This year Spring Break was a staycation at home, with the perfect bookends being General Conference and Easter!
Grammy came down to watch the second session of Conference with us on Saturday while she sewed Kolt's baby quilt for me. She's the best! It would take me forever to figure out how to do it and this is the last time I will have to pretend that I remember how to quilt. Or sew. I'm good for cutting out the squares though!
She even made Kasen a shirt that he requested with the extra squares.
One of my favorite talks was the very first one of Conference! Elder Stevenson invited us to think about how we can make Easter as meaningful as Christmas because the magnitude of it's importance deserves that.
"How do we model the teaching and celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Easter story, with the same balance, fulness, and rich religious tradition of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story?
"Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity.”
Imagine: the Nephites at the temple actually touched the hands of the risen Lord! We hope to make these chapters in 3 Nephi as much a part of our Easter tradition as Luke 2 is of our Christmas tradition. In reality, the Book of Mormon shares the greatest Easter story ever told. Let it not be the greatest Easter story never told. We cannot stand as witnesses of Jesus Christ until we can bear witness of Him. The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ because throughout its sacred pages, one prophet after another testifies not only that Christ would come but that He did come."
One major theme I heard during conference was to avoid contention, find personal peace and be a peacemaker. President Nelson, Elder Soares (See differences with more empathy and respect. Look for the best in others), Elder Christofferson (Never disagree or contend with anger) and Elder Ballard (Disagree without being disagreeable) all talked about it.
"I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them.
Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.
One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people." -President Nelson
"We cannot be a source of confusion about the importance of following prophetic counsel." -Elder Haynie
"He will one day “wipe away all tears” and make things right again.2 In the meantime, He can strengthen us to pass through our trials with confidence, good cheer, and peace." -Elder Camargo I'm bummed we didn't make it to Goblin Valley, but we didn't want to risk having a baby in Green River either. We made the most of it though with the most snow we've had all winter and Kohen having the fever the first couple days!
In 2020 we got to build a snowman on the 8th day of spring, but this year we beat that record by getting to build a snowman on the 15th day of spring! So Day 1 of spring break was snowman day. Complete with the dirt clots from just having aerated the lawn.
The corn stalks that never got cleaned out of the garden last fall worked perfectly for the arms.
Kasen had asked a while ago to make Ooblek, so this week we finally did! Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? I don't know, but it's fun to play with!
We also went to the library Wednesday, and with Knox and Tuck to Coconut Cove then out for ice cream on Thursday. I told Kasen that if he could finish the daddy cone this time that he could try a kong cone next time and he actually finished it. Must be my kid!
On Friday Kyle got to go fishing for the first time in a while. The whole month of March he worked overtime shifts on nearly every day off that he had. Once he got home though I got to go with Emma on a fun sister date to get pampered. Mike had set it up for her and we got massages AND mani/pedis! So super nice of him.
While I was gone doing that my Mom and Dad came to visit the kids and bring them all sorts of fun Easter treats.
Saturday we dyed Easter Eggs! The kit I had this year used dye in bags of rice to make the eggs look all speckled. I didn't think it was working that well at first, but we ended up with some fun eggs.
Kasen made a cool dragon looking egg and Tai's favorite ended up being a mermaid looking one.
Kohen mostly just wanted to smash them to eat them. He must have been hungry cause he tried eating the dyed rice too. He didn't want to dye many eggs before taking a break to go jump on the tramp. Tai always stays the longest to play and do activities.
Later that day we went to the park for an Easter picnic with Grammy Tammy!
And then she watched the kids while we went on our first temple date of the year. The next time we go will probably be to the new Saratoga Springs Temple!
Kohen was already asleep when we got home at 6:30. I thought he'd be up in the night, but he ended up sleeping clear until 8am on Easter morning!
"Belief in a God that requires nothing of us, is belief in a God that is making nothing of us."
Similar to Elder Christofferson's quote, "A God who makes no demands is the functional equivalent of a God who does not exist."
I am so grateful that because of Him we can improve, progress, overcome and become. I know that my Redeemer lives. And because He lives everything is better.
Happy Easter!
Kohen came upstairs and very first thing asked, "Where is my apple juice?" Haha Oops. I usually put a fun character juice with their baskets and/or stockings and forgot this year! He was immediately happy when he saw his "SharkDog" shoes though!
And this makes it all worth it! Giant smiles and so much excitement. Kasen had his new Dogman book read by the time I was done making German Pancakes for breakfast.
There was not near enough excitement for the blow up water slide though. I'm excited to have something to do this summer without feeling like I have to pack 4 kids to the splash pads though!
Even though it's a ridiculously over the top gift for Easter.
Kasen got a couple maps for his room and Tai is super excited about her Hatchimals.
Tai wanted to come with me to Choir before church so I let her come sing with me and she even came up with me to sing during sacrament. I love that she wanted to come sing!
After church we went to family dinner at Melanie and Jack's house and the cousins got to have another candy hunt in their backyard. Tai filled up her bag and then used her dress to collect more candy. Kasen convinced her that they should split up all the candy since Tai got the most and she was happy to share.
She has also let me know that she wants to be the Easter Bunny for Halloween and have and Easter Egg birthday party for her birthday this year. After having an Easter Bunny birthday party last year.
Gotta love that she loves Easter!
