Easter Sunday

As a prelude to Easter Sunday, we started a new tradition this year. In Activity Days, Sage put together "The Easter Story in Eggs" a series of a dozen plastic Easter eggs, each containing a symbol of the last week of Jesus' life and a scripture reference to guide us through the Easter story. For our family scripture study this week, we opened one or two of these eggs each morning, reading and discussing the contents. In addition, we used pictures from the Gospel Art book  to help the girls visualize their Savior and these crowning events at the end of His mortal life. 

Easter morning started off with the girls looking for their Easter baskets hidden upstairs. Our tradition is that, in addition to a few fun things, a bit of candy, and mainly Sunday activities, pictures, music, etc., the Easter baskets each contain one Easter egg - it is empty to remind us that Jesus' tomb was empty on that first Easter morning because He was resurrected. We loved talking about this with the kids. It was fun to hear them share what they knew as they opened the empty egg. Sage, the wisened girl that she is, enjoyed teaching her sisters this hopeful news all week long. We opened our last Easter Story egg which was, of course, EMPTY, and continued reading the end of the Easter Story from the Bible at breakfast later that morning.

Reese found her basket in our bath tub.

 Mira found hers in the toy box, after lots of clues.

 

Sage found both the twins' baskets, and was so good not to tell them. But, when Mira found Sage's in their bathroom behind the shower curtain, we all knew it.

 Then, we headed downstairs with baskets empty for a little Easter Egg Hunt. Mira was so funny - pretty much every time she'd find an egg, she'd turn around, holding the egg up, and excitedly say "Ta-dah!" at the top of her lungs. Sage, we are reminded at times like this, that she is still a kid. Reese couldn't help but open the eggs to see the treats inside despite our promptings to find them all first.

 

Sage made sure everyone found lots of eggs. We assured her that as the twins got older, the eggs would find better hiding spots.

Reese, Sage, and Mira. Reese couldn't stop putting treats in her mouth. She was in heaven.

Mira, Sage and Reese just before church in their Easter dresses.

Church services were beautiful. I was able to sing in the choir, which always helps me feel the spirit and true meaning of the holidays. The speakers shared their testimonies of the hope the resurrection has given them in their life this last year as they endured the trial of losing a baby at birth, a miscarriage, and the unexpected death of a parent. In primary, Sage was was asked to help with the lesson, and share in first person as if she were a Nephite girl who saw and touched the resurrected Christ when he visited the Nephites in the Americas, as testified in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 11:8-17). Other children represented Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, the Disciples, and Thomas.

In the afternoon and evening, we enjoyed spending time with my family at my parents' house in Ridgefield. (Keri and Eric and their kids, and Tasha and her kids.) We video called with Jason and Natalie and kids who are in Michigan, and Tricia and Dave and kids living in Arizona.

I am grateful for this special Easter holiday that reminds me to take the time to reflect on the life, sacrifice, death and resurrection of my Savior Jesus Christ. I love sharing my knowledge and feelings with my kids and seeing the buds of faith growing in their hearts.