Easter Eggs and Mount Doom

We really enjoyed the Easter season this year.  Growing up, I really loved Easter because we had great family get-togethers and I liked dressing in pretty Easter outfits complete with a hat and white globes.  I also liked Easter Egg hunts.  That being said, I remember on Easter Eve, when I was 5-year old, earnestly praying for an Easter Egg basket that contained a beach Barbie.  I remember praying some like, "Oh God, if you are real, please, please, please give me a beach Barbie."  Low and behold, I didn't get the Barbie and I remember the deep sting of disappointment.   As I grew in my faith as a young adult, I found myself less inclined to really observe the Easter/Lenten season.  Although I missed the weighty and reverent Good Friday services contrasted by the hope and joy of Sunday Easter morning, I thought it was just a "religious motion" that shouldn't be contained by one weekend or for a few weeks each year.  Easter, or Resurrection Day, should be celebrated every day, I thought.

I think things have really changed as I see Charlie grow in his spiritual curiosity.  Gran and Grandad gave Charlie these Resurrection Eggs last year, and he just loves to do them.  The kit comes with 12 plastic eggs, and in each egg is an object depicting a moment in the Resurrection story of Jesus.  We've done them year-round, but it was really special to spend more time this Easter really reflecting on the Passion story.   He is SO into it and it can really be challenging as he asks BIG questions about Jesus death and resurrection.  That being said, when we were in Queenstown on Easter morning, a gentlemen asked Charlie if he woke up to a big Easter egg from the Easter bunny.  Charlie look at him puzzled and said, Jesus is Alive! 

We did have 2 really fun Easter egg hunts the week before Easter.  Below are a few pics from the events (one with the Embassy, the other with our church).  You can see that Charlie found the prized Golden Egg at the Embassy hunt (he was greatly helped by Uncle Rob who works in the Defense Attache Office).

Lastly, we are heading out to Mount Doom this morning.  We are hoping to hike Mt Togariro and have some really great quality time with friends from church.  Today is ANZAC day and we woke up to booming Navy gun salute thing at 5am and parades and speeches...  We were in bed for everything, and next year I want to attend the events.