Easter Egg Hunt

I will admit, I have not been a good blogger lately.  I am working hard every night trying to finish up easter dresses.  My plan was to start early enough so that the week of easter I would be finished.  Did not quite make my deadline.  Hopefully I will be finished by Wednesday!  This post, however, could not wait until after easter because then it would be too late.  The kids and I made Easter Egg Hunt Cookies.  They had so much fun, I just had to share them with you.  I used my normal chocolate chip cookie recipe but used easter m&m's instead of chocolate chips.

After the batter was made, we added green food coloring to make the grass...

(I love this picture because you can see a chubby little hand watching the batter mix)

Then we hid the "easter eggs" in the grass.  The loved doing this!  Each egg had its perfect spot.  Sara Wells really loved this part.  She actually did hide some eggs, although she did more taking out and eating than hiding in the grass.  (Instead of placing the m&m's on all the cookies you could mix them in the batter.  I just could not find a big bag of m&m's, only the individual packages and I was afraid I did not have enough to mix in the batter.  I ended up having plenty, but the best part for the kids was 'hiding the eggs.')

The advantage of being the third child is that you get to enjoy the good things in life a lot earlier than your brother and sister.  Sara Wells experienced the pure joy of cookie dough!

All lined up and ready to bake!

This week we will be making Resurrection Cookies.  You can get the recipe here.  I would highly recommend these cookies to anyone with younger kids.  As you make the cookies, you tell your children the story of Jesus dying on the cross and rising again from the grave.  Ella and I made these cookies last year and she still talks about making them.  Every time we pass vinegar in the grocery store Ella tells me that vinegar is what the soldiers made Jesus drink.  These cookies are a very tangible way to bring the story to life for your children!

I wanted to leave you with this prayer.  I know that this week I should be preparing my heart and my children for Easter, but I tend to get caught up in the busyness of day to day life that never ends and somehow forget what the real important things are.  This prayer was the meditation in our worship service today and I thought you all might enjoy it as you prepare your hearts for Easter morning.

My Father, enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, supply works that proclaim 'Love lustres at Calvary.'  There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on Thy Son, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me; there the sword of Thy justice smote the man, Thy fellow; There Thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made; there infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endure.  Christ was all anguish that I might be joy, cast off that I might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend, surrendered to hell's worst that I might attain heaven's best.  O Father, who spared not Thine only Son that Thou mightiest spare me, all this transfer Thy love designed and accomplished; help me to adore Thee by lips and life.

Valley of Vision - Puritan Prayers and Devotions