Instagram v. 30

1:: Kitchen success
2:: Shamrock Shuffle
3:: Me vs. Baby Grace for the staple gun
4:: Lunch time with a bucket head
5:: Oh yeah, that just happened
6:: Painting marshmallows
7:: It was hailing, so this kid grabbed his coat and scooter
8:: Hoppy Easter
9:: Just lounging in a hole

Easter Festivities

The boys had lots of fun coloring Easter eggs. We used the Kool-Aid method and they kept begging to drink the dye because it smelled so good. But with no sugar and just a little bit of water to a whole packet I convinced them it would be nasty.

We dyed a couple dozen eggs, but they would have kept going if we had more eggs. Bentley hoarded all the ones he colored and insisted no one else could have them. Turns out he's not a fan of boiled (or any) eggs.

Saturday morning we headed to Ricky baptism. As we were waiting for his ward's turn we were able to watch a movie about Christ's life. As we watched and explained a little more to our boys it solidified that Easter is more than just candy. In fact, Easter morning I asked Bentley why we celebrate Easter. He answered that it was about Jesus dying and being resurrected, but he added at the end, I still really like the eggs.

After the baptism and lunch Chod and Bret scattered Easter eggs around the yard and the kids had an Easter egg hunt.

 Each kid was allotted 20 eggs and B carefully counted each of his eggs that he put in his bucket.

 Lincoln wasn't quite as concerned about following the rules.

 My chocolate lover.

And the boy who decided chocolate is yucky. Too bad the Easter bunny had already bought candy--that was heavy in the chocolate department before Lincoln spit a Cadbury mini egg out and called it disgusting. He gladly accepted Bentley's jelly beans.

Happy Easter

This idea for the 12 Days of Easter showed up in my Reader just in the knick of time for me to implement it this year. Every day there was an egg with a scripture and an item that went through Jesus Christ's last days. I didn't read any of the scriptures before, just threw it all together and went to bed. So, the next morning when we read Day 1 I started wondering if maybe it was a little too advanced for the crowd at our house. But on Day 2 Bentley ran to the basket, eager for the next egg. Lincoln found other things to do as Bentley and I read and discussed the scripture each day. It surprised me how much he enjoyed it, and how that little sponge brain of his absorbed every conversation we had about the atonement, crucifixion, and the resurrection. On day 12 or Easter, we found an empty egg of course. And on Monday Bentley wanted to know what happened to egg #13.

The Easter Bunny hid about 7 eggs for each of us, and Lincoln made sure to empty each one before finding the next.

The boys each got a new pair of flip flops and fishing poles.

And as excited as they were for the poles, the $1.25 they found in eggs was even more exciting. Next year we're going to suggest in lieu of gifts and candy that the Easter Bunny just leaves change behind.

Bunny Buns

Bentley loves when The Friend appears in the mailbox and spends hours "reading it". He takes it to bed with him at night and keeps track of where it is throughout the day. When April came a few days ago he put all of his focus on the kitchen craft of the month--Bunny Buns, and has been begging to make them ever since. Today was the day.

The April Friend isn't available online yet, but Bunny Buns are basically orange rolls twisted to make the ears and body and then sprinkles are used for the faces. Bentley helped with the entire process, the mixing, the twisting and the decorating. Somehow he missed out on clean up though.

They couldn't wait until all the faces were on before digging in. In fact Lincoln started licking the icing off before his poor bunny even had a face.

Lincoln loved them, and we have a few bunnies with missing body parts to prove it.

I think they turned out cute and Bentley is super proud of them.

Life after death

This Easter season, death has become a main topic of conversation. For some reason when talking about resurrection we can't make it past death.

Mom, your grandma died.

How do people not die?

We don't like when people die, huh Mom?

Why do people die?

But me don't want to die.

Easter Ties

Thanks Grandma!

Our mom dresses us alike

It just isn't fair that stores are filled with little Easter dresses this time of year, and all they seem to carry for little boys are polos and shorts, which really don't go over well with the dad in this house. He says they are future priesthood holders and they will wear white shirts to church. So after much looking, and finding some adorable vest sets, just none in 6-9 mo or 2T, we went the vest route. Lucky for me, I had waited long enough that the Easter wear was on the clearance rack, bad for me I had waited too long and all the little ties were sold out. I still think they are handsome.

I love the belly button.

When we went outside to snap these pictures I asked Bentley if he could hold Lincoln.

With a worried look on his face he reluctantly agreed.

After a minute or so he said in an exhausted tone, "I can't Mom."

Then I realized he really was holding him, not just keeping him balanced like I had intended.

Handsome, happy Lincoln.

Another fat lip. It is a reaccuring trend.

We tried to make a conscious effort to teach Bentley about the resurrection, the real reason for Easter, this week. I'm not sure how much he remembers, but the way he says resurrection sure is cute.

Happy Easter!

Colored Eggs

We are lucky to have family close by. About once a month we try to get together with the cousins and sisters in the valley for Cousin FHE. Last night involved neon food coloring, the resurrection, crayons, and Fat Boys.

Deidra was pretty excited. She went straight home and blogged about it. Lincoln thinks Whit is pretty.

Bentley likes hanging out with the big kids. And he was an egg dying machine. No dye cup was ever left egg less.

Brian is wanted to be included on the blog, and pulled this face to be sure he made it. He is the Fat Boy shake making expert.

Also in attendance, but not pictured, Chod, Katelin, Tameka, and myself.

Easter Candy

The Easter Bunny brought Bentley all sorts of good stuff.

So why is he only interested in the Dove Dark Chocolate Eggs that I am pretty sure the Easter Bunny intended for me?

Easter Sunday

We had a great Easter. After church Bentley continued to hunt eggs (and eat candy).
And then Grandma and Grandpa Stephens and Cameron came for dinner before we went to the community Easter Program. The dinner was fabulous. We had ham, funeral potatoes, rolls, roasted asparagus, strawberry spinach salad, and strawberry trifle for dessert. I would have taken pictures to show how delicious it turned out, but I thought the in-laws might think it a little strange to have a photo shoot before dinner--just for the sake of the blog.
From this photo you would think Chod had been in the kitchen all day preparing for the feast...but I really think the 6 o'clock meeting is to blame. (This photo is completely real, no faking what-so-ever, but too hilarious not to share with the world.) He does look pretty good in the apron, I think he could easily get a job at the local Associated Food store.

The Easter Program was very nice, with a huge collection of Greg Olson paintings on display, and an all around a nice Christ centered evening to help re-direct our thoughts from the plastic grass, Cadbury Mini Eggs, and imaginary rabbit.

The Easter Bunny made it

The Easter Bunny found our house! Bentley loved finding eggs this morning. At first he was content to only hold 1 egg at a time and then he really got into it and was climbing under chairs looking for more eggs. Of course it didn't take him long to learn that if the eggs didn't make noise there was nothing good inside. We hid 5 eggs with 1 or 2 M&Ms or jelly beans inside. He would find them and we would re-hide over and over. These 5 little eggs lasted us 20 minutes.

Do our Easter buckets look familiar? It may look like I copied Karisa, but really we both copied Pottery Barn!