Easter

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Easter is probably my favorite holiday. I love Easter at our church, CTK Cambridge. Good Friday is celebrated with an evening service (after dark). Passages are read, solemn songs are sung, and the lights get dimmed and candles snuffed until the attendees are left in pitch black to contemplate the death of our savior. We leave in silence, and are left to wait until sunrise on the third day.

Back to church we joyfully run on Sunday morning at dawn for a sunrise service at 6:30am! I read Frankie the stories of the crucifixion and resurrection from her Jesus Storybook Bible on Saturday night, and we talked about how exciting it would be the next morning to celebrate the fact that Jesus rose from the dead - that he's alive!

When we woke the kids before 6am on Sunday, Frankie greeted Chris - "Daddy! Jesus is risen!" My kids generally do well in the morning, and it was with great excitement that we headed to church in the pre-dawn light and raced the sun to get to the church by 6:30. As we walked out of the house, Frankie cried with delight "Mommy, the sun is coming! Jesus is alive!"

I love the sunrise service. We sing joyful songs as we celebrate our savior's victory over death, and I shed tears of joy for the sacrifice he made for me, a sinner. After the sunrise service we feasted on a brunch made by other members of the congregation.

When it was all said and done, it was 8:00. In the morning. It was a GORGEOUS day in Boston, and we did not have any other plans. We headed back to the house to see what the Easter Bunny had brought, feasted on jelly beans, and took naps. Frankie and I worked in the garden some, and then we decided to head out for some family exercise in the afternoon. Chris, Maisy, and I ran the 2.5 miles from Carson beach to Castle Island while Dex and Frankie rode in the stroller, and then we all played at the playground for a while.

We ran back and Frankie desperately wanted to play at the beach. She and Dex got in up to their knees and played for a while in the 45 degree water. If you've never been in 45 degree water before, it's cold. As in, your feet go numb in about 30 seconds. Those are my New England babies.

I love Easter, and during the last 9 Easters I have spent in New England, I have always wished it was a little warmer, and this year we got our wish!