Well. We have had an eventful few weeks. My sister Sam came to visit for one, and it was fun talking with her and showing her around our new digs-the kids especially were over the moon to spend some quality time with her, at the library, parks, malls, etc; she is a great Auntie so that was fun. We also got to go Lester's school Easter egg hunt, and visit the newly re-opened farmers market which we love. All in all, a good start the the week.




During her visit though, our Ms. Isla took a bad fall while playing and had her first [and hopefully only] ambulance ride and hospital visit. She walked away from it with a nice bump on her head, and a fractured leg, which all things considered was a miracle. For one thing, it was helpful that Sam just so happened to be in town to stay with the other kids. And it was a miracle that I was able to get a hold of Lester and have him meet us at the hospital too, and ready and to give her a blessing, considering-you know-medical school life haha. And the fact that she handled everything so well, and came out of it fine has been miracle. They don't make crutches small enough for her, so for now she is going to be rocking a wheelchair to go along with her hot pink cast. She has been a total trooper through out it all, and we so relieved and proud of our little huckleberry.








Since then, we've been spending alot of time indoors, doing lots of fun projects and little activities. Easter brought a fun change of pace though, with my sister Hillary and her family coming to visit and help cheer Isla up. It was a quick, fun packed visit that did worlds of good for all of us! Throughout the day, we feasted on Grandma Chandler's traditionally decorated Easter cake, a delicious pavlova [courtesy of Hillary] and dinner, went on Easter egg hunts, dyed eggs, frosted sugar cookies, and made our own little booklets on the days leading up Christ's resurrection while we ate candy outside on the blanket in the beautiful spring flower trees.



















The morning of Easter was especially memorable for me as we attended church. For us, this is a typical. But with the week we had just had, and trying to figure out how to manage Isla in her wheelchair with her roller coaster emotions, an oldest who was feeling a bit neglected with all the attention her sister had been getting, and a suddenly clingy toddler, I was thinking we were going to opt out this week.

But Isla wanted had been practising for weeks on a song she was going to sing in sacrament meeting with the rest of the kids. The thought of missing it after all that work brought her to tears, so I decided we could make it happen.

If I'm honest, I felt a bit like we were a three ring surface juggling the kids, wheeling her around, and then carrying her up in her cast to sit on my lap-I felt like all eyes were on us, and I was kind of wishing I had stuck with our original plan and skipped it.

I felt this way even as the music started and she quietly mumbled the words she didn't know. But then I glimpsed her earnest expression, saw her eyes light up and felt her little body tense proudly as she sang her favourite line 'Gethsemane-Jesus loves me. So he gave this gift to me. In Gethsemane....' and all the stresses-all the worry and guilt melted away and it all became worth it again.

Jesus loves her, and is proud of her-he gave his best for her. She could feel that. And she was doing everything she could to give her best to him-through her singing, through her attitude and through her  love this week.

And bc she could feel that-so could I. And honestly guys-I'm trying to teach them that. But sometimes I need to be reminded of that too. Sometimes, when hard or stressful things happen, its hard not to just put our heads down, and try to push through-and in doing that, focus on the negative. I love Easter bc its a season on focused on new beginnings and hope-not endings, like his death, but on his life and resurrection-which is the whole point. Eternal hope, eternal joy, eternal families, and eternities of growth. I love him-and I love these kids and this man of mine. And I am trying to give my best to them-bc Jesus always has, and always will give his best to me.

I'm grateful for that. Happy Easter everyone. Lets make it a great new beginning.