Easter

Easter Baskets have a fond memory in my brain and so I always have done them for the Girl and now for the Baby Girl.

I remember a some specific things about Easter as a child. First we dyed eggs... usually the Saturday night before Easter and somehow that rascally bunny always found them in the fridge and hid them all over the living room!! I never put two and two together. I suppose that is the joy of being a kid...believing in stories!

We could always find 6 each, my sister and me. My parents were very creative. I can remember finding eggs behind the music stand on the piano and also behind the frame (on the top) of a big picture. I wonder how they did this without the eggs going bad...I wonder if they got up early or if they hid them the night before?

We generally got dolled up as kids for Easter. I can recall white gloves and also coordinating purple dresses at one point. Church was always a part of Easter growing up although what it looked like changed over time. At first it was primarily just going on Easter and then as we got older we would also attend on Good Friday for communion.

As we moved into the teenage years we could also opt to attend Maundy Thursday service which commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus.

Our Easter baskets were always set out on the sofa.

We each had a "peep" in our basket. A "peep" is a little soft baby chick in an egg or something similar. The peep stayed with the basket year round, but regardless, the peep was always in the basket. Jelly beans were always in the basket, usually just loosely rolling around in the Easter grass. Of course the traditional chocolate Easter bunny, and then whatever else mom decided to put in that year.

One year specifically I remember it was flowered underware, and two books...The Story of Ping, and Five Chinese Brothers.

Here's my girls' Easter baskets for this year:

Kaitlin's contains:

Socks

An Easter cookie

Cadbury Creme Eggs

Smencils (pencils that smell...all the RAGE right now!)

Whoppers

a Pez

The book SCAT by Carl Reisen (one she wants)

Tic Tacs

and

A RE'easter bunny (Reeses bunny)

If you look closely where the basket handle meets the basket you will see HER "peep"!

Claire's basket:

The book The Easter Story

and

The book Maisy's Easter (I LOVE Maisy!)

Two baby toys

a buddy bar soap

A little lamby soft rattle

A pair of baby socks

and

Her very own little "peep"

I must mention that we do not gloss over the REAL meaning of Easter.

I know some people feel that doing the Easter Bunny thing takes away from the significance of Easter. (Just like Santa at Christmas)

I think we see Easter Bunny and Santa as "cultural" traditions, much like giving Valentine's on February 14th, or pinching someone who doesnt wear green on St. Patrick's Day.

We talk about the significance of what Jesus did for us, but not just at Easter, we do it continually in our lives as it is the whole reason that we can live and breathe and have our very being.

We dont for a minute miss the amazing message of Easter because it is what the entire religion of Christianity rests upon. It is an overwhelming reality and truth that Christ paid our debt to a Holy Living Judge and on Easter we celebrate the fact that the price has been paid in full!

Alleluia!