Happy Easter

I can't believe the difference between this Easter and last years.  I was an emotional wreck and terrified of the future.  I wasn't sure if this Easter would be full of Easter eggs hunts and goodies or if I'd be mourning my baby.
The Easter Egg hunts were almost non-existant and, thank heavens, the mourning was completely non-existant.  In fact, we had an even larger celebration this year.  And what better way to celebrate than to go to church as a complete family for the (almost) first time.  We have gone to sacrament meeting two other times.  Once when Liv was about a month old and then last week for the little bro-in-laws farewell and homecoming.  But today we went for the WHOLE thing.  It was interesting.  Liv wasn't used to being quiet, and not rolling around all over the place, and and and.  But overall, she did fairly well.  Ella...well not so much.  Silly girl didn't want Olivia and I to go with them this morning.  Apparently she's enjoyed having church dates over the past months.  Some special one on one time with mom and dad.  So she was being a bit of a stinker and disobedient.  Unfortunately the only way to get the girls used to church as a family is to keep going as a family so sorry to the ward members who think my kids are wild hooligans.
Like I said, we didn't do much with the egg hunting.  We did for preschool on Friday and on Saturday we colored eggs instead and I don't like doing an egg hunt on Sunday.  Ella woke up this morning and found her Easter basket right away.  She came sneaking into our room and immediately began whispering, "Mom!  The easter bunny came down the chimney and brought be treats and clothes and shoes!"  And sure enough, that clever Easter bunny got her an adorable Easter dress.  That bunny has some good taste in clothes!
We had a nice little Easter feast after church with our neighbors and Ella actually ate all her dinner without too much coaxing!  It's an Easter miracle!
It's amazing the contrast between these last two Easters.  I've had to lean more on my testimony of the Atonement more than ever before.  Last year I was terrified of open heart surgery, feeding issues, tubes, stress, exhaustion, losing my baby, a blue baby, the unknown, the future.  Last year we were in the dark trying to make it to the light at the end of the tunnel in one piece.  This year, we're basking in that light.  Olivia has made it through two open heart surgeries, has conquered any feeding issues (so much so that I couldn't get her to stop eating grass long enough for decent Easter pictures) gotten rid of all tubes, what stress I have is normal for what you'd expect, I'm as exhausted as any normal mother of two, my baby's here and is pink and while our future will always be unknown I can focus on the now with my two adorable girlies and be perfectly happy.

Happy Easter!