Easter/Conference Weekend

Did the Easter Bunny visit your house this weekend? Well, at our house he came a little early. Like Thursday.

You see, the Easter Bunny has always visited our house on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. One day early, but this gives us Saturday to focus on the Easter Bunny and Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. We've loved doing it this way to help the kids separate the fun and candy and learn about the true reason will celebrate this holiday.

But this year, the Easter Bunny didn't hide the goodies very well and the kids found them on Thursday. I blew it off and told them some of the things were gifts for someone or something and hoped they'd just forget. Then I could "explain" on Saturday morning. But they kept getting them out every five minutes and asking about them. So Daddy took the kids upstairs and Mommy set things up. Ugh.

The kids were so excited coming down the stairs that we couldn't get a non-blurry picture.

I explained to the kids that the Easter Bunny gets so busy with his deliveries that he sometimes drops things off early and lets moms and dads get it ready Easter morning. I had called the Easter Bunny and let him know that the kids found his stash. He said that it was okay that we celebrate early. They seemed to buy it just fine. Hopefully I haven't ruined Easter forever!!

I tend to go WAY overboard on holidays lately. So I've been focusing on cutting back. I don't want my kids to think they are entitled to lots of STUFF as they grow up. So they each got a coloring book, a video, a new toothbrush and fun shaped floss, and of course they're chocolate bunnies. Then they each had 6 large colorful candy filled eggs hidden around. They had a blast hunting for them and munching on the candy all day. It was nice to not have loads and loads and loads of candy leftover for weeks later. I liked this more minimal Easter.

Then we were able to spend Saturday and Sunday listening to conference. I had printed coloring pages and activities from The Friend website and the kids colored and painted and played quietly while we listened. I also spent some of my time listening making some file folder games for the kids. They played them all through conference and now I can't wait to take them to sacrament meeting on Sunday! I'm hoping this will completely change our Sunday experience. :)

I can't even tell you how many times Jason and I looked at each other and said, "Wow! That was a great talk!" or "We need to read and study that one later!" It was such an incredible conference! (As if I expected something less?) I am so sad that it's over. I love sitting quietly with my family, enjoying each other's company, and feeling the spirit as we listen to the music and words from our Prophet and apostles. I wish it were October already! I'm ready for another 8 hours!! :)

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter/Conference weekend!! And I hope you were able to feel His spirit bear testimony to you what this incredible holiday means for us. That He lives and that because of Him we will live again with our Savior, our Father and Mother in Heaven, and with our families for eternity. I just love the knowledge and peace this gospel brings!!