Easter 2013

This Easter was truly lovely. We really tried this year to focus more on the Savior and all he did the last week of his life. The Friday before Easter, Boyce and I (and Connor) went to BYU where a few professors gave a phenomenal presentation on Jesus and the Atonement. Connor happened to have some issues during my favorite speaker (Brad Wilcox), but overall the presentation was still fantastic. My favorite teaching was this, which Elder Madsen shared:

“Elder McConkie gave a powerful discourse on the consequences of the Fall, and as he concluded he asked this question, ‘How do you prove that Jesus is the Christ?’ There was a profound silence. No one moved or offered any response. Then Elder McConkie declared, ‘It all centers in the Resurrection.’ Elder McConkie then asked, ‘How do you prove the Resurrection?’ Once again there was a profound silence until Elder McConkie finally declared, ‘It all centers in witnesses.’”

It's true. Jesus would not be THE Christ if he didn't offer the resurrection. And we are blessed with witnesses to know that this is a reality. Elder Madsen talked about how no other event in history has been captured and recounted by as many witnesses as Jesus Christ ... in multiple scripture by hundreds of prophets and disciples, and modern-day prophets too.

That Saturday is when the Easter bunny gave Gracie her Easter basket (I was SO excited because this year she would get it and be excited about it! The Easter bunny really actually overdid her basket, but that's okay). Her basket was on the kitchen table for her when she woke up, and we let her get all sugared up before we went to BYU for Provo City's Easter egg hunt.

Yup. She's a true Bonner/Campbell. She loves her Peeps!

We arrived and it was SO crowded you just wouldn't believe. There were bounce houses and things to do but it was so crowded and the lines were so long we just let Grace run around and make a couple of Easter crafts at the craft booths there. Which she of course was just as excited about, so that was good! Side note: I totally forgot the camera for these egg hunts, so sadly I have no pictures to remember them by.

And let's just say the Easter egg hunt was complete and utter pandemonium. In the words of Boyce, "We will NEVER, ever do that ever again." He is the one that took Gracie out to do the 3 and under egg hunt while I stayed with Connor and I guess even that was like a stampede. Pure chaos, I tell ya'. But Grace was fairly oblivious that her father had to protect her life out there and managed to get her 5-egg quota.

After the egg hunt, we went home and Boyce and Connor went to choir practice (Boyce was singing in the choir at church the next day and they had a final practice). Gracie and I rushed to Bicentennial Park to grab some lunch (um, the line took almost 45 minutes. Have you ever waited in a line for 45 minutes with a two-year-old? That was sort of my nightmare, but we all survived!). As we were eating, Boyce and Connor met back up with us, and then Gracie got to do a second Easter egg hunt, which was much more sparse (so more fun!) and she got 10 eggs!

But THEN they had an adult Easter egg hunt where they were giving away $1,000 cash inside the eggs. I thought it would be easy to get a few cash eggs. After all, I can run fairly quick and am fairly active. Um...THAT was also pure pandemonium. Talk about a bunch of crazies desperate to get their hands on cash. After about 10 seconds I realized I wasn't going to get any cash eggs. I just wasn't that...insane about it. :) But it was fun, too.

Sunday we went to church, and Gracie go to wear her new Easter dress. SO cute!! This was the first official Sunday for Connor. I didn't want to miss the Easter program, so we all went! I was pretty nervous because Boyce sang in the choir and was not sitting with me for part of the time and this was our first Sunday with both children, but just as Gracie started getting fussy, the Lord offered me a tender mercy and one of our sweet young women came over and offered to sit with me and entertain Gracie. :)

The Easter basket also became the perfect tote for Grace's animals, as you can see. 

That evening, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner made pretty much 100 percent by Boyce (thank you, honey!). I did, however, make some Easter cupcakes. :)

She helped me frost the cupcakes. :)

What a glorious Easter, or as we call it, "The Lord's Day."