Easter 2013

Making "Jesus Rolls"

In an effort to really put some "Jesus" into our Easter, we tried a new activity with some friends of ours on Easter eve.  We made resurrection rolls, or what they boys called "Jesus rolls". You take a large marshmellow and first discuss with the kids that the marshmellow is white, like Jesus was pure and without sin. You then discuss that Jesus died at whatever level you can with your kids. The marshmellow is dipped in melted butter and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar as a means of covering Jesus' body in spices to prepare him to be buried. Then cover the marshmellow with 2 crescent rolls as the "tomb" and put in oven to bake. At this point, while waiting oh so patiently, the boys kept asking if they could eat Jesus now. It was pretty funny because they were serious. When they come out of the oven, the marshmellow will have melted and disappeared, so we explained that the tomb was empty. Jesus had risen. I think they got at least 75% of it and we'll definitely do it again next year. 

Dying Easter Eggs!

We also wanted to try a new way of dying eggs this year. We filled a 9x13 pan with shaving cream and added several drops of food coloring that we swirled around with toothpicks. The kids wore latex gloves and rolled eggs all around in the shaving cream and piled them on a plate. After a few minutes, we rinsed off the shaving cream. The result was pretty cool, like tie-dyed eggs! It was super messy, so I was thankful I had hung onto one of the plastic tablecloths from Luke's bday party so I could put it all right in the trash.

The Easter Bunny Came!

The Easter Bunny did stop by the Gillespie household and leave a few things for Luke and Lacey. Mommy had a talk with the Easter Bunny in advance and asked that he not leave too much candy, so the kids received a few non-traditional things. Mostly bubbles, books, a new plate/cup for Lacey, things like that. There was candy, too, just not a basket full.

I waited until the Friday night before Easter to pull out the baskets because I knew exactly where all the Easter stuff was in the attic. Except when I got there, Lacey's basket was MIA. What?! I had NO idea where it could have been. The liner to her basket was there, but it was not. I called my mom to rack her brain as to what I could have done with it (you have to understand that I don't lose things), she finally suggested that maybe I used it for something related to Annie's wedding last summer. Ding, ding, ding! Yep. Turns out I left it at my mom's house, Annie found it, liked it, and took it to use in her classroom. So for this Easter, I improvised with another basket. I wasn't so much worried about not having something, but more that I had no idea where on earth it could have been and, really, I don't lose things so it was driving me crazy!

Jackpot! And first thing in the morning...

Straight for the m-n-m's.

I had the task all by myself of attempting to get some kind of pictures of my kiddos dressed up. Of course, we were late getting out the door (8:30 service stinks), and then since Allen was staying to sing at 2nd service, I brought kids home alone. Lacey was not having picture time and it was slightly drizzling, so I had to be quick. In other words, these are not the greatest, but they're something.

I bribed Luke with chocolate to help me control Lacey, who wanted to run through the wet grass.

Luke wanted to take a picture, so it's a little blurry, but a quick pic of the girls!

And right back to the candy!

Quick cute pic to show the Easter shirt that Auntie Annie made for Lacey.

I have no pics of an outdoor egg hunt because Luke woke up with a fever early Saturday morning, the day we were scheduled to attend the one at church. I considered taking Lacey, but it was raining off an on, and she's young enough she wouldn't remember, so we didn't go this year. The kids did hunt the eggs the Easter Bunny hid for them at our house, though.

Easter is a celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, rising from the dead. It is because of his sacrifice that we can stand before the Lord God on judgment day as pure and blameless. It is not that we are such in and of ourselves, but rather that when the Lord asks who will speak for the sinner before him, if we have claimed Jesus as our Savior, he will step in front of us and God will see the sinner no more. Because of Jesus, we get to spend eternity in Heaven. 

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." John 14:6

He is Risen!