Felices Pascuas

¡Cristo ha resucitado! ¡En verdad ha resucitado! ¡Felices Pascuas a todos!

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Happy Easter to all!

Today's Easter celebration was very different than any I've ever experienced in the past! First and foremost this is the first Easter I haven't been home or with my family! I missed our traditions and typical celebration, but I am happy that the sunny day in Minneapolis was enjoyed by all! This morning I got up and checked my e-mail to find out Nicole actually couldn't make it to church (due to a meeting/miscommunication with her husband)! We were all bummed, but the day must go on :) I ended up going to Easter mass with my mom and her dad! Seeing the lilies and flowers in front of the church reminded me of how beautiful Trinity always looks with the different flowers!! "Los enemigos creían haber terminado con Jesús, pero Dios es más fuerte que la muerte." ("The enemies thought they had finished with Jesus, but God is stronger than death"). I really liked this statement - here all those that screamed "Crucify Him!" thought their wishes had come true, but can you imagine their reaction when the tomb was empty? Also this passage was printed in the hand-out, it translates to say, "The resurrection of Jesus gives value to everything that is good - positive - in us, because it gives the sense of forever. And it also gives meaning to all that is negative - suffering, sickness, failure, death - because it announces to us that this will all be overcome, conquered. This is our faith and we must open ourselves to its message completely." After church we dropped off Gramps, with his traditional Sunday meal of chicken! But it's Easter, so my mom and I decided to switch it up and do something more special! Tacos for Easter, why not?? Uffda, good food, but we were both SO full after! We ordered tacos arracheras and had the feast delivered! The tastiest meat ever, but that was only a fraction of what was included in the spread - The table was covered in little containers of different salsas, toppings, two types of tortillas, guacamole, chips, and a bean dish! Hey family, I think I found a new Easter tradition we could try! :) During lunch we started talking about the eggs I dyed. The conversation went a little like this:

"Emily, what are you going to do with the eggs you dyed? Where are you going to bring them?"

"Ummmm... I don't know?"

"Well why are they in the fridge?"

"Because I didn't want them to spoil."

"OH! There is actual egg inside of them? I thought you blew out the egg and they were empty!"

"Hahaha no, I hard-boiled them!"

"Ok that makes sense now! Well what are you going to do with them?"

"Usually at home we set them on the table during Easter and then either people just peel off the shell and eat them like a normal hard-boiled egg, or we make egg salad for sandwiches!"

"But you painted them. The paint is toxic. I think the paint probably soaked through to the egg!"

"Well sometimes if there are cracks in the eggs, the white part is colored, but that just makes for a pretty salad!"

"Well in Mexico we have a big problem with paint toxins and you aren't supposed to consume them!"

"Oh wow! Well these dyes are from the States, my mom sent them in my package!"

"Oh cool!!! So we can eat them!"

"Yeah, don't worry - every year we eat egg salad sandwiches for a week straight because we have so many eggs, and no one has ever died!"

We got through a little confusion, and I think we were both just on different pages! We were both laughing throughout figuring it all out. Makes sense that she was concerned! I ate one of the eggs tonight and showed her that there wasn't any dye on it at all! So we can make egg salad after all, and she's excited! 

We relaxed this afternoon, watched a few TV shows and movies together, so it was very low-key but nice! I finished my final Spanish paper!! My weekend goal is complete! It's not due for another week, but with things going fast now, I wanted it out of the way! It'll feel great to turn it in tomorrow!

So my mom and I talked last week about coconut and how much I like coconut flavored things. Earlier this weekend she came home with all sorts of coconut treats - ask and you shall receive :) One of the things was a legit coconut so yesterday we tried to open it. Had all sorts of knives out and were trying our hardest, but no luck. Today we took another crack at it - and were successful. My mom took the coconut out on the steps, with her knife that is the closest thing to a machete, and went at it like mad! We drank the coconut water but then we were going to eat the actual white coconut on the inside. How do we get to it you may ask? Well that's simple. My mom walked out the front door, held the coconut above her head, and slammed it onto the driveway, that's all there was to it! I was laughing so hard, and she picked up the two halves and was fist pumping them in the air... like a champ. So there we sat, eating our coconut. We both also came to the conclusion we prefer when coconut is used as a sugary flavor - but it was delicious nonetheless! 

Watched Pequeños Gigantes tonight - I wanted to reach through the screen and steal half the kids... They are so cute!! Unfortunately they'd probably put my suitcase over the weight limit. So Easter was definitely different, but it was a good day, relaxing day, successful day! Oh and I also ate my fair share of jelly beans and some marshmallow bunnies!! No biting off chocolate bunny ears (Mexico doesn't do any of that Easter candy stuff, I've learned all of our traditions are strictly American), but still I enjoyed myself!

Here are some different pieces I reflected on today, from songs, Bible verses, quotes, etc.

Living, He loved me

Dying, He saved me

Buried, He carried my sins far away

Rising, He justified freely forever

One day He's coming

Oh glorious day! 

There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain, then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, sins curse has lost its grip on me, for I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.

Crucified, laid behind the stone. You lived to die, rejected and alone. Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall and thought of me above all.

Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not being of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7

When I had a kiss that would betray, you had hands to wash my feet. When I had rebellion in my skin, you had scars to bring me peace.

Because the enemy has been defeated. Death couldn't hold You down. We're gonna raise our voice in victory. We're gonna make Your praises loud.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, spending time with family and friends, enjoying your Easter traditions, but most importantly remembering the incredible event that is at the heart of this day - Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, bringing to fruition his promise to take away all of our sins and in return provide us with everlasting life. Thank you, Jesus!

Just a few of the coconut treats!

Determined to get it open yesterday, but I guess it was meant to wait until today

HAPPY EASTER! Me and my US treats!