Our Starr Stories: Remembering Easter 2011

Even though Easter was later this year, it seemed to sneak up on me! Maybe because we had just returned from vacation. But I think it was one of my favorite Easter weekends yet.

Jonathan had to work on Saturday so we did our egg hunt on Friday night.
I will always remember that we had tilapia sandwiches that night with coleslaw and sweet potato fries. And that the kids actually ate it!

I will remember the little egg treasure hunt the easter bunny/peter cottontail wanted them to go on before anything else. The eggs had little objects and scriptures that represent and tell about the Easter story.

I will remember their giddiness when the kids opened their Easter baskets and found thoughtful gifts for each of them.

I will remember their excited faces and little legs running all around trying to look for Easter eggs, and helping their little cousin Neal find eggs too.

I will remember how excited this boy was and how seriously he took the task of finding each egg. Evan loves to talk to us a little bit before he goes to bed each night and each night it is the same thing--About going to the pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating, and after Easter he added, easter egg hunts to the list. I guess these are a few of his favorite things!

I will remember my sweet Luke-y and his piercing eyes following the kids' every move.

I will remember our first (and last) time to go to the city easter egg hunt. Luckily Aunt Misha came with us because she was able to take Maddy and Evan while I had Luke and found a parking space. I missed the whole "hunt" and saw several sad children going back to their cars as I was headed to the park. I was trying to prepare for the sad faces I would see with my own children, thinking they must not have found any candy, but Aunt Misha made sure they got plenty of candy. But it was a zoo!!! And the little candy that was there was just laid out on the grass without eggs. It made me sad lots of kids ended up with little to nothing.

But Aunt Misha came through for them!!! Thanks Mish!! :)

I will remember me and my snuggly 7-MONTH OLD!! and how I didn't want this moment to end.

After the hunt we went home to dye eggs!!

We ate a festive lunch and colored while we waited for the eggs to cool.

I will remember how Evan colored "Woody" on his egg and was obsessed with putting eggs in all of the colors. We had to start limiting how many eggs he got.

I will remember how creative and thoughtful Maddy was when drawing on her eggs and how she made a special "Mommy" egg.

I will remember how I was determined to make my children's Easter outfits and how I only had a week to do it!! I am Crazy!! But I will remember how excited the kids were throughout the whole process and how they even prayed for me each morning to help me get their skirt and necktie done. The prayers (and some late nights with friends) did the trick.

And I loved creating something for each of them.

So fun to twirl and dance!!

Oh, this sweet boy!!!! I just want to kiss these cheeks ALL THE TIME.

"I found my feet!"

My precious 5-year-old girl. xoxo

And my lovable Evan...and all of his many faces!

I will also remember how this was our last Sunday before our ward split (we are no longer the growing ward!!!!!) and after 4 years, our last Sunday meeting at 1:00 for a while.

We now meet at 9 am!

I will remember the feeling of watching my husband and brother-in-law play "Jesus Once of Humble Birth" in sacrament meeting. Jared arranged the piece and it was so powerful. It made me remember again the miracle of that first Easter morning when our Savior was resurrected and the hope He brings to everyone, that he overcame the world and lives again. He lives. And so lovingly gives us hope that we can overcome and live again too.