Easter weekend 2017

Rejoice!  We celebrate the empty tomb!  He has risen!!

What a glorious Easter weekend we had!

Good Friday, since J was off, we went Downtown to work on a project for the Noodle--she had to visit a historic sight and do a presentation about it.  It was blustery but the sun was out.

After a yummy pizza dinner it was time to decorate eggs.  We had gotten a different type of kit this year (hello last minute...oops!) and it had the gold foil paint included.

It seemed pretty cool, but perhaps because the eggs weren't completely dried when they painted it on, the stuff rubbed off pretty easily.

Saturday was low key and we just did some chores, cooking, etc. to get ready to host Easter on Sunday.

On Easter morning, the Easter Bunny always leaves a BUNCH of jelly beans hidden (or not) that the girls love to collect.  That was the first order of business.

After they had counted up their jelly beans they got their baskets.  All pretty standard fare, but this year the Easter Bunny went a little lighter on the candy--ha!

After a beautiful and moving church service, we took a walk around the block in our typical fashion.  Since we hadn't gotten any pictures before, we took a few after.  There was minimal grumbling ;)

We were blessed with an absolutely gorgeous day.  Bright sun, blue sky and warm temperatures.  Throughout the day, the wind would pick up, switch direction and then die down again.

Then it was time to head back home and get ready for Grandma, Grandpa, Lollie and Papa to come over for Easter Brunch.

Ham, cheesy potatoes, egg/broccoli/asparagus casserole, kuggelhoff coffeecake, fresh pineapple and mimosa, because of course!  Delish.  Lala brought these adorable bunny cakes that we use to always get at Easter growing up.  They were as delicious now as they were 30 years ago.

After all that eating, it was time to go out and hunt eggs!  We did it super classy this year with plastic bags and plastic eggs #targetforthewin

After all the festivities were over, the kitchen was cleaned up, the girlies had gone to bed, J and I decided to chill and enjoy the last few minutes of daylight.  Isn't it wonderful to have the longer days?  Even better was not having any bugs to deal with while we were sitting outside!!

 It was a great Easter weekend, but more importantly than being with family and all the hoopla that went with it, is the understanding that we serve a King who defeated death and is ALIVE!  He defeated death and rose 3 days later...all for me and for you too.  That's the real reason to celebrate!

Happy Easter!

Easter 2016

Happy Easter!  We started off the morning with Easter baskets and of course the jellybean egg hunt.  The Easter bunny went crazy and deposited tons of jellybeans around the living room and the girls raced around to see how many they could collect.  Shades of J's childhood growing up.

Of course, things took a bit longer than anticipated, so we were running around to make it to church on time.  Things may or may not have gotten a little dicey, ahem.  Since J and I were teaching Sunday School at the 9:00 hour we couldn't be late!

We stayed and worshiped at the 11:00 service and had the girls join us since they had already gone to Sunday School.  This is before the service started.  Someone looks thrilled, don't they?!  We finally had to lay down the law and say that an egg would be lost for each complaint heard.  Worked like a charm and both of them ended up enjoying the service.  Go figure!!

Then it was home for brunch.  Grandma and Grandpa came to join us as did Lollie and Papa.

Uncle and Aunt C couldn't be with us but sent the girls this great book called The Prince's Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul.  Papa read it to them while we finished getting the food ready.

Then it was time to eat.  I always set the table the night before.  Once less thing to think about.  I found these cute name tags and used them.  A few years ago I used some of Lollie's old silver that was just collecting tarnish up in the attic and potted up some succulents.  

I had run out of silver so I hit up the local Goodwill and found 3 little vessels which were perfect for the Easter centerpiece.

Brunch was pretty standard fare--ham, cheesy potatoes, fruit salad, egg strata with asparagus and broccoli and my Nana's kugelhoff cinnamon coffeecake.  For dessert we had mini key lime pies.  Just enough sweetness to round out the meal!

Afterwards we decided to head outside for an egg hunt.  While the sun was warm, the air was still cool.  Didn't stop the girls from ditching their sweaters though!

"Amen, amen.  I'm alive, I'm alive because He lives.  Amen, amen.  Let my song join the One that never ends.

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, every fear is gone.  I know He holds my life, my future in His hands."--Matt Maher

Here is to celebrating the empty tomb and our risen Lord!!  Happy Easter!

Christ is risen!

Let no no caught in sin remain, Inside the lie of inward shame, We fix our eyes upon the cross, And run to him who showed great love, And bled for us, Freely you bled for us

Christ has risen from the grave, Trampling over death by death, Come awake, Come awake! Come and rise up from the dead!

Oh death! Where is your sting? Oh hell! Where is your victory? Oh church! Come stand in the light! Our God is not dead, he's alive! He's alive!

"Christ is Risen"--Matt Maher

Easter Preparation

How do you prepare for Easter?  New clothes?  Spring hat?  Full cart at the grocery?  Dying eggs? All good and fun, but the most important preparation begins in our hearts.  It is easy to get caught up in the Easter bunny craze and somehow neglect to focus on the real reason for Easter.

The fact that on Friday, Jesus, who had died an absolutely horrible death, was dead and put into a tomb, but that three days later, that tomb was empty.  Our Lord rose from the dead.  Just like he said he would do.  Amazing.  Mind blowing.  Life changing!!

We've been trying to be a bit more intentional about Easter this year.  If J and I don't focus on it, how will the girls ever grasp the true  meaning?  Certainly not by just hoping that they absorb it at Sunday school (although don't get me wrong, this is also a huge component!).  But it is so easy to just go along with the flow and get swept up in the candy, eggs, bunnies and baskets of it all, that all of a sudden, Christ and his sacrifice, becomes just a passing thought or comment.

Hopefully, by little discussions and meaningful (fun!) activities, they will start to understand and fully grasp the full sacrifice Jesus made for each and every one of us by taking on our sins and dying for us.  We don't do anything earth shattering--making resurrection cookies, eating hot cross buns (and "breakfast ice-cream" ha ha!) for breakfast on Good Friday, a prayer walk around the neighborhood (mainly adults, puddle splashing/tree climbing for the kiddos), watching a cute movie for family movie night, spending some quite time reflecting on Jesus' sacrifices.  But it opens the door for conversation and discussion about what Easter really is about.

Don't get me wrong--we've still got our new clothes, dyed eggs and enough chocolate and jelly bean eggs to give anyone a sugar rush!  But most importantly, we've got the promise of  new, eternal life that only he can give.  What can top that?