Easter this year butt up right against our family's impending move to Freeport, Illinois. Although it would have been fun to celebrate newness of life in our own new home, I lobbied for the move to be postponed until the week after Easter. I wanted to have time for reflection as well as resources for celebrating.
2. On Monday night, we planned an Easter program that we would share with our dinner guests on the upcoming Sunday. There would be music, stories, and scripture readings. Carl and I spent the week practicing a solo he would sing ("It Shouldn't Be Hard").
5. A red candle burnt all day Good Friday. The wax dripped down the candlestick holder and through the cracks in our makeshift Easter table, splattering my shoes underneath. I put a small bowl with 30 real silver coins in it on the table and changed the green silk for a red place mat.
7. Easter morning, the kids woke up with excitement. That is the feeling I have tried to cultivate about this holiday: lots of stillness and introspection followed by glorious excitement! Our Easter candle was burning again and the table was festooned with flowers. Our braided Easter bread was on the breakfast table, surrounded by the kids' baskets. There was a new pair of jeans and a new collared shirt for everyone, along with the traditional chocolate bunny. The day was also glorious, with warm inviting weather. I love Easter morning!
9. I almost forgot the Easter egg hunt! Between session of conference, there was a massive neighborhood hunt. Whenever I think of the Easter egg hunt, I think of the Lord's promise "seek and ye shall find". Because of His atonement and resurrection, Christ's love and presence are there for us to find, if we seek it. His Spirit can infuse our lives and, if we seek Him all the days of our lives, someday we will see Him. Hopefully, we will find that we are like Him. I don't think that the kids get anything like that out of the Easter egg hunt but I think that someday they could. Either way, I am glad that they associate Easter with looking for and finding wonderful little gifts.
Here are some of the things we did to mark the season:
1. On Palm Sunday, a week before Easter, the kids and I watched the Bible video on lds.org about Christ's triumphal entry. Then we set up our Easter table and talked about our plans for the week.
2. On Monday night, we planned an Easter program that we would share with our dinner guests on the upcoming Sunday. There would be music, stories, and scripture readings. Carl and I spent the week practicing a solo he would sing ("It Shouldn't Be Hard").
3. Of course, we spent a lot of time that week cleaning and packing. During all that time, our Easter candle burnt and I kept replacing it so that the light would always shine. I decorated the table with eggs, a stuffed lamb doll, and flowers--all above a vibrant green play silk.
4. Thursday night was our Passover dinner. I made unleavened bread, which we ate with hummus and bitter greens. I put the Easter candle at our table, symbolically inviting Christ to be with us as he was with his apostles that night.
5. A red candle burnt all day Good Friday. The wax dripped down the candlestick holder and through the cracks in our makeshift Easter table, splattering my shoes underneath. I put a small bowl with 30 real silver coins in it on the table and changed the green silk for a red place mat.
6. The day before Easter was the first half of General Conference. My sister, her fiance, and my brothers came to help us clean our apartment. We washed the walls while listening to the afternoon session. The apartment was clean and full of activity but our Easter table was nearly barren. No light shone on the end of our candlestick.
7. Easter morning, the kids woke up with excitement. That is the feeling I have tried to cultivate about this holiday: lots of stillness and introspection followed by glorious excitement! Our Easter candle was burning again and the table was festooned with flowers. Our braided Easter bread was on the breakfast table, surrounded by the kids' baskets. There was a new pair of jeans and a new collared shirt for everyone, along with the traditional chocolate bunny. The day was also glorious, with warm inviting weather. I love Easter morning!
8. The conference talks on that day were inspiring. I especially liked Elder Uchtdorf's talk on grace and Elder Holland's talk called "Where Justice, Love and Mercy Meet". They were wonderful messages appropriate to the day.
9. I almost forgot the Easter egg hunt! Between session of conference, there was a massive neighborhood hunt. Whenever I think of the Easter egg hunt, I think of the Lord's promise "seek and ye shall find". Because of His atonement and resurrection, Christ's love and presence are there for us to find, if we seek it. His Spirit can infuse our lives and, if we seek Him all the days of our lives, someday we will see Him. Hopefully, we will find that we are like Him. I don't think that the kids get anything like that out of the Easter egg hunt but I think that someday they could. Either way, I am glad that they associate Easter with looking for and finding wonderful little gifts.
10. In the evening, our friends the Johnsons came to dinner. They brought most of the food; I just made rolls and cheesy potatoes. After our feasting, our family presented our Easter program. I accompanied the music on my little harp since the big harps were already packed up and the piano had been given away. There was a sweet Spirit and definite purpose in our home that night. We shared our testimonies of the Savior and I was glad to think my children knew for certain what the holiday is about. I feel (unrighteously) proud of how our Easter traditions work together to bring God's springtime message into the hearts of my children.
It may have been the best Easter yet.
A few days later, we were all packed up and on our way to a new home.
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