Easter and General Conference on the same weekend= traditions up to our eyes!!

I am a traditions person. I think the holidays aren't special without traditions to set them apart from other days. SO, when two special days happen on the same day it kinda throws me for a loop! But we survived it ;o]

We decorated for Easter while Kathy was still here and I was reminded how few actual decorations we have. I love all our Easter books, I tolerate our 25 Easter stuffed animals, I hate all of our plastic Easter eggs, and I'm looking forward to getting some meaningful decorations next year. (I actually ordered one, but it is on back order and still hasn't arrived!) Here is Seth doing the cute craft Kathy got for the kids I mentioned in an earlier post.

Also before he left Cal got the Bible Videos DVD for us and so we enjoyed watching many of those to prepare for Easter. Seth doesn't get to watch TV often (even less than the other kids I should say) and so he especially was riveted to the screen. It was adorable! 

We have the tradition of getting Honeycomb cereal and Goldfish Crackers at Easter so we can be like Jesus and eat fish and honeycomb. =o]

Also after reading the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree we decided to add Fig Newtons to the mix. No one liked them but me ha ha!  

And of course we made lemon bars (this is pan number two and three!) to give out to our new neighbors and enjoy for ourselves. 

I love it when Kent likes the things we make as much as we do! =o]

On the Saturday before Easter Week was the General Women's Conference and I got to go with one of my roommates from BYU. It was such an inspirational and empowering meeting! It was also a fun night out with a friend and the kickoff of my media fast. This is a cherished tradition to me. I am so grateful for the opportunity to step back and let go of screen time for a week and focus on other things! I always feel like I don't use much of my time online or watching movies, but every time I do this fast I am reminded there is always room for improvement. And also just making the effort to specifically listen to spiritual music and talks is strengthening. I have been listening to Jesus the Christ on the gospel app on my phone and I love hearing all the insights into Jewish culture that are included in the end notes of each chapter. Good times!

  

Beginning on Palm Sunday we did Easter Week activities each day that I have collected from the Friend magazine over the years, and also from this book about having a Christ-centered Easter. The only thing we didn't do this year that I wish we had is act out one of the parables. Last year we did the 10 Virgins and it was so fun! As you will see later the kids did end up doing a play, but I want to be more intentional about it next year because I missed doing it. The kids are learning a song in primary called Gethsemane, and it became my favorite part of Easter as I listened to it over and over again throughout the week. It is so simple and beautiful! I even found it on itunes and I'm going to make a new CD for next year so I can include it. And anyway, Kent finally expressed to me his intense dislike of several of the songs on our current MacKay Family Easter CD lol! (Those primary kids are trying their best, but I can totally understand his complaints =o])

On Good Friday we made Hot Cross Buns for breakfast- yum!

That afternoon we dyed Easter eggs with Kent. He is so cute because every year he tries to get these new kinds of dyes or kits that will be "so much better" than just the original stuff and every year he is let down. It is still fun to try new ways though! =o] 

Seth's favorite part was cracking open and eating the eggs. But NOT the yokes!! He spit them everywhere if he accidentally got a bite.  

Jenna wanted to eat some egg, but she didn't want to waste one of her dying opportunities, so here she is fake pouting by his chair. 

And it totally worked the little stinker! Seth was a kind brother and hand- fed her many a bite!

Let the creativity flow!

(Or in Kent's case, roll!)

We have this tradition of giving out awards after we dye the eggs. Natalie had a ball handing out compliment after compliment for everyone's eggs, even her own! =o] The only award I got the chance to say was "And the winner of the most eggs eaten goes to Seth!" Lol! Good times!

The next morning was Easter Bunny Day and the Saturday sessions of General Conference. We got our Easter baskets first thing- the kids were thrilled! Kent does such a great job and I am grateful he is willing to take on that aspect of the holiday! 

Kent and I both got each other chocolate covered cinnamon bears! =o]

And then we did the egg hunt! Everyone got super into it!! Our tradition is to put all the found eggs in the middle and share them as a family. It has worked so far!

Seth kept getting candy. From the baskets, from the eggs, from who knows where else! Seriously, it was BAD! And as you will see later, sugar=crack. 

To add to the sugar fest, we have doughnuts for breakfast on General Conference Saturday. We tried to convince the kids that we didn't know a good place (we loved the shop in La Verne) and I thought of Krispy Kreme but it is just too far away so we ended up here. WORST. PLACE. EVER. Seriously, we should have just gone to the grocery store or something. 

Here is Seth in complete meltdown sugar crash mode. He threw all his food on the floor. And the situation did not improve as the day went on because he kept finding more and more candy no matter what we did to hide it or put it away. The poor thing had it rough!!

We spent the day watching conference and playing in the tent. The kids had their conference notebooks and little games printed from the church website. I decided to take notes differently this time and it was so cool, I'm definitely going to keep doing it! Instead of taking notes speaker by speaker, I wrote questions on the top of several pages in my journal that I had come up with during my media fast, and as I listened I would write down thoughts that came to me that answered those questions. It was amazing! For example, one of my questions was "How can I utilize fasting in my life?" and I felt my prayers being answered again and again as speakers and songs even answered my question! Tears came to my eyes as the first speaker, President Eyring, addressed the subject of fasting. It was one of those moments where I just knew Heavenly Father had heard me, and wanted to answer me. I gained many insights throughout the weekend and my pages were filled by the end!

On Easter morning we had Russ and Raegan and D'Ann over for breakfast and they stayed for the first session too! It was great! Here are the kids playing with their new play-dough after a much more peaceful and less sugary breakfast than the day before. =o]

Before the session started we prepped the Resurrection Rolls.

In between the sessions we made Carrot Cake. I'm not sure if you remember, but last year I went bezerk trying to duplicate a secret family recipe for carrot cake of a woman in our ward, but to no avail. And when we moved, she gave it to me!! What a sweetheart! So here it is, and it didn't disappoint! And of course I made the carrots out of jelly beans for the top! =o] I sent a picture of it to a friend in our old ward asking her to tell the lady thank you and let her know it will be a tradition in our family forever!

Then the cousins came!! See what I mean about the plays? They practiced and performed for us! =o]

Jenna was zonked out on the couch for more than three hours poor thing, and she still went to bed at the normal time with no problem so she really must have needed it! (I blame the sugar lol!)

Here we are in the dining room about to eat our feast! Rebecca even made fish at my request and I ate it!! (I'm trying to be like Jesus, remember?? ha ha!) And we started a new tradition of having purple cauliflower- we loved it! The kids can't wait for Halloween to try the orange kind!

The play!

During the performance Derek and Raycelan arrived! I'm so glad they could make it!

Everyone stayed until past bedtime just talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company! It was great to discuss the events of Conference with everyone, and hear their perspective and testimonies! We had decided to go ahead and do our MacKay Family Easter program for Family Home Evening the next night since we knew everyone would probably stay late Sunday and it would have been too hard trying to corral 8 kids under age 8 instead of 4! =o] 

The kids LOVE the Jesus Eggs and I'm excited for the tradition of a program to go along with them to continue to blossom as the scriptures and songs become more meaningful with age. =o] 

 So there you have it! Another Easter done and we are one year closer to the Second Coming!

March- the just us edition

The first official day here after we moved in there was a snowstorm and the kids couldn't have been more thrilled! (I personally think it is A LOT of work for not that much fun!!!)

Jenna still refuses to wear winter clothes. 

The dirt in our yard turns to clay and so there was mud EVERYWHERE as the kids came in and out with it caked on their shoes over and over again! Finally I insisted on a pre-mudroom out in the garage because I don't want mud all over my mudroom ha ha!

Natalie and I went on her half birthday date to get ice cream. Originally she said she wanted to eat outside but quickly changed her mind =o]

We talked about her upcoming baptism and the "special discussions" that she will be having with Kent and I every Fast Sunday from now until after she is baptized. She is super excited and so am I! I love teaching the gospel in everyday informal settings, but there is a part of me that LOVES formal gospel lessons! And so we are teaching her the missionary discussions from Preach My Gospel as a companionship, and then we will have one last official discussion after she is baptized and receives the Gift of the Holy Ghost using a book I am making... it is going to be EPIC. And I don't use that word lightly, people. Anyway, on the way home we drove to the Jordan River Temple, which has been my favorite ever since I was a little girl. I'm not sure why, I have just always loved it and wanted to go there. I hope to have the chance soon! It was so peaceful to admire it's beauty together.  

There are three different libraries all within 15 minutes or so of us, and we have literally been to the library every week since we moved here. There are things we like and dislike about each of them, so we will probably never settle on just one. We might even venture further out someday. We just LOVE books!!! I couldn't be a mom without books. 

(This river of letters is in the South Jordan branch)

There is this huge sundial thing outside one of them. This is the same one that had musical stepping stones up the walkway from the parking lot. 

One has a park right next door- major plus! But it doesn't have as good of a kid's program... give and take!

We went to this awesome Lego exhibit in the mall that we heard about through one of the homeschool groups that we are in. It was super crowded but good times. 

Here are the girls oo-ing at the Frozen Legos. 

The real show though was all the national monuments! It was amazing to see how creative people can be with little cubes!

They had building stations set up and the kids had a blast!

Caleb did get upset at one point though because this little punk kid (who was wearing a U of U shirt I might add) was purposefully crashing everyone else's cars as they tried to race them down the track and then laughing hysterically as several of the poor children were brought to tears at their hard work was destroyed. Where were this child's parents???? Finally after like the third time of Caleb trying to race his car down while the punk kid was distracted ruining someone else's day only to have him catch it at the last second and have to put it back together, I calmly but firmly told the kid to stop being mean and step back from the track unless he was going to play kindly. He looked cowed. Caleb happily raced his car down and we left. I looked back to see the kid at it again. WOW. I do not understand people who are purposefully mean to other people! I mean, seriously what is going to happen to that kid?!?! He couldn't have been older than 5 and already a malicious bully! Tragedy. Okay, end rant, lol!

Derek asked his girlfriend Raycelan to marry him! 

We sisters asked if we could throw her a bridal shower and offered our house as the location.

Here are the invites I sent to non-fb-ers =o]

Raycelan chose light pink and sage green as her colors so we are busy finding dressed and such for everyone to wear.  

Before we knew her wedding colors we were going to have a white and yellow scheme because yellow is her favorite color and Natalie excitedly started making plans. It is sideways but here are some of the decorations and food she wanted to do. So adorable! She was so excited to be involved with it all!

When we heard that Raycelan was feeling understandably overwhelmed, we decided to be the cheer up committee! We miraculously got into her apartment while she was at work and left her some high fives and hearts and gifts to brighten her day. It was fun to show love and give service to welcome someone so sweet into our family!

This note told her to feel free to go "bridezilla" with no fear of judgement because all of us freaked out at one time or another at our weddings lol!

This note was a reminder that they can stress out over tons of little things, or choose to focus on the most important things and let everything else fall into place. She called to thank us (our first conversation actually) and I hope she could hear in my voice our genuine concern and love! 

Kent and I got to go on a date before his two week trip (Cal and Kathy graciously watched the kids). Since Russ was out of town he gave us his tickets to the Real game. It was fun!! I love watching sports when we are at the game in person! 

Our happy, blurry picture =o]

We unpacked all of our boxes and after playing in a box city in the basement for almost a month, we finally put them all in the closet under the stairs, where the kids still play with them. Best toy=cardboard box!

Workers came to put in the back splash. It took three days!

We were reminded yet again how impossible it is to go shopping for house projects as a family when Jenna peed on the floor in Ikea. Yes, yes she did. 

We got a front loading washer and dryer!

And a carpenter came and finished the laundry room. 

For her Epiphany Day present Natalie asked to take riding lessons. We were surprised but supportive of doing it here in Utah because it would have been impossibly expensive in SoCal. So she got some boots, which she says she has wanted for a long time anyway. 

We went to a western supply store and she got to check out all the horse gear.

She wore her helmet for the rest of the day lol!

She was BEYOND excited for her first lesson!! She did great and had a blast!

Here she is on the horse she loved at first sight named Cash. She has ridden her every time and her teacher says they have a good bond because this horse doesn't respond well to just any rider. I have loved seeing her confidence and skill improve in just the short time since she started! She is awesome!

We are still plugging away at k12 school, and couldn't be more excited for all our plans for the coming homeschool year!!

Here we are sketching out frescoes, which we painted later.  

And here is a typical workbook, laptop, and a snack shot =o]

One day Caleb convinced the girls to make the shapes we were reviewing with Jenna out of their bodies. It was super fun actually, and reminded me to let the kids guide the learning more often! 

Caleb is always super fun actually =o]

And getting so strong! He is a pro and the monkey bars now!!

Just look at this adorable picture he drew for St. Patrick's Day! I just love that kid!

Jenna cut her hair. It could have been much worse, but it was still sad to find the little piles all over the school room =o/

Luckily one of the times Raegan was over, my friend Katie came to pick her up and fixed it for us. I think it is super cool that she gave me, Natalie, and Jenna all our first professional haircuts!

She definitely looks different, but still cute =o] 

She asks me to take her picture all the time. She has a little Frozen camera that she takes pictures with all the time. She also takes pictures and videos with the ipad whenever she gets her hands on it!

Her hair is ALWAYS static-y!! 

Seth LOVES animals!! He makes this adorable little "ah-ha" sound whenever he sees them, which is completely different from his typical "eh-ehh-eeh-eh" language. 

He is just a happy guy to have around. As Natalie said one day, "What would the world be without Seth in it??" 

So...yep! Here we are! Goodbye March.