We did, for the first time, do little Easter baskets. This is one thing that wasn't a huge deal in my house growing up. I mean, how could it have been? Can you imagine 7 ginormous candy-filled monstrosities lined up on the kitchen counter Easter morning? No way! My parents would have killed themselves by noon once the sugar high hit! No, we really did focus on the actual meaning of Easter - the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now that we're older, my mom DOES do Easter baskets/treat bags, and I guarantee you they are more appreciated now than they would have been as kids. I love them. Thanks, Mom!!!!

So when I found myself picking up the odd bit of chocolate bunny and jelly beans at the store, I was a little surprised! I even got a little of the ridiculous plastic grass! Why? I have no idea! It, of course, was immediately strewn across the floor and ended up in the trash!

And I discovered that Brooklyn doesn't like jelly beans. Which is ok, because I very much do!

Speaking of the real meaning of Easter, let me tell you that I did not adequately anticipate how challenging it would be to answer, in a simplified manner, why Jesus died on the cross.

And after a few weeks of hearing about this at Bible Study, Mother's Day Out and church, Brooklyn did pop the question to me out of the blue one day. "Mom," she said casually as she sauntered into the kitchen, "why did Jesus die on the cross?"

She is puzzled because here she learns about baby Jesus being born and next thing she knows, a man with the same name is suddenly dying on a cross. And as if that wasn't enough, He comes back to life! Revelation 1:18 - I am ALIVE!

It was a good opportunity for me to pick up the phone and talk to my Dad about how and what to say to little ones. His advice: keep it simple. Don't overwhelm them with details they won't understand. Don't go into specifics of sin and punishment...just keep it simple. The basic building blocks. And as she gets older and gains a deeper understanding of right and wrong and conscious decisions to do wrong, then you can start going back with finer strokes. Too much, too soon and you'll just utterly confuse them.

This is one of those times when I am so grateful to have godly, wise, experienced parents. And what a neat milestone to cross as a mother and father.