{Jesus or the Cadbury Bunny}: 12 Ways to Make Easter about Jesus

Thanks for stopping by! We are a blog about faith, family and fitness...feel free to take a look around! While you are here, check out our 12 Ways to Keep Easter Alive All Year Long post. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, surrounded by loved ones! Happy Spring, friends! It is my favorite time of the year!!!

I love Easter. It is absolutely my favorite holiday.

Truth. I am addicted to Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Seriously. Every Easter I make myself sick on them because I know that they will not be in the stores again until next year.

This year I have really had to control myself because I am trying to lose weight for my sister's upcoming wedding. I have only had 2 small bags, individual sized servings. So far I am down 16 lbs. - Wooooohoooo!!! :)

Yes, one reason I love Easter so much is the yummy candy.

Another reason is these little things..

Oh how I love tulips. Such simple beauty. They covered the grounds of my college every spring. They were my wedding flower. Big A and I even had our pictures made in them {at TCU} before we got married, to display at the wedding.

Taken 10 years ago, ha!

I can't help but be joyful when spring is in the air. It's as if God himself is painting his masterpiece on a clean, fresh canvas. Writing his story all over again, for all the world to see.

But of course, the main reason I love Easter is because of the resurrection. It is the very reason why we have Easter. It is the foundation of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, Jesus is not who he claimed to be.

Go here to find out why I absolutely believe that the resurrection really happened.

With this in mind, I want to make sure that Easter at our house is not about egg hunts, bunnies and candy! Don't get me wrong...we do all of these things and have a fabulous time. But I want to make sure my boys know why we do these things. Why we celebrate Easter. Why Jesus died for us.

1. Read the Easter Story {Matthew 28} together as a family. If your children are young, read it from the Jesus Story Bible. Watch this video for the visual story.

2. Download this Free Easter Printable to display in your home and enter to win the Matching Easter Banner.

3. Make Resurrection Eggs.

4. Attend church together as a family - not just at Easter but all year round.

5. Paint Handprint Easter Lambs.

6. Fill your child's Easter basket with Fun Faith Reminders.

7. Bake Resurrection Rolls for Easter Morning. Or prepare an entire Christian Passover Meal.

8. Create a Family Handprint Tree and have everyone add things that God has done for them that they are thankful for onto the palm of their hand, reminding them that Jesus' death on the cross is the greatest thing he ever did for us.

9. Do a service project together as a family. Maybe take a meal to a family in need, reminding everyone that it is important to make sacrifices for others, in the same way that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross.

10. Display Easter Crosses in your home as a visual reminder to all who enter.

11. Listen to Laura Story's What a Savior or Matt Maher's Christ is Risen.

12. Plant a flower garden together as a family, take a trip to the botanic gardens or make a Resurrection Garden and discuss how God gave us new life in Christ.

Follow my Easter Ideas Pinterest Board for more great ideas. Feel free to leave comments with links to your own Easter ideas and I will pin them to my board as well.

And here are 12 Activities to Keep Easter Alive all Year Long.

May you all have a blessed Easter with loved ones!

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said." {Matthew 28:5-6}