Easter 2016

Easter seemed to come and go in a whirlwind because it was early this year. 

We managed to squeeze in a few Easter festivities though.

We did our Resurrection Eggs again this year.
I love this tradition so much.
 For each of the 12 days before Easter, we hunt for one egg a day that takes us through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
 It helps keep focus on the reason we have Easter at all.

We also did some egg dying....
 

We did some hunting for our lunch in the backyard... 


We had Easter Egg lunches at school
 

And we did the Saturday Easter bunny again.
The Saturday bunny began a few years ago when I started singing at church on Easter. I didn't want to miss the baskets on Sunday morning so we did it Saturday.
I really think it was the Lord just hitting me in the face with an obvious way to keep Sunday about Jesus.
 In our house, that is how it remains.
 Sunday is for the resurrection.
We want to build more excitement for Jesus than the bunny.
So the Saturday comes and goes and we get excited that Sunday is coming!

New matching spring PJs courtesy of MendyKayeDesigns.

These bunny face sunglasses were pretty cute.  

I absolutely loved singing at Easter services again this year.
It is my most favorite, favorite service the entire year.
It is always so, so emotional and moving and this year was no exception.
I was teary most of the 7 services.
I will keep coming back to Easter services as much as they will let me.  It is an honor and a privlidge to watch God work in the hearts of people during that time of year.
 Thanks to my dad and Ali's mom, we got a few stage pics. 

 

Green room with the worship team 

 

Ladies 

 

Attempt at a family Easter pic

  

Traditional Easter brunch at Aunt Jan's complete with more egg dying, egg hunting and the best company. We missed Pepa this year but it was so good to be together in a familiar way to continue traditions.

   

After Aunt Jan's house we did Easter with the Harrisons and had just one more egg hunt :) 

 

  Happy Easter from the Harrisons! 

Spring Break in Broken Bow

We spent the first weekend of Spring Break in Broken Bow, OK with some playgroup friends. 

It was such a fun place to get away for a couple days. 

 There were 6 families that rented 3 cabins near the state park. 

Our plan was to leave Saturday morning and get to BB around lunch time. It wasn't until the night before when we were looking up directions of how to get there that we realized the Ranch was pretty much on the way to BB. 

So we texted out last minute that we were going to stop at the Ranch and play a little since we couldn't check into our cabins until 3:00 anyway. 

 I was surprised but excited when every family texted back that they wanted to join us too! 

 The ranch was pretty much solid mud from LOTS of rain. 

 We thought it might rain on us the whole weekend also, but we were so blessed with the weather. Lots of mud in the sunshine, which was perfect for us. 

We took turns taking the kids for rides on the various "equipment" we have down there and they just loved it. 

  

Nothing says true love like matching family brand trucker hats.

 

Taking in a view of the Red River 

 

Lots of mud is pretty perfect for this boy.

   

 Kinley too

  

Boys climbing pretty much anything they could find 

 

 A pile of logs? Let's climb it!

   

Love a pic inside a tractor wheel 

 

Group kid pic with almost everyone at the container/camp site 

 

We got to the cabins in the late afternoon and pretty much just chilled the rest of the evening. All three cabins were right next to each other so our kids just ran around outside and played in the creek, on the swing set, on their bikes, shot bow and arrows, and anything else you can do outside. 

 

I think Ty found the largest stick he could hold to play in the creek. 

 

Crazy boys!

  

 Swinging with my boys

  

Crafts on the front porch 

Every cabin had a hot tub and they got plenty of use. 

 There was at least some kid in a hot tub at all times. 

 These boys showing off their muscles are too cute. 

 

Hot tub baths for the weekend, for sure! 

 

Smores in pjs...does life get better??? 

Saturday we spent a good portion of the day with some families at the Beaver's Bend State Park. 

 I had no idea how beautiful this little slice of OK was.

 It is just gorgeous!

 The cliffs and valleys and rivers and waterfalls.

 It's just breathtaking. 

 

We had a picnic lunch near the water 

 

As soon as we eat, we have to potty. BOYS!??!

 

We waded through the River...

  

We pretended to fish.

We explored this little sandbar on the river and took some family pics 

 

We went canoeing and it was so so fun! 

 

 We thought it might storm right as we finished canoeing but the weather held off again and we went to explore the rockbed of the river below the dam. 

It was gorgeous.

   

 "My buddy RyRy"

  

This is what it looks like when you throw a rock at someone and have to sit in time out in a State Park. He also proceeded to try to follow Ben across the river where he specifically was told NOT to cross and fell right in. 

Completely soaked head to toe. 

We can usually all use a little listen and obey lesson.

   

We shared our cabin for the weekend with the Nordells.

 It was called the "Red Fox Den" and it was probably the smallest of the cabins with 2 bedrooms and one bathroom but the 10 of us loved our cozy little home for the weekend. 

Literally there were red foxes everywhere. Stuffed, framed, on plates, cups, bedding, towels, you name it, it had a red fox on it. 

 

Girls 

 

Boys

  

Oh our family loves you, Red Fox Den 

Group shot of all the kids.

 

We stopped on the way back home to meet Inie for lunch in town.

We ate lunch and then went to the city park with her to play a little.

 

 Inie said this was her first "selfie."

  

I love this picture so much!