Easter 2017

Easter!  My girls were so excited for Easter (Kate especially).  We started the day off with our church family, and I was thankful that my parents joined us for the service.  After church, we came back to our house and my sister and brother-in-law joined us after their church service.  They actually beat us to our house and hid eggs around the yard for the kids to go find. 

Also while we were at church, the Easter bunny visited our house.  I know those of you with small kids understand the struggle of getting a family ready to go somewhere in the mornings.  Sunday mornings are always a rush for us to get everyone ready and out of the door on time.  Add in the fact that Kevin needs extra time to study (so the kids need to be somewhat quiet for a bit), and the fact that we get to church 30-45 minutes before it starts, and.... things get REAL hard.  

So, the last few years, we've tried to ease some of the rush and our Easter bunny has visited our house while we are at church. (i.e. - we load up into the car, and mama runs back inside to get something I "forgot", and put the baskets on our fireplace hearth.)  Not sure we can pull this off much longer but it's been nice while it's lasted.  The other plus, is that we all get to see the excitement of the kids actually seeing their baskets for the first time. 

And of course, we had to get a few Easter pictures...  

As thankful as I am to spend time with family, I'm even more thankful for the significance of this day - Resurrection Sunday.  No matter how good we are, no matter how hard we try, and no matter how bad we want it, we cannot be perfect enough on our own to earn salvation and be "made right" with God.  It is only through the perfect, sinless sacrifice that Jesus willingly offered to us through his death and resurrection can we be made clean. It is only through Jesus that our sins, failures, and shortcomings can be forgiven. 

And for that, I am most thankful.