Easter Egg Hunt

Grandpa and Grandma Wiederstein gave John and Emma Easter baskets on Saturday, so after a good nap today, I hid John's eggs outside. He had fun searching for them and still looked handsome...even with the Lightning McQueen shoes on.





After bringing the eggs inside, John and Emma both got to open the eggs full of circus peanuts and vanilla wafers. They would always shake them first, so we had an impromptu lesson on the different sounds the items made. That way, we didn't have to open every egg. I think we'll fill the empty eggs with more items and have John guess what's in them.



Emma got ahold of one circus peanut during the impromptu lesson with John. Needless to say, that made a mess! I took the picture and then took it away.

Easter

Conversation with John this morning on the way to church:

Mommy: Happy Easter! He is alive! Who is alive?

John: John

Mommy: Yes, you are also alive. But it's Easter, so who do you think I meant?

John: JESUS!

We enjoyed breakfast at church before first service and then attended first service together (for the most part anyway). I did the children's message at both services and am always amazed at the number of children at NewLife. We have a great group of kids and volunteers!

Scott took a very tired Emma home for a nap, and John stayed with me for second service. He and his friend Tommy even stopped playing long enough for me to get a picture of them dressed up. After church and a long wait in line, we enjoyed a delicious buffet at the Triple Crown Eatery (Prairie Meadows). Emma enjoyed smearing a butter packet on the table.

Easter at the Wiedersteins

On Saturday, we went to Grandpa and Grandma Wiederstein's house. It was a BEAUTIFUL day outside, so John enjoyed a tractor ride with Daddy. We took pictures with Emma in the tractor too, even though she didn't go for a ride in it. Kristi and Bella also came to visit for awhile. Bella was wearing one of her fancy dresses. What a doll!

Easter Dress

For her birthday, Emma received a beautiful dress from Uncle Matt and Aunt Jackie. Today I decided she'd better try it on, since I want her to wear it for Easter Sunday. It does fit, even if it is floor length. What a beautiful child of God! Now, what am I going to wear? Hmm...

Taking My Sins Away

As Easter approaches, I've been talking with John about why we celebrate Easter. We currently have a book (The Toddlers Bible: Easter Book by V. Gilbert Beers) from the church library. I do like how the book starts with Jesus entering Jerusalem and goes through Jesus going back to heaven and the angels saying that He will come back. Anyway, here's a conversation that John and I had last night as I read:

Book: Jesus wants to help us live with God in heaven. When we sin, we can't go there.

John: But I want to live at home, not in heaven!

Mommy: Well, someday we'll die and that's when God wants us to live with him.

John: oh

Book: But Jesus die to take away our sin. He wants to be our Saviour.

John: But I want my sins back!

Mommy: John, sins are bad. They are the things we do against God when we don't obey him.

John: But I want them back!

At that point, I just finished the story and figured we'd carry on the coversation again when he wasn't so tired.

So, on the way home from MOPS today, he and I were chatting about things he was seeing outside. As usual, I had his Bible songs CD playing in the van. In the middle of our conversation, John started another random one:

John: Jesus will wash away my sin.

Mommy (trying to figure out where that came from - and realizing that Jesus Loves Me was playing on the CD): Yes, he will, John.

John: My sins are good, Mommy.

Mommy: No, John. Sins are bad, and Jesus washes them away to make us clean again.

John: But I want my sins back.

We started the Resurrection Eggs today. We'll see if this helps clear things up...maybe?