Taulman Easter 2015

We had a great Easter weekend! I don't know what it is about holiday weekends, but they always seem to get me motivated to do a few things around the house. Rick started purging, organizing and cleaning the basement, and I tackled Eli and Brynne's room. We both made some great progress. Then I moved onto cleaning and organizing the refrigerator and vacuuming and mopping under all the furniture in the living room. I felt much better after getting some deep cleaning done!

Friday night the whole family was together for dinner and decorating Easter eggs. (Note to self: from now on decorate eggs on Friday night instead of Saturday night. It's much more enjoyable to get it out of the way!) The big kids get just as into decorating the eggs as Eli and Brynne. And this was the first year Rick and I could just sit on the couch together and watch the creating happen. We are finally there!

On Saturday night Dawson decided that he wanted us to do resurrection cookies. So I sent him to the store for a few of the ingredients and we gathered in the kitchen together to make them.

Sunday morning the kids woke up to donuts and their Easter baskets.

They were excited to get exactly what they wanted! We went to Sunday school and then came home to hunt Easter eggs.

After all the eggs were found the kids settled into playing their new video games while Rick took a little nap. Dawson and Taylar went to her family's celebration and Collin and Kyndal where with his family. I spent several hours alone in the kitchen preparing a meal for later in the afternoon. It was such an enjoyable day for me, just being alone pouring myself into a meal for my family. Acts of Service is my love language so serving my family in this way made me feel full of love all afternoon.

My parents, niece Rylee and her family, and all our kids joined Rick and I for dinner. We had a pork loin, party potatoes, corn on the cob, pea salad, deviled eggs, homemade macaroni and cheese, mixed fruit, rolls, and carrot sheet cake with cream cheese icing. I happily blew my diet and so did everyone else.

We loved on baby Ellie, the kids played frisbee, and we got together for family photos.

After everybody went home, Dawson and a friend (with the help of Brynne as cinematographer) worked on a school project while Eli played his new Zelda game. I decided I better go for a run. I completed 3.2 miles in 45 minutes, running 30 minutes of those 45 which included running a mile and a half all at once (my first time). I am so excited that my stamina is building up.

To end the night Dawson, Taylar, Brynne and I watched this week's episode of Amazing Race, and then we all went to bed. We were tired!

It was such a nice weekend! There is nothing more fulfilling than spending a holiday with your family.

I hope that you had a Happy Easter, as well!