Easter: a little Fun, a lot of Thankfulness

"Easter Bunny. Easter Eggs?" These were the first words out of the mouth of a still sleeping Dominic as I lifted him out of bed last Sunday morning to get him ready for church. His eyes were still closed as I dressed him while he layed like a blob on top of the bed. He kept repeating it, like a mantra. Too funny!

Our Easter turned out to be a 3-day celebration this year! On Friday, we ate bird eggs that we placed in our home-made "nests". Our friend, Amber, and her kiddoes had a slumber party with us Thursday because both of our hubbies were in New York for business... so she brought over everything for this fun little craft/treat. Just LaChoy noodles, butter, marshmellows, candy eggs... and so much fun!

Saturday when the boys woke up, they found a jellybean trail from their rooms to the living room, where Bunny had left them their baskets.

Damon is a jellybean-a-holic, we found. He doesn't even chew them. He probably had his entire trail in his mouth but hadn't chewed or swallowed a single jellybean... for fear that someone else would snatch them up!? I don't know, but we thought the kid was going to choke for sure.


The sugar-fest... and testing out the new train and cars...

After their clothes were on and we were getting ready for "The Hunt", Damon found a stray bean and it took all of 2 seconds for the colored drool that dribbled from his mouth to ruin his new shirt. Sheesh!

They had so much fun looking for the eggs in the back yard.

Dominic doesn't try to open each one before putting them in the basket this year... he gets it, and he had a basket-full in a matter of minutes. Damon actually gets it too, but Daddy has to help him or he'll get distracted and try to open each egg as he finds it... meanwhile Dominic makes out like a bandit!

Damon's method of opening the eggs? Throw them on the ground as hard as you can so it bursts open. Smarty pants.

Here's a bunch of Hunt pictures...

Two lukcy ducks with baskets full of loot...

We headed over to Marley Farms this year for some Easter fun. It was really crowded, but after their ridiculously crazed Easter Egg Hunt (which, thankfully we were too sane to even think about participating in) most of the throng left and we were able to enjoy the cute little farm. I am so, so sad... I forgot my camera!! But it's probably best, because instead of worrying about the pictures, I focused on having a great time... and we did!

We did manage ONE picture... on Rich's camera phone. Because it was a REALLY big deal. To me, at least. Dominic rode a big horse. All by himself... with someone leading it. He held on to the saddle horn and sat up tall in the saddle. As they led him away I was sure he was going to panic and I'd have to run out there and get him down... but no! He sat there with a huge grin on his face as the horse walked around the path and out of our site. He LOVED it! I knew my Daddy was watching and beaming with pride. My little Dom, who is a bit of a ninny... loves horses. Wow!

Here's the little cowpoke on the trusty steed...

While we were at the Farm, the boys each got a bag of feed. The giggled as the goats nibbled it out of their hands, tickling their palms in the act. Damon was nervous at first, but after one or two times, he couldn't get enough of it. He kept saying, "Ag-nnnnn! Ag-nnnnn!" (Again!) So much fun. I wish I had pictures. :( After feeding the goats, we walked into a dirt corral filled with goats, sheep, and llamas. The boys ran around, just giddy, petting each one and getting sooo dirty I had to remind myself they were having the time of their lives.

We also got to go on a train ride. This was, of course, the highlight of our outing (except for Dom's horse ride - that was the highlight... for me, anyway). And also, Dominic was able to meet the Easter Bunny. He was so excited when he spotted him from afar! We ran through the crowd to take a peek. He was a large bunny... over 6 feet tall. And... he had a reeeally big pair of front teeth. Dom decided he was a questionable creature and freaked out after cautiously giving him a high five. I don't blame him... he looked questionable to me too.

All in all, we had an awesome time at "Old MacDonald's" Farm (as Dom named it). But on a more important note... let me tell you about the wonderful lesson I had in church the next morning, in Relief Society (a class the women go to, one of the 3 hours of church). But first, here's the little bunnies before church in their Easter outfits, complete with combovers...

The lesson was, of course, on Easter. The teacher talked about Easter being about the Atonement of Christ, and how the Atonement was made up of TWO main things...

1. Christ's suffering for our sins in Gethsemene and on The Cross.

2. The Resurrection

Whenever I think of the Atonement, I tend to focus a lot on #1. It's not a bad thing to focus on... it makes me terribly grateful, humbled, and makes me want to live a better life. But it was so wonderful, especially at this time in my life, to look at the other part... #2. The Resurrection.

The teacher in our Relief Society class is my good friend. My dad and her dad both had cancer... and we supported each other like no other friends could during the last year because our daddies were literally dying together. Hers passed 6 weeks after mine. In her lesson, Carol held up a picture of her sweet dad. As she recounted his last hours on Earth, (which are strikingly similar to the last hours I spent with my daddy...so I was a mess), through her tears, she bore testimony to the class that she knew she would be with him again because of the Resurrection.

She told of a tradition of a family who, every Easter Sunday, took a trip out to the cemetery to sit on the grass and think about how much the Resurrection meant to those people. And about how much it meant to her, now that she had a man that she loved on the other side. How much more wonderful it was to her now, that we live again after death.

I could not agree more. I look at the entire Plan of Salvation differently, now that my dad... my hero... is on the other side of the veil.

I drove all around the town of Gilbert Sunday after church... wishing for all I was worth that I could be at the little cemetary in Rupert, Idaho...sitting by my daddy's grave, thinking about what the Resurrection means to him. To us.

My eyes fill with tears just writing about it. I am so thankful. I think Easter is now my favorite Holiday. Happy, happy Easter.