Easter 2012

Easter was a little different for us this year. On Saturday, we met a bunch of good friends for a picnic in the forest and rode quads. We stayed out there for hours and even had a little fire when the sun went down. I can't even tell you how much I love our friends up here. Good good people. I wish I had taken pictures. On Sunday, we went to church and then came home and had bbq pulled pork sandwiches. We had an egg hunt with only 12 eggs, which meant that each person could only find 3 eggs each. I enticed Vance, Amy, and Josh to hunt by filling the eggs with money. Layton never needs enticing. Josh found the $10 egg and Layton and Amy each found the $5 eggs and Vance found one with a penny in it. Ha ha! Again, wish I had taken pictures. We totally forgot to color the eggs we hard boiled so Layton did it the next day. He still loves it even at 11. Then Monday night, Vance's parents came over and Layton gave our FHE lesson about the first Easter and the Savior's ressurrection. He did a great job. He had 12 eggs, each with a symbol of the story of the Ressurrection and as he opened each egg, he told us that part of the story. His eggs contained:

#1: a palm leaf (people fanned the Savior as He rode into Jerusalem)

#2: a piece of bread (the bread He broke with His disciples at the Last Supper)

#3: 3 dimes (30 pieces of silver Judas took to betray Jesus)

#4: a piece of cloth (the robe He wore that was ripped and gambled for)

#5: a piece of string (the Savior was whipped)

#6: a thorny stick (the crown of thorns they smashed onto His head)

#7: a cross (He carried His own cross up the hill)

#8: a nail (He was nailed to the cross in His hands and feet and wrists)

#9: a sign that said "King of the Jews" (it hung above Him to mock Him)

#10: a sponge (He was thirsty so they soaked a sponge in vinegar and put it in His mouth)

#11: a rock (to represent the rock that covered the entrance of the tomb)

#12: empty (His tomb was empty and He was ressurrected)

It's such a sad but beautiful story and I am so glad my boys have knowledge of it and believe it. I'm glad they know what their Savior and brother did for them. I'm glad they have a testimony of it. Layton was more excited to share this lesson with the family than he was about his easter basket. And when the lesson was over, Josh asked if he could give the lesson next week. Nothing makes me happier than when my boys grow in the gospel!