Easter Weekend Re-cap (and a Wife's Prayer for Her Husband)

Hi, everybody!  How was your weekend?

Ours was marvelous. (and I survived all the work!)  I'm so thankful to be able to celebrate our Risen Savior, and to celebrate with the ones I love.

Here's a little re-cap of our weekend, although there are a lot of parts I just didn't get pictures of.  I can't do it all.  ~smile~


Friday night we attended our church's Good Friday Communion Service.  It was a very special time.  

Saturday morning we enjoyed an egg hunt with our neighbors we dearly love.  

We colored some eggs Saturday night.  

This was after the kids had gotten their baths which is why you see them pictured in their pajamas.  

When the coloring eggstravaganza was over I got to work on our Sunday meal.  I cooked and cooked and cooked until around midnight when I started stuffing Easter baskets. 

Sunday morning we went to church for a beautiful Resurrection Service.  It was a wonderful day.  Jesus is risen!!

After we got home from church we snapped a few pictures.  It's always a challenge to get a good shot of everybody.  We do what we can.  Haha!

While I put the finishing touches on our lunch our oldest son showed the Resurrection eggs to the younger kids.  This made my heart smile.  It doesn't seem like that long ago I was sitting with him talking about those same things.

We enjoyed a big meal, and yes, I wish I had a picture of our Easter table I decorated, but like I said earlier I just didn't get all the pictures I wanted.  It's really okay.  

 After the (group effort) clean-up we took a short little rest and then met friends at the park and spent the evening playing.  It was so much fun. 

 {{Here's a funny story about stuffing my baskets - I was tired and a little foggy brained Saturday night when I was putting together the baskets.  This is one job I really can't do ahead of time.  The kids would surely see their baskets before Easter.  After all, it's not like I would need a place to hide two or three baskets.  I made seven.  I did one for each child and then fixed up one for my honey.  I used to make him one every Easter but I had not done that in several years so I decided to do one this year and surprise him. 

 I kept thinking as I was stuffing each child's basket that there had to be more.  I knew I had bought more.  But...there was everything spread out in front of me - that was it.  I blamed the sparse look of their baskets on the fact that I had no Easter grass (there was a shortage of Easter grass in the Chattanooga area - no joke - I went to seven or eight different stores over the course of several days and every. single. place. was sold out of Easter grass).  

Wouldn't you know it, Sunday night my honey finds a big bag of Easter stuff in my closet!  Ah!  There are the goodies I knew I had.  I'd been picking things up for baskets for weeks and hiding it all away in my closet.  There were bubbles, and tubes of chapstick, and candy, and more.  So -  the kids had round two of their Easter baskets.  I just handed them the stuff straight out of the bag this time.}}

I went to bed exhausted and happy and thankful for God's love.


*There's one more thing I wanted to show you before I let you go.  I've been hanging on to this link for weeks meaning to add it to a post but the timing never seemed right.  Perhaps this post isn't a great fit either but before I forget I want to share this with you.  I don't even remember how I came across this prayer but I think it's great.  If there's one area I need to improve most on in my marriage it is praying for my husband.  Read this prayer and see what you think.
  
http://unveiledwife.com/a-wifes-prayer-for-her-husband/

Happy Monday, friends!  Here's hoping you're enjoying a cozy day.  :)

My Heart Sings

Hello, friends!

I'm a little late in saying this but I hope you had a happy Easter!  We did.  It was a beautiful day, perfect for celebrating our Risen Lord!

Last Monday I wrote about all the things I needed to get done.  I told you I wasn't going to get bent out of shape over my to-do list but I was going to find a way to accomplish everything.  I couldn't have dreamed how my week would go!  We had a very scary experience with one of our children almost getting hit by a car.  It was unbelievable and still when I see it over and over again in my mind I feel tremendous fear.  But with that fear I also feel great thankfulness.  I am thankful to God for sparing her life.  The car stopped right up against her.  She could touch the hood.  It was a horrific event that left us all shaken.  I'm so thankful to God that in His providential will He chose to keep that car from harming her.  Obviously, after that our day changed dramatically.  The list of items I needed to buy no longer mattered to me.  The cleaning I wanted to do just disappeared from my mind and all I wanted to do was hold my sweet babes.  If there was a way to put a half dozen kids in my lap, some of them grown, I would have done it.

Our week carried on with some things being added, others re-scheduled and canceled.  We ended up with a raging case of pink eye in one of our kids which meant a trip to the doctor and the pharmacy.  In a big family you just never know what might happen.  There are a lot of variables!

We made it to church on Sunday and it was such a blessing!  How easy it is for a mom to get caught up in the work of a holiday and miss the celebration.  Oh, for me anyway.  I cooked and baked more food in two days than I have in my lifetime.  (Okay, sorry for that exaggeration but honestly it felt like it.)  I put together fun little baskets of goodies for the super six.  I cleaned the house, helped seven people find clothes, shoes, belts and socks to wear,and somehow managed to get clothes on myself.  We read books, colored eggs, made multiple trips to the store - three trips to Walmart in one day (Saturday) is a little ridiculous don't you think?  I tried to make everything pretty, and special, and delicious.  It's a lot of work.  But during all this week's work (that I really do enjoy) we were doing a lot of talking and reading about Jesus, the cross, the GRACE of God, and it was sinking into my heart!  I was reminded afresh and anew who I am and Who He is.  I am so selfish and He was so selfless.  The Son of God gave His life for a selfish sinner like me?  Who can comprehend?  He the selfless Savior, me the selfish sinner.  What an exchange!  He became sin so I could become righteousness!  The grace of God makes my heart sing!



Here are a few pictures I snapped Sunday.

Special friends.

Our dear Pastor with our smallest gal

An annual springtime tradition - the bunny cake

The end of a perfect day

Happy Spring Decorating

Hellooo!

I am sooo glad Spring is here!  Aren't you???  It's a beautiful, sunny day here in my neck of the woods.  I've had the pleasure of being outside several times today and it's so warm it makes me smile!

On that exciting note, I have a few Spring decorating pictures to share.  I've done only a bit of decorating, as we have been superdy duperdy busy, but I will show you what I've got.  I would love to see/hear what you are doing to usher in springtime too.  Feel free to leave links in my comment section or slide some pictures into my inbox.

(About that "super duper busy" thing...
I haven't had near the time to write that I would prefer.  I'm trying to keep things in proper order - My honey, my kids, our home, our school.  You know, clean underwear for my family and food on the table comes before blogging and that sort of thing.  So, if something is going to get neglected, it's my blog.  If you're checking here for new posts just know that spring is usually a busier time for me and I will get back to regular blogging soon.)

Here are a few shots of my Spring spruce up.

I've always thought it terribly difficult to decorate around electronics.  I hate the way electronics look with primitive decorating but they are a necessary evil, I suppose.

I had planned on making a banner, and had even purchased all my supplies, then I found this one.  I loved it so much I decided to put my banner making plans on hold.

I've been wanting to do a Peeps craft ever since one of my friends did this one a couple of years ago.  I put mine together the other day and it was pretty fun.  Eventually I will let the kids eat it, but for now it's just so fun to look at.

I've shown you this area by our front door in other decorating posts.  I change out the decor frequently.  It's the perfect little corner to put holiday goodies in.

The thing you see on the middle shelf is my bunny train.  I've had it for 20 years and the kids love it.  Every car on the train opens up, even the caboose.

This hutch sits in our family room and serves many different purposes throughout the year.  For right now I've got a bunny tucked in one corner and Easter books ready for reading at the other end.

Speaking of Easter books, here are some of our favorites.  All of these we've had for a long time.  We enjoy getting out our box of Easter books every Spring and re-reading our favorites.

And, every year we take a look at our Resurrection Eggs.  We've had these for close to 20 years also and we adore them.  It's one of our most loved traditions.

The girls and I made this little Easter tree for their bedroom.  It sits on their dresser and is bright and cheerful.  We simply hung plastic eggs with fishing line on a little tree I picked up on clearance.

I've just started to work on our front porch.  These cute little bunnies sit on a bench near the door and the wreath is one I made last year.

These last two pictures have nothing to do with Easter really.  They are just some new additions to my porch.  I'm showing them to you because (a) I love them and (b) to remind you that you can inexpensively add a little spring spruce up to your porch too!  Both of these items were under $20.  Little things can make a big difference especially on your front porch/door area where you greet your guests.  With each change of season I like to add a little something different to liven things up.  It's nice to hang a wreath on the door or to change out the welcome mat.  A good sweep and clean is always nice too.  Add a little something new to your front porch and see how it makes that area feel.  By the way, the rug is from Kirkland's and I believe it was $10.99.  The mail drop is from Hobby Lobby and if I remember correctly was $5.99.  See what I mean?  Cheap and easy, just the way I like it!

Happy Spring decorating!  Please send me photos of YOUR latest projects.

Bird's Nests and My Easter Menu

Melt 24 oz chocolate chips in microwave.  Mix with chow mein noodles.

Using wax paper, press into muffin pan to make nests.
Set in refrigerator.

Add Peeps and candy.

We packaged ours up to give to our neighbors.

Our Easter Menu:

Ham

Green Beans

Snowy Mashed Potatoes

Broccoli Casserole

Macaroni and Cheese

7-Up Salad

Deviled Eggs

Yeast Rolls

Iced Tea, Lemonade, Coffee

Coconut (Bunny) Cake

Here are the recipes for 2 of the things I must make every Easter.  My honey and kids don't think it's Easter without 7-Up Salad and Snowy Mashed Potatoes.  Oh, and deviled eggs too!  We can't have Easter dinner without those!

7-UP JELLO SALAD 

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 small can crushed pineapple

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg lemon jello

1 cup boiling water

1 cup 7-Up

Dissolve jello in boiling water, cream cheese is added with electric mixer.  Stir in remaining ingredients with 7-Up last.  Pour in mold and chill.

Snowy Mashed Potato Casserole 

Cook 12 medium potatoes in boiling salted water; drain.

Mash potatoes in large bowl.

Add:

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic - crushed

Beat at high speed until light and fluffy.  Stir in 1/4 cup chopped chives.  Spoon into lightly greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp paprika and dot with 1 TBS butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Easter Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt

Also you will need:

tape
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  (Do this now so the oven is ready by the time you reach step 8.)

1.  Place the pecans in the baggie and let the kids beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into pieces.  Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. 
Read John 19:1-3

2.  Pour the vinegar into a mixing bowl.  Let each child smell the vinegar.  Explain that when Jesus was on the cross and He became thirsty; He was offered vinegar to drink. 
Read John 19:28-30

3.  Add the egg whites to the vinegar.  The eggs represent life.  Explain that Jesus gave up His life, so that we could have life. 
Read John 10:10-11

4.  Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand for him to taste.  Put the rest in the bowl.  Explain that this salt represents the salty tears shed by the followers of Jesus and the bitterness of our own sin. 
Read Luke 23:27

5.  So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.  Add 1 cup of sugar.  Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus loves us.  He wants us to love Him and trust in Him. 
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

6.  Use a mixer on high speed to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (12-15 minutes).  Explain that in God's eyes, the color white represents the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.  
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

7.  Fold in the broken nuts.  Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper on a cookie sheet.  Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid to rest.  
Read Matthew 27:57-60

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

9.  Give each child a piece of tape to help seal the door.  Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.  
Read Matthew 27:65-66

10.  Go to bed.  Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight, and that Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.  
Read John 16:20-22

11.  On Easter Morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.  Notice the cracked surface and take a bite.  The cookies are hollow!
Read Matthew 28:1-9

Funny Bunnies and Jelly Beans

If you want to make these, here's what you need.

And maybe a helper!

Cover work space in wax paper.  Use a fork to mix 3/4 cup shredded coconut, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons condensed milk. 

Roll the mixture into balls for the bunnies.  Use sprinkles or candy for eyes and noses and sliced almonds for bunny ears.

To make grass, put 1/2 cup coconut and 2 drops green food coloring into a plastic zipper bag and seal.  Shake to mix. 

Spread a little condensed milk on top of the mini peanut butter cups.  Sprinkle on green coconut.

Add bunnies and jelly beans.