Steve and Kammie and the other ones too.: Easter Holiday!

Rhys was given two whole weeks off of School for Easter Break! Steven was also on a short break from University so it was really nice to have everyone home for a bit. For the most part we just stayed home, but we did go into the City for one of the days.

Easter here was really fun. Things are actually quite different here and so it was a little bit of an adjustment. We looked for Egg dying kits and couldn't find any. We found out later that people actually just paint their eggs and then they roll them down the Hill on Monday to represent the Tomb being opened. I think its a really neat tradition, but sadly we weren't able to participate this year. Maybe its something we could do back in the States next year. =)

When I was on a hunt for an egg dying kit, I found a egg panting kit that came with 4 white plastic eggs and some paint. So we got one of those and just painted those plastic ones this year. Maybe next year both boys will be able to fully appreciate the art of dying eggs.

They were surprisingly fun to paint. Gavin was even able to do it, as long as I was squeezing the paint out of the tube for him. But he guided me and the egg turned out just how he wanted it to.

I was able to hunt down some Easter Baskets at the Pound store, but they were very hard to find. It doesn't seem like most people actually do Easter baskets. The main Easter Candy item I could find were the giant hollow chocolate eggs. They were EVERYWHERE. They had Cadburry Creme eggs and a few other little things, but for the most part it was all about those big eggs. We got the boys one, but I still wanted them to have their baskets, so I was happy when I found some.

They just got some little Moshi Monster figurines and a few sweets. Nothing really big, but enough to make them quite happy. =)

Easter morning was fun. The boys woke us up at about 7:15, so it wasn't bad at all. They loved their baskets and immediately went to work finding the eggs. We only had 16 of them hidden around the living room, so it didn't take long, but they had fun and that's all that really counts.

Since we have Church at 10 here, soon after we found the eggs it was time to get ready and go to Church. I love how much the boys love going here. Everyone in the Ward loves them so much, so it makes them excited to go see everyone. The Service was amazing.. I always love Easter Sunday.. and then so many people in the Ward gave the boys Sweets. I think they got 4 big eggs each plus a few smaller sweets as well. I know those boys are loved.

For Easter dinner we had the Missionaries come over and join us. We had our Traditional Ham and Deviled Eggs, but that's where our traditions ended. I was sad not to make my traditional dessert which is white cake with Whipped cream for frosting, covered in Coconut and jelly beans. But, Steven doesn't eat Coconut and Rhys and Gavin don't eat very much either so I didn't want to have a whole cake by myself. Oh, the sacrifices we make. =) We ended up just having a Carrot Cake which was also delicious and still a fun Easter theme.

During Easter Break Rhys also met the Director for the show he was asked to do with Steven at the RCS. Its called the Duchess of Malfi and he was asked to play the Duchess's Son. They just wanted to meet him and make sure he was right for the part. Of course they loved him.. but who wouldn't. =)

While we were in town for the fitting, I took the boys to a big toy store in town called Hamley's. Some of you might have heard of it, seeing as its a huge toy store chain. Since it was still Easter Break they were giving all of the kids free balloons and they even had an Easter Egg hunt for all the kids who were there at the time. Sadly, the boys didn't want to stay for that, but it was fun that they were invited. We were wandering around the store for a little over an hour, just looking at all the fun things they had. I had told Rhys that if he was good I'd let him pick a little toy for a few pounds if he'd like, but when we got to the back of the store he saw through the window one of those big inflatable jumper houses and he asked to do that instead. It was £2 for 5 minutes so I let him do it. He was the only kid in there, which was actually nice for me. I didn't have to worry about any other kids pushing him over or anything.

Right next to the bouncy house was a little soft play area for the kids to play in for free. There were a bunch of soft dinosaurs for the kids to play on so Gavin loved it. He's really into Dinosaurs right now. We topped the afternoon off with a quick lunch at McDonalds for Happy Meals. I don't get to take the boys out very often, so it was fun to give them this little treat.

I'm so grateful for this Holiday and for the amazing Sacrifice that Christ gave to us so that we could return and live with our Heavenly Father again. I know that Christ lives and that we will all get to live again and that I will get to live with my Family forever. I am so grateful to the knowledge that I have that we can repent and be forgiven of our shortcomings.. because I know that I am not perfect. I just love my family so much and I don't know what I would do without them.

Rhys showing off his white egg before painting it.