Easter!!

On Saturday Neema and I went over to our good friends, Hannah and Zac's house where we iced Easter cookies, dyed Easter eggs, and had an Easter egg hunt! All new to Neema she was in Heaven with all these exciting activities. It is so fun to introduce Neema to these traditions and hope she will have sweet memories of our first Easter together!

After cookie eating and egg dying, I put Neema down for a nap and then we all went out and hid Easter eggs! Fortunately, mama thought ahead while she was here and stocked us up on Easter goodies like plastic eggs and pink grass that you could never find here. While she napped we watched the movie Blindside. (if you have not seen it, you MUST...it was so good!) When she woke up she had a blast looking for all the little plastic eggs.

I love Easter. I love all the colors and the spirit of spring and renewal. I love that we have something so much bigger to celebrate. The death and resurrection of our glorious King! I went to get Neema's hair did for Easter and they had the crucifixion story on swahili at the salon. At first I wondered if I should let Neema watch it, but in the end I thought well this is what happened and the earlier she can understand it than why not? In the car on the way home she kept talking about how the people were hitting Jesus and taking his clothes...I often tell her things that are way over her head but I think she also can comprehend more than we think kids can. She has heard so many times that Jesus died on the cross for her, but after Easter I think she is able to put a few more of the pieces together.

Neema in her little Easter dress brought from Aunt Kiki (Kathryn) and her Easter basket! We woke up at 5am and went to a sunrise service at the home of some Missionaries who have been living here for 50 years!!!! It was a special morning as many fellow long term Arushans were there. It was a beautiful service and everyone brought a breakfast food. Afterward we went to our home church for praise and worship followed by a lovely brunch at one of the Lodges here in Arusha with some other adoptive mamas and friends. The kids ran around tons of green grass and looked for candy hidden in bushes while we relaxed on big comfy couches and soaked in the wonderful day of our Lord's Resurrection! He is ALIVE!

Hope you all had a beautiful Easter Weekend!