Easter Revisited...

So jump back a few weeks ago when Easter was in the air...


I had all of these great plans for Easter week that didn't exactly come to fruition. Isn't that the case with most busy mothers - good intentions that amount to a bunch of "Oh well's??" This entry is going to remind me to plan ahead next year so that my kids will experience a meaningful Easter week next year. There will be redemption!


We ended up having an impromptu Easter hunt, dinner and lesson with our good friends, the "other" Gardners. And yes, we are distantly related. Not to go off on a tangent, BUT...we just HAPPENED to move in next door to each other and we just HAPPEN to have kids the same age (best friends now) and after some detective work, we just HAPPEN to be distantly related. Small world! Anyway, we are sure going to miss these guys when we move :(

Easter is such a glorious (and I don't use that word often, but it fits) holiday! There are so many significant events that have occured during its seasonal timeframe: Jesus Christ's likely birth, his death, Joseph Smith's first vision, the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first Book of Mormon getting published, my birthday (ha ha) and the list goes on. I love early spring because I'm regularly reminded of the significance of the phrase "new life." With each new bud and cleansing rain shower that accompanies early spring, it's easy to turn our thoughts to the giver of "new life:" Jesus Christ.

So what exactly does the Easter Bunny have to do with all of this? GOOD QUESTION! So when my sweet Camryn point blank asked if the Easter Bunny was real, I happily informed her that it was a very strange concoction of businesses wanting to make a buck. I told her that Mommy thought that the idea of a giant bunny dropping eggs and treats off in the middle of night was kind of freaky. Confused she asked, "Can I have my candy now?" Before I conceded to quicker tooth decay, she had to promise me not to enlighten the whole neighborhood about her new discovery. The funny thing is a few moments later (I could see the wheels moving in her little head), Camryn asked the logical follow-up question: "So is Santa Claus real?" I love kids. I turned it around and asked her what she thought. Good thing she's a bit ADD because she quickly forgot the question and was off playing with her new jump rope the freaky non-Easter Bunny didn't drop off. Again, I love kids.

Here are some pics of our Easter weekend highlights with the Gardner's.

First, the obligatory hunt - thanks
for putting it together Tanya!

BFF: Camryn and Brittani

BFF (sometimes worst enemies!) Christian
and Katelyn. I like to tease Tanya that some day
we'll have some serious explaining to do
when these two decide to get married and their
wedding invitations say:
Dr. Gardner and Dr. Gardner are pleased
to announce.... you get the point - sketchy!

I love this new lens, oh and Camryn too!

JD was so cute with the kids. He took
Christian by the hand and ran around
finding the eggs for him. I loved that
he didn't care about eggs for himself.
He's such a stud!

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of ham, funeral potatoes, incredible yams,
and award-winning ham sauce on Sunday.
I even made my first batch of homemade rolls -
I fulfilled a fantasy of Joel's that day!

Like I said, I love Easter and sharing it with people you love makes it all the better! We'll miss you guys!