Easter

Easter is, while not nearly as hyped up as Christmas, probably my favorite holiday of the year.  Without Easter, we have no hope!  Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have access to God through the forgiveness offered when Christ shed his blood on the cross for our sins. Then He conquered death when He rose from the dead on the third day.  What other religious founder can say that??

Now that Matthew is a bit older, I really enjoyed trying some new Easter activities this year to help engage and illustrate what the holiday is really all about.  (What would I do without the internet, I might add?)

Tissue paper crosses (SUPER easy!  Claire did it, too.)

A replica of the empty tomb

Chicken pot-pie on Good Friday  =)

We dyed Easter eggs for the first time since I was a kid, I think.  The smell of vinegar always reminds me of Easter. =)

The kids were invited to a little Easter egg hunt over at our neighbor friend's house on Saturday:

Sunday morning before church, the kids and I made a little treat called Resurrection Rolls.  You roll a marshmallow in butter, cinnamon and sugar to represent Christ's body in the burial spices (which really he never got!).  Then you wrap it in a crescent roll, representing the tomb.  Then you bake them...

 When you take a bite...it's "empty!"

Good morning, Claire!

Another tradition we started this year is opening Resurrection Eggs.  (Thank you, Aunt Carol, for getting them for us!)  During the week before Easter, we opened up about 2 eggs each evening.  Each egg contains a symbol of the Easter story, from the donkey on Palm Sunday, to the nails at the cross, all the way to the empty tomb (the last egg is empty) that we opened on Easter morning.  Matthew loved opening them up each evening and discovering what was in them.  It felt like the Easter version of an advent calendar, only more meaningful!

Here is Claire looking through them on Easter morning.  She still loves playing with them!

We went to my parent's house for Easter dinner.  Before we ate, I hid the eggs we had dyed in their backyard.  (Hmmm...sort of remind you of Jesus' body hidden in the tomb?) =)

"I found it the egg!!!!"

 Here is a little video clip that brings to life the picture above. =)

Happy Easter!!

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. 

Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."

John 11:25