Resurrection Sunday

We had a lovely Easter yesterday.  The morning started out with an incredible church service at Reliance where we were blessed to witness a lot of people dedicate their lives to Jesus for the first time and others who were re-dedicating their lives.  It was a beautiful sight to see all those people come forward!

After church we headed over to Nick and Sara's for an Easter lunch and egg hunt.

Travis and Cody were almost matching in their Easter outfits.

The highlight of the afternoon is definitely the egg hunt.  It takes a little while for the little ones to realize what is going on, but once they get it, they have the time of their lives!

Lyla hunting for eggs.

Counting up the loot.  Nia was the winner with a total of 13 eggs.

And then we got to dig into some dessert!  I made the coconut cake and decorated with bunny peeps.  My mother-in-law, Cheryl, made the cherry pie with the cross cut-out.

It was a wonderful day spent celebrating our Risen Lord.  "...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Jesus is alive!

Easter is a special holiday for us.  It's a big deal to celebrate the most important day in history....the resurrection of our Lord.  As Pastor Ted said at the church service, our faith means absolutely nothing if that tomb was not empty!  Now that Lyla is old enough to somewhat grasp what this holiday is all about, it's even more fun.  We spent the weekend discussing how Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead.  We sang "Jesus is alive, Jesus is alive, He rooooose agaaaain!"  It was so cute to hear those sweet lyrics come out of her little mouth.  The weather was just perfect all weekend, so this particular Easter was even more fabulous.  We hosted Easter lunch at our house again which I was so excited about.  It gave us an excuse to spruce up the yard a bit.  We spent a lot of time happily pulling weeds, pruning trees and vines, and planting new bushes.  Truly, the work was done with a smile on our faces!  We love giving our house some much needed tlc.

First thing in the morning, we gave Lyla her Easter basket. 

She got some stuff that she'll be able to use in the next couple months as the warmer weather approaches: swimsuit, sunglasses, candy, "The Berenstein Bears Say Their Prayers" book, nail polish, and a cute t-shirt.

Later, Cody got his very first Easter basket.  He was actually able to participate in the egg hunt this year!  He was adorable picking up the eggs out of the grass and gently placing them in his basket.

Checking their treasures

The group picture.  I love how the little girls are always eating their candy and therefore totally distracted in the picture.  It was the same thing last year.

Happy Easter, everyone! 

"He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay." - Matthew 28:6

Epic easter

One of the reasons I was so excited to have a boy is that I looked forward to being able to dress him like a mini-Travis. This easter sunday was this first time I put together an outfit for Cody that could mimic Trav's style...
Here are my boys on easter. I love these guys in their fedoras. Cody's fedora is from old navy. I was so excited to find it in 0-3 month size because Cody's head is so tiny. Trav's hat is from Brixton (of course). Doesn't Cody look like Frank Sinatra? The bowtie was a baby shower gift from our good friends, the Bravos. His shirt is from baby Gap. Oh, and Trav's moustache??? Um, yeah. He's growing a moustache. Hopefully it will grow out of the creepy/weirdo status soon.
All the baby cousins!!! They are sitting on our front lawn in front of the snapdragons Travis planted. From left to right: Cody (4 months), Nia (4 years), Lyla (2 years), Rose (10 months), and Emilia (2 years).
Lyla poses in her easter dress from Target.
and they're off! This was the first time Lyla and Emilia were able to really participate in the egg hunt. It was so fun seeing them all run around and search for the hidden eggs.

The family. We have almost everybody together. I thought it was pretty amazing that everyone assembled so well for this picture without anyone directing us where to go. We are so in synch! Who we're missing: Sara's mom Cheryl and dad Tom, my brother Michael, and my sister Trisha. We missed you guys!

Jesus loves me, this I know

Happy Easter from the Mitchells!
Easter baskets for the little girls.  I was so excited about Easter that I made these over a month ago!  
Grandma and Lyla bunnies
This is the face Lyla makes when we ask her to smile.
and she's off!
Daddy helps Lyla find her first egg.
Emilia, Lyla, and Nia check their treasures.

lyla's first easter

Lyla's very first egg!

Easter Princess

Lyla in action during the egg hunt. Doesn't Trav look so cute? Of course, Nia is behind them to give her cousin Lyla some pointers.

We had so much fun in Murrieta with the whole family. We had the Mitchells, the Haworths, and even some of the Reese family there. We love Easter because it's the one holiday that both our families get together for. It's also a great holiday because it's all about Jesus' resurrection from the dead and his sacrifice for us. Thank you, Jesus!