Worshipping our resurrected Lord and Savior, complete with a choir introit and brass postlude at church. Alleluia!
Driving to New Jersey in our new (to us) Town & Country minivan. It felt like driving a mansion. Joel told me I looked like such a mom, passing out PB&J sandwiches from the back seat.
Watching Mikayla blow through her Easter basket, pausing only briefly to put on her new sunglasses and remark, "Dark in here!" She opened all of her own Easter eggs as well as Isaac's, and discovered a real affinity for jelly beans.
Enjoying a meal fit for royalty, prepared by my lovely and talented mother in law, including ham, potatoes, pineapple casserole, asparagus with feta, and a lovely Prosecco wine. Not to mention the birthday cake for dessert: a carrot cake made with pineapple and coconut and some delicious "diaper cream" frosting (Mikayla is easily confused; she turned down one frosted bite of cake initially because it had diaper cream on it! She also, however, learns quickly, and inhaled the rest.).
Being told by more than one person that I was channeling my inner Brittany. I am 99% sure it was the bangs and leggings. I take this as a high compliment, incidentally.
Come to think of it, the whole family looked super springy and adorable (well, one of us looked manly and handsome, but the rest of us looked cute!). The astute observer will notice that Mikayla is wearing the same pink dress that she wore to Isaac's baptism a year ago. This year, it actually fits. In my defense, last year I had a 14 month old and a newborn and was approximately four weeks postpartum. Anything pink was fair game; I'm not even sure "clean" was a criterion at that point. All that to say, we're moving onward and upward in the wardrobing department.
Want to see us in our Resurrection Day best?
I love that Scott and Becca's family made it into our family photo, in that perfectly framed spot between Joel and me.
And Easter chronicles:
One of my top favorite things about this Easter, though, was looking back over the past three Easters and marveling at the Lord's gracious providence. Three years ago, I was actually miscarrying our first pregnancy on Easter morning after years of trying to conceive. I remember thinking to myself that Easter would never be the same, that it would always bear a reminder to me of loss - and yet how comforting that it was simultaneously the celebration of eternal life! Remarkably, two years ago, we treasured Mikayla's presence at three months old. It was poignant evidence of God's promise to turn our mourning into dancing, and we were astonished that He did this so tangibly for us. Her middle name is Grace, to remind us of what she means to us as a gift of the Lord's generosity.
Then, just one year ago, to heap grace upon grace, God surprised us with Isaac as well. As you might guess from his name, we laughed at the Lord's overflowing bounty in giving us a second child so soon! And this year, the four of us packed into our minivan, something we've been praying and saving for, a gift that makes me wonder what the Lord has in store for next Easter! Plenty of room for another car seat! (I've been saying things like this a lot lately; I think it's because some of my dearest are pregnant or have young babies, and it makes me look forward to the next one, should God grant us another child.)
God is good beyond all our comprehension. I feel humbly grateful that His goodness has been evident in such obvious ways to us. In whatever circumstances, whether His goodness is clearly seen or veiled by suffering, I pray He always turns my heart toward Himself and makes me more like Christ through it all.
"Oh, the depths of the riches, the wisdom of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!
'For who has known the mind of God, or who has been His counselor?
Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?'
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen."
[Romans 11:33-36]
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