I really enjoyed attending church on Easter Sunday and thinking of Jesus. Wow! What an amazing event! I love that it wasn't just this one-time big thing that happened. If I allow it, look for it, humble myself, I can have the feeling of Easter, I can have Jesus in my life each day. I love that every wrong can be made right. Wrongs really, truly happened in my life because of Jesus. I'm thankful that the pain and sadness that I feel now will one day become okay. I love that because of Jesus, my relationships can be healed and made whole. I love that I can be made whole. I've had times in my life where I've felt broken and worthless. And because of Jesus I was healed. One of my favorite Apostle talks is "Like a Broken Vessel." A passage that has brought me a lot of strength is the following:

"Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead."

Hope is never lost. I have to white-knuckle hold on to that hope sometimes, especially when the cup is so bitter and so heartbreaking. One day I will get to hold my next baby in my arms. Until that day, I adore and cherish my family as is. My daughters are JOY. And I'm so lucky to be loved by Conor.

My parents and my sister, Alanna, were here for a couple days over Easter. It was lots of fun! Every time we have family come stay with us, it affirms that moving to Spokane was a good choice. I had a list of things to do on Friday such as: dye eggs, get ice cream and make a bunny garland. These things were really important to our family. We needed some good family time, especially Greta. It was really fun! And I love ice cream.

On Saturday, we went to an Easter egg hunt at a local park. Everyone dropped off a dozen eggs per kid the week prior and then each child got to "find" 12 eggs. The candy was gone in about 15 minutes. We thought about going to another community egg hunt in the afternoon because we were out of candy, but opted not to and I think that was smart.

When Holly was almost 2, we did this big egg hunt for her and she threw up because we just let her have at it with the candy. We've learned since then... Now our tradition is to do a scavenger hunt for Holly and Greta. I'm not sure when Conor started drawing these great picture clues but I love them. At the end of the hunt, the girls found a little basket of treats and some hair things. Small, simple, satisfying.

All the fun and candy can really tire a girl out. Greta flipped her lid and then fell asleep. I too crashed Saturday afternoon on the couch. It was a lovely weekend.

I just finished sorting through and editing my last couple of imports from my camera and I can't help but share this set. Everyone is so happy! And it was a really good day! On the holiday Monday in February we went for a walk. Conor and I had spent a large portion of the weekend painting and we needed some family time out of the house. Looking back on the photos and reflecting on the time we spent outside, it was just what we needed. I love it when we get things just right.

I feel like we were so richly blessed this Christmas. It was such a wonderful treat and blessing to have Cathy and Jim here for Christmas. It was the best time we've spent together ever! It was really, really special. We also had Yu Yi here, a friend of Conor's from Scotland. Conor baptized Yu Yi 10 years ago and it was such a pleasure to have him as a guest in our home. I love having friends and family in our home. It is so sweet.

As we enter 2016, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by some of the things Conor and I are choosing to do next year. We're starting a slow carb diet in January and in February we're beginning 6 months of not spending any extra money. The idea with that is to not purchase anything extra, with a very few exceptions such as shoes and clothing for our growing children. No art, no furniture, no clothing for Conor and I, nothing. I think it's going to be a great experience. I hope to feel more gratitude for what I have, but it's going to be a little tough. Spending money is very habitual for me. There's some house things I'd like to tackle this year (like that lawn and a garden), and we would love to grow our family. I feel like I'm starting 2016 with a lot of emotion right on the surface!

So! It's good for me to choose gratitude! I'm so grateful for this past Christmas and it's bounty. I'm grateful for the gifts we were able to give to friends and family as well as to those in need. I'm grateful to have had loved ones in my home. I'm grateful I got to spend another Christmas with two beautiful, healthy daughters and a husband that loves me. I'm grateful for our wonderful home. I miss California something fierce, but I am so grateful that we live closer to family. Seeing family has strengthened bonds in a way that I really needed. I look forward to 2016 with as much hope and courage as I can muster. I'm going to try my best to keep my chin up and work on changing my heart.

Photographs always help me to be happy. I love the memories that they capture. Here are some of my favorite photos from Christmas. And many wishes for a peaceful, prosperous, lovely 2016.

This Christmas, we had the special privilege of playing hosts to Conor's parents and to Conor's friend from Scotland. It was a really fun week. So many wonderful activities and memories were made last week, but one of my favorites was finally riding the Looff Carousel at Riverfront Park. It was really fun! I have a soft spot for carousels (seriously, baby Greta on a carousel is a memory I love), but everyone enjoyed this activity. I can see the girls and I coming for a couple of rounds on the carousel and then playing at the splash pad in the summer. If you're coming to visit us anytime soon, we'll probably take you for a carousel ride.