Easter

Today we had a very nice family day for Easter. 

 We started by opening the last egg in our Easter eggs box. Each day they opened a new egg that had a part of the Easter story in it (palm branches the first day, nails, cross, etc- finally an empty egg on Day 11 for the empty tomb, and a cotton ball on Day 12 for how Jesus will come back with the clouds). Carolyn could explain each egg- it's astounding what she has learned and how she is beginning to internalize the Great Story.

 For breakfast I made French Breakfast Puffs, courtesy of Brad's mom's fine recipe.

 After church, we re-enacted one of the few family traditions I remember from Easter growing up- the mandatory picture in our Easter dresses. :) At first the girls weren't too enthusiastic.

 Then I told them they could have a treat if they cooperated... yep, I'm not above bribing for decent pictures.

 Nora liked to jump up and down and I liked how this picture caught the motion of her hair.

 Carolyn brought out the plant that she received at the green house a month or two ago. Isn't she such a big gir? So pretty!

 We finally took Nora's "Two Year" picture with Dad (almost 3 months late...)- but better late than not at all!

And then Carolyn wanted a picture with Daddy... so of course I complied :)

For dinner we made shrimp etouffee- Brad's getting really good at being the chef for this fabulous dish that's becoming a real tradition for special times. My sister Laura joined us which made it extra special. :)

After dinner we borrowed the neighbors' trampoline to work off some of the calories... Laura took some pics. :)

There may have been a family game of duck-duck-goose (with a rather relaxed version of the rules).

And the kids clearly had a great time.

I love church on Easter Sunday- the music is like no other time of year in its emotion, grandeur, and sense of triumph. My favorite hymn is "He Arose," where it says "up from the grave He arose (HE AROSE!) with a mighty triumph o'er His foes)- I wish we sang it other times of year. But a close second is "Because He Lives." I always get a little choked up when we sing "How sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the love and joy he (she!) gives- but greater still, the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain days because He lives!"  And especially after the song gained new meaning following the death of my grandmother- "And then one day, I'll cross the river. I'll fight life's final war with pain... and then as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of Glory and I'll know He lives!"I cannot sing that song without being poignantly reminded of my Granny who does indeed now KNOW that He lives- her eyes are opened, and she sees the lights of Glory- and, I hope, smiles to think of those of us left behind for a time, celebrating Easter along with her.

They said something in church this morning that  made me think. I've been a Christian for about as long as I can remember- so most of the "buzz words" and classic texts are pretty familiar to me. But sometimes something comes along that makes me think about the old words in a new way. Today they read the section in Philippians where it talks about how Christ voluntarily laid down His life and humbled Himself to be obedient to death (even death on a cross!) Today I was thinking about this passage in the context of human suffering- a very close friend posted something today about some of the things she has experienced and grown through over the past two years since her second daughter was born stillborn after a placental abruption. And although my own difficulty over the past year cannot hold a candle to what I know she has experienced, still- it has been a challenge to learn to live with the unfulfilled longings and to begin to humble myself to God's plan instead of my own.

I thought about how one of the things I have been learning through this journey that we've been on is that sometimes the right thing to do is to just accept that the wilderness is part of the landscape on the path you are intended to be on. To humble yourself and accept that suffering at times is allowed by a God who could stop it- who SHOULD stop it, we think. The song "Waiting Room" has been on the radio a lot lately and I really resonate with the words "It's not that I don't have the answer. It's just not the one that I'd like..." I feel like I kind of got to that crux point a few weeks ago when I just finally was humbled enough to admit what I have known to be true for awhile now. This is just not the time for us to be aggressively pursuing another child. There are medical things that are options and whole avenues to explore that may in the end lead to another mouth to feed (or two! :)) But right now is not that time. And so we remain in the "waiting room." Only it's different now in a way- it's as choice to stay in the room, rather than to try to get out or move on more quickly than it's time. It's a choice to humble myself to the plan, even though it's not really what I would have thought out myself.

And that brings me back to Jesus in the Garden, when He asked His Father to take the cup of suffering from Him, and ultimately accepted that it could not be so. I've always sort of thought in the back of my mind "well, sure, that's easy for Him to do- He's GOD! He knew on Good Friday that Easter was coming." Today as I thought about the familiar passage, I was struck with the thought that what I might think would make it easier (having the control and ability to change the situation)- might actually make it harder. Most of us, when tough things happen, don't have any control whatsoever, and so the best we can do is hunker down and cling on tight for the ride. But Jesus was different- He COULD have changed the situation- COULD have commanded the angels to blast everyone off the face of the earth and flown off the Cross and back to heaven. But... HE DIDN'T. He chose to humble Himself to the plan, even when He could have changed it- because He loved us THAT much. And I am so thankful.