Easter Tradition Recap

So I had this other blog, but I can't keep up two right now (can barely keep up one! Big family problems...). So before the internet ate it, I copied all the posts into a word doc. I thought I'd repost this one today, in anticipation of Easter. I wrote it a few years ago, but we've kept up with some of the traditions, doing them every year. Our favorite is still the Empty Tomb.

Is there any holiday that is richer for Christians than Easter (or Resurrection Sunday, to be precise)? The celebration that encompasses so much: our salvation, our rescue, Jesus’ resurrection, our reconciliation to God, Jesus’ victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave…the list goes on and on. It is the most important day in the history of the world. Celebrating it is our privilege and our joy.

And as parents we walk in this tension: we want our kids to have the fun Easter offers (egg dyeing and hunts, Easter baskets), but we don’t want to lose the meaning and the JOY of the day. Last year, we started some traditions that are fun and meaningful ways to celebrate the resurrection and all it holds.

The Empty Tomb

On Good Friday, we will head outside to make a garden. Here is the one we did last year.

While we gather leaves and branches from the yard, we will talk about the day. What were Jesus’ friends feeling? Why is the day called Good Friday? What happened when Jesus died? What did the disciples think had happened? We will also talk about why no flowers are allowed in the garden. Flowers are for happiness, and this is a sad, sad day. This garden (dirt in a bowl with a hollow potato as the tomb) will become our centerpiece for the next few days. And the plants will begin to wilt and die. Saturday night, we will look at it again, talking about how long it must have seemed from Friday to Sunday, and how sad the garden looks.

And then.

Saturday night while the kids are sleeping, I will remove the wilted leaves and plants, replacing them with flowers. And I will open the “tomb.” Joy! He is risen! When the kids wake up in Easter Sunday, they will see flowers for happiness, and an empty tomb. Here is what it looked like last year:

Easter Baskets

We have debated Easter baskets every year until last year. While we wanted to do them because they’re fun, we’ve also been hesitant since we don’t want Easter Sunday morning to be more exciting because of stuff than because of the Resurrected Lord. But last year, we hit upon a good way to bring symbolism to the baskets. As Jeremy said, even if the kids end up thinking this is corny, at least they’ll know we tried to bring the gospel into everything.

We each took five rocks and put them in our Easter baskets. Then one by one, we took them out, naming a sin for each rock, and dropped them into one basket we called Jesus’ basket, showing how He takes our sin. Then we covered Jesus’ basket with a red cloth, because He covers our sins with His blood. So now our Easter baskets were empty.

The next morning, they were full of good things–because Jesus takes our sins and gives us good things instead. It turned out to be a good, meaningful, and humbling exercise that reminded us all of our sin and the goodness of Jesus.

The Jesus Storybook Bible

(If you’ve never heard of or read this book, you must. It tells the stories of the Bible in a way that ties each one to Jesus. It’s beautiful and rich.) This year, we’re adding a new tradition. Starting today (Maundy Thursday), we’re reading the pages in the Jesus Storybook Bible that go along with that day. Here’s the breakdown:

Maundy Thursday: The Servant King, A Dark Night in the Garden

Good Friday: The Sun Stops Shining

Easter Sunday: God’s Wonderful Surprise

Today’s reading brought tears to my eyes. “But this is how God will rescue the whole world. My life will break and God’s broken world will mend. My heart will tear apart–and your hearts will heal. Just as the passover lamb died, so now I will die instead of you…”

Homemade Matzo 

This one we haven’t tried yet, though I’d like to. There is such symbolism in the cutting and piercing of the dough, and then breaking the bread afterwards. This recipe looked good and fairly easy. While we’re not celebrating the Passover this year (although we have in the past and have loved it), this would be a good way to connect the dots between the passover lamb and the Passover Lamb.

I hope this gives you some ideas for ways to celebrate! What Easter traditions do you have? Please share!

What You'll Remember

Sometimes I wonder what you'll remember about this, your childhood.

Will you remember the time we forgot to bring Laina clothes to change into after ballet, and we wanted to go to the park? So we loaded up and bought her a clearance dress at Old Navy, and then played until you were all tired?

What will you remember about your elementary school days? Doing your work in front of a wall of books, reading aloud together almost-daily, learning to recite poetry and speeches, figuring math problems, doing school outside or at the park? Or will you remember how loud it was all the time? How we all get tired around about Thursday and want to call the whole thing off? How I fuss at you way more than I should?

Will you remember the early, early mornings? When we're up before the sun? Will you remember Dad making oatmeal every morning for whoever wants it? 

I know you'll know certain things when you leave home someday: how to do the dishes, sweep the floor, fold the laundry. Also how to make chocolate chip cookies and what music is the best to clean up the house to. You might have to do more chores than some of your friends, but that's part of large family life...and you have more best friends in your siblings than many kids do.

Which hiding places will you remember? This one, behind the rocking chair? You guys sure are back there a lot. There's the two small trees in the backyard known as Cory's Tree and Iain's Tree--I often find one of you there. You all like the side yard where you've dug deep holes in the Georgia clay. And your beds--you guys make them your own, decorating the walls with pictures and drawings, adding blankets and stuffed buddies that you love. 

Soon our church will have a building of our own, which will be wonderful. But all of you cut your teeth on church-in-a-school. You know how to set up and tear down, how to not touch the school's property but to admire the students' artwork on the hallway walls. You know how it takes so many people to pull off a Sunday service, and you know how to pitch in and help. You also know the fun of running around in the gym after it ceases being the sanctuary. I love that you know those things, and I do hope some of you will remember this time in our church family's life.

 I have no doubt you'll remember the Naughty Circle, and the pouty moments you spent there. Good old Naughty Circle.

What books will be part of your childhood memories? The Little House books for sure. Narnia. Caddie Woodlawn? And farther back still, Hand Hand Fingers Thumb? All the Dr Seuss?

What of small group nights? We've had weekly small group meetings in our home since before any of you were born. Will you remember the cleaning? The hurried dinners? Or, hopefully, the yummy desserts? Will you remember hanging out with your friends?

I don't know what you five will remember. But I hope and pray that when you look back someday on the years you spent here, young, growing, learning, that you'll smile and be glad. And then you'll call one of your siblings or me and your dad we will all remember together. I'm saving these moments, these sweet, busy, chaotic moments in my heart, knowing that one day I will really miss this.

Snapshots of Life

We are rolling through spring and into summer faster than ever this year, or so it seems. We've been kept very busy with school, church, and just life with five littles, and we're trying to also take time for memory-making. These days, though they are often long and exhausting, are also going to be gone before we know it, and we want to make the most of this time.

So here, for remembrance's sake, are some snapshots of our days, some notes around the margins of our full life.

(Sam and Cory)

(Iain and Cory holding hands before they do the sumo wrestling event at our church's winter event. I love that they do this when they're nervous.)

(Cory's CC class--and they're color-coordinated!)

(Cory does art at CC.)

(family movie night!)

(Ivy sleeps)

(This is really how Ivy sleeps most days!)

(Jeremy, Ivy and I made a quick trip to Florida in April. Ivy surprised us all by rolling from her tummy to her back! I think she's done it maybe once since?)

(Ivy and her cousin Miles. I adore this picture.)

(Easter morning arrived with Iain and Mason both under the weather. So these three and I went to church. Afterwards, we had my family and the Burtons over for a picnic.)

(Baby's First Easter--dress by Nona.)

(Iain reading to Cory about Apollo 13.)

(We did a Lego building contest at the museum. The three big kids LOVED it.)

(Mason liked the fun house mirrors better.)

(This girl is not scared of bugs one bit.)

(youngest two)

(We spent a day at the property--Ivy's first trip!)

(See Iain waaaaay up there?)

(On the drive home, during one of the rare minutes she wasn't crying.)

(Sisters.)

(Oldest and youngest.)

(I love this outfit on her!)

(Our CC community.)

(Iain's CC class)

(Cory is learning to mow the lawn!)

(We gave the Wesley couch away. It was a good old couch. It lived in Apartment A while I was there, and I loved it, so I got to take it with me when I left. Then it spent time in our house, Kelsey's house, and Jenna's house.)

(The girls on the way to church.)

And there you have it. The time I have to blog is less than ever, but life is good. Full. Busy. Crazy. Overflowing. Unmanageable at times, but always a blessing.