Easter Games

We've enjoyed the egg hunts, candy, and general fun of Easter, but I wanted to make sure it had a spiritual element, too. Last night I cut out a picture of Christ, and a wax paper outline in the same shape. I explained to Joy that the picture represented Christ's body, and the wax paper His spirit. We put His "body" in a box just like His friends did after He died on the cross, and His "spirit" went up to "heaven" (the shelf of our piano).

This morning, Joy was delighted to see that the "tomb" was empty, and Christ had resurrected (I taped the "body" and "spirit" together so they wouldn't come apart again). And then we made pancakes, cuz no celebration is complete without some good food.

After church we headed to Papa's house for dinner and some holiday family fun. Joy played "Red Light, Green Light" with Papa and Uncle Robbie . . .

. . . then they played "Duck, Duck, Goose."

Since the circle of players was really too small to sprint around, they decided to run around the sofa instead.

Then Joy showed Papa and Daddy how to do a puzzle . . .

. . . and Papa taught Joy how to play croquet.

Here's Joy showing the ball who's boss. Good times. :)

Temple Outing

We took a family trip to the LA Temple today.

Joy did some hi-tech doodling in the Visitors' Center . . .

. . . and we strolled the grounds so we could see . . .

. . . a newly-sealed bride and groom exit the north door to greet their loved ones. We're so excited for Heather and Sean to be sealed next month!

Also, I couldn't resist taking a picture of this statue of a mother dancing with her two daughters and son, since we'll have two girls and a boy after Baby arrives.

Early Easter

Pink Grandma came to visit today and treated us to some early Easter fun.

She hid Easter eggs for the kids . . .

. . . then she and Joy played an alphabet matching game . . .

. . . to spell words like Spring, rabbit, and Savior.

Meanwhile, Daniel played with my new desk chair* . . .

. . . then had fun reading with Grandma.

Thanks, Grandma!

*Yes, my new "chair" is an exercise ball. I always sit with lousy posture in regular desk chairs, and I've heard that sitting on an exercise ball can improve posture and tone core muscles. I found one for $10 on Craig's List, and figured it was worth a try. At any rate, the kids love our new "toy."

Big Little Boy

Sometimes it's hard to believe my "baby" boy is old enough to . . .

. . . "read" books . . .

. . . climb ladders at parks . . .

. . . and go down big slides by himself.

My Little Buddy is becoming such a big boy.

Newb Camp, Art, and Grilled Pineapple

While the bambinos spent the weekend with my parents (thanks again!), Phillip and I went on a fun road trip together.

Our first stop was at Zion National Park. We called this Newb Camp, since we have little camping experience and we forgot so many things (gloves, cocoa, etc.). We did do most things right, though. For example, we brought good, easy food (which we successfully cooked and ate), and cozy sleeping bags (it was COLD that night). Also, Phillip staked our tent so it didn't blow over when the wind picked up in the middle of the night.

While we were there, we took a short hike to the Lower Emerald Pool (fed by the waterfalls in the photo), . . .

. . . and on the way out of the park we stopped at a rock shop where Phillip bought some highly-magnetized hematite balls that clack against each other when you toss them in the air. That was seriously one of the highlights of the trip for him. :)

For lunch we hit Cabela's to try their buffalo burger and sandwich. We made the stunning discovery that buffalo tastes . . . just like beef. Oh well, at least now we know. The fries were the best I've had in years.

Our next stop was BYU, my beloved alma mater. We bought some Y gear at the bookstore, then toured the Carl Bloch exhibit at the Museum of Art. It was very inspiring--I gained greater appreciation for the Savior, and for Bloch's ability to bring out both the divinity and humanity of scripture stories he portrays.



And then we went to Tucano's Brazilian Grill for dinner, which was seriously one of the highlights of the trip for me. Ahhh . . . grilled pineapple, feijoada (Brazilian rice and beans), and more kinds of rotisserie-grilled meat than you can shake a stick at. :)