Easter

My mom has become friends with a lady who owned her own candy shop. She has agreed to teach Erin and I her tricks-candy making, cake making etc. She gave the following to my mom for Easter:

My mom didn't have to nerve to tell her my name was Danielle..HA!


Brielle's basket was adorable.


I had Saturday off and thought it would be fun to do some Easter events between Saturday Conference session. I jumped on-line and was shocked how many different events were going on. Brielle had been frightening a cold and the weather was a little chilly so I decided to go with an indoor event. Shoppers square was having a brunch with the Easter bunny, Ronald McDonald and Alice in Wonderland characters, free lunch and pictures. It sounded so fun. I invited a friend and her daughter to come along. When I arrived it wasn't what I was picturing, they ran out of food and the line was longer that what I wanted to wait in. So we decided to get a few pictures with the Easter bunny and go to McDonalds for lunch.

Gabrielle couldn't figure out why Brielle was screaming.

Once Brielle realized Gabrielle wasn't screaming she calmed down but still wasn't too thrilled.

EGG DYING TIME

After girls night out I decided we better dye our eggs or it wouldn't ever happen. Matt was at Priesthood and then had gone out to dinner with the g.pa's to sizzler so I started without him. It was a longer process than I anticipated and Brielle didn't get to bed till close to 9:30-10ish.

Brielle wasn't too sure about dropping the eggs into the water, she kept saying "HOT!" and would move away from it.

So I smashed an egg in the process...oops!

Brielle LOVES every moment she gets to spend with her "oma" aka grandma.

Brielle putting the color tablets into the cups and watching the water change color.

This egg dying process is serious business. Brielle was reading the instructions with me.

I didn't expect her to grab the egg! However she surprised me and softly placed it into the egg carton (thank goodness!)

Daddy came home in time to put the glitter on the eggs!

Matt colored a few eggs of his own.

You can see my mom and Brielle in the background while Matt and I are trying hard to finish up-it was WAY past bedtime for Brielle.

I think the eggs turned out pretty cute.

The front egg was Matt's creation of mixing colors!

EASTER MORNING!
The Easter bunny left Brielle's basket in her room. She was so excited, she pointed to the bunny on her basket and would say "hop,hop" and bounce up and down. Once she was done exploring the basket she found the fun new toys that were inside her basket. What is better than fingerpaint for the bath and a bubble gun?

Matt was SUPER kind and bought me flowers for Easter. Aren't they beautiful?

The night before Easter we came up with the idea to have some friends over for breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls and watch morning session of Conference. Matt is the best cook and I LOVE his breakfast burritos!! YUM, YUM!

Bon appetite

I wasn't going to do our own egg hunt because she was going to do 2 later in the day. However, I thought it would be something fun Peter and Brielle could do before Conference. Brielle was a natural; running and picking up eggs and throwing them into her basket. It was so fun to watch her go.

She figured out how to open the eggs.

The kids played while we watched morning Conference.

Brielle loves having friends over to play with. Peter and Brielle do really well playing together.

Brielle was so tired she fell asleep right before we arrived to Nathan and Joanna's. She even stayed asleep when we brought her in (for maybe 20 minutes or so). It's a good thing because this was the only nap she took for the day. (Thanks Mom and G.pa Hicks for remembering your camera. I had too much to remember and of course left mine at home.)

Daddy didn't mind holding her, it's not too often she sleeps on our chest anymore.

Uncle Norman, Gpa and Gma Ross, Uncle Don and my mom

It's not too often Easter and General Conference fall onto the same weekend. We always do lunch with my family in between Conference and for Easter we are always in Fallon for Easter. This year there was a conflict but the result ended up being: lunch with my family and Fallon after lunch. As a result, I though it would be SUPER fun to have an Easter egg hunt with the little cousins on my side. Everyone agreed and the planning began. We planned on approximately 10 eggs per kid, however I think there were more than that. The backyard was FULL of eggs.

However before the hunt, we had to eat.

Brielle thoroughly enjoys tables and chairs her size. This table was exceptionally fun because she and Tucker could move it back and forth.

The kids were so excited to go hunt eggs. They couldn't understand why we were making them wait, and what the fuss was over pictures. Tucker wasn't too thrilled to join everyone on the couch, but eventually joined the fun.

Right to left: Carsen, Ray, Brielle and Eliza

There is little Tuck!

Once we captured pictures the kids were free and the hunt began.

Eliza sure was happy she found so many eggs.

This is what happens when you don't get a very good nap:

This is the result of bribing with candy:

Keith Knight family: Tucker, Keith, Angela (who is also pregnant!), Carson

Ray was sure happy to have some candy

The Don Ross boys: Seth, Sam and Jacob

Jacob teaching her how to do knuckles.

Brielle liked the new toys she could play with.

Brielle has enjoyed pushing strollers for some time, so she was thrilled to find one her size. This was the first time I had witness her trying to put something in the stroller to push around. It was funny becuase she would get too close and kick the wheels which pushed the stroller away. Eventaully she figure it out and was able to put the bunny in.

The camera was a little slow but I was able to capture one cute picture of Brielle giving Erin kisses. This is near the end where she was giving Erin really WET kisses.

Once the afternoon session started we said our goodbyes and headed off to Fallon. We were able to listen to Conference on Matt's iphone (when it was working) on the way down and Brielle played instead of taking a nap. When we arrive to Grandma Miller's Brielle discovered she has both a dog and a bird. She was in HEAVEN!

Brett and Brielle

Brielle LOVES her Uncle Zach.

When we drove up we discovered that Autumn and Lilly had the same dress as Brielle. Ha, gotta love Costco.

Before the Easter festivities started we gathered all the grandkids that were present together for a picture.

Right to left back to front: Brett, Lilly, Autumn, Brookie, Tyler, Brielle and Bryce.
OPPS there are too many and no one noticed that Lilly was missing. Here she is.

Norma tends to break the grandkids up into age groups so everyone has the opportunity to pick up PLENTY of eggs and can enjoy themselves. Brielle was so excited to pick up eggs she didn't care what age group was going, she participated. More than once she picked up an egg and put it into someone elses basket. I think she was having a good time.

Brielle helping Lilly by putting eggs into her basket

Lilly and Lacey hunting

Brielle found a pile of eggs and had to explore

I am sure she was thinking, "forget the eggs, what are the other kids doing?"

I don't know if I remember doing Easter and having Grandma Hoffman around. It sure was fun having all the grandparents around. We had to capture the moment.

right to left: Danielle, Grandma Hoffman, G.ma Taylor, Brielle, Merlin, Gma Miller and Matt

back right to left: Gma Hoffman, Gma Taylor, Brielle Merlin, Bryce, Gma Miller

front right to left: Brooklyn, Brett, Lilly, Autumn, Lacey, Tyler

This year the adult Easter egg hunt was a little different for a couple reasons: Julie was on bed rest and couldn't do it plus the Nash family had to head home before the hunt started, and Rachelle was in Idaho. Matt was able to convience his grandmothers (Miller and Hoffman) to participate this year. It was funny becuase Grandma Miller ended up with the $10 egg. The hunt was pretty low key. For the first time there wasn't any whinying or complaining, we just enjoyed finding the eggs.

Matt, Grandma Miller and Grandma Hoffman opening their eggs to discover what treasures they collected

After dinner the kids were getting bored. Matt sensed their need for attention and started singing and dancing with the kids. It was so cute, and the kids thought Uncle Matt was so fun. I think my favorite moment was watching the kids play Duck Duck GOOSE. Autumn and Lilly are old enough and know how to play but the rest of the kids would jump up and run around the circle.

Left to right: Lilly, Brielle, Brett, Lacey, Autumn

I can't believe Brielle ended up with three egg hunts, but each one was unqiue and fun. We loved getting together with family and sharing this special day with everyone. I was grateful to listen to Conference and be spirtually uplifted. For after all, HE HAS RISEN and lives again.