Post christmas, post new years, post new years resolutions, during the dog days of a worn out new year, I never ceased to be surprised that it is time for Lent.  I seem to have finally caught my breath after the ridiculousness of four birthdays in the month before Christmas followed two weeks of wonderful family time.  By the end of that I don’t know which way is up and it takes me about 2 or so months to regroup.

Lent arrives and with it brings a solace, a time to draw in and learn again what sacrifice means.  It is redemption time, it is the process leading up to my favorite time of the year.  I love the journey towards Easter each year.  It is a time of newness as we sweep out the old to make way for new growth.  I sometimes hate sweeping out the old.

This year I decided to embark on a fruit and vegetable fast for lent to try to sweep out the old.  The old habits are killer, such as caffeine, sugar, wine.  I like those old habits, they make me feel as if I am smarter, happier, and prettier.  The lack of them have made me crabby with my husband and kids.  And being halfway through the lent season, my dreams have turned towards Easter morning and my favorite things about Easter.

Here are a few of my favorite things:

1. Cadbury Eggs
2. Easter baskets (I have already gotten most of the stuff for the kids baskets, I couldn’t help myself)
3. Sunrise services (Since having kids, not made it to most of these)
4. Hardboiled Eggs
5. Easter afternoon cookout with neighbors
6. The Greek traditional game of hitting the ends of a hardboiled egg with another person to see whose egg breaks
7. Chocolate
8. Wine
9. A lamb cake (pound cake with coconut frosting) my mom makes every year
10. Leg o lamb roast for dinner
11. Knowing Christ rose
12. Being with people I love
13. Jellybeans
14. Deviled Eggs
15. Lent is over
16. Pretty, new dresses for my girls
17. Pretty, new dress for me
18. Stations of the Resurrection at church
19. Baptism on Easter morning
20. Seeing my kids “get it” when we read the Easter Story

The journey is important, as well as the story, and perhaps my favorite part of Easter is weaving our family’s story into the bigger epic novel that Easter represents.  And teaching our kids how to write their own story, giving them the language and experiences so that they can pass Easter and all of it’s glory down to their kids.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hop blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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