Our Easter - Only one month late :)

Hey Everyone :)

Even though Easter was...well, a while ago, I, the long lost blogger who hasn’t blogged in two months, am going to write about how my family and I celebrated it :)

Again, we celebrated by having a Seder Passover Meal.  This gave us all a chance to stop and celebrate Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. - that He came down as a baby, lived a totally selfless life, did miracles, preached the Gospel, and totally loved everyone around Him.  After 33 years, He died on the cross for our sins, because He  loves us all very much, and so we could all live in Heaven with Him someday.  It didn’t stop there, though. Three days later, just as the scriptures claimed, Jesus came alive again!  He didn’t stay dead, but He arose from the grave and ascended into Heaven.  That’s what Easter is about!

We did this supper with our close friends, the Abbeys, which made it even more meaningful!  We had a lot of fun preparing and decorating!  The Abbeys hosted it at their house (which means more space!).  There was an adult table and a kids table (there were 10 kids in all!) The Abbeys decorated the tables so beautifully with candles and flowers!  The main course, again was roast beef  (not lamb :), baked carrots, asparagus  and potatoes.  It was delicious!!  For dessert, my friend, Brielle baked individual cakes in a terracotta pots which turned out to be like a jumbo cupcake!  She baked 14 of them!  One for everyone.  I helped her decorate some of them - we iced them with chocolate icing, sprinkle crushed wafer cookies and then stuck a mint leaf in the middle.  This symbolized new life because each one looked like a new plant just starting to grow.   Wow, were they ever good - and pretty to look at!  :)  The boys were in heaven when they saw the size of their dessert, but they couldn’t finish either, just like everyone else :)

During the symbolic part of the meal, we drank grape juice 4 times which represents the Cup of Sanctification, Judgement, Redemption and Restoration.   We also had celery (which represents new life) dipped in salt water which represents the tears that were cried, horseradish (bitter herbs) which represents the bitterness of the oppression the Jews felt under the Egyptians, Haroset (a Jewish dish made of apples, honey, raisins, dates and wine/grape juice) which represents the mortar the Israelites used to make bricks, and Matzah or unleavened bread to remember that the Jews left Egypt quickly without time to bake their bread (it also represents Jesus and the stripes He bore to heal us).  My dad and Mr. Abbey took turns reading the part of the leader.


After dinner, the two dads had a competition to see who could get all the leaves off a leftover Christmas tree with a chainsaw!  Mr. Abbey was the fastest, and my dad’s turned out to be the cleanest! (not to brag or anything, but I think I take after my dad...and my five year old brother!)  Afterwards, they put the two trees together to form a cross.  The boys helped hammer them together!  We talked about the symbolism of  Christmas and then of Easter.  The boys laid on the cross after and tried to imagine what it was like for Jesus to lie on His cross after he had been whipped and beaten.  Then, the dads and the boys burned all the small branches.


This was such a special day for me, because it helped me remember what Easter is really about.  It’s not about the candy and turkey, its about Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.  Sometimes its hard to remember this when our culture doesn’t.  The real reason of Easter gets bumped to the side, and chocolate and the business of preparing for Easter dinner takes its place.  This was a wonderful reminder of why Easter truly exists: because Jesus loved us so much, and He wanted us to live with Him someday.

This song, “In Christ Alone” is one of my favorite hymns, and it seems fitting to post it here.  Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE

Karpas

Matzah

Haroset

Princess E!

"New Life" cupcakes :)

Little Mr. B!

Little Mr. O!

M...or O again? (one of the twins :)

Caiden

Brennan

Mr. Abbey!

My hilarious dad!

Little Mr...O ?? 

Little Mr. M hammering away!

K & A - long time buddies!

Little Mr. B!

Caiden

Brennan

C & E - best friends!

Burning the branches

My mom and Mrs. Abbey

Finally time for dessert!

Brielle and me