HE IS ALIVE!

I don't know if it because of all of the stuff we did leading up to Easter or just the beautifulness of this whole day... but somehow Easter is different this year. My little one i think really gets it... he even asked me today if he could watch the "Jesus on the cross and come alive movie" again.... and read the story one more time from this book.

This morning we got up early to go to sunrise worship service just as the Marys did long ago to anoint Jesus' body. Before we left the house we placed a cloth over the cross in our yard to represent the empty cloth that covered Jesus' dead body which was left in the empty tomb that morning long ago. I think Elijah was as giddy as i was even at 6am in morning for the HE IS ALIVE PARTY and CELEBRATION!

We also had a beautiful Liberty student from China, Bei bei, spend the night with us and watch the celebration of God's great love for all people every where. It was sooo special to have her join us for her first "He is alive" day celebration! i so enjoy her friendship and our great conversations about Him.

We took our neighbor with us to the service too, Granny Frances! I enjoyed worshiping God with her!

After the service and breakfast together we went home. i lead the boys over to the basket (which was empty - remember all had was empty eggs in it from all of our readings throughout the month). Elijah was inquisitive and we talk about the empty grave the ladies found that morning and we looked at our art project from before.

It was empty because HE IS ALIVE! (P.S. to do the above story telling interactive art project all you need is paper cut like above and 2 brads)

Then he spoted his first egg (which i stuffed with candy and hid the night before). He opened it up and he found sweet goodies inside and we talk about the sweet love of God and sweet friendship we can have with God because of what Jesus did.

WE had so much fun!

Then we packed them up and went to a HE IS ALIVE party at Grandmas picking up Nari and Sueseita (my friend's from Nepal) along the way. Grandma has the biggest Easter party on the east coast! We had a great feast, yummy desserts, great easter egg hunts for all ages (with cash is some of them!), and even a piñata! Everyone leaves with prizes, homemade peanut butter eggs, leftovers and happy! My favorite to celebrate that HE has risen!

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We went to visit the horse at maw maw's ......

....and then we went home and rested and jeriah and i had a specail time worshiping Jesus together on a blanket in the grass on our little hill outside watching the sun go down. ..............He is Alive!!!

Then yet again we popped the car again to visit Nana, Pawpaw, aunts, uncle, and cousins and ended our day of celebration well. Taking home Nana scrumptious sticky buns, Easter cookies, and candies for the boys.

Though Jonathan was celebrating Easter in Uganda and i missed him terribly, i had such a sweet time celebrating JESUS with friends and family!

And in case you haven't noticed yet... i am madly in love with GOD and today i feel so thick and full of the reality of what GOD did and what it means for all of mankind and little 'ol me...

It is like my eyes have been opened a little more and i am bursting at the seems.

In the plan to teach the kids about HIS amazing love HE is teaching me. i can't wait to meet my maker face to face....although when i see Him one day i think i will be so overwhelmed that His feet will be the where i am.