Happy Easter!

What a great day. First and foremost, today Christians celebrate the resurrection if Jesus Christ. Alleluia!

It is Easter Sunday and life is good.

The Pipe Lifers began the day early by heading to the 7 a.m. sunrise service at church. Special days like today always make me a little emotional. I find myself wanting to remember every little detail and capture these wonderful moments to make them last. During the Easter vigil we remember our baptism and renew our baptismal vows. As I sit writing this I watch our children play outside and I think of how they participated in worship today. I love that they are beginning to really understand the words and the whys. We can't guarantee they will always be Christ-followers, but we sure can encourage them in their faith walk and pray they feel God's love every day. My heart swelled as I watched each member of my family receive the sign of the cross with blessed water on their foreheads, a reminder that each of us is made new and clean, our sins forgiven. Pretty powerful stuff.

We enjoyed a casual dinner with Steve's family last night, breakfast and fellowship with our church family this morning, coffee with my folks after church, and then brunch with Steve's family when we got home. I wrote my newspaper column, took a nap - glorious! - and then wandered around the yard doing a little cleanup and checking on my perennials that are beginning to poke through the ground. The windows are open in the house, it's sunny and beautiful this afternoon, the frogs are peeping out back in the swamp, the kids are playing together outside, and I am happy as can be.

The one bummer is that Steve already left to go back to work, but I am thankful we had at least a little time together this weekend. I miss him already, though.

May the sense of renewal Easter brings stay with us as we go back to the usual grind tomorrow.

Christ is risen!