April Fools and Easter

Ben was so worried about how we would combine April Fools and Easter in one day.
Well, we did it.  Or maybe overdid it.  Too much fun in one day!
We dyed eggs on Saturday night late.

Sunday morning we had an April Fools Breakfast.  Ben & Sarah (the early risers) helped set the table in a wacky April Fools fashion.  Sarah wrote the names backward (mine is "shirt" apparently).  Ben chose to put not water, but MILK in the glug glug pitcher.  Crazy talk!  Sarah actually ate her crepes with the giant USU spatula.  Some people swapped out for real dishes once the eating began.  It was a fun breakfast!

 Before we actually ate, we woke up Dad & Libby (the late sleepers) and had a quick egg hunt.  The Easter Bunny hid eggs filled with dried pasta, pistachios, goldfish, and some with candy.  (April FOOLS!)  The baskets (that somehow I didn't take a picture of) had veggies, fruit, and a few Reese's eggs.  Libby got a shirt, Sarah got a game, and Ben got a soft frisbee.  Ben said, "I know why the Easter Bunny brought me a soft frisbee!  It's so I won't get hurt when it hits me in the face!"  Smart cookie that Ben.  And later that day when he got hit in the fact, he wasn't hurt!  Genius Easter Bunny!

We watched the first session of conference (I prepped food for Easter dinner--so I listened).  Then we went to Maren's for her annual egg hunt.

The Barretts didn't come down in time for the egg hunt, so it was just this bunch.  They each got to find 32 eggs!

The slime eggs were a huge hit, but had to be played with in the kitchen, not on the new carpet in the family room!

Back at our house, we watched the 2nd session.  The Barretts joined us.  Slime eggs were a big hit with the older kids too! 

We did more cooking. 

Set lovely tables. 

Then we ate and I stopped taking pictures.  

The evening ended in parent meltdown.  The kids put up about 50% more Easter decor than I wanted them to.  So I made them promise they would help clean up.  They weren't getting the job done.  Derek and I both got really frustrated.  No More Easter!  Was the way we ended the night.  Sigh.  Holidays are hard work.  What we are really thankful to celebrate is the resurrection and grace of Jesus Christ.  He does the clean up for our sins.  We don't need to clean up a lot of Easter decorations to remember that.  So I gave away 2 of my 3 bins of Easter stuff this week.  Simplifying to focus on what really matters feels good.

Also, I'm happy that April Fools/Easter/Conference isn't usually a one weekend whirlwind!  Bring on Spring!