Easter 2009

We had a great Easter weekend here, celebrating our Savior's gift of eternal life through his death on the cross and his resurrection to new life. Hope you did too!! It was especially sweet this year, since Anthony had just prayed to ask Jesus into his heart a few days before Easter!

Saturday morning, our church held a Resurrection Breakfast for the 4 year olds through 6th graders. Anthony just made the cut, having recently had a birthday. He was so excited about the live worship time - he didn't stop talking about the "special music" all day! And it was great - at the end, when the children's ministry leader talked to the kids about asking Jesus into their hearts, Anthony turned to me and said, "I already HAVE Jesus in my heart!!"

Anthony was thrilled to have some of his friends from the moms group there at the breakfast with him! This is Chris, one of my friend Allison's boys. He and Anthony held hands almost the entire 3 hours they were together!! It was so cute!

Sunday morning we went to church. It had been really chilly the day before, so I was worried the girls wouldn't be able to wear the pretty dresses my mom had sent for them...but it warmed up and was beautiful on Easter day. I couldn't get any pics of both girls actually looking AT the camera, though!

Darrell and Anthony spent the afternoon working out front, planting some flowers and ground cover, so the girls spent a lot of time at the front window, watching. Makayla, as you can see, is teaching Mackenzie the art of climbing. Last week, one day, Anthony called to me, "Mama, come quick!" I ran into the play room, but it was too late, and Makayla was on the floor crying. Apparently, she had climbed up on a stool, then got on a little white Ikea side table, and was standing on it!! And then she fell...at least she didn't get hurt, though!

Mackenzie spent a lot of time riding the girls' little pony that my mom got them for their birthday. When I asked her if she was sleepy, she laid her head down on the pony!

Easter baskets this year were very un-sugary!! We've decided not to do the "Easter bunny," but will still give the kids baskets and hide eggs as a fun game. I did my shopping last minute, and there were virtually NO baskets left at Target when I went on Saturday, so I decided to go with practical baskets that I could use anyway - who doesn't need more storage baskets? The kids couldn't care less about the actual basket anyway!

Mackenzie's basket - a very cute skirt and tank top, a little dollar book, and a Melissa & Doug wooden doll with magnetic clothes - I love it!

Makayla's basket - another cute skirt and tank, another dollar book, and a Melissa & Dough wooden cube puzzle - with a different farm animal picture on each side, so 6 puzzles in all.

Anthony's basket - socks (much needed - and he was so excited!), pajamas, Lightening McQueen swim trunks and a swim shirt, a Lightening McQueen water bottle, a flashlight (so he can stop taking mine!), sidewalk chalk, one egg with candy, and a Melissa & Doug (sensing a theme here?) wooden clock puzzle. He's learning how to tell time, so he loves the clock (and the girls love the shape pieces and are pretty good at getting them in the slots, actually!).

Anthony enjoyed hunting for eggs in the backyard. He didn't even mind that most of the eggs weren't filled with candy! I filled a few with a couple Starbursts each (knowing that he doesn't really care for chewy candy, so wouldn't eat many of them), three were filled with a dollar bill, and the rest were filled with animal crackers.

Anthony enjoyed "assisting" daddy with some front yard landscaping in the afternoon. As you can see - he mostly supervised, and he's got the hand-on-the-hips down pat!