Hoppy Easter Every Bunny!!!

Saturday night we dyed eggs like we always do the night before Easter.

I like to use the traditional Adam's food coloring. That is what I grew up using.

I love that the eggs always seem to turn out different.

Elisabeth was able to turn an egg BLACK. I was impresed.

....here are our 2009 eggs....

Hogan made this bEAutIfUL egg. He put three crosses on it.

I thought it was quite fitting.



This was my egg! :) After seeing the kids religious eggs I wished I had gone that route.

Wouldn't be right if we didn't have an AGGIE egg!

Josh put Gates' name on an egg for him...

Gates made this egg all by himself. I LOVE it!!! The shade of green, the large cross,

the mulitple lines, the simplicity....

...my favorite.

Just don't tell the other kids.

Beck snuck in this picture of all the eggs. Actually not all the eggs but most of them. There are six missing but they all wouldn't fit on the dish towel. We dyed entirely too many eggs!

I love the real meaning behind Easter. The eggs and the bunnies are all great but JESUS is greater. While I agree that we should celebrate Jesus every Sunday; I do LOVE to highlight the story of Jesus on the cross during this time of year. I want my children to remember how cruel the cross was. I want them to know that he suffered there for their sins. That he hung there until he died and was then barried in a tomb. I want them to remember that on the third day when the stone was rolled away the tomb was empty and that JESUS had RISEN!

For us, Easter is much more than bunnies and eggs, it is LIFE ETERNAL. (with some bunnies and eggs and cute clothes)

Which leads to my next topic of this super long post....

I love to dress my kids in matching/coordinating clothes. I know that in a few short years I will no longer be able to do this so I am taking full advantage while they are still young.

...so on most Sundays, they at least GO together...

....and Easter Sunday would be no different.

These little faces make me so happy.

Hogan in his Easter attire.

What do you think of his pho-hawk?

Beck showing off the watch the Easter bunny brought him.

In his Easter attire.

Pretty as a picture.

In her Easter attire.

Thus why we call him "FedEx"

Gates in his Easter attire.
He has a pho-hawk, too.

One of the sweet ladies at our church filled and planned an easter egg hunt for the kids this morning. We go to a fairly small church and all the other approximately 10 kids were out of town. So my children had all 200 eggs to themselves. We have candy out our ears.

Elisabeth hunting eggs.

Gates found an egg!

Hogan skipping up to the orange and green eggs.

I found Beck hidding behind this post getting candy from his eggs. He was finished finding eggs; he just wanted his candy already.

My precious babies all ready for Easter.

Jesus LIVES and so do we!

Sunday Golf

When we found out Beck was going to be a boy Josh was excited...

Why?...

Because he was going to only have to pay for one wedding and he would have a foursome for golf.

However...

He didn't count on is little girl being a golfer...and now he has a fivesome.

Sunday, we took the kiddos to the driving range. All the kids have their own little clubs and always have loads of fun. My dad was coming with us so I thought I would take a few pictures to document the FUN.

Check out these sweet little golfen faces!

This picture cracks me up. Elisabeth is hitting up the dirt. Beck is teeing up a ball. and....

Hogan is doing the "Happy Gilmore" back there in the back. I love it!!!
Elisabeth is a people pleaser. Therefore, if her daddy likes golf...
she will like golf and try really hard to be good at it.

Here she is taking tips from her grandpa. I love how she's holding her club.

Swing it, girl!

I love these faces!

Beck was more interested in his candy then smiling at his mommy's glass.

This boy already has a pretty swing!

His daddy is good at giving him just the right tips.

...sometimes.

Look at Elisabeth's pretty pink bag. It even has her name on the side. Her daddy ordered her these. She has him wrapped around her little finger.

The tilted head. The cute little grin.

This little boy steels my heart!

Gates is teeing up with his tiny red driver.

Pawpaw showing him the best way to tee up.

He's really concentrating. Check out his little lips.

Elisabeth is the best BIG sister.

I love this picture of her helping her baby brother.

...and I really love this picture of his pawpaw giving him some help.

... ultimately he didn't want any help. This BIG three year old can do all things "by my self!"

He didn't hit them very far...but he hit them. He sometimes would hit two at a time.

Sorry if you've already seen some of golfing pictures. I plan to make a book from our blog and thus had to document these fun times.

Soccer Saturday!!!

During the Spring (and Fall), every Saturday is filled with soccer games for our family. It is a love/hate kind of relationship for me. I love that the kiddos have so much fun and get tons of excercise. I hate that all our time is consumed by practices and games. This weekend we only had three but last weekend we had 5 games. We have three practices on Tuesday and three practices on Thursday. By the end of the week, I am worn out!

However, I couldn't not document this sport that is consuming us lately........

Gates' team is called the Gray Ghosts.

These little guys are hilarious. All they care about is running.

They run around watching themselves run half the time.

We constantly have to remind them to "GET THE BALL!"

Gates is so proud that he is finally old enough to play.


Beck is sad that he can not play. Do you see him him peaking at me to see if I am looking at him being sad. Yeah I'm not only lookin at you little one, I am snapping pictures of you poutting.

So SAD!

Elisabeth has played with several of the same girls for several seasons now. She will be so sad when they have to split up next year.

In the next picture, she was driving the ball down the feild and everyone got around her.

Yikes! This momma got a little nervous. Blocking from every angle...

But she did manage to break through......

......and score.

.....a couple of times.

I have not a soccer bone in my body but Elisabeth has some SKILZ!

Her daddy is so proud!

....and so is her mommy!

This cute face is ready to play!

Brothers. So sweet.

Hogan is doing great this year as well. He scored six goals this saturday. He had to beat his sister who scored five goals in one of her games last Saturday.

He gets in there and gets that ball away.

Here's a pic of one of his goals.

Wait! That ball isn't supposed to go out.

Pretty boy!

This week, we have a game Monday night, Thursday night and three on Saturday.........

Here we go again!

Easter Recipe #2

We did this one last year and loved it. In fact we have done it several times through out the year because they were so good and you can never be reminded enough of Jesus death, barrial and reserection.





Empty toomb rolls



1 can cresent rolls

half a stick of melted butter

cinnamon and sugar mixed to your liking

a bag a large marshmellows



This one is easy enough to let the kids help!



Preheat oven to temp on the cresent roll can. Dip one marshmellow in the butter and then into the sugar cinnamon mixture. Then take a triangle of the cresent roll dough and roll up the marshmellow inside. Be sure to seal all the edges really well or your cookie sheet could get very messy. Place on cookie sheet and continue until all the cresent rolls are gone. Be sure to check them one more time before baking to make sure all the edges are sealled well. Bake like the directions say to on the cresent roll can.



When you bite into the roll....it is empty. The marshmellow has melted and left a sweet yumminess all around the inside edges of the roll.

An Easter Lesson in Cookies

A friend of mine gave me this awesome Easter cookie recipe. I loved the lesson and thought you might, too. It is a great lesson to teach our kids not just at Easter but all year long. Jesus suffered and died for our sins and then on the third day rose.

Hope you Enjoy!!!

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 till you're 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 1tsp 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. Read Psalm 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! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.



Stay tuned.....I have another Easter recipe to share soon.

My First Grade Drama Queen

I was feeling really bad about the April Fools joke so I had to make up for it. (I doubt we will have any more children but one never knows the surprises God has instore for them.)

I thought I would bless you with a little DRAMA from Elisabeth.

One video is of her reciting Psalms 1. It is not her best attempt but I was pressed for time before school this morning and well, you get the picture. She got a little distracted for a bit at the end. (It is actually the second video)

The other video is of her presenting a poem entitled "The Secrets of our Garden." (the first video) Elisabeth is full of drama and can memorize all things very quickly. She cracks me up. I know God is going to use this gift of hers for something really great one day.

From my drama queen to yours........

Hope you enjoy!

PS...Please excuse the messy closet. Cleaning is not my gift. lol

Guess What?

I am sorry I have been such a bad blogger lately. I have been so tired lately. I thought it was a bit unusual but Josh has been out of town and so I thought I just wasn't sleeping well enough. Then I thought I had a stomach bug. When it didn't go away after a few days I suddenly remembered I had felt this way before. In fact I had felt this way four times before......

So......guess what guys?