Hoskins Family ...forever and ever amen: Thank you Easter Bunny!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Thank you Easter Bunny!

I have decided that even though I really love Christmas, Easter is officially my new favorite holiday. Snow is so beautiful, hot cocoa is so creamy and delicious, and there is so much magic surrounding Santa, and so much goodness surrounding the nativity; but, there is just something about the new life emerging from grass and tree at Easter time that makes my heart feel alive. There is something so jubilant about the message that "He is Risen" that I just feel like shouting for joy! Additionally, I realized this Easter, as I was talking about the atonement with my children, that Christ will likely come again at Easter time. And that did the trick for me. Easter bumped Christmas off the top off my list and became my new favorite holiday.

On a lighter note, I love Easter because our family Easter traditions are so fun--from the Easter Eve picnic to the Annual Easter Egg Roll--it is simply a weekend filled with delight! And let's be honest, there are some things that are just not acceptable to get as Christmas gifts, strictly because of the weather. For example, this year the Easter Bunny went a little over the top and brought our whole family bikes. We could have never gotten bikes for Christmas. They would have just sat and sat. But for Easter--we were able to take them out that very day. And they have become a new family obsession. We have finally found something that our whole family--baby included, can do together. It is wonderful!

Here are the kids on Easter Eve getting ready to open their Easter pajamas and leave their baskets out for the Easter Bunny.

And some shots of each of them after they found their Easter baskets on Easter morning.

And here are some pictures of everyone on their new bikes. Well, Maddi on her bike...

And Daddy hauling the other kids in our new co-pilot baby seat and Burly trailer. (For some reason he doesn't trust me enough to let me have passengers on my bike yet--hmmm--I guess I shouldn't complain!)

What a wonderful holiday! Thank you Easter Bunny!

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Madison Elizabeth--10 years old. Maddi is growing into quite the little lady. She is like a mommy to her little brothers and sister--who she can now babysit for under two hours--and she is truly mom's greatest helper. She still loves dancing--she scored a part in the Bismarck Nutcracker this year. She took a year off of Gymnastics to try ice skating--which she has thoroughly enjoyed. She added violin to the list of instruments she can now play quite proficiently--her piano gets better and better every day. And she continues to do private art lessons, Spanish lessons, and Activity Day Girls. She also gets paid for writing phonics appropriate stories for Mason, spelling worksheets for Emma, and helping Spencer with his math lessons. She is a busy little girl and we love her with all of our hearts!

Spencer Hinckley 8 1/2 year old. Spencer is my tender-hearted, thoughtful, perceptive little boy. He was baptized this summer in the Susquehanna River and takes his promises to the Lord so seriously. If he is ever being naughty, I can simply remind him of his accountability before God and he is like a totally different boy on the spot! I love his sweet spirit and desire to be good. Spencer is also my careful, technical, handy little man. When Nick is not home, he is the go-to boy when it comes to fixing things and solving mechanical problems. He even shows the workers around the mechanical room when they come to work on things! He will surely work with his hands some day to earn his keep. This year, Spencer has continued playing golf, soccer, and basketball, has joined Maddi in art, Spanish, and piano lessons, and is loving his new role as a Boy Scout. He is a joy to have in our family!

EmmaLee Adelin 6 1/2 years old. Emma is our sensitive baby girl and her mother's little angel. She has grown up so much this year and is continually perfecting her position as the family peacemaker. She doesn't like to see anyone fight and won't let her cherished baby brother ever get upset. This year Emma has continued to dance--also scoring a part in the Bismarck Nutcracker, she also traded in gymnastics for a year of ice skating, and she has joined the older kids for a unique art and art history course her mommy helped develop with a local art school. She loves her activities, is becoming an excellent reader, and is ever our social butterfly. (She even talks the ears off the cleaning ladies when they're here!) Emma is counting down the days until she will get to be baptized and is now starting her early morning Book of Mormon reading time with mom. We love and cherish this sweet little girl!

Mason McKay 5 years old. Mason is the baby of our family and continues to be the glue that holds us all together. Even though he promised me that he would not grow up, he can't help but be blossoming into the most handsome, happy, brilliant little man ever. He officially started kindergarten this year (at 4), and is so bright he is already almost caught up with Emma in his reading and math. I'm not sure how to reign him in! In addition to school, he also shares his big brothers critical thinking mind. He can build the most complicated Lego sets, be a genuine help to his big brother in figuring out their X-box levels, and is better on the I-phone and I-pad than anyone else in the family! He is precocious to boot! Despite growing up to be such a smarty, he still loves snuggling up with mommy whenever he gets the chance. We are enjoying every minute of our littlest and last baby love!