Keeping Calm...and Carrying On...

My "Little Leah" is nearly 10 and it is showing! I am not liking this growing up stuff from her! She just brought these home today and I thought she looked so lovely in them. These are 4th grade Spring Pictures.

Note that it is the same picture, different background!! ha ha- we only bought one page of them- they had a bunch of fun things on the page- bookmarks, and calendars and key rings. She was happy with them and that is a miracle! Needless to say, we had to get at least one of them!! Her only complaint was that her hair wasn't flat ironed that day because I was gone when she went to school that day. I was at a 2 day research study. I think it's still pretty darn cute.
Celeste is sad that she didn't get them, but they happened to be taken when she was home sick with pneumonia.

Yesterday marked another wonderful, beautiful Easter Day! I just love this holiday. It has such deep meaning for me- especially as we watched the Easter Story yesterday- it brings the Spirit into our home like nothing else. Our kids really felt it this year- the older they get the more they seek to understand the true meaning behind Easter. Alex spoke for the first time in Sacrament yesterday too. It was "What Easter means to me"- here are his remarks:

My first Talk- What Easter means to me

The first talk is always the best right!:) Or at least the shortest. Don’t worry, Bro. Smith, I’ll leave you plent of time. My name is Alex Ortman, and if you don’t know me you’ll probably see me up here every other month having to speak (Right, Bishop?). I knew right when I became a Deacon I would have to give a talk 2 weeks later. Brother Waits couldn’t resist asking me; anyway Brother Waits asked if I could talk 3-5 minutes on what Easter means to me. I can’t guarantee I can talk for that long, but I will try.

If I or you walked up to a random person and said “What does Easter mean to you?” I bet there’s a 90% chance they’ll say bunnies, candy, money, eggs, chocolate, and my favorite jelly beans. If someone asked me that when I was little I would say the same thing! When I was little all I thought about when Easter came was “Are we going to grandma’s house?” Because grandma was the one with the candy and money and of course… the Easter baskets. Also if you walked up to a little boy or girl and asked them what Easter means to them they’d probably say the Easter Bunny. All of these things block out one very important thing… the Savior.

If I was the Savior and on Easter all people thought about was the candy and the Easter bunny and not me… the person who died for us, I’d be pretty mad. But I know Jesus never gets mad.

Its fun to do Easter egg hunts with your family but we should think... of what’s more important than candy, Easter bunny, money, and eggs. Every year my family watches the video of the Savior when he’s born… to his death. I don’t know what it’s called but it really brings the spirit into our home.

President Hinckley stated in a talk about Easter in 1996:

Whenever the cold hand of death strikes, there shines through the gloom and the darkness of that hour the triumphant figure of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, the Son of God, who by his matchless and eternal power overcame death. He is the Reedemer of the world. He gave His life for each of us. He took it up again and became the firstfruits of them that slept. He, as King of Kings stands triumphant above all other kings. He, as the Omnipotent One, stands above all rulers. He is our comfort, our only true comfort, when the dark shroud of earthly night closes about us as the spirit departs the human form. Towering above all mankind stands Jesus the Christ, the King of Glory, the umblemished Messiah, the Lord Emmanuel. In the hour of deepest sorrow we draw hope and peace from he words of the angel that Easter morning, “He is not here: for he is risen. We draw strength from the words of Paul, “As in Adam, all die, even so in Christ, all are made alive.”

Hymn #193 teaches us of Jesus’ love for each of us. It says:

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me

Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

(I Stand all Amazed)

When you leave from church today and go to your family’s houses I want you to think what’s more important to you?

Think of the person who died for you so you can have eternal life with your family. Would you rather have candy and bunnies… or eternal life in the Celestial kingdom with your family for eternity? I hope we can take time to remember the true meaning of Easter.

I would now like to bear my testimony…. I know this Church is true. I know the scriptures are true, I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ... Amen.

Pretty good first talk, right? To be honest, he wrote the entire thing- we just helped him find the scriptures to use and the quote. He did the rest. We were and are so proud. I think he set the bar pretty high for himself- he will have to talk a lot- he is the only active Deacon right now!

So, after church, we went to visit Dana's grandparents for a while and then onto my parents for dinner. Yum! It was great! Then we had the egg hunt, and then cake and presents for Elaina. I am glad the day is over- but it was wonderful, really really wonderful!