Here are a few photos of our family preparing to celebrate Easter, as well as our festivities on Resurrection Sunday. It has been an awesome season and joyous celebration!
Abby Grace and Hannah preparing to make Easter cookies.
All the girls painting their egg-shaped cookies.
They made beautiful works of art!
Lots of icing. :)
And here they are dying Easter eggs. They had a great time hiding eggs for each to find all week.
Our family on Easter Sunday in the backyard.
We had over one hundred people for a backyard celebration.
Zoe searching for Easter eggs during the party.
Hannah and Abby Grace are also on the hunt.
Mark and I shared the Resurrection story with the children using Resurrection Eggs (Such a great tool to keep your focus on the Risen King. If you don't have them go to Family Life's website and order them for next year: www.shopfamilylife.com/res-eggs-2011.html).
Outdoor Worship. We sang "In Christ Alone," my favorite.
You can hear this song done beautifully and worshipfully by Keith and Kristyn Getty on YouTube:
In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save 'Til on that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious Day Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt of life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand 'til He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
Mark preaching in the backyard. What an awesome day of ministry--thank you, Lord!
While I am at it, let me recommend an excellent book for Lent. I read "Amon's Adventure" with the girls over the last month or so. We were all captivated by it and it truly captured our hearts for Easter. The very well written story takes place during the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It follows the life of a devout Jewish boy and brings to life the history and reality of life in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. I cannot recommend it heartily enough! All six of us give it two thumbs up. You can buy it on Amazon.com for $11.55.