Easter Fun

This is my 350th post on the blog! Wow. That is a lot of posts. I am also trying something new with pictures. It takes more work, but it will take up less space.

As you know, it was just Easter weekend. We had a fun time celebrating in many ways, mostly in egg hunts.

Ward Easter Egg-stravaganza

Rachel chilling at breakfast; throwing a fit because she wants to go outside NOW; finding an egg; a full basket of eggs; finding a sneaky egg.

She also learned how to say "egg" so she had plenty of opportunity to practice.

Finding her basket at home

It's Easter morning!; searching for the basket; found it!; and there are treats; eating a Reese's peanut butter egg for breakfast; showing dad what she got; too cute.

Rachel seemed pretty excited about the things in her basket. We did not go crazy with gifts from the Easter bunny. Thanks to my parents, we did not have to buy any candy.

HOA egg hunt

I'm on our HOA board and headed up an egg hunt for children.

Finding eggs strewn about on the grass; a plethora of eggs; the kids who came; on the hunt with mom; an egg in a tree!; family Easter picture.

The other people helping me with the egg hunt thought we needed about 400 eggs. And then only 7 two-year-olds showed up. By the end, the parents were saying, "If you get five more eggs, we can go home."

And Rachel's dress is a size 18 month dress. It looked more like a ball gown because she is barely into 12 month clothes.

We also tried to remember the reason for Easter---our Savior, Jesus Christ. We had a wonderful stake conference on Sunday. I was in the choir. It was nice to sing songs about Him and feel the Spirit testify of His resurrection.

Trans Siberian Orchestra Concert

We went to the Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) concert two weekends ago. I am not much of a rocker and my rock concerts have pretty much just consisted of a Hootie and the Blowfish concert when I was 15 and Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band concerts at college. Love Ryan Shupe. I wasn't familiar with Hootie and kept wondering why it smelled so funny there.

We won tickets from a friend's raffle. Our seats were in a suite! I have never been in a suite, it was so sweet. The best part was that we had our own personal toilet. Here is the order of awesome things about being in a suite.

1. Personal toilet
2. Having water to drink the whole time.
3. Having a place to set your food and water on in front of you.
4. Feeling like a queen and referring to all the other people as "the peasants" for the whole night.
5. Comfy seats.
6. Being with 16 people you know because everyone from your ward won tickets.
7. Parking right across the street for FREE!

Me in the suite.

Our personal toilet.

There is horrible lighting in the suites, but there we are.

As you can tell, being in the suite was pretty cool.

The concert was fun, too. I wasn't sure what to expect as I was only family with TSO's Christmas songs. They played some Christmas songs, then had a Christmas story/music thing, played more Christmas songs, and then played other songs.












This man who was a rock singer and had Thor hair.


Electric violin power!



Andrew and I are so dumb at rock and roll. The lead guitarist said that his best friend Paul was there and he got the group together. Everyone was screaming. We were like, "YAY!" but didn't know why everyone was freaking out. And then later on the drive home when we talked with Shannon did we realize that it was Paul McCartney! ooooff! So that was pretty cool in retrospect.

The lights were amazing, it was really loud and I did put in earplugs, the music was great and fun. I really am not much of a rocker, but we had a great time. I am glad we won the tickets and I think we should go to more rock concerts in the future. As long as we balance those with symphonies because that is what I love.


In front of the Space Needle.

Here is a funny thing. Yesterday, a TSO song came on our Pandora, and it was one where they all flipped their hair like crazy. I started flipping my hair/head banging and I gave myself whiplash. My neck hurts so bad. Rock stars must have very strong necks so they don't get brain damage or whiplash after every concert. Also, they have amazing conditioner to keep their hair so smooth and shiny despite their rocking.

Rachel's Birthday Extravaganza: Part 1

You all know from Pinterest and current culture that your child's first birthday is really important. The second birthday or the first birthday for the third child, not so much.

None of those Pinterest Moms love their first child as much as I do. Rachel is having three birthday celebrations. Pin it and compete with me.

My parents and sister were in town a weekish ago so we, of course, celebrated Rachel's birthday. And Andrew's too a little.


Not so sure about this presents thing.


Opening a present with Grandma.


She opened this dress and held it up and it was so funny.


What could it be?!?!


Hmmm...


A wagon! "Quick, some assembly is required, Dad!"


Andrew assembling the wagon handle.


Nigel wondering why he doesn't get a present.


Cousins. This trip was fun because they actually interacted with each other, unlike two months ago.


The birthday pigs.


"I WANT MY CUPCAKE!"


A delicious red velvet cupcake made with beets and topped with classily spread cream cheese frosting.


They were delicious. Rachel isn't much of a cake smasher/smearer. She is very dainty and wants the food in her belly.


"Dad, you have got to try this."


And in the morning, Nigel pushed Rachel around in her wagon. So cute.

Happy first birthday party to my sweet little Rachel!

Easter Festivities

Before we had Rachel, Andrew and I did not really celebrate holidays. It wasn't because we were Scrooges, it was that it seemed stupid to go all out for two adults. But now that we have a baby who, frankly, doesn't really care, we celebrate holidays.

We celebrated Easter by participating in the Easter basket deal with Rachel. How pagan of us. We also celebrated the Christian part of Easter by going to Church and watching the Bible Videos about Christ's last week. But those aren't as fun to post pictures of on the internet.

Coloring Eggs

Even though I love spelling, I cannot ever figure out the gerund of "to dye" eggs. It looks wrong no matter how I spell it. "Dyeing," I believe, is the correct way, but it looks horrible to have those two vowels next to each other. And then "dying" is not right, although we do boil the eggs so it does kill anything that may have been alive inside them. Anyway, moving on. So we colored the eggs. Maybe we coloured them, UK style. However it is, we did it with our friends.

A pile of eggs.

Claire making yellow dye.

Ric photobombing in a fabulous manner.

Rachel enjoying this tradition.

Kendra and Dallon coloring on their eggs before they dye/colour them.

Ric's Superman egg.

Andrew was there, too. He seems to have evaded the camera.

The Ward Easter Partay

Rachel in an Easter basket.

Andrew did not evade the camera this time! But his eyes are closed.

Going outside for the egg hunt.

Our friends, Sarah and Olivia

Rachel got an egg!

Good job, my child.

Love them.

Easter Styling Outfits

Everyone knows that little girls need Easter dresses for Easter.

Here they come in their Easter clothes! They are about to hunt for the basket.

~~~Why is Easter so much about hunting? An egg hunt, hunting for your basket? It is funny that a bunny hides these, but we don't hunt for bunnies in this holiday.

Golly gee! The Easter bunny brought her teething rings! And Green Eggs and Ham.

Our family Easter picture. :)

Happy Easter a month and a half late!

Christmas Things That Actually Happened At Christmastime!

Merry Utah Christmas! We had a holly jolly Christmas and I was very happy that it snowed a ton! I love snow!


We got caroled to by the Stevenses. They are really good--like with legit harmonies and skilled singers. How nice to be sung to by talented and enthusiastic carolers.


Rachel got stuffed into her stocking by her Oma.


Megan, Zachary, Me, and Rachel in our PJs for the Christmas Eve party. Rachel and Zachary were due at pretty much the same time. I think Rachel was born on his due date, but he went a week late. Now they can be friends! Oh, Megan is Andrew's aunt and Zachary is Andrews cousin! Ha ha...


Hungry Rachel and me on Christmas morning with our stockings.


Rachel the little elf with her elf stocking.


Rachel with her presents from Santa Claus! What a nice guy!


Going to see the lights at Temple Square. Andrew, me, Rachel (in the pack), Maren, and Wesley.

Merry Christmas! A month late, but, oh well. More pictures from our journey to come, I promise!