Resurrection Eggs

 Easter is here.  I love it. 

The Easter Bunny.  Eggs hunts.  Those sugary bunnies that taste like circus peanuts that I may or may not have already sampled while hiding in the pantry where my kids couldn't see. 

However, Easter is so much more than a holiday.  It is a holy day.  I want my kids to experience all of the fun things listed above (even the sugar). But more than anything, I want to teach them about the true meaning of Easter. 

Jesus died for us.  He rose again on the third day.  He is our Hope.

I want their hearts to be filled with truth more than I want their baskets to be filled with eggs. 

So, I decided to start a special tradition with Resurrection Eggs.  This is not my original idea, by any means.  I have seen these at Christian book stores.  I really wanted some, but didn't want to pay $20 for an egg carton and some plastic eggs. 

I made my own!  It was easy, FREE (I already had everything I needed), and even more special to know that each year, between Palm Sunday and Easter, we will use the eggs made by my own hands. 

Here's what I did, in case you feel inspired to do your own:

1.  I googled "Resurrection Eggs".  There are lots of different versions.  I went through several and picked the 12 symbols/verses that I thought would work best.

2.  I typed the verses (one for each egg) and printed them on cardstock. 

3.  I went through our Easter eggs and picked 12.  Then I sharpied them up. 

4.  Next I got my egg carton.  I didn't like all the print on it, so I decided to spray paint it.  DO NOT DO THIS.  I learned a valuable crafting lesson-spray paint doesn't stick to egg carton foam.  It kinda melts it. 

Well, when paint wouldn't do, I decided to cover that thing up with paper and stickers. 

5.  I gathered/made the symbols to go inside each egg.  I did bread, coins, purple cloth, thorns, rope, a cross, a sign, sponge, spear, rock, spices, and the last egg is empty.  I had everything at home and only had to work on a couple-the sign, the cross, and the spices.

I made the cross with a wooden bbq skewer, twine, and hot glue.  I put the spices in a baggie, cut off the baggie to make it smaller, and tied it up. 

6.  Finally, I stuffed each egg with the symbol and verse. 

We have been doing two a night with Bella during her story time before bed.  She looks forward to it and is learning about the true meaning of Easter.

Happy Easter!

He is not here, he has risen!  Matthew 28:6

The "highlight" of my day...

This is my son

 throwing a highlighter

in the toilet.

**Hands were thoroughly scrubbed after this bathroom adventure. 

Funkiness and Fun

I have been in a funk recently.  We recently received some frustrating/ridiculous/overwhelming news, and my funk began.  Now, before I go further, don't be too concerned...no one is sick or anything like that.  I just don't feel like sharing details on my blog.

And to be honest...I have been kinda sick.  My sinuses totally betrayed me as spring sprung.  That really has nothing to do with this post.  I just wanted to publicly betray my sinuses and get them back.  So there. 

Anyway, my "funk" basically consists of me worrying.  And worrying.  And worrying some more.  It's very healthy.  It totally solves the problem too.  Works every time.  Um, yeah.

Fortunately, during this time, I have had lots of fun stuff going on to distract me and remind me how wonderful life can be.  So enough funkiness, here's some fun...

Two weekends ago I went on my getaway weekend (It was my 30th birthday gift from my lovely husband.) with my dear friend Richelle.  We went to Austin and Fredericksburg ALONE.  That's right.  No kids.  No husbands.  No responsibilities.  We did what we wanted, when we wanted.  Glorious.

 On a wine tour in Fredericksburg.

See...glorious fun. 

Then that very next Monday, Andy won tickets to the Men's Final Four Game.  I don't care about basketball, but I do like new experiences and concession stand food.  Seriously.  Hot dogs and cotton candy are delicious.  I also like free, and these tickets were just that.

 I asked the guy in front of us to take this picture.  Andy was embarrassed.  I was not.  If the guy said anything I was just going to explain that I have a blog.  I owe it to my public.

Connecticut won.  This is not who we were cheering for.  I had to ask Andy who to cheer for, and I then cheered, in between bites of my hot dog, of course. 

Then the next weekend, we took the kids to Chappell Hill for the Bluebonnet Festival.  I know...more fun and more concession stand food. Fantastic!

 Bella enjoyed a delicious blue snocone.  I am passing on my love of fine cuisine.

 We rode the train and Bella was very excited about blowing the train whistle she received.  I totally love how I'm pointing at the camera to get Hayes to look.  That really worked well.

The bluebonnets were disappointing.  It is not a good year for them, apparently.  But these two beautiful babies steal the show from the bluebonnets anyway!

Overall, the festival was great. It had that small town feel, complete with live music, yummy (appropriately priced even) food, and sweaty people out celebrating Texas. 

It was only lacking worry (and bluebonnets).  Ahhh.