top ten (tuesday): Easter Traditions – revisited

In light of the Easter season, I’ve decided to re-post this post from last year!  Here are 10 Easter traditions that we have…

10. The Miracle Maker – great movie!

9. Cadbury eggs – yum!

8. Palm Sunday Baptisms – our church has a traditions of doing baptisms on Palm Sunday.  It is one of the most powerful services we have every year.

7. Easter Baskets – my mom always used to hide our Easter baskets in the house and we would get up and search for them before church.

6. Easter Breakfast – another tradition our church has is a free community breakfast before our combinded Easter service at our local high school (we usually have 3 services every Sunday).  It is a great time for our entire church to come together once a year.

5. New Easter Outfit – I always get a new outfit for Easter Sunday… do you?

4. Easter Bunny cake – my mom has a great (easy) recipe/instructions for making an Easter Bunny cake… it looks something like this:

3.  Decorating eggs – its been a few years since I have done this but I know it will be something that I do again once I have kids that are older.

2. Family Dinner – always a big part of our Easter Sunday…

1. Special Easter Church Events – over the last several years we have participated in special events at our church during Easter.  The picture below was taken from something that we did last year called Experiencing Jesus’ Passion – an interactive experience of the Easter story involving art and drama.  This year we are planning on attending a combined Good Friday service and then celebrating Easter Sunday with our traditional Easter Breakfast and combined campus Easter Service at the local high school.

********************
Want to see some more Top Ten Tuesday lists?  Hop over to ohamanda.com and visit the other Top Ten Tuesday links.  There are some great posts out there!

Read Full Post »

top ten (tuesday): disney world attractions i want to see

I just confirmed our reservations for Disney World!  We are taking a vacation to Florida in a few months and part of that time will be spent at Disney World with our close friends who are celebrating an end to a year of chemo. (YAY!) I have been to Disney a few times since I have been married and I am looking forward to exploring it again, this time with Mollie (which I know will be a whole new experience).

I’m linking up to ohamanda’s Top Ten Tuesday today.  Here are 10 of the things that I want to do:

1. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – This was one of our favorite rides that last 2 times we were at Disney, and yes that was without kids.  Maybe it is because of the ‘video game’ element and the fact that we are actively participating, or the short lines, but we went through it 2 or 3 times in a row.  Erik beat me every time.

me and hubby fighting off Zurg

2.  Hoop De Do Review – I feel like I am hearing about this one a lot lately.  My parent’s just mentioned to me that they went to it when they visited Disney before I was born.  Has it been around that long?  We have already made our reservations and will be going with our friends as a ‘date night’ (without the kiddos! – thanks Grammy C!).

3. Test Track – Super fun ride at Epcot!  Someone will have to watch the baby, though.

4. Toy Story Mania – Haven’t been to this attraction before, but from what I have read it looks fantastic.  Have you been on this?

5. Mickey’s PhilharMagic – Loved the music and the true Disney style entertainment.  And the wicked cool glasses.

me and hubby before the show

6. Space Mountain – I’m pretty sure that I chickened out on this ride when I was 8… or 13.  I know.  But it’s a great roller coaster, and still freaks me out because we are in the dark.

7. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – My sister-in-law took us on this at night.  A-maz-ing.  Seeing out over the parks at night like that was a highlight of my visit.

8. Splash Mountain – One thing I remember thinking about this ride was that it was really long.  Was that my imagination? 

9. The Crystal Palace – I’m looking forward to having lunch here again with all the characters.  I can’t wait to see the kids reactions to them!  Hopefully, my almost 1 year old, won’t be too freaked out.

10. Pirates of the Caribbean – I remember when I went on this for the first time as an adult thinking that it was slightly inappropriate, and I didn’t remember it being that way as a child.  Am I the only one that thinks that?  Of course, it’s still a favorite for me… do you think Mollie will get scared?  Can she even go on it?

disney 2006

Having a 1 year old will definitely make this Disney trip a little different for us.  What are some things we should expect?  Do you have any suggestions for going to Disney World with a toddler?

Read Full Post »

top ten (tuesday): Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Tuesday)

I’m linking up to ohamanda for Top Ten (Tuesday)!  What is your Top Ten today?

Have you ever heard of Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday?  It is the Tuesday before Lent begins (on Ash Wednesday).  Here are 10 things to learn about the tradition of Shrove Tuesday.

1. Shrove is the past tense of shrive which means ‘to go to or make a confession’.  Historically, Christians would go to confession to prepare themselves for the season of Lent.

2. Shrove Tuesday began in the Middle Ages.  It was noted in history dating back to 1000 AD.

3. In many countries, especially the United Kingdom, Shrove Tuesday is known as Pancake Tuesday.  It became known as Pancake Tuesday because people had to use up all the food that was ‘forbidden’ during Lent which included eggs and dairy products.  Pancakes became the popular choice to use up all these ingredients.

4. The Pancake Day tradition tells the story of a housewife getting ready for Shrove Tuesday.  She was cooking up all her pancakes and lost track of time when she heard the ‘shriving bell’ ringing, calling her to church.  She raced to church in her apron with her frying pan still in her hand.

5. Pancake Races are held all over the world on Shrove Tuesday especially in England.  Women dress up in their aprons with their frying pans and a pancake and race through the town to church when the bell rings, all the while flipping their pancakes.

6. The most famous Pancake Day Race is held in Olney, England.  This is where the original housewife ran to church with her frying pan in 1445.  The race happens each year on Shrove Tuesday and begins at 11:55am and participants run 415 yards dressed in the traditional costume of a housewife with a skirt, apron, head covering, and frying pan.  Participants must have lived in Olney for at least 3 months.

7. Here are some traditional pancake recipes.

8. Shrove Tuesday has become a day of indulgence and revelry.  Although it originally began as a day of confession to prepare yourself for Lent it has become a day of overindulgence and partying … ‘getting it all in’ before you deprive yourself during Lent.

9. Other traditions for Shrove Tuesday are Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Carnival, Malasada Day,  and Fasnacht.

10.  Shrove Tuesday is 47 days before Easter.   The Lenten season is 40 days before Easter, however they don’t count Sundays because those are considered ‘mini-resurrection days’ to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.

We’re having pancakes for dinner tonight… anyone else?

Read Full Post »

top ten (tuesday): things i love about my man

Little late in the day but I’m still linking up to ohamanda’s top ten tuesday!  In honor of Valentine’s Day here are the top ten reasons I love my husband:

10. he looks like someone famous
People always say my husband looks like someone famous.  The top 3 are Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael J. Fox, and David Spade.  Which one do you think?

my hubby - Erik

   

9. he does the dishes
Like every night.  Enough said.

8. he plays guitar
That’s right.  He’s a rockstar.  Actually, when I first met him, I thought he was a little too SCC for my FIF taste.  But I was quickly won over, and chose my seat in church each Sunday so that I could get a good view of him on the platform during worship.   I know… not my proudest moment… but this was my biggest crush ever.

7. he laughs with me
We share the same quirky humor, which works out well when it comes to tv and movies.  I love to laugh with him.

6. he is a computer geek
He amazes me with the things he understands and can do when it comes to technology.  He basically developed this.  His name is on the patent.

5. he is humble
He has so many amazing attributes, but this one is one of my favorites. 

4. he loves God
I can’t say enough about how wonderful it is to share our faith and values.

3. he can sleep through my snoring
Big bonus for me.  Although, I guess when I was pregnant it got worse… and we exchanged some words.  But it has not been an issue since.

2. he loves his family
My husband has a great relationship with his family which has allowed me to develop some wonderful relationships with them as well.  I love my in-laws!

1. he loves me
We pre-dated and dated for over 3 years, but I knew when he made the choice to spend his life with me, he was all mine.  Forever and ever. Amen.

Read Full Post »

top ten (tuesday): my tv

Here are the top ten tv shows the hubby and I have been watching this winter:

10. House Hunters
This is a standard ‘go to’ show in our house (most of HGTV is).  I’m not sure why it is so appealing but I love watching/critiquing the different houses that they visit.  My favorite part is the last 4 minutes when they show how they have decorated and personalized their new house… maybe I’m just living vicariously through these people. I also enjoy House Hunters International, but hubby isn’t as much of a fan. Question: Do they have to pick one of the 3 houses?  What if they don’t like any of them?

9. The Soup
Ah, the sarcastic humor of Joel McHale.  We *heart* him.  This is also how we catch up on all our tv current events.  Usually, we DVR it and watch it on Saturday mornings as we are eating our breakfast. Good times.

8. How I Met Your Mother
Started watching the show last year, and I have loved it!  Although slightly inappropriate, Neil Patrick Harris is hysterical.  We were quite excited a few weeks ago when we thought we were going ‘meet your mother’… but it was just a false alarm.

7. American Idol
Could give or take the auditions…looking forward to Hollywood week and beyond.

6. Modern Family
Probably my favorite new show this season.  The whole ‘fake documentary/interview’ format might be getting old but I’m definitely enjoying it.   

5. Community
More Joel McHale…and Chevy Chase?  Still, good writing and makes me laugh.

4. Parks and Rec
This one is sandwiched into our Thursday line up.  Funny moments here and there and I admit that I have laughed out loud.

3. The Office
Love it. Love it. Love it. 

2. 30 Rock
Their recent ‘Boston’ episode had some great references and I wonder if only us New Englanders really appreciated them.  The quirky humor is great and I think that Alec Baldwin is hilarious.

1. The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien *sniff*
Conan is an all time favorite of ours.  I’m still a little sad/bitter that we didn’t get to go see him in NYC last winter after I finally got tickets (hubby couldn’t take time off work – and then we both ended up getting the stomach flu on the day we would have gone).  I think I actually cried a little on his last show two weeks ago.    

Honorable Mention: LOST
We’ll be adding this to our list of tv shows starting tonight!  Is it really the last season already?  I feel like we have been waiting forever for this!  Hopefully we will get some ANSWERS …

Read Full Post »