All is Well

Today, I’m going to start with a story. I am on the email list for Havenlight Art, one of the local companies that prints and sells art created by a lot of the local artists who are members of the church. It is one email list I choose to stay on because I enjoy seeing new art that is available and honestly, I love getting a dose of Jesus in my inbox once a week or so! Way back in December, the week before Christmas, (Yes, I know that was less than four months ago. These past several months have been hard and have seemed so, so long.) I got an email that included an image of the Savior that I had not seen previously. I really liked it and kept the email rather than deleting it. After pulling that email up every day for over a week, I decided I should probably just buy a print. There was a sale happening that lowered the cost of framed art a bit, so I ordered a framed piece to hang as well as prints to give my kiddos at Easter. 

As for what drew me to this particular image, I think it was the way the red robes were rendered. Rather than being a field of solid red, they are painted in lines that to my eye, are reminiscent of dripping blood. In some instances, that would end up being a gory picture, but in this case, it just reminded me deeply of the love that the Savior has for us, for me, and the fact that He willingly shed those drops of blood on our behalf. Over the years, as my life experiences have expanded and my relationship with the Savior has deepened, I have become more and more aware of just how much love went into His atonement, and just how amazing His gift is. Life is hard sometimes, a fact that has been made all too real for my family and me over the past month, and through it all, He is there, extending his great love and mercy to every one of us.

About a year and a half ago, I happened across a conference talk that I didn’t remember although I’m certain I heard it. In it there was a quote that changed the way I view the atonement. Elder Merrill J. Bateman said:

For many years I thought of the Savior’s experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets, however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt “our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15), “[bore] our griefs, … carried our sorrows … [and] was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:4–5). The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.

I love that idea of each of us standing in line, each of us having our moment in front of Jesus when He looked at us, knew us and suffered in that moment for each of us specifically. I love the idea that He looked at my face, knew my fears and my sorrows and my sins and frustrations and worries and griefs and that one of those drops of blood was shed just for me.  This idea has changed the way I view the atonement, and it has strengthened my ties to Jesus Christ. And this particular picture reminded me of that one drop of blood that had my name on it. 

Today is Easter and as such, the reality of Christ’s atonement and resurrection have been at the forefront of my mind not just today, but over the past weeks as I’ve studied and learned and worked to wrap my brain around some of the harsh realities of life that have been placed before me. This weekend is also General Conference, and I feel like that has been a theme throughout conference as well. There have been so many talks about how the Savior is always there for us and that as we turn to Him, He will strengthen us and lift us and encourage us and bring us joy amidst the challenges of mortality as well as even greater joy in the day of resurrection. It has been such a needed balm to my soul. Some of my favorite thoughts are that a heartfelt prayer for peace will be answered (Henry B. Eyring), we never have to walk our mountain alone (Brian J. Holmes), and no matter how bad things are now, your best days are ahead (Emily Belle Freeman). I know that when we go in with a receptive heart and a willingness to learn, the Lord will teach us in very personal ways. And I feel like I received the spiritual reinforcement I need to be able to keep moving forward with faith.

With how serious and heavy things have been of late, I find myself being more intentional about focusing on the good. I’m looking for those little things that bring joy every day and I’m allowing myself to feel that joy even though there are serious things in the back of my mind all the time right now. So, with that in mind, there were a few silly things in my kids’ Easter baskets along with their prints of the image of Christ I have already written about. They each had some Easter egg and Easter bunny rubber ducks, because everyone knows that we need more rubber ducks around here. (Still five more to find from Christmas…) There were also some wind-up hopping Easter eggs which remind Malia of the eggs in Rise of the Guardians. And my favorite “just because it’s funny” basket stuffer was some Dr. Pepper flavored marshmallow Peeps. Malia’s response upon smelling and tasting them was, “That’s not right.” Because the flavor and aroma were exactly like Dr. Pepper, but the texture was definitely not. 😂 

Nathan and Malia were the only ones home this Easter, which while quiet, is beginning to feel a bit more normal. And Malia (almost) always appreciates having one of her brothers here. The exception to that is when Nathan tries to steal her food. Because not only are her holiday candy options a bit more limited due to the peanut allergy, but even when she was a tiny thing, she would share anything with her brothers except her food. That was where she drew the line. And as a youngest child with three older brothers, I feel like she was so smart that way. 😜 Anyway, Nathan teased her as she defended her nut free chocolate treats and today their whole good-natured bantering made me smile. It’s the little things, right?

One of the highlights of the day was an unexpected call from Matthew this evening. We did not know that he would get to call home for Easter, so it was a wonderful surprise! I think it was good for him too, because his mission president was called to be a general authority seventy during the morning session of conference yesterday which means that he will be leaving his calling as a mission president a full year earlier than expected. Matthew was planning on having the same mission president for all but his very last transfer, so this is a big change that has the mission in a bit of a hubbub this weekend. The mission president had a zoom meeting with all the missionaries last night to give them all some info about timing and what info he has, which is not much. The new mission president has been called although they don’t know who it is yet, and he will begin serving on July 1. Until the announcement yesterday morning, only the current mission president and his wife and the church leaders who had called him knew about this change. The mission president has two children still living at “home,” and even they didn’t know until yesterday. So big surprise for almost everyone.

Matthew is feeling a bit stressed about this upcoming change. Transfers are also this week, and there is a very serious rumor that Matthew will be training a brand-new missionary, so he is also feeling a bit anxious about that as well. Hopefully having a few minutes to chat with Kevin and I have helped reassure him that he really is capable and prepared to be a trainer and that while having a new mission president will definitely bring changes, it will also bring blessings. The Lord knows who He needs as well as where and when He needs them, so this is not a coincidence or a mistake. It is a part of the Lord’s plan for the current president and his family, the new president, the mission, and the missionaries. 

I feel like the big takeaway from this conference is that everything centers on Jesus Christ. And when we put him at the center of our lives, we are capable of much more than we are on our own. As life continues to bring us challenges, as I know it will, I hope that I will not just remember that lesson, but that I can live it. And I think that is one of the big challenges of mortality-to actually live what we profess to believe, to keep moving forward with faith in Jesus Christ. But if we can do that, if we can endure as Elder Bednar taught in this conference, in the end, all will be well. As the historic hymn says, “Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear; but with joy wend your way.” I feel like that should be my motto for this next six months-come to Christ, fear not what the future may bring, and find joy in the journey, for all is well.

Hoppy Easter!

I neglected to make green pancakes for St. Patrick’s Day because my mind was on other, far more serious things. And because sometimes a little whimsy brings a smile to my face, I thought some adorable Easter themed pancakes were in order. The fact that they were carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese syrup made it feel just a little bit like I was eating dessert for breakfast, so this meal filled an emotional eating niche as well. And gave us a serving of veggies while filling our bellies. I love it when breakfast is a serious multitasker. 😂

The Winds of Change

Today is Easter Sunday. And while it was the same in some ways, in others it was different for us. We still had egg salad for lunch except for Matthew who had his traditional tuna (because he eats it in similar ways to how the rest of us eat egg salad, he feels like it is as close to eating the same thing we are as he can get). Dinner was ham, cheesy potatoes, rolls, etc. There were still chocolate bunnies and jellybeans on hand, as well as the traditional hot cross buns for dessert. We still had a reminder of the Savior in the kids’ baskets, this year several things that can help them celebrate Easter in future. Kevin’s parents haven’t been able to make it into our house to enjoy dinner with us for a few years, so we packed their dinner up and delivered it to their door yesterday. So, these things were pretty normal. 

There were several differences this year as well. Due to the difficult month they have had in terms of health, we also delivered an Easter feast to my parents. And while Daniel and Nathan came down from Logan as they usually do, Daniel was joined by Tawni this year. This is a new development for us and while it is a welcome one, we definitely have some changes on our horizon. Matthew is leaving for his mission in three months, and he is really starting to see things through that lens. He knows he is going to miss things, and he knows things will be different when he comes home. And he’s right. That is the nature of life. Things at home won’t stand still while he is gone. In fact, there are some very big changes coming soon for Daniel. As evidenced by his girlfriend, whom we all adore, joining us for a major holiday. That news is still a bit hush hush, but it is going to signal a new phase for my little crew.

As I think about these imminent changes, I’m reminded that life is always changing. And that my role as a mother is changing as well. In some ways it is a bit sad because I know that things will never be the same again. But on the other hand, there is so much joy to come. And some things that I’m ridiculously excited about. So overall, I’m ok with my changing role. Which is good, because even if I weren’t, the changes would still come. And it means that I have some new things to learn and new people to love and new experiences to enjoy. And realistically, new tears to be shed. Because I know that’s in there as well, giant crybaby that I am. 😂

I know that all these changes that are coming for my family are only the next step along the path that leads us to our family goal of eternal life. Because that is one thing that won’t change. Our hoped-for destination is still the same! And that is why we celebrate Easter. Because we know that we couldn’t accomplish our goal without the loving atonement of our Savior and His resurrection that we celebrate today. So Happy Easter! He is risen!

Some Bunny Loves Pancakes!

With Easter just around the corner, it is time for more fun pancakes! Yes, we have been trying to focus more on the Savior and celebrate Easter the way we celebrate Christmas as our church leaders have encouraged us to do, but I still think there is room for all the fun bunny stuff. So today was bunny pancakes! I love carrot cake pancakes in the spring and with some fruit and a bit of cream cheese frosting left over from our cinnamon swirl snowflake pancakes in December (Don’t worry. It has been in the freezer. We did not give ourselves food poisoning this morning.) they were as cute as can be. Matthew had to skip the frosting as it was the real version, but he did add the marshmallow bunny teeth. And as always, he humored me a lot by building the cute food and then letting me take a picture of him. He doesn’t really like the photo portion any more than he did when he was three, but like I said, he humors me!

Primary Answers

Because Malia is the youngest of my children by a decent sized gap, there are things I did with my boys that I’ve never done with her. Most of those things were little kid things because by the time Malia was the appropriate age, the boys had outgrown some of it. So, she missed out on some stuff. Today I opted to rectify one of those things by making resurrection rolls, aka. empty tomb rolls, as part of our Easter celebrations. I chose a made from scratch recipe which is something I didn’t do when the boys were little. Because let’s face it. With three rambunctious boys giving me a run for my money from the time the sun came up until they all dropped exhausted into their beds at the end of the day, simpler was usually better. 

The standard super easy version uses purchased crescent roll dough. But the crescent rolls baked up fairly flat, especially if the marshmallow leaked out. And often the marshmallow didn’t completely melt in the oven, so we ended up with an interesting mix of flat tombs and semi-resurrected marshmallows. It didn’t matter to the boys and the lesson was learned anyway, but in my opinion, the recipe was not a complete success. So, as I thought about repeating the experience with Malia, I knew I wanted to try something different. 

Today’s from scratch rolls worked about five million times better than the super easy crescent-rolls-from-a-tube version! About half of our tombs leaked, but even when they did, the rolls baked up nice and tall and the hollow interior was perfect. I was enormously pleased! And when I shared our success with my boys, Daniel asked if there was going to be a repeat of the recipe on Easter as my college boys will be home for dinner that evening. Our Easter menu always includes hot cross buns and that won’t change, but I’m so pleased with how our resurrection rolls turned out that I’m seriously considering making another batch so Daniel and Nathan can try them as well. That’s how jazzed I am that they worked so well this time!

So, here’s the lesson: sometimes we all need a chance to repeat small and simple things, because there is always the opportunity to improve and even as adults, sometimes the simple things are exactly what we need. And sometimes the basic lessons are still the most important ones. The marshmallow is white because Jesus was perfect. The people who loved Him cared for Him even after he died by anointing Him with oil and spices. And because He was resurrected, the tomb was empty. Doesn’t that just kind of cover it all?

I Needed a Little Whimsy in my Life

Do you ever have those days when you really need to lay down the cares of the world for a bit and just find a little joy? Or possibly do just a little bit of emotional eating knowing full well that it is exactly what you are doing? And maybe even blow off a little steam at the same time? Today was one of those days. And since it is spring, and nearly Easter, my little bit of joy came in the form of some adorable chick cookies.

Whimsy? Check.

Delicious lemon crinkle cookies? Check.

Decapitating some chicks? Check, check.

Mission accomplished. 😂

Bunnies for Breakfast

This past week has been a really hard headache week. That coupled with the fact that my kids had no great desire to color eggs or anything means that Easter festivities around here have been at a bare minimum. And what is that minimum? Pancakes, of course!

I happened across a bunny shaped Peeps pancake pan months ago, about five minutes after Christmas when all the Easter candy showed up in the stores. Our favorite pancake recipe paired with some food coloring led to super simple bunnies for breakfast. At least, they were mostly simple. There was a learning curve with the Peeps pan and we ended up with a roadkill bunny. But Matthew has a tough stomach and ate the roadkill with gusty. And not surprisingly, it tasted just like every other bunny pancake. 😉 Subsequent bunnies were better formed although the dark finish on the pan meant darker color on the pancakes which tended to mask the cute colors. But the pastel insides were cute and delicious!

The very last bunny of the bunch was a technicolor bunny. The last time we had a technicolor bunny at our house was on an off-track craft day in 2010 and was a creation of Matthew’s. That one was cuter than today’s bunny, although the pancake version definitely tasted superior! 

Cool Weather and Cool Whip

When the phone rings at exactly 5:04 a.m., it is a pretty sure bet that the kids aren’t going to school. That is exactly what happened this morning which meant another virtual learning day due to snow. When we looked out the window once the sun actually rose this morning, we had only about half an inch of snow, but according to the info the district sent out, there was more snow in other areas of the district and the storm was expected to continue throughout the day. So although conditions out here were perfectly acceptable this morning, we sighed, rolled our eyes, and got the kids set up for virtual learning. 

The funny thing is that Nathan was sending texts all morning sharing with us the amount of snow that has fallen, and is still falling, in Logan. With trees that have become shrubs due to snow, statues that have a new snow-do, and the need to shovel out his car, they definitely have far more snow than we do. And guess what? They still had school. It made for an entertaining morning, one where we chose to laugh rather than complain. 

(The snow at our house-it was minimal)

An upside to our snow day was that the shortened online school day meant there was plenty of time for Malia and me to color Easter eggs this afternoon. Malia is not interested in doing an actual Easter egg hunt, which is totally fine by me, but she still wanted to color eggs. We did, however, scroll through Pinterest to find a different way to color our eggs. We’ve always gone the traditional bowls of liquid dye direction and we were both feeling adventurous. We looked at a variety of egg dying methods and Malia settled on the oft used but new to us Cool Whip method. 

We started by soaking our boiled eggs in vinegar to intensify the color of the dye and that was fascinating. The chemical reaction that occurred made for some interesting viewing. Next up was adding the food coloring to our mounds of Cool Whip. Malia and I were a bit uncertain at that point because the drops of gel food color looked like way too much and when we swirled it as directed, it just looked far too dark and not all that interesting. As such, we prepared a few dye cups with a smaller amount of color to see how that worked out in the end. By far the most satisfying part of this particular adventure was gently pushing each egg into the mounds of colored Cool Whip. I don’t know about Malia, but I would do this whole thing again in future years just for the satisfying squish as each egg was nestled into its dye. The second most satisfying part of the experiment was rinsing off the eggs at the end and discovering that they actually look really cool! Although we were skeptical at the outset, we learned that more dye is better for this coloring method. The ones with less dye were completely boring.

I feel like we made the best of our snow day despite the fact that it is April and pretty much everyone is well past ready for spring. Around here, we have to keep reminding our kids that spring in Utah brings all kinds of weather. The winters have just been so dry for so long that they are unaccustomed to the lingering snow. But Kev’s birthday is in June and as a kid, there were years when it snowed on his birthday, and I remember snow late in May. For us old timers, the unpredictable weather is perfectly normal. In fact, our anniversary was this weekend and there was snow on the day we got married. My sister, Rachael, got married in February and the weather on her wedding day was the exact same as the weather on the day of my April nuptials. So, while we are all looking forward to warmer days that linger instead of balmy days alternating with snowy ones, I’m not upset about today’s precipitation. It created a pocket of free time that made for some good mother/daughter time.

Premature Bunnies

With Easter nearly upon us, my mind has turned to fun food. I didn’t have the time or energy to do a whole month’s worth of themed treats this year, but any holiday deserves a themed pancake of some sort. Matthew and Malia are currently out of school for Spring Break, so we jumped the gun just a bit and did your Easter themed breakfast today rather than next week. Doing so meant we had the luxury of more time than we would have on a school day. And we needed a bit more time because crepes take a bit longer to cook since I can only cook two at a time instead of the six standard pancakes I can slap on the griddle all at once. But the cooking was the only part that was time consuming. The creation of the bunnies was fast and simple…and tasty. And of course, once she had created the standard bunny, Malia branched out and created an Easter alien. I think it was just an excuse to use an extra chocolate chip. 😜 But seriously, I love that she will still play with her food. Matthew humors me by following my lead, but Malia still employs her creativity to make her creations all her own.

Texas Extras

The members of the ward where Nathan is currently serving in Texas are amazing. The ward mission leader’s wife contacted me a week or so ago, about five seconds after Nathan was transferred into their ward. She wanted a few pictures and some details about Nathan that she could share with the ward on their Facebook page. She introduces each new missionary to their ward so the members can get to know them a bit. She also asked about some of his favorite treats. She told me they would be feeding the missionaries on Easter and planned to fill an Easter basket for each of them. 

This evening the same sister sent me some pictures of Nathan enjoying the holiday at their home. She fed him and his companion and assembled some amazing Easter baskets for them. They are far fancier than the ones I filled for my kids here and she got all of Nathan’s favorites in there. I am enormously touched. As a missionary mama, I am so grateful to know that there are other mamas taking care of my kid. 💗

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Although we have fun with all the egg and bunny themed things we do around this time each year, we have a tendency to do all those things before the actual holiday. We do have chocolate bunnies and jellybeans on Sunday, but we try to focus on the Savior and the real reason Easter is so important to us. Each year I include some kind of reminder of Christ in the kids’ Easter baskets. This year I tucked a replica of an ancient Israeli clay lamp in their baskets, the kind that would have been used in the time of the Savior’s earthly life. It was a different kind of reminder of Christ, one that looks forward to his second coming rather than one that looks back to his atonement and resurrection. I wrote a letter explaining why I selected this particular item so they could refer back to it later on, and thought I should include that letter at the end of this post.

As I have studied about the Savior and the atonement this week, my heart has been full of gratitude and love for my Savior. I have been enveloped by reassurances via the Spirit that what I have read is true. I could struggle to find the right words, or I can simply quote Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf whose words touched me to the point of tears earlier this week:

“Because of Jesus Christ, we will rise from the despair of death and embrace those we love, shedding tears of overwhelming joy and overflowing gratitude. Because of Jesus Christ, we will exist as eternal beings, worlds without end.

Because of Jesus the Christ, our sins can not only be erased; they can be forgotten.

We can become purified and exalted.

Holy.

Because of our beloved Savior, we can forever drink from the fountain of water that springs up into eternal life. We can dwell forever in the mansions of our eternal King, in unimaginable glory and perfect happiness… 

…I testify that the most important day in the history of mankind was the day when Jesus Christ, the living Son of God, won the victory over death and sin for all of God’s children. And the most important day in your life and mine is the day when we learn to “behold the man”; when we see Him for who He truly is; when we partake with all our heart and mind of His atoning power; when with renewed enthusiasm and strength, we commit to follow Him. May that be a day that recurs over and over again throughout our lives.”

Amen. As Nathan would say, “The book is blue. The gospel’s true.” 

April 17, 2022

Easter Sunday

This year’s Easter reminder of the Savior needs a bit of explanation. As the signs of the times have become ever more apparent in the past several years, I have found that the parable of the ten virgins has become one of my spiritual focal points. While some parables teach about believers vs. non-believers, this parable is about the members of the church. It teaches that many members of the church won’t be spiritually prepared when the Savior returns and as such, will be left bereft of some of the choicest blessings the Lord has promised us. I want to be among the number that is prepared to meet the Savior and want our family there with me, so I’ve tried to keep in mind the reality that time is growing short (Pres. Nelson has been quite clear on that) and that I need to be a follower of Christ and not just a member of the church. (Thank you, Daniel, for that concise description.)

As usual, when a gospel principle resonates in my heart, I like to have an image or some kind of reminder to keep that principle fresh in my mind as I go about my day-to-day life. However, I have never seen a painting of the parable of the ten virgins that I really love. I’ve looked and continue to keep my eyes open, but nothing has every really clicked for me.

In about November, Sis. Whosit taught relief society. She was talking about the parable of the ten virgins and shared a visual aid with us. She had visited Jerusalem with her sister several years ago and while she was there, she purchased a replica of the ancient Israeli lamps that the women in the parable would have used. The lamp was tiny, small enough to fit right in the palm of her hand. She explained that when filled with oil and equipped with a wick, the lamp would give off light, but not a lot of light. Just enough to light the face of the person carrying the lamp and perhaps enough to show the bearer one step in front of them. The meager amount of light given from such a tiny lamp is the reason every person needed their own lamp. 

Sis. Whosit then turned to talk of the oil filling the lamp. The small amount of oil that each lamp can hold is not enough to allow it to burn throughout the night. It would need to be refilled in order for the lamp to burn until daylight. Then she brought out the oil jar that would accompany the lamp. Again, it was tiny, fitting easily in one hand. The amount of oil in the jar would fill the lamp once so that between the full lamp and the one jar of oil, the light would last through the night.

As I pondered what she had shared with us, I realized that the reason the five prepared virgins did not share oil with those who were unprepared is not because they were feeling mean or spiteful. It was not that they didn’t care about these other women. It was not because they were selfish or un-Christlike. It was because they literally could not share or they themselves would not have what they needed to be prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom.

With that, the little lamp became a reminder of what that parable means for us. Each and every one of us must have our own testimonies. We must all make and keep our own covenants with the Lord. Each of us must individually search out the Savior and develop our own relationship with him. Each of us must make the choices that will allow us to become a little bit more Christlike every day. Each of must do the work necessary to become truly converted, true disciples of Christ. In short, each of us must take responsibility for our own salvation. 

Of course, we are all here to help each other along the covenant path. That is a key element of the gospel, a part of the covenants we make, and an undeniable part of developing a Christlike nature. We are responsible to teach others, helping them however we can in their journey towards the Savior, loving unconditionally and striving always to show greater charity. But my firm belief will never be enough to save another person. I can only seek to help them come to believe on their own.

So hold this little lamp. Ponder on what having oil for your lamp means. Allow your daily actions of prayer, scripture study, ministering to others, and keeping your covenants fill your lamp one drop at a time. Let your heart be softened and changed every day that you may be more fully converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And then, turn outwards and seek to help others fill their lamps as well. With love and compassion, willingly become the Lord’s hands on the earth and a better servant in his service. As each of us does so and becomes a bit more Christlike in the process, we will all be counted among those who are prepared when the Savior comes. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

A-Hunting We Will Go

The past several years have seen Malia doing a solo Easter egg hunt. We blame that solely on COVID. This year, with things finally edging more towards normalcy, my mom wanted to see everyone for Easter. For us, Easter Sunday is spent at home with Kevin’s parents joining us for dinner, so we decided to gather with my clan on Saturday for an egg hunt and lunch. We ended up being small in numbers, my parents, Esther, Rachael and Dave and three of their kids, and me and my little crew minus Nathan, were the only ones in attendance. While my mom would have liked to see everyone, the smaller numbers actually made things a bit calmer, which was nice. 

Daniel, Matthew and Drew hid all the eggs for Malia, Kate and Sam to find. They were pretty clever in terms of hiding places and had to give a few hints to the younger crew. I had stuffed the majority of the plastic eggs with tiny stuffed animals and some little squishy animals that are all the rage right now with the elementary school set. The stuffed animals were far and away the most favored though, with even Matthew claiming a tiny lion as his own.

We also took the opportunity to have a small celebration for my mom’s birthday, which was two days ago. I made her a coconut bundt cake and fancied it up to have an Easter theme. Two birds, one stone, right? Anyway, it was a super simple cake with super simple decorations, and it was delicious. I haven’t made this particular cake for a long time and had forgotten how moist it is. My little crew and I have decided that we need to revisit some old favorites for our FHE treats for awhile instead of trying new things as there are many little gems buried in the depths of my cookbook.

It’s always nice to be able to gather with family. I think that in times past I took that for granted, but that is one more thing that COVID has changed. Like so many other things, being cut off from family and friends for so long has opened my eyes to what a blessing it is to be able to gather with the ones we love. 

And as a side note, Malia did in fact make Jell-o eggs this evening.

Egg-stravaganza

Easter is in a few days and the kids are on spring break, so we spent the day participating in some fun Easter themed activities. In fact, it was a threefold egg themed activity day. First up was decorating Easter egg pancakes. The pancakes were carrot cake pancakes, one of my springtime favorites, and were topped with an assortment of berries, cream cheese syrup, and whipped cream. It was an egg-ceptionally delicious way to start the day. And we all had a nice serving of veggies for breakfast. 😉

The second phase of today’s egg-tivities was making sunbutter eggs. Think chocolate dipped peanut butter eggs, but sunflower seed butter instead which makes them safe for my nut allergy kids. I made these once years ago thinking Matthew would like them, but when he wouldn’t eat them, I opted not to make them again. I thought they were delightful, but I absolutely did not need to eat an entire recipe all by myself. Last month, Matthew was browsing through my recipes and happened to come across this one. He got egg-cited and wanted to try them. In his defense, he was still really young the last time we tried these, and he is a lot better about trying new foods nowadays, so we gave it a go. Matthew is egg-static about our results. He loves these eggs. Malia doesn’t like the white chocolate dipped ones, but she does like the ones dipped in normal chocolate. Her reasoning is that the sunbutter tastes weird and the normal chocolate covers up the flavor better. But the rest of us enjoy them, so I’m not worried about them not being eaten. 

We finished up our eggs-tra busy day by coloring eggs. Matthew wasn’t interested in joining us, but Malia and I had fun. She was egg-static about some of her results, and had to rotate eggs in the cute egg cups so we could take pictures of all the ones she thought turned out egg-celent. She told me she wished we had more egg cups so she could showcase all her special eggs at one time, but the cups were an impulse purchase in Hobby Lobby just because they were cute which meant that I didn’t give much thought to how many she might want. We rectified the problem by simply rotating the eggs in the cups and taking multiple pictures. And she was nice enough to include my lovely jade green egg with curving stripes in her gallery. 

It has been a super fun day, but I’m a little bit eggs-hausted. I’m looking forward to putting my feet up and watching “Easter Parade” this evening. That hasn’t always been a tradition, but I think it should be. I mean, how is a ritual viewing of a classic starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire not an egg-cellent idea? After such a busy day, it is egg-zactly what the doctor ordered!

And as if we don’t have enough egg in our faces, the kids want to eggs-tend the fun by making Jell-O eggs tomorrow. 😂