Our Easter Traditions...

We have the Easter Bunny visit our house Friday night, so we can do all the egg hunting and chocolate eating on Saturday, and spend Sunday reflecting on our Savior, and going to church, and spending time with family. We still do an Easter egg hunt with Aaron's family on Sunday, but for our little family it just makes sense, especially when you have 9:00am church! Here are some pictures from this morning.

 

I didn't get pictures of their baskets before they tore them apart, but they got bubble bath, tooth brushes, flossers, chocolate rabbits, Lightning McQueen car, tea sets, silly string, and a Kids vs Parents game for everyone. Probably some other random stuff that I'm forgetting, but they were excited. The Silly String was the biggest hit.

Silly String fight!

Then Saturday night we read in the book of John the story of the resurrection, and made resurrection rolls. This is becoming my favorite tradition, I think ever, that we have started as a family.

Basically we take a marshmallow, which represents Christ's body. Then we roll it in butter, and then a cinnamon-sugar mixture, representing how Mary prepared Christs body after he died. Then you put the oiled, spiced "Jesus" in a roll, which obviously represents the tomb. We just use Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Put the marshmallow in, and seal the roll around it. Then bake... and when you open them up they look like the ones in the picture... hollow. Like an empty tomb. We did not open them up yet tonight... before they went to bed we talked a bit about how Mary must have been feeling. She loved Jesus so much and they were such good friends, and it was probably a very hard thing to do. Then when we open the rolls in the morning and they are empty, we will remember the empty tomb and the hope Mary felt, and the hope we can all feel because of that miraculous moment.

And I don't do this often, but I hope anyone reading this today will take a minute to think about their Savior. Think about who Jesus Christ is, think about the Atonement and what it really means in your life. For me, my relationship with Jesus Christ is very real. And personal. I have this picture on a wall in my house. It is simply titled, "Hope".  And I just love to look at it and think of Peter and John and the emotions they must have felt when they heard the tomb was open. It says in John 20, they ran, one faster than the other, just running towards the tomb... and they get there and it's empty, except for the linens Jesus was wrapped in. And tonight as I was reading my scriptures this verse pierced my heart..."Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed."

What did he see? He didn't see Jesus... but it says he believed. I probably won't see Jesus Christ in my lifetime, but I believe. I believe he was resurrected, and I believe that because of that truth I will live with Heavenly Father again. That my sins are forgiven, that my pains have been felt and understood by an older Brother, who is always there for me. This knowledge brings my life so much joy, and can be hard to share this part of me... but here it is. 

Happy Easter!