Egg hunts and Easter celebrations...Part 1

Holy week is here and the Easter festivities have begun! I love this time of year - it feels like Spring is finally here and Easter is my favorite holiday! This week, we have been crazy with work and activities - I thought I would put up some Easter pictures early to split up the blogging time between this week and the upcoming weekend's Easter activities. Happy Easter everyone!

Rhodes' teachers invited us to come in on Tuesday this week (since she only goes to school on Thursdays) for her class Easter party. She was so cute hunting the eggs and getting distracted often by the toys all around! :)
Our sweet friend, Ella Kate, was there too!
I picked Ali up from school about the same time the Easter egg hunt started so she came along to help! (and really wanted to pick up some Easter eggs too!)
The sun is warm and bright!
We came home and decorated some Easter eggs! Ali has a bunch of aprons and this is the one she picked out to wear - one we got in the mail from Publix. Ha! Of course I picked the coloring kit for glitter eggs and, turns out, we had to paint them with paintbrushes! (instead of dyeing them!) It was a mess but the eggs turned out oh so beautiful!
Cheese - trying hard to take her eyes off of her masterpiece to smile for the camera!
Hard at work....
Our beautiful Easter eggs...
Last night, while Ryan gave Rhodes a bath, Ali and I decided to make Easter Story Cookies. A friend of mine sent me an email with how to do it and I thought it sounded like a neat idea....maybe a little over Ali's head this year, but I hope to make it a yearly tradition for the Patrick family! Here is the info:

To be made the evening before Easter

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

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

Rhodes came to help after her bath! I think it's about time for her bangs to get a trim! (but, then would I still be able to do her Bam bam hair?)Today, Rhodes and I went to a fun little Easter egg hunt at Lewis Park. It was nice b/c it was only the babies around Rhodes' age and most of the older siblings were at school - so they were actually able to get some eggs! It was a beautiful day and a precious group of little cuties!


Trying to take a swing shot of the group - I think this is right before Rhodes took a little tumble - but shook it off fast! :)
After the Egg Hunt, I took Rhodes back to school and stopped by Ali's school Easter party....probably a bad idea since Ali was supposed to stay for lunch bunch, but once she saw me, she was ready go home. Since Rhodes was still in school and we had a fun morning together - I took Ali out to lunch and it was a special treat too! So fun getting a little alone time with both of my girls doing fun things in one day!

Tomorrow is Good Friday and Ryan is off of work....hooray!! He has been working crazy hours and I have felt like a single mom for the past week so we are really looking forward to having him around!!! We have some play dates, Easter egg hunts and then Easter morning to look forward to, so more pictures to come!