One of our family’s favorite Easter traditions are making Resurrection Rolls together. Not only is it a fantastic object lesson, it’s DELICIOUS!
Making the rolls together is a fun and tangible way to teach your children about the Resurrection. They make a wonderful treat for Easter weekend.
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George, Paul, and two friends.
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This year, I was making rolls early to take pictures for this post, and only two of my sons were available. When the other two heard we did this without them, they were disappointed. I gladly promised we’d make another batch before Easter.
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Here’s what you’ll need:
8 large marshmallows
1/2 stick of butter, melted
Crescent Roll Dough
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Cooking spray
Tin pan
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What You’ll Do
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Read John 19:38-42 to your children. Explain to them what each ingredient represents.
3. The butter represents the embalming oils. Put butter in a shallow dish in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to melt.
4. The marshmallow represents Jesus, white and pure because He was without sin. Dip the marshmallow in butter.
5. Pour some cinnamon sugar in another shallow dish. The cinnamon sugar is like the spices they used to prepare His body for burial. Roll the marshmallow in the spices.
6. Spread out one section of the crescent dough on a plate. The crescent dough represents the linen cloth they wrapped Jesus in. Place the marshmallow in the triangle of dough and wrap the marshmallow completely.
Option – Dip it in the butter again to keep it from sticking to the pan. Or place directly in a muffin tin covered in cooking spray.
7. Place the rolls in the ‘tomb’ – (the oven). Bake for 12-15 minutes.
8. When the muffins are barely brown on top, take them out of the ‘tomb’ and let them cool for about 5 minutes.
9. Let your kids open up their roll and discover what happened. (Spoiler alert) The roll is empty!
Review: A book packed with practical ideas for your family. Here are 13 of my favorite parts:
Exercise is hard. Honesty is hard. Eating healthy is hard. Integrity is hard. But also – Obesity is hard. Anxiety is hard. Choose your hard.
Our utter devotion to what is safe and comfortable is a crack in our foundation. It keeps us from growing. What is the GIFT on the other side of discomfort? A difficult situation is a growth opportunity. Your brain might tell you ‘it’s impossible,’ but that’s wrong. It’s only difficult. You can’t …until you can. Say: I can’t …YET! When you go through something difficult, imagine your brain actually growing.
Hate is a boomerang. If you spew it toward others, it comes back and creates self-loathing. When in doubt, close your mouth.
Have your kids name 3 things they are grateful for while you are eating – one person, one place, one thing.
You can’t control your kid’s athletic ability or how smart they are, but you can control how hard they work. Hard work forges character.
Give kids responsibilities as soon as they can walk. Increasing the amount of responsibility as they age. You’ll be training them to be capable independent adults.
Self-agency: The ability to understand that you can make your own choices and that you have some sense of control over what comes next. When kids understand that their choices will create consequences for them, it helps them be more thoughtful and intentional.
Nature has healing powers. Being in the forest has shown to decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, and increase cardiovascular health. The best gym is the natural world. The sound of running water steadies us. The air refreshes us. The sunshine cheers us. The raw elements challenge us. We need to get outside and experience this glorious planet with all of our senses.
Power of Play: You don’t have to do anything fancy to have an outdoor adventure. Go on a hike, play tag in your backyard, climb trees, wrestle on the grass- these all develop their skills. Free play provides tactile feedback that children need to excel in sports later on. Kids need exercise for proper physical development and behavior. Prioritize movement over screen time. Physical activity is essential for healthy brain development. Throw a football, grab a jump rope, or go for a walk in the woods. You’ll see a difference in the behavior and attitude of your children. Especially teenagers! There are amazing benefits to Free Play. Free play not only helps to develop creative resources and enhance imagination, but also aids in the fine-tuning decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Outdoors is a canvas for the imagination. Outdoor play will help children invent the future. A recent study showed that children ages 5-12 spend less than 30 min outside each day. Prisoners are guaranteed 2 hours a day outdoors. Criminals are getting more outdoor time than our kids. Many studies show that getting exercise outside improves kids brain function.
On Fear. What’s on the other side of fear is fantastic. Elizabeth Gilbert welcomes fear in the car, but doesn’t let it drive the car. Fear is present, but not in control. Movement cures fear. Fear is just a feeling. Fear and excitement are similar, practically exact feelings. Your feelings are not an accurate measure of what you can handle. Fear is a feeling and does not have control over you. Courage can be learned, bravery can be developed. ‘It’s only my body getting scared. My smart mind knows it will be okay.’ Practice doing something your kids are afraid of. ‘Systematic desensitization’ means repeated exposure conquers fear. Fear will be an ever-present part of life, but it’s not bad. It’s just a signal that we may need to use certain skills to move forward.
There will always be people who support you and people who criticize. Decide now who you will listen to.
Growth mindset: praise your kids for EFFORT over intelligence. Say: ‘Wow, you worked hard on that!’ Celebrate the process, not just the product. Highlight how hard they worked and what they learned.
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Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
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Rating: 9/10
Review: I absolutely love this author and this book was brilliantly written. It gives insight into how the devil might be at work behind the scenes and in our thought lives. He is very subtle and sneaky in his attempt to turn us away from God. This book is absolutely worth reading, and it’s a book you’ll probably want to come back to again and again. The ideas shared in this book will stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page.
1. After finishing the book, I knew that Will is not in a good place.
2. He’s always struggled with how to defend the women in his life – from his mom, to his daughter, and now his wife. A theme throughout the book was his feeling of shame for not being courageous enough to protect them. He’s obviously still figuring that out.
My Review of the Book:
The beginning of Will’s autobiography was fantastic! Will used his superb storytelling ability to share the challenges of his childhood, how he got into hip-hop, and the crazy story of how he became the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
However, once he became ‘the biggest movie star of all time” (he reinforced this point many times), the story fell flat.
In spite of success at every level, he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for. He’s searching for peace in all the wrong places (psychedelic drugs, busyness, success, money, women, etc.).
I don’t necessarily recommend the book, however, if you’re a huge Will Smith fan and want to check it out, I recommend the audiobook. Will Smith reads the book and includes sound bites and songs that add an extra dimension. I think you’ll agree that the beginning is interesting, and the end is disappointing. I wish he would have waited to write this book.
Side note: Will’s oldest son, Trey, has found peace in a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus brings the unconditional love, peace, and fulfillment. For those searching for peace, ask God if He is real and you may find everything that you’ve ever been looking for is right there in Him.
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What have you been reading? Leave a comment!
Books are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase one, I may earn a small commission.
What brings the biggest smile to my face on Easter morning isn’t the eggs or the baskets—it’s the joy of knowing that I follow a Savior who has risen from the dead (read more about that here). That’s the true reason we celebrate!
Now, what brings a smile to my kids’ faces? Easter baskets! If you’re looking for a few fun, meaningful ideas to fill those baskets, here are five that are sure to bring joy to your kids on Easter morning.
But here’s my favorite recommendation of all: spend time together. A simple game of tag or hide-and-seek might just create more lasting memories than anything you could tuck inside a basket.
As we get ready to celebrate with our families, filling up baskets with little surprises is one way to share that joy with our kids.
All four of my boys play and enjoy this game. Their cousins and friends love it too. Have you played? It’s a fun and simple game for kids ages 4 and up!
My 7-year old got this puzzle game for a Christmas gift and our entire family has played it. It’s a great ‘on-the-go’ game for kids. There are 60 different challenges to complete in this game. We highly recommend it!
Put a bunch of chalk in their basket, then go outside and create art and inspiration for your neighborhood or local park.
Clark’s artworkGeorge’s artworkPaul’s art
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If you are looking for a church to visit on Easter, you can come with my family, or I can recommend a church for you to visit if you leave me a comment.
It’s been awhile since I’ve given you a peek into our week. I’ve been busy living life and have not taken the time to write about. So, I’ll try to quickly catch you up on our Minnesota life.
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January
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My Mom was in Minnesota!
I was so excited to welcome my mom back to Minnesota. It had been 2.5 years since her last visit. January in Minnesota is not the best time to visit, but we made the most of it.
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Volcan Snow Park
Neither of us love the cold, but we got bundled up to check out the Vulcan Snow Park in St. Paul. The sculptures were works of art and the maze was super cool!
The picture of Clark and Mom was taken in front the bank where locals put a stop to the Jesse James Gang.
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Sisterhood Ladies Night
Another highlight of Mom’s visit was the ‘Sisterhood’ ladies night at my church, with guest speaker Susie Larson.
My mom has loved Susie for YEARS. She listens to her podcasts, reads her books, and sends usher books. When I found out that Susie was speaking at our church on the week my mom was coming to town, I was THRILLED and felt like it wasn’t just a ‘coincidence,’ but a way for God to show us His love. Susie Larson is an amazing communicator, and mom LOVED getting to finally meet her.
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When I moved to Minnesota, I attended this ladies night called “Sisterhood” all by myself. I came alone, sat alone, and went home alone. It was a good night, but not my favorite way to attend a ‘ladies night.’ Fast forward three years, and I can’t tell you how happy my heart was to come with a bunch of sweet neighbors and friends (plus mom). We came together (in three cars), sat together, and went back to our neighborhood together and it meant SO much to me.
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Before mom left, I snapped this picture. This will be the last picture where George is smaller than Grandma.
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Thanks for coming to visit us Mom!
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February
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My mother-in-law in Minnesota
In February, my mother-in-law came for a visit.
Mill City Museum
We took Nana to the Mill City Museum. This was once the home of the General Mills flour plant.
Did you know flour can be as explosive as gun powder?
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A flour explosion destroyed most of the building. What remains is now the “Mill City Museum.” The General Mills factory has relocated to another town.
Nana and Paul
Nana and Clark
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George ‘reenacting’ a pose from our visit almost 3 years ago.
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George with my mom 2.5 years ago, and with Nana in February:
We found a beautiful old window at the museum and stopped to take some pictures.
Nana
George and Clark
The boys and Nana were being goofy. I loved how this elderly woman on the side was watching them.
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It did warm up enough one day for us to take a winter walk.
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Thanks for coming to visit us Nana!
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March
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Bye-bye-Basketball
We finished the basketball season with a weekend in Iowa. Clark’s team got invited to a regional tournament, and it was a great way to end the basketball season.
I’m thankful for these sweet basketball moms
One mom put these on every door
Clark and a few of his teammates
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Wrigley’s World
I can’t give an update without a peek at Wrigley. He is such a good dog. We are crazy about him!
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Wrigley likes to cuddle with his toys
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Just the right size
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My neighbor sent this picture. Wrigley walked over to see if her dogs could play. He was peeking in the window as if to say, “Come out and play with me!”
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The boys had Wrigley try on their hats:
George’s hat
Clark’s hat
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Paul and Wrigley
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Luke and Wrigley
Thanks for reading! Hope you are having a great week. Leave me a comment and let me know what you’ve been up to!
I love this snack so much. Caprese is the absolute perfect combination of flavors. The juicy tomatoes, the savory basil, the soft mozzarella cheese, and the sweet balsamic glaze. Yum!
For guests, I’ll make the cute little kebabs. When it’s just for me, I’ll eat it ‘deconstructed’ in a bowl.
It’s a quick, easy, healthy and delicious snack. What more could you ask for?
Review: This book is extremely informative. The authors address many things parents want advice on, including:
technology use,
anxiety,
learning disabilities,
standardized tests,
college decisions, and more.
I took lots of notes, but here are 4 points from the book I loved:
Make enjoying your kids a top parenting priority. Your kid needs to feel the joy of seeing your face light up when you see them because you are genuinely happy to spend time with them. This has a powerful effect on his/her self-esteem. It helps your children become JOY-producing people. If you don’t enjoy your children, reflect on why. Are you angry? Under pressure from work? In a difficult marriage? Reflect and do you best to work on the barriers that are keeping you from enjoying them.
Look for opportunities during the day to let your mind wander. This could mean just sitting quietly for a few minutes looking out the window or at the clouds. It could mean engaging in activities you do mindlessly.
Talk as a family about the importance of going off-line and giving yourself truly free time.Tell your kids that it’s only when they aren’t focused on anything in particular that they can really think about others and themselves.
Always know your kids passwords to their device(s). If you are paying for the phone, make it contingent on them being respectful online and putting it away at night.
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When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I couldn’t stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.
Review: A novel about hockey. The setting is a hockey town; the characters live and breathe hockey. I recommend this book to those of you who…(shocker) love hockey.
Review: This is one of my favorite books of all time. It’s the biography of Corrie Ten Boom. Her family helped countless Jews during WW2 and ended up in a concentration camp. It’s a beautiful story of survival, forgiveness, and redemption.
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What have you been reading this month? Leave me a comment!
The boys and I took advantage of a day off in winter to explore SEA LIFE at the Mall of America.
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They’d be asking to go to this aquarium since our first visit to the Mall of America in 2018, and we were excited to finally get inside and explore.
Sea Life is well organized with a “trail” that leads you through the entire aquarium.
I was surprised by how many different ‘creatures’ lived at Sea Life. I mean, it’s inside a mall, how big can this place be? Well, apparently VERY BIG! There are literally THOUSANDS of creatures. Two that I enjoyed seeing were the BLUE dart frogs and the alligators.
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They also have the only sawfish in Minnesota. Those fish are COOL! (Duke and Duchess are their names)
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Sea Life also has the only glass tunnel in Minnesota – and it was incredible. There were different types of fish, turtles and sharks swimming over and around you. We’d never experienced walking through a tunnel like that, and we all enjoyed it.
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Upon exiting the tunnel, there was a tank of starfish and sea anemones that we were allowed to touch. They were beautiful and felt so soft.
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There were also sting rays to observe and feed.
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Next we entered a room of tall tanks filled with jelly fish. They were mesmerizing. I could have watched them for hours – but I was pulled away by my boys who wanted to keep moving.
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The boys liked the exhibit with a surf board that had been bitten by a shark.
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Did you know that sharks think surfers are seals or sea turtles and that’s why they bite?
For lego lovers – there is a lego play area.
My boys said their favorite part of the day was the “Scavenger Hunt.” Upon arrival, there are books available with things you need to find throughout Sea Life. When you find them, you look for the stamper nearby and “punch” your card. When your card is full, you show it to a staff member in the gift shop to receive a sticker and a medal.
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Scavenger Hunt Guide
What kid doesn’t want a medal? They all wore theirs proudly.
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There were several shows, talks, and exhibits throughout the day.
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An interactive movie
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There are also fun ‘fin’ facts throughout the aquarium, as well as games to play.
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If you are in a hurry, you can go through the entire thing in 30 minutes. If you take your time, you can wander and spend about 90 minutes.
Sea Life is a place I’d recommend checking out. Writing this post makes me want to go back. I need to spend more time with those jelly fish. If you are local, you may want to get a season pass so that you can enjoy Sea Life throughout the year.
Thank you to Sea Life for the fun experience! They gave our family free tickets in exchange for this post. Being a blogger has benefits. 🙂
I was introduced to 3 fantastic authors this month, and I’m so grateful to have read their work. I’m looking forward to reading more books by those authors.
The first book I read this month was written by a fantastic author, who is also a friend. Power of a Place was a great book to start the new year.
Review: This author is someone I admire and respect. He went to school with Ted, and I worked with him in Colorado. He’s a great teacher and a fantastic writer. I loved his first book, Chasing Wisdom, and his second book is just as good. The Power of Place is about the value of putting down roots and investing in the place you call ‘home.’
Review: This book was so engaging, I did not want it to end. It shares the beautiful relationship that develops between CS Lewis and Ms. Davidson. They were pen pals, and later met and became great friends, and eventually married. I already loved CS Lewis, but this story makes me love him even more. This author did a fabulous job of re-creating their love story. I highly recommend the audiobook because the narration brings the story to life. It’s free on the Hoopla app.
Here are two quotes from the book that I loved:
God does not love us because we are lovable but because He is Love.
CS Lewis
Sometimes we want to stay and goof off in a mud pit when God has an entire seashore for us to play in.
Review: This was a wonderful book that I read with my 12-year-old son Clark. It’s the story of a young boy coming to live with his aunt in Minnesota to escape his war-torn country of Sudan. The author writes brilliantly and expresses such beautiful and deep emotion in very few words. This book can be read in a day but will stay with you for much longer. I felt the wonder, optimism, fear, sadness and hope through the eyes of the main character (Kek). This book gave me a glimpse into what it might be like to be a refugee. I HIGHLY recommend this book! Great for parents to read with kids ages 8 and up.
Review: I read this book with my 14 year-old son and we both enjoyed it. It’s a novel about a boy who went to work with his dad on September 11, 2001. The book does an excellent job recreating the environment from that day. You feel like you are in the Twin Towers that morning trying to escape. This book allowed George and I have to have some great conversations about what happened on September 11.
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Thanks for reading! Please share which of these books you’d like to read or a great book you’ve read recently.
A visit to the Bakken Museum has been on my bucket list since moving to Minnesota in 2018, and we finally made it happen.
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The beautiful home was orginally built by Mr. William E. Goodfellow, who owned Goodfellow Dry Goods in Minneapolis. Later, the home was purchased Earl Bakken, the inventor of the pacemaker and founder of Medtronic. He used this mansion not as a home, but a place to display things he’d collected over the years. In time, the mansion became the Bakken Museum, with a mission to nurture a love of science in all who visit.
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The museum is filled with hands-on exhibits that teach kids about science and electricity. The activities are entertaining for a wide range of ages.
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Upon entering the museum, the staff offered my boys a scavenger hunt. This kept them all engaged and allowed us to explore the entire museum. My boys were looking closely at displays they may have missed if they weren’t on the ‘hunt.’
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There is a Frankenstein show that combines history, art, and science. The show takes about 10 minutes. It’s not super- scary, but I don’t recommend it for kids under six. My older boys thought it was cool.
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The grounds outside the Bakken museum are beautiful. I could have spent a couple hours in the garden area if I’d brought a book to read (and didn’t have four busy boys in tow).
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The museum takes about two hours to explore, and parking is free.
Bakken Museum Address: 3537 Zenith Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55416
This is not a book about sales, though it would certainly help if you are in sales. It’s really a book about how to get the most out of life and how to be the best version of yourself.
It’s about man who inherits 10 ancient scrolls that are the ‘secret to success’. Each scroll has a powerful message.
I loved this book. I felt like I was listening to my grandfather describe his life from a beautiful, bygone era as I read about the simple life of Jayber Crow.
Jayber Crow is a book you want to read when you can sit back, relax, put your feet up and just enjoy a good story.
Erwin shares one phenomenal story after another, connecting what God teaches in the Bible to real people putting that into action, and the POWER that action had in their lives. Here are a few of my five favorite points from the book:
You need to act like your life depends on it because it’s never just your life involved. The world desperately needs everything you can bring to the table.
You will never sustain greatness or fulfill your God-given calling if you see people as an obstacle to your destiny rather than as essential to fulfilling God’s purpose in your life. An old African saying: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We are more powerful when we walk together, and we are more vulnerable when we walk alone.
Fear is like a leprosy that eats away at us. Fear will lead us to build fortresses that look like security and safety. Fear convinces us that we have locked out the dangers, but it hasn’t locked the world out at all. Instead, fear has trapped us inside. It was never a fortress, it was a prison.
I do not believe anyone is born average but I do believe that many of us choose to live a life of mediocrity. To be above average demands a choice. Average is a safe choice and it’s the most dangerous choice we can make.
Do not lose sight of the fact that just because it’s time to move forward, the things in the past did not have great value for the time in your life. Appreciate the past, but live IN the present and FOR the future.
I’d heard of Clara Barton in connection with the Red Cross, but never knew what a fascinating life she led!
Reading (or listening to) stories like this gives me hope for each human. Clara was a simple girl that noticed a gap and problem, then filled the gap and help solved the problem. We can do great things by starting small.
I’m thankful for women like Clara because she carved the way for a woman like me, She was a leader before women were allowed to lead. She was hard-working, creative, respectful, but bold.
I listened to this book on my free Hoopla app and recommend it for moms and their daughters to listen to together.
As I closed this book, I hugged it in deep appreciation. Oh, how I needed to hear those beautifully written words.
I recommend this to someone new in town, who may feel ‘anonymous,’ or to someone whose dreams haven’t been realized.
Here are 5 points from the book:
Why would Jesus announce the birth of his precious son with a full angelic choir, then hide this priceless gift for three decades? Because what is hidden is not unimportant.
God’s first public words to Jesus were not directional (go there) or instructional (do this) it was relational: THIS IS MY SON! God spoke affirmation before Jesus had ever done any good works.
Every day, we invest in a future we cannot see. Time is not really spent, it is invested in a future we cannot see.
Jesus could stand strong in public because he stood still in private. He intentionally pursued quiet places.There is healing in stillness.
Savor the anonymous season. Respect it’s potential.
This is the best marriage book I’ve ever read. I picked it up, not because I was ready to ‘split,’ but simply curious on the advice she’d give from the perspective of a divorce attorney.
I had no idea how truly insightful and helpful this book would be to EVERY SINGLE MARRIED PERSON!
Here are 5 take-aways:
Your marriage can go from that bad to this good. No matter how troubled or even chaotic your marriage may seem, you have more control over its future than you think.
Ask yourself and people you trust: “What is it like to be on the other side of me?“
Your spouse can’t make you happy. Happiness is something you bring to a relationship, not something you get from it.
There’s danger in allowing the emotions you’re experiencing right now to lead you to make long-term decisions. Yes, your emotions are real. Examine them. Learn from them. But don’t give them the lead role.
Find friends who will help you WIN in your marriage. Surround yourself with WISE, trustworthy, and objective friends who help you make better decisions. Your friends help you lean into or away from your marriage.
This book was captivating because it shared so many different stories of the people who were directly impacted by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
I read this book twice this year – first reading the book, then listening to the audiobook. Both were excellent, but I loved that the audiobook contained REAL RECORDINGS from that day. It was powerful.
This book is so entertaining, you won’t want to put it down. My son kept asking: “Can we read another chapter?”
It’s the story of a girl and her parents who moved to the US from China. They get jobs at a motel in California. Mia, only 10 years old, runs the front desk. The book tells interesting stories about the guests who come to the motel, and gives insight into what it’s like to be an immigrant. The stories are endearing and you will fall in love with the characters!
Because Clark is such an active kid, he doesn’t usually want to sit and read. This is one of the first books where he actually loved sitting with me and reading together. It was one of the sweetest memories of the summer.
My son said: “I wish this book would never end.” I felt the same.
Parent tip: Keep trying new books until you find one your kid loves!
I’ve heard of and even quoted this author many times, but didn’t read his book until this last year. It’s a beautiful and hard book to read. Victor Frankl is a psychologist who survived Auschwitz – partially by using the techniques he taught his clients. One thing I loved was that he tried to find a way to laugh every day while imprisoned. He and another Jewish man would think up silly stories to share. Finding humor in the worst situation helped them survive.
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Here’s a picture snapshot of my Top Ten Books from 2021:
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There you have it! My favorite books of 2021.
What was your favorite book of the year or which book from this list do you want to read in 2022? Leave a comment by clicking on the box by the TITLE of this post.
