Easter Weekend: Friday

We had a really great weekend together as a family for Easter! (So busy and fun, in fact, that I have to split it up into 3 separate posts so that I can upload all the pictures!) Since Kenna was only about 4 months old on her first Easter, we excitedly looked forward to this year when she would be a stumbly little toddler, reaching over to pick up one little egg at a time, all while trying to not let all the eggs fall out of her basket. Little did we know that Kenna would get to participate in three Easter egg hunts this year!

The weather has been an absolutely gorgeous reminder of celebrating the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. Something about the flowers blooming at this time of year just reiterates in my mind the way God renews our hearts and the birth of the new creations we are in Him! "See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come." (Song of Solomon 2:11-12). Season of singing, that's exactly what spring is to me!

Friday
The first on Friday was technically our monthly ladies' lunch for our Sunday school class, hosted by our friends the Bryants. Let me tell you, Scott and Sarah know how to throw a party! We had a picnic lunch, a craft, went through the Resurrection eggs for the kids, hunted for Easter eggs, and even visited with the Easter bunny!

Seeing all the big kids when we first arrived at the Bryant's house... if there is a dog anywhere to be found, Kenna always wants to say hello.
She did a really good job of keeping her balance long enough to pick up the eggs and put them in her bucket. She was so excited to carry her own little bucket on her arm like a purse.
I was really impressed that Kenna didn't cry around the Easter bunny and awesome giant carrot. Most of the kids did really well, I remember seeing only one or two cry.
Letting it all hang out and eating a peep. It was so sunny and hot!
Inspecting her candy loot! I let her eat the melted chocolate right out of the wrapper. Yes, she had marshmallow peeps and melted mini kit-kats instead of lunch!
Friday afternoon we walked around our neighborhood and gave out small gift bags we made with Easter eggs full of candy, a note inviting them to church with us, and some really great tracts Matt had ordered earlier in the week. We wanted it to be an encouragement to those that already are believers, and an open door to get to know everybody in our neighborhood a little better!
(PS- didn't Target have the most beautiful colored eggs this year? I kept going back for more because I wanted to have a few left over! Love them!)
After Kenna went to bed, Matt and I watched the movie the Passion of the Christ together and decided it will be a new family tradition to watch it each year on Good Friday. It was such a special and awesome time for both of us to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross, and I actually love how graphic the movie is because it makes it just that much more real that we don't celebrate the "Easter story" we celebrate a risen and living God!