Glimpses of Easter Weekend

Tulip Run

We kicked off our holiday weekend by participating in the Skagit Valley Tulip Run; luck was obviously on our side as it was one of the most sunny days of our spring, thus far! It's a race that I've done many times (almost every year); it has a 2-mile option, rather than a traditional 5K (3.2m). So, it was a bit easier to persuade Dave to do it with me, especially since it was his very first road race. Well, it's primarily a trail run, but road race sounds so much more impressive, right? Anyway, I had done exactly ONE training run this spring, so even though it was a short race, I couldn't keep pace with my super-athlete, Dave, who finished the race at about 19 minutes... while pushing the stroller! Regardless, it was a beautiful day and I was happy with my finish time of 21:10. I was just glad that I didn't collapse in exhaustion and the Search & Rescue folks positioned around the course didn't have to haul me out on a gurney. Yep, with nearly zero training miles logged in, I'd call that a success! After our amazing run, we went home and promptly zonked out. Because I was so exhausted, we opted for Thai take-out for dinner, which was awesome. After the boys fell asleep, I stayed up sewing an Easter skirt for myself while watching various videos on Easter and other church topics via YouTube. Unfortunately, I made a big mistake when I cut out the fabric, but forged ahead and finished it. It was a good lesson to learn, even though I was up until the wee hours of the morning learning it!

Easter Sunday

Benjamin got a little Easter basket; once he discovered that there was chocolate inside the eggs, he was totally on board. Although, his favorite part was definitely the miniature "Thomas the Train" engine & attached freight car; honestly, if it was the only thing in his basket, he still would have been over the moon. Church was lovely, with the highlight being a youth speaker who spoke beautifully about the Resurrection and the primary number, which I'd never heard. We have so many kids that they packed the area & two, timid Sunbeams didn't know where to stand so they ran back to their families in tears; I felt badly for them but you kind of had to chuckle because they were so cute. We joined up with the Goodwin-side of the family for Easter dinner, complete with spiral ham, scalloped potatoes, fresh fruit, rolls, green beans and dessert. And, after everyone had their fill, we headed outside for the Great Easter Egg Hunt of 2012. Unfortunately, Benjamin has two very competitive parents, a trait which has been amplified by two; he snagged nearly as many eggs as Lucy, his 5 1/2 year-old cousin!

Can You Say "Happy Easter"!

Our Hunters & Gatherers

(Benjamin got so excited, he started jumping up and down... and promptly tossed all his eggs.)

It was a beautiful weekend and I found myself thinking a lot about the blessings of the Resurrection and the Atonement. It's hard to really wrap your mind around how acutely Christ suffered and sacrificed for each of us; it's equally difficult to understand how incredibly encompassing the gift of the Atonement is, but I felt like I started to understand a bit more this year.