Bunnies and Eggs

Easter is such wonderful day.  It's the day we celebrate Christ's victory over death and sin.  He bled from every pore, was betrayed by a friend, unjustly tried, beaten, spat upon, mocked, crowned with thorns, nailed to a cross, given vinegar to quench his thirst, and left to die without the previously unwavering companionship of his Father.  What seemed like total defeat was overcome with the resurrection.  What a victory!  All of that could not stop him.  He knew he would win and that through him we can win too.  No matter the chaos around us or the trials we face we can have hope because of the resurrection.  "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

To teach Hallee all about why we celebrate easter we started out with a bunny--the Easter Bunny.  She wasn't quite making the connection with the bunny and Jesus so we explained that the bunny brings a basket of candy.  This got her attention but the connection still wasn't made until we explained that you can paint eggs and hide them.

When Hallee found her basket she was so excited and yelled, "Special candy!"  Special candy is the candy she gets when she is a big girl and goes the bathroom on the potty.  It is special because it is bigger than your everyday candy and has more elegant wrapping.  How did the Easter Bunny know she had gone the bathroom on the potty?

After the finding the basket and before church the girls put on their Easter dresses and white shoes and we went to take some Easter pictures.  This was not the easiest task since the special candy made Hallee especially wired and getting her to be still was next to impossible.  Frustrated and tired of chasing her around trying to get a good picture I turned my attention to Maddie and Megan.  It wasn't until after I had given up on Hallee that she sat down with her basket and I was able to get a few of her just sitting there.

We ended the day with a dinner up at Grandma Junes and Grandpa Del's.  Had we known there would be about 25 people there the salad we brought would have been a little bigger.  Oops.  At least there was enough of everything else and it was delicious!