Easter Day

Each year it gets more difficult for the Easter Bunny to figure out what to bring the older kids. And this year I was mostly on my own for figuring it out because Curtis has been so busy with work and studying for his PE exam (Professional Engineer). I ended up going to the store 3 times in two days. I have learned also that it is not wise to wait until the weekend of to do the Easter shopping. Usually I try to avoid that but it didn't happen this year. I was able to get everything we needed for the girls on my own and I picked out a couple things for the older kids but Saturday night after Curtis got home from studying all day and we ate dinner I told him I needed his help so we both went to Walmart. Some of my problems with decision making were that I didn't want the kids to get tons of candy but I still wanted to do an egg hunt. So what could I fill the eggs with besides just candy? Then it was how many eggs? What colors? What candy can they eat with their braces? etc. Well, it wasn't easy but we finally came up with some basket goodies for the kids.

We like to allow one of the older kids to be either Santa's Helper or Easter Bunny Helper. This time we decided it was Nikki's turn. I don't think she had done it in awhile but she also was not really wanting to help....so of course we made her. I think she did enjoy helping put the baskets together and hiding most of them. Of course she didn't do her own. Jack told me that this year he wanted us to hide his basket in an impossible place to find. Garrett got the great idea to hide it INSIDE his big bass drum. I went ahead and let him do it. He was so excited about that spot but then Jack woke up at like 5 or 5:30am and did his searching while everyone else was sleeping, except for Curtis who had also woke up early to do some studying. I guess it took about 30 min of searching but Jack found it in the drum. I couldn't believe he actually found it! He had also found Charlotte's, Alice's and Garrett's baskets. Funny enough he couldn't find Nikki's basket, which I hid above the refrigerator behind my big picture that has kitchen conversions on it that was being held up by my empty vases. 

Garrett was SO upset when he woke up around 6 or 6:30 (I think Jack woke him up) to find that Jack had already found his basket and was working to unscrew the drum to get it out. Garrett really wanted to watch Jack look for his basket. He was so upset that he was crying on the couch, which is what got me out of bed. I told Jack he should have waited until everybody was up to search for baskets. We decided that we would re-hide Jack's basket. To teach Jack a lesson we put it out in the playhouse. Jack couldn't find it and we finally told him where it was. He was NOT happy. 

Well, with that little drama out of the way, the little girls really enjoyed looking for and finding their baskets and all the goodies inside.

A frisbee, umbrella, dress, nice sandals, unicorn swim mask, chocolate bunny and candy jewelry.

Charlotte got the same as Alice just different colors, except the mask which are matching.

Charlotte had said she really wanted a chocolate bunny this year and the Easter bunny knew!

The girls didn't eat very healthy on Sunday. They ate their bunnies for breakfast and other candy later for lunch after the egg hunt. I did finally make them eat a corn dog at least.

The older kids weren't quite as excited for the things they got in their baskets. Nikki however had told me not to bother getting her anything because she's too old for that now but we got her some stuff anyway. She said I did really good and that she liked the things she got in her basket. Yay, a win!

Nice sandals, shorts, frisbee disc golf set (Curtis's idea), chocolate bunny and M&M's.

Garrett got the same as Jack except different colors and Reese's instead of M&M's. Curtis wants these boys to play disc golf with us, ha ha.

Nice sandals, a phone lanyard that protects from water (for the beach, etc), sterling silver ball shape earrings because that's what she likes, chocolate bunny and robin eggs.

Before the morning session of conference started I decided last minute to do a short little lesson about why we celebrate Easter to remind those who were excited or those who might have been disappointed with what they received from the Easter bunny.  I pulled out some pictures from my gospel art kit to show them pictures of Christ suffering, dying and then being resurrected. I'm glad I did this because it was a good way to get their minds thinking about Christ and what Easter is about right before listening to our church leaders. I know I felt the spirit while I was talking to them as I got chills while I was talking.

During the morning session of conference I decided to fill the eggs to get ready for the egg hunt later. I ended up filling them with mini chocolate bars, jolly rancher jelly beans, chapstick (I found on the party aisle a pack of 7), and balloons. Some were rocket balloons where you pump them full of air but instead of tying it off you release it and it zooms around the room, sometimes making noise with it. Then there were a few punch balloons that have the string attached. Nikki and Garrett were in charge of hiding the eggs. Jack hid a special egg though that was golden colored and it had money in it that he donated. Alice found that one!

Garrett carried Alice's basket for her.

She found an egg up high in the playhouse!

Alice is holding up the special golden egg.

Jack pumping up a rocket balloon. He launched his first one outside in the front yard and it went right up onto the roof. Oops!

Since we hadn't colored eggs yet I decided we better do it after lunch and try to get it done before the last session of conference. Fortunately I did get the eggs boiled the day before so they were ready. The boys did not want to color eggs though so it was just the girls. 

We ate a nice dinner of steelhead salmon, fresh green beans cooked with bacon, and chicken flavored rice pilaf. The 3 youngest kids don't like fish so they ate chicken nuggets. Then we were excited to watch the live showing of the 1st episode of The Chosen season 2. We love that show and were not disappointed in this episode! Then we immediately watched the next episode of Relative Race. I love that show too, especially when they unite with their birth parents or siblings. It makes me cry almost every episode. Family is everything! It was an overall great Easter day even though we didn't go anywhere this year. Happy Easter!