Catch Up: Easter SUNday

April 12th, 2009
Grandma's back yard after hunting eggs.

It was so glorious to wake up to real sunshine on Easter morning- the kind that actually warms your skin and makes you want to take off your sweater! It might have been the best part of the day! Although, our whole day was nice.

Easter was really low key this year. I no longer believe in the Easter Bunny, so he didn't come to our house. (Instead of more junk and more candy, the money will go towards outfitting ALL five of my children in summer clothes next month, assuming it has stopped snowing by then! I'm at a stage where I have almost no hand-me-downs to get us by. It's crazy!) We spent our morning at church; the afternoon resting at home; and the later part of the day at Grandma's for good food (Kelly made Jell-O Easter Eggs to share) and our Egg Hunt (the only real tradition we have, but we love it).

It is funny that I don't really enjoy the trim and traditions of a holiday that is associated with such a fundamental part of my testimony- that Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, DID rise from the dead and make it possible for all of us to be resurrected. Easter Sunday is always one of my favorites, mostly because of the music, and this year did not disappoint. Our choir sang, "This is the Christ" and as I sang, I knew it. Jesus is the Christ and He makes all things possible!

But why does that message and assurance have to be associated with bunnies, chicks and hard boiled eggs?

Saturday preparations with the help of Kelly, a.k.a Egg Man,
were just as much fun as...

actually hunting for the eggs in Grandma's yard!

I do love the excuse of a holiday, even Easter, to get together with family though. We spent hours at Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen's house. After dinner, the older cousins (Kristi, Darren and Kara) hid almost 300 candy eggs for the younger cousins to find. I love that at Grandma's house, the eggs are well hidden in stone walls, green hedges, bright colored flowers and mailboxes, even if they are in the same places every year and Kate is starting to catch on to that! I love that my kids get so much attention. I love that I don't have to clean house or do the dishes (THANK YOU Grethe!!). I love that despite our different choices and circumstances- we are family and it is a happy time when we are together.

The younger cousins waiting to hunt for eggs.

I may not love the symbols of Easter, but I love what Easter Sunday means to me and for my family. It was a beautiful Easter this year.