HAPPY!

Well, I don't know about you but the sunshine is certainly making me feel happier, it's so great to feel warm and enjoy being outside! 

Pharrell Williams' song "Happy" also can't help but get the happy vibes going, our family has loved it ever since it was on the soundtrack of Despicable Me 2 (fab film!)

However, we love it even more now since MuseumMakers set out to recreate our home town's version of the song. Where we live is often spoken about negatively, so it's great to get behind something positive and celebrate diversity and harmony.

Take a look!

I have also been looking at Acts 10 and how relevant it is to us today. During this time of Lent we are looking forward to the time when Jesus saved us at Easter. He saved us regardless of gender, race, class, background and so on. The video is a celebration of all those things, the people who are part of it, where we live, who we are. The good news of Easter is for everyone.

Maybe we need to see past some of those other things in people and ourselves and see us as Jesus sees us to be truly happy.

Pancakes a plenty!

So Shrove Tuesday came and we decided to see how many pancakes we could have across the day! We started with breakfast pancakes which is a foolproof recipe that is in my head which I really need to write down so here seems a good place as any! The batter works well being mixed up the night before ready for you to use in the morning, giving you the appearance of being a domestic goddess/god!

This feeds us 5 no problem so would be good for 6. But of course you could halve it, double it whatever!

200g self raising flour (we use gluten free)
1/2 pint milk
2 beaten eggs
4 tbsp sugar

Mix all these together and cook about 3 at a time on a skillet, frying pan, whatever you have. We couldn't resist this pan when we saw it and now the girls insist we have ours cooked in this every time!

These are the fluffy american style pancakes that are perfect for breakfast. We have ours with whatever is in the fridge! This is usually syrup (golden or maple) chocolate sauce, selection of fruit, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, bananas etc... Try them, they're really easy and very scrummy!

The girls had a filled crepe in their packed lunch for pudding and then we made savoury and sweet pancakes for tea! So many pancakes meant that now one of my girls has given them up for Lent haha!

Now, my usual approach to Lent has been pretty much this kind of attitude!

However, this year we are taking up the 40acts Lent challenge again, doing Lent generously. It's all about giving back rather than giving something up, great for individuals, families, small groups, schools etc... even if you don't normally observe Lent!

40 DAYS, 40 ACTS OF GENEROSITY

40 days of giving back, doing good and living generously

Now go and mix up some batter for a great weekend pancake breakfast (unless like one of my girls you've given them up of course!) Then check out the 40acts page too, it's really worth a look!

Let's try again

So, a few years ago, I set up a blog, posted a few things and that was it. Well after some persuasion from others and a recent forced time at home, I've decided to jump back on the wagon!

I'm going to try and post more often, take better pics and blog the everyday stuff I'm involved with from the impressive to the inane from my family life to ministry ideas and everything in between!

Now, where to start!?

Bluebells

Hello!

Just wanted to share with you a special family time we had in the woods ....

Beautiful bluebells

They're almost magical aren't they? 

Busy bumblebee

The youngest Whitething was off making up stories about the Gruffalo, here is where he sits, here is where he sleeps, oh look, here's his special place - here's all his children! So cute!

The Gruffalo's special place!

Trying to find the perfect spot for a photo without crushing any bluebells!

Nice enough but not quite right!

Just need them to all look and smile at the same time while the sun is out!

Nearly!

Think this is my favourite! Not exactly a posed photograph but tells a story, of sisterly love, of a special time being together, sharing the story of Moses with each other, just us in the woods with the beauty of God's creation to enjoy in the sunshine - how blessed we felt.

Think it was a hug?!

See you all soon!

Jo

xxx

PS- still waiting for that dry school run!

Baking in the holidays

Well that's the Easter holidays over with and very lovely they were too. I love my term time contract which means I get to enjoy spending time in the holidays with my girlies.

We spent our days with friends, making things, cooking, tidying bedrooms (this was not so much fun but needed doing!) they played imaginary games for hours and it was so lovely to listen to them and not have to stop them to do something or go somewhere, precious times.

Here's a sample of their baking (all gluten free of course!)

I did get into trouble for breaking the chick biscuit when I re-arranged them for the photo, that's gluten free baking for you!

I am also grateful to Jooles over on her blog for this delicious recipe for Raspberry and Marzipan muffins. They really are very good and I was unable to resist! 

The fabulous combination of the tartness of the raspberries combined with the sweetness of the marzipan and the surprising hint of cardamon is genius! Needless to say there were very few left when I took them into work for a leaving do, thanks Jooles!

So bring on the summer term, my eldest Whitething's last in primary school, two Messy Church events to organise, the allotment to plant up, the dining room ceiling to pull down, a community Jubilee event to help pull together, a couple of craft fayre's and lots more! Phew! Need to focus! And at some point I really want to learn how to crochet as it's still beating me! 

Meanwhile I'd settle for a dry school run! Hope you're having a good day!

Jo

xxx

New life - Easter part 2

So, we've never really known what to do with Easter Saturday before. But then I came across these Easter Story cookies or Resurrection cookies as they are sometimes called.

I was intrigued to see how they would work. Each ingredient tells a different part of the Easter story that corresponds to the bible verses. You then put them in a pre-heated oven (tomb) switch the oven off and seal them up overnight. Sunday morning, you open the oven door and find these, little hollow meringues just like an empty tomb. The girls really enjoyed doing this and was a great way of understanding more about Easter. It also made for an interesting breakfast combined with the finds of the egg hunt!

We also had our most successful and enjoyable attempt at egg dying and decorating yet! My youngest Whitething was definitely the best egg blower! We had a family friend round and it kept us all occupied on a rainy bank holiday! Most enjoyable!

Here is the eldest's Whitethings photo of our Easter fireplace. I'm not 100% happy yet with my Easter tree but it's getting there, year by year!

Hope you've all had a lovely family time together,

Jo

xxx

It's been a while . . . . but here goes - Easter!

Hi all, remember me?

I've kind of been a little behind in my blog posts (just a bit!) and silent on all of yours but have enjoyed reading what you've all been up to. But you know how  it is, you think I'll just wait until I finished the latest WIP or when I've got a better photo or something better to share and before you know it, it's weeks then months and then it gets harder and harder to start again!

So, here goes . . . I got in my head that I wanted to make an Easter wreath. We like to celebrate Easter in this house as we do Christmas so decorating the house is all part of it.

Anyhoo! I found a few spring bits I liked the look of, got the glue gun out, found an old wreath in the. loft (yes really!) and spent a very enjoyable 10 minutes gluing away, hung it on my front door and (I've waited a long time to say this!) TA-DA!

Easter wreath

I'm really quite pleased with it! We try to make a big deal of Easter as we think it's more important than Christmas as far as our faith is concerned! So we decorate the house and do family activities to help the girls get to grips with different parts of the story and so on.

Easter Jesse Tree

This is our version of an Easter Jesse Tree that we used at Christmas with some great ornament downloads from here and now at Easter to tell the story of the life of Jesus. We've brought some life to it courtesy of some Phoenix Trading butterflies! It's made out of some packaging materials and is only a feature until we get around to pulling the ceiling down in this room and decorating!

Christmas Jesse Tree

And here is my youngest's prize winning Easter bonnet (apologies for the poor photo - another excuse not to post!) her Daddy and her made for a competition at school. She was very adamant that it had to depict the real Easter story but then rather reluctant to wear it once the sticks were stuck in! But, very happy with her chocolate prize!

So, there we go! I've done it, made my first attempt at a comeback (!) hope you've enjoyed it and I'll try not to leave it so long next time! I'm on my way over to all you lovely people now to be brave enough to leave a comment! 

Happy Easter everyone!