easter 2021

easter sunday is always a huge celebration in our house, because grandma makes it so. obviously easter is about the sacrifice of the saviour, first and foremost - and that's what we focus on, as we spend our day at church, celebrating his resurrection, then we go home and have our annual egg hunt.

things haven't been great for grandma this week, we went to the temple on thursday, then friday she told doug her feet were hurting, by yesterday she said she really wasn't feeling the best and then said today she was going to stay home from church and rest. she did ask doug to drop by after church though to pick up the (hundreds) of hunting eggs she always buys for the kids so we could still go ahead with our hunt. she wanted photos and videos so she could watch later. done!

the kids got their eggs from "the easter bunny" when they woke up, i would always get a humpty dumpty egg when i was small and i love that they still have them, so that was an easy choice for alex. iron man is joseph's absolute favourite so i was thrilled to see a big chocolate iron man head in coles a few weeks back - and madeline was very matter of fact that she wanted a caramilk egg. so easy this year.

i mean look at that! it shakes when it rattles, so fun!

and let's be honest, there are very few people who chocolate can't make happy.

my favourite part of the day is getting to hide all the eggs. it's usually still quite hot though, so we have to be quick so the don't melt before they are found

alex loved our easter egg hunt and kept bringing them back to pop on the picnic table, but may have eaten quite a few in the meantime. 

maddie did her usual and owned the hunt, she's so quick on her feet with a keen eye, so she found a lot of them.

alex got in on the action with a little help from nannaleah and uncle taui

and the loot was excellent. this was just madeline's haul and she was stoked. we had a lovely day. it was sad that grandma wasn't here with us, but we are hoping she feels better soon.

 

scripture eggs: a primary easter handout

i finally got these made up just in time to hand out to our primary families this sunday for them to learn a little more about easter at home - and teach their families too! i really love this idea which i have used a few times, here and here but i certainly streamlined it a lot more when i had 20 sets to make! it's such a wonderful lesson for kids of all ages and adults too!

my lovely friend jen donated 20 clean egg cartons to me (thank goodness cause they were going to cost me a heap to get new plain ones!) and all i had to do was peel the stickers off and get going with all the items i'd bought online to make them up.

here are the scriptures and contents for you if you want to make your own set, plus the printable above to stick on the cartons:

1. matthew 26:15 30 silver pieces

2. 3 nephi 11:11-12 & matthew 26:39 sacrament cup

3. matthew 27:24 small chunk of soap

4. mark 14:29-31, 53, 66-72 mini chicken

5. matthew 27:28-29 red fabric

6. alma 11:42 piece of rope

7. john 19:24 dice

8. matthew 27:51-54 rocks

9. john: 19:39 rosemary stem

10. luke 24:1-10 round white pebble

11. john 20:25-26 nails

12. matthew 27:59 & matthew 28:6 white fabric

highly recommend for an easy and effective handout this easter! our primary kids and their families loved them, we had amazing feedback from parents.

easter cupcakes

the kidlets were invited to an easter bash at our friends house today and had the time of their lives! we are so grateful to have the best "village" where people love our kids and make fun times for them. i always feel bad if i don't send something along though, so i made some easter cupcakes and decorated them with some of the leftover smarties from joseph's pac man cake. i have used the same cupcake recipe forever - purely cause it's the best there is.

best ever cupcake recipe

ingredients:

2 eggs

200ml thickened cream

1 tsp vanilla essence

3/4 caster sugar

1 cup sifted self raising flour

1. crack eggs into a 250ml measuring cup, then fill to the top with thickened cream. pour into a mixing bowl.

2. beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute

3. pour in sugar and vanilla essence

4. beat for 3 minutes

5. fold flour into mixture with wooden spoon until combined

6. place mixture into a 12 hole muffin pan, lined with paper casings
7. bake at 160 deg celcius (fan forced) until lightly golden, approx 15-20 mins

easter 2020

easter this year was a little different... i cannot remember once in my entire life not going to church on easter sunday - yet here we are. in fact, i can't remember ever missing more than one or possibly two sundays ever and this all still feels so foreign to me! yet we are doing what we've been asked, following instructions to keep ourselves and everyone else safe!

but in the important way, it was still the same. a celebration of the day that christ broke the bands of death and rose from the tomb. what a wonderful blessing for us all! how grateful i am to know that my saviour lives!

so this easter sunday was a little different! we watched the sunday morning session general conference (as it was last week in the u.s.) broken up a little to help with the kids concentration by breakfast haha, then after it was done we had our annual easter egg hunt!

the kids think it is the best thing ever and still race outside the minute we tell them it is time - they can't wait to get into it!

the best bit was seeing alex loving it this year. he's finally old enough to get what's going on and was reaching for everything and then trying to shove them in his mouth.

yelling at me to give him chocolate instead of taking his photo hahahaha!

plenty of chocolate was found

and the kids were happy!

it was a different day, but a good day. this staying home thing isn't so bad. i am loving moments like this.

happy easter everyone! 

easter cookie decorating

kids had the best time yesterday decorating easter cookies with the easter decorating kit we bought from my friend jens home baking business - baked on benrua.

the bag came complete with 4 different colours of icing, 2 containers of sprinkles and 12 easter egg cookies and it was perfect to split between the two older nuggets that live here

joseph had the time of his life filling and colouring the cookies to his hearts desire

while madeline was a bit more deliberate and drew pictures and shapes on hers.

i am totally filing this idea away for future reference, it kept them busy for well over an hour

some serious happiness right here!

maddie on her last cookie swirling and twirling away

the best part was, the icing was royal icing, so after leaving the cookies overnight, the icing set rock hard and they could enjoy them without killing their handiwork

so proud of their handiwork

❤

easter teacher gifts

the kids went off to school for the last time in the foreseeable future today - and even though it's not quite easter yet, i had planned presents for their teachers so decided just to go for it. we gave each one over with a perfect disclaimer: "made in a very clean kitchen in a house full of healthy people" and all four of them seemed very happy with baked goods.

madeline has 2 teachers this year and joseph just one, but seeing as they have such a small amount of kids left now, they have opened up the barrier doors between his class and the one next door - who just so happens to be madeline's teacher from last year - so i guess that counts as being joseph's teacher too? yeah? we adore her, so i am 100% per cent taking it - and she was thrilled to bits to be included.

this years offering was home made rocky road using whatever the heck i could get from the supermarket at this crazy time:

2 blocks woolworths milk cooking chocolate (slowly melted in microwave)

1 bag woolworths marshmallows (cut into quarters)

1 bag party mix (cut into pieces)

2/3 packet woolworths chocolate finger biscuits

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

melt chocolate and pour over other ingredients. mix well and spread over a lined tray. allow to cool in fridge until set. bring to room temperature before cutting.

rocky road is soooo easy to make. you can literally throw anything you want in and it will work as long as your combo isn't too far out. to this day i still giggle when i remember putting froot loops in a batch because i had nothing else. seriously. sky is the limit.

we packaged them up in these adorable cups we got from target on clearance after easter last year which are the cutest! lucky we have all girl teachers huh. haha. i'm not even bothered that easter is still a while off... we are due for easter holidays soon - we just had no idea covid-19 would shut down the world and ruin everything for everyone (insert eye roll emoji here ahaha) i loved making them and just hope the teachers loved them too! we are so lucky to have been blessed with amazing teachers this year. they have truly been a source of strength to our children (and us parents!) over the last few weeks, remaining calm and assuring us all each day. they deserve the biggest pay rise of all time when this is done. 

easter 2019

we had the best easter sunday with our little family today. it was obviously alex's first one and i think he absolutely loved it! dom took this lovely photo of us after church and i love it! so rare to have all of us looking and smiling, what a legend!

the kids woke up early (ummm at 5am... at which time they were promptly sent back to bed, but too late, the baby had been woken and i was up for the day! ugh) to find malteaser packs and sloth socks, which they loved and put on immediately, with a humpty egg for alex... just because that's what i always remember mum getting for me!

there were also chocolate bunnies from nanna and grandad, so of course we had to pose for a photo with those too.

madeline was so funny. she had left a note out for the easter bunny with some carrots and of course expected a reply, but was very irritated to see that the easter bunny's hand writing looked very similar to mine. bahaha. i explained to her that there is no way a rabbit can hold a pen because they don't have opposable thumbs (which of course i then had to explain to her). after rolling her eyes at me, she finally decided it was okay that he had told me what to write and went on her way happy. she is a seriously smart girl and i don't think for a minute that she's actually convinced that any of these characters exist... but she's choosing to be like her mama and believe in anyone that brings presents. that's my girl. she did enjoy my quip about the leftover carrot pieces being magic though and was very happy to see them grated into the carrot cake i made for dessert.

i let alex have his first taste of chocolate, by sucking on my malteaster bunny... he was pretty pleased and i don't think he was keen on letting go of it.

we had a lovely church service, with beautiful hymns about easter. i had actually been asked to sing this year and chose to sing an arrangement of "i know that my redeemer lives" which went beautifully. i am so grateful for music and love being able to sing, especially for occasions like this.

I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!" 

after church, we had our easter egg hunt in the back yard like we do every year... i can't wait to watch alex out there running with them next year!

madeline was out like a shot, rounding up her share of the chocolates, complete with the egg catchers we found at kmart a few weeks ago for just $2. she had so much fun with hers and had us in fits grabbing away at everything including baby alex.

maddie complained that the hunt had been too easy in past years, but imagine her horror when she realised the final bunnies couldn't be found. she was so annoyed with us for actually making it harder. mate, parents can't win can they! they finally, with a lot of hints, worked out they were in dad's dart cabinet, then joseph was annoyed all over again, because he couldn't reach his! oh my word.

what a haul!

we had roast lamb for dinner, which we do every easter. easter lamb roast is the best! i feel a need to showcase these veggies, because they looked so good...

our table looked amazing too, with easter cookies at each place made by my friend jen and roses from another friends garden, that smelled like heaven.

and here's our carrot cake ready for dessert, made with those magic carrots.

a perfect day with our little family. ♥

easter rocky road

i seriously could not be a teacher. i take my hat off to any one that possesses that kind of patience. 20 or more children 6 and a half hours a day? no thanks. i am fairly certain if they made home schooling mandatory, i would be jailed for my kids not being taught. thank goodness for teachers. so, because of my lack of desire to be a teacher, i like to make sure that my childrens teachers know that they are appreciated. so, i made some "easter rocky road" to give to the four of them (maddie has one, joseph has three, two who teach half the week each and an education assistant.) they seemed really pleased with it (let's be honest, if anyone brought me chocolate i'd be thrilled too!) so hopefully it tastes as good as it looks.

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easter rocky road

ingredients:

bag coles milk chocolate melts

bag coles marshmallows (cut into 4)

pack coles "choccy fingers" (cut into 3)

2 crunchie bars (roughly cut)

3/4 cup unsalted peanuts

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

bag cadbury "mini eggs"

method:

melt choc melts in the microwave on medium, for 30-60 intervals until all melted and smooth

mix with all other ingredients except mini eggs

pour into a baking paper lined slice pan

pop mini eggs on top and refrigerate

when set, cut into pieces

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we cut it into large pieces and bagged it with a cardboard tag and string for the teachers. yum!

easter eggs: an easter lesson

as part of our new sunday meetings in relief society, we hold a council meeting on the first sunday of the month. but because easter fell on the first sunday of the month this year, i made an executive decision and decided we were having an easter lesson instead... which seemed to make the sisters in our ward pretty happy, especially when i busted out a huge box of easter eggs to pass around after the lesson. 

you may recall these eggs from last easters fhe with the kids, but i totally used them again (and mums lovely friend has even now made me my own set which i am thrilled about!) and they were just as good with adults as they were with kids, especially seeing as half way through the lesson, the sisters started to participate and make comments! yay!

here are the scriptures and contents for you if you want to make your own set:

1. matthew 26:15 30 silver pieces

2. 3 nephi 11:11-12 & matthew 26:39 sacrament cup

3. matthew 27:24 small chunk of soap

4. mark 14:29-31, 53, 66-72 mini chicken

5. matthew 27:28-29 red fabric

6. alma 11:42 piece of rope

7. john 19:24 dice

8. matthew 27:51-54 rocks

9. john: 19:39 rosemary stem

10. luke 24:1-10 round white pebble

11. john 20:25-26 nails

12. matthew 27:59 & matthew 28:6 white fabric

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i also wanted to share something i read online last week (which i have seen numerous times before, but this seems an awesome place to post it...) about the burial cloth in the tomb. It's a lovely read.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side. Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now, if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done.' But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because...The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

He is coming back! ♥

easter hat parade

yesterday was our schools easter hat parade. it's the first time i've had to make a hat since the school hasn't actually done it since madeline started there in 2016. as you all know i don't like to spend money and am a firm believer in "use what you have" so i set out to make something they'd like, but still didn't blow the non-existent budget.

madeline wore my mary poppins hat (you can see it make an appearance here and here considering it came from an opshop in the first place i'd say we have well and truly got our moneys worth) complete with a set of bunny ears that i pulled apart and hot glued on... and some rabbits that my dear old mother whipped up. seriously, is there anything that woman can't do?

she was pretty happy about it and i was thrilled cause it was actually adorable!

joseph was a little tougher. mum brought a hat from her house that was red, that we thought he would be keen on, it was not the case. i had to think quickly... okay, unless lightning mcqueen is involved he is absolutely not going to put that hat on his head. bingo! old plastic top hat from the dress up box, a pile of plastic eggs that have been in the cupboard driving me crazy for the last two easters, more glue and some of his cars ooshies (little rubber cars toys), done! i was happy with it...

and as you can see, he was thrilled to pieces! like so thrilled that he didn't want to take it off. yay for mum and yayyyy for having a glue gun. easter hats? sorted!