Happy Easter Week!

This year we dedicated an entire week to learning/celebrating the gifts available to us because of Jesus Christ.  We kicked off our Easter week with Palm Sunday and then spent time each morning in family scripture study reviewing what was happening in the life of Christ during his final week in mortality.  We enjoyed 'flatbread' pizza for dinner one evening and Seder chicken soup another, etc.  It really made this special time of year more meaningful for us.

Yesterday, with the glorious spring-like weather, we equipped the children with gloves and garbage bags and sent them out for some yard clean-up. 

Great to see a little team-work in action...

Tanner pulling up the traps from around the yard. 

It could have been Aaron's awesome "varmint traps" and/or the wild cats that travel the canal bank behind our property - but our grass survived the winter 'vole free'.  Now that's something to shout about!

Notice Quinn in the distance?  While some of the kids were not thrilled with Saturday jobs, Quinn LOVED cleaning up the yard.  He traveled near and far collecting garbage and was so dedicated to the task at hand - we had to chuckle at his diligence.

Quinn and Heather break up the last of the ice chunks on north side.

We're growing lots of moss this spring...

Jantzen helped dig trenches for black drain pipe - to help divert rain water away from the house.  It was a slippery, muddy job - but he made a great effort and finished the work.

There was an incentive for getting Saturday work completed.

 G-ma and G-pa P were on their way for a visit.

Time to dye and decorate the eggs...

We had lots and lots of hard-boiled eggs - and made egg salad sandwiches for dinner later on.

After decorating, it was time for the big hunt. 

Anticipation levels were high with bags in hand...

And they were off.

With a yard this big, there were plenty of hiding places and it actually took the kids longer than 60 seconds.  The real highlight of the hunt -- mini bags of chips.  G-ma P included some in last year's hunt, and the kids were hopeful for a repeat! 

(Something exciting for them to add to their homemade lunches this week).

We marked off an area for Quinn and G-pa P made sure he didn't miss anything.

This was the first egg hunt in our own yard since moving here.  Hmm, guess there's often still snow around here at Easter time? Or we've been in UT for the Mapleton Egg Hunt...

Ever the multi-taskers, my parents put a For Sale sign up in front of their house here and we loaded up their pick-up truck with more stuff to cart around the country:)

Seeing the kids spread out their "loot" after the egg hunt reminded me of the "trading post" after trick-or-treating.

It was fun to observe all six of the kids playing outside together. 

 Did I mention how awesome our weather was this weekend?

We attended the General Young Women's broadcast together and visited the DQ drive-thru afterwards.  Thanks for joining us G-ma!

Later that evening, I had a client contact me for a much needed foot zone and then added G-ma and G-pa to the schedule before calling it a day.

Easter morning.  Wow!  It was a nice kind of different having Aaron around.  Since it was fast Sunday, we waited until after church to do Easter baskets.

Tanner - new track spikes.

Quinn - new Sunday outfit (since he recently took scissors to his only pair of pants).

Despite the pic, Jantzen likes the new tie:)

 Our Easter feast reminded me of a Thanksgiving feast - so yummy!  Turkey, mashed potatoes/gravy, sweet potatoes, roasted veggie medley, Mom's stuffing with pinenuts, etc.  And strawberry shortcake for dessert.  We said our good-byes as G-ma and G-pa headed home and then we went for a walk and visited with our home teachers.  

It was a wonderful day and a fantastic Easter week!