All Natural Easter

Easter 2003

For Easter we have always done big Easter baskets on Easter morning packed with Jelly Beans, pastel M&M's, chocolate shaped bunnies, Marshmallow Peeps and Robin Eggs.

What was I thinking putting that much candy in my 1 year old's Easter Basket?

This charming photo of my first born was taken when we would not let her eat all the candy in less than 5 minutes.

Do you see the drip of snot that goes all the way down to the floor?

I still laugh when I see this photo.

I know, I'm such a mean mom, I take photos when I should be comforting them.

She wanted ALL of it and was not happy that we put some up for later.

That was one drama scene we could have avoided by making better choices as parents.

Easter 2004

Each year we have gotten those egg dying kits from Wal-Mart that cost about 50 cents.

We dye eggs to our hearts content.

One of my sisters even tried to dye a worm once. The color did not stick very well.

And as I recall, the worm did not like it too much.

See, I'm not the only weird one in my family.

Beano Easter 2004

Then we bask in all the prettiness of our eggs.

Then we eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 3 days.

Artificial food dye that leaches into the eggs and all!

*Yummy*

Easter 2004
Here is Doodle the next year enjoying her toxic waste, Ahem, I mean her yummy candy. I was getting wiser though, I filled the basket with other things, like a feather boa and stuffed animals and only a little candy, still way too much for a 2 year old.

Easter 2005

Every year we have been seen at community Easter Egg hunts. It's quite amazing to see all the brightly colored eggs lying on the grass, just waiting to be snatched up by some eager child.

Easter 2005

Each egg is filled with candy, candy and more candy.

You would almost begin to think Easter is about how much candy we can get our greedy little hands on.

Sure, they teach you about Jesus in church, but I am ashamed about what I was showing them in real life.

"Hurry, snatch up as many eggs as you can, because we all know it's really about YOU!"

*Shameful*

Easter 2006

This year will be different, but the same.

Here are some of my favorite Easter memories.

Flying kites with cousins.

2006
Playing at the park with cousins.

Dubs Easter 2006

Grandma holding babies.

Beano and Doodle 2006

Grandpa teaching my kids to stomp in water puddles.
By the way, they have not forgotten that little trick.

2006

Any time they see a puddle they think it's for stomping in.

Why else would God put it there?

This year we will dye eggs, with all natural dyes like turmeric for yellow, berries and red onions for pinks and purples, spinach for green and carrots for orange. We will use leaves to make prints on the eggs.

We will have Easter baskets filled with books, markers, games to be played together, scripture stories and maybe one or two treats that are all natural.

The pretty plastic eggs will be filled with coins and little plastic farm animals and toys instead of jelly beans and M&M's.

We will have pretty strawberries with whole grain pancakes for breakfast.

We will go to church.

We will have a different kind of Easter egg hunt. We will do it at home and the kids will get to pick things they want to put in the eggs for hiding. They will fill them with things like Lego's, their own coins, homemade crafts, etc and enjoy the thrill of the hunt and of sharing their things with each other.

We will spend the evening with cousins, making new memories and eating good food.

We will show them, not just tell them how to be thankful this Easter season for the gift of God's Son and what it means that He is Risen.

We will teach them that because of His Son we can all be with our dear Grandma again, forever.