Easter

Was it really February when I last blogged? Sheesh! Well, life after baby has finally settled into a more predictable routine, so hopefully that means I'll have some more time to write down what's happening in our lives. We're loving spending time outdoors enjoying the early Spring weather and my creative side has been let loose after a long sabbatical. I've sewn Easter dresses and matching diaper covers for Natalie and a friend's baby girl, a receiving blanket and nursing cover for a baby shower, cloth wipes for Natalie, and a tote bag for my niece's birthday. Pinterest is way too much fun when you have a baby to make things for! I've pinned a bunch of dress tutorials and inspirations for wall art and mobiles for the nursery...now if there were just a few more hours in the day so that I didn't have to choose between housework and crafting during nap time! I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home full-time and not miss a moment of my precious baby's childhood. Natalie absolutely positively LOVES being outdoors, so we've been taking the dog for walks and playing fetch and swinging on the porch swing a lot lately. Our neighbors all have beautiful red bud or dogwood trees that have been in bloom and make for some gorgeous scenery. One of these days I'd like to plant a dogwood tree. They were my grandma's favorite tree and I've grown to love them, too - especially the pink ones! Alex's entire family went to my parents house for Easter and we all had a really good time. We finally took another family picture, the first once since Christmas,when Natalie was 4 days old!

She was almost ready for a nap, so we couldn't get her to smile!

A few days before Easter, I realized that my focus had been on Easter dresses, egg hunt preparations, housework, pretty much everything except what I should have been thinking about: Jesus. I felt disappointed in myself for once again getting swept up in secular "stuff", for lack of a better word. I don't want to lose sight of what my Savior did for me. I don't want to forget His sacrifice. I don't want to be desensitized, to take anything for granted, to get my priorities out of whack. I want to keep my eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of my faith so that I set a good example for my daughter and am adequately prepared to teach her about the Easter story when she's older. Sure, getting her all dressed up is ridiculously enjoyable and planning an egg hunt for our nieces and nephew is all in good fun, but that should never have been the first thing that came to mind when I thought about Easter approaching. Next year will be different. I'll probably sew another dress for Natalie and plan the annual egg hunt for the kids again, but I want to do those things AFTER figuring out how to incorporate the real Easter story into our celebration, AFTER I stop and thank the Lord for what He did for me on the cross, AFTER I stop to consider all he endured to forgive me of my sins so that I could have eternal life. Hallelujah, HE IS RISEN!