Happy Easter 2017!

Easter is my favorite holiday.  This year felt especially wonderful.  It was a beautiful day spent with the people I love most.  

The three oldest kids got to sing the song "Gethsemane" with the primary kids during Sacrament meeting.  It was so sweet to see Camille up front for the first time with the Primary kids. She was such a ham up there singing all of the words and smiling like crazy.  My eyes watered up, but I think it was mostly from holding back laughter at how funny Camille was to watch.  The messages given in Sacrament meeting were thoughtful and inspired and drew my thoughts closer to the Savior and His love for us.  

Earlier that morning we had a nice breakfast of creamed eggs (hard boiled eggs sliced into a white gravy and poured over toast — a well loved recipe from my childhood) and read a story from the Friend magazine about Easter.  Then we all got in our Sunday best before searching for Easter baskets.  

After church we snapped a few pictures and then were off to the other side of town for a delicious ham dinner at my cousin's home where I snuggled up her two week old baby boy.  We ate and enjoyed each others company.  The kids had so much fun playing.  Then they all fell asleep in the car on the way home.  That always makes for an easy bed time!

I love this cute boy's happy smile.  He was born on Easter Sunday last year and this Easter he took his first steps!  And I love that other cute boys smile too! ;)

 Brett loved getting his peas-in-a-pod in his Easter basket.  It's become an inside joke with us so I knew he'd love them.  Here's the story of how it started.  
I got a hammock for Christmas that's green, and the kids would hide in it and then pop their heads out and say, "Peas in a pod!"  Then when we were eating snap peas one day Brett opened his up and showed me the peas and said, "Hey Mom!  Peas in a pod!" And then he swung the pea pod like a hammock and said, "Hammock!"  And then we both laughed really good.  So now peas and hammocks are forever tied together in our minds.  These particular peas can be found at the Disney store.  :)

A simple setting for Easter breakfast.  I like to set the table for breakfast the night before for special occasions, especially for Easter and Christmas.  It sets the mood right away for the kids when they wake up. I hope that it helps them feel how special the day is.

 Trader Joe's had some great spring flowers so I braved the Saturday crowd and searched out the perfect bunches of flowers while Camille and Brett followed me with their adorable kid sized carts.  I was so worried they'd hit somebody's ankles with their carts in that crowded store, but we made it!  At home I put together this arrangement for us and a similar one for my cousin to welcome her new baby.  

I think one of the things that I love most about Easter is how simple it is.  I put up decorations, but not as many as Christmas.  It isn't quite as commercialized in the world as Christmas.  I like to keep it that way in my home.  It has my mind swirling already with how I can simplify our Christmas decor and keep it beautiful and directed to the true meaning, while keeping a little bit of the fun.  Just some thoughts.  Have a great day!