Happy Easter!

Why isn't there a chapter in any of the baby-raisin' books
about how hard it is to get a good family candid on a holiday morning?

I have been so looking forward to Easter this year.

I always do, I guess - the warmer weather, the new outfits, the yellow belles blooming in the backyard - but this year, the Holy Spirit has really led me to think about what would've happened if Jesus HADN'T risen from the dead. With that in mind, Easter morning was all the more thrilling, as I woke up to the certainty that I serve a risen Savior.

The boys woke up to their Easter treats, after which we went to Greenville for church and lunch with my family. When the boys got up - notice I didn't say "woke up," because I'm about 98% sure that neither one of them actually went to sleep - we headed back to Canton for dinner with Jeremy's family.

The most adorable part of dinner was how they teased their great grandmother. Jeremy's mom gave them both bags of goodies. They unpacked them and then handed the contents, one at a time, to "Nana BOOOOOONE" (as Jones called her). I'm so thankful they're able to know her.

For all the crazy of the day, the boys did really well. I wouldn't say they were PERFECT - Jones pitched a fit for 20 minutes on the drive down to Greenville, for instance, and we ended up putting them to bed a full hour earlier than usual - but to have been carted up and down I-26, they did pretty darn well ... and even if they hadn't, the Savior Who loves them just as they are would still say, "Come to Me, children."

How I pray that they DO "come" to Him ... early, often, ALWAYS.

Happy Easter!

(At the start of the video below, Jones is standing in the kitchen doorway, and he says, "Happy Easter, Mama!" which is so sweet. It's kind of hard to hear, though, so I wanted to write it down, so when I watch this years from now, I'll remember that sweet greeting. Also, I hope and pray Jones's heart remains as exuberantly grateful as it is right now.)

We bought the picnic table, because
Jones loves them. We bought the bubble machine,
because Freddie is OBSESSED. Whenever
I pick him up from the church nursery and ask
what he did, he first says, "BUBBLES!"

This picture elicited a visceral reaction from me.
They don't all do that, but as soon as I saw this one,
I thought, "Ooh! I'm gonna text this one to Mayme
to see if it reminds her of two little boys SHE used to know" -
as if my Mayme EVER had texting capabilities
and as if she hasn't been dead for nearly 20 years.
Still, I hope and pray she ALWAYS feels that close to me -
just a text away. 

The boys LOVE their Bobo -
AND DooDoo AND Bess
AND Yaya.

JoJo got to pick out an Easter treat;
he went with the plastic frog
that was filled with Chewy Lemonheads.

Bobo rode with us from church to Mom and Daddy's.
The boys were SO excited to ride in "Dada's new beeg cart."
They also wanted to switch sides for whatever reason.

I think Jeremy looks SO handsome
in a bowtie. Turns out, he looks
even MORE handsome with
his bow-tie UN-tied!

Freddie has something of a sweet tooth.
Last week, we sat down for dinner
at the Black Bear, and as soon as he
was in his high chair, he said, "I want
chocolate cake." Not even joking.