Easter Blessings

This weekend we faced another big first, Easter.  It was bittersweet, this time more sweet than bitter.  I feel like we are progressing! I wasn't sure what to expect with this holiday but it turned out much better than I had hoped.  I really tried to focus on the reason we celebrate Easter and not so much the fact that Trent was not with us physically.  Because Christ has risen, Trent will one day rise and take up his body and be whole. That is reason to celebrate!

We had a busy day on Saturday with soccer games, Easter Egg hunts, and family.  At the Easter Egg hunt they ran out of candy and ended up giving the older kids money instead.  I can't say I thought that was too horrible!

Jonny and Olivia ready for the hunt!

Mallory, Olivia, and a million other BC kids racing for the loot!

Money is way better than candy!

Later that day Megan and I went driving.  She is really getting better and it is fun for me to teach her to drive.  Plus, it is a good time for us to connect and talk.  We drove to the cemetery and cried for a little bit.  It was nice to share that moment with just her.

Saturday afternoon my brother in law was shooting my brother's pellet gun in the backyard.  I heard the shots and immediately headed out to take my turn!  The gun has a scope on it, which I have never used before.  I got all sighted in and pulled the trigger...that's when it all went downhill.  Nobody mentioned how much kick the gun would have and that I should back away from the scope.  I took a pretty good knock on the eye but wasn't going to say anything because it didn't really hurt that bad.  When I looked up Ben, my brother, said, "Oh Holly, you cut yourself." I touched my head just above my eye and didn't see much blood but by the time I got inside to the bathroom blood was completely covering my whole eye.  Mom doctored me up with a butterfly bandage and I drove myself to the pharmacy to get some glue for my cut.  I didn't really want stitches and I don't think it was quite deep enough to need them.  So, I opted for glue to repair the damage.  

When I came home I asked Josh to glue the cut shut.  I figured since he is a dentist and does this all the time for his patients, he would be the best one for the task.  Ummmm....not so much. He dropped a big old glob of glue right on my eyebrow, gluing it to my head.  At the time I didn't really care because I felt like I had my bell rung and just wanted to lay down and sleep for a little bit.  

The next morning I figured that when I showered most of the glue would come off and I could get it out of my eyebrow.  Wrong.  Most of the glue did come off the cut but my eyebrow was still firmly glued to my head.  So I covered my eyebrow with my finger and reapplied the glue to the cut.  It turns out I was not the best one for the task either.  I glued my finger to my eyebrow!  When I pulled it off, the eyebrow came too.  I sat there looking at myself in the mirror trying not to laugh too loud.  I could not believe I had just pulled off half of my eyebrow and it was still stuck to my finger!  I laughed for about five minutes before I could pull myself together enough to face everyone with 1.5 eyebrows.  I have selfishly chosen not to share those pictures. :)

Sunday was crazy.  I had to sing in the choir and also played a flute duet with my neighbor.  That cracks me up because I have not played the flute for twenty years!  I was a little rusty but we did okay.  The theme for  Sacrament meeting was the Atonement of course.  One of the speakers told of a friend who had battled cancer.  That was too much for me.  I lost it and had to leave the meeting, mostly because I was bawling like a baby and didn't have any tissues.  Throughout the day there were moments of tears but not the knock-you-down kind.

As the day went on I became more and more grateful for all that I have.  I cannot deny how much my life has been blessed.  I am in awe at how involved Heavenly Father is in the details of my life.  His love is constant and unconditional.  Our family has suffered much and have been required to make a very big sacrifice but we are being blessed continually.  We are surrounded by people who love us and are answering our prayers.  I always say that I am looking forward to the day when I get to sit down with Heavenly Father and have Him explain why everything had to happen the way it did.  But lately I am starting to think there won't be time for that conversation to happen because I will be so busy thanking Him for all the blessings, guidance, and tender love that I receive daily.