Easter Cookies and Pictures

I got this from a mother of one of my kids in my class. She said that she did this last year with her kids and really liked it. I am going to try this with Abby this year.

Cookies for Easter to be made the evening before Easter.

You will need: to preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important - don't wait until you'rehalf done with the recipe)!
1 cup whole pecans 1 tsp.
Vinegar
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar
Zipper baggie
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible

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 Palms 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 -- in God's eyes -- the purity 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 Matt. 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 Matt. 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 Matt. 28:1-9

I encourage you to share The Easter Cookie Story With Friends and Family

We took Abby and Kate to get pictures made last Sunday. It is such a HUGE ordeal to go and get BOTH girls' picture made. While we were waiting, Abby was spinning this spinner around looking at the frames that were on it...well...one fell off and grazed Kate's face. Not bad at all, but bad enough so that she couldn't get her pictures made!!! So, I am going to have to take Kate back. Abby went ahead and had pictures made by herself. I thought they turned out good.

I hope everyone has a good Easter. Please take time to read and reflect on what Easter is all about....Our Lord Saviour Jesus, and what He did on the cross that day, and how miraculous it was that He rose.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

LOST and Beef Taco Skillet

If anyone is a Lost fan, you have to let me know so we can discuss what is happening! I LOVE LOST! It doesn't hurt that I get to stare at this pretty face every Wednesday night either....

Ohhh...Jack...YES...you are HANDSOME!!!! So anyway...I have been noticing a receipe that keeps popping up in my Better Homes and Garden magazine. I had to try it.

It's called "Beef Taco Skillet."

1 lb of meat

1 can of Campbells Tomato Soup

1 packet of Taco Seasoning

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of salsa

6 flour tortillas cut into 1" squares ( I used a pizza cutter and it got it cut in 30 seconds!)

1 can of beans (optional)

1/2 cup of sour cream (optional, this makes it creamy)

1 small can of green chiles (optional)

Cheese ( I used the fiesta mix, but you can use whatever you like)

1. Brown the meat, drain off your fat (not literally YOUR fat, I wish I could drain off MY fat, but until we figure out how to do that drain off the MEAT fat!)

2. Add the taco seasoning, soup, water, salsa, tortillas, beans, sour cream and chiles. Stir until it has been WELL stirred.

3. Let it sit until it comes to a boil. Turn down to low for 5 minutes. Add your cheese and turn up the heat until it melts.

4. Serve it on your plates with lettuce, tomatoes, more salsa...whatever suits you!

5. Now, sit back...relax...and watch Matthew Fox do his thing out there on that mysterious island..... :0)

This is truely comfort food!

Here are 2 shots of the girls today!

Spring Break!!!

I really don't have a whole lot to say! I'm so happy it's Spring Break! I really needed it! I have done NOTHING so far all day. I'm always doing something, because there is always something to be done. But I've done nothing, and it feels great! Michael was gone this weekend to a raquetball tournament in Little Rock, so it was just me and the girls. Abby slept with me Saturday night. I was reminded as to why I DON'T like her sleeping with me. I slept with 2 feet in my side ALL night long! But we had fun. We went up to Ozark to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins who were in from Dallas on Spring Break. They have a cabin up there and we always enjoy going out there for a visit. Here are some new pictures of the girls! I hope everyone has a safe and fun Spring Break!

I can hardly remember Kate being this small...She was 1 day old in this picture.

This was Kate coming home from the hospital. Look how BIG her pacifier was!

I was going through some pictures of Kate when she was first born and I came across this one. Kate was about a month old and I was trying to get her and Abby's picture. She wasn't into it!

Then I got this really cute shot!

AWWWW....time flies!

Here she is now....almost 10 months old. She is crawing, pulling up on EVERYTHING, crusing, and standing alone!

Speaking of standing alone....I was trying to get a picture of her standing, but she was in the process of FALLING!

Here's my other sweet girl. I didn't have a digital camera when Abby was a baby. I'm going to try to scan some pictures of her so that you can see what she was like. I think her and Kate look alike when they are little.

Here we are eating sweet potatoes!

She's so sweet. I know she is my daughter and all, but she really is sweet. She has such a big heart. She is so compassionate and I just love her smile!

I had to put this one in here because doesn't this picture make you want to pinch her cheeks!

It's Been Awhile...

Oh my goodness...It feels like it has been forever since I've been on here. I have been extremely busy and when I have had time to get on the computer, my camera's batteries have been dead so I couldn't get to my pictures. You know I can't post without a picture! This past week has been an extremely STRESSFUL week. Where should I start...
Rebel...Our sweet little new addition to our family has gone to doggie heaven. If you remember Rebel is the little doggie that we adopted because someone left him and his siblings on the side of the road in a box. We had truley grown to love Rebel and had decided to keep him. Our other dog, Dixie, LOVED this dog. They were inseperable. Here is a picture of them, after they had been playing, swinging on our swing.
It just makes me want to cry. Rebel had been gaining weight and doing so good. Well, about 2 weeks ago he started losing weight and not eating so good. I made an appointment to go get hime checked out the next week. Well, by the weekend he got 100 times worse. Not eating, throwing up, not really moving. It was a long weekend. Before work Monday morning I took him up to the vet and explained the symptoms. They said it was probally parvo, but they would do some tests to make sure. I went to school crying, and then the vet called me aroud 10:00 and said that it was parvo and that he was pretty much gone. We made the decision to have hime put down. I soooooo badly wanted to be there and hold him and say goodbye. I'm crying right now thinking of it. The vet we use, Best Friends Pet Clinic, is the absoute best. They are the most loving people and I'm sure they loved on him before hand. They even sent us a card later in the week expressing how sorry they were. The vet had asked if we had any other dogs, and of course we have Dixie. She said to bring her in. We took Dixie in the next day and she checked out totally fine. Thank the Lord! I know that Dixie is missing her little friend. We would like to get another one, but I need to talk to the vet to see how long I should wait because I know that parvo is very contagious. I would like to get a little lab or golden retriever. Here is a picture of Abby with Rebel.

For those of you who know Abby, you know that she has such a sensitive heart towards animals. I was so scared to tell her. Michael and I sat her down later and told her and she took it well. Of course there were a lot of tears, but Rebel was hurting and now he's not. WE LOVE YOU REBEL!

That is how my week started off. Then I had lots of STRESSORS at school! LOTS of them! I won't go into all that here. But let me tell you....LOTS of STRESSORS!ha

I returned to school Tuesday with the news that one of the little boys in my class whose mom just had a baby on Wednesday of the previous week had passed on. He was only 6 days old. He had a virus of some sort. I still don't know the cause for sure. My friend, Rachel, who teaches 2nd grade with me, and I went to the funeral on Friday. This was my first baby funeral and I hope that it is my last. There is absolutely nothing more heartbreaking. It hit very close to home since I have a little one who is only 9 months. I cried and cried at the thought of what those parents must be going through. Please keep that family in your prayers. That is something that I don't believe you can ever get over and I know that they need our prayers.

My weekend has been much better. I've played with my girls and hubby, my dog and spent some time with good friends. Kate is crawling like a mad woman now and pulling up on EVERYTHING! She is so fast and can go anywhere. She has both of her bottom 2 teeth. So cute! She was sick last weekend, throwing up, but is MUCH better now. Here are some pictures of miss Kater-poo doing her thing!

Abby is getting ready to start soccer again. I didn't think that I would EVER like soccer, but I have really enjoyed watching her! She is also going to be a flower in the royal garden for her tap and ballet perfomance of "The Beauty and the Beast." She is so excited. Here is just a quick shot of my pretty girl!

Everyone has heard me talk about The Pioneer Woman...well...I'm so jealous. My friend Kacee has won one of the pioneer woman's contest and is getting to go TO the pioneer woman's house to met her and BAKE with Bakerella! I AM SO ENVIOUS!!! She has promised to take lots of pictures and tell me all about Marlboro Man!

I will be back some time this week. I've charged my batteries so all is good to go!

Enjoy!

My First Blogger Award

I'm so excited to announce that I got my first blogger award. It is the Great Attitude/Gratitude Award! Thank you Laurie! I love looking at her blog and watching Brock grow. It was so neat because we went through the first trimester of our pregnancies together.

So I am now passing this lovely award on to:

Kacee, Micah, Teresa, Angie, and Rachel

Here are the rules:

*Put the logo on your blog or post

*Nominate your favorite blogs which show Great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

*Be sure to link to your nominees within your post

*Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog

*Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award

Happy Day of Love!

It feels like it's been forever since I've been on here. I have had the busiest 2 weeks! Kate is crawling AND she cut her first tooth! She continues to amaze me so much by what she can do everyday! Abby has had a busy 2 weeks too. We had a mommy and Abby night. We went and ate dinner at our favorite mexican resturant, Juans, and then we went and saw the Lippinzan horses. We had such a good time! It was a lot of fun just for the 2 of us to go out and have fun. We have decided to keep the puppy, Rebel. He is just too sweet and he keeps Dixie company. Dixie has not been digging holes anymore and we think that is due to the fact that she is too busy keeping up with Rebel and trying to hide her bones from him! ha

Abby had the 100th day of school the other day. It was a lot of fun to get ready for.

Valentines Day was a lot of fun too. Mom and dad came and got the girls Friday night. I made dinner, Pioneer Womans "meal of love" roasted garlic mashed potatoes, pan fried steak, and chocolate pie. It was all delish! Last year Michael and I started staying at home and eating dinner and then going to see a movie. I can't imagine life without our girls, but it is really nice to just sit, the 2 of us, and eat dinner at HOME. We went and saw Taken. If you want a good movie to see, this is the one to see. I drank to much coke and I had to use the restroom, but I didn't get up because I KNEW that I would miss something. It is soooo action packed! We had a wonderful evening. I am reminded, on this day of love, why it is that I love Michael so much. He is such a wonderful husband and father. He loves me and the girls so much. I am such a lucky girl and I know it!

For Valentines Day we thought we would take the girls out on a date. I thought we could go to Chick-Fil-A and have dinner, I thought "how crowded could it be on Valentine's Day?" ha ha ha ha!!!! They were having a candlelight dinner night there. It was VERY crowded, but it was a nice atmosphere. After dinner we were going to take Abby to the mall to go Glo-Golfing. Well...we get there and it was closed down. Abby had just been there 2 weeks ago! She was a little disappointed, but got over it when we told her we would go bowling next week!

I am very lucky to have such a wonderful family! I hope that everyone else had a good day as well!

Enjoy!

Here we are at the horse show! We had a lot of fun!


I had to throw in just a couple of pictures of the horses we saw. They were BEAUTIFUL and so well trained!!!

He is JUMPING!!! Abby loved this!

We saw Abby's best friend, Kate, from school.

What a poser!

OK...I found Dixie looking like this after Abby had gotten ahold of her!

Here is Abby on the 100th day of school. We made a 100th day t-shirt. I wrote 100 on it and she painted 100 dots on there while we counted outloud to 100. She is holding 100 kisses to share with her classmates.

Abby and Rebel...yes...I think we are keeping him...

Miss Kater-poo

Here is my little Valenine!

Michael and I got her Madagascar 2 for Valentine's Day. I guess you could say that she liked the gift!

Here is Kate eating her first Valentine's card she got in the mail from Grandma "Linker" Lankford.

She is opeing her present, but she looks very confused!

Miss Abby...she has this goofy smile when she smiles for the camera now! I tell her all the time to just smile!

Here is Kate with her "camera" that she got for Valentine's Day.

And finally...sisters...aren't they cute?