Easter Sunday

Well...here they are...my 3 precious girls! I'm not a big "matchy matchy" kind of mom. I like to coordinate, but we've rarely had many matching outfits. However, my mom asked me to try this one last year to have the girls ALL match because before long (and I think we may have pushed it this year) Lindsey will want NO part of matching her little sisters!

My photogenic, picture lover big girl, Lindsey Lee!

My picture smile in training, curly top funny middle daughter...Courtney Ann!

Miss Independent, I think I'm 5 like my big sister, I don't want my picture taken, Whitney June!

All the Scogin girls...whatever it takes, mommy bending down, Courtney not looking, Whitney sucking her fingers, and Lindsey posing...at least I'm in a pic! (it rarely happens)

Daddy and his girls...

Family pic. I can't believe we are so blessed with these beautiful daughters!

Honey and Grangrad came down to go to church with us! (not sure what CA is doing)

This girl would not smile for anything today when we were taking pics. So I was trying so hard to get her cute grin...love her!

Ryan grilled burgers and hot dogs. Ryan's mom and Bill came down to join us for lunch. It was a fun family day! We missed Kyle, Miah, Landon, Taylor and Amber, but hopefully next year!

It has rained and rained and rained, so when it was time for the egg hunt...we had to do it inside!

Honey made her bunny cake like she does every year and brought it! The girls love it!

These little fingers were in it before anyone else!

(notice the jelly bean being snuck out by other little fingers!)

It was a fun Easter day with our family. However, I've had a hard 24 hours. I hate to be a "Debbie Downer" after all of the fun...but life happens, whether it is Easter or not.

On the way to church as we literally left our house, I got a text from our youth pastor, Lee. It was a forward from a girl in my life group of senior girls. Her name is Mallory. Mallory's best friend had died in a car wreck Easter morning at 4:30. Wow. What a blow! I then get to church and run into some of my other senior girls and talk to them about it. They are in tears. I didn't know the girl, Cheyenne, that died, but they did. This is life. Life for all of us. Life for me to be their leader, life for them to be on the verge of adulthood and realize that life itself is precious.

Sunday after most of our family had gone back home, I went with another youth leader Tammie to visit Mallory. She was doing good. She was able to tell us the story of how she found out and what had happened without crying. I was shocked. But, I think she had heard/told the story at that point 12 hours later that it was just that...a story. Nothing that had really happened. That is what she kept saying. "this is just so weird. I can't believe it. I don't know how it will be at school. I can't believe all of this is really happening." I just prayed that God would shut my mouth and help me be a good listener, it's not my strength. He did though. There were moments of awkward silence. But it was ok. Tammie prayed with Mallory and we left.

It has hit me more and more as I think about Mallory, I think about Cheyenne's mom, I think about my senior girls, and I think about my 3 Scogin girls. We never know when God is going to call us home. We have to be ready.

As I sat in that Easter service I had mixed emotions. I hear that Cheyenne was ready. She knew Jesus as her Savior. So as we sang about Jesus, the resurrection and I thought about all those things. Wow. What a surreal thing. Cheyenne was with Jesus. In Heaven. But then I thought about her mom, her dad, her friends and those that were close to her. I thought about how it was so unexpected. It wasn't "supposed" to happen, but since that day she was born, God knew this day would happen. He has it all planned out. Mallory said that she just kept thinking "I know God did this for a reason. I know some good will come out of it." I totally agree! If someone's life is changed because of Cheyenne, then we know the reason. We may not know that reason right away, or even before we leave this earth when it is our time.

But we just have to trust God. The verses I sent to Mallory last night were Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow." I said to her, "The same Jesus you loved before this happened, that comforted you on Sunday when it was so hard, will be with you tomorrow and forever. Also, Proverbs 3:5-6 ...lean not on your own understanding...we don't understand why it happened, but we have to accept it. It has been easy for me to accept, I didn't know her. However, it is harder for me to trust and know that even if that were me, the mom of Cheynne, I would still trust and love that same Jesus I love today!