This Easter we got to celebrate the risen Lord together at church, which was actually our third Easter together as a family. Our first Easter together was also the boys' first time to attend church, so it was extra special. This Easter was special, as well, because the boys got to wear their outfits that GiGi made for them.

We invited our friends, the Pease's, to church and lunch at our house. Ken and I also hid eggs all over the backyard for the kids to hunt for (even though many of the eggs weren't actually hidden). The boys are still trying to figure out how the whole Easter egg hunt works, so Jordan (the oldest child) got most of the eggs. One thing Nate has figured out is that each egg has candy in it, so he wanted to open each egg the second he found it and eat the candy. This isn't exactly how it's supposed to work, but it worked for Nate because he ate a ton of candy before we even sat down for lunch.

We feel so blessed to be able to celebrate Easter with each other and with good friends. More than the candy or hunting for Easter eggs or playing with friends or wearing cute outfits, we love Easter because it's a time to stop and reflect on our true source of life, Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life among imperfect people, willingly suffered and died a brutal death to pay the price for our sins, and he rose from the grave to prove that he can not only conquer death but forgive our sins. The life and hope that Jesus showed us on that morning is available to each of us today. I have no idea where Gina and I would be without Jesus, and our deepest desire for Sam and Nate is that they will come to love and trust him for everything. May God's love, mercy and grace, that was perfectly demonstrated through Jesus, be made real to you on this Easter.