Easter Weekend

^^ Easter egg hunt at Nana & Papa's! He refused to carry his own basket, but understood the process of finding eggs and collecting them! Gosh, it was so dang cute! ^^

^^ This gorgeous family had an extra special Easter - my sweet nieces were dedicated to The Lord on Sunday and we were so happy to be there to share in the prayer! ^^

^^ Ashley, I know you're not really smiling in this one, but I only had two to choose from and that dang Pocatello wind was getting us all good in the other one! You still somehow look amazing though, which is totally unfair. ^^

Our Easter weekend was far too short. We made a somewhat last minute decision to drive down to Pocatello to spend it with my family. We obviously wanted to see them, but that drive is just so dang awful! After all our traveling in March, Stephen and I were hesitant to hop back in the car for seven hours over three days. But, we did, and we are both so happy we decided to! (Though the drive down there with a screaming babe the first three hours was really making us question our choice... He slept great both nights we were there and was an angel of a baby on our way home, though, so he made up for it)

Saturday afternoon we were all able to go to the Pocatello zoo, which is the furthest thing from impressive, but the kids loved it. Uriah is newly into cows and "mooed" at everything, including that Bald Eagle. He and Harper walked all around the trails together collecting sticks and pointing out the animals - watching them play and interact truly just warms my heart. They are too cute! That evening we had a bbq at my parents and played a couple rounds of "the noun game" before heading to bed on Easter Eve.

On Sunday morning, Stephen and I prepared a big, yummy breakfast for the five of us and were able to spend some time with my parents before meeting up with the Hunt family for Harper and Remi's blessing. My sister and her husband chose to have their daughters blessed and dedicated to The Lord on Easter Sunday - how beautiful and special, right?! They were adorable in their white dresses and their "Paka" Hunt did an amazing job praying over them. It was so great to be apart of that, there supporting them and loving them in this decision to follow Jesus. The food and dessert that followed weren't too bad, either ;)

I haven't spent an Easter Sunday with my family since I was living at home in high school, so it was nice to be able to share that with them again, especially now that I've chosen to follow Jesus. It was three years ago on Easter, sitting in church, that I was overcome with the truth that Jesus died for our sins on that cross and that he rose again so that we could live an eternal life with Him. I decided right there in the service to get baptized. I will never forget the feeling... The love and excitement and weight and freedom... So many emotions rolled into one. The song "Death in His Grave" by John Marck McMillan was being played by the band when all of this was tumbling around in my head, forever making it my favorite worship song. So, though I may be a little late on my Easter post, I'll leave you with my favorite lyrics... I hope your Easter weekends were as family, love and Christ filled as mine!

"So three days in darkness slept, the morning sun of righteousness, but rose to shame the throws of death and overturn his rule. Now daughters and the sons of men would pay not their dues again. The debt of blood they owed was rent when the day rolled anew.

On Friday a thief, on Sunday a king. Laid down in grief, but woke with the keys of hell on that day. The first born of the slain, the man Jesus Christ laid death in his grave.

He has cheated hell and seated us above the fall In desperate places he paid our wages one time once and for all."