A Wonderful Weekend

As busy as we've been, I'm just now getting to post about Easter weekend. We had a great time with my family in Marshalltown. We left Friday night, so we brought Caedmon and Jayden in their PJs so we could just carry them into bed when we got there. They were so excited to be going, and to load their own suitcases into the van.


They had such a great time while we were there, playing with cousins, and enjoying two egg hunts and a puppet show. We gave them scooters, and my mom gave them some other outdoor things, so they spent a lot of the weekend outside. It was gorgeous weather! Even our littlest easter bunny, growing away in Mommy's tummy, got to come outside.:)



Of course, we were thinking a lot about Eliana that weekend, and wishing she could be with us to celebrate. She would be 8 months, just big enough to be sitting there with her cousins. I would have so loved to see her wearing her pretty Easter dress, grinning with a big bow in her hair! When we found out she was a girl, it seemed a little unreal after seeing so much blue twice in a row, so we immediately went out and got her four out-fits. One was going to be her first Easter dress.


We got one little stuffed bunny for each of our little bunnies, Caedmon, Jayden, Eliana, and our little guy whose name is yet to be determined.



Another very special thing we did that weekend, was to order Eliana's gravestone! We have been praying all year that God would provide enough to pay for it, and while we had saved some, we weren't very close until we found out we would be getting more back from our tax return this year than expected. God did provide more than enough, with some left over for our roof repair. When I went to order it, the price they quoted us was also much higher than it had been before, so we almost ordered something different than what we had picked out. Fortunately, they were able to do some more checking, and found it cheaper through another company. So, she will have a butterfly marker, placed just in time for her first birthday in heaven on Mother's Day this year!! I feel so blessed to finally have her name where it can be preserved through time.

We also brought Eliana flowers for her grave-site. I took a photo with her bunnies, one we had bought her on sale after Easter last year, and the other from this year. After the visit, I just held those little bunnies, wishing so much she could be in my arms.



The boys had fun again playing on the lambs in the gardens, bringing to mind again the thought of Jesus holding each of our little lambs in his arms, two on earth, two in heaven with him, and one in the womb. (I wrote more on that in this post)






On Easter weekend, while missing our daughter, having so much fun with our two sons, and anticipating the birth of another boy, we were just so thankful for the God we serve. We are just so blessed that we serve a risen Savior. We have so much more to praise Him for than new scooters, nice weather, and even the money for a very special piece of granite. Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again, He is alive in heaven caring for our daughter and preparing a place for each of us. He has claimed victory over the grave, so for those who believe in Him, we won't just miss and remember our loved ones who have left us, we will actually live with them again in a place that defies imagination. Then our time of sorrow will seem like only the blink of an eye, and all the sadness will melt away into perfect peace and joy.

I love this song by Chris Tomlin, it describes that hope so well. My husband heard it for the first time on his drive from work to meet me at the Drs. office after receiving the news that Eliana didn't have a heartbeat.

"I Will Rise"

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
[x2]

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise