Easter

This year Spence and I were able to attend the Easter Pageant at the Mesa, Arizona temple grounds. It was a beautiful performance and really set the tone for what Easter is truly about. Then on Sunday our ward put on an amazing choir performance that really pulled at the heart strings. I love Easter Sunday and really taking the time to think about the life, death, and most importantly, the resurrection of Christ. On top of all of that, we were able to squeeze in some fun Easter activities.

Spence only remembers decorating Easter eggs once in his lifetime... and that was with me on our first Easter together as a married couple. Of course that was hard for me to hear since I have fond memories doing this very tradition probably every year that I can remember. So naturally, we dyed Easter eggs on Saturday night and had a blast. It was super fun to see Spence ask questions like,

"What if I leave my egg in the blue for a really REALLY long time? Like all night long? What do you think would happen?"

His curiosity was at an all time high and it reminded me a little of when I took him to the Oregon Coast to see the tide pools... he was seriously a little boy again seeing all of those starfish and sea anemones. Proof below... look at his eyes. So funny!

This pic makes him look like a ghost! ha!

He couldn't believe that he was seeing these things in person!!! After taking all of those biology classes where he studied these kinds of things in books... he could finally see them in real life. He was in his own little world for those few hours. :)

Back to Easter.

While we were decorating Easter eggs, I told him about an Easter tradition in our family... the Golden Egg.

Every year growing up my Dad would hide a very large plastic egg somewhere in the house. Inside was the best present of all... usually a gift card or $5 or something. Throughout the day he would give us one riddle at a time that would help us locate the egg. Now keep in mind that there are ten kids in the family, and only ONE egg. This was intense.

I clearly remember one year as a little girl being so upset that I couldn't find the egg because the riddles were just too hard for me to understand and I just knew that my older brothers and sisters would find the egg before I could. I wanted to find it SO bad! My sweet Mother, who was cooking dinner at the time, took me into the living room, sat me on her lap and rocked me in her squeeky rocking chair while I cried and cried. I was clearly so upset when just a few minutes later I felt something funny in the pocket of my Mom's apron. She tried not to crack a smile as I sat there with a confused look on my face trying to figure out what it could be. I finally reached my hand in the pocket of her apron and lo and behold....

IT WAS THE GOLDEN EGG!!!!!!!

Those tears dried up in an instant. I could not believe that I had found the egg and I was beyond excited.

I had not gone to the store to get anything on Saturday for Easter morning because the day's schedule just didn't allow me to. But I went downstairs Sunday morning and found a delicious breakfast that Spencer had made just for me. Sitting next to my plate were six clues written on little pieces of paper. He had hid a golden egg! I sure got a keeper :)

I searched all morning before church and could not find the egg... he's a pretty clever one.

When we got back from church I took a few more minutes and finally found the "golden egg substitute" taped behind a frame hanging on our wall. We didn't have time to get a huge plastic egg so paper would just have to do this year. The paper said, "Look on Spencer's computer." To make a long story even longer, I decided that I just wanted to be surprised when the present came in the mail in a few days. Well, today was that day! He is always saying that he never knows what to get me for presents so he would rather just give me money to go and get something... but take a look at this... I think he always does a pretty dang good job:

I was SO excited and was totally not expecting this! It's a 10 inch tall Christus statue that fits perfectly on our shelf. I've always wanted one but thought that it was something we would get maybe when we moved into the house that we would be in forever... ya know... in a stinkin long time ha! I absolutely love it.

Then he pulls out another package for Mother's Day and a late bday present! Here they are:

I love the Willowtree collection but I have never had one of their figurines before. He totally outdid himself and like always, spoiled me.

I sure do love that man! I'm glad I get to keep him. :)