easter

The Easter Bunny visited our home and left the kids with full baskets...

They have been setting our their empty baskets in the office the last few years, and I always enjoy watching them run in to see what the Easter Bunny left for them. 

Love their sleepy faces and messy hair :)

Colby loved his new sunglasses, but I couldn't take him seriously as he roamed the house wearing them. 

Brooke was eager to color some of her stickers, put on her fake nails, and try on her new sandals and nightgown.  These kids are definitely spoiled!

We were all eager to bake our cinnamon rolls and eat breakfast together. We are all BIG fans of the Rhodes cinnamon rolls, especially me since they are incredibly easy to make.

Sunday morning selfies :)

This picture of Brooke and I makes me emotional. I really can't believe how fast these years are going.  Feels like she was just baptized, and now she's nearly NINE!

We were shockingly early to church, so we sat in a classroom to make a few cards.  

As I watched them work, I noticed that Brooke is getting more freckles and I gently asked how she felt about that.  She said she liked them, which made me happy.  She is beautiful, inside and out, and I hope she always feels that. 

The Easter program was beautiful, and I appreciated the opportunity to really think about the Savior, His atoning sacrifice, and His resurrection.  We studied about the last week of Christ's life as Easter approached, and it helped us all keep the real reason for the holiday in our minds. 

Since we were waiting after church for Kevin, and I realized I hadn't taken a pic of just the kids at home, I made them take one more picture together. They were right outside the women's bathroom, so they both acted like it was the most embarrassing thing of all time, haha. I just didn't want the water fountain or the brown walls as the backdrop. 

We headed straight to Flower Mound after church, which meant that we got a family picture that wasn't a selfie.  

Pictures with Grandma and Papa...

Then the cousins arrived and you better believe they were anxious to start the egg hunt!  I adore this sweet picture of them, but I love the "crazy" one even more, haha. 

We hid a ton of eggs, and they managed to find each and every one of them. 

Kinley found the golden egg and all the kids were jealous. I can't remember if I put $2 or $5 inside, but either way, the fact that it was money was definitely a novelty. 

One quick picture with Grandma and Papa before continuing the hunt in the backyard.  We feel so lucky to live near family.  I love gathering on holidays and allowing these cousins to build friendships while they're young. 

The kids were running all over the place so I hardly have any pictures, but I did manage to snap this one. 

Then the sorting began...

The Monday after Easter, we celebrated with one last egg hunt at the park.  Joanna always coordinates a night of family fun and it's a tradition my kids love. 

It's mostly ward friends, but a few friends from the Grand Prairie 1st ward come as well. 

Brooke with her basket full of blue eggs...

Colby informed me Easter is one of his favorite holidays because he loves all the egg hunts, but I hope he will also remember the true meaning of Easter and the things we studied about the Holy Week :)