Easter Festivities 2012

We started our Easter Holiday with the coloring of the eggs. We hard boiled 40 eggs this year. We color eggs the weekend before Easter so that the dye wears off before Easter Sunday. Learned that lesson when Kam and Kinsee were little and spilled it all over themselves. :) We love to color eggs and have fun doing it. We use them all up so that works out nicely. Next year I want to try an idea I heard from Kim (sister in law) when she cut pieces of old ties into squares to cover the raw eggs, once covered you boil them and the ties pattern dyes onto the eggs. They were cute! Maybe I'll let each kid pick out some ties. Anyways...love coloring eggs and beginning the Easter Holiday.


The second part of our Easter traditions has become attending the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant. I didn't take any pictures of the pageant this year like I did last year for a couple of reasons. First we sat a lot closer and second they asked us not to. And since we were so close I decided to obey the request. I think if I had been back further I may have taken a few. :) We did get some of the kids before it began. I wish we could have gotten a family photo but we didn't. We love the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant. The kids enjoyed it more this year than they did last year. It starts after their bedtime so a few fall asleep but we'll continue to go because it's fun, beautiful, peaceful and reminds us of the True reason for Easter. Plus they learned a little more this year than last and I want that to continue. I love taking the family to the temple. We talked about coming and getting Sealed and we talk about Jesus and Easter. Love the Pageant and that it's become a new Saling Family Tradition.


We also decided to put together an Easter Egg Hunt. Our first annual Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch. It turned out pretty well for the first year. I definitely want to do it again. We had some friends come and we all brought eggs for the kids. We also brought a brunch item and had a great time. The weather was perfect and everyone had a good time together. The men got there early to hide the eggs, with Kaitlyn's help and then the moms and kids showed up a bit later to eat, find them, talk, laugh and have fun. The kids found the eggs, some with a little help and then they snacked and played afterwards. We hid the eggs in different areas of the Park so that all the ages had fun finding them. The Park is behind our home and it's a good place to hide eggs. Even the older kids had fun. I want to do it again next year and get more families or even the Ward involved. Thank you to all who came and made the hunt fun and memorable! We love living in Maricopa. We love our Ward and our friends. I'm thankful the kids are happy and doing well here. Another fun Easter Tradition enjoyed by the Saling's.


Easter came to an end on Easter Sunday. We got the kids all dolled up and pretty for Easter. I let them pick out their outfits this year. Kai is into puffy and fluffy and cotton candy skirts. Kinsee likes attitude and doing what she wants, had to have a hat (sounds like me), Kamden wanted to match Kallen so they picked out green. I love my kids and they were all super cute. Kait is growing up and picked out hers too. She wanted something she could continue to wear and not be too fancy. I think she looks grown up and professional. She has become a beautiful young woman and a good example to the little ones. It's still a bit tough getting photos: getting them to smile, hold still, look at the camera, etc. but we continue to take a bunch for memories. I love seeing their expressions and personalities come through. The kids sang well with the Primary, Kait sang beautifully in the Ward Choir and we had a wonderful dinner after church.

I love my Savior and am so grateful to Him and the Atonement. I am grateful for Him and His sacrifice for me. I'm thankful for the Resurrection and knowing that He lives and we will all live again. To be together forever as a family.