One of my first memories includes listening to my mom and older sister read Psalm 91 together before bed. Hearing them quote this passage of Scripture brought comfort and peace to my little heart.
My mom also sang with us, prayed with us, and helped us memorize simple verses. I believe those were the building blocks for a foundation of faith that I still stand on today.
As mothers – our days can be crazy and exhausting. Especially right now!! However, we can choose to start and end each day with HOPE.
Why do we see so many bunnies and eggs around Easter? These symbols may seem like springtime fun, but they actually point to something much deeper—new life!
Eggs remind us of new beginnings. Just like a chick hatches from an egg, we believe that through Jesus, we are given a fresh start and new life.
Empty eggs can also symbolize the empty tomb—Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday!
Bunnies are known for having lots of babies, making them a symbol of life and growth.
As Christ-followers, Easter is a time to celebrate the incredible truth that Jesus conquered death and rose again to give us new life—full of hope, joy, and purpose.
Now let’s have some fun with crafts and activities that point our kids back to these amazing truths!
Give your children a large sheet of paper and have them finger paint, scribble, or water color.
Cut their work out into the shape of an EGG!
Hang up or frame it with a contrasting background!
_
.
2. Aluminum Foil Easter Eggs
Cut an egg out of Aluminum Foil
Color/decorate with Sharpies
When decorating the egg, set it on top of newspaper…I have sharpie marks on my farmhouse table because I skipped this step! 🙁
Pictured below is the artwork done by my 12 year old. When I asked him to color this egg, he rolled his eyes – but then he spent 20 minutes working on it. It’s okay to encourage your older kids to be artistic. It’s relaxing for them, and they enjoy it more than they will admit.
.
3. Handprint Easter Bunnies
Trace your child’s hand
Create bunny ears and a face
Cut out and fold
Optional: Do this each year to see how their hands grow!
–
.
4. Easter Bunny Pancakes
Create small and large pancakes and help your kids construct a bunny!
I used mini chocolate chips and bananas on the feet, and whip cream for a “bunny tail.”
.
.
5. Easter sidewalk chalk
Tape out a design on a window, driveway or sidewalk.
Fill in the spaces with sidewalk chalk or washable paint.
Optional: Rub the sidewalk chalk with a paper towel for a smooth look and to make the chalk go further.
Peel off tape and ENJOY! Your neighbors will appreciate it too.
Money Saving Tip: I found tape and sidewalk chalk at the Dollar Tree.
This was my first week of home schooling all four boys and what I’ve learned is – it’s not easy. I’m a full-time mom with a teaching degree and IT’S NOT EASY. I’m putting that out there so that every other parent can give themselves some grace!!!
This is new to ALL of us, and it’s not streamlined or organized. I’m not sure if we are getting it all done, or done correctly?! My mantra right now:
Good enough is good enough.
Here’s a breakdown of what each of us are doing:
George:
George has been a rock star – starting his day on time, figuring out all his assignments, checking them off, one-by-one. He asks me for help in understanding a few things. My favorite subject to do with him is Minnesota Studies. We are both learning so much about our state. He’s in sixth grade and has 7 classes. Each class is giving him about 20 minutes worth of homework.
Clark
Clark isn’t a fan of home learning. He needs social interaction and competition to thrive. His favorite part of home learning are zoom chats with his entire class.
Paul
Paul’s doing good with home school. I assist him with about 50% of his work. His home school consists of reading on an app called EPIC, math on an app called IXL, and other assignments on an app called SeeSaw. His teacher sends a daily video and list of activities to my Gmail. They also do classroom zoom chats. His favorite part of the day is getting outside to hike and explore.
Luke
I’m trying to keep Luke busy with letter worksheets, art, small-motor activities, and some digital learning games while I help his brothers with school. The boys take turns reading and practicing letters with him, and his preschool teacher has posted videos on youtube for him to watch and learn.
Learning inside
Learning outside
Kathryn:
I usually make everyone a big breakfast, and then we start homeschool at 9AM. I move from kid to kid throughout the morning helping them start activities, finish work, or answer questions.
Lunch is simple – sandwiches or mac-n-cheese and fruit.
After lunch we finish our homework and then we get outside until it’s time to get dinner ready.
Most nights we eat dinner together. This has been one of my favorite parts of quarantine – lots of time around the table! After dinner the kids can have some videogame time, or we will watch a show. Some shows we like to watch together:
Ted is staying busy with work for Target – but working from home. He has conference calls and video chats throughout the day. Sometimes it’s tricky keeping four boys quiet while he’s on a call. He told me the other day, when I was in the shower, he was on a call and heard one of our sons shout, “I love bacon!” Then all four boys starting chanting “I love bacon!” Thankfully, his co-workers thought it was funny, but now I make sure he doesn’t have a conference call before I get in the shower.
Getting Outside!
Clark’s artwork
George’s artwork
Hiking an old abandoned railroad
Getting outside is one of our favorite parts of the day – especially now that the sun is coming out and the weather is getting warmer! Minnesota winters are LONG, which makes spring and summer so much sweeter.
One afternoon, while out on a hike, the boys caught a water bug, a slug, and a leech, then put them into the same bucket with pond water to see what would survive. They watched the giant water bug use his proboscis to kill the minnow.
3 Things we learned:
The word Proboscis: the long appendage on the front of a bug or animal. It’s the part of a mosquito that sticks into a human to suck it’s blood.
Water bugs have a large proboscis that they use to poke and kill their prey.
We don’t have to be in school to learn about science and nature!
What I’m loving:
Psalm 91 – I’m starting each day by reading this passage of Scripture.
Covid Memes! So much laughter!
Slower pace and time with my family
FaceTime with family and friends
Family Dinners
My “One Line a Day” Book. I’m capturing some of what’s happening in this simple journal. It will be interesting to look back on in years to come. I also write funny things my kids say and do.
What are you loving right now? Leave me a comment by clicking on the comment box by the title of this post.
Thanks for reading! Can’t wait to share a post written by my husband soon. Subscribe so you don’t miss a post.
🌞☀️ Summer Fun Alert! 🌞☀️ Are you ready to banish those dreaded words, “I’m bored,” from your kids’ vocabulary this summer? 🎉 I’ve put together the ultimate list of activities guaranteed to keep young minds engaged, bodies moving, and creativity flowing all season long! From outdoor adventures to indoor escapades, there’s something for every kid to enjoy. Let’s dive in and make this summer the most memorable one yet! 🚀
.
Note: I put this list together during the 2020 lock down and it came in handy when my son and got Covid and had to spend two weeks in quarantine. When we were finally ‘free” he said:
.
“Mom, I’m sad that quarantine is done. We made so many memories.”
Luke, age 7
.
Thankfully, the lockdown is long gone, but this list remains incredibly useful for those moments when boredom strikes and you’re in need of some inspiration! Plus, it’s an added bonus that you’ll make ‘so many memories’ along the way!!
.
.
1. Draw a Picture and/or write a letter
Set out Pencils, markers, water color, or crayons and blank paper or coloring books.
Draw pictures and write letters to family and friends!
Find books that will pique your child’s curiosity.
Most early readers (and pre-readers) enjoy comic-strip style books.
Set a timer so your kids know that it’s “reading time.”
Ask an older child to read to a younger child – or –
Read a few pages of a chapter book to your kids. The “Who Was” series is great!
My 12 year old son and I recently finished Front Desk and he LOVED it and kept asking me to read more.
We read Little House on the Prairie in 2020 and laughed at how similar the “little house life” and “quarantine life” are!
.
.
3. Tell/ write a story
My fourth grade teacher once gave us the title “The Entire City Lends a Hand” and had the class each write their own story. Read a rendition of that here.
Give your kids a title and let them write!
Title ideas: The first day of school! Best Vacation Ever, If I were President, Undersea Adventure, You Won’t Believe what Happened!
Have your kids write a little each day about what they are doing during the summer. (It will be interesting to look back on these journals in the future!)
Another option: Have your kids write 1 thing they are grateful for each day.
Thinking about our blessings and what we are grateful for is extremely helpful in building resiliency! I researched journals a few months ago and decided to purchase this simple one for George. I’ve loved watching him open this up (without prompting), and write what he’s grateful for!
Research suggests that keeping a gratitude journal can boost your health and happiness.
George cooling off on the hot dayGeorge on the zip line
.
.
9. Clean together
My sister’s daughters (ages 4 and 7) – She says the girls enjoy the tactile nature of finding the clips, reading them, and then putting them in the container when completed.
There are so many benefits to giving your kids household chores and teaching them to clean!
Some bigger things we are working on together – the basement, baseboards, and cleaning our cars.
Smaller things the kids can do – a junk drawer, the pantry, baseboards, wiping lower cabinets, all door handles, appliance handles, pulling weeds, folding and putting away laundry, bathroom, bedroom, their closet, and loading/unloading dishwasher.
I offered my kids a quarter to whoever could wipe down the baseboards and bring me back the dirtiest wet wipe.
Puzzle races: 1. Time your kids and see how fast they can put a small puzzle together. 2. If you have two 50-100 piece puzzles, race to see who can put them together faster.
Optional Money-saving tip: Trade puzzles with your neighbors or buy some used ones! Dollar store sells some too!
This sticker book has over 5000 5-star reviews! I got this for my son for Christmas and I see why it has so many positive reviews. We love it! The pictures turn out so pretty you could frame them!
Run around your house for 5 or more minutes. I don’t know about your kids – but my kids NEED to burn energy in a healthy way or they start getting mischievous!
If we are outside, I challenge my kids to a foot race so that we can BOTH burn energy and get exercise.
.
.
34. Play some backyard games
Duck Duck Goose
Balloon Bounce – Kids lay down (or sit down) and have to work together to keep balloon(s) in the air.
Red Rover, Red Rover
Red Light, Green Light
Tag
.
.
35. Have a unique conversation
Has months of summer left you with nothing else to talk about than how bored you are? Then you NEED this set of cards.
Each card asks interesting questions for your family to answer or discuss. My kids ask for us to pull the cards out whenever we sit down to eat. One time my kids were eating alone and my oldest son pulled the questions out to ask his little brothers. I LOVED listening to their conversation!
.
.
36. Have a “What’s in the Box?” Challenge
Cut holes a in box
Choose an item to put inside
Allow someone to reach their hand inside the box and “guess” what it is.
Take turns finding items to hide, then guessing “What’s in the Box?”
Kids can learn how to make a flipbook animation in less than 5 minutes. All you need is a pen and a stack of notecards, paper, or a sticky note pad. This video is a great and very quick tutorial.
.
.
45. Play Simon Says or Follow The Leader
Have each child take a turn being the leader
Walk all around your house
Do jumps, turns, stop to hug dad, etc.
.
.
46. Ice excavating
Place some toys in a bowl of water and Freeze. Let the kids dig them out.
A really fun and simple activity that can act as a physics lesson and opportunity for an experiment. Make a simple ramp using cardboard or a piece of wood, and roll different objects down: measure how far they go, how fast they roll, or hold races between different kinds of balls to see which wins!
Print the 55 options listed above, cut apart each idea, and put them in a container. If your kids say ‘I’m Bored’ – have them pull a paper from the jar and complete that activity.
Boredom leads to new inventions. I look forward to what will be thought up during this quarantine!
.
.
Do you have an idea? Leave a comment!
Please subscribe so you don’t miss a post!
*I am an Amazon Affiliate, so I make a small percentage off of Amazon links I share if you click through and purchase, without any additional cost to you. Thank you for your support in this way!
Did you know that there are 365 verses in the Bible about fear? A verse for EVERY SINGLE day of the year! Nothing surprises God. He knew that every single day of our lives, we’d have something to fear. So, he gave us a Scripture for every day to combat our fears.
I’ve created a list of 12 verses for you. 12 of my favorites. One for each MONTH of the year.
Print this off, cut them apart and put them around your house – on your bathroom mirror, in your car, by the kitchen sink…and work on memorizing one each month of the year. Memorize each verse with your kids!
Allow these powerful Scriptures to replace your FEAR with FAITH!
–
1. Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
–
2. Psalm 118:6
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
–
3. Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. NLT
–
4. Joshua 1:9
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
–
5. Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Jon and Whitney’s wedding day. I lived with Whitney, her sister Courtney and my aunt and uncle through college. This family is very dear to my heart!
Jon’s audition was March 9th, 2020 and I’ve included it at the end of this post! (I’ve also included his incredible new single.)
Blake Shelton said that it was his GREATEST day of his coaching career on The Voice when he got Jon Mullins on his team!
Kelly Clarkson said that Jon’s voice gave her chills. His voice fills a room and he should be on Broadway.
Nick Jonas wants to “snatch him up” if he get the opportunity! (Update – he DID get the opportunity and was good on his word! Jon spent some time on #teamnick.
Here is my recent conversation with Jon:
ME: Jon, one thing I’ve always admired about you is your love for people. When you are in a room, you are not on your phone. You are engaged and interested in every person in the room – whether it’s our 90-year-old grandpa or our 5-year-old niece. As a parent, I’d love to see my kids engage the way YOU do.
Question 1: Where does your love for people come from, and how can parents cultivate it in their children?
Jon: I’ve always been outgoing. As a 4 yr old…I’d be at family gatherings, walking around, talking to everyone.
My parents cultivated it by not trying to hold me back.
Both of my parents are caring and engaging with people, and I’ve learned from watching them.
Little Jon with his sister
QUESTION 2: When did you first realize you had a gift for singing?
Jon: At 14 years old I became curious about singing. My choir teacher asked me to audition for an Acapella group and I made it. That’s when I discovered that maybe I could sing.
QUESTION 3: You play several instruments. When did you start playing and how often did you practice?
Jon: I began playing the trumpet as an 11 year old. Once I got that thing, I never put it down. I’d play all.the.time. Even sitting on the toilet.
I got my 1st guitar at 14 and took 3 months of guitar lessons and was hooked.
I’d practice at least four hours a day.
I’d fall asleep with a guitar in my hands.
QUESTION 4: How can parents motivate their kids in music? Or help develop a passion for it?
Jon: If your child is showing interest in an instrument, even drums, or any musical aspect, ENCOURAGE it!
I wish I would have started lessons before 11.
If you can’t afford lessons, ask a family friend to give you lessons. (You can also find lessons on youtube now!)
My parents never got annoyed by my constant playing and singing. Or if they did, they didn’t mention it. They always encouraged it.
QUESTION 5: You are an extremely talented, powerful singer. Kelly Clarkson said your voice fills up the room. Are you 100% talent…or do you still have to work at it?
Jon: First of all, thank you for saying that.
A singer’s vocal technique is ALWAYS a work in progress. Every popular music artist you can think of (Justin Bieber, Usher, etc) STILL has a vocal coach traveling with them and teaching them how to use their ‘instrument.’
I am ALWAYS a student of my ‘instrument’ (my voice). I’m always learning about how to use it properly so I don’t lose it.
QUESTION 6: Can you tell me a little about your faith?
Jon: Since I was young, my parents attended church. It was fun to me. I grew up in church. At about 5 years old, I felt a tugging on my soul. I talked to my dad about it and I prayed and invited Christ into my life at that young age.
My relationship with God has grown from there.
I am depending on God through this whole thing. Asking for peace and trusting HIM along the way. I’m asking that He open doors that should be open, and close the ones that need to be closed.
Also, if you saw me on stage with my hand raised, it’s because I’ve been a worship leader in the past, and I just start raising my hands when I sing.
I’ve gotten a feedback about my audition – that it was almost like a worship experience. My prayer is that people will see God through me.
QUESTION 7: How did you get on The Voice?
Jon: A friend of mine was in the audition process. They told the producer to reach out to me and they did.
I was REALLY hesident. I’d been on American Idol in 2010 and wasn’t excited about doing any more reality TV.
I had a conversation with Whitney, my wife. She said, “If God opened this door, walk through it. Maybe this is a good time to step out in faith.”
Then, I was at an eye appointment and there was a sign in the waiting room that said:
The biggest mistake you can make is a being afraid of making a mistake.
So, I felt like God gave me a LITERAL sign.
QUESTION 8: What was it like singing to the backs of four chairs and knowing that in those chairs sat Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Nick Jonas?
Jon: I went into the whole situation determined not to concentrate on the chairs. I focused on the meaning of the song! Because of this journey I’ve taken with my wife, the song had SO much meaning to me.
So, I told myself ‘Don’t focus on the chairs – focus on the message!‘
If you focus on the chairs, only nerves will come through!
QUESTION 9: What would you say has been your favorite moment in the competition so far?
Jon: Can I say two?
First, I’ve loved getting to know and grow close with the other artists. We all text and hang out, outside of the show. It’s now a family.
My other favorite MOMENTS … when I was able to step on that stage and sing that song about my experience. And then…
the HUG from BLAKE SHELTON!
When Blake said, “This is the best day of my coaching career,” I nearly fainted.
Question 10: If you look down the road, 5 years from now, what do you hope to be doing?
Jon: Maybe with a kid!?
I’ll still be living in Nashville.
Touring and playing – music is in my blood, so I’ll still be writing and singing!
QUESTION 11: Speaking of Whitney, how is she doing?
Jon: She’s about 85 percent.
About 4 years ago, she fell and hit her head in the front. She damaged the part of her brain that controls important cognitive skills like emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language and anxiety.
After the fall she started having severe panic attacks. Agoraphobia …anxiety…
It’s getting better but she still gets occasional anxiety and panic attacks.
QUESTION 12: How can we pray for you?
Jon: Pray for Whitney – complete healing for her and peace through this process
That God continues to open and shut the doors for us.
Pray that the right people come into our path!
QUESTION 13: Where can people find you and follow you?
Before moving to Minnesota, there were only two things I knew about this place:
#1. Long cold winters
#2. Home to Mall of America
.
Here are some fun facts I’ve learned about Minnesota:
.
1. Minnesota is called the Land of 10,000 lakes, but there are actually 15,291 lakes in Minnesota- more lakes than any other state in the lower 48.
.
.
In order to qualify as a “lake” – a body of water must be 10 acres. So, there are not only over 15 thousand lakes … but COUNTLESS ponds!
.
.
2. Minnesota has more shoreline than California, Hawaii and Florida COMBINED!
.
.
.
3. Minnesota ranks #1 in the US for fishing licenses and boat ownership. (One boat for every 6 residents)
.
fishing
.
.
4. Minnesota water flows in three directions – north to Canada, south to the Gulf, east to the Atlantic.
.
.
.
5. Did you ever wonder why the Los Angeles basketball team are the “LAKERS?” Well, they were originally from Minnesota – the land of lakes!
.
.
.
6. The Minnesota Twins Baseball team was the first team to be named after a STATE and not a city.
.
.
.
7. Minnesota was the first state to send troops to fight in the civil war.
Minnesota also had the last surviving member of the Union Army – Henry Woolsen – who died in Duluth at age 106.
.
Minnesota soldiers of the Civil War reunited at Fort Snelling in June 1902. Photos courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society.
.
.
8. The Mississippi River starts in Minnesota and runs over 2500 miles down to the Gulf of Mexico.
.
.
.
9. There is only ONE waterfall on the Mississippi River – St. Anthony Falls, located near Minneapolis.
.
This waterfall was originally used to power several flour mills. From 1880 to about 1930, Minneapolis was known as the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.” Here’s a peek into one former mill, now a museum!
I LOVE reading! You find time for things you love.
I have books everywhere. One by my bed. An audiobook on my phone. A book by the couch. Another in the kitchen. One in the car.
I take a few minutes to read in the morning. I usually take about 10-20 minutes in the afternoon to read. In the evening, I’d rather read than watch TV. If my kids or husband are watching something, I’ll sit with them on the couch and read next to them, OR, I’ll read for a little while after the kids go to bed.
If I have to wait for my kids at a practice or an appointment, I’ll read.
I read WITH my kids. This is a little challenging with FOUR boys, so I pick a book and read one-on-one, or read SHORT segments with more than one child.
The free HOOPLA app allows me to download excellent books for no cost, so I will listen to books while doing household chores or exercising.
My increase in reading may also be related to the fact that I’m new-ish to Minnesota, so I don’t have as many social commitments, also #MinnesotaWinter! 🤔
Here are the 5 I read this month, as well as one we finally finished after nearly a year…plus a GIVEAWAY!
My son George was intrigued by this book and asked me to read it to him. We’d read a chapter each day at breakfast.
The book is about a young man who is set to inherit a LOT of money if he completes several tasks that will teach him valuable life lessons, like:
The Value of Money
The Value of Time
The Value of Work
The Value of Good Friendships, etc.
I’d highly recommend this book if you have any teenagers in your house. It’s easy-to-read and talks about 12 life lessons that will lead to a meaningful life.
This book is filled with a hodge podge of the author’s thoughts, ideas, and stories from his life.
My favorite parts of the book were:
His reminder to look for the good – it’s all around if you are paying attention.
Seeing the Good is a Key to Happiness!
His encouragement to invest in another kid who isn’t your own child. 50% of kids will go through a divorce and another percentage of kids don’t have a relationship with one of their parents. Kids truly benefit from another person encouraging them and teaching them something new. I STRONGLY agree with him on this topic. Having another person who wasn’t a parent invest in me, changed the trajectory of MY life!
Giving Back is a Key to Happiness!
Compound interest – most of us know how it works with money, but we forget how it works with relationships. Small investments made on a regular basis over a long period of time have a huge payout.
Bob is the CEO of Disney. In this book, he shares stories from his career (before Disney), and how he’s transformed Disney since he began leading the company 15 years ago. He shares life and leadership lessons.
It’s a well-written book with some interesting stories and good lessons, but I was hoping it would be more of a memoir and story of his life.
If are a business leader, you will enjoy and benefit from this book.
Rating 7/10
If you want to read a good book about the ‘inner workings of Disney,’ then a phenomenal book I’d recommend is: Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell. I LOVED this one and consider it a MUST read. In fact, I’m going to put it to my ‘read again’ pile.
I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to read this classic. I wish I would have read it as a teenager. It’s such an endearing story about four sisters, and I grew up with four sisters!
I watched the new movie recently and fell in love with the story, so I checked out the audiobook from the library. The book was written in the 1800s, so some of the language is a little outdated, but other than that – the story is wonderful. The new movie is EXCELLENT!
Janet Benge is one of my favorite authors. She tells the stories of men and women who’ve done fascinating things with their lives.
I started reading this book with George but he was not engaged. I wouldn’t recommend it for kids.
I’ve heard of John Wesley as a pioneer in church history and wanted to learn more about him. I was UN-pleasantly surprised by his story.
He was raised by an extremely strict father and that became a BIG part of who he was. He lived by RULES. Those ‘rules’ or METHODS became the foundation of the Methodist church. Most of his life was about how much he could DO without really understanding or experiencing the love and grace of God. For a better biographies by Janet Benge, I highly recommend Corrie Ten Boom, Gladys Aylward and Amy Carmichael!
Rating 7/10
An awesome book I’ve been reading to the boys for about a YEAR that we FINALLY FINISHED IN FEBRUARY:
I think every family should own a copy of this book! The short devotionals teach something about science and how it connects with God and us. We find each page fascinating. We’ve just purchased, and started reading, the second book in the series.
Rating 10/10
*GIVEAWAY*
I’m currently reading “The Wise Woman Loves” and I’d love to send you a copy. To win:
Subscribe to this blog.
Leave a comment (by clicking the little comment box by the title of this post).
Basketball ended and it left us with an entire weekend with almost nothing to do.
I like to have things to do so I started feeling cabin fever…wishing for warmer weather.
My kids handled the free weekend better than me.
Clark watched a really cool video on youtube (see below), and was inspired to create arcade games out of boxes. His brothers saw his creativity and were inspired as well.
They are all working on creating arcade games and will invite neighbors to come over and play.
Clark created a game called “Hit It” – Targets for Nerf Guns
George creating his game called “The Ultimate Maze”
Here’s Clark’s first creation:
Here’s the super cool video that inspired the weekend’s creativity:
