No Pictures Today...

I am sharing with you today with no pictures. I'm sorry if this disappoints anyone, but I have something to say that doesn't have pictures to go with it...

Here's the thing, I didn't get to have a traditional Easter this year. Kind of disappointing to me, but it was a blessed day none the less. Here was my day:

It started with leaving my house at 6:25am to pick up a friend of mine from work and dropping him at the store so he wouldn't have to wait for the bus on such a cold windy morning. I then proceeded to Starbucks to get myself my favorite cup of coffee. The girl at the window of starbucks has gotten to know me because she is always there on the Sunday's when I have to be to church really early and I stop to get coffee. She asked me how many kids I had that day, and I told her none, one was at mom's house and one was at Karin's house because I had to be up and out so extremely early.

I left starbucks and headed to Church. The trip was a little saddening for me. Realizing that on such a special day as Easter, I didn't get to be with any of my family. I have always wanted to be on Praise Team for the Easter Sunday Services, but I didn't realize how the time away from my family would affect me.

I got to church and found out that I was 20 minutes early. So I sat and listened to the band warm up and practice before the rest of the singers got there to start practice. We practiced our two songs and then went and practiced the two songs with the choir. Our music that day was incredible. I would go over the choir songs at home with the CD that had been provided for us, and Jackson and I would dance and have Church right there in my living room. It is so amazing singing with these 60+ people. Such talent, it amazes me!

We went through our first service and everything went well. The music sounded great! Then came time for us to wait for the second service countdown so we could all be back up on stage. I was standing out in the foyer with some other friends, just talking, when my family from Utah came in the door and it was so great to see them again (you can read more about their visit on Karin's blog). We hugged and found an empty pew at the back of the church to save for mom and all of Karin's family. They sat down, and we spread coats and bibles across the rest of the pew. I ran up to the stage to get ready to sing again. As I sat beside my good friend Kris in the choir loft, I watched my mom walk in and sit down, and then Karin and Tim, Isaiah, Isaac, Esther-Faith and Aurora got there and joined them in the long pew. It is so nice to be able to go to the same church as your family and share such wonderful days with them.

We sang our songs to a packed house, it was kind of warm, but what can you expect. I went down and enjoyed sitting with everyone, we all fit in the pew, it was great! I even got to hold my baby girl during the service, which I haven't done since she was a very small baby! After the service was done, Karin decided that we needed more controlled chaotic pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits. (again, you can capture pictures of this on her blog). We took the pictures and made plans for her to take Aurora back home with her, and for mom to take Jackson back home with her. It was sad for me to see my kids go home with someone else on a day when I would have loved to be with them.

I went through the third service with the rest of the choir and music team. I got in the van when we were done, and headed home. I called a couple of friends, or texted them to say happy Easter. I got home, made something easy to eat before heading to work. Then came the fun part of my already kind of sad Easter Sunday (can you sense my sarcasm?). I got to work at 1:30, there was very little for me to do. Everyone was quiet and finishing their stuff so they could go home. But my day was just going to get better from there, however, I didn't know that at that point.

Just in time to take my first break, one of my best friends (Heather) and her daughter stopped by to get some shopping done for the week. I immediately took my break and we sat down and spent 15 minutes together. I then went back to work and she continued shopping. I had nothing but cleaning to do, and not much of that, so I just kept checking the floor or the freezer buffer to find things to decorate so I could keep myself busy. We had very few people shopping, which meant I had very little customer interaction. I knew that Karin and mom were doing the Easter Egg hunt with the five kids, and I really wanted to be there.

I kept working, whatever I could do. A friend of mine then called to say hello. Since I had very little to do, we talked for a few minutes and then I got a customer. We hung up and I helped the nice man. It was a pleasant surprise that even on a day when I really didn't want to be there, and all the other departments were getting to leave early, but I still had to stay till 10, I got a visit from a good friend and then a call from another. Then it happened, Karin and Tim, and their three beautiful children walked up to my counter. I gotta tell you, my day was just getting better! I had just finished decorating the last cake that I was going to do before I started cleaning for the night. Talk about perfect timing! They made a trip all the way from home, just to see me. It's probably a 15 or 20 minute drive, and they came, just to see me on Easter. What an incredible surprise. They gave me picture of the girls from their "slumber party" the night before and a CD with pictures of the sleepover, the pictures at church and the Easter Egg Hunt. Wow, somewhere around 240 pictures were on the disc. What a gift to me.

By the time I headed home for the night, I realized that I although I hadn't done the colored eggs with the kids or with the silk ties like last year, and I hadn't gone to someones house for an Easter dinner like last year, and I hadn't taken pictures of the Easter egg hunt like last year, and I wasn't with my kids on Easter like last year, but when you look at all the people who graced me with their presence and their love, I had one of the busiest but best days EVER!! From our family from Utah (Aunt Lynette, Sarah, and Zach), my visits and phone calls from my good friends and family. How could I have asked for a better day? The only thing I would ask is that next year, if my day is equally as busy, that I would get to spend at least a little more time with my kids. The gift that God gave us of his Son on Christmas and then the gift that Christ gave us of His life on Good Friday and then the gift of His resurrection on Easter can be compared to nothing. We don't deserve the love that He gives us, and the grace and mercy that He gives us. Just like I didn't think I deserved that love that my friends and family gave me on this special day, I still got it.

Thank you everyone for making my Easter this year the most Memorable Easter in my last 30 years of life. You are gifts to me from God and I love you all!! Thank you!!

Have an Amazing Day!!!

-Kristen Elaine