Monday, April 13, 2009

Happy Easter!

We had a perfectly lovely Easter weekend:

We dyed eggs on Friday night. I don't think we did it last year, so Eva had no memory of this activity. It was a huge hit. I'm the only one in the family that likes hard-boiled eggs, so we do this just for the fun of coloring (and then I get to eat egg salad sandwiches).

On Saturday, I took Max to get an early morning, desperately-needed haircut, and then he went to a service project of collecting green waste from yards all around the ward. They filled up 3 dumpsters!

Then I discovered the crayon in the laundry incident (so maybe not perfectly lovely). But thanks to Stefanie's search, I found a potion to take crayon out! It called for Oxyclean, Borax, white vinegar, Shout, and dish soap. I didn't have Oxyclean or Borax, so I just used the other three items, soaked them for a few hours, and washed in hot water. I'm happy to report that the stains are 95% gone! I am astonished.

We went to my sister-in-law Michelle's house for lunch and an egg hunt. We hid 79 eggs! We had 5 kids, but still. That's a lot of eggs. Fortunately the rain held off until we were finished.

We got home around 7:00 and had dinner, baths, and bed. Then I started working on Easter dinner and filling baskets.

Marc was still in New Orleans, so we went to church on Easter Sunday without him, which was weird. It was a beautiful service, however -- the choir sang 3 or 4 songs, we had a solo by my favorite singer in the ward (Consider the Lilies), and the final number had violin/viola/cello/flute accompaniment. The speaker was a man who lost two young children to untimely death. He spoke about his faith in the atonement and how much he and his wife are looking forward to seeing their children again. It was very touching.

Our bishop spoke about the power of the atonement to heal our every hurt. He read a scripture (Doctrine & Covenants 76:38, I think) that says that every one (save the sons of perdition) shall be redeemed. That just fills me with hope.

Marc drove up just as we were walking in the door after church.

After church I tried to take some pictures of the kids, but apparently sitting still for a moment for Easter photos is pure torture. Max and Lucas were very accomodating, but Eva refused to cooperate. What happened to wanting me to take her picture every two seconds?!

And we were in such a rush to get ready for 8:30 church, that I forgot to put on her little white sweater shrug! So glad we have photodocumentation of that little mothering slip.

Eva helped me make Triple Caramel Cake. She loves to bake almost as much as I do. Sadly, the cake fell big time when I took it out of the oven, but since it's baked in a bundt pan, it still looked pretty when I flipped it over...

Charlotte and Emily came over for dinner and hanging out. I neglected to take any pictures! But I did get the table before we sat down. It's good to have priorities...

Oh, and get this -- when I unwrapped our "spiral-cut ham", it wasn't spiral cut at all! It had two slices and the rest was whole. What a cruel hoax. We also had crab-stuffed potatoes, asparagus, spinach-strawberry salad, oatmeal rolls, and grape juice. Eva had a complete tired meltdown during dinner, but I'm trying to put that out of my mind (it's a much nicer dinner that way).

I taught Emily the basics of knitting and the boys talked the girls into playing Cities & Knights of Catan. I don't know if they knew what they were getting into, because they didn't leave until after 10:00.

So, to sum up, a beautiful weekend of time with family, good food, and pondering our Savior and his remarkable ability to make us new and whole.

22 comments:

Claire said...

wow the boys are so much bigger now!

Rebekah said...

your table is so beautiful it hurts my heart in that wistful and longing sort of way.

one area in which my testimony lacks is in my personal redemption. right now i don't feel that i would 'make it'. i don't see how i could, as there seems to be such an immeasurable gap between my current state and where the Savior is. i continue to sin, to ignore promptings, to put forth halfhearted efforts, to give worldy pursuits first billing...how could i even ask for redemption? i believe for other people, but i constantly worry about myself. i know i will be saved, but not enough, never enough to 'make it'.

maybe i'm just having a bad day, but this thought troubled my mind yesterday as i was thinking about the Savior's sacrifice...have i really done enough to be worthy of the full effect of the Atonement?

shannon said...

I counted 4 polka dotted things in this post!--You are my hero!!

Your cousins are so lucky to have you living nearby...it sounded like a lovely day...(except for the ham thing!--that really WAS a cruel hoax!) I decided after this year never to buy a non spiral ham again!--I am now stuck with big hunks of ham chunks! :(

shannon said...

P.S.--Are you groovin on my new profile picture? :)

Miranda said...

What a lovely post! Also, *swoon* over your table spread.

Jill said...

What a perfect Easter Weekend (except for the meltdowns of course)! It was such a gift to have nice weather yesterday wasn't it?

Your table looks beautiful and the food sounds so wonderful. I need to find the motivation to cook like that, but all I can see is the mess involved.

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

"Perfectly lovely" is right! I felt it just through the reading. I love that you're a good cook...and a good photographer.

Amie said...

Did you scroll back through your post to get a glimpse of the pictures? It's like life out of a magazine.

It kind of makes me want to have a do-over and dress everyone cute and set the table for real.

Anonymous said...

I was going to say what Amie did about the magazine look of this post- seriously woman!

What a delightful weekend- thanks for sharing!

Michelle said...

It was so fun to sit and chat with you on Saturday! I am glad that we are still keeping up on the Easter Egg Hunt tradition!

j said...

ok, if you could hear me, i'd be doing an operatic falsetto voice singing loudly "DIVINE!!!!" when i read your easter menu!!! wow!

i would have bawled through the speaker at your meeting. i don't know what it is about this easter, but i had a hard time holding it together and had a greater appreciation of the atonement and resurrection- albeit in spurts due to a mixed mood issue.

you have the cutest kids! i hope that my boys grow up to be like yours. (really- i even dream that i have a cellist in the making...i love the cello!)

jenn said...

We hid almost 300 eggs at Grandma Nielsen's house for 10 of her grandchildren and one girl who's relation to us is unsure. It was the only easter-y thing we did.

Melinda said...

I really need to take more time to make a pretty table like you . My goodness, Amie nailed that comment with your pictures looking like a magazine. So pretty.

Denise said...

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT TABLECLOTH!? Your table has me awestruck, as well. Our menus sound very similar, but I haven't been able to blog about mine yet, as MY INTERNET HAS BEEN DOWN SINCE FRIDAY. GRRRrrr.

Thank you so much for including the girls in your Easter celebration. I love knowing they are so loved and well-taken-care of!

amy gretchen said...

I swear kids never cooperate when you want them to.

The polka dot dress is darling and I love the idea of a triple caramel cake. Sounds delicious.

When we did the hunt with Jill's family we had so many eggs we didn't use them all. Crazy.

Susan said...

I'm right there with Denise on coveting that table cloth!!

Sounds like a great Easter, except for the lack of cooperation with photo taking and having no husband during Church!

I'm going to record that formula for the crayon mishap, it does sound like a miracle!

Did you Easter package come in time?? I sent it third day, Saturday delivery okay, I sure hope so!

I love the cheerful post.

Charlotte said...

It was a wonderful Easter for sure! Thanks so much for having us over--I love being with family :)

Shawna B. said...

What a beautiful table to go along with all that delicious food. I can tell you really made the day special for your family. Triple Caramel cake? Yes, please! Who cares if it fell, it has carmel in it so all is forgiven!

Glad your husband made it home in time to at least have some of the day with you. Lucky guy to go to New Orleans!

I love the song, "Consider the Lillies." What a treat to have it sung by your favorite singer in the ward (oh, to be someone's favorite singer! How cool would that be?!). My heart hurt when I read about the speaker that day. Two children lost is unthinkable, and yet people manage with the Lord's help. That is the miracle of the Atonement.

Glad you had such a nice Easter celebration.

Marie said...

Each picture was just beautiful! Wow. Happy Easter.

wende said...

i'm in love with your polka dotted table cloth and homemade grape juice in beautiful glasses. i was so happy to have beautiful weather for one day on easter.

Natasha said...

Happy belated Easter! I kept trying to comment on this while away for spring break but all I had was my Blackberry and it's most cooperative at high altitude. Anyway, BEAUTIFUL pics!

Barb said...

You set a beautiful table.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...