Easter

Yesterday the kids had lots of fun coloring Easter eggs. I thought boiling a dozen would be plenty-- we aren't big hard-boiled egg fans. However, the kids all really liked coloring the eggs. I got a kit where we could make them glittery as well, and they really liked how that turned out. Joseph liked to use the white crayon to color on the egg. He couldn't really do much else since I didn't want him a different color as well!

Last night I was rushing around to get all the "Easter Bunny" things finished, as well as my regular Sunday preparations done. We hide the Easter baskets instead of doing an egg hunt. Rebecca had a lot of fun finding her basket this morning. Miriam looked all around until she told me she had looked everywhere except the pantry, the basement and upstairs. (It was in the pantry.) Joseph's was just on the coffee table, but he was more interested in seeing the camcorder Dad was holding than in the basket with goodies he just walked by!

The kids looked cute in their Easter outfits. Miriam said she thought Joseph looked like the President. Then after saying that for a while, she decided he looked like the bishop. I think he looked cute! The girls were cute as well.

After church Jack's parents came over for dinner and to spend the afternoon with us. We had a nice Easter dinner and a pleasant visit. Linda helped me get some genealogy figured out. John got decorated with pink grass and a pink headband. What a good sport.

Last Sunday during General Conference, I was reminded that Easter was just a week away. My first thoughts were of the shoes and candy I still needed to purchase. Then I stopped and thought about Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of the Father, the only one to walk the path of life perfectly, the one who chose to suffer immense pain so that my family and I will live again. I am so grateful for the sacrifice He made for me, for His perfect love for me. So this holiday, Easter, seems to me to be more commercialized than even Christmas. So much of it is focused on bunnies and chocolate, and so little on Jesus Christ. But in reality, it is the celebration of the most important day in all of human history. It is the celebration of the resurrection of the babe born in Bethlehem, who, if He had not chosen to live a perfect life and atone for our sins, would have been just like any baby who was born throughout the history of the world. But He did choose to fulfill the mission His Father sent Him here to do. He suffered for the sins of you and me. He chose to descend below us all, to die a torturous death, and then rose triumphant from the tomb on the third day. What an awesome gift, what a holy day to celebrate. I hope to remember its true importance more fully.