Easter Sunday 2012

Easter morning at our house is a little less chaotic than it was when we had three little kids awaiting the bunny's arrival before Church.  Now we have a deal with the "bunny" and the Easter Baskets await the kids on the fireplace with presents from the parents and then the eggs are scattered in the yard with candy while we are at church.  After checking out their stash, we enjoyed our traditional Resurrection Roll breakfast and got ready in our new Easter clothes for church.

It's a great compromise.  Miss A gets a chance to experience all the fun while the big kids get to be of the action, too.  Thankfully, Miss M is more than willing to hunt eggs with A.  After coming home from a wonderful service celebrating our Risen Savior, it was a mad rush to gather as many eggs as possible.

Lunch at Nana and Papa's meant not only a great brunch, of which I only had to provide Fruit Salad , but an afternoon of Master's watching, bingo games, balloon races in the backyard, and a little bit of dress up. 

Who knew that Miss M could get more hairy!  Miss A thought the Bunny Ears really added to her bright pink twirly dress and Mr C enjoyed not only "critiquing" the golfers on the 2nd hole, but also some putting on papa's putting green.  Honestly, I think the kids just enjoy getting a chance to hang with their cousins.  Seems we don't see enough of them in the winter months!

We finished our evening with a fabulous dinner of pork tenderloin, Girl Scout potatoes and asparagus.  I heard rave reviews for the meal.  In fact, Mr C might have said it was two great dinners in a row!!

Miss A told me it was her favorite Easter ever.  With all her "years" of experience to draw from, I'm surprised she can choose. 

Happy Easter!

Getting Ready for a Great Easter

I'm just gonna admit it right up front; every year I have to look up in a cookbook/Internet how to hard boil eggs when the Saturday before Easter rolls around.  I hate eggs.  In fact, except in baked goods like cookies and cakes, I try to avoid eggs at all times.  No deviled eggs around here.

However, I know that part of our Easter tradition includes dying hard boiled eggs and just because I'm not an egg fan doesn't mean the kids can't enjoy a little creativity.  The sisters got into all the glitter, the tie dye look, and even attempted a little rubber banding to block the colors.  Big Brother even got in to the action for a minute and made a dinosaur egg. 

I'm thinking the jello jigglers we made were more my speed.  At least I'm willing to eat something made of pure sugar!  What says "Jesus Christ is Risen Today!" more than a yellow jello bunny?

Maundy Thursday: Our Roman Solider

Mr C did a fabulous job in his role as a Roman Solider during the Last Supper drama on Thursday.  Of course, as his mother, I thought he looked adorable in the uniform, but I'm not sure its appropriate to say he was a cute Centurion.  Mr C said he was glad it wasn't a long service as the armor was cutting into his shin,  Oh the burden of being an actor!

The Last Supper drama really set the stage for Holy Week.  Watching Mr C take Jesus away from the Garden and His disciples was amazing.

Singing the Hymn " Go to Dark Gethsemane" and watching the altar stripped of all the elements to shroud it all in darkness makes you even more amazed at Jesus' sacrifice.

Mondays' are for Lists....

It's Monday and nothing says Monday to me more than a list.  I have my menu plan list for the week, my chore list for the week, my to do list for today so why should my blog be any different.  Plus, I had the item "update blog" on my list of things for today so by writing this list here, I'm able to cross of that item there.

Today's list is a hodgepodge of life lessons, admissions and funny things perfect for the beginning of a new month. 

1. Life is too short not to stop at Lemonade Stands.  Take that as a life lesson.  Yesterday, as Miss A and I were driving Mr C to chipping/putting practice, we saw one of her first grade friends having a lemonade stand outside her house.  At first, I almost drove past, but I didn't. We stopped and bought two glasses at 25cents a piece (I tipped her 50 cents) and chatted for a few moments.  You know if you are too busy to stop at a lemonade stand, you are too busy!
2. There is less than a week left in the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge and there are just a few more areas left on my purging rampage. I'm at 45 bags and counting.  While I don't think I'll make it to the basement before Easter, the rest of the house will be a lot less cluttered.  I might start my own challenge for April-May and see how many more bags I can get before summer.
3. Friday night, I hosted Bunco at my house and I'm happy to say that no actual gambling occurred.  Come to think of barely any Bunco happened either.  Get a bunch of women together without kids and you'll get a lot of talking going on.  Next month, we might just admit that we are just getting together for "fun" and maybe do a recipe exchange or a craft. 
4. We've gone over to the dark side by joining Costco.  I know it's hard to believe.  I am the person who has claimed that Costco was like a cult has finally given into peer pressure.  We've been Sam's Club members since 1995 or about the same time most of Miss A's friends' parents graduated from high school.  Costco sucked me in with the fact they are miles closer to my house, have nearly the same stuff as Sams' so I'm not losing anything, and it's right near the gym making it within my "sphere."  I have rules about how far from home I travel and Costco falls inside my zone.  I know it's odd, but I just get more done closer to home!
5. Finally, it's Easter week, that wonderful time of year when I stand amazed at what My Savior did for me!  This year, Mr C is in the Maundy Thursday drama at church.  He'll be one of the Roman Soldiers taking Jesus away from the garden after the Last Supper.  It's a role my husband played the Easter a few times when we first started dating and were married.  According to my mother, it is when she first remembers seeing Mr P at church.  I'm sure that the reenactment of this Holy Night will bring me to tears not just because it will be so personal with my "son" in that role, but because it will remind me again that Jesus was God's Son, too.  He knew what would happen that Night, He knew the "cup" that Jesus would have to suffer.  God knew too that the Cross was the only way.  He did it all for me.  Wow! 

I'm praying that this week, more than ever before, I will appreciate and wonder at the Father's love for me (and you) that He would allow His one and only to die on a cross!  That's Amazing Love.

I'm so grateful.  Aren't you.

Easter 2011

It was a glorious Easter. A celebration of great joy at the gift of the Resurrection.

Following a wonderful Easter Service, we had a chilly, but fun egg hunt in the yard. Thankfully, the "Bunny" waited until we were gone at Church to lay the eggs.

The girls looked adorable in their Easter dresses, even if Miss A thought wearing a white sweater was torture. Guess she wasn't' effected by the temps in the 40's. Yes, it is Spring in the Midwest.

Mr. C looked smashing in his dress pants, shirt and tie. I loved watching father teach son how to make a double Windsor knot. Good thing he has until October before he needs to wear one everyday for school. When did he become such a handsome young man!

We enjoyed a fabulous lunch with the "family" and even attempted to recreate a picture from 10 years ago when some of the participants were much smaller and younger and a few joined the picture for the first time. Miss A and Miss M so adore their cousins and are thrilled with any time with Miss N and Miss L.

It was a wonderful Easter!

Easter 2010: He Is Risen Indeed

We had a fabulous Easter Weekend. It finally felt like Spring around here, No need for winter coats during Easter Egg hunting, green grass peaking out after a long winter, and plenty of celebrating the Risen Savior.
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Good Friday, we were able to worship at our old church with Nana and Papa. They re-enact the crucifixion and it is graphic, real, and powerful. C was really soaking it all in. Thankfully, they had kids' church for Miss M and Miss A where they had the story told to them at their level.
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Saturday morning was busy with the both softball and baseball practice, so the neighborhood egg hunt involved just mom and Miss A. It was quick and profitable for the little egg gatherer. She even found a "golden egg" with a TCBY coupon inside. When the eggs were all found, all of 2 minutes after the bell rung Miss A said, "well that sure was quick."





Saturday found the kitchen all a buzz with making Pioneer Women's Cinnamon Rolls for the Youth Group Bake Sale, Resurrection Buns for Easter Morning, Blueberry Muffins for Easter Brunch with the family and .of course. the obligatory Easter Egg Coloring Experience.
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Never have I spent so much time in the kitchen in my life and with so little to show for it afterwards, nothing stayed around our own house. The PW rolls were pre-sold for the bake sale and, foolishly, we didn't think to order one pan for ourselves. All the eggs thrown away as we all despise Hard Boiled, (OK, I despise eggs in any form) and the muffins all left with Papa. Miss A was even surprised to find that the marshmallow she painstakingly "laid" in the resurrection rolls was "gone" on Sunday Morning when we ate them! Love this hands on lesson of the real meaning of Easter! Perfect for the five year old's heart and mind.


Easter Morning was glorious. Great Songs at church. Egg Hunting in the backyard (the bunny came while we were at church, how did he do that?), then brunch, and finally, another egg hunt at Nana and Papa's with all the cousins.



New Dresses, Fresh Flowers blooming in the yard, and a Resurrected Savior. What more could you ask for.


He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Hallelujah!

Easter Break Trip .. We Had Fun Fun Fun Even Without the Sun.

We just got back from a visit to Chicagoland. Not exactly what you would call a tropical Spring Break Trip, but no one seemed to mind we were bundling up in winter duds instead of laying in the hot sun. In fact, until our drive home yesterday, I'm not sure we saw much of the sun, but we did see snowshowers, rain, and clouds.

Truthfully. the weather had very little impact on our plans or our fun. We had a blast and A said that everything on the trip was her favorite. I think our trip to American Girl Place might have had a slight edge over the 7 hour drive, but she "loved it all".

Hanging out with Bestemor and Bestefar was fabulous according to M and both she and A had tears in their eyes as we drove away. It's fun to watch that tradition carry on of the crying as the grandparents leave. All three kids have had complete meltdowns as little kids whenever we leave the grandparents after extended visits. Whether we've been visiting our snowbird local grandparents for a week or having the Chicago grandparents with us, there have been tears.

I think of it as storing up memories. Our visit to the American Girl Doll Place included a lovely time at the Cafe for High Tea. Bestemor treated us to a fun time and we had so much fun sharing around the little table. A was on cloud nine as she received Molly the American Girl as an early Birthday Present. I think Bestemor almost got tackled with thanks and hugs. M was thrilled to take her "Just Like Me" AG Doll to tea and for her to wear the Norwegian Bunad (native costume) that Bestemor had made for her. When we got home yesterday, A was busy introducing Molly to our home. Too Cute!!

The Boys of the group got to experience the Museum of Science and Industry and had a great time. It's times like this that I wish we had two cameras or that I could fly and be at both events at the same time. I'm not sure Bestefar, C or Dad wished they could of gone to AG, but I could easily have had fun at the museum.

One of the great memories of the trip involved C creating crosses out of the palm frans we got at Church on Palm Sunday. What a great way to take the concrete image of the Palms and turn them into the cross.

No trip to Chicago is complete, however, unless we go to IKEA and wander about. That is quite the store. I'm excited for one of the projects we brought home, a unfinished wooden frame box that you cover with fun fabric and hang on the wall. I'm already envisioning the great fabric choices for M's room.

Spring Break is winding down here quietly, and we are anticipating a wonderful Easter Celebration on Sunday. Tonight, we'll start off the Easter preparation with a Maundy Thursday Last Supper Reenactment. C and M are so excited. It's so fun to see them "get" the real meaning and significance of Easter each year.

We have Resurrection Eggs to look forward too, Resurrection Buns to make and eat, and of course, maybe a little Easter Egg coloring, too. Now I just have to dig out my cookbook to remember how to make Hard Boiled Eggs.

Don't get me started on how bad I am with "breakfast food cooking". I hate most of the items served at breakfast and as a result don't know how to cook them.

Happy Easter.