Preparing for Easter

I found this amazing link that I'd love to share with you all especially for this season of Easter. As we take the time to reflect on the true meaning of Easter and prepare our hearts to celebrate. I am hoping to buy the ingredients tomorrow and try it.

Here is the Recipe I've copied and pasted from the website I found:

Easter Story Cookies


by Rachel Keller

Begin this recipe on Saturday, the day before Easter.

1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie

wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer

duct tape or packing tape

Bible

Preheat oven to 300*F.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them 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 teaspoon of vinegar into the 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 the 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. Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl.

Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.

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 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.

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 sheets.

Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus's 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 to seal the oven door.

Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Leave the kitchen. If you've been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED!

Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they've worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus' followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow!

Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

Made it!

So today officially marks my 37th Week!!!
I am doing a happy dance because with each pregnancy you never know if you will hit each milestone..Life is so precious and anything can happen.

My midwife called me yesterday to tell me who was on call this weekend "should" I go into labor. That surprised me yet was so profound...especially when she told me that "on Sunday night at midnight we will consider you full term and in the clear to go into labor anytime...and safely have your homebirth".
After she told me that I was full of adrenaline, and excitement. Baby is really coming...and soon.
She also made me promise to call her the minute I think anything is up because based on my charts with each child it keeps getting faster and last birth, the midwives barely had time to set up before baby Hannah was born!

Today dear hubby and I are going to finish up our Homebirth List from the midwives, and get last minute things. I am still trying to decide what type of music I want to labor along to and am hoping to get some nice candles today too.
I am so thankful to be full-term and I am also trying to savor each moment of this pregnancy. I am very aware of SweetPea's sleep wake cycles and cannot believe how big he/she has grown. My skin feels so itchy and quite stretched. My midwife checked me early last week and my uterus was measuring 35 weeks, and then 8 days later she measured again at our home visit and it was measuring 37 weeks!-thats a 2 cm growth ...this little one is really packing on the pounds I guess!

I have been drinking pots of red raspberry leaf tea to strengthen and tone my uterus and have just recently started the old evening primrose oil trick. I have researched and chatted with many pregnant friends and have heard great things about it..plus it can't hurt!

I have still quite the list of things I want to do and I am trying to stretch them out, in case I end up going past my estimated due date (which has happened before!) I always find the last month the most emotional and trying month. So much anticipation, excitement yet at the same time some frustration especially if time is dragging on, not to mention being uncomfortable at night trying to sleep because of a heavy belly, and getting up to use the bathroom every hour! It's nature's way of prepping your body ahead so that when you have a newborn who needs to be changed and fed at all hours of the night it's not such a shock! lol...