Easter

For Easter this year we attended church with my parents in Marion and then we all drove up to eat lunch at Nate and Anne's. We were missing Emily and Adriel and their girls, but it was nice to be together as a (partial) family.  

That was the condensed version of the day....here is the unabridged version: (stop reading if you are not interested in wordy, run-on sentences or gratuitous comments about the cuteness of our 3 children)

I picked up Ada and Cambel's clothes last year at Goodwill and a consignment store. I didn't know Oliver would be with us, so I had nothing for him. Fortunately, Etsy sells ties for babies. And what is cuter than our baby boy in a pink polka dot tie? (nothing, in case you were wondering) Unfortunately, the cute factor was almost overwhelmed by the crisis created in trying to get the tie on Oliver--not to mention the fact that we were endeavoring to get 5 people dressed and out the door by 8 am. The tie wasn't a clip-on, little babies don't take kindly to having a something looped and cinched around their neck, and it wasn't big enough to tie and then slip over Oliver's (maybe large?) head. Kevin even tried to tie it on Ada, and it got stuck on her head too. So 2 out of three kids were crying, Kevin was losing patience, and I was frantically trying to calm everyone down and get us out the door. (I am sure this is not what Christ had in mind for this holiday). 

Fortunately, Kevin managed to get the tie on and we all landed in church, on time, in one piece, and able to enjoy a beautiful service together celebrating the sacrificial and transformative gift of our Savior--interrupted by only one potty break, Oliver's nap on Grandma, and Ada insisting on eating her communion bread crumb by crumb.

As we pass holidays and other markers this year, they are made especially poignant by the presence of Oliver in our family. I am reminded that this time last year, we didn't even know of him. I remember all the paperwork that was going on last Spring, and all the prayers for the newest member of our family. As we celebrated the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, I was overwhelmed with the picture of redemption He is painting in Oliver, and our blessing to be a part of it. Adoption doesn't just change your family, it changes you. It makes vividly clear the belonging that is now ours through the life and sacrifice of the One who promised "not to leave us orphans...but to come to us."

(See? The spirit of Easter was not completely lost in the tie crisis)

What has been lost is the ability of our family to take a decent picture. Ada tends to stare off into space with a strange smile, Cambel is prone to oversmile, and Oliver--well, we'll cut him some slack for now. Cambel was also less than thrilled to be wearing a pink shirt. You will have to take my word for it that the kids looked cuter in person.

More of the far-off looking...

Tell me that tie wasn't worth it...

Mom and Dad with all their grandkids, minus Eliana and Noelia.