Honestly, we had the best Easter weekend we've ever had. I seriously can't think of any Easter that I enjoyed more!
Friday: Aside from Doug's mom's birthday lunch, I spent much of the day studying my lesson and then took a break after the family was fed and went out for a quick bite and fun gab session with Connie. We didn't even have date night because Stott's niece was visiting from Texas. Doug was exhausted from a long restless week, so my little getaway for 2 hours with Connie and then a casual rest of the evening for us all. The babes didn't stay at Mom's for their Friday night sleepover because we wanted everyone to get a good nights sleep and be ready to head to SLC early Saturday morning. Loved it! It was just what the doctor ordered!
Saturday: We attended the funeral of Doug's Aunt Agnes. What an incredible experience. Keeping in mind that I absolutely live and breathe for every experience possible with any of Doug's extended family, how could it have been anything else? Aunt Agnes was 94 years old. She lived a marvelous life filled with raising four remarkable children, serving in the church, teaching and traveling the world and in a marriage that was made in heaven. She passed peacefully in her home last week, eight years after Uncle Ivan had passed away. Aside from the fact that we will all miss her deeply, we could only celebrate her passing and reunion on the other side with her beloved husband and those others who've gone on ahead of her. And so, this was not a sad funeral. It was a glorious celebration of a life well-lived by a woman of amazing dignity and grace. The funeral service, I sit shaking my head as I type, were just remarkable. The Spirit that was felt in this service was tremendous. Words can not express my gratitude for being a part of Doug's amazing family!
Easter Sunday: The day was just perfect. Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect meal, perfect feelings among everyone. It was just a wonderful day. My Relief Society lesson went well. I'm always humbled by the comments made after I teach and am grateful for this gift that Heavenly Father has blessed me with.
I have to mention that I was most excited to hear a report from Doug after visiting with his cousin, Janet, who also teaches Relief Society in her LDS ward. He told me that Janet had mentioned that she studied all month long for her lesson. Doug was impressed and surprised to discover that I'm not alone in the demands that I put on myself to study for hours, every day, all month long for the 40 minute lesson that I'll teach at the end of each month. He teases me all the time that I could teach the lesson on the second day of study and preparation, but I would never feel comfortable with just that. This is the reason that I love teaching the principles of the gospel to the sisters in our ward... I am the one that benefits the most from all of the study in preparation! A selfish confession, I admit!
I'd had mixed feelings about having Testimony Meeting on Easter Sunday because it felt like Easter take a backseat, but I was so wrong. A wonderful meeting, that I can't remember any even coming close in comparison. No thankfulmonies, no travelogues. Just tender, sweet feelings of our Savior, His exemplary life lived in our behalf. I couldn't help but weep and when we came home, I gathered the babes and expressed my own feelings and testimony to them. It's so important to let your kids know why you live the way you do and make the choices you do! Enough said about that!
We are "different" about Easter. This is not an LDS thing... this is a Doug and Sophia thing. We've always played down the whole Easter Bunny thing. After church, ZJ was telling me about a few of her friends and their Easter Basket hunts. We do give a family Easter Basket, filled with treats and usually books or a movie. (This year, the new Harry Potter DVD.) We also hunt eggs in the yard, without the Easter Bunny hoopla. I asked ZJ if she felt sad that we don't do all of the fuss over Easter. She, in her ten-year old wisdom, answered, "Mom. Easter is not about a bunny or treats or presents. Easter is about Jesus Christ and that is why we celebrate it - not for baskets." A definite proud mommy moment!
After a week of discussing whether to have our family gathering at our house or the B's, and since I'd had such a busy weekend, I happily accepted Wendy's offer to have the family gathering at their home, so that I could focus on my lesson until after church. Again, I felt overwhelmed with joy all afternoon. Liza and Buddy, Kelly and Zaylee, my mom, Connie, the B's and the five of us were all gathered together for the best meal since Thanksgiving and an afternoon of fun and games.
Seriously, the meal was a feast ~ roasted turkey (Doug's best ever, we all agreed), Wendy's baked ham,funeral potatoes and homemade stuffing (oh my!), my gravy, deviled eggs, homemade rolls and spinach strawberry poppyseed salad, Connie's to-die for chocolate cakes (both of them!) Liza made yummy pretzel salad. She'll now be getting that assignment at Christmas too! Mom brought pies. The perfect meal! Check my cooking blog for the recipes to everything!
After dinner, we played games, had the egg hunt, enjoyed watching the kids all playing together and just gabbed until 9:15. I did not want the day to end! It was so great to have everyone there. I thought about it and only Dale, Willow and my Dad were not there. As I was cooking, I thought about Dad's cancer treatments and imagined what it would be like to have him well enough to join us for a big family affair such as this. I love family times! It truly was the perfect day!
Here's some shots from our little hunt:
Buddy was helping with the egg hiding. Just for the record... Buddy is my most favorite, wonderful and awesome son-in-law, who I did not say enough about his birthday last week, so he gets first shot! I love you Buddy! AND your twin-sister, Cami!
Stott hiding eggs and laughing, as always!
My favorite man in the whole wide world! Doug is not who you want to have hiding Easter Eggs. He hides them in places that they will never be found... and is quite proud of it, too, I must add.
Kayson, Stott and Wendy's oldest son. He's outgrown the hunting and now gets to hid the eggs with "the men". He also won our seriously played card game last night! Go, Kayson!
Miki didn't look for eggs, she just kept us entertained with her little chatty babytalk. Have I mentioned how much I love being a grammie?
Zaylee took this egg hunging seriously. She couldn't be bothered to do anything like smile for the camera because she had "work" to do! She actually ended up finding the most, with all the big kids help. Next year, she'll have to share the fun with Miki!
Grampie was showing Zaylee that some eggs had quarters in them too! She wasn't too impressed by quarters or even jellybeans. Zaylee prefers chocolate.
I was so busy following the babies that I didn't get too many shots of the babes! Grace was checking out the action across the lawn.
ZJ and Alyssa were taking inventory of their stash.
Quayd found the highest hidden egg, tossed his whole bag of eggs into the tree to knock it down and scored!
It was so fun to have Kelly with us for a family affair!
Since I didn't get Liza in one shot, here's another of Buddy to make up for it.
And my most favorite shot of the day... Miki is just too dang cute!
I express my gratitude for my family often on the blog, to each family member, to friends and to Heavenly Father every single day. But, there was something about this entire weekend that separated it from just any weekend or time with family. It was unique and special, positive and uplifting. I am blessed. Enough said!
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness.
It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
Beautiful pictures of the kids, specially Mikki, she is adorable! And Zaylee too!
Posted by: Nicole | Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 03:40 PM
Such a beautiful day! The pics of the babies are just precious! Spring is such a lovely season! So wonderful Kelly was able to join you.
Posted by: stevie | Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 09:18 PM