I remember Easter coming and going last year, and feeling like a loser parent for not doing anything special with or for Parker. I was not about to let that happen again this year! A few days before Easter, we had our neighbors over to color eggs. Parker only colored three, but he seemed to enjoy it!
On Good Friday, we made resurrection rolls. This was probably my favorite thing that we did, since it actually taught about the REAL Easter. I explained to Parker that the marshmallow was like Jesus's body. You dip it in butter (perfume) and roll it in cinnamon and sugar (spices), and place it in the crescent roll (tomb). I had him repeat several times throughout making them what each ingredient stood for, and he was definitely catching on! Then Ryan read the story of the crucifixion and resurrection out of the Rhyme Bible. We talked about about how the tomb was empty and Jesus was alive. Then we got the rolls out of the oven, cut them open, and the center was empty! I thought Parker gained a very age-apporpriate understanding of what happened to Jesus during Easter.
Later that night at church, we were singing the song "Were you there, when they laid him in the tomb." Parker looked at me and said "Mom, they put Jesus in the tomb!!" He remembered! The funny part was that he assumed we would clap after the songs like we usually do in regular Sunday service. He clapped a few times after the first solumn song, and then realized that no one else was clapping.
The next morning was his first ever Easter Egg Hunt! It was more of an Egg Grab because it was just a big open space with a couple thousand eggs. Parker was pretty motivated since we told him there might be candy in the eggs. He filled up his basket in a matter of minutes!
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| Josiah came, too! |
Later that night, we attended Easter Service at our church. Ryan was originally supposed to work Easter Sunday, but he was able to switch at the last minute.
We put Parker's Easter Basket right outside his room for him to find in the morning.
Then we headed to Stillman Valley for the real Easter Egg Hunt. Yesterday's was just a primer. Apparently the rural Easter Bunny is much better at hiding eggs than the suburban one. The kids hunted around the yard, and then sat down to eat the candy!
We spent the rest of Easter with my family in German Valley. Talk about a fun weekend!
So aside from all of the fun stuff that goes along with Easter, I did have time to reflect on what Easter really means and how much it affects my entire life. If Jesus didn't raise from the dead, I wouldn't have anything to live for. There would be no way for me to have a relationship with God, I'd have no hope in seeing loved ones again, so reason to discipline my child or live a moral life, and no real direction or purpose. I can't imagine what that would be like. The craziest part is that God CHOSE to send his Son Jesus, and that Jesus AGREED to do as His Father willed, in order for us to have eternal life. Wouldn't it have been so much easier for God to write us off, wipe us out and start over again? Pretty thankful he didn't!
