Easter

I know, I know.  It's way past Easter and i have not been very good at updating my blog very often.  To tell you the truth I have been so crazy busy that the times I am at home and not working blogging is the last on my list.  I just want to spend time with my husband and kids.
I just had to blog about  Easter weekend though.  Here is what happened.  Every year the college where John works puts on an Easter egg hunt.  We always go so we loaded in the car, got lined up and reminded the boys what to do.  Grab the eggs, right?  They said go and Glen took off like the wind and Benjamin ran for an egg, then he stood there screaming while the kids rushed around him grabbing things left and right.  John went in to help him, but he still only ended up with 1 empty egg and a colored pencil.  Sorta lame in my opinion, but it save Glen an opportunity to share with his brother.  K, so here is what bugged me about the egg hunt.  They put kids in age groups and both boys were in the 2-5 age group.  that is a really big gap and a HUGE difference between my 2 year old and a 5 year old.  To big in my opinion.  The other thing that really bothered me is the parents coaching there kids, not 2 year olds like my Benjamin, but 5 year olds, and telling them where to get eggs, what to grab, and even one mom who showed her 5 year old where to find the gold egg so he could get the prize.  This kid had a huge amount of eggs, candy and more then one kite, and now the prize, while my little one is stuck with an empty egg. I was so irritated and thinking "How am I going to teach my boys the true meaning of Easter when I am so upset over this Easter egg hunt."  I did want Benjamin to have a good experience though, so after working for a few hours I took the boys down the road for another Easter egg hunt.

Driving around I had seen a sign for an Easter egg hunt, Easter fair more like.  It said food and bouncy houses would be there too.  Sounded fun so we went.  I felt a little nervous since it was a Baptist church and we are LDS.  I hoped no one would ask us, I was sure it would be awkward.  Well we got there and parked as fast as I could.  We had already missed it, I was so disappointed, but as soon as she was us this nice young lady ran over to tell us she had saved a bag of eggs for the kids that came late.  SO she ran to grab the eggs, there were like 100, seriously.  She started to spread them around along with some candy and then a few [people joined her and I went over to help.  Then she told the kids to go.  There was no pushing, screaming, or greed.  The kids stopped when they had enough and let the other kids get more.  They even helped each other.  I saw one little baby go to pick up and egg when a big kid swooped in to get it, but he pulled up short when he saw the little girl and then cheered her on as she picked it up!  I could not believe how nice every one was.  The kids were nice, the adults all helped each other, new each other, and all looked out for everyone else's kids.  They were a community of love.
It surprised me then, going from such a scene as the college presented, but after thinking about it, it wasn't so surprising.  These people were fellow Christians.  They followed Christ's example of kindness, love, and sharing.  The truly cared about each other and Christ and they showed it in every way.  In the way the spoke to each other, helped each other, hugged, respected, and showed genuine concern.  I tell you, if my kids had run off and been lost I would not have worried, I would feel safe knowing someone had found them and was caring for them until I could get there.  That is a far cry different then Wal-mart or anywhere else.  It was wonderful.  I want to go back every year, and if anyone asks I'll tell them I'm LDS, but I was so impressed by the way they treated us and followed Christ that I wanted to come back.

That is how I can teach my kids the true meaning of Easter.  It wasn't the eggs, the pop corn, games, or even the bouncy house that made me want to go back, it was the fellowship and love.  It was being with fellow Christians that showed in every way that we both follow Christ, even if we go to different churches.

 PS, I had to include this picture of Benjamin's hands after dying Easter eggs.  They were so blue!  His hands had more color then some of the eggs.  :)  It looked like he had a glove on.  :)