An Amazing Easter!!!!

And our Easter started in Ocean City!!!!

Lately I have been extremely over-sensitive and tense with all the stress that this world can bring.

So this Easter since one of my two jobs observed the Good Friday, I requested off from my job with Cinemark and took the invitation of my great friends here in Maryland (Gary & Susan) whom were already in Ocean City and we decided to meet up with them.

So Thursday I left work and Sara was waiting for me, we ran home to pick up Jessica & Kelsey... put our back packs in the car, and we started our journey to Ocean City…

For the first time in a long time I was so relaxed, tranquil… I felt so happy to be able to simply be myself. I will admit that the Ocean has a powerful affect on me and visiting with Susan, Gary, their son Shawn, daughter in law, Stacey and my girls was indeed a great delight.

From the three store townhouse that we stayed we would wake up listening to the sound of the wave’s breaking on the beach. I would open the door of the room and could see ocean as the eye can see…what a wonderful indulgence to be able to wake up and see some of my favorite things…The Ocean, my daughters asleep next door and even that I didn’t have my third source of happiness with me in person… WE knew that we were together in mind, heart and soul. And it’s amazing just how naturally OUR hearts always find ways to keep us close even with so many physical miles in between US. How grateful I am for cell phones with a camera and text messages…We have a saying in Portugal that goes more or less like this… “If a mountain can’t come to be with us, we are the ones who have to find a way to go and be with the mountain”. It is amazing to know that nor time or distance have the power to keep us away from those we love so much; and also can’t damage true, pure & real feelings of love…I loved to know that I was indeed having such a peaceful and relaxed time with those I love the most in my life...the ones next to me and the ones that I knew that were with me in mind, heart and soul in spite the miles between us.

Here are some pictures of the beginning of our family Easter weekend!!!

But EASTER is one Holiday that touches me in so many ways. It’s a time when I find myself wonder about the love that my Savior Jesus Christ has for me…how he suffer for me and died for me…what an amazing gift…to know that someone loved me so much, that willingly gave His life just so one day I can live with my Father in Heaven.

Carlos taught ME how to drive…I taught Sara and now; both Sara and I are teaching Jessica how to drive. And today we went for a little ride having Jessica driving and me and Sara telling her how to do this or that and teach her many rules to drive safe… and suddenly Jessica said: “Isn’t this cool? Daddy taught mommy how to drive and now she is teaching us Sara, so is almost as if daddy was teaching us himself, like he promised so many times that he would, and in a way he kept that promise, after all mom learned from the best driver, and we both learned from mommy…see, he does look after us and still is keeping his promises through mommy”.

So I asked her if she knew what Easter represents and we had time to talk about the atonement that Our Savior went through just so one day we will all live again and see all our loved ones who already departed from this mortal life. How blessed we are to have the knowledge of the amazing love that our brother and savior has for us…a love so selfless and so pure. I find myself wondering just how marvelous is to know that I was granted to learn about the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints here on this earth. I have such a strong testimony that this is without any doubt in my heart the true church of Jesus Christ here on earth. I have no doubts regarding the veracity that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and it was restored by our prophet Joseph Smith. And today As I was listening to my daughters my mind flew back to a personal reality in my life… love life with all my heart…I am addicted to LIFE… And I can’t visualize my selfish being give up my mortal life for just anybody… I know with all my heart that there are three people that I would give my life without even think twice! If I were to ever be asked to die for them I would without any regret die for these three people. And I absolutely worship the ground these three people walk…now I can’t control my tears when I think of the odium and absolute hate that the people who were killing our savior had for him and when I think about that many times I find myself falling down on my knees and feel such a tremendous love thinking of the love that Our Savior felt for those who were torturing HIM in such an inhumane way and yet he kept asking Our Father in Heaven to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing…my gosh…what a remarkable example of humility.

But, what makes me happy is the knowledge that through my Savior Jesus Christ we all conquered and overcame death… and after me and my two daughters shared our love for our savior, we got to savor an amazing dinner prepared by our little Portuguese blond daughter/sister…SARA. She does NOT deny her roots of loving to cook super delicious dishes… She treated us with Glazed Ham with pineapple on top, mashed potatoes, stuffing, Amish potato salad, vegetables and a fruit glazed cake to top the amazing dinner. Two friends who lived alone and work for Cinemark and studied with Sara in school came to have dinner with is since they were alone for Easter, so it is with great humility in my heart that I saw my two daughters run to pick up two more plates and welcome their friends because no one should be alone on Easter day… I capture some nice pictures of Jessica driving and of my girls painting the eggs…a tradition that always makes me love even more (if that can even be possible, considering that I absolutely worship the ground they walk… But it takes me back to their childhood and warms my heart as I recognize and appreciate with all my heart, that when my time to leave this earth arrives….I will still live in my daughters hearts and I can see that OUR family traditions will continue long after my time to leave arrives. I love my precious daughters with all my heart and am so proud of the young women they are. I have my quarrels with them like every parent who wants the very best to their children and already lived some of the things they want to do… and know by experience the outcome of certain decisions and just want to spare them… but when I look to the way our youth is growing up…I feel so proud of the two remarkable girls that Our Lord gave me …I just am learning as time goes by, that sometimes my offspring have to fall and get hurt just so they can learn their own lessons and all I can do is be here to nurture and give them a shoulder and all my love. I am so grateful for My Sara Emilia and My Jessica Andreia!!!

And This was THE EASTER OF 2009 IN THE SANTOS GIRLS HOME!