Yellow...

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you. And everything you do, yeah they were all yellow." - Coldplay

This is a post about Easter weekend and sisters and the color yellow.

First yellow. I just love a yellow kitchen. A long time ago I even mentioned it on this blog. Our house in Mobile had a yellow kitchen and oh how I've missed it. When I see a house with yellow walls on TV or something, I have to catch my breath. We painted my sister Annie's kitchen yellow a few years ago during Spring Break. When our house was under construction, we asked the contractor if we could sneak in one night after the walls were finished but before the cabinets were in and paint the kitchen. He informed us that it might not be a good idea because it would void the warranty on the paint in the entire house. So, we didn't. But in the almost four years that we've lived here, I haven't given up on the yellow dream. Recently, Ricky and I were sorting old pictures for a slideshow we made for Trent when we came across a picture taken in our Alabama kitchen. Well, I got teary-eyed, Ricky got annoyed and said "Seriously - it will take one day and a couple of gallons of paint and we'll have the kitchen yellow in no time!" Then my cute neighbor, who is way more tenacious that myself took the plunge and painted her's and we said "Let's do it!" And we did it.... last Saturday. And I love, love, love it. It's VERY yellow. Some people might think it's too yellow, but it's perfect to me. It doesn't even seem different, just normal. The way it should be.

Sisters. My sisters have been so generous and kind to me. Annie sent us this incredible Easter package with everything my kids could ever want plus more... She did it just because that is how she rolls. Always thinking of others and her kindness leaves me without words. Of course, she asks for nothing in return, but I know she wishes I would post some pictures of her niece and nephews once in a while. So, here they are on Easter.... Some of them, anyway. The older ones refused to be photographed before they had a shower. hmm..I wonder where they learned that?

We dyed eggs while we watched General Conference. See how happy they look in their new, more cheery kitchen? Funny thing... by Saturday afternoon there was not a single PAAS egg dying kit to be found anywhere in the 84045 zip code. So, we resorted to using food coloring. I'll never buy another PAAS kit again. Food coloring is the way to go...

This was how far I got with the paint while the boys were at the Priesthood Session. We finished the job on Monday morning.

And here is what a 14 year-old will do to an innocent hard-boiled egg...self expression, right?

And here is what the Mama will do... the ones on the right have been peeled. The food coloring seeped through the shells a little bit, but they sure tasted good all deviled up nice and pretty.
Which leads me to the Easter Dinner Party. My sister Stacey invited us over for a most enjoyable Easter Dinner, complete with a true Egg Extravaganza. She gathered all the kids of hunting-age together and told them they could each find 65! eggs. Seriously. They were only a little bit excited. And she had some super-fun prizes for them.



This is not a great picture, but it is the only one I have of Brant. He's too fast for me.

And Trent - I have no idea where he was. After the teenagers finished hiding the 325 eggs, they hung out in the yard and watched the little ones hunt, then who knows where they went? Next time I'll hunt them down and photograph them. They're pretty cute, too.