easter memories

It was a special treat to have my parents come visit for Easter this year.

They got to spend the whole weekend with us.  My dad and Dave cooked a fabulous steak dinner on Saturday night and Sunday after church we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the golf course.

Some year I will be on the ball and plan to dye eggs while it's still daylight out, so we can have some nice, bright, colorful pictures.  But who am I kidding - I'm a night before kind of person. 

Before we dyed eggs, we did these Resurrection Eggs with the kids. I had wanted some of these for the last 2 years, and my mom brought me some!  She had no idea I even wanted them. Thanks Mom!

We also made some Easter cookies, from a recipe my my sister-in-law sent me.  They were so easy and so meaningful.

Each ingredient represented a part of the Easter story.

The kids beat the pecans in a bag with a hammer just as Jesus was beaten.

Then we mixed in vinegar and talked about how that was what they gave Jesus to drink when he was thirsty.

And egg whites represented Jesus's life. Then salt represented the tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitternes of our own sin. Kind of a yucky combination.

But the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us and wants us to know and belong to him.  So we added sugar.

Then it beat into a white meringue to represent purity in God's eyes when our sins are cleansed by Jesus.

We folded in the pecans and dropped spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.  Each mound represented the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

We put the cookie sheet in the oven, closed the door and turned the preheated oven off.  The kids sealed the oven door with tape, just like the tomb was sealed by a stone.

We talked about how sad Jesus' followers were when the tomb was sealed.

And then off to bed.

On Easter morning, we opened the oven and enjoyed the cookies.  The cookies were hollow!!!  Just as the tomb was empty!

It was such a fun little activity.  I'll include the recipe, directions and the bible passages you can read with each part below.

 Easter Morning we made it to the early church service. Which then throughly messed us all up.  The kids thought it was lunch time at 9:15 in the morning.  And I was ready for a nap by 10am.

 Not the best family picture, but our kids weren't being very patient to try some others.

 That evening we went to Dave's parents' house to celebrate some more.

The kids all got to hunt for eggs.

 This little guy would eat candy all day if we let him.

 What I love the most about this next picture is what I caught in the background.

Papa hanging from a tree.

I think I got 7 shots of this.  And not one picture had everyone looking, standing straight, not talking, not turning around.   But this was the best one :-)  Funny kids.

Hope you had a blessed Easter holiday!

He is RISEN!

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EASTER STORY COOKIES

To be made the evening before Easter (right before bed).


1 cup whole pecans
zipper baggie
1 tsp vinegar
wooden spoon or mallet
3 egg whites
tape
pinch salt
Bible
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important, don't wait until 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 1 tsp 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, 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.