happy day!

Growing up, I often felt like Easter was not as important enough to me as it should be. I knew Resurrection Sunday was the highest holy day on the church calendar, but a lot of times, it just felt like another Sunday with a bigger family meal attatched. Since moving to Minnesota, however, that has changed. I love being in a church that really works a lot of powerful traditions into Holy Week. It has been a wonderful weekend--lots of unstructured time hanging out as a family, and lots of time considering the cross of Christ. I've been reading The Cross of Christ (Stott) lately, and I think that also really helped me worship more wholeheartedly.

In Children's Ministry, Ruth was asking the 3 & 4 year olds what holiday it was. Everyone knew that it was Easter...easy question. But when she asked what we were celebrating, Isaac was the first one to eagerly raise his hand. "It was an accident!" That's right folks...you have to really be active in teaching your children at home in order to get children as doctrinally sound as ours. Just do what we do :)

We had our annual Whipple Easter gathering, which was so much fun as always. Good friends, good food, good day = good times.

Isaac was really into the bunny napkins.

Claire and Hazel really liked the fruit tray. Claire napped for 3 hours in a room next to all us noisy adults--I was so proud of her! And Isaac skipped his nap completely and had a great time playing with the big boys without melting down--I was proud of him too.

The happy revellers. Note that Ruth is making fun of me at the moment, and our debonair host beside her is looking his classy self. Good times!