Easter

Easter Sunday was a bit of a blur what with having just returned from Disneyland late the night before, a much anticipated early morning reunion with Ben, Joey, and Rocky who had spent the week at Nana and Papa Grover's house, the usual pre-church Sunday morning rigmarole of baths, breakfast (in this case jellybeans), getting everyone dressed in their Easter outfits, and attempting to coax a few Easter pictures from the boys (in this case LOTS of jellybeans!).

Thank goodness the Easter bunny was on the ball and prepared the boys' baskets before our vacation!

Nana Grover was clever enough to color-code the eggs for the egg hunt so that the participants of all ages each got a fair chance to find the candy-filled eggs.

 The Easter bunny brought Hank and Max color-your-own kites; Sunday was perfect kite-flying weather.

 I conceded my title to Aaron and Sue in this year's intense egg smash war.

We did have a lovely church meeting, but in our haste to fit in all of the secular Easter celebrations...the Easter baskets, the Easter outfits, the Easter egg hunt, and dying the Easter eggs...I really didn't have the opportunity to contemplate and reflect on the true meaning and purpose of the holiday. I love Easter. I love the Cadbury eggs and the chocolate bunnies. I love decorating a namesake egg and then smashing it in an egg war battle (a much loved family tradition). I love watching the kids race around frantically filling their baskets with eggs "hidden" at an Easter egg hunt. But what I really love, is the quiet time spent in study, pondering Jesus Christ's atonement and resurrection and it's penetrating impact in my life...and I missed that this year. And so, I demanded a do-over! That's right, an Easter do-over! I spent my Sunday evening and Monday morning watching beautiful and touching videos depicting Jesus' final days on earth and read from the scriptures and magazines the testimonies of His apostles past and present. In my personal study, the message that spoke to my heart this Easter, is that because of Christ, I am given a new beginning. I can try and fail, and try and fail, and try and fail, and try again. We celebrate Easter once a year, but it's significance, Jesus' triumph over death and our ability to repent and be forgiven in His name, is a practice that I call upon every day. As much as I so badly want to be like Him, as I inventory my thoughts and actions at the close of each day....I come up vastly lacking. Jesus Christ lives, and because of Him, I can pray and ask my Father in Heaven for a fresh start to begin anew each day. Happy Easter!