Easter 2012

Yesterday we celebrated Easter by spending time with our family - both mine and Michael's. Unfortunately, church was not part of our Easter experience this year. Next year it will be, for sure. There is no more significant day on the Christian calendar than Easter, or Resurrection Sunday as many Christians prefer to say. I am so thankful for what the Lord Jesus did for me on the cross. And because He rose on the third day, just as He said He would, death was defeated forevermore for those who will put their trust in Him. What a wonderful Savior! Because He lives, Michael lives! It's only this hope I have in Jesus that keeps me moving forward. Death has no sting. Death has no victory - not in the big picture, anyway, and I'm trying to live with a "big picture" or eternal perspective.

My sweet little girl came down with cold symptoms just a couple days before Easter, but after a two-hour nap in the late morning, she just had a great time all afternoon and into the evening. She is such a joy to be around. I did not have to shop for an outfit for her. There were many dresses in her size in her closet already. The last couple of weeks I had watched the weather forecast to see if we would need to choose an outfit for a cooler day or a warmer day. We were blessed to have a day in the mid-seventies at my sister's house for the afternoon, and when we got out to Grandma's for dinner it was still about eighty degrees. It felt like summer! Michaela's outfit had been a shower gift from my friend, Stacey, and I remember telling her at the time that Michaela would wear it for Easter this year. So it worked out perfectly. Stacey chose the cutest ensemble from Gymboree with a matching hat, sweater, and shoes. I think we will get a lot of wear out of this cute little number over the next few months. Michaela looks so pretty in these vibrant colors.

She spent a lot of her time on a quilt on my sister's lawn playing with all her plush bunnies, chicks, and lambs. She's too little for an egg hunt, but the big kids (16-23 years old!) had fun with that. Next year I'm sure she will enjoy having her cousins hide eggs for her so she can look for them. We don't do Easter baskets in my family. It's not really a gift giving occasion for us. I've seen some really great ideas for teaching the true meaning of Easter to young children on Pinterest. So, I'll revisit those ideas next year and see what I think will work best for us.

Perhaps the nicest thing about yesterday was that my dad felt well enough to join us for lunch. His most recent chemo round was on March 28th, and he had been feeling very poorly since then. However, he started to feel better the day before Easter, and on Easter morning he told my mom that he wanted to go to my sister's for lunch. It was great to have them both there.

Now for a full week off with my baby girl. Mommy like!