Easter 2011

I hope everyone had a good Easter! Manuel had to work a 12 hour shift starting Saturday night so I was pretty much on my own as far as "the Bunny" went. I wouldn't have been as bummed had I not done Santa Claus by myself too! (darn those crazy work schedules!) I tried to keep it rather simple this year. The boys got half the amount of candy they've received in the past (I had to remind myself that just because it looked good and I had a coupon did not mean it needed to be in my house) and one fun thing. Manuel was NOT happy about the Legos. Growing up at his house, the Easter Bunny only brought candy. At my house, the EB brought candy and a small toy, book, movie, or sometimes video game. I am trying to get Sam away from Nintendo, and we have way too many movies, so I opted for something that would be developmentally stimulating. Plus, Sam is all about the Legos lately. His reaction was priceless. He came into the room and said, "Oh my GOSH! The Easter Beagle brought me Legos!" Yes, that's right. The Easter Beagle. Can you tell we watched a little too much "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" this year?

Please don't ask about the light on his head. I'm not really sure why he had to put it on to check out his basket. He likes to take cool things from Grandpa's house. His dad definitely did not appreciate Sam shining it on him while he was trying to sleep! I was really worried about Sam getting more into the "hype" of Easter and not caring about the true meaning of Easter. On Friday night, we actually had an evening where Manuel was home at a decent hour. I had been planning a special Family Home Evening and was finally able to put it into action. I wish I would have taken pictures, because I was really excited about it. I took some plastic eggs and numbered them 1 to 5. In each one, I placed an item that correlated with something that happened during the last few days of Jesus' life. The Friend had an article in it that explained the last week of the Savior's life, so I used that to explain the items in each egg. I know it was impossible for Sam to grasp the entire concept, but I know he understood that what happened was important. He learned that Jesus suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, that He was crucified, and then resurrected. As we got closer to Easter, I would ask him why we celebrated. His response: "Because Jesus came back to life!!"

This crazy little boy had no idea what was going on, but I know he loved his basket full of candy. He'll get it eventually. If I could get him to sit for longer than a second, he probably would have learned a little more during our FHE lesson. He kind of wears me out!

They had to open their Legos immediately. I quickly learned that it was a bit of a mistake to buy something that is made to be dumped out, but I know it's good for them. They just need to be better at picking up their toys!

This Easter had a different meaning for me. We were in Sacrament meeting listening to two wonderful talks from an amazing couple in our ward. Brother B shared a story that was close to his heart about a little sister he had lost, but because the sacrifices our Savior made for us, he will see her again. It all hit me as I was listening to his talk. The same is true for us. The situation is a little different, because we will never see our baby on earth, but she still had a body. I am so grateful for my Savior. For suffering more than any of us could fully comprehend, and for doing all that Heavenly Father asked of Him. Because of His sacrifice, we can all return to our Heavenly Father, and have the chance to be with our families for Eternity.