.:Easter:.

Our Easter festivities this year included lots of fun…and lots of goodies!

We kicked off our Easter weekend by going to a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. A gal in our neighborhood organized it and gather up supplies and donations, and opened it up to anyone who wanted to come. The girls were super excited to go hunt for eggs!

A lot of their little friends were there, so they had fun searching and playing with them.

The fun didn’t end there! We got together with Sam and Nikki to do a little egg hunt with their cousins. We just hid eggs around our house and front yard, and the kiddos had a fun time getting even more candy and treats! Some of the eggs had some coins in them, so the girls were excited to put the money in their piggy banks.

After all of the eggs were found, we went out for a quick dinner and then headed back home to dye Easter eggs. I didn’t boil very many because I didn’t really think the kids would get too into it, but I was wrong! The kids were loving it and I wish we would have had more. They were proud of their eggs!

Yes, this is Remi sipping on the Easter egg dye. Is anyone surprised?

Of course the Easter bunny came to visit during the nite, and the girls were spoiled with more treats and a few little gifts.

There were more eggs to be found, and then it was time to get ready for church. The girls looked pretty darn beautiful in their new dresses from Gramzee and Grandpa Paul!

After church, we loaded up our stuff – which included new sunglasses from the Easter bunny, and headed out to Grantsville for the rest of the day.

We spent the day at Ken and Kerri’s house, and the kids were all treated to yet another Easter egg hunt!

We had a wonderful couple of days, celebrating with our family and friends, but are also so grateful to reflect on the true meaning of Easter and all that our Savior has done for us. I feel so blessed to have the knowledge of this gospel and to be able to raise our kids in it.

.:Everett’s Sealing:.

In March, I had the chance to travel to Oregon so that I could be there while my sweet nephew, Everett, was sealed to my sister and brother in law. They have been on quite the journey to get Everett to them, and while it certainly hasn’t been easy, I think that we have all been blessed through the experience. Adoption is such a beautiful gift, and it still makes me tear up whenever I think about it.

Sam and I flew up to Oregon solo – no kids! It was crazy! And maybe a bit heavenly.

We spent the first couple of days hanging with family, and loving on these two newest nephews to the family.

Everett

Beckett

While I definitely missed having Josh and the girls with me, it was also sort of nice to really be able to focus on my nieces and nephews and get to know them a little bit better without having my kids, you know, needing me.

My grandparents were up from Arizona, and it was so so good to see them on this trip! It doesn’t happen very often, and I just love being able to spend time with them.

My grandpa is a sealer in the Mesa temple, and he has sealed all of us kids when we were married. He was also the one who got to seal Everett to Alli and Nic. So special, and such a blessing to our family! We got to the temple Saturday morning, and got to see Everett for a few minutes before we headed back into the sealing room.

Medford Temple

Once we were all situated in the sealing room, Alli and Nic came in. My grandpa spoke to them for awhile, and it was just wonderful to listen to. He pointed out some things about what he would say during the sealing that were important for us all to listen to. While we were in there, Everett was not impressed with being left with the matron and no one that he really knew. Although he was crying, my sister and I were saying how neat it was to hear a baby in the temple. It is typically such a quiet  and reverent place (which is appropriate) but it was so fun to hear a baby in there; really makes you think about your eternal families!

Everett was able to be calmed down by Alli and Nic for a few minutes before the sealing began. Once Everett was in there with his parents, he was perfect as could be. Totally quiet, totally still, just gazing at the chandelier in the celestial room. It was so beautiful and special and we were all bawling. It was seriously a special experience for our family, and I’m so glad that I got to be there. Alli and Nic are wonderful parents and I’m so grateful they have Everett!

Our family has always been close, and I’m so blessed to have amazing siblings. I sure love these people a lot!

And of course, love our parents a ton, too! They have set such a great example for all of our family, and keep us all close. Best family ever!

After the sealing, we went to eat with everyone who was there.

Sisters, sisters…never were there such devoted sisters!

We spent our last evening there playing Five Crowns and laughing. Hard. A lot.

So grateful and blessed to be part of this wonderful eternal family!