anzac biscuits

are you even australian if you don't make anzac biscuits on anzac day? well, you probably won't believe this, but i have actually never made them before. what a loser! hahaha. well. this anzac day i fixed that and the kids and i got to work. 

joseph was a great help and got right into measuring things and rolling the mixture into balls - and the end result was delicious! i am so glad i found a good recipe to try the first time. 

the recipe i got is from just a mum and was just perfect!

Just a Mum - ANZAC biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups rolled oats

1 Cup desiccated coconut

250g Butter

4 tbsp Golden Syrup

2 tbsp Water

1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

·  Preheat oven to 170C

·  Measure flour into a large mixing bowl and add brown sugar, rolled oats and coconut and mix well.

·  In a small saucepan heat the butter slowly until completely melted then and add the golden syrup and water. Once combined remove from the heat and add the baking soda - whisk together until completely combined.

·  Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the butter mixture and combine the ingredients well.

·  Line an oven tray with greaseproof paper and roll tablespoons of the mixture well in your hands to form a ball - repeat with remaining mixture, set approx. 1.5 inches apart to allow for mixture to spread, press down with a fork

·  Bake biscuits for approximately 10-12 minutes - until they just begin to turn golden brown then remove from oven - they will firm up on standing.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray then remove to a wire rack until completely cool.

·  Store in an airtight container for up to a week (but good luck getting them to last that long!

highly recommend this recipe, they are chewy and delicious. i'll definitely be baking them again and not just on anzac day.

anzac day crafts

after seeing an incredible idea from another ward in our stake, we as a primary presidency extended a challenge to our primary children, asking them to create poppies and decorate their mail boxes with them for this unexpected anzac day. 

there has been a driveway at dawn movement created, asking for those who would have attended a dawn service, to instead go to the end of their driveway with a candle and listen to the last post, which was broadcast over multiple stations.

after seeing this amazing egg carton wreath idea on my friend kate's early childhood activity page, i decided we needed to make one of our own to hang on our letterbox, so we got to work! it was so easy to make (did the old use what you have trick haha) and looked super cute when it was done. 

i also had the kids painting poppies and decorated out the front of our house with them ready for tomorrow.

anzac day is going to be different, but the reason we commemorate remains the same. to remember those who gave their tomorrows, for our today.

the shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old

age shall not weary them, or the years condemn

at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them

lest we forget.

anzac day 2018

anzac day means so much to me (and many other australians and new zealanders). it's the day that we remember those who fought (and still fight) to keep this wonderful country free.

we had an awesome ward activity at livvi's place in the morning (an amazing park in brabham right by dougs parents house. it's gated, made around natural landscapes... and it has a flying fox, which even has a seat with a harness for smaller or less able children) 

our bishopric organised cooked breakfast, with bread, sausages, bacon, eggs... fruit and of course, anzac biscuits (because as i reminded them over and over, what is anzac day without the biscuits?!)

our little monkey enjoying his breakfast.

it was a great morning, spent with our ward family, remembering those who helped this country be what it is today ♥

anzac day parade

madeline's school had their anzac day parade today. she came home earlier in the week, telling me excitedly about how she needed a flower for their class wreath... and about the anzac book that their teacher had read to the class. i know that she's not quite old enough to understand really what war is about,  but then can any of us that haven't experienced it really understand?

she stood still while i pinned these medals to her dress (which i can assure you did not go to school for the parade) for a picture to remember today, and then peppered me with questions about my grandparents as she held their picture. my grandfather, joseph goodlet fought in world war two and those medals belonged to him. war was something he never wanted to speak of and i know it's something that stayed with him long after the war was over... for the rest of his life.

i am so, so grateful for the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. who saw things that will never be forgotten... and who bravely stood up and left their lives behind, so that we can have what we have today. we are blessed beyond measure.

lest we forget

they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old

age shall not weary them, or the years condemn

at the going down of the sun, and in the morning

we will remember them

lest we forget

100 years of anzac day

this year marks one hundred years since the anzac soliders arrived in gallipoli.

one hundred years

that's a really long time. it is wonderful to see their memory celebrated year after year and to know that their sacrifice is recognised by those who live today, in a country that is free because they fought to keep it that way. what a blessing it is. i will forever be grateful and promise to always tell my children year after year, exactly what we are remembering and why we are free!

i remember, that to me, probably the most moving experience during my time working out on funerals, was to hear the haunting music of the last post, played by a bugler, as those present stood in perfect silence, reverently awaiting the words of the ode

"they will grow not old, as we that are left grow old.

age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

at the going down of the sun and in the morning...

we will remember them

lest we forget"

i will never forget

anzac day 2014

we will remember them

lest we forget

anzac 2011

this year brought with it a five day long weekend for perth, an awesome thing that unfortunately won't happen again for something like 86 years!! ( i heard it on the radio yesterday, just don't remember exactly how many...) easter and anzac day in one weekend? that's all kinds of crazy.

i really do love anzac day. it's such an amazing day to remember and honour those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedom we do. my own grandfather (joseph) went away to war (and his wife phyllis was involved in the army as well - in fact their wedding photo proves this - in their army uniforms - bless!) as did my other grandfather (roy) although not in the australian army (he was american). before my grandfather joe passed away he passed his war medals on to me, and i feel very lucky to have them. i am proud of the sacrifice he made in his life at such a young age (much younger than i am now...) to defend his country - and ensure that the lives of his children and their children (plus their children to come...) would benefit. maybe they weren't thinking of all these future generations at the time, but it is nice for us to be given this day each year to remember them
and their sacrifice.

a friend has this quote on his facebook status that i thought was really special - from mustafa kemal atatürk, the president of turkey "you, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries... wipe away your tears. your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. after having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well."

i watched the opening ceremony for the anzac day afl match (doug would have been so proud!) i couldn't help getting emotional when the bugler played the last post - it gets me everytime... it makes me so proud to be an australian,

and to live in a country - that's worth fighting for.

anzac day...

both sides of my family - mums and dads -
were part of the armed forces...
so anzac day is pretty important to me-


grandad joe went to war in the south pacific during world war two
grandma phyl was a cook in the army
and
grandad roy was part of the peace keeping corps in
germany after world war two

so i couldn't go past a lesson on anzac day for the girls yesterday

"they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
age shall no weary them, nor the years condemn
at the going down of the sun - and in the morning
we will remember them"

lest we forget