Easter 2011

 

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011

Easter 2011

One more Holiday has gone, closer to the day Blake returns from his mission. I mailed off an Easter Basket this week to him, along with a new pair of shoes and some Scotcheroos (his favorite and by his request). I'm pretty sure they were a pretty melted mess by the time those got to the Dominican Republic. It's tough to believe I will be speaking to him again in 2 weeks on Mother's Day, then in a few short months, he will be home.
I have always loved this time of year, Springtime in Arizona is beautiful, and I love the feeling of the family together and sharing in the knowledge we have of the Savior's love for us. I was blessed to have the opportunity to sing with the choir today in Sacrament. The song we sang was I Believe In Christ, the arrangement was gorgeous, and with Stephen Phelps at the organ, it moved me to tears along with so many others in attendance. 

The Bishop asked 2 of my favorite people in the world to stand up and bear testimony today. Cindy Packard, I adore her; she lights up a room when she walks in; not only is Cindy a spiritual giant with a testimony of Christ, she is down to earth and a woman who knows the importance of laughter and eternal families. Her testimony today touched my heart and soul; I love her. Stephen Phelps is another of my favorite people, quiet and reserved yet strong and poised. The testimony that came out of his heart today touched me, and again I was moved to tears. He talked about moving forward, knowing none of us are perfect. 

One of the things Stephen said is something I have always told my children "It does not matter how you start the race. It's how you finish that matters." We will all make mistakes, and we just need to keep moving forward and trying our hardest to be the best we can be. I left Church today feeling like my cup was filled; the sacred gifts shared today helped me understand just a little bit more of who I am and the person I want to be. I believe in Christ, and I know the greatest gift that has ever been given was the gift of the Atonement.

Now for the fun part of the Easter Holiday ... family, and when I say family, I mean Recker... we all enjoyed watching in his delight as he ate a whole sucker from his Easter basket. We wanted him so badly to hunt for those eggs; I think we still need another year for that to happen. Still, we all loved watching him pick up the plastic eggs off the grass and put them in his basket. I miss those days when my children were small and loved painting and hunting eggs. This is a new chapter for Eric and me. Grandchildren are the best.