Sunday, April 24, 2011

He is Risen, Indeed!

Christ is RISEN, He is RISEN indeed!

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, Oh glorious day!

We love Easter in the Powers' house.  It's just such a glorious day where we acknowledge formally that Christ is risen.  If not for Christ's resurrection, our faith would be without merit, but because Christ not only died, but also was raised, we have life everlasting and a reason to live. 

The resurrection is difficult to explain to an almost three year old.  For the last few weeks we have enjoyed listening to "Jesus is Alive" on one of Adair's CD's and each time we sing it (alive, alive, alive forevermore, my Jesus is alive) Adair responds, "Jesus isn't alive...I've never seen Him".  It's given us a great opportunity, time and again, to talk to her about Jesus's resurrection.  I really think she is starting to understand and it's given us a great picture of what faith really is...believing in something not yet seen.

We enjoyed a wonderful service at church today followed by lunch with my family.  After lunch, Adair hunted Easter eggs and opened her Easter basket.





Saturday, April 23, 2011

Dying Eggs and Making "Bird Nests"

Today, Mom, Dad and I introduced Adair to the fun that is dying Easter eggs.  We experimented with a white crayon, stickers, and rubber bands to decorate the eggs and then died them in eight different colors the old fashioned way...with vinegar, hot water and food coloring.  Adair loved this little project and I am sure it will become a favorite Easter tradition.

 Decorating the eggs

 Getting ready to drop it in

 Waiting, waiting, waiting

 Inspecting and organizing the finished products

 Mommy and Adair with our masterpieces


After we finished our eggs, we made "birds nests" as a fun Easter treat.  When I was growing up I knew this treat as a haystack...melted butterscotch chips, peanut butter and chow mein noodles.  To make them nests we flattened them a little and added Cadbury mini eggs to the top.  I think they turned out pretty cute and Adair had a ball making them.

 Measuring our ingredients

A proud baker with our finished nests

Friday, April 22, 2011

More Easter Fun

Adair and I spent the morning enjoying an Easter egg hunt and fun snacks with our friends from church.  We had a great time fellowshipping and welcoming in the Easter weekend.  It is somewhat ironic that we typically spend Good Friday having fun when it is actually the holiday that commemorates one of the most solemn days in history.  Isn't it great that we can celebrate fully, no matter the day, because we know what comes after Good Friday?  HE is risen!




Sunday, April 17, 2011

Easter Egg Hide and Seek

Our church held a picnic and Easter egg hunt after services today.  Adair helped stuff our eggs and had been really looking forward to the event.  On the way into church she asked me, "Mommy, how do you hunt the eggs?" and the best explanation I could come up with was that it was like Easter egg hide and seek.  That seemed to make sense to her, so we went about our morning.  The funny thing is that for 2 (almost 3) years olds, an Easter egg hunt is really more like Easter egg pick up.  The eggs aren't actually hidden they are just spread out all over the grass.  And what is even funnier, as Hank pointed out on our way home, toddlers don't just pick up the first 12 eggs they spot...they walk past 12 to get to the one they see.  It's quiet entertaining, truly!  It was a beautiful day for a picnic and playing outside and we had a great time on this Palm Sunday with our church family.

Singing while they "hide" the Easter eggs
Look, Mommy, a blue one!

I can't wait to see what's inside!

Adair and Daddy

Adair and Mommy

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Beauty and the Beast

Today Adair, Mom and I went to see Beauty and the Beast at Birmingham Children's Theatre.  It was a great show and Adair sat very still and mostly quiet through the whole thing.  The storyline was an Indian version of the popular children's classic.  Adair was mesmerized by the actors/actresses, their costumes, and dancing.  After the show they were in the lobby signing play bills and posing for pictures.  Adair was so excited to meet each one and ask them to sign her program.  She also asked each of them why the Beast was so grouchy (which is what we called him so she wouldn't think he was mean).  It was very cute to hear the different answers they all came up with!  It was a really fun day!

Adair and Nona

Adair and Mommy

Adair and Beauty

Adair with the Sisters

Adair asking the Beast turned Prince to sign her program

Adair with her signed program

 
We were all very impressed with the production and with BCT.  If you live in Birmingham, I would highly recommend checking out the upcoming shows!  The Little Red Hen and Jack and the Bean Stock are coming up this summer and next season features shows such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Little Engine that Could, Peter and the Wolf, and Cinderella.  You really can't beat the deal on tickets at $8-10 each.  Check out www.bct123.org for more information! 

Friday, April 15, 2011

Eggs, Eggs Everywhere!

Tonight we made the best of the bad weather and decorated our house for Easter to the background noise of the weather guys on television and the tornado sirens outside.  We gathered up our Easter eggs and made an egg tree and other egg decorations to celebrate this special season.  Adair really enjoyed hanging the eggs on the tree.  Having eggs everywhere is a great reminder of the new life we receive in Christ because of His crucifixion and resurrection.  How thankful we are for everything that Easter symbolizes!