Easter Exercise

I always forget to make sure I am physically ready for Easter. And not just the eggs, the dye, the goodies, and a note to the Easter Bunny to make sure HE's prepared for goodness sake, (wink). But also in shape bodily so as to be able to hide Eggs and chase little girls.

This year found me ill prepared. John and I both had a terrible flu during the week leading up to the Easter weekend. We weren't sure we were going to be conscious for it so we hence forgot to give the Easter Bunny that heads up he needed.

Luckily John was able to drag himself to the store on Friday and buy eggs and dye and a few odds and ends that were going to be required.

Now, I know that when a man is sent to do this sort of shopping he requires, well actually desires and needs, explicit instructions. Mine wants his shopping list to be absolutely clear. No items are to be described like this: "Fruit- what ever looks good to you." And this is certainly unacceptable: "goodies for the kids????" It has taken me a good 15 years of being married to realize this. These sorts of lists and descriptions yield no results. Unless you take it yourself or give it to your sister. She knows what these descriptions mean and will bring back a pleasing array of just the perfect items found at fabulous prices or if they were expensive you will definitely feel that it was "oh, totally worth it! So perfect."

I hadn't realized for years that my lists of these sorts would find John in the produce section of Walmart wearing a confused expression. I can picture him now, surveying the piles of peaches, asparagus, bagged salad, and 5 kinds of lettuce, uncomfortable, trying to figure out what was needed and really having no idea. Finally, I imagine him grabbing a bunch of bananas and heading to the diaper section to begin the "Which of these diapers would be acceptable to my wife and affordable." No wonder the man has often come home after a grocery store experience with things he understands, like shaving cream and deodorant and the disappointing bunch of bananas when I was dreaming of a fruit salad.

This weekend, I claimed my weakened condition drained my thinking abilities and I gave John a rather scanty list. He actually did quite well in the produce and found bananas and cantaloupe and the ingredients to make what I call "Cheesecake dip" for our fruit. We had general conference to watch this week which is our church twice a year. We had talks to watch on Saturday and Sunday so this requires great feasts and snacks to keep us amply nourished as we try to listen whilst the kids run from hither to yon. We like to have healthy snacks and some rather wicked things like cinnamon rolls or Lucky Charms.

( I asked Clara what she wanted me write on her egg when I was helping her dye it. She said, "MINE", (my favorite word of hers). It seemed rather perfect for an egg dyed by a two-year-old....)

John also was able to buy enough eggs (like 36) and egg dye to satisfy the kids desire for dyeing and dipping. However, when running into the Easter bunny while in the dollar store, I am afraid John became bewildered, pointing out only what was on the list, Emma wants these flip flops and Gracie would like some fingernail polish. Oh, and maybe throw in some of that Easter Grass (Now of Course I would never put that on a list. I don't have the strength in my lower back to pick of strands of if every day for six months).

So Easter day was kind of funny. Plenty of Easter grass and yes E. B. remembered candy but not tons of little goodies. Grace found a little word work book in hers ("I wish the Easter Bunny had left me something a little funner than a workbook, Mom..") Emma had her flip flops which brought her some delight. Clara found a book that the Easter Bunny had found and saved for a few months for her. I know because I saw it laying around the house for awhile before Easter. Everyone was happy but a little surprised at the E. Bunny's choices this year. My favorite was the shoe lace. Grace and Emma each got a shoe lace in their baskets. I know that E. Bun thought that there were two sets of laces and so he split it but alas, no. Just one lace each is what was found when it was unwound. The girls were very positive. "Oh, my shoe lace!" they would say with a happy tone to their voices. Later Grace did express some confusion about it saying,., "I would think the E. Bunny would give you two laces!?" with an eyebrow wrinkle and an unamused look.





Over all it was a fun Easter anyway. We got to have our cousin Sydney here and she helped us to hide plastic Easter eggs with candy in them and find them in the yard. We took turns hiding and finding as the girls liked to hide as much as find. Grace made sure everyone waited until the end to divide and eat the candy so it was all very fair. We dyed all 36 hard boiled eggs and some of our raw ones. And we ate our delicious fruit dip with cantaloupe and bananas while we watched our conference talks, thus being filled soul and body with good stuff! John and I, trying to recover and rest while chasing these little Easter Girls around the house.




Sunday afternoon we had a grand finale at Dads with a turkey and mashed potatoes to round out our diet of weekend snacks.

This was one of mom's favorite times of year. Tiny baby animals like lambs and chicks. Easter baskets for her little girls, a promise of rebirth, spring flowers and sun and green outside to chase away the gray and dreary winter,

and most of all her testimony of Jesus Christ.

Which was strong.

A faith

that because of His sacrifice of death for our sins and sorrows and troubles, he knows us. He knows every sadness, every sin, because he experienced them and took them. So, if we will trust and turn them over to Him,

we can have hope of a perfect resurrection,

like He had.

I can picture her face,

her expression of firm belief, of faith, and hope as she listened at church or studied scriptures at home.

Her words of encouragement

that I should believe,

never giving in to discouragement.

That that was just Satan, wanting me to give up.

Even though every day she had troubles and was very, very aware of her problems and sins and trials, she knew that it could be wonderful if she just kept trying. Repenting.

Trying again the next day.

Relying on Jesus Christ for forgiveness and strength to overcome. And that perfect hope of a wonderful Resurrection if we never give up or give in.

I believe she is still doing her best.

Hoping.

And hoping we will too.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

-2 Nephi 31:20