Easter

We have a busy Easter full of Easter egg hunts and our special focus on the Savior's last week of His life through the Come Follow Me manual.  I have never really focused a lot on Easter as a holiday - either on the spiritual or worldly side.  I don't have any decorations, we don't do anything special leading up to it - I usually pull out baskets Saturday night and I run to the store to get the candy.  Some years we have even forgotten to dye Easter eggs.  This year I decided that from now on I want to make a big deal about Easter - not the bunny and egg part - but focus on Jesus - even more that I do for Christmas.  I want decorations about Christ, the resurrection, and spring.  I want our house to be cleaned and be renewed and have my family FEEL a difference in our home and lives the weeks preceding Easter.  I want all things I do to point to our Savior and my testimony that He lives.  I did a little bit this year - but it will take years to have get the decorations I want.  I will just try to get 2 or 3 things a year.

Our first egg hunt was the ward one on Saturday morning.  Brock stayed home in bed - I guess 8:30 am was too early for a 12 year old to go on a hunt.

Then we had a glow in the dark egg hint in the neighborhood.  It was really cool.  First we hing out all afternoon and evening.

Then the adults hid glow in the dark eggs.

Then the kids found them.

Earlier in the day we DID dye eggs.

And made resurrection rolls and ate them while we watched the Tabernacle Choir's Easter concert.  This tradition was a first for us.

Sunday morning (we had to be to church by 8 am) we found our candy, eggs, and baskets.

Dane even got a basket.

Happy Easter

This is what I posted on Facebook with our family picture:

This year Easter felt different. Maybe it is because I just finished an intense, year-long, study of every scripture that talks about Jesus, maybe it is becasue we prepared for it this year by really studying as a family about the holy week, maybe it's because I have come to rely on my Savior, Jesus Christ every single day of my life for forgiveness, strength, and hope - literally. He is my everything. I am who I am becasue of Him. He lives. He is real. Today in my church choir I couldn't hold the tears back as I sang:
"Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man."

He is King of King and Lord of Lords and also my very best friend. He knows me. One day I will see Him and He will call me by name. I work everyday to help my kids come unto Him and learn these truths for themselves.

Focused Dane

Dane is a very focused baby.  He reminds us so much of Brock with his faces of inquiry and attention.  He loves playing with his toys and just recently (these pictures are from beginning of April and I am now writing in the end of May) talking too, laughing at, and yelling at his toys - we all just love it.

The kids like to give him books to read (not children's books - "real" books) and he loves it!

We sure love him!

Brock's birhtday

Brock turned 12!!!  He got to have a party this year.  He had 12 friends over for a competition party - Brock will do anything it if it is a competition - so it was a perfect party for him.

As friends were coming they played kick the can in the cul-de-sac.  

Then they divided up into 3 groups.  

The first station was Super Bomber Man on the x-box.  (Madison was in charge of this station)

The next station was fooseball.

And the third station was wall ball against our garage.

Every group plated at each  station for 20 minutes and kept track on their score cards who won each game.  Brock rotated in reverse order so he got to play with each group.  At the end the person with the most points (most won games) won the grand prize.

A few more pictures of the rotations:

Mark and Cameron tied for first!

Then we had pizza for lunch, ate chocolate trifle for his cake, and then opened presents.

Stetson Cameron, Lincoln Preece, Evan Roper, Dillon West, Mark Okerstrom, Finn Barrett, Brock and Noah, Cameron Neyenhuis, David Weister.

On his actual birthday I taped up his door so he could break his way out.  He has actually asked me to do this for a few years but I hadn't.  So this year I did and...

He totally didn't appreciate it!  He just walked through - no cool karate chop or anything.  

THen he wanted me (read: Dane) to come have lunch with him.  I thought either none of the kids would care about Dane or he would be surrounded by girls.  I was wrong - the 6th grade boys all loved Dane and Brock was just as much a hit as Megan was.  Babies are the best and I love showing that to some of these kids who are only children or just have 1 sibling - that babies bring joy and make us happy.

Brock also had a soccer game the night of his birthday.  We brought doughnuts for the team to eat at the end.  They all sang happy birthday to him.  My phone had died so I didn't get any pictures.  But we sang again the NEXT day when we had his family dinner when dad was home (dad had class the night of Brock's birthday).  For his birthday dinner he chose steak.

Brock is a wonderful 12 year old and a wonder first child.  He has set the standard for the whole family.  He is such a help around the house and he now senses my mood and helps out more when he senses that I am stressed out - it is fantastic!  He sometimes just asks me "is there something you want me to do?" He is a friend to everyone and genuinely wants everyone to have a good time.  He is working hard at school and taking more responsibility for his own school work and advocating for himself.  I am not that worried about middle school - which would have been unthinkable a year ago. He is growing in his testimony and goes to the temple often. He is getting a little bit of an attitude and gets irritated easier with Noah then he ever has before - hopefully it doesn't last.