Easter Story Cookies

This is my favorite Easter Eve thing to do.  While looking for the recipe so that we could make them tonight I found this great sight that even has links to the scriptures.  This may be to late to help anyone this year, but at least next year I will know where to find it. 

Easter Story Cookies

to be made the night before Easter

You need:

1 cup whole pecans

• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• zipper baggie
• wooden spoon
• tape
• Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important - don't wait until you are half done with the recipe!)

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces.  Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar.  Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.  Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand.  Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.  Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing.  Add 1 cup sugar.  Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us.  He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.  Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts.  Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.  Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED!  Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.  Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite.  The cookies are hollow!  Explain that on the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9

 http://my.homewithgod.com/mkcathy/holiday/eastercookies.html

First Hair Cuts and More Carpet!!!

Well after months (probably almost a year for Lizzie) of my husband trying to convince me that the kids need a haircut, I finally got brave enough to do it.  Jamie's hair was just past his shoulders and he looked much like a girl if dressed in pink.

And here is what it look like afterwards.  I was amazed at how still he sat in the beginning for me to cut it.  However it is still a little long around the ears and lopsided, but who expects a child's haircut to be perfect.  At least he looks a little more manly.

I cut a little bit off of Lizzie's hair, too.  Her hair can really go crazy, especially in the front where it kept getting into her eyes.  I don't have a before picture because I wasn't really expecting to cut it.  I am happy that I did though.  I took just a little bit off the back and cut the front so that the longer hairs wouldn't get into her eyes.  Thankfully her hair is curly so it is hard to see if I messed it up.

Friday, they came and put the carpet on our stairs!!!!

Oh it feels so much better and is nice to feel better about letting the kids play on them.  They really seem to enjoy the softer stairs and will go up and down them often.

Carpet, Finally Carpet!!!!!!

Well after living for a month with wood floors on all of the floors in our main living areas we finally have some carpet!!!!  We got the same carpet for all of our upstairs.  It feels so nice on our feet and the lighter color really lightens up the rooms.

Here are some of our before and after pictures, with the new furniture arrangements.

Here is Jamie's room, before

After, Jamie is crying because of thunder and lightening going on outside.

This is Lizzie's which I don't have a before picture of but I wanted to show off her fun bed, I think it is such a fun bed!!!

Here is my room, before, with the furniture just where the movers left it. 

And here is the after that we are currently trying out.  I might have to stay this way just because the dresser with the mirror on top is to tall to fit anywhere else.  I really like this furniture that we found though.

We like the carpet so much we almost decided to have a slumber party right on the landing.  (The doors are leaning up against the walls because we still need to shave off the bottoms so that they will fit again.)

We are so thankful to have carpet upstairs.  I am amazed at how much better it feel, looks and sounds.  They nearly gave me a headache putting it in, but now things don't echo as well and I can't hear my daughter running around as well.

This week we should also be getting a room size rug for the play room and our living room rugs as well as the carpet for the stairs.  I think it will make this house feel much more like a home.  Then the next thing will be to get some curtains.

Fun Times This Week!!

This week we have been able to have some more fun then we usually do in a week.  Last Friday Brian's sister Rachel and her family came to stay with us for the night.  Saturday morning we went to the Great Swamp to see the frogs that were waking up after the cold winter.  I was fun to walk around the paths and look for the frogs, we finally heard some just as we were about to leave.  They then went on to Grandma and Grandpa's house where we joined them for dinner Sunday night.  

Monday and Tuesday I was able to go over to visit some families in the ward.  Monday was just a play time and Tuesday was a recipe exchange mini enrichment group.  They kids seemed to enjoy getting out of the house and I enjoyed having other women to talk to.

Wednesday and Thursday the kids seemed to really enjoy having time to just play with there toys and relax at home.

Friday we went to the Circus!!!

It was my first time into Manhattan since coming back to NY.

We rode the train in, just like Brian gets to do every day!  

(It is hard to take a clear picture on a moving train.)

We had left early in hopes to get some clown training only to find out when we got there that there was no clown training that day.  So we just hung out while we waited for the show to start.  Rachel and family and Grandma were there to enjoy the circus with us.

It was a great circus and we all really enjoyed it.  It was fun to see how excited the kids got, especially when the animals came out.  I thought that they might get scared, but they didn't not even once.  I tried to take pictures of the looks on there faces as they watched, but it didn't work. I was also amazed that they didn't get sensory overload with all that was going on, after all I think I did.  It did seem to go a little long for them though, but then they brought out the tigers which got their interest again.

Here is a picture of all of us outside of Madison Square Garden after the show!!

We met up with Grandpa for a yummy late lunch before we headed back home on the train.  Jamie looked so cute sitting in the big train seat all by himself.

Should you ever give kids knives???

Only when covered in Nutella!!

First Day of Spring

Well today is the first day of spring and we woke up to this . . .

Actually when we woke up the snow was much worse covering almost all of the ground, however by the time breakfast was over and I had cleared the pictures from my camera so that I could take more, this is what it looked like.  

And now the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day!!!!
 

Kissing Siblings

My kids have recently discovered kissing.  They never did it much until they started kissing the walls in the hallway at Grandma and Grandpa Hunters house.  They have finally decided it is okay to kiss mom and dad as well.  Which I am quite enjoying.  Lizzie feels it is important to kiss both checks.  Yesterday they started to kiss each other and it was so cute I had to take a video.  Of course, once Jamie saw the camera he forgot what he was doing, but it is still a cute video.