Easter 2016

Easter 2016

We started our celebrations early on Saturday out at the lake. We met my mom, Stacey, John and their kids, and Kelley and Elle out at the lake. It is weird not having my grandma out there this year. She seems to be doing well in Rexburg near my aunt Marji but we miss her.

The lake was gorgeous as usual despite it being overcast. We did get a few sunbursts and that was nice.

It was such a fun day out at the lake. It was nice to just be able to relax and chill after a crazy week and half of worrying about our mother. We met at the lake around noon and had a fantastic Easter feast: Ham, funeral potatoes, jello, rolls, veggies and ranch, green punch, and birthday cake. It was also a quadruple birthday celebration for: Stacey, Kelley, Elle, and Bryn.

We had our annual Easter Egg Hunt with the eggs hidden by John, Tyler, and Kameron. This year they kicked it up a notch and made it quite a bit more challenging now that the kids are getting older.

Lining up: youngest to oldest

Ailey and Dane

River

Elle on the run

Brynnie

Kameron lining them up to give them two additional hints when the coveted golden eggs still hadn't been found. It was MUCH harder this year!!

Smaller group this year. We missed having Reilly here and we missed our Ellersick cousins who usually celebrate with us.

Ailey and Bryn in their matching outfits. That almost never happens anymore. Sniff.

Our cute man boy!!

When I saw Kameron and how darn cute he looked I had to go all Mama Goldberg on him and smother him with kisses. He was not having it! Ha Ha.

And then he was having it... because he is a sweet boy who loves his mom. What he isn't...is that much taller than me. I think I was standing in a gopher hole or something.

Then it was onto the forbidden Easter Egg Toss for the grown ups:

You might think that it would lose some of it's danger and excitement with Granny living in Southern Idaho now...but you would be wrong...it is still thrilling. :)

This year our eggs turned out pretty cool...nice and bright!!

Then it was onto the birthday party portion of our day...

Bryn and Elle have birthdays two weeks apart. Elle's birthday is at the end of March and Bryn's birthday is the first part of April.

Kelley and Stacey both have birthdays in March.

Ailey and Grandma

The manly men...who are always completely outnumbered: John, Dane, Tyler, Kameron

Dane and River

Happy Birthday Stacey, Kelley, Elle and Bryn!!

The boys played basketball most of the day and the little girls played outside for hours finding treasures on the beach and then making this video about their "lake treasures museum." So funny. Bryn is the narrator. They found some cool things. This reminds me of what I used to do with my cousins...finding things on our hikes at the lake and making collages with them and our VERY favorite activity was taking our floating mats out past our dock and then diving off of them with our goggles and finding all the treasures that had fallen into the lake out of people's boats. My kids and their cousins do this too. I love it!! 

The Lake Treasures Museam...and Bryn's shadow

Easter Sunday we were up at the crack of dawn...even before dawn cracked...to do our Easter baskets because we have early church and we had to be there a half an hour earlier than that because Kameron was in charge of the bread and had to prepare the sacrament. There was no time for much of anything including breakfast. We ate candy for breakfast. Woohoo. It was also absolutely pouring rain and there was no way to take any cute pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits before church. Then it absolutely poured rain all through church and for the rest of the day. I did get a few pictures after church on our porch but we are slightly worse for wear.

Picture we texted to Reilly

Here were some of the delicious treats that were made by Ailey for our Easter Luncheon:

Tyler helped with the cupcakes too. They are my kryptonite. Homemade Coconut Cupcakes. It doesn't get better than that!!

All in all, it was a wonderful Holy Week and Easter weekend. Despite the hectic month and all that we had going on we still found lots of opportunities to reflect on our Savior's Atonement and glorious Resurrection. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ.

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL EASTER!!