Gotta love the bazillion-plastic-eggs-in-the-open-field-Easter-egg-hunt that the city puts on every year. You're only as fast as your parents drag you along.
Izzie is always coming up with new outfits and setting new trends. This won't be one of them-- new high heels, curlers and a tankini...
I have yet to paint an Easter bucket for Viviana... so she uses mine. Maybe forever??? We'll see...
the-camera-is-in-my-face-nervous-nose-pickin'
Love it that the older ones do the egg hunt for the younger ones...= less work for mom
If you ask the kids what they remember about Easter 2010 it's not the egg hunts.
It's not the pretty dresses and hair do's
It's not the candy....
well, that's probably not true
It's that they had a total unique
experience this year.
Easter Sunday was our religion's Worldwide General Conference.
How wonderful it was to hear the messages of hope and love from our dear Prophets, Apostles, and other leaders.
What a treat it was to listen to uplifting music, and see how sick we can get as we stuff our faces with our traditional Conference Sunday homemade cinnamon rolls.
We thought it was important to also go to a house of worship on Easter Sunday.
Since our LDS faith was broadcasting General Conference from
Salt Lake City,
we decided it would be a great idea to expose them to other Christian congregations and see how they worship. Diversity is a wonderful thing-- So we attended our largest local non-denominational church. It was a VERY different format than what we're used to, but we feel it is vital that our kids are exposed to diversity to appreciate who others are, to respect how they worship, and to appreciate their own knowledge and the way we worship as well. This was just their first experience outside of what they're used to-- there will be more.
This is what the kids remember most:
Bray:
"Friday... Jesus is crucified, but Sunday is still a-comin." (sung with girth and drama)
'I remember the different music and the guy who prayed while walking around with his eyes opened. What-up???'
McKenzie: 'I didn't feel comfortable there. I wanna go back to our church.'
Monson:
'I liked the rock band but they were preaching different stuff than what I believe'
{Monson turned to Curt and said,
'when can we go back home and watch General Conference?'}
Alexandra:
'I remember people putting their hands up to the sky and waving them. It was different.'
Isabella liked dancing on her chair (who wouldn't?)
Viviana loved clapping to the rock band
(and I'm sure loved it that we didn't have to shush her up a thousand times).
I felt the spirit during their slide and video presentation about Christ's last days, but the minute the band & singers started rocking out, the feeling changed. It seemed that his sermon was focused on what the people wanted to hear to make sin fit in their life, rather than what they needed to hear to become better people.
Curt was amazed that all of Temecula seemed to be there and as he glanced around the room the general look on the mens' faces were like 'when is this going to be over???' The majority were clearly there to support their wives on Easter...or so that's what the look of boredom appeared to connote.
It made me think of our own sacrament meetings... is that how we are? Are we there for the right reasons? Are we coming wanting to be 'fed?' Anyone with a multitude of little ones is certainly there at times for the obedience factor
hoping to squeeze in a little somethin' somethin' to fill their cups and be lifted spiritually in between the hair- pulling, paper-shuffling, and 'shushing.'
We will continue to expose the kids to other faiths so that they can stand firm in their own testimonies and decide for themselves how & where they want to worship.
(ahhummm when they're 18... let's not get too wild & crazy here:)
And then Easter Eve there was a 5.8 earthquake. That was also a first for the kids.
Rockin' out in California all day long...
