And a Brighter Easter Beam...

 This is our family picture on Easter this year. We looked so cute going to church. I wish we would've had time to take a better picture. Maybe I'll make everyone get dressed in the same clothes and do a proper photoshoot. :)

Here's a cute picture of TJ on our way to church. It was a nice day so we could walk. I know his collar needs to be pulled out. I did that once we got to church.

We didn't do much of the traditional Easter festivities. TJ got two Easter baskets though. One from G&G Laney when they came for conference and then one from my Aunt Cari. We went to my G&G Taylor's house of Easter dinner and enjoyed family. We took a lot of leftovers home too, which was a definite plus. We bought Easter candy on Monday pretty cheap so that was nice.

The Easter talks in our ward were really good. Thais, our good friend from Brazil, spoke. She asked us why we celebrate Christ's resurrection with the Easter bunny. With Christmas and Santa we see a correlation in that Santa gives gifts and Christ was our greatest gift. She told this story about one Easter where she was over at a family friend's house. That year the parents bought the kids bunnies. Thais went over and they had about two dozen new bunnies hopping around in just a few weeks. One kid exclaimed, "It's like it never ends!!" She's never forgotten that statement. It is like it never ends. Christ died, but He was resurrected and every human being will be resurrected and we will never end. Life doesn't end. It was a cool talk and now I will remember it forever.

This New Year I made a goal to read the four gospels by Easter. Mary Ann Steed (the mom in The Work and The Glory) made that goal as well and Easter morning she was reading in John where Mary found the empty tomb. That sounded so cool that I decided to do that this year. I did and I read all of the Joseph Smith Translations too. It makes so much more sense with those in place.

I finished the four gospels and feel so much closer to Jesus Christ. I feel as though I know Him. I feel as though I know Him as my Elder Brother, my Savior, my Redeemer and my Advocate with the Father, because both justice and mercy must be satisfied. I love the works He performed, how He served, and how He declared the truth in every way possible. I love Him.

He is risen! He is risen!

Tell it out with joyful voice.

He has burst his three days’ prison;

Let the whole wide earth rejoice.

Death is conquered; man is free.
Christ has won the victory.

Come with high and holy hymning;

Chant our Lord’s triumphant lay.

Not one darksome cloud is dimming

Yonder glorious morning ray,

Breaking o’er the purple east,

Symbol of our Easter feast.

He is risen! He is risen!

He hath opened heaven’s gate.

We are free from sin’s dark prison,

Risen to a holier state.

And a brighter Easter beam

On our longing eyes shall stream.