Marching Into March

Much of March seemed to be leading up and preparing for my California trip (I'm writing a separate post about that), the trip itself and then not much after the trip. I still seemed to find quite a few pictures though to prove that I still had some things happen. 

We had a freak snow storm one morning (it kind of seems that's what all of our snow has been this winter or at least a big chunk of it). Visual on the freeway was terrible, everyone was only going 20-25 (compared to my normal 80 was crazy slow) and you couldn't see the lanes and barely the car in front of you. 

We did a really fun art project at work. You use a salad spinner, paint, and coffee filters. Really simple, just place the coffee filter in the salad spinner, put some drops of paint and then spin...tada! The kids loved it, especially seeing how placing the dots in different patterns/quantities/etc. created different results. 

Someone decided I needed to be a princess one day and help rescue others from the monsters that were coming to take over the world. 

All of the end results hanging up. 

Mandy, Charissa, Brea, and I hosted a baby shower for Leah in March (and the cute twins coming soon!). I was asked to make the desserts and of course I had to experiment and try new things :) Mom had bought me a mini whoopie pie pan for Christmas. I had originally was going to try to use them for push pops but they didn't fit the ones that I had so I made sandwiches instead. It was fun because I got to practice my pipping skills too, I think they turned out pretty cute.  

The desserts all together. 

I had leftover strawberries from the baby shower so Mom and I decided to take them up to Libbey and Erick's to share with them. 

 Alexia and Sophie were so excited to help Grandma slice the strawberries and get everything together. 

Getting our nails done before the cruise!

The Mathews' came over to help with our traditional hanging of eggs in the trees for Easter. Unfortunately we got them up late this year so the trees had already begun to bloom, it makes it a little harder to put them on the tree and we had to do it on the smaller one in the corner of the yard but they still looked good. 

For the General Woman's Broadcast Libbey, Mom, Sonia, Sarah, and Katrina came with me to my Singles Ward to watch it, afterwards they had sundaes afterwards plus candy sticks on the table. Sarah stacked all of the ones that were on our table, others started coming and donating theirs when they saw how tall she had made hers. 

Mom bought a new patio set with comfy rocking chairs that also swivel. It's been fun to go out and enjoy the warmth while reading or doing other stuff. 

Hatching Eggs

Mom put eggs in the tree up front for Easter, she got lots of compliments on it and it looked really pretty. When it came time to take them down I received the responsibility for cutting them down (I'm taller I guess that's why I won that)...and apparently Mom got the job of photographer. There were many people disappointed to see them down so I think Mom looks forward to putting them up again next year.

A Easter Surprise

This is a cute but rather simple idea to give someone for Easter (I gave them to my Visiting Teachees). Each egg is filled with some candy (I couldn't resist :D) and a scripture that has to do with the Easter story. I also included the story called Jeremy's Egg for them to read...a really touching story that reminds of the resurrection. I've included the scriptures and you can find Jeremy's Egg here.

1. "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportu­nity to betray him" (matthew 26:14-16).

2. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (matthew 26:26-28).

3. "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the dis­ciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yon­der. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sor­rowful and very heavy. . . . And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. . . . He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. . . . And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words" (matthew 26:36-37, 39, 42, 44).

4. "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the gov­ernor" (matthew 27:1-2).

5. "Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, say­ing, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it" (matthew 27:22-24).

6. "And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him" (mark 15:16-19).

7. "And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. . . . And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefac­tors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left" (luke 23:26-27, 33).

8. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots" (luke 23:34).

9. "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. . . . Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earth­ quake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (matthew 27:50-51, 54).

10. "And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also him­self waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of

Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid." "And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed" (luke 23:50-53; matthew 27:60).

11. "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" (mark 16:1-4).

12."And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him" (mark 16:5-6).

Easter Egg Hunt

Last week in honor of Easter we did an Easter egg hunt for the kids during one of our afternoon classes. While the kids watched Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo, Andrea and Yuling hid the eggs outside.

When it was time Yuling came and explained the rules, if they brought in one egg they got one sucker, if they brought in two eggs at one time they got one suckers (the objective was to make it last as long as possible so we wanted them to bring them in one at a time).

The 3 year olds got to go first, for 30 seconds and then the 4 year olds joined them for 30 seconds and finally the 5 year olds were released (they were anxious to go, with their shoes already on by the time it was their turn).

The kids had a blast rushing to try and find eggs and then running like there was no tomorrow to get their suckers. When class was over there was still 3 that had not been found, so Yuling offered a bigger prize for the 3 lucky people that found them. Later when I came back downstairs, Wendy (who had found one of the 3) was so excited to show me her big candy cane that she had won!