Easter 2022

My mom held her Easter party the week before Easter, on a Sunday afternoon.  Like always, she had some games for the kids and adults to play...

Grace and Ivy dressing Spencer like an Easter egg

Stockton and Grant dressing Seth

Chloe and Brynn dressing Harper

Molly, Abby, Ben, and Gavin dressing Tessa

...before they hunted for their Easter eggs.  They each got to hunt until they found 5 eggs stuffed with candy and money.

Spencer, Stockton, Grant, Brynn, Harper, Tessa, Gavin, Molly, Lucy, Ivy, Grace, Josie, Chloe, Abby, Ben, Seth

Josie, Ivy, Lucy

Stockton and Grant

Harper and Brynn

The adults hunted after the kids.  No limit on eggs with the grown-ups, we just go until all 40 eggs are found.  The stakes are a little higher ($$).

We had dinner and my mom gave all the kids a gift basket with a spring outfit and a toy/game.

 

My aunt Holly sent home some sugar cookies with edible paint for the kids to try.  A hit!

 

Molly hosted the Easter trains the entire Saturday before Easter.  It was prom at Wasatch High so she took the shifts of everyone who was supposed to work but was going to prom.  She got to host these two cuties from our ward.

Cora and Violet Hansen, Molly

 Easter Day-

I started waking the kids up around 7 am.  We have 9:00 church and, even though Justin didn't have any meetings, he wanted to get to the church by 8:30.  I was also practicing with a musical number early.  I had a coffee cake already baked with chocolate milk, oranges, and bananas.  I laid out new Easter clothes on the fireplace.  I had polled the kids and asked them their favorite cereal and had those with their clothes as well.  I knew it wouldn't be a morning for a nice, sit-down breakfast and they loved the cereal!

 

**Molly and Stockton chose Cinnamon and Vanilla Life.

We had a quick hunt for baskets.  Molly took the longest to find hers on a hanger in the coat closet.  They had candy and an extra.  Molly got lotion and perfume in her favorite scent, Stockton a baseball book and Batman movie, Brynn got tank tops for cheer, and Ivy got two jump ropes.

 

New Easter clothes are my favorite part of the holiday.  Molly picked out her dress and Stockton picked out his clothes when he was in Orem for baseball with Justin.  I picked Brynn and Ivy's.  The power went out when Molly was drying her hair so she wasn't happy about that.  But...everyone looks so cute.  I love them.

 

We went to church.  Justin had no meetings before so we got to go with him.  We had to wait after church for a little bit while he met with a few people but as soon as we got home, the kids hunted for chocolate eggs.  I got a picture of Molly after she did her hair.  She has always been beautiful but she is looking so grown up these days as well.

 

 We dyed eggs that afternoon.  Molly didn't do any.  Nothing fancy here with these eggs.

Insert random photo:  Justin puts his used cans of soda on top of the fridge.  I hate it.  They pile up until eventually he gets one of the girls to help him get them down.  He saves them for bb gun practice.  That afternoon seemed like a good time for him to take care of the pile and Ivy was his helper.

 

 When we found out we would be the only family going to Gene and April's that day, Justin called and invited them up to our house.  And, since we were going to be at home, that gave us the chance to invite a few people in our ward to join us.  We had Gene, April, Brett, Jason and Summer Grant, and Brooke Moss.  Jason and Summer are new-ish empty nesters (their two youngest are on missions) and Brooke's kids were with their dad.  April and I tag-teamed dinner and we had a feast! Ham, potatoes, spinach salad, brussels sprouts with pecans, bacon, and balsamic reduction, homemade rolls with honey butter, and fruit.  Swedish cream with fruit and toasted coconut, chocolate covered strawberries, and pink lemonade cupcakes were dessert.  April had stuffed plastic eggs for the kids and the adults hid them in the yard.  The kids did their hunt after dinner.  It was a very nice day.

Last Easter-themed event was when Molly decorated pop-tart Easter houses for Young Women's the next Wednesday.

Grace Vellinga, Kelsey Larsen, Molly, Pallas Anderson, Lauren Whimpey, Ash Loertsher

Allow me to indulge in some nostalgia...

I was telling Ivy about how my Easter dresses as a girl were always hand-made by my mom (Ivy's grandma).  Ivy wanted to see them so she spent a long time sending a text to my mom asking for pictures.  My mom found some gems that I am posting here.  She made all of these dresses (and so many more).

one year old

two years old-Bryce, Erin, me

three years old-Ali, Mom, me, Erin, Bryce

four years old-Erin, Bryce, Ali, me

That last photo sparked a hilarious text chat with my siblings and parents because I was wondering what Bryce was wearing and questioning whether or not he wore it to church.  He was offended that we kept calling it his "outfit" but we deemed it an outfit because it looks like his pants have matching cuffs.  Good old 80's fashions. 

And this extra picture that she sent because she thought Ivy looks a lot like me in this picture.

me holding Ali, circa 1984