Pictures and Thoughts on Easter

Easter, this year, was comprised of 5 events: an Easter Egg Hunt in Winter Park, an Easter Egg Hunt at Church, Sunday morning church celebration, Lunch at Barry and Shannon's with the family and dinner at Jan and Bernie (Greg's Parents) to celebrate both Easter and Jan's birthday! It was a wild ride of the last few weeks! Here are some pictures. . .

These next few are at the Egg Hunt in Winter Park. Jan and Granny both go to a Bible study at this lady's house (which is larger than anything I've ever seen before!) and she throws a huge egg hunt in her backyard every year, complete with bounce houses, cotton candy, sno cones, face painting, puppets who share the gospel and everything!

This is my attempt at a cute group shot. . and Davis' first cotton candy!

Isn't this preciouse? I love the colors!
Watching the Puppet Show together. . .yes, I've started dressing them alike almost all the time. Brayden begs most days for them to wear the same thing and truthfully, it really cuts down on the "is he yours?" questions.
Davis and Granny. . .later that day, Gracie pooped through her diaper all over Granny! Granny took it in stride though! She is awesome. .I'll be doing a post on her soon, it is almost her 70th birthday!
Gracie and "Grandpa". . yes, my daughter calls BOTH Grandma and Grandpa, "Grandpa"!

This is his mean face. . .oh my
Davis was not so sure of the egg hunt idea and was quite confused as to what he was supposed to be doing! He caught on quick though!

These pics are at Barry and Shannon's (you know, the house with my sweet cousins who ADORE my children! Each kid has a playmate. . .Brayden thinks Justin is his best friend, Davis and Mitch are inseparable and Gracie and Allie play together. . .it is so sweet!!)

This is Grace and Anna (my sister, Brittani's daughter). . I know it's not the best pic, but it shows their adorable dresses that my parents got them! I haven't gotten the good pics from Britt and my mom yet either!

This is Brayden. . basically, again I chose this one just so you could see his cute outfit!

"The Girls" My sister Brittani, holding Anna, my sister Stephani in the middle and Grace and I.
I LOVE this picture b/c it looks a lot like a picture I have of Allie and I at my wedding. She was my flower girl at the age of 4 and has always been SO special to me!
Mitch and Davis. . .inseperable! Davis saw this picture even and freaked out! I said, 'do you love Mitch?" and he responded with a very enthusiastic, "YES"!

Do you still want to read my thoughts? I included a ton of pictures. . but, didn't want to leave without jotting down a little of what God has been showing me lately. . . .so, read on if you care to!

If you've read my last post, you know about my friend Steffany who is in Ethiopia right now to pick up her twins. She got there to VERY sick kiddos. They are weighing in at 7 and 9 lbs. This is especially hard b/c just last year, Steffany and her hubby were in plans to adopt from Liberia. Before they could pick up their little girl, however, she passes away due to Malaria. As I pray for her, I get overwhelmed by the pain. . .the pain of watching your little one suffer. It seems so WRONG. . so, "out there" that it's hard to understand. . . Then, I realize. . .

I realize that most women in the third world go through this. . .on a regular basis. In fact, there are women RIGHT NOW watching their children die from starvation, from diseases from lack of clean water, from sicknesses that are easily treated here. That breaks my heart. Someone just quoted the founder of World Vision who is said to have prayed, "Lord, break my heart with what breaks yours." In fact, in many countries (Liberia included) 1 out of 3 children die before the age of 5. Read that again. . .now go scroll up to the picture of my children, my 3 children. Realize that were I to have been born in the 3rd world, it is very likely that I would be facing the impending death of one of my precious little ones. I cannot fathom. My heart breaks with the thought of the heartbreak. . not only is it difficult to just survive there, but emotionally I cannot even imagine. And then I realize. . .

I realize that HE DOES. Our Father CAN relate to these women. After all, He watched His Son suffer and die. He stood by and felt the pain of losing His Child, His perfect child, His ONLY child. Oh, HE KNOWS. . .they have a God who knows. Their pain doesn't go unanswered. Their tears are not wasted. . .in fact, He considers their hearts precious, their tears worth collecting and their children, oh their children He collects into His arms. Isn't it amazing to serve a God who understands? Who understands anything and everything we could ever go through.

Jesus, break my heart with the things that break Yours. . thrill my heart with the things that thrill Yours and Capture my heart with your own.