Happy Easter! So I am a few days late, but I love how Easter is one of those holidays that you can celebrate all year round because the thing that really matters is thinking about Jesus. As far as the tree goes, it looks more like a Spring Tree than an Easter Tree, but this is one of those works in progress. I want to buy some pastel ornaments (which were very "in" about 5 years ago and now they are very hard to find...) or some Easter egg ornaments, which should be on sale at the craft store, so I might go snag those up. But, what I really want for the Easter Tree is to help me remember what Easter is all about. Any suggestions? Maybe I will make some ornaments with paintings of Christ. 

This Easter was special for us because we really tried to make it meaningful. On Easter morning we went on a walk early in the morning to try to point out the new life in nature that we saw to Juliet. She loves to be out in nature and I love that one of the best symbols of spring is to remind us of the resurrection. We went to church and later had a brief testimony meeting of how we came to personally know of the resurrection. Later that night we had fish and bread (to remind us of the loaves and fishes), deviled eggs (a must for Travis), and Honey Snaps for dessert (because Christ ate fish and honeycomb when he was resurrected. We thought it fitting for us to eat some honey and fish too.)

My favorite talk about resurrection was given by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. I was a freshman in college when he gave the talk and I was going through a rough patch. I loved how he phrased the joy and hope we can feel from the resurrection: 

"I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross. On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth...

That despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind...

Each of us will have our own Fridays--those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death--Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come." (Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Sunday Will Come)

Those words spoke truth to me and I have not forgotten them. Sunday will come. Darkness will not endure. The power of the resurrection can give us hope to not only heal our imperfect/broken bodies, but also our broken minds, broken hearts, and broken spirits. 

We wish you hope and happiness this Easter season!