Easter story cookies

Sometimes the “Easter bunny hype” can make it difficult to remember the true meaning of Easter. We are going to make these cookies our tradition to help us remember the very first Easter! Make the night before Easter to share with your child the wonder of the true story…

Ingredients:

1 c. whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 c. sugar
ziploc baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Place peacans in ziploc baggie and let children beat them with the wooden sppon. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. (Read John 19:1-3)
3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. (Read John 19:28-30)
4. Beat egg whites into the vinegar. Talk about how eggs represent life and that Jesus gave his life to forgive us of our sins. (Read John 10:10-11)
5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it then pinch a little into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers after his death. (Read Luke 23:27)
6. So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing are they? Add 1 c. sugar while explaining that the sweetest part of the Easter story is that Jesus died because He loves us! He wants us to know and belong to Him. (Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16).
7. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 min (until stiff peaks form). As you’re beating, explain that the color white represents purity. (You could talk about how dirt is black and sin is like dirt…it makes our hearts dark.) If we fully trust that Jesus’ death took away our sins, then God sees us as pure! (Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3)
8. Fold in the broken nuts then drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid! (Matt 17:57-60)
9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to “seal” the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. (Matt. 27:65-66)
10. On your way to bed, explain that they might feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers felts sad when the tomb was sealed. (Read John 16:20 and 22).
11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cokkie. Notice the cracked surface and how they are hollow inside! Explain how Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty! (Read Matt. 28:1-9)

Thanksgiving Prayer

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

We thank you, God, for life and breath,
for love and food and happiness.
We thank you for our soft, warm beds,
a place to lay our weary heads.

We’re grateful for our mothers,
for our fathers, sisters, brothers.
For our children, growing strong and safe,
we ask you’d guide each step they take.
We thank you for our friends so dear,
those far away and those right here.
And for those we love who’ve gone ahead,
we thank you for the life they led.

Our hearts rejoice at what you’ve done
by giving Christ, your precious son.
We thank you for the price you paid
and ask that we would bless your name.
May you become great and we become less:
Honor yourself in our thankfulness.
Amen.

Giving Thanks

I love listening to Rae pray. Whether it’s before meals, at bedtime, or as we’re driving in the car, we love to pray together. A common phrase she starts off her prayers with is “Thank you THANK you, God, for…” and depending on the situation, it might be “healing my boo-boo,” or “all my friends comin’ over,” or “this food’s sooooo good.” I feel so honored to be her mother when I hear her talk to God. And I feel so happy that she’s already learning the importance of giving thanks.
Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. Regardless of your religion, ethnicity, or political views, if you are an American, you can appreciate our country’s history and take time to give thanks. Don’t we take so much for granted? With all of the light-hearted jokes I make about motherhood and it’s laughable inconviences, I truly am thankful for my life. I praise God daily for my loving husband and my sweet girls. I’m thankful for my family’s health. I’m thankful for my cozy little home and my working minivan. I’m thankful that I’m able to stay home with my children and teach them and love them and hold them and rock them. I’m thankful that I live in a country with freedom of speech and religion and equality. I’m thankful that I’m a daughter of the King and that I have the assurance and hope of spending eternity with Him.
We should take time daily to remind our children of the good things in their lives. And as Thanksgiving approaches, why not think about doing something together to make your blessings apparent. Make a tree and decorate it with “thankful leaves” or write your blessings on smooth stones and place them in a basket as “thankfulness milestones.” Let’s all take time to say, “Thank you THANK you God for this life–this beautiful, precious life.”

Happy Birthday!

a mom blog on tradition

Birthdays growing up were filled with anticipation and excitement, and it’s my desire to achieve the same enthusiasm in my own children. Of course I want them to feel loved, special, and appreciated throughout the year, but it’s nice to have one day that’s focused on demonstrating how happy we are that they were born into our family!
Although presents can certainly be a part of the birthday fun, I’m hesitant to create holidays where the presents override all other aspects. So I’m trying to figure out fun traditions to maintain that will be exciting, but not necessarily costly.
I think it’s fun to have them wake up to something out of the ordinary. For Rae this year it was balloons and streamers in her room and the downstairs decorated with the same. My mom used to have us come downstairs and be welcomed to our breakfast chair with a helium balloon bouquet tied to a bag of our favorite candy. Another idea might be to leave a “trail” of presents as their walking down to the breakfast table.
Another fun idea I’ve heard is to decorate a special plate that is only brought out for birthdays for the birthday boy/girl to eat all their meals on. Or designate a special hat or cape that only the birthday person gets to wear.
Meals can also be a fun part of birthdays…whether it’s inviting family over for dinner or going out to a place of the birthday boy/girl’s choice, letting him/her choose the meals for the day, or baking a special cake.
Parties can of course be an important part of birthdays, but It’s my goal to not have a HUGE party every year for each child. I think it can get a little overwhelming…and expensive, especially when you have multiple children! So I’m going to sort of “pick” years (for example, 1, 2, 4, 7, etc.) that the kids will get a big party with lots of family and friends. Then on the “off” years, we’ll either just have extended family over for cake and ice cream or do something special as a family.
Please share with us! What were some of your special birthday memories?

Autumn Fun!

A blog about family tradition

Here’s my first post in the new category, “Tradition!” Enjoy!…and please leave comments and other ideas!

Autumn is a great time for families. In many states, the weather is milder (not too hot or cold, not as much rain) and harvest-time means pumpkins, apple cider, and corn maizes! Many farms or towns host apple or pumpkin “fests,” which celebrate crafts, autumn, and COMFORT FOOD!
Of course you can always “google” to find things to do in your area, but there are other great sites to check out if you are looking to find a farm or orchard in your area. Pick Your Own lists most U-Pick farms categorized by crop and area, and has other ideas too!
Pumpkin Patches and More lists lots of fun autumn ideas and lists farms organized by state. We generally frequent two or three farms each autumn to pick apples and pumpkins, sample fresh cider, and go for a hay ride!

There are also lots of fun craft ideas for fall. One that’s fun, easy, and good for most age groups is pressing leaves. You start by searching for pretty, fresh autumn leaves (not crispy ones!)…you can go to a park for a “nature walk” or just walk around your neighborhood. Once you’ve got an assortment of leaves, take them home and place them between some newspaper. Place a heavy book on them and leave it for a few days (this will soak up any moisture). Once they’re ready, arrange leaves between two pieces of clear contact paper (I found mine at Staples) and smooth out any bubbles with a spoon. Or, if you don’t have contact paper, you can press them between two sheets of wax paper and iron the top sheet (put a paper bag underneath to protect your ironing board though). Once the paper is cool, you can cut out the leaves and hang them on the fridge, glue them onto cards, punch holes in them and hang them from the ceiling or make garland. You can also put glitter in between the paper for an extra dose of sparkle!

As for other fall ideas, there’s always raking and jumping in leaves, painting or carving pumpkins, and making applesauce (Rae likes to use the apple peeler/corer/slicer and is pretty good at it too!). If you frequent your local library, it’s always fun to get books out on the changing seasons or autumn. When we were kids, one of the highlights of autumn was a nature walk with our extended family every year. We all bundled up and went for a walk/hike, sang songs (which of course scared all the wildlife away, so I don’t really remember seeing any except a few birds!), and enjoyed both the company and the scenery! Another fun memory was taking a drive with our grandparents to scenic lookouts where we could observe the changing leaves and take pictures.

Autumn can be a great time to build family connections and make memories that last a life-time. Have fun! And let us know what else you and your family like to do!

Tradition!

“And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word….tradition!” ~From Fiddler on the Roof

Traditions are a such an important part of family life. They were a HUGE part of my own childhood, my mother being as creative and diligent as she was, and I hope to create traditions for my little family to remember and anticipate in the years to come. So….I’ve decided to start a new “Category” in my blog entitled TRADITION! I will post ideas and traditions that we’ve implemented as a family (or hope to implement in the future) as well as ideas for seasonal fun, holiday traditions, birthday celebrations, etc. Please see my first post entitled “Autumn Fun” and be on the lookout for more to come!