Happy Easter

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with my parents.  They came into town to help us build a new swingset/playhouse.  Costco had a deal we could not pass up, and the kids are super excited about it.  Kenzie says she has always wanted to swing in her own yard.  Brooks says he wants to climb up the rock wall and slide down the slide.  Jackson says he wants to use it as an airsoft gun fort and hideout.  Whatever the function of the playhouse, we will all be forever grateful to Eddy and my dad (and Mark Ellis) for spending two entire days building it.

And we did something a bit different this year.   We have never been an Easter-bunny-brings-you-toys-and-candy kind of family.  But I do love giving gifts to our kids.  So, this year we decided to hold off on giving any gifts until after church.  So, when the kids woke up, there wasn't a focus on what they were getting.  They didn't come running down the stairs to see what they got.  They came down slowly, and we had meaningful conversations about Jesus dying.  Jesus raising from the dead.  Just Jesus.  Just the resurrection.  Just HIM.  It was really special.

On a more practical note, I also loved not having to decide how much candy to let my kids eat at 8 AM!

So, we worshipped as a family, then we came home and had lunch.  Then, we sent the kids on a scavenger hunt for their baskets and gifts.  And it is so fun to give them gifts just because we love them.  And we finished up our day with some easter egg hunting outside.  It could not have been a more beautiful day!