A very Happy Easter

I love Easter. I love it for so many reasons. I have enjoyed the holiday even more since becoming a mom. I love sharing the meaning of Easter with my boys. I love sharing some of the traditions from my childhood and creating new ones with my own family. I love attending church on Easter morning. The service at our current church is my favorite Easter service yet. Oh, and lets not forget the chocolate bunnies. This year my mother-in-law got us chocolate bunnies with peanut butter inside. That didn't even last until Easter morning. Yum!

We had such a nice day yesterday. The boys woke up at 7 (late for them in case you haven't heard me talk about my children getting up at the crack of dawn) and we did our scavenger hunt, which is a tradition that started when I was growing up. They get a clue that leads them to a gift.

Carter got a new booster seat. He needed it anyway, so we used it as a gift. He can't get enough of anything that makes him feel like a big kid, so he loved it. Owen's "I'm a big boy present" was a quilt for his new full size bed. All Carter really wanted was a basketball, and that is what the next clue led him to. Owen found a cuddly orange teddy bear waiting for him. Stuffed animals are his most recent love. He doesn't have just one special "friend" like a lot of kids, but a ton that he picks and chooses from. It actually makes it easier as far as not losing the one thing he won't sleep with that and all of that fun stuff. He was thrilled about his new aminal (not a typo, that is what he calls them. At last it was time for them to find the baskets that the Easter bunny had left for them. Carter was so cute trying to help Owen throughout the hunt. It was so cute to watch, but a little bitter sweet this year because neither of them really need our help anymore. It used to be, "Mom I don't know what that clue means" and now it is "We can find it ourselves."

Next was the Easter egg hunt in the backyard. This year to cut down on the ridiculous amount of candy associated with Easter, I put coins in about half of the eggs. Both boys thought that was just awesome. Carter especially is trying to earn what he refers to as an allowance. Then of course Owen wants to be just like his big brother. It is not an allowance per say. If the boys are gifted money from a relative that goes into the bank. In addition, we have begun doling out quarters for particularly good behavior or being extra helper. They can also help out with or do extra chores around the house to earn quarters. It has really helped them, Carter especially, to learn the value of money. It has also been a good teaching tool for Carter in the math department. Owen is still a bit young to fully grasp the concept, but he does understand it to some degree. Just before we started doing this Owen and I were at the pharmacy picking up prescriptions and he wanted a toy car. Besides the fact that he has half a million cars, I wasn't buying him a car that day for no reason. I told him that we came to pick up medicine and that it is expensive and unrealistic for him to expect me to buy him a car every time we go to Rite Aid. (I know I tried to take it down a notch and explain it on a 3 year old level, but you get the idea.) As I handed the cashier my debit card to pay for the prescription, Owen said, "Mama, there is money on that card. You CAN buy me a car." Oy. He doesn't get it. Of course he is only 3 1/2, but I think the early he starts to learn he won't always get what he wants, the better.

I digress. We got to church just with moments to spare. Wes and the boys went in and found my in-laws and my sister and her husband, who were saving us seats. I stayed out in the hallway with our Director of Children's Ministry to help her organize the children, who would be processing into the church with our flowered cross and Alleluia sign. There is a huge cross at church that is used on Easter morning. As people from the congregation enter the narthex they are invited to add flowers to the cross as a symbol of resurrection. Several weeks ago in Sunday school, the children made tissue paper butterflies and a sign that said Alleluia with all of their hand prints on it. The kids were so cute and everyone loved it. After we got the children back to their respective parents, I went to join my family for the service. It was just lovely. As is the tradition at our church, there is an Easter egg hunt following the 10:30 service for children under 8. It is actually more like a free-for-all. The eggs are not exactly hidden as much as they are just sitting on the front lawn of the church. The younger kids get a head start before the older kids are released to collect eggs. It is so cute watching the mad dash.

Next on the agenda was a trip to my parents house on our way home so that the boys could do a scavenger hunt and backyard egg hunt there. Wes and the boys stayed and ate lunch while I headed home a bit early to rest and put ice on my back after what had been a long morning. After the boys took their naps, we headed over to Wes' parents' house. They were hosting Easter dinner. First the boys had another Easter egg hunt. For those of you keeping track, that is four in one day. That is a lot of eggs, but they did not tire of hunting. My mother-in-law served glazed ham, fresh green beans, roasted sweet potato squares, deviled eggs and rolls. It was delicious. We also got to eat in the dining room in their new house for the first time.

It makes me so happy to have my parents and my in-laws living so close, and my sister and brother-in-law living about 25 minutes away. We don't have to chose which family to spend time with. After 15 years our parents are great friends and everyone really enjoys spending time together, especially on holidays.

I haven't forgotten the most important part of Easter, just chose to talk about it last. The true meaning of Easter does not involve bunnies, eggs or candy. It is the day that we as Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is an important day to remember that Jesus died for us on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day. We now celebrate this day as Easter.

While I am writing about my faith, I have a great story to share about something that Owen said today. He told my mom, "Grandma, Jesus died for us." My mom confirmed this, and then Owen said "If you have a problem, you can talk to Jesus in your head and he will help you." At three and a half years old, the child continues to amaze me with the things that he says about Jesus, God, heaven, angels etc. I look forward to much more input from Owen as well as many more happy Easters.