ALIVE

We had a wonderful Easter weekend celebrating our RISEN SAVIOR!! I've had an old tune on my heart that I think I have known since I was born...:)

I serve a RISEN Savior
He's in the world today
I know that He is LIVING
Whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy
I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him
He's always near

He LIVES, He LIVES
Christ Jesus LIVES today
He walks with me and talk with me
Along life's narrow way
He LIVES, He LIVES
Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He LIVES?
He LIVES within my heart!

I love that song. Such a sweet reminder that He did die, but more importantly that He AROSE so that He can live in my heart...and yours! I cannot imagine my life without Jesus...

To celebrate this joyous occasion, we did all kinds of things and had more FUN ourselves watching Easter through the eyes of our children. All of it. Jesus. The Resurrection story we read. Dyeing eggs. Egg hunts. Seeing the Easter bunny. We celebrated in so many ways...

So here are some pics, captured "moments" to always remind me of this Easter and how ALIVE I am able to feel, because HE IS ALIVE!

We started our festivities at the zoo last week with Ash and Cash...Jadey's favorite animals at the zoo are on the carousel! :) She, of course, picked a rabbit this week!

Next stop was our first egg hunt of the season at my sweet friend (from high school!) Chrisie's house...so blessed that we are raising girls together, now! Here Abby and Jadeybug are counting their candy eggs!
The sweetest faces in the world to me...
I had so much fun dyeing eggs for the first time with Shaelyn Jade. This is a tradition we did every single year of my life so I wanted to continue it with her...and she loved it too! It was fun to have Rich's fam in on it for their first time too!
Bedtime on Easter Eve, proud as a peach of her new PJ's Non and Pop got her for Easter! She wanted to be sure the Easter bunny knew she LOVES rabbits so she collected every rabbit in the house to sleep with her... but then made sure I understood NOT to let him come in her room! :) Little unsure of the ole guy, still... :)
We usually have Easter lunch at the Watson's house with large and crazy crew of egg hunters. Check out those two Lankford boys in their bowties...SPIFFY! Cy man was PROUD! And the Calmus clan proved to be, as you might have expected, fierce competitors on the green! :)
My favorite Easter picture this year...my two favorite guys looking rather dapper, I must say...and it was like Jude knew right when to squeal with delight at his FIRST easter egg find as I snapped the picture! :) My toothless little "wabbit"....
Our best Easter treat this year was having Emily come in from San Francisco to spend her Spring Break with us. It seems like YESTERDAY she was only a tad bigger than Jadey is now and I was helping her. She is such a sweet cousin to her "mini me"...
And oh how THANKFUL we are, this Easter, that these two precious souls are here with us! Hadley Katelyn is the sweetest little girl that I am really starting to fall for and amazed that she was perfectly MADE for our family...she even LOOKS like her Daddy! And as if I didn't love Hosanna from the first second I laid eyes on her little 9 year old face (now almost 7 years ago!!!)...I am over the moon that I get to "hang" with her lots these days. She is a blessing to know- a resilient and "wise-beyond-her-years" gal that never ceases to amaze me by her strength and beautiful smile. I am so excited that my kids will be close to her, too- we love us some Hosanna around here!