Easter Love

 Here is the Magnificent Seven, all lined up to see what the Easter Bunny brought.

 I still marvel that this little ray of (aggressive, loud, daredevilish) sunshine made it to our family.  I shouldn't be surprised.  With her extremely courageous and pushy personality, she wouldn't have taken no for an answer!

 This is such a snapshot moment from our lives right now.  I love Don Carlos.

 This little girl is growing up!  Junior high next year!  She is ready in every way.

 This one, I feel like I can't take in all of his wonderfulness.  There is too much of it.  I look at him, on the very brink of growing into a completely different creature, and I know that I will miss this phase of his life desperately when he is a gangly teen.  In fact, I can't soak up this phase of life enough, no matter which kid we're talking about.  When I go to bed at night, knowing that all seven kids are under our roof, safe, I know in the back of my mind that those days are numbered.  It's not OK.  Not yet, but it will be.  I do want them out in the world, yet it's so comforting to have them all gathered around us, safe and sound.  "Safe and Sound" was the song that was the soundtrack of our travels last summer.  Driving all those miles, we listened to that song many times.  I remember listening to it in the dark or the rain, or with the midwestern corn fields spread out on all sides of us, the lush grasses and mile markers whizzing by.  I thought of the day when we would all come together safely after our travels.  It was my goal to get home safely, yet I wouldn't wish away any of our time apart.

When the kids leave home, I guess it will be the same thing.  For now, let's not think about that!

 Easter brunch at Bill and Coco's was a delightful event.  Quiche and cake.  Mmmmm!

 Yep.

 Scaling the railing.

 Murdering tulips.  These next pictures were my Instagram contribution to the hashtag #BecauseofHim.  Here's what I said:

 Because of Him, Light.

 Because of Him, Families.  All kinds.

Because of Him, Knowledge.

Because of Him, Love.  Without conditions, endless, unchangeable, infinite, for each of us, no matter what.  I truly believe that part of our mission here on earth is to cultivate love in all its different forms.  Could we experience that love if we were all perfect, or if we didn't get to play the different roles we play in families and as friends and neighbors?  Too often, we waste our time her on earth shaking our heads at others' choices, instead of getting to work on our mission:  to love them anyway.  You would think love would be easy, but it has to be grown and understood and felt.  It's one of those things that can't ever really be mastered, because there are so many opportunities in our lives to feel it, and so many times when we don't want to do the work of getting past the feelings that can hold us back from our true purpose, which is to love as God loves.  We'll never get there in this life, I don't suppose, but it's nice that we have been given this time to grow and learn and love.

Those are my Easter thoughts, 2014.