He Is Risen!

When you think of Easter, you probably think of the Easter Bunny, colored eggs and lots of candy... but to Christians around the world it is much, much more. Easter is the most important Christian holiday of the year.

Easter Day is the day Christians remember Jesus rising from the dead. After his brutal crucifixion, a large stone was rolled over his tomb. But shortly after his death when followers went back to honor Jesus, the stone had mysteriously been moved and only the cloth that wrapped Jesus' body was laying there. As the story goes, Jesus' body was no longer in the tomb and he had in fact risen from his death in order to save us all. An angel nearby this tomb told his followers of the miracle that had taken place.

The resurrection, as described in the Bible, means that at the very moment Jesus rose from the dead, was the very moment we would be given everlasting life. Christians would now receive new life after death. The Easter holiday celebrates this belief. Easter is therefore the last day celebrated during a 40 day Easter season.

The season begins with Lent, a 40-day period before Easter Sunday. During Lent, Christians prepare for Easter. Lent is considered a time for penance, a time to show sorrow for sins and to seek forgiveness.

One way many Christians show their sorrow is by fasting, which limits the kinds and amounts of food that are eaten. Christians may also give something up during this 40 week period as patronage to the suffering of Jesus. While not all Christians fast during Lent, those that do pattern their behavior after Jesus who prayed and fasted in the wilderness before his death on the cross.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and most churches hold specials services in the evening. At many of those services ashes are placed on the foreheads of worshipers to remind them to have a humble spirit. Lent continues until Holy Week, which is the final week of Lent and recalls the events leading up to Jesus' sacrifce and ultimate death, a death he freely accepted.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, which celebrates the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, where people spread palm branches and clothing before him. Good Friday is the day Jesus died on the cross and many believe it happened between the hours of 12 noon and 3pm. Many churches hold services during this time to reflect on the last three hours of darkness while Jesus suffered on the cross.

On Easter Sunday Jesus' resurrection is celebrated. Outdoor Easter services sometimes take place at sunrise to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, Christians believe they too will rise from the dead and ascend into Heaven. It's important to note that Easter is not a time to dwell on death and sorrow, but rather the fact that Jesus did rise just as prophesized in the Holy Bible. This miracle of renewed life has given Christians hope, faith and love since they know Jesus died willingly in order to save the human race.

Easter is also closely associated with the season of Spring. The new plant life that appears in spring symbolizes the new life Christians gain because of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

-Taken from a Christian website

THANK YOU JESUS FOR THIS AMAZING DAY! I HOPE OUR FAMILY BRINGS YOU GLORY AND HONOR.  WE WILL WORSHIP YOU FOR THE REST OF OUR DAYS :) AMEN

Tori was sick with the flu so she got to sit with us during the church service. She loved the singing!

Our 14th Easter Egg Hunt of the day! We have a new favorite activity...

Spring "Christmas" Letter

I've decided this blog is in need of a family "Christmas" letter because of all the changes we have gone through in the past few months. Honest and real, here goes...

Kenny-


The biggest change in our life happened when Kenny got the news that he was being laid off. Kenny had worked for Shaw since the week before Mackenzi was born, over 4 years ago. Kenny is excited about working for another company and experiencing a new product in sales, but it is scary to think about how long that might take to find. We have an amazing God, and know that he is taking care of us. We can't wait to see what plans He has for us now!! For now, Kenny gets to stay home with us and we have loved every minute of it! I'm a little worried about readjusting once he does go back to work!

If anyone has a sales rep lead, please let us know!!!


Brit-
I am LOVING being a stay-home mom! Now that the dance season is over, I have been able to focus all my time and energy on my kids. I have seen a change in both of the girls now that life has slowed down a little bit and I can give them my undivided attention again. We don't stay home very much, we usually have a few activities every day. I'm involved in MOPS at our church, both the girls have preschool, and Kenzi takes dance at The Summit Dance Shoppe. We've been going to Lifetime, the Zoo, parks, the mall, and lots of playdates. I wouldn't trade this for anything! I also get to lead a small group in our church's senior high ministry. The girls in my group are absolutely amazing and I always look forward to Wednesday nights with them. I get to go on the summer trip to Colorado with them this summer too, I can't wait!! God is everywhere in my life right now, which is the way it should be. Lovin' It!


Mackenzi-
Mack is just blowing us away lately with the things that she says! I don't know where she gets some of her lines, but they crack us up. She may not be a tough kid, but she seems very intelligent. Not in a school way... she doesn't know all of her letters, but in a people way...she can carry on a very adult conversation. She is our little entertainer and enjoys putting on dance shows and pretend conversations. Her favorite activity is playing waitress! We can't wait to ger her in an acting/theatre program once she's old enough. Kenzi has also been an amazing big sister. She is so protective of Graham and is always by his side the second he starts crying with his nuk and blanket. She's a very unique little girl, and we love spending time with her, even when she's in her "other" world!

Tori-
Oh Tori...where do I start?! Let's just say that one of her favorite activities is licking things!! She prefers the bottom of her shoes, but the slide at Burger King works as well. Ha! She wants to do everything her big sis is doing and we've been very impressed with her ability to keep up. Her words multiply every single day and we love seeing her figure something new out. She is a daddy's girl right now and cries anytime he leaves. She calles him Mommy, which I think is hysterical, but Kenny does not! Not sure what the deal is with that, but we never really are when it comes to Tori. She is gonna be somethin special when she grows up, that's for sure!

Graham-
Our sweet lil guy has kept us on our toes these past few weeks! He was a perfect angel his first 3 weeks of life, sleeping through the night and only crying when he needed to be fed. But something changed when he turned 3 weeks old, and life was tough for the first time since Graham had arrived. Poor Graham wasn't pooping, wanted to eat every other hour, wouldn't sleep more that 45 minutes at a time and was waking up 4-6 times throughout the night. When he was awake, he was almost always crying. I changed my diet and was careful about what I ate, but that didn't seem to make much of a difference. At first, the doc labeled it severe reflux and put him on a strong does of Zantac. After a few days, his previous symptoms returned. Then we tried a constipation med, which also seemed to help for a few days, but the symptoms returned yet again. So today we took him in for his 2 month appt, and we were hoping for another solution! I was surprised by what we discovered. Graham weighed in at only 10lbs 14oz, putting him in the 25%. His height was also in the 25%. Because he used to be in the 75%, the doc was concerned. She thinks the reason Graham is such a "colicky" baby is because he's hungry. She said that some babies, often boys, need more milk than their mommies can produce. She told us that we need to start giving him a bottle after I nurse him. We are going to try it for a few weeks and see if it helps, at this point, we are desperate and will try anything!!

So that's it, our family in a nut shell. Constantly changing but always believing! Looking forward to what's to come for us...a move, a new job, a new family member? Whatever it is, you'll hear about it on our blog!