Easter Celebrations

I will be honest and share that I have been excited about the boys experiencing their second Easter, first that they get to actually walk around and absorb some of the fun festivities going on. The weekend before Easter, our community had their annual Easter egg hunt (or should I say egg scatter). We got their early to enjoy the morning and so glad we did. Below you'll see that they had lots of time and space (later which was so very crowded) to observe baby bunnies, chics and ducks! They were fascinated; not really wanting to touch them, but they couldn't take their eyes off them.

The little children 0-3 got to enjoy the egg scatter first. We had zero expectations about the boys picking up any eggs, but thought it would be fun for them anyways. As all the anxious parents lined up their super anxious children, Jason and decided to carry the boys to a small spot in the back on the side of all the action. We let them down next to about 5 eggs and allowed them to 'explore'. We explained that they could pick them up and even put them in their bags we brought. To our surprise, they thought this was great fun and spent about 5 minutes playing with their 5-6 eggs. They'd pick them up, shake them and laugh and put them in the bag. Then they'd pull them out, shake them, throw them on the ground and start again! Towards the end, Wyatt became aware that there were more eggs than just these 5 or 6 and thought it would be fun to walk over to the family next to us and try to grab some from their Easter basket! We of course intervened.

Friday morning we headed out to the farm for Easter weekend. The boys hadn't been to the farm since Christmas due to very rainy weekends. So this was the first time they would be able to enjoy running around out there literally. We spent a lot of time outside that weekend. The boys rarely (if ever) took a minute to just sit and play. They wore themselves out (and this pregnant mama) by Sunday. It was really a beautiful weekend!

The Easter Bunny came early to the farm, which was very kind so the boys could play with their goodies throughout the weekend. They each got a very cute frog stuffed animal if I say so myself, a stuffed dinosaur, a shovel, egg shaped cups with a very cool crazy straw, some Gold Fish and their favorite... a pinwheel!

The boys were so excited about their baskets of goodies and had to take everything out and hand to Grandma to hold as they dug through the contents. By the end, Grandma just couldn't hold any more!

After breakfast we started our fulfilled day outside. We played in the water and the boys got to help Great-Grandma water all the plants which was super exciting and they now do at home too! We took LOTS of fun rides on the golf cart around the house and up and down the country roads and next to the wheat fields. The boys couldn't get enough of playing with dirt, rocks and sticks. And of course, we had our Easter egg 'hunt' too! Grandma filled the eggs with animal crackers, stickers and marshmallow bunnies. To our surprise, the boys did amazing at 'finding' the eggs, and putting them in their bucket, and had LOTS of fun! (The boys now really enjoy putting things in buckets, dog dishes, etc now that we are back home. We still have fun 'egg hunts' in the backyard this week!)

Here are some pictures of their egg hunt!

The boys loved the surprises in the eggs. The dogs loved them too! Pickles was overly excited and followed the boys everywhere! Both dogs (especially pickles, although the pic below is of Noodles) learned quickly how to sniff out the eggs with marshmallows in them, open the eggs and then eat the goodies inside!

Dumping the eggs out of the basket and starting over again was just as much fun as the original 'scatter'!

Here is Gavin enjoying a marshmallow treat!

Notice Pickles is sticking close!

Notice the 'Winni the Pooh' stickers on the boys from here on out...

Showing us his marshmallow treat.

I love this picture with his pouty lip and chubby hands holding on to his sticker!

Gavin started collecting 'Easter Rocks' for his bucket too!

Here are some pictures from Easter morning; more egg hunts and golf cart riding!

Notice the sticker on his nose in the next couple of photos!

They loved playing in the dirt.

Here are Grandma's 3 day old puppies!

By Easter morning, the boys had really wore themselves out! Before breakfast I gathered the boys on my lap, gave them giant snuggles and explained to them what a wonderful day this was and how we 'rejoice' in that our Lord is alive! The next thing out of their mouths... eeeeehhhhh... Hehe, their idea of rejoicing was not what I had in mind! While they had fun Sunday morning, there was a lot of whining. Actually, there was a lot more whining all week as we recovered from so much fun at the farm. So while Sunday wasn't all too relaxing, we had a fabulous weekend. Watching the boys reach the point of exhaustion (and still so much teething) was actually humbling and taught me a lot this Easter. It really brought home the idea of Christ dying for us and rising again in a whole new light! It comforted me as I watched our precious boys in their complete humanness, knowing that they have a wonderful and perfect Savior who loves them so and will always be with them. It is by His grace and faith in Him that we are alive! It comforts me too as I grow in my parenting and as an individual to know that I too am just like our boys. We all reach the point of exhaustion, we all fall, we all have tempers and tantrums, and Christ has forgiven and erased it ALL! He loves us so very much. I am thankful for His grace and thankful for Him showing me how to shower it on my little ones.

While I long to be able to do fun 'Easter teachings' and activities with the boys as they grow and can comprehend a little more, I am so thankful for the beautiful Easter messages God spoke to my heart and taught me this year!