Easter Fun

Easter was so fun with a toddler this year! I am finally finding the time to write about it, more than a week later! (What else is new?) =)

The Saturday before Easter we were pretty busy running errands all day and doing some stuff for our (almost-finished!) house in Saratoga, but we did take time to get some Gandolfo's sandwiches and have a little picnic lunch at the park near our new house. It was pretty windy and there were lots of people there flying kites, which was fun to watch. Kites always remind me of spring and Easter, because I remember being so excited about getting a kite for Easter when I was young. That was the kind of gift we would always get for Easter each year...something simple. Tommy had fun on the playground and I'm so glad we will have one so close, since we probably won't be putting in our yard for awhile! I had wanted to color eggs with Thomas that night, but we were gone so long that it was bedtime and he was quite grumpy and tired when we got home. So, I had fun coloring eggs with my little brother Jared. It was probably better that I didn't involve my very curious and busy toddler with something that involved breakable eggs and cups full of vinegar and staining dyes!

Sunday morning we have church early, so we hurried to show Thomas the basket the Easter Bunny had brought him. He got chocolate of course, some cool new crayons (that will hopefully last longer than the previous set!), stickers, a cute fluffy yellow chick (or "duck" as he calls it!), and a beautiful book with pictures of Jesus. Then we got him all dressed up in a brand new outfit I bought him just for Easter, and he looked so handsome! I loved his classy blue dress shirt with the striped yellow tie and slacks, but my favorite were the dapper new Sunday shoes. He looks so grown up when he's all dressed up! I also decided, last minute the night before, to buzz his hair. He just barely got his hair cut around Valentine's Day, but I must not have had her cut it short enough because it was already in kind of an un-manageable state. So, I got my buzzers and just cut it all one length. We did this a couple of times last summer...He looks really cute with his hair buzzed, but it always takes me some getting used to at first. Its no big deal though, since his hair obviously grows so fast!

After church and after his nap, we took Thomas outside for his very first Easter Egg Hunt! (We would have done it Saturday, but we were gone almost all day and didn't get back til dark.) The weather was perfect and I was so excited to watch him now that he's old enough to really hunt around for eggs! It was fun hiding them all around Grandma & Grandpa Kotter's yard. We showed him the first few to get him going, and then just kind of led him in the areas where the others were. He got really into it, and it was so cute to watch him run when he spotted another egg! After he had found them all we were sad that it was over so quickly, so we re-hid them all for him to do it again! We showed him there was candy inside, and it was funny to watch him pop open each one, scarf the candy, and then open another one, eagerly looking for more. I only put a few M&M's or Reeses Pieces in each egg (so he wouldn't gorge himself on sugar!) but in some eggs I put in one of the Hotwheels cars he already had. Since these are usually lost around the house, I figured he would be happy to see them! It was such a beautiful day and perfect for Easter. After the hunt the boys (my Dad and two brothers, Ryan and Thomas) went over to the school nearby to play catch. My mom then fed us a fabulous Easter dinner, highlighted by her famous chicken casserole and lots of my favorite, yummy rolls! I gorged myself and it was great. =)

So, it was a lovely Easter holiday! I am so grateful for my Savior, and for the chance to remember the sacrifice He made and all He has done for me. I know He lives and loves each one of us! I hope I can teach my children to know Him and to follow His example. I am so grateful for His gospel and for the peace and happiness it brings into my life!