Easter With The Cousins

Claire, Jenny and Wynter just hangin at the park.

Twin Swing Time.......hmmm, Nana notices a few scratches here and there. It's always a little rough when all six cousins get togther.

Quoting my son in law Joe:

It's been a scratching, hitting, kicking, screaming, eye gouging, pushing, pooping, napping, messy, steel cage death match of a good time!

Lukas, Layni, Ivy and Aunt Kenzie.

Our little Henli is just crazy bout Wynter!

Sisters .... Best Friends.....and Best daughters in the whole world!

Hippity Hoppity Easter Hunt

Oh .........what a wonderful Easter Egg hunt it was this year for our Lit'l "Wynter Brooke"!





She is just making sure here that "he" has the correct address for the big delivery!

What a beautiful and special family event this was! I wish I could have been there!

Jesus Appears To His Disciples

Matthew 28:10 The resurrected Christ instructs the women at the sepulchre to depart and bring word of his resurrection to them and that they should go into Galilee ( as Jesus told them in Matthew 26:32), and there they shall see him.




Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus appointed them.

As you will recall, up to now, the Savior had limited His mortal ministry to the Jews. Now, though he instructs His Apostles to take the gospel to all nations. Not only is this a major change in policy, but it is a strong statement that all must have the opportunity to hear and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Remember that the Jews considered themselves to be superior in the status of all other people, in the sight of God, because they were direct descendants of Abraham (Matthew 3:9). What Jesus now instructs is a clear reminder to these Apostles that their cultural background must be discarded in favor of the true doctrine that all souls are of equal worth in the sight of God.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commmanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

Jesus stays 40 days with his disciples before he ascends into heaven.

Easter Blessings To Everyone

This Life on Earth


Easter means that this life on earth
is not all there is.
Jesus went "to prepare a place for us"
in His Father’s heavenly mansions
for all eternity.
Jesus died for our sins,
paying our penalty,
so that we could be forgiven.
He was resurrected, to prove
that death has no hold
on those who repent
and accept Him as Savior.
This life on earth is a prelude
to eternal joy with our Lord.
Easter is a celebration
of our eternal destiny.


By Joanna Fuchs

HE IS RISEN

Jesus' resurrection had already taken place by the time Mary Magdalene arrived at dawn Sunday morning. (John 20.1-2) In Matthew's account he states that "In the end of [or after] the Sabbath(s), as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week" they came to see the sepulchre (Mt. 28.1)

Mary Magdalene was the first to reach the place; and upon seeing that the stone was removed, she hurried away to tell the disciples. Meanwhile the other women came up. A light was shining about the tomb, but the body of Jesus was not there. As they lingered about the place, suddenly they saw that they were not alone. A young man clothed in shining garments was sitting by the tomb. It was the angel who had rolled away the stone. He had taken the guise of humanity that he might not alarm these friends of Jesus. Yet about him the light of the heavenly glory was still shining, and the women were afraid.

They turned to flee, but the angel's words stayed their steps. "Fear not ye," he said; "for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead." Again they look into the tomb, and again they hear the wonderful news. Another angel in human form is there, and he says, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."

He is risen, He is risen! The women repeat the words again and again. No need now for the anointing spices. The Savior is living, and not dead. They remember now that when speaking of His death He said that He would rise again. What a day is this to the world! Quickly the women departed from the sepulcher "with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word."

Mary had not heard the good news. She went to Peter and John with the sorrowful message, "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him." The disciples hurried to the tomb, and found it as Mary had said. They saw the shroud and the napkin, but they did not find their Lord. Yet even here was testimony that He had risen. The graveclothes were not thrown heedlessly aside, but carefully folded, each in a place by itself. John "saw, and believed." He did not yet understand the scripture that Christ must rise from the dead; but he now remembered the Savior's words foretelling His resurrection.

It was Christ Himself who had placed those graveclothes with such care. When the mighty angel came down to the tomb, he was joined by another, who with his company had been keeping guard over the Lord's body. As the angel from heaven rolled away the stone, the other entered the tomb, and unbound the wrappings from the body of Jesus. But it was the Savior's hand that folded each, and laid it in its place. In His sight who guides alike the star and the atom, there is nothing unimportant. Order and perfection are seen in all His work.

Mary had followed John and Peter to the tomb; when they returned to Jerusalem, she remained. As she looked into the empty tomb, grief filled her heart. Looking in, she saw the two angels, one at the head and the other at the foot where Jesus had lain. "Woman, why weepest thou?" they asked her. "Because they have taken away my Lord," she answered, "and I know not where they have laid Him."

Then she turned away, even from the angels, thinking that she must find someone who could tell her what had been done with the body of Jesus. Another voice addressed her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" Through her tear-dimmed eyes, Mary saw the form of a man, and thinking that it was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away." If this rich man's tomb was thought too honorable a burial place for Jesus, she herself would provide a place for Him. There was a grave that Christ's own voice had made vacant, the grave where Lazarus had lain. Might she not there find a burial place for her Lord? She felt that to care for His precious crucified body would be a great consolation to her in her grief.

But now in His own familiar voice Jesus said to her, "Mary." Now she knew that it was not a stranger who was addressing her, and turning she saw before her the living Christ. In her joy she forgot that He had been crucified. Springing toward Him, as if to embrace His feet, she said, "Rabboni." But Christ raised His hand, saying, Detain Me not; "for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God." And Mary went her way to the disciples with the joyful message.

Sunday

The women brought the prepared spices early in the morning while it was still dark. When they arrived they found that Jesus had already arisen.

Saturday

The weekly Sabbath.
The women rested on the weekly Sabbath.







Jesus rose around sunset, exactly three days and three nights (72 hours) after burial, to fulfill the sign of Jonah and authenticate Jesus' messiahship

Jesus' promise was fulfilled exactly as he said it would. He said that, like the prophet Jonah, He would be entombed three days and three nights and that then He would be raised up from the dead the third day after His crucifixion and death (Matthew 12.39-40; 17.23; 20.19).

The weekly Sabbath ends at sunset Saturday night.

Friday

With the annual Sabbath now over, the women bought and prepared spices for anointing Jesus' body.

Mark 16:1 tells us, "And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary (the mother of James and Salome), bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint Him." Luke's account also describes how the women "prepared the spices and ointments" and then they "rested on the Sabbath day according to the commandment." (Luke 23.56) Thus, according to these two accounts, they bought the spices and prepared them after the Sabbath and yet before the Sabbath. There had to be two Sabbaths involved here with a day of preparation between them.






The weekly Sabbath begins at sunset Friday night. No work is to be done as commanded in the fourth commandment.

Thursday

This was the first annual Sabbath or high-day - the first day of Unleavened Bread.

The annual Sabbath ends at sunset.


The Tomb where Jesus lay is now guarded and secured by sealing it with a stone.

The Roman soldiers sealed the tomb........

Then, they stood guard for the next three days.



Matthew 27:62-66

The Guards at the Tomb

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir,"they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that the deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

65 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Wednesdays Events

Preparation day for the annual, not weekly, Sabbath.

In the morning, Jesus was brought before Pilate the governor.

Jesus was crucified and dies around 3PM

Jesus' body was placed in the tomb at twilight....

Annual Sabbath begins at sunset. Sunset at this time of year in Jerusalem, is about 6:30 to 7:00 PM

Luke 23.44 shows that Jesus died around the ninth hour or approximately 3PM. He would have been buried before sunset because of the approaching Sabbath, for that Sabbath day was a high-day (John 19.31).

John 19.31 mentions that the day following Jesus' crucifixion was a high day as opposed to the weekly seventh-day Sabbath. TWO Sabbaths – first an annual Holy Day and then the regular weekly Sabbath – are mentioned in the Gospel accounts. Compare Mark 16.1 with Luke 23.56

Palm Sunday Church Talks

Yesterday in my church and in our Sacrament meeting we had two wonderful speakers. One sweet sister in my ward spoke on the events that took place prior to Jesus's Crucifixion and the days and events that led up to his resurrection.

Even though I have known of these events, she had some wonderful thoughts on the days prior as to what Jesus did. As I type these sweet sentiments... my heart is full and my eyes are wet. How grateful I am for the gift of the Savior in my life and for his atoning sacrifice for me.

How grateful I am for the joy, peace and happiness the gospel brings to my life and to know with all my heart that the gospel is TRUE.

Tuesdays Events Leading To Christ's Crucifixion

Jesus and the twelve disciples come into Jerusalem from Bethany, to partake of the Passover meal.

John and Peter were sent ahead of time to locate the place of the meal and to make preparations for it (Mark 14.12-16).


Mark 14.17

Passover is observed on the 14th of Nisan every year (Leviticus 23.5). Jesus and His disciples partook of the Passover in the early evening of the previous day. (Days are calculated from sunset-to-sunset, not midnight-to-midnight.)



Jesus ate an early-evening Passover meal with His disciples. After the meal, he walks with His disciples towards the Mount of Olives.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas at the olive grove in Gethsemane, arrested and brought before the high priest, Caiaphas.

Trial ends at daybreak.

Palm Sunday

As Jesus, the Christ, made his way into Jerusalem, he was greeted by a crowd of people who were not unlike the crowds that neared him while he performed miracles, fed 5,000 men, women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish, healed the lame to walk and brought Lazarus back to life in physical form. Yet, there was something about this greeting that was different. No one asked Christ hard questions on this day. It was as if the people filling the path knew, just now, who Christ was.

As Matthew chapter 21 and verses six through nine states, “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’"

This event, particularly the cutting down of the branches and the people ushering Christ into Jerusalem, are commemorated today as Palm Sunday.

My sweet Mackenzie and her Wynter Brooke!

I am soooo blessed to have such a wonderful family.

Thank you my Father in Heaven!

Off To Visit "G'ma Great"

My daughter Ivy,her hubby Cody and them "sweet babies" went to spend the night in Mesquite, Nevada on friday. Their final destination from northern Utah is to Vegas to spend time with family and finally enjoy some much needed warm weather! Evidently it was not to cold to swim.

And......my mama has a new camera!
Look at you... gettin all camera savy!

"The Cannery" San Francisco

THE CANNERY at Del Monte Square is one of San Francisco's most treasured places. Located at the foot of Columbus Street overlooking San Francisco Bay, and originally built in 1907, THE CANNERY was once the largest peach cannery in the world. Today THE CANNERY at Del Monte Square is a vibrant waterfront marketplace featuring one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants, offices, and live entertainment. The brick warehouse was converted into three levels of winding walkways, balconies and bridges surrounding an inviting courtyard with several outdoor cafes.

The 1906 Earthquake and its fire devastated most of San Francisco. The California Fruit Canners Association, a consortium of 18 Pacific Coast canning companies, had a number of plant facilities destroyed by the 1906 Earthquake. In 1906, they acquired a lease of cleared lot at the corner of Leavenworth and Beach Streets to build a new cannery and warehouse.

If you are interested in the history of "The Cannery" please visit http://www.thecannery.com/

This is the little park across from the Cannery and our hotel. That would be our room that you are looking at with the open curtains that is right above the park bench. What a perfect location this year! We were just two blocks from the Wharf.

Triathlon Race Day

Two weekends ago my daughter Mackenzie and her hubby Joe competed in a Triathlon with a bunch of their couple friends. It was such a super fun day for all of us. I loved it that I could help out by taking care of their precious angel, baby Wynter. It sure did start early for them having to be there by 6AM. Steven and I showed up at 7AM with baby Wynter. I don't know why I keep referring to her as "baby"! For heavens sake she is walking now so that makes her a toddler. Sometimes its just so hard to let go of the baby stage and to let her grow up.

It"s still difficult at times to know that my own children aren't children anymore. Such is the circle of life!

Gee Nana.......It's cold out here! Thank you for the sugar sweet snacks and don't tell my mom.

Just call me Yoda!

This little boy was so cute and a total stranger! When Wynter would go over and sit with them he would just pat her on the head. SWEET...............

Joe coming around the corner!

Nana and Wynter cheering mama on!

Hey "that's my daddy"!