Celebrating Easter!

It is a fun family tradition to go to Grandma and Grandpa Trickett's house on the Saturday before Easter for a fun Easter egg hunt with all of the little cousins. There are plenty of filled eggs hidden in the back yard and they each seem so excited to see how quickly they can try to find them all. Some are filled with sweet treats while others are filled with money!

Here we are! Our family of 7! I love you all and am amazed at how big you are all getting!















Kierra had a ball helping Kambriella find all of her Easter eggs! She would squeal with excitement with each one that she would find!















Here is Dallin reaching an egg for Gavin that he found but was too short too reach!














Carew found some eggs hidden at the top of the slide!














Here is the gang with all their buckets full!














Kierra and Kambriella on Easter Sunday. What sweet sisters!














Here we are! All of daddy's cute girls!














All dressed up in our Easter Best! What a happy, special day!














Our Easter Sunday is a happy day, but our family has a tradition of enjoying the Easter celebration all week long! Starting on the Sunday before Easter, we plan special activities for each day of the week that help us to remember the significant events that happened in the Savior's life before he died. We enjoy an Easter walk where we find symbols of his death and resurrection, activities, games, stories, and even a night where we have a "Jerusalem dinner." We turn out all the lights and eat a dinner of foods that would have been eaten during Jesus' time. We sit on pillows on the floor by candlelight and talk about significant things and try to teach the children something that they may have not already known. It has become one of our families favorite traditions and it has also helped us to remember why we celebrate Easter after all. We are so thankful for our Savior, for His life, for His death, and for His resurrection, and most of all, that He lives!

At the Car Wash

When you look at this picture, what do you see? Do you see bright red, robotic, mechanical eyes or dark, scary shadows in the background? Or, do you see the windshield wipers poised and ready at the bottom of the windshield ready to wipe away the haziness and blur?















While sitting patiently in my car waiting for the wash to be completed, I turned and looked at Kambriella because I wondered what she was doing. Was she asleep? It was so quiet, I didn't hear a sound. I was so surprised to find this...














I couldn't help myself - I had to giggle at what she may have been thinking... "You can do this, you can do this. Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts. It's not a monster..."














"Is it over yet?"















It may have been just a car wash, but to a little baby girl who is just beginning to experience the world around her, it was something that she was very unsure of and maybe a little scary. I was very proud of her for not screaming or freaking out, but rather quietly trying to figure things out, trying to be big and brave. It's a cute little comical moment in the day of the life of a mother, but it is once again a reminder to me that the world will become in the eyes of our children what we will help them to see. After I was done capturing the moment with my camera I pleasantly explained to Kambriella that this was such a silly car wash and it was making our car clean! She saw me smile and giggle and realized that this was OK! I hope that when life presents it's moments, opportunities, and situations to each of us, that we will laugh and giggle and "be not afraid," but realize that everything will be OK! :)

Our Vacation to Lego Land

There are a few reasons why I love going on vacation so much:
1) I don't have to clean, do laundry, or make beds.
2) I am reminded of the 6 most important people in my life and how I should treasure every minute I have with them.
3) I have so many fond memories of family time when I was a little girl and I want my children to have the same, because it is our memories and relationships that will remain with us when this life is over.
This was a short but sweet trip that we all loved, with everything from long conversations in the car, to admiring the view of the sunset and the beautiful ocean, (which Kambriella saw for the 1st time), and of course the kids favorite, LEGOLAND! Here are just a few pictures and highlights of the fun...
Dallin, in heaven, the Mr. Collector of rocks on a rocky beach!















Big sister Kierra and little Kambriella "ooo-ing and ahh-ing" at the lego made nursery rhyme characters on the "princess boat!"















This cute little choo choo train took the kids for a short little ride around the little playground. "Hi Mom!"














Kambriella was feeling "so big and brave" as she watched the other little kids admiring her bravery as she posed in the gaping jaws of the ferocious lion! (Made completely out of legos mind you...)














This ride was one of the older kids favorites! This mechanical arm would whisk you around in every direction while spinning and tipping you upside down! Hold on dad!














All my sweet kids around the King's noble throne! (Of course you can see who takes the seat!;)























This was at Pirate's cove, a little water area where the kids played and cooled down from the heat of the sun.














This ride had water bombs that the people watching could set off and try to get the people on the ride wet. Of course Clint came off dry, hmmm...















Most everything at Lego Land is made out of lego's, including this C3PO!















Here Carew is getting his driver's licence at the lego land driving school. Kierra and Dallin both got theirs too! Watch out!

Finally at the end of the 3rd day of our vacation, (the day before we had to come home) the little princess Kambriella finally gave in and collapsed in a mushy puddle of tiredness and surrendered to a nap! She did not want to miss a beat!

Once again I am grateful to be a mother and a wife and to have opportunities to do fun things with my family both far away and at home. I consider myself one lucky girl to be surrounded by all of these special people, and one hot daddy;) I love you guys to the moon and back!