Easter Recap

Today is Easter - the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I so badly wanted some spiritual upliftment today. But, I didn't really get any. I was quite sad about it.

In church, we sat amongst "the families" because there were 6 of us rather than just the two of us. Please don't get me wrong...I love families. I love kids. I just don't love kids hyped up on Easter candy on Easter morning. They were all so crazy and loud and out of control that I couldn't hear the speakers at all. The talks seemed really good - what I did hear of them, but I would have liked to have heard all of them. I left church very unfulfilled, but I was so very happy to have Jen and her family with us on this special day.

We went to Gospel Doctrine and although our substitute teacher was pretty good, I've really taken a liking to the way the regular teacher teaches. There is just something about a woman teacher - they always know how to put a spin on a lesson that draws you in and helps you feel the Spirit. I've only ever known one male teacher that was like that - Ryan Jameson - and now he lives in Utah. Male teachers laugh that women have to have a tablecloth and "stuff" on the table, but you know, I think it really helps bring the Spirit into a classroom.

We stayed for Relief Society to make the announcement for this month's Enrichment - which I am so stoked for - and then everyone but C left (he had to say the closing prayer in High Priests) and went home to get dinner ready. Shane and the boys were amazing. They moved all the canned food storage into our bathroom (where the small can storage is in the linen closet) and ended up putting all the large canned food storage in a corner in the bedroom - ironically, where the rarely used treadmill USED to be (until I sold it). Hmmm...maybe that's the reason the treadmill sold so easily! Normally, having a pile of cans in a corner in my bedroom would bug the heck out of me, but....for some reason....it's doesn't! It's almost like I don't even realize they are there!

Jennifer helped me get a ton of other things done for dinner. I was feeling horrible - my headache was just getting worse and worse. I almost would rather have a migraine than have to continue to deal with this headache day in and day out. I have got to make an appointment with my eye doctor - I'm certain it's because of the way I'm holding my head because of these cruddy glasses.

We got the table set and quickly realized that I hadn't put the ham in the oven yet. I threw it in the crockpot on high while we waited for the potatoes to finish baking. I'd put the potatoes in early so they would be done before Lisa got here with the rolls. Everything worked out though and the ham soon got put in the oven on just about 50* higher than it was supposed to be.

Jonah and Jennifer then gave me two darling gifts. Jonah, with Jen's help, had made these little Easter story egg cartons. Inside were little eggs with parts of the Easter story inside. So very darling. I love it dearly.
Jennifer also brought me a basket of washcloths. Everytime she comes, she brings me new washcloths. I love, love, love them. So much nicer that those kind you buy at the store. These are filled with love and she always puts them in some kind of a little basket or such. I'm so appreciative of them!

Everyone soon arrived for dinner - Auntie Sigie, Uncle Ward, Lisa, Craig, and eventually Josh and Meredith (they had later church). It was our largest number of guests, so far, at our new table. The food was so good - ham, cheesy potatoes, green salad, Jen's lemon orange dreamsicle jell-o, green/yellow beans, rolls. Yum, except the beans. I didn't care for them. The ham rocked. Yum. So tender, juicy, and flavorful. It was a Safeway brand ham since I wanted a butt ham and that was the only brand available and the only place I could find a butt rather than a shank. (Note to self...go there next year again and get that brand. Good thing I bought another one - but smaller!) Fresh strawberry pie and/or chocolate cake for dessert. Yum.

During dinner, my neck muscle headache came on really strong and Shane came and rubbed most of it out for me. Just when I thought it was gone though, it came back with a vengeance. So, I headed over to the sofa to sit in my recliner which seems to be the only place it relaxes. Even Aleve has not been helping and that seems to be my miracle medicine of choice for most things as I am getting older and seem to be falling apart.

We ended up having the Easter egg hunt finally. How fun! I'd bought 4 dozen plastic eggs and a ton of jelly beans, along with $10 in quarters, a bunch of $1 bills, and a $5 bill. Jen and I had stuffed the eggs the night before and so all the guys and Lisa and Jen helped hide them. Taylor and Jonah had a fun time finding them all. It ended up pretty even at the end of the hunt, so it wasn't too bad "ensuring" it was even. Taylor even ended up sharing some of the "fundage" that was in his eggs to ensure that Jonah got an even amount. What a great brother!

Afterward, we played the "M&M game." Now, none of us at this shindig had ever played this game (except Jen's fam), nor did we know what the game was all about. But, it was completely hilarious and I will play it over and over whenever I have a chance in the future! Everyone gets a straw and a little Dixie cup. You dump a big bag of M&Ms into a medium bowl. One person rolls the dice. If they get a 3 or a 6 on either one of the dice, they grab the bowl from whomever has it and they start trying to suck up M&Ms with their straw and then drop them into their cup. The next person rolls the dice while the person sucking M&Ms continues to drop M&Ms into their cup. If that person doesn't roll a 3 or 6, the next person grabs the dice and rolls and so it continues until someone rolls a 3 or 6 and grabs the bowl from the person still sucking up M&Ms.

We could not stop laughing! Auntie Sigie and Lisa were playing with us and they were laughing so hard that they were crying. Auntie even let out a couple of cuss words!

It was such a fun afternoon. It was great having all this family here with us and being able to celebrate the day together. What great memories!