Sweet hearts

The Volunteer family has finally caught the flu this year. First, the Hawkeye had it (and was miserable and out of work for three days which should have been five). Then, older son has caught it, as I have. Younger son is incredibly proud that he is the only one in the family who hasn't been sick.

Younger son also has such a sweet heart and boundless energy. We don't do Easter bunnies and baskets and such, but we do let them participate in the egg hunts at school, since they aren't competing with our worship and appreciation of what Easter is. So, he had some plastic eggs. When I dragged myself out of bed on Easter morning, I found the sweetest surprise! Younger son had put together an egg for each of us and put them at our places at the table. They each were full of his candy and a note that said "Happy Easter!" That is so typical of his heart.

Usually, we make resurrection cookies on Easter. The recipe includes a Bible study to go with the cookie ingredients. You pound nuts and read about how Jesus was flogged, smell and measure vinegar and read about how Jesus was given it to drink on the cross, taste salt and read about the tears of the women as he was crucified. Then, when adding egg whites and beating them, you read about how His sacrifice has made us whiter than snow. They're meringue cookies, so you seal the oven (like sealing the tomb) and turn it off. The next morning, the cookies are ready and are hollow inside like the empty tomb. This has really been a meaningful tradition for our family. So, we made them last night instead. Which is typical of us -- a day late and a dollar short most of the time!