April was a full and memorable month for our family, with two birthdays, a knee injury, Easter celebrations, lots of baking, and the final stretch of our school year. It was busy, emotional, sweet, and packed with little moments I want to remember.
“I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass.”
Welcome to “Moments” here on JoyFoodSunshine. This is where I pause my usual recipe content and share some of our family’s favorite memories from the month. Here is a look back at April 2026, including family updates, new recipes, favorite kitchen tools, birthdays, Easter, sourdough baking, and everyday life lately.
MyFavorite Things – April
Here are seven things I loved in April. You can find all my favorite things here or in my Amazon shop.
- Wire cooling rack. People often ask about this rack when they see it in my videos. I have had mine for years, and it is still one of my most-used kitchen tools. You can buy it at Target or on Amazon.
- These socks. I love these socks because they stay in place when I run and do not slip down into my shoes. They are also roomy enough for my very large feet, which is always a win.
- This sports bra. It is comfortable, supportive, and easy to wear for everyday movement.
- This cast iron loaf pan. I started making sourdough bread this month, and I am completely hooked. I love this pan for baking sandwich loaves.
- This bread lame. It makes scoring beautiful slits in homemade bread so much easier.
- This tank top. It has become my go-to comfortable top for warm days and long walks. I have it in three colors. It feels like a cross between a tank top and a sports bra, especially for people who do not love tight or “squeezy” clothing.
- These shorts. Just like my favorite pants, they are wrinkle-free, easy to wear, and so comfortable.
Recipes I’m Making on Repeat
These are some of the recipes I made again and again this month. April definitely turned into a cake month for me, with plenty of frosting, cookies, and family-favorite desserts in the mix.
chocolate buttercream frosting | chocolate chip cookies | yogurt parfaits | coconut cake | breakfast cookies | vanilla frosting and chocolate cake | chocolate bundt cake
New April Recipes
These are the new recipes published in April, including breakfast ideas, desserts, drinks, and easy homemade favorites.
banana bread French toast | strawberry sauce | chocolate chip cashew cookies | easy rice pudding | carrot fruit smoothie | how to make a latte at home | pico de gallo recipe | gluten-free brownies | homemade queso
Instagram Highlight
This eclair cake video was such a fun one to make. Eclair cake is my family’s favorite dessert, and this one was made for K’s birthday celebration.
Life Lately
A lot happened in our family this month. Ritch tore his ACL while skiing and had surgery in April. He is now on the road to recovery, but it is going to be a long process. We are grateful the surgery is behind him and are praying for steady, complete healing.
Baby Teeth
Ritch and I have never cried over one of our kids losing a tooth before, but this month was different. Keilah lost her first front tooth, and it hit us harder than expected. When a child loses those baby teeth, especially the front ones, their smile changes forever.
She is our “baby” girl, and realizing that we would never again see that little baby-tooth smile brought on the tears. Thankfully, Ritch reminded me to take a picture right before he pulled it out. I am simply not ready for her to grow up.
Easter
We had a lovely Easter together as a family. The day included church, brunch, and then a return home for Easter baskets and an egg hunt. The kids did not seem quite as interested in the eggs this year, and we are still finding some around the house.
We also received the best surprise over Easter weekend. Some dear old friends came into town, and we were able to see them on both Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Sadie is a friend I deeply cherish. She was the first true friend I made after moving to Utah. We had babies around the same time, homeschooled together, and learned our way through motherhood side by side.
They moved away years ago, so watching all of our kids pick right back up where they left off was such a gift. It was one of those moments that felt especially meaningful.
Mara Turns 9
My sweet, spunky Mara entered her last year in single digits. She is justice-loving, fiercely loyal, opinionated, wonderful, and full of life. I feel so blessed to be her mom.
For her birthday, she chose to go to the Ninja Gym, and all the kids had a great time. This year she requested a dolphin birthday cake, made with chocolate cake and vanilla frosting. I think Ritch did a wonderful job bringing her cake idea to life.
We had the best time celebrating our girl.
G Turns 13!
My boy is officially a teenager. I am so, so proud to be his mom. He is a sweet, selfless young man and such a wonderful big brother to his siblings. He still calls me “momma,” and he will often stop what he is doing just to say, “I love you, momma.”
He is growing in his faith, diligent in his work, and so much fun to be around. For his birthday, he chose to do his favorite hike, which he has done every year since he was four. This year he brought a friend along because Ritch could not hike with his torn ACL, and everyone had a great time.
We have a birthday tradition where, during dinner, each family member takes a turn sharing what they love about the birthday person. This year, a few of us got emotional talking about Gabe because he really is such a kind and thoughtful person.
For his birthday meals, he chose chocolate muffins for breakfast and BLTs for lunch. For dessert, he requested a chocolate bundt cake with “light” chocolate buttercream frosting.
Snapshots
Naomi and I went on a mommy-daughter date for dinner and ice cream. I treasure every minute I get to spend with that sweet girl.
I also took the kids to the tulip festival, which is one of our favorite spring traditions. It is always such a beautiful way to enjoy the season together.
I began my sourdough journey this month, and I am genuinely excited about it. I had been feeling a little burned out in the kitchen, but making sourdough recipes has brought fresh energy and creativity back into baking for me. My first loaf was a bit wonky, but since then I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it. Let me know what sourdough recipes you would like to see in the future.
Here is Ritch after surgery with his snuggle buddy. We are praying for a quick, smooth, and complete recovery for him.
That wraps up our April family update. It was a busy month filled with birthdays, Easter memories, homemade recipes, sourdough bread, healing, and so many good moments worth remembering.