Easter Sunday

We started the morning off like we do every Easter Sunday morning...with the kids' baskets. Danny didn't have some of his earlier meetings, so he was able to be with us in the morning. The kids loved their baskets, but it was really all about Joey and his first Easter! Of course, that meant he got his own pair of bunny ears...and I took about 35 pictures to get one semi-decent one of him in said bunny ears. :) 

It was hard for me to find Easter dresses for the girls this year, and hard to find time to shop when Johnny wasn't with me...so this year's Easter clothes were not a surprise. But they turned out very nice! And it was nice of Brother Bingham to take a picture of us in Danny's office before church was over. I wanted one picture of us together as a family on Easter...

And then as soon a we got home I busted out the big camera and the kids and I went outside to get some good pictures of them in their nice Easter clothes. The last time I took an Easter picture with the kids in front of their swing set, it was Luke's last Easter with us. It seems to be happening more often...when I see a picture and it hurts my heart that it isn't complete. This was one of them. I can see  where Luke would be, right there in that space between Johnny and Joey. And maybe he is there, and that's why that space is so obvious to me. I don't know. But what I do know is that Danny and I have some incredibly beautiful children, and I love how the outfits worked this year! And that my children are growing up way too fast...

Danny only had one appointment after church, so he was home before too long. We rested for the afternoon while the kids, well, ate WAY too much candy. Obviously. :)

We decided on an earlier dinner this year so we would have time to go to the cemetery. Danny wanted to try some "sear in the rear" smoked steaks, and who was I to argue?! It was our first time doing steaks on the smoker, and we've never seared them before. Amazingly enough, we didn't set off the smoke alarm...though the house filled with delicious smoke when we slapped those beautifully smoked steaks on a super hot cast iron skillet. Honestly, both Danny and I were a little disturbed that they didn't go off! The steaks were a bit more cooked than we were wanting...more towards well than medium, but oh my goodness...that crust! They were the best steaks ever! Served with a side of Instant Pot green chile mashed potatoes and some caramelized green beans...it was one of the best Easter meals we've ever had.

Once we were stuffed to the brim, we made our way to the cemetery. It was the perfect way to end our Easter Sunday. Thinking about Luke, and remembering the promise we have that we can be together again.

Our family is so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know I speak for us all when I say that. Luke changed everything for our family. We were aways striving to return to our Heavenly Father. But having Luke there already has made the goal seem more real to us. Easter was always a wonderful holiday. But now, the resurrection is something very real to us. The fact that Jesus Christ broke the bands of death, and made it possible for us to be reunited with our perfected bodies for eternity is something that we cling to with every fiber of our souls. As a mother, knowing that my sweet son's body was sick and that now he is separated from that body I grew within me and loved so much, I look forward to the resurrection with an intensity I never knew before. To be with Luke again, and hold him in my arms...a perfect body that wasn't in pain...I can hardly wait for that day. We strive diligently, as a family, to stand worthy at that day of the gift that our Savior gave to us.

Happy Easter!