Red cheeks, stained glass, and runaways

It's the most beautiful time of year—at least in our yard. The daffodils are everywhere! And they are SO pretty! We took a trip to Texas for the solar eclipse at the beginning of April and I was afraid maybe we'd miss the peak of the daffodils, but we didn't. They were perfect when we got back. Every spring I think about what a miracle it is that these flowers just…come up all by themselves. I don't have to "tug on their stems to make them taller," as Elder Uchtdorf said. They are miraculous and I love them so much!

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Before the spring, though, there was some cold cold winter! We got tickets to the Manti Temple Open House and went during Spring Break. There was an accident on the freeway driving down, so we got there half an hour late. Then when we arrived, we walked smugly, tickets in hand, past the long, long, long standby line of people who didn't have tickets—only to join an even longer ticket line that wound all the way down the hill! We waited in the freezing wind for an hour and a half. It was so cold! We were grateful for the wagons full of blankets which the sister missionaries walked up and down the hill with, handing them out to sadly underdressed people like us. How could we have known a sudden blizzard would blow in? (Poor Ziggy did NOT want to be wrapped up in the blanket in this picture.)

Daisy and Clementine matched down to the last detail!

Junie's clearly very skeptical about something

We had brought a picnic for lunch, so we ate it with numb fingers while standing shivering in line. And Malachi had to work later that afternoon, so we had to endure his continual annoyed sighs and muttered complaints of "Ugh, this is taking sooo long!" We had to practically racewalk through the temple once we did get inside, and didn't have the time to bask in the beauty and appreciate all the details like I would have preferred…but…we did get Malachi to work (only 15 minutes late). AND it is a beautiful temple! I'd like to go back when it opens for real. My oldest brother got married there, but I was too young to go inside at the time, so I've never been!

In the week after the open house, both Gus (top) and Ziggy (bottom) independently drew their impressions of the Manti temple. Mostly stairs in both cases, though I also like their chandeliers.

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Clementine had slapped-cheek disease, or whatever it's really called. It's funny because I don't think any of my other kids ever had it, but it was immediately obvious that's what it was. Her cheeks were so red and rosy! Then even after they went back to normal, they'd get red again every time she got hot or tired for the next few weeks. It was cute.

Maybe Gus had it too, but his cheeks didn't get as red.

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A track meet that wasn't completely frigid! Amazing.

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Here is Clementine taking a curtain call after their little "performance" at the toddler ballet class.

Look at her curtsey! 💛

(I hate the word "curtsey," incidentally, because it can also be spelled "curtsy" and NEITHER looks right!)

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Easter decorations up! Hooray!

We (sadly) had to be driving on Easter Sunday, so we had our traditional Easter dinner with my mom and nephews and nieces on Palm Sunday instead.

And the kids all wore their Easter clothes!

Palm branches

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We've had traditions for the various days of Holy Week ever since we had a homeschool unit focusing on Easter about 10 years ago. But we thought of some new activities this year. I tried to do at least something small with whoever was home every night of the week, and it was really fun!

Also, we have an "Easter Creche" scene that I love, and the last few years all my tiny bunnies have ended up in the scene too. Jesus and bunnies aren't incompatible, are they? I think they go together nicely. Anyway, this year someone (I suspect Goldie, but I never actually caught her at it, and maybe others were involved) arranged them to depict the events of that day in Holy Week. It was so funny and cute! I loved seeing what she came up with every day.

Monday: Jesus cleansing the temple (note the money-changer's pot in Jesus' hand). Poor Mary and Angel aren't really hurt of course—they are just representing merchants cowering away from Jesus' righteous anger.

Monday evening we painted these "stained-glass windows"—one of Nancy's brilliant ideas. Sam put the painter's tape on and then the children filled in all the sections with washable paint.

It was pretty in the daylight, but I might have liked it even better with the tape still on!

It was nice at night too.

On Tuesday night we talked about some of the parables of Jesus, especially the Ten Virgins, and made these little oil lamps out of Sculpy. 

We put wicks in them so we could really light them!

Junie made a gnomie for Clementine, of course.

"Spy Wednesday" is when Judas made his plans to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. We made these "moneybag" wontons for dinner, and had our traditional treasure hunt where I hide 30 quarters for the children to find. Malachi helped me hide them this year and we're STILL missing one! The kids get to keep the quarters they find, on the condition that they use them to benefit someone else (so they won't be like Judas, ha ha). Some gave their money to fast offerings, and the girls went to D.I. with theirs and bought each other little presents. Cute.

(The treasure hunt gets a little wild at times)

Wednesday is also traditionally known as the day when the woman anointed Jesus with oil. We smelled some spikenard oil (which is the kind she used) and made Olive Oil cake for our dessert. Here is the scene I discovered of the woman anointing Jesus (and notice the sinister Judas-bunny meeting secretly with the Sanhedrin in the background!).

Thursday was the Last Supper. We had our usual Passover-ish meal. It was extra good this year because we made the unleavened bread in the pizza oven (Seb and his friend Jonas helped me cook it). Sam was home late that night so the kids watched "Prince of Egypt" before our late dinner. Somehow I didn't get any pictures of our lovely table.

Note that there are only 11 bunny-apostles at the table—bunny-Judas has already sneaked off into the darkness.

Poor bunny-Judas has a broken ear. He could also represent the soldier who had his ear cut off by Peter…

On Good Friday we always make pretzels. No pictures of that this year.

I don't have pictures of the cross or the closed tomb for Good Friday either, but here is the scene on Easter morning—Jesus is risen! Alleluia!

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Malachi asked his good friend Maddi to Junior Prom—this was a homeschool prom sponsored by his debate league. The debate league is all over the state, so it was actually a big and fun dance, just like the regular high school proms (and maybe better?). He got a big group together and did most of the planning, which involved both brunch and dinner at our house! He said "I just don't trust anyone else to do the food right." Ha! I confess, I have often felt that way myself… 

They were a cute group. I liked all the girls' pretty dresses!

I thought it would be funny to make little menus in French (even though the meal was…tacos…) like one of Anatole's menus. I have to amuse myself somehow! Luckily the kids thought it was funny too, if weird. Daisy overheard Malachi, in response to one of them asking "But why…?", saying "That's my mom for you." Haha. I'm not sure quite how to take that!

Our flourless chocolate cake turned out the shiniest and best it ever has!

Aw, cute Malachi and Maddi!

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Gus and Ziggy have the cutest little games and adventures. Here they are going off with their backpacks to the hill.

…And then later, here are Gus and Clementine going off with their backpacks!

They are so cute! But…it's bad sometimes when Clementine thinks she's an intrepid explorer who can just go off into the wide world whenever she likes. The other day a policeman brought her back from all the way on the other side of the park! She had slipped out after dinner and no one noticed. Ugh. On the upside, she knew where she lived and led the policeman cheerfully right home to our door, so…good I guess?

Also, her backpack was packed full of the cutest things. Her doll Evie, her beloved "Book-a-Mornin'" (may she never stop saying it that way!), and a stack of magnatiles to play with. Oh, I love her so much!

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And now, a bunch of completely random stuff:

Astronauts

???

Costume fittings

Gus's Lego "Flower Garden" (he was so proud of it)

Clementine and Gus wearing Seb's shoes and work coat

Clementine and Gus wearing "crowns" and dancing together (still inspired by Daniela's Quinceañera, I think?)

"This is my Green Museum" (???)

Zig visiting with his motorcycle friends

Girls dissolving into giggles over something at Grandma's house

Junie helping Daisy with a clip-on earring

Daisy and Junie walking the neighbors' dogs (and Clementine and Gus running out to help)

Junie's been really into drawing fish lately, with the new colored pencils she got for Easter. Clementine is pointing to the Clementine-fish.

Snuggling

Teddy with the big yellow bunny

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My friend who lives around the corner invited us over to play with her dog's brand new litter of puppies! We've been going over to hold them and snuggle them almost every week, starting with when they were only a week and a half old! They are SO cute! My friend wants the puppies "socialized" so she has been very patient with the kids being somewhat loud and excited about them! And we love visiting them. We're going to be so sad when they go live with other people (two are already sold 😥)

Puppy yawn!

Henry fell asleep on me

Cutest! Good thing I don't want a dog. If our neighbors could just keep letting us play with the puppies, that would be perfect :)

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Storm by the mountains

Temple duck!

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And lastly, a few more pictures of the beautiful springtime around here!

So many beautiful things outside this time of year!