What We Love About Easter.....

Easter is a holiday we really love!  I love Everything about it!  We have alot of traditions around Easter.  Things like attending the Easter Pagent in Mesa Az....with a Ned's Krazy Sub in hand.  I am all about an Easter dress for PreShie each year...The Boys are gifted with new neck ties...and other Sunday attire if needed......(it is usually needed).  I love an Easter basket loaded with fun little items....a favorite item of The Darlings is a bag of jerky...they know they can count on that.  Our community has what we call the Easter Hike each year....and EVERY year the wind is horrible....but the Easter Hike goes on.  Can I just add that no hiking is involved;)  It is held in the same location year after year, under the shade of huge cottonwood trees.  There is always an Easter Egg hunt...and a yummy lunch.

Back in the day....I tole painted....didn't everyone???  I have retired most of those painted items...but a few still find their way back into the house during different holidays.  This one (above) is a favorite that has been around for years!  The Darlings still love it when I put it out.

We LOVE our feather tree, decorated with fun Easter items.

The jars on the buffet are filled with jelly beans, and eggs and other fun treats.

These are my newest addition...antique hobnail milkglass egg cups.  I have collected a few antique egg cups, and these are a perfect compliment to what I have....I searched long and hard for these and they are so cute!

The best part by far...was The Farmer making his Easter drawing for the chalkboard...this morning.  Remember he thought that chalkboard wasn't such a great idea......I am pretty sure he has changed his mind!

We prepared a "Family Home Evening in a Bag" for family members....we will be delivering them on Sunday night so that they will have them for Monday night....a great way to get into the spirit of Easter.

What's in the bag you ask.....

In the FHE Bag, a cookie mix for the treat.....an egg coloring kit for the activity.....bubble wands (just for fun)....and an Easter Egg Lesson, each egg is numbered and filled with a scripture and a symbol of the events that led up to the death and resurrection of the Savior.  It is a lesson we have done for many years and helps remind us of the real reason for Easter.  Another thing we have added into our personal "FHE in a Bag" is a copy of the testimony of Elder Jeffery R. Holland, "And None Were With Him"...it is wonderful.  Tonight we will hang our Easter garland with the names of the Savior....We won't be celebrating Easter in our home this year....but we will certainly celebrate it up until the moment we leave!  We love Easter!

It's Always Fun When Grandpa Comes.....

We love it when Grandpa S. comes to visit! We love it when he brings the Grandma too....but

she hasn't been able to come lately. Grandpa...on the other hand...is here for a visit

about every two weeks! What a treat for us!!

The Darlings LOVE it when he comes! The morning he was getting ready to leave...

he had been up very late the night before....but he got up to see The Darlings off to school,

reminding them to be Good Darlings...and that he would see them again in another couple

of weeks. The Darlings like to tell him all about their lives....all about school....what they think

about things...how they feel about things....he is always a wonderful support and offers great

advice and encouragement. It is a blessing to have him visit us so often.

Another reason we LOVE it when he arrives....is the loads of citrus he brings.

This citrus starved AZ girl longs for a juciy grapefruit, navel oranges...that were not picked when

they were green...but tree ripened...and tasty lemons...which are never seen in my neck

of the woods. The first thing I thought of when I saw the lemons....was Lemon Bars!

I made them.....we ate them....and they were yummy! Last time Grandpa S. was here, we

drove to the JSA at lunchtime and were lucky enough to find The Darlings....he hugged them

and told them good-bye....and as PreShie was running across campus she YELLED....

"bring more Oranges when you come next time...." and she yells loud! Grandpa thought

that was pretty funny. The Darlings take those juicy oranges in their lunches. Grandpa forgot

to bring the load of citrus on one of his trips....and I thought The Farmer was going to cry.

He said...."did The Chief (he calls Grandpa S. "The Chief") really not bring the

grapefruit....??????" He loves grapefruit more than he loves us I think.....;)

We really do love the AZ citrus!

I love Easter!

Maybe it is the colors of Easter that I love so much. After a long and cold Winter,

the colors f Easter represent life again. Our favorite Easter decorations are throughout

the house...some from when The Darlings were Mini Darlings. I love them all! Easter eggs

and jelly beans fill jars on the buffet in the dining room. Most everyone who stops by, ends up

leaving with a hand full of jelly beans. I saw an idea I loved....last year....names of the Savior on a ribbon garland....hung in a place that could be seen easily. I have thought about it all during the

year....anxious to make my own to help us be more thoughtful of a special season. I remembered that Grandpa S. had told me about a list of names, of the Savior, that he had compiled through his years of scripture study....I asked him to send me the list...and I made

the garland....with 74 different names.....and it was beautiful!

I decided that the first garland should hang in the home of the Grandparents...after all...it was

Grandpa's study that gave us the list. I wrapped it up and sent it home with Grandpa...when

he left. And as quickly as that garland left...I began another for our home. It will not only be a

great reminder of The Savior...it will be a great reminder of Grandpa S. a.k.a. "The Chief"

I can't wait to get mine done and hung!

*Just a side note....this morning The Darlings were headed out for school...I said

"be sure not to fall for any jokes today....it is April Fools Day....

to which The Boy replied...."oh ya...I am supposed to be wearing green today...right?"

well...it did supply me with a good laugh....and I often tell The Darlings that was one

of the reasons I birthed them....to entertain me!

This is my most favorite weekend of the year....Spring General Conference Weekend!!!

We will be cooking....eating...listening...watching....and loving every minute of it!!!

 

Things You May, or May Not Want To See, In Your Orchard

An "uncontrolled" burn, on your neighbors property, NOT, something

you want to see so close to your orchard!

For a moment, The Farmer enjoyed the artistic beauty of the flames...


Luckily the fire was contained with not damage to our orchard.

SOMETHING!

that you would like to see in your orchard...your foreman putting the final

touches on a new source of water.

It does seem a little wrong though, ...don't ya think?


SOMETHING!

An orchard full of flowers is something you would want to see in your

orchard. Each flower represents a peach.

Each flower represents HOPE of a great year!

We ever live in HOPE in a farming community.