Easter bunny-Friend or Foe?

Happy Easter everyone!
Ours was quiet, as the kids get older we are making our own memories, our favorite one is to "plant" jelly beans the night before and in the morning lolly pops grow in their place!  Also we eat the carrots and right them a note saying thank you for the snack and for being good kids!  I grew up in a household where my parents did Easter baskets for us until I was a teenager, and even wrote from Santa on our gifts well into my 20's.  It is just nice, fun memories that I like to hold onto or make with my own children.  Our kids had an Easter party at school on Friday, then a festival on base Saturday, and finally today...Too much sweets!  We did get them backpacks, not baskets and had a few things in them but we scaled way back this year.  Seriously how much does one child, or three need!?  We had plans of church this morning but last night when Kellan threw up candy and punch galore I knew we would be home.  That is ok-God knows my heart I believe and knows that I would have loved to attend but sometimes you just need to be home.  We spent our afternoon outside doing yard work, and playing outside, and just taking it all in before it gets to be 200 degrees outside. YIKES! We also went out to dinner, although again proved to be interesting as almost everything in town was closed so it was limited but fun none the less. 

Back to the ole' furry bunny!  I struggled with this, this year around.  I was not sure I wanted to partake in the Easter "stuff" but seeing my children smiling and being happy?  It all changed my views.  A conversation with my sister in law got me thinking, we need to show our children more of LIFE and less of STUFF and I could not agree more.  Since moving to New Mexico we have been focused on being a family and living in our moments, our moments are wonderful.  I am holding onto my little kids because they still believe and hope and dream.  It is ok to let them have that, but they also know that Jesus is the reason for the season(at least in our beliefs at home.) They love church, they love learning about the bible and they enjoy getting their treats, can't we as parents do both?  Why yes we can, J and I just do not do much in excess, birthdays, Christmas, Easter, you name it-we keep it simple.  Best way in my opinion. The treats and extras are that much more special, so I will hold on to our little traditions as long as they allow it and I will love every minute of their excitement, their joy, their happiness! 

I think as with anything in this life we could talk this topic to death but it is simple, do what you feel is right for YOUR family, YOUR kids.  Yes many of our holidays such as this derive from some sort of pagan ritual, etc.  The history of these types of things is very interesting indeed, but I just want that happiness for my kids minus the extras.  They will have a life time of stuff to overcome, I simply want to let them live in THEIR moment.  I think all things in small amounts is ok, at the end of the day my little trio is happy-loved-excited for church this week-soccer this week-and had a great weekend!  Being a parent is the most wonderful and challenging job a person can ever have the pleasure of doing isn't it?  We always hope to do right by them, like my sister in law said and I agree...Travel, show them life, give them experiences they can hold onto.  That is what matters.  While yes we did do the bunny thing we also did the FAMILY thing and I think that is what they will remember most when they are older, that their parents did the best they could. 

May you all have a blessed night.
Much love from New Mexico.