Easter is coming

Today the children and I went outside and played for a while when I got home. I forget every year how much I like spring, how much winter just makes me want to curl up on the couch (and do not much of anything else) and how much the changing seasons are refreshing.

I am enjoying the taste of Spring we've had in the last two weeks and I've been slowly trying to get ready for Lucy's birthday (this coming Sunday) but haven't been able to do much to prepare us for Easter. I'm not talking about pastel colors and crafts (I have some cute crafty spring things to do) but ways to make the Easter story a part of our celebration in the weeks leading up to Easter. I mentioned at Christmas the idea of saving the Christmas tree, cutting the branches and using it to make a cross. Well, this afternoon the children and I made a cross, used Samuel's purple cape as a drape and hung it on our front door. The children remembered the wood was from our Christmas tree - and I think it helps tie in their minds the two holidays. That Jesus came into the world as a little baby, lived a perfect life and then willingly died on the cross in our place and rose again so that we might have abundant life (from Christmas to Easter though it could be from the garden to the cross). I know for me it is a concrete reminder. I don't think I've ever had a cross as an Easter "decoration" (for lack of a better word) but I like it.

I plan to put a black cloth on it for Good Friday and Saturday and then figure out how to put some flowers on it for Easter Morning!