Earth Day!

As I become more and more of a tree hugger, the more I try and teach my girls about taking care of the earth. So I decided that Earth day is going to be an important little holiday around our home. The past few years we've gone out on a hike to celebrate. This year I decided to have a little trash pick up party with some friends at our favorite mountain spot, which sadly had a decent amount of rubbish to clear away. 

And every celebration needs a good treat or two so thanks to the internet I made some fun things.

Look at this one little spot alone! Too much crap. 

 Hazel also picked up leaves and bark so... yeah.

The little cleaning brigade:

Don't worry, we took our trash home. ;) 

And I couldn't narrow down between these four photos that my friend took for me because Rose is so freaking cute! (I, on the other hand, look like a crazy poncho lady.) She loved looking at the river. 

 (And yes, we cleaned up some trash but I'm obviously no saint since I used plastic cups and sacks. While I've actually tried to eliminate some of our plastic use, it's a really hard thing to do! EVERYTHING COMES IN PLASTIC, ACK! But one step at a time, every effort matters, so we will keep working towards more eco friendly products. Okay, bye!)

Easter Celebrations

There's no rhyme or reason to my decorating impulses and apparently it didn't strike for Easter and this was the extent of it:

But I do love Easter! It's one of my favorite because of the meaning behind it. It feels different and special. And I like that. I attempted to do this thing where you do these spiritual Jesus thoughts and songs every day of the week leading up to Easter but I'll admit, I only remembered to do it a couple of the days. BUT one of those days was having a "pass over dinner" and that was fun to try out. We kept it kid friendly with chicken, pita bread, tomato cucumber salad, hummus, couscous, and grapes. And grape juice. And candles.

 

 On that Saturday we ended up at a public egg hunt, despite the fact I had sworn them off. But this one was near our house so we could walk and leave if the people were too savage about getting a million eggs for their kids. But it ended up being great! There were only like 15 families there. They had donuts, prizes, coloring, and every kid got to gather several eggs. So I guess maybe egg hunts are okay sometimes.

Then we went back home and had our own egg hunt with a few of my cousins. With the eggs I prepared and all the candy and treats my aunts brought- the kids got quite the sugar haul!

  Then, later on, we had the girls search for their hidden Easter baskets with some fun little toys and such in them.

Sunday was good. It was Easter, of course, and we wanted to focus on that so I made a nice breakfast of sweet orange rolls, fruit, eggs, sausage, and juice. I put out a lace table cloth and fancy crystal dishes. I went out into the quiet early morning and snipped flowers from the yard, a most healing silence following me around. Soft rising sun light, no cars out, no neighbors mowing lawns. I gently brought in yellow, pink, and red tulips, pale lilacs, purple weeds and tender sprigs of violet shoots and I put them in my milk white jug on the table.

  After breakfast, some playing, egg dying, baths, and dresses, Buck and I sat with the girls and taught about the meaning of Easter. We talked about it, watched clips online about Christ, and then we ended with testifying to the girls that we know Christ lives. These moments buoyed up my spirit.

And off to church we went! After attempting a girls photo. This was as good as it got. ;)

  After church we went and had a fancy ham dinner at Buck's parent's house. I forgot my nice camera but we had to get a photo of all the girls together in their matching dresses!

 Rose was not amused apparently

And so it was. The merriest Easter week. And in the true spirit of Easter I wanted to end with something I posted on social media that day: In a world where I am starting to really look like a weirdo for believing in Christ and God, I continue on believing. I have felt things so sacred that I cannot seem to find the words other than to tell you all that I KNOW Christ lives. I have felt, time and time again, that this is true. I know who I am, why I am here, and where I am going. Even during hard times, I feel peace. This hasn't always been easy- it's come from times of questions and fears. But I have felt Christ's love, through the spirit, lift my burdens, give me answers, and fill scary darkness with the brightest light. He lives! You guys! He really lives! God is real! He loves you! And there is so much hope.