Happy Easter!

Spring has always been a bipolar weather season in Utah. One day will be sunny and warm, and the next day a storm will roll in, drop the temperatures, and leave a blanket of snow. However, through all the changes in weather, the world comes alive. I have enjoyed peeking out the window each morning to see what flowers have bloomed or strolling through our little orchard to see the blossoms. It has been a visual reminder of new life. There is a moment each morning when I simply take a breath and all seems right in the world...even though it's not. Still, for a moment, the world is at peace, and my heart fills with gratitude for the beautiful place I am lucky enough to live in.

This year's Easter party wasn't quite as large (quantity wise) as years past due to social distancing recommendations because of the coronavirus, but we were still able to celebrate all our normal traditions! Our celebration started on Saturday (April 11). I always like to participate in the more commercialized aspects of Easter on Saturday and reserve Sunday for the true spiritual meaning of the holiday. Jonas was so excited to color and hide eggs. The older kids have kind of moved beyond coloring egg tradition so Jonas, Danny, Jeff and I got started without them.

Afterward, we divided up the plastic colored eggs to hide. The older kids still enjoy hiding each other's eggs and of course finding the "golden eggs". Last year, we started a new tradition of hiding two metallic looking eggs with money in them. The money is enough to provide an incentive for their diligent search...and sometimes overzealous wrestling to get the eggs. I think it has become Jeff's favorite part of the egg search as well. He loves hiding those two metallic eggs then watching the older kids struggle to find them. Jonas is simply content with his candy filled pastel eggs. This year, Dallin's girlfriend, Jackie, joined our festivities. (I'm really not sure why she subjects herself to all our chaos! She must really like Dallin!)

To top off our festivities, we had a burger BBQ with veggies, dill dip, chips, salsa, guacamole, and yummy potato salad. For dessert, I made Rice Krispy treats and cut them out in shapes of bunnies, eggs, and flowers. We had so much fun that while we were cleaning up the kitchen, Jonas just went straight to the couches and fell asleep.

That evening, the Easter Bunny hopped over to our house to leave buckets full of toys and goodies for the boys. Jonas woke up at 3:30 a.m. because he was so excited. Luckily, he ascertained there wasn't enough light to see the bucket's contents so I snuggled with him for a bit and he fell back to sleep. However, it wasn't too much longer before he woke up to discover the bucket's treasures. The Easter Bunny even dropped off some goodies for the older kids when everyone was here last weekend. He's funny because he included cloth face masks for everyone and a roll of toilet paper for our adult children. I guess Easter 2020 will be a memorable year because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

After I sat with Jonas as he went through his Easter bucket, I went to the living room to sit with Jeff. As we were looking out the window, Jeff pointed out the ray of light shining through the canyon. Again, there was a moment of peace as I walked out to the deck to admire the beautiful start of our Easter morning. I pondered on the beam of light illuminating the dark side of the mountain. Christ is that light that illuminates the darkness. The greatest peace I have found in difficult times is knowing that I have a living Savior who loves me. He died for me, but more importantly, He lives for me! I am not perfect. I have never claimed to be, but He is & He loves me. That makes me enough...even when I (or others) may not feel like I am. The same goes for everyone else. We are all trying. We are all striving. We all need forgiveness and we all need to forgive. We are all His...and that makes us enough. He lives! He loves! He endures!

Once Jonas finished his inventory of his Easter treats, he joined me in the kitchen where we read the scriptural account of Easter morning with the other boys then made Resurrection rolls (or empty tomb rolls). We placed a buttery (that represented the oils of embalming) marshmallow (the body of Jesus) sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar (spices used to anoint Christ's body) inside crescent roll dough (the wrapping of Jesus's body) then baked them in the oven (the tomb). When they were finished, we opened the rolls to discover that they were empty! The marshmallow had disappeared. Jonas was "so surprised". He loved all the symbolism (and the sugary goodness he got to indulge in afterward).

Next, we headed over to Gma and Grumpy's house to share sacrament and our Easter thoughts. I miss going to church with my friends and neighbors, but I have loved the intimate setting of worshiping in my home. The boys are more willing to share their thoughts and feelings as we discuss scriptures and thoughts about our Savior. Plus, it has motivated me to be more prepared to share my own thoughts, which requires me to increase my own personal study. While we there, we took the obligatory Easter Sunday picture. I love all of my boys!

The rest of the day was spent at home. It was just Jeff, the boys, and I. Jeff and I worked on a puzzle and the boys miraculously entertained themselves without fighting! The Easter Bunny got them all squirt guns. They decided to have a squirt gun war, which morphed into a yard hose war, which resulted in a redneck hot tub...in 47 degree weather! Crazy boys! They had to recreate a picture they took together in the watering trough 4 years ago (August 2016). I'd like to see them try this again in 4 years.

Then...

and now!

Finally, we ended our day with our traditional Easter feast: "lamb" (or roast...it's cheaper and the boys actually like it), a garden (of Gethsemane) salad, funeral potatoes (because he died), rolls (to represent the stone that was rolled away), and angel food cake (because He was resurrected) for dessert. It was the perfect Easter weekend! Even amidst all the chaos in the world right now, there was peace; there was joy; there was hope; there was love!