Happy Easter!



Lucy's Easter Basket

Yes, I realize Holy week was LAST week, but I need to put some pictures up of my 2 lovelies!

Landon, Lucy, & their cousin Elyssa on saturday before Easter.




Landon checking out his basket





Cell phone picture from during church. This is Lucy's smile she is starting to show us EVERY day! =)



My family came into town for Easter.



Easter

We had a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection on Easter. Church was amazing. The service started with the choir singing God is Here:

There is a sweet annointing inthe sactuary

There is a stillness in the atmosphere

Come and lay down

The burdens you have carried

For in this sanctuary God is here

He is here, He is here

to break the yoke and lift the heavy burdened

He is here, He is here
To heal the hopeless heart and bless the broken
Come and lay down
The burdens you have carried
For in this sanctuary God is here

And the youth did another amazing skit.

My family was in town, we got some fun Easter baskets, and we had planned an Easter lunch ! Landon's Easter basket was a basketball goal. We ended up having to take it back, and get the one we originally wanted. He LOVES it! Luke got The Blind Side book and some candy, and I got 2 vases of flowers--1 from Landon & 1 from Luke.

The lillies are all opened up now, and they are beautiful!

Landon went STRAIGHT to bed when we got home from church, and we didn't even THINK to try to take another picture of the family. The picture from before church is NOT my favorite, but as soon as we got home, his whiney butt went to bed! I feel like I'm much smaller than I look at this angle.
We didn't even think to take one of the whole family either. BUT Elyssa did manage to pose at some trees by the car after church.

And I got a cute picture of Elyssa, Landon, and Luke walking to the car after church.
And yes, Elyssa and I match. Her and Amanda got matching shirts/dress. and I just happened to buy the same print dress from Target. But if you ask Elyssa, she just matched Aunt Emma and not her mommy.

We were going to color eggs Saturday night, but it was too late when we got around to it, so we colored them Sunday afternoon while the ham was finishing. We had some regular Dudley's egg dye, and we also got a "Bright and Shiny" box. They looked like gold leafed eggs on the box--we were skeptical!
But they turned out GREAT!

We had some wonderful ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, deviled eggs, and Hawaiin rolls.And we had some strawberry shortcake ( for Amanda's birthday--Aril 3rd). I ate MORE than on Thanksgiving I think. Totally stuffed! We didn't get a Honey Baked ham, but we got a honey glazed ham from Kroger that was FabUlOuS! We still are eating it!!!

It was a great day--my favroite of the whole year. Elyssa got to play with Landon and Poppy outside A LOT, and Landon was sad when they all left. Elyssa took all the eggs home with her to hunt all week on her Spring Break.

Luke 24:1-7
1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'

Easter Egg hunt

Landon had his firt Easter Egg Hunt today! They had an AWESOME set up at church today, thank you all SO much! Everyting you can imagine was there--and yummy hot dogs too! We didn't get there in time to do much in the gym besides get his face painted and eat. Then it was time for the hunts. The kids were seperated in different areas outside of the church/TNU by age. He did so good picking them up, and he finally got the hang of putting them into his basket. He was just walking around with a plastic egg in each hand. Maybe he'll be good now with his cousin Elyssa tomorrow. We're going to dye some tonight--I'm so excited! We bought the regular dudley's dye, and then some gold/silver leafing type box too.I've got 3 dozen boiled,and 1 dozen left to boil. We need some for deviled eggs too! MMMMm Ham, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, green beans, hawaiin rolls, pasta salad= YUMMY! I'm so ready for tomorrow, it's better than ChRiStMaS! I hope Landon can grow up thinking that way too. I'll post a few pictures from this morning, then it's on the clean before the family arrives.

Half marathon news~I am up to 6 miles now. I had to get it in before the day began, so I ran on the treadmill at the Y. I hope to do 8 next weekend, 10 the next ( at the beach), then the race is the next weekend!My goal is STILL to run 8 miles....but deep inside I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to run all 13.1, with a few SHORT walks when I need to. BUT, my goal is to run 8, and more importantly TO FINISH!!!!

Jesus conquered the grave

The flowers are starting to bloom on our weeping cherry and saucer magnolia!


They'll probably be full tomorrow, and so very pretty on Easter. Although I LOVE snow in the winter, and I LOVE laying out in the summer, Easter is probably my favorite day of the year. Aside from the pretty eggs we color, the fabulous candy, our beautiful new outfits, & the Easter lilies, what a WoNdErFuL day to celebrate Jesus Christ's victory over death. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. Most, but not all, Christian churches observe Lent. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. What a special time.I've found that such great,new habits are formed during lent! Not just giving up a food ,or Internet, or TV show,or whatever, but your personal relationship with Christ getting stronger, learning new truths in the Word, and just spending time with our God. Everything about this celebration and season fits so perfectly with spring time. Spring AND Easter are so beautiful!

Of course, when you think of Easter, you think of maybe the Easter cantata? The music is always beautiful.I always think of the song " Up from the grave he arose"--> You always have that old lady in church that will sing the offertory every month ( in a smaller church). I remember growing up we had an 'opera style' type older lady who would sing....and that line of the song ALWAYS got me! It's so hard to hide laughs in when you're 8. Sing that part in your head with an 'opera' type HIGH pitch, shaky voice!

Last year the youth group did the Lifehouse 'Everything' skit on Easter. WOW! Click here to see it. No matter how many times I see it, or who I see preform it, it is amazing. I'm anticipating another great Easter service, and am so looking forward to church on Sunday. And looking forward to a great meal at the house after!

My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace