Easter Weekend!

Easter is one of my very favorite holidays!! I love all of the symbolism and taking time out of my life to think about Christ and his Atonement, and it has been fun (and really difficult) to try and explain to Emma the deeper meaning of things. Sometimes I feel like nothing I am saying to her is making sense, but then I will hear her say something later that lets me know it is all sinking in. It amazes me how much she really can understand at such a young age. I tried all Sunday morning to try and explain to Emma how Jesus died and came to life again so that we could go and live with him. It was really hard to try and put something like that into a simplistic enough form that a 2 year old can understand. I kept trying though because Bruce R. McKonkie said that someone who truly knows the gospel doctrines is someone who can explain them to a small child. I told her that she got to wear her new dress to church so she could think about Jesus and how we can live with him again. All of my seemingly fruitless effort paid off when someone at church told Emma that her dress was pretty and she said, "For Geegee so we live there again." The lady looked a little confused and said, "What?" Emma then said rather matter-of-factly, "Geegee die and came back and we live with him." I don't think Bonnie really understood what she was saying as she walked off, but I was so proud!!

Anyway, I also love Easter for all of the bizarre traditions that go along with it- especially since my family has a knack for making them even more bizarre. Friday night kicked off the weekend well with the Jones family easter egg coloring extravaganza. My sisters and I take the whole easter egg coloring thing quite seriously! We have many different mediums (dye tablets, markers, glitter, acryllic paint, etc.) and a theme. Past themes have included song lyrics personified, movie characters, and crazy story lines provided by Heather and her mind of magical randomness! This year the theme was high school reunion and it turned out some pretty fantastic eggs. Our cousin Spencer joined us, and although I think he was a little surprised at our enthusiasm, he seemed to have a lot of fun. I didn't take any pictures, but we had the prom king and queen, a cheerleader (which was my favorite- good job Spencer!), a goth, a hippee, a wrestler, a football player, a nerd, a band awesome person (NOT geek!), etc.

Saturday started off with an egg hunt at Melissa's. Here is Brook digging right in. She was taught well by her older brothers! Emma was not too into the whole thing until Ross opened one up and showed her what was inside. After that, she was all over it.

Here are all the kids checking out their prizes.

This is Ross and Emma enjoying the bunny cake Melissa made. Melissa assured us that no real bunnies were harmed in the making of her cute creation.

After our cake and ice cream we rushed over the Grandma and Grandpa Wallaces house for their hunt. We were a little late, so it was good that Emma got all her practicing done at Melissa's house. She knew just what to do now.

Aunt Dana and Aunt Caulene were still willing to help her get the eggs she couldn't reach.

As you can see, the Easter Bunny got a little over excited!

Emma kept pointing at that purple egg in the tree, so Caulene finally came to her aid. Mom was a little busy behind the camera.

After church on Sunday, we went to Grandma's house again to have dinner. I tried all day to get a good picture of Emma in her dress, but she was too stubborn to smile for me.

This is her telling me, "NO!!" when I asked her to smile.

So we had to resort to tickling.

Emma actually got her dress from Great Grandma and Grandpa Jones for her birthday, but it was so sweet and spring-timey that I decided to save it for Easter. I think it was darling on her!

I wanted Sara's Easter dress to be the one Emma and I both wore for our blessings, but it was already too small. I am really sad that she never got to wear it.