Easter

My family is very close--my cousins are like brothers & sisters, and all of our kids are best friends.  So our family gatherings grow every year!  We started celebrating Easter on Saturday as a family to make the day a little less stressful a few years ago, which made it easier for us all to get together.  Still, this is the first time in a long time that the whole family (on my Mom's side) has been in one place at the same time--my grandparents, my Mom & her husband & all my siblings, and my aunt and uncle and their families (with the exception of three of my cousins who had to work that day).

So, this Saturday we had 17 kids (ages 3 months to 13) here, along with all the adults.  Aside from an unknown little one who dug up my garden and a turkey that refused to cook in a timely manner, we had a fantastic time.  It's so much fun to watch our kids grow up together!
The kids found all but one of the 150+ eggs we hid.  (We don't know if there's an egg still out there, or if we miscounted!)  In years past, each child had his/her own color of eggs to avoid confusion, but this year we divided eggs into three categories (girls, big boys, and little boys).  With 13 kids of egg-hunting age, we just didn't have enough colors to go around!  It was so fun to hear the little ones calling out their colors (there's an orange one!) and counting down--(I have 7--I need 5 more!).  And, of course, when the kids joined together to help the others find their eggs--that's a beautiful thing!

Even better?  Hearing the kids tell the Easter story in their own words.  God sent Jesus to die for us, to wash away our sins, so we can live forever with Him in Heaven.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."