Easter Weekend

Jeff and Amy's wedding anniversary is usually pretty close to the Easter weekend, but this year it landed right on it.  Jeff planned a wonderful trip to Orlando for the weekend to stay in a beautiful hotel, to get pampered there, to go out for dinners, and to attend the temple.  When they asked us to tend the kids for the weekend, we immediately started thinking of some special things to do with them.  So, of course, I planned a trip to the zoo.  I don't know whether George was really on board so much at first about this, but I know he loved the day almost as much as the kids.

Waiting to get on the zoo train--a must with every visit!

They wouldn't look our way--but this is a mother zebra with her new baby born about a month ago.

The boys were so excited to go to the snake house, but Isaac was certainly not excited about turning his back on that huge snake behind him!

This snake has a long pointed fang.

This is a little hard to see, but there is some kind of a lizard on this snake.  Look how the snake is eyeing him, however. 

A huge toad burrowed in the dirt.

Notice how Lola was taking this all in--snakes are behind glass and they don't make noise, so she wasn't a bit afraid. 

We soon noticed all kinds of birds going overhead with bits of tree branches and leaves in their mouths.

They were adding them to their nests.  They were everywhere in the trees. 

From the sound of it, some of the eggs had hatched and the little ones were squawking for food!

Notice again--Lola loves birds and is so happy to be watching them.

Now it's off to the children's play area. 

Running through the maze.

But now it was time for what we had really come for today--to see the dinosaurs in "Dino-Alive."  There were clues along the way which the boys loved searching for in order to get to the dinosaurs. 

When we finally got there, the first dinosaur looked friendly enough . . .

as did the second.

But when they started roaring and moving,

Lola started crying.  Isaac told her to just cover her eyes. 

Well, Lola then began to scream so loudly and was shaking so much, George started running as fast as he could to get out of there. 

I guess it was just a bit too much for a two-year-old.  Actually, some of it was pretty intense now that I think of it. 

But the boys loved it.  They had a little picture map to identify all the dinosaurs with their names. 

This was a bush filled with little dinos who were all moving and making baby dino sounds. 

Then came the biggest--the T-Rex. 

The boys were in seventh heaven!

And where were George and Lola?  This is how she looked for at least a half hour afterward.  She kept saying, "Hurt me."  I hope we haven't traumatized her for life!

After the dino trail, they had an area for the kids to dig up dinosaur bones.

And they had an area for the kids to see how they animated the dinosaurs. 

The boys wanted to go through the trail again because they loved it so much.  This time I stayed with Lola. 

After a hot day, we then headed for the Splash Zone to let the boys cool off.  Lola was done for the day and just stayed in her stroller.

The zoo was ready to close and the boys said, "But, we haven't seen everything!"  I told them we had to leave some fun for another day.  "Well, we just have to go by the gators, please."  So, we walked that way on our way out.  There is always so much fascination with these creatures that look like dinosaurs themselves!

On Saturday, I took the kids to the church Easter party.  They had a huge jumping fun place which the kids loved. 

Now, notice Lola's hair.  Everyone knows I don't do the kids' hair as well as their moms can.  But, I did my best.  (At least I just didn't put in a barrette on each side like I used to do for the girls in the 70's.  Hah!)

After the Easter party, we came home and dyed eggs.  We tried to make it simple so that there wouldn't be a lot of spills or stained clothes. 

 Ta-da!  The finished products.  Not too bad, huh?

Jeff and Amy got home late Saturday night after the kids had gone to bed.  They said they had a wonderful weekend.  George and I did, too.  But I'll tell you, I was bushed!  I forgot how much work little kids are!  So here are the kids at church the next morning.  You can tell their Mom did their hair and dressed them. 

Lola truly looked like a little princess in her birthday dress that Grandma Barlow sent her. 

These pictures were all taken after church.  While Amy was putting all the Primary items away, I just started snapping pictures of Lola having fun.  This is my fun--taking pictures of my grandkids. 

George and I had been the speakers in Sacrament Meeting.  Our choir sang, so I played for that, and I, also, taught the Relief Society lesson for the women.  So, it had been a very busy, but beautiful Easter day.

George then wanted to drive to the cemetery to visit the graves of his parents and other loved ones who are there. 

George's father died in 1992 and his mother in 1998.  My mother died in 2002.  Of course, we both miss our parents very much, but that is the beauty of what we are reminded about on this Easter day--that death isn't the end.  That through Christ's resurrection and Atonement we can be together again.  That is such a comforting thought.  So, truly as the Apostle Paul said, we can also say, "O death, where is thy sting?  O grave, where is thy victory? . . .But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."