An Easter Recap

We were happy to learn that the Easter Bunny was informed of our move. He even managed to scout out the house for hiding places for the kid's baskets.

Here the kids are patiently waiting for Mom and Dad to get ready - somehow they manage to greet Easter morning bright and early even without the alarm that can't get them out of their beds on a school morning. 

The only evidence that he had made it (well, other than the eggs hidden everywhere) was the ransom notes left to aid the kids in finding their baskets.

Everyone had a fairly easy time following the clues and finding their baskets...

Everyone besides Gable that is...

It took him a while, but after some careful contemplation, he finally knew success.

 

This year Easter Sunday fell on our General Conference at church, so instead of going to our normal Sunday meetings, we watched the worldwide broadcasts in the comfort of our own living room - without even getting out of our pajamas.  It was a beautiful, relaxing day with plenty of eggs and bubbles to go along with the more spiritual moments.  We were blessed to have Mama join us for part of the day and enjoyed an abundance of great food.   

But it was while taking this picture that I had one of those moments. You know the kind of moments when time just seems to stand still and lets you relish in your own joy. The kind of celestial moments when all of your children are entirely content and enjoying each other and as you listen to beautiful music resonating in the background you realize your husband is busy cooking behind you and you think to yourself, life just doesn’t get any better than this.

Then almost as suddenly as it appeared, the reverie is gone. The noise of life returns and you are once again about the business of doing what it is you do. I’ve decided the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, grants us these glimpses of Heaven because he knows they are a powerful fuel to fill our lamps. It is this fuel we can draw from when one of our children comes running into the house to report on their sibling who just called the new neighbor a loser or when your 7 year old slumbers into your bedroom in the morning heartbroken because the tooth fairy forgot to visit them for the second night in a row.

It is this fuel that gives me the courage to embrace motherhood with a renewed gusto - ready to empower this new generation with the artillery they will need to fight their own life’s battles. It gives me the perspective to accept imperfection with a hope that maybe someday - yes forever in the future, but someday, my children (at least some of them) will be grateful because I have loved them without limit and will forgive me my imperfections and even remember fondly a few of their own "moments" from their childhood.