Easter 2010

Yes, Easter was a week ago...but I just didn't have time last week to post pictures and I definitely don't want them left out of the 2010 blog book! So (a week late), here's my Easter post!

Daddy Steve and Namaw had Easter lunch at their house. It was the last time our family would ever hunt Easter eggs in the backyard of the house I grew up in...the house my parents have lived in since I was 6 years old...the only house Tyler remembers them living in (he was 18 months old when we moved there). We're VERY excited about them moving just down the street from us...but I'd be lying if I didn't say that the day they leave the house I grew up in will be a very emotional day for our family!

Anyways...back to Easter. After lunch and after the Easter egg hunt we tried to get a good picture of the "cousins". I don't know if Jan, Julie, Jon, or Daddy Steve got a picture with everyone looking at the camera...but I didn't! This was the closest I got. In EVERY picture Bella was eyeing Lauren's Easter basket. I don't think she every took her eyes off it! lol

Most of the pictures were more like this...(Brody trying to sneak some candy in between pictures. His face tells it all...)

Now both Bella and Barrett are going for Lauren's basket of eggs! It's a good thing they weren't sitting on either side of Brody or Collin. I have a feeling the boys wouldn't have been as gracious about sharing their eggs with the "babies". (Side note: Brody has been reminding me that Barrett is not a baby anymore..."he's a toddler".)

I didn't expect Barrett to care much about the egg hunt, but he loved it! We had different "heats" for our egg hunt. Barrett & Bella first, then Brody & Collin joined in, and then finally the girls were let loose. Barrett was excited about finding the eggs and kept exclaiming, "Egg!!!" and showing us his basket.

Brody and Collin were running around like wild little boys and the pictures I got of him were all from behind. It's hard to keep up with those two!

Bella looked precious in her Easter dress. She didn't care about finding more eggs and was perfectly content smiling for a picture for me!

I love one of the Easter books that Grammy gave the boys last year. Along with our regular morning devotional book, the boys and I read it a lot this past month. Here's the text to the book:

At Easter I will decorate eggs with lots of bright colors...

But Jesus is the one who colors my world every day.

"The heavens tell of the glory of God!" Ps. 19:1

At Easter I will buy sweet treats to share with my friends...

But Jesus is the one who shares all my thoughts and feelings.

"You know my every thought" Ps. 139:2

At Easter I will hunt for eggs...

But Jesus never has to hunt for me - he always knows right where I am.

"Every moment you know where I am." Ps. 139:3

At Easter I see new life all around me...

But Jesus' new life on that first Easter morning is what I celebrate.

"'He isn't here! He has risen from the dead!'" Luke 24:6

On Easter I will dress in new clothes and get a basket full of surprises...

But knowing Jesus loves me is the best gift I will ever receive.

"The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Ro 6:23

Yes, Easter is filled with good things bright and new...

But I can praise Jesus for giving me new life every day of the year!

"'I am the resurrection and the life'" John 11:25

Ham, Easter eggs, and cute pictures may be fun, but the fact that HE IS RISEN is the real reason our family gathered together last week to celebrate! Thank you, Lord, for the new life that we have in your son, Jesus!