Our 2015 Journey to Easter

With our crazy busy schedules, I wasn't able to do as much Lenten and Easter preparation at home as I did last year. Even so, we still found time to make sure the kiddos were amply ready to partake in the joys of the Easter season.

Ash Wednesday fell during the big ice storm, so we missed going to Mass but were able to receive the ashes on Sunday instead. We made a big show of burying the "Alleluia" until Easter and started coloring our squares on our countdown to Easter.

Can you tell who colored this nicely and in the lines?

And who colored this one?
(He decided that purple wasn't good enough and also didn't want to get past the 36th day of Lent.)

We went to the Stations of the Cross at church a few times and used our Montessori-esque kits. Xavier, especially, was really empathetic to Jesus' boo-boos when he fell and was so sad to hear of the people who wanted to hurt Jesus.

During Holy Week, we used the Resurrection Eggs that Lissie made in school to learn the story of the Passion. Both kids were very interested in this and were particularly intrigued that there were people who would put a crown of thorns on Jesus' head, whip him, and gamble for his clothes. As Xavier said, "They were not nice. Not nice at all." They were excited, though, to know that on Easter Sunday the tomb was empty because He rose from the dead. They could not wait to celebrate.

Learning the Resurrection story with our Resurrection Eggs.

We also made unleavened (or as Lissie thinks, "eleven") bread when we learned about the Last Supper, and Lissie went to church with Lolo and Lola on Good Friday to kiss the cross.

Making unleavened bread.

Unleavened bread, grapes, and asparagus soup.

And, of course, there were egg hunts galore. At church, at the zoo, at school, and at home.

At church

Annual Eggstravaganzoo with friends. With game faces on, ready to hunt eggs.

Xavier didn't want to get many eggs after he realized they were empty.
(You turn in the eggs at the end for your goody bag.)

Rockin' their zoo shades.

After nap, we went on an Easter Nature hunt with our baskets.

And had our own Easter egg hunt after painting eggs.

On Easter Sunday, we woke the kids up singing "Alleluia!" and the kids were humming it throughout the day. They were so excited to be able to say that special word again. They enjoyed their Easter baskets, going to Mass (where Lissie was curious as to why Jesus was still on the cross if He rose from the dead), and playing at the park and having a picnic lunch before nap. Since Justin was working and the place we typically have Easter brunch was not having it this year, we opted instead for a special Easter dinner at Maggiano's. Yum!