EASTER 2020

Posted by Chandra April 12, 2020

EASTER 2020

We did all the fun, festive Easter things the day before Easter and tried to keep Sunday a sacred day. Tanner was able to be home with us all day on Saturday which was so nice! I was upset with him on Friday night because he’d asked me on a date (a quarantine date) that morning but then never followed through and didn’t come home until about 10pm. Since "quality time" is my love language, I was hurt. And since expectations are the root of disappointments, I was mad. So he apologized and we came full circle and Saturday was a great day!

I woke up with the kids and we had an Easter egg hunt (Parker stayed up with me on Friday night filling and hiding eggs)and they discovered their Easter baskets filled with new bathing suits, goggles, and chocolate bunnies. Tanner made breakfast for the kids while I did HIGH fitness with Kaitlin (and Kim, Kassidy, and Nicole). We went swimming and the Easter Bunny stopped by! What a fun surprise! He brought the kids some yummy treats and was so kind!

Then we colored eggs! Every year, we do our big family Easter party together the day before Easter and this is typically when my kids color eggs. Since it is a group effort, I don’t do too much of the prep and set-up for coloring eggs. Well, let me tell you, it’s a lot of work! But it was worth it and so fun! Luckily Tanner was able to score eggs from work so we could even dye any. But the kids did great and it was so fun being outside In the sunshine while we did it. With the left over colored vinegar/water, we went into the front yard and poured it over baking soda and watched the colors pop and fizz which the kids thought was amazing!

I talked to the kids about doing an “egg drop” contest and they had some great ideas. Parker packed his egg in some blankets and taped it all up in an Amazon box, Rayleigh wrapped hers up in a towel and shoved it into a grocery bag, and Jack simply put his egg in a baggy full of water. Tanner dropped everyone’s eggs from the top of a ladder and would you believe, no one’s eggs broke! Success!

After that, we picked up some Luna Grill and ate it outside. We tried to talk to the kids about the Last Supper and how some of these foods were similar to what Jesus might have eaten. We talked a little about the resurrection and it was nice.

We spent the rest of the day swimming and enjoying the warm sunshine all the way until it was down. Then we cuddled up and watched a movie together with allllll the yummy snacks.

It was a good day.

Sunday was a different story.

The morning was beautiful. We woke up and I played games on the floor with the kids while Tanner made us yummy crepes and bacon. We ate around the table and talked about Easter. Then we got ready for church and since some people took longer than others, my “quiet” coloring activity was completed before church even started. When I tried to play the piano, I had a 2 year old trying to take over, and at any given time, there was a person complaining. At one point, Rayleigh was sent to her room. We took the sacrament which was blessed by Tanner and passed by Parker and that was very needed and appreciated. I gave a short lesson that was thankfully sent via email by Josi. She sent it to her primary class (a little Come Follow Me type of lesson about Easter) and it was perfect, but very short.

As soon as we were done with our sacrament meeting, we joined the ward on a ZOOM meeting but the kids were crazy and loud. We were able to hear a song compilation by the primary (Gethsemane which my kids love to sing) but the quality was low and when it was over, the Bishop accidentally played some obnoxious YouTube video for babies which completely took the spirit away. It was around this time that Tanner informed me that he needed to go into work. I was NOT happy. And he wasn’t happy with the fact that I wasn’t happy. He admitted later that he has a hard time when I’m having a hard time. But what I need when I’m having a hard time is a person to minister to me! Tanner tends to take things personally and feels compelled to place blame. But when we place blame on others, we give up our agency, our freedom to chose and act. When there is a pile of LEGOS on the floor and we refuse to pick them up because “we didn’t spill them” we inevitably get hurt by stepping on the LEGOS and others around us get hurt, too. It doesn’t matter who spilled them. They need to be cleaned up. When there is a problem to be solved, we would do well to work out a way to solve it.

Anyhoo, we hid our special resurrection eggs and had a talk about the last week of Christ’s life and watched a few church videos and I’m hoping that my children maybe learned something. Tanner left and I made chicken and rice and the rest of the day was peaceful. Once again, expectations are at the heart of disappointment and I was not expecting Easter to go the way it did. But we will carry on.

This year’s Easter theme was “Hear Him”. From my personal experience, I hear the voice of Jesus Christ and feel

His peace through sacred music, when my child does something simple that touches my heart, when I’m learning of Him and discussing His teachings, when I read the words of the prophets and apostles, and when I’m in the temple. Many times I’ve been moved to tears while hearing magnificent music. I feel peace when I ponder and allow the spirit to rest upon me.

I’ve loved the prompts this week from the church to help us focus our thoughts on Christ and “Hear Him” more. One day, we were challenged to seek gratitude, so while we waiting in line for In-n-Out and free hot chocolate on a rainy day, we named 10 things we are grateful for:

Tanner
Nanny, Bebo, Grammy, and Papa
Rayleigh
Jack
Daddy working so hard
Technology
iPad
Rain
The beach
In n Out

I am thankful for my Savior, for His miraculous life. He teaches me how to teach and how to heal- one by one, with patience and mercy. It is my constant prayer that I will hear Him and that I will be a tool in His hands to accomplish His work here upon the earth and raise up my children to be devoted to Him, too. I know that through Him we have unparalleled peace, even during pandemics.