You seem to have so many traditions for the holidays in your family. What do you do to make Easter memorable in your home?
This is a good question because yesterday I stopped in my tracks and panicked.
I had suddenly come to the realization that Easter is this Sunday.
Like, the day after tomorrow.
How does time keep racing by so darn fast? How can I catch it and beg it to please slow down?
We have a bunch of things we do to celebrate Easter around here. Probably our top activity is painting Easter eggs. We get seriously into that stuff.
On Easter morning, the Easter Bunny leaves a string at the end of each childs’ bed. They follow that string all over the whole house and find their Easter basket at the end.
I personally think it’s funny that kids get so darn excited about a piece of string, but they do.
We have our traditional Easter Egg hunt in the back yard. Usually there is a dollar or so in a few of the plastic eggs which makes everyone ecstatic as well. (More Easter ideas/pictures here and here.)
And all that is fine and good. I know that it’s fluff stuff, but there’s something so good about an anticipated family tradition. Somehow the air changes around us. It becomes thick and full of love. There is something about us all gathered together, excitement escalated, that makes our hearts swell up to the size of giant watermelons.
But I want so much to make the spiritual part of Easter even more revered than all that fluff stuff that we love so much. I mean, in reality, the resurrection is one of the most beautifully amazing things we celebrate. How incredibly grateful I am for Christ and His life, his ultimate gift to us. And how I yearn for my children to feel the same reverence for this day. People gave me a bunch of great ideas for how to make our day more spiritual in the comments of THIS POST, and here are a few we love:
Each year we put those yellow laminated papers up on the doors of our kitchen cabinets the week before Easter. (Yeah, each year aside from this one where I’ve dropped the ball and need to get them out pronto this morning.) Each day we add a list of things that happened that particular day the week leading up to Christ’s death and resurrection:I think that’s helped us all remember all the important stuff leading up to the big day.
The kids love these Easter Story Cookies we’ve done a few times:
In the comments on that post there are also some links to “Resurrection Rolls” which they loved as well:(directions here). Since we love to cook around here, stuff like that kind of helps the kids get a better idea of what Easter is all about.
I have read “A Christ-Centered Easter: Day-By-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week” as well and it has a whole bunch of great ideas.
My sister, the ultimate mother-teacher has her Easter Week ideas carved out to perfection with her children. Click HERE for some awesome ideas to really get into the spirit of Easter. There’s still time to squeeze in a few of those this year…I’m especially excited about those video links.
Who won the virtual retreat give-away from Wednesday?
Congratulations to Julie Winder (picked from random.org) who said:
“It is both my husbands and my birthday this month. I can’t think of a more useful gift! Thanks for the opportunity!”
Happy birthday Julie! Let me know your contact info. so we can get this retreat info. to you.
Mommy is a Person Video Training (This includes a bunch of 5-10 minute video segments that cover the full morning at a Retreat plus offer great reflection questions and exercises to apply what you hear.)
Also, if you happen to be in or near Las Vegas, Palo Alto or Park City this spring, you can go to a Power of Moms Retreat in person which is pretty darn amazing. I have had the opportunity to go to a few of these things and man alive do I ever come away inspired. Click HERE to find out all about these upcoming events.
We do the string thing at christmas! Our big Santa gift is at the end. Okay…I'm 28 and didn't have a string this year, but we work together as siblings to make the youngest brothers string impossible. AKA out the door, through storm drains, around the block. And it's great.
I love that you post ideas BEFORE the holiday. It really helps me to step it up as a parent! Thanks for sharing! My boys are going to LOVE the string idea!! I want to know what's on your 'yellow' cards too. Is that on the blog somewhere?…
Great idea with the string! And if Julie Winder is the one I know, I'm giving her a big high five when I see here at the gym on Tuesday! Good for her 🙂
Wow. I am the luckiest girl in the world! Thanks so much. I had to come back 3 times to make sure it really was my name:) Happy Easter Shawni
juliehwinder@gmail.com
what happened to claires arm?
Shawni,
I recently discovered your blog, through a link on CloverLane, and I enjoy it so much. Thank you for taking the time to share you beautiful family life. It's really an inspiration. I really enjoyed your posts on keeping Easter Christ-centered.
I read in another post about your concern's for Lucy's physical health concerning obesity. I just happened upon this article today, and thought I would pass it on to you in case it is of any value. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?pagewanted=all
God bless,
Lara
I love all your great ideas! I'm wondering about the yellow papers- did you make them? I would love to be able to do something similar.