Happy Easter!

I still can't believe how quickly the months seem to be passing by! It's April! It's Easter! It's time for family and fun...both of which we had in abundance this weekend! Wednesday (3/28), John, Julie (Jeff's sister), Megan, Heidi, Sarah, and Alice came to visit. John, who serves as a doctor in the Army, has accepted a post in Kenya to study infectious diseases. They will be going overseas in July. It has been sad that they live so far away, but now they'll be even further away! However, it is an exciting new adventure for their family! The experiences they will have and the opportunities they will experience will be invaluable. In any case, we were glad that they were able to come visit for the weekend. I especially loved the chance I had to get to know Julie (and her family) better. Since I've been married, I've only seen Julie on three separate occasions (one of which was my wedding day and I didn't really have a moment to talk with her) because they have always lived states away from us. I'm a little sad that they are now moving even farther away, but excited at the prospect of cultivating our relationship from afar (and possibly visiting them!). Anyways, we had a blast hanging out with them. Wednesday night they came over to our house to have dinner and ride the machines. Even Alice (age 8) drove the side-by-side! There was only a minor crash into the pasture fence. Ooops! Thursday, we met up at Lowe's Xtreme Air to spend a couple hours letting Jonas and the girls (Dallin and Danny were in school) jump around before going to lunch at Los Hermanos in Provo. (This was where John and Julie had their first date.) That evening, we roasted hot dogs and s'mores at Gma and Grumpy's house.

Friday (3/30) was Alice's 8th birthday. We celebrated at Provo Beach Resort. We spent hours bowling, doing laser tag, playing arcades, climbing on the playgrounds, etc. Jonas loved having so many people around to jump from activity to activity. Danny loved that he didn't have to go to school. That night, we celebrated her birthday with dinner, cake and presents at Katie's.

Saturday (3/31) we celebrated Easter before Julie and her family had to leave. We colored then hid eggs. Let's just say that our Easter egg hunts are not for the faint of heart! We had kids climbing trees, scaling houses, and so much more. Egg hunts are intense for the Southwicks! We loved having Evan, Kristina, Mitchell and Trudy join us. There were 2 dozen Southwicks on 10 acres (thank heavens that Katie moved in next door!) and I'm still not sure those acres could contain all the energy. After our hunt, we enjoyed lunch together before John, Julie and the girls had to leave. Luckily, it was not a "good-bye" as much as a "see you later".

Sunday (4/1) was Easter Sunday. It also happened to be General Conference, which meant that we could enjoy the spirit of Sunday in our own home as we watched our prophet and other general authorities of the church testify of Christ. I love these Sundays. I love listening to the conviction of these men and women. I relish the strength of their faith as they proclaim the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think it makes it even more special when it falls on Easter - the day we celebrate our Savior's atonement and resurrection. As a youth, I don't think I understood how invaluable His atonement was in my life. I still don't think I fully comprehend the breadth of the cleansing and enabling power of His sacrifice, but I am grateful nonetheless. There are many people who would like to criticize my faith. There are those would like to point out what they feel are discrepancies or lies throughout the history of the church, but what I think they fail to see is the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ stands independent from the day-to-day operations and organization of the church. The church is led by men (and women) who are imperfect...then and now, but what stands the test of time is the teachings of Christ - faith, kindness, charity, service, humility, integrity, etc. This is what I hold on to. This is what refines my faith and strengthens my testimony of the truthfulness of what I am being taught and what it is I believe to be true. This church has taught me things that I believe had made me a better person. I have faced trials with hope. I have found joy in service. I have discovered safety in the commandments. I have improved my relationship with my loving Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Needless to say, I loved this Easter Sunday.

The day started with a visit from the Easter bunny. The kids received their traditional "bunny tails" with chocolate milk along with their favorite candies and a few other gifts (socks and ties for the older boys and a few toys & books for Jonas). Jonas was excited to finally receive the "snowmobile" toy he wanted from the Easter bunny (I was excited that he is finding magic in these holidays). We spent the rest of the day playing games, watching conference, and simply being together. We ended our day with our traditional Easter dinner of lamb (because Christ is the lamb of God), rolls (because the stone was rolled away), mashed potatoes, and angel food cake (because he rose again). I love my family! I love holidays! I love my Savior!