Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Easter in Orleans was absolutely fabulous!  The weather was wondrous the food was fantastic, the eggs were extravagant and the sweets were sugarific.

Dying Easter eggs in Grandma's new kitchen

Ready for an early Easter breakfast at church.  Can you tell which kiddo is not exactly a morning person?

Where could those eggs be?

Nathan was the last to find his basket.  Where was it you ask?  Well of course, that smart bunny hid it in the old tractor.  If I were Nathan, that would have been the first place I would have looked.  It was so funny watching him try to open the planter unit.  Even Papa teased him about not knowing how to work the contraption.  Hopefully Nathan wasn't too offended by the teasing and considers the harassment as family love.

      

Isaac perked up a bit after the big hunt and I quote, "This was the best Easter I have ever had!"  One out of five isn't too bad.

After all the Easter festivities, Isaac and Jentry played with the water hose in the back yard and finally there was room for me to ride along to the farm.  Three kids usually take up the extra seats in Papa's pick-up, but this time I got a prime seat next to Miss Anna.  She just loves to help Papa with the cattle chores and let me tell you she knows the routine.  She was able to tell me just what to do. 

I could not help but think of all the trips I took in that very same, orange, feed truck with my dad when I was Anna's age.  It certainly brought back some fond memories and made me wonder where all the days have gone.  I am sure that my mother has a very similar picture of me standing in the feed bunk with my dad telling me all about his love for cows.

When we arrived home from our fabulous Easter weekend, Jentry wouldn't stop singing, "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Alleluia"  She couldn't remember the next verse, so she just kept repeating it over and over again.  To some this may be maddening, however to me it was music to my ears.

Long before I ever understood Christ's atoning sacrifice or appreciated his glorious resurrection, I formed strong associations with Easter. Sure, the candy and family gatherings created fond, joyous memories. But it was the music...the same songs every year in the small Presbyterian church...that has grown into a much deeper meaning in my heart.  My hope is that my daughter will develop those same Easter memories and she too will have the true meaning of Easter blossom in her soul.