetery for mom’s grave.  We headed north together, leaving another lily at his mom’s grave and then arriving at the aunties’ house to join in the fun.  The kids raced off to play with cousins and investigate the toy room.  Husband and I puttered around, visiting and helping out where we could.  I brought a billion homemade rolls to share.  Of all the amazing food Mom used to make, her rolls are legendary and she brought them for every special occasion.  So I offered to bring them and probably stressed more than I should have to make them perfect.  And truthfully, even if they were the exact same, I probably would have still felt the little twinge of disappointment.  But they were so good and we were glad to share (even if I made way too many).  I also brought stuff for one more egg hunt, which we hid rather well and ended up taking the kids longer than anticipated.  And then we feasted with our crazy wonderful family.  We talked and laughed and reminisced and ate until we were stuffed.  And finally headed home.