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

Another Fun Party!

Two weeks ago, we celebrated my Great - Grandma Bernyce’s 90th birthday! There were about 80 people there - very close friends from her childhood, and extended family. It was very neat meeting family I had never met - or maybe I had met, but don’t remember meeting!

The party was mostly organized by a hotel who set up the tables, and cooked and served the food and beverages. The place was beautiful and the food was delicious! My Auntie Dianne brought the flowers, cakes and pictures of Grandma when she was younger for each table, and my family brought a “Happy Birthday” banner.

Wow! I will never forget that party! I could tell my Grandma felt so touched and happy! She was so excited about it, and even more excited about seeing her friends and family. Some people travelled for hours through a blizzard to make it. It was a blast!

My family and I created a family scrapbook for her. We all decorated a page, and glued in pictures of each of us with her. We had a lot of fun making it, and she absolutely loves it! My brother Ashton, my Grammy, my Mom and I, wrote poems for my Grandma. We recited them at her party, and posted them in her scrapbook. We all wrote about special memories we had with her, and mine was about candle holders she gave me for a birthday present last year. They belonged to my Great - Great Grandma Campbell (Grandma Bernyce’s mom).

I was thrilled and touched that she gave me something that was so special to her!

This is the poem that I wrote and recited :)

What a Treasure!

To surprise me before my 13th birthday,

My thoughtful Grandma came by one day,

And presented me with a beautiful gift

Which I unwrapped, curious and swift.

I cut open the box, which was wrapped tightly with tape,

So of course, nothing could fall out, break, or escape.

And there I saw, as I untied the packaging,

Two precious candle holders which looked absolutely enthralling!

With a gasp and then glee, joy, and enthusiasm,

I smiled and said “I absolutely love them”!

Grandma looked pleased, as she gave me pink candles

“These were your great, great Grandma Campbell’s”

Amazed, I proclaimed with much thrill and pleasure,

“Thank you Grandma, so much...What a treasure!”

For generation to generation, this treasure of glass,

One day to my children I surely will pass!

And with them stories of you and the love that we share,

Thank you, Dear Grandma, for all your love and care.

Also, here are some pictures from the party :)

Beautiful pic of my Grandma

My Papa Rox! (The Master of Ceremonies :)

My brother Ashton

My mom

My brother Caiden

My Grammy

My hilarious Grandpa Reg!

Family scrapbook

We gave her a shirt that said:

"This is what a really fabulous 90 year old looks like!"

Lindsay (my uncle's girlfriend) with Grandma

My family

My exceptionally cute brothers with Grandpa :)

I love you so much, Grandma! I pray that you will have such a wonderful 9th decade!

P.S Thanks Lindsay for taking the pictures!