Happy Fourth Birthday, Buddy Bear!

Dearest Buddy Bear,

Is it true?!  Could you really be four years old?!  I know you have been looking forward to this day for sometime, but I can hardly believe it has arrived.  You are always delighted to be one of the gang, so it is perfect that your birthday falls in the midst of our April birthday mayhem.  I treasure the excitement with which you approach life and its many joys, great and small.  Your smile lights up our lives and any room.  You are so quick to make friends, so fun to be around, and your heart is full of love, all of which makes for many memories that I treasure from the past year.

May.....We are out in the evenings together, visiting the quad and riding bikes.  You can pedal the trike by yourself now and you are slowly but surely getting the hang of your new strider.  You are sweet to let E-Bear use it too!  You look great in your pink lady bug helmet that used to belong to G-Bear, mostly because you wear it so well with such confidence.  You are confident in so many wonderful ways, Buddy.  E-Bear even says of you once, "Buddy Bear is really brave.  He makes friends with everyone."  So true.  You are such a good sport to your little sister, even when she does things like wake you up from a nap or tackle you out of love.

June.....We don't see blue paci any more at night time, although it still makes an occasional appearance for nap time.  You love riding on the Mundo in your peanut shell.  When the bike falls over once with you in the seat, you are a trooper, never afraid to get back on again.  While on our Chicago adventure, you absolutely LOVE Lego Land and are over the moon to get your first Lego set for Pentecost.  You get to join your own swimming class for the first time this year at swimming lessons, and while you are hesitant with the cold water you love to sing Gertie the Guppy.  On colder days, you aren't so sure that swimming is a good idea :)  I love getting to lead your "class" for Catholic Kids Camp, something I did just so that you would get to join in this year as a pre, preschooler.  What a joy it was to watch you learn the songs and join in so intently and enthusiastically.

July....You love to play catch, baseball, soccer, really any outdoor sport.  You love to look for the Handmaids on the quad and have made great friends with all of them.  You are full of imagination, and E-Bear is excited to join in, whether reading books together, dreaming of Legos, shooting arrows or dressing up.  You are always ready to share a spoonful of your ice cream with J-Bear.  I love your smoothie mustaches at breakfast, you squeals of laughter with your cousins at the cabin, the way you are always inviting all the "guys, guys" to join in with your ideas.

August....At Hilton Head, you love building castles in the sand with J-Bear, boogie boarding in the ocean, swimming in the pool in your floatie, Jedi jousting with Dad, making friends on the see-saw at the park (do you have Wegos?), performing "Mr. Aligator" with your siblings before dinner, and riding horses with your cousins. You discover the bliss of root beer and find a slice of heaven with a golf ball and a root beer, lacking only a "golf stick".  Back at home, we enjoy lazy August days in the sandbox, dressing up together, eating picnics on the porch and popsicles on the steps.  I love watching you enjoy a good popsicle!

September....You love waving to passers-by while riding on the Mundo to the State Fair! I loved watching you walk hand-in-hand into the Fair with your siblings.  You were an eager farm hand, root beer drinker, pronto pup eater, bumper boat rider and sand digger at the Fair.  I loved getting to ride the rides with you at the KidWay.  We said goodbye to summer at the Cabin with GG, where you slept in a tent with MoMo and Papa and learned to fish off the end of the dock with Cousin B and Uncle S.  As school starts again, learning time is always fun with you: real tools hammering into styrofoam, mornings at the Children's museum, painting with shaving cream, Johnny Appleseed hats, and singing songs on our ABC mat with J-Bear are some of my favorite memories from the month.  You and I both miss G-Bear and E-Bear during the day, and I am glad that J-Bear and I still have you around for preschool at home.

October....Thanks for being my buddy at morning Mass each morning.  I can depend on you to sit in your seat, most of the time ;) You have many friends at Mass, both young and old, and you love to say hello to everyone afterwards.  You love watching the angel movie with Dad on the Feast of the Guardian Angels.  You are also enjoying one morning each week with MoMo and one with a babysitter while I am away teaching.  You always manage to convince everyone to play soccer, basketball or swords downstairs :)  While on our California adventure, you are unstoppable in DisneyLand, loving the Cars ride, all the characters and driving a "real" auto with Dad.  You never complain on our long car rides through the parks and you are so proud in your real suit at the wedding in Carmel.  For Halloween, you are one speedy Ninja Turtle, running from house to house getting candy with your siblings.

November...I loved doing candy math with you and E-Bear after Halloween, watching you recognize your numbers and count out your candy pieces. Thanks for praying for me and helping our family by leading our prayers.  You are always so eager to do that and your heart is very tender in prayer.  At the cabin for Thanksgiving, you loved hiking in the woods, doing puzzles with the family at the table, watching fireworks, snuggling into the back kids room and shoveling out the cinders for Papa.  You were so sad to say good-bye to the cabin for the season.  Meanwhile, I haven't seen blue paci in a while.  I think he may be gone for good, which means that naps are few and far between these days too.

December....You are always ready to watch a show, and you loved the St. Nicholas movie this year at the beginning of Advent.  You are a good brother to E-Bear on his birthday, a great gingerbread house and cookie decorator too.  It is hard not to lick fingers when you are making cookies, but you really tried your best.  You love listening the the Christmas Cat Chat CD during Advent.  You are so excited to open play mobile, duplos and a remote car for Christmas and have a wonderful time playing and sledding with your cousins.  You love waking up early with your siblings during break so that you can all join in assembling toys or playing together.  I have taken the railing off of your bed since you can get in and out on your own, and you love it.

January....It is hard to say goodbye to your siblings again in the mornings after break.  We take to skating, and you are standing and moving on your own now, which is awesome and has required quite a bit of persistence.  Still, the snow hill next to the rink is hard to pass up.  We have a great time reuniting with our cousins and Nana in North Carolina.  You love playing cards with Nana, watching shows with her in her room in the mornings, playing with your cousin's Legos in his room for hours and eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  Back at home, we find time for our ABC mat, coloring with chalk in the kitchen, listening to Cat Chat and digging in the snow outside.

February.... You are swimming like a fish at our new swim lessons.  You are more eager than ever to follow instructions, you love the warm water, and you are improving by leaps and bounds.  By the end of the month, you are jumping in by yourself and almost swimming alone!  The new level of activity can be exhausting, and now that you rarely nap, you have been known to fall asleep at the dinner table.  You were so bummed not to have a classroom valentine party like your siblings that I gladly hosted a preschool valentine party at our house, with great ovation.  You were so excited to decorate your own bag, hand out valentines to your friends, make treats together and tell G-Bear and E-Bear all about it.  Your enthusiasm is ever contagious, even on Ash Wednesday, when you couldn't wait to get your ashes and see everyone else's too.

March.... Thank you for helping me with all the shopping for the Family Service Morning.  You and J-Bear are the best of friends during the day.  E-Bear can't wait to get home from school to eat PB&J with you (you favorite), play Legos or play mobile and dream up another adventure.  You two are better friends than ever, and you share a love of everything knights, Star Wars, and Legos.  By the end of our trip to Lutsen, you are skiing in a harness all by yourself with Dad!  Nana comes to visit, and you love playing Sequence, cards and watching any show I'll permit.  You do such a great job adding beans to our basket during Lent and you can't wait for Easter.

April....You love our events of Holy Week, especially getting to wash feet on Holy Thursday.  At the Easter Vigil you are a total trooper, decked out in your suit and asleep before the Gospel is read.  Easter morning is such a thrill with all the candy and eggs you find.  You are always one to thank me after you have enjoyed something, for that I am so grateful.  You love waking up early to play cards with your siblings, and you are so excited about everything hockey and Ninja turtles leading up to your birthday.  Of course, you love to involve E-Bear in both.

Buddy Bear, your excitement and energy are contagious to all those around you.  J-Bear loves to wrestle with you, E-Bear can't wait to play with you after school.  G-Bear loves your willingness to play along.  You can make friends with just about anyone with your bright smile and welcoming tone.  You love to be silly, to make people laugh with a goofy face, phrase or joke.  You love reading Bible stories with me and Dad, your heart is tender in prayer and you ask great questions, which shows us that you understand much and are hungry for more.  Daddy and I are so proud of you and I can't wait for all that this year has in store for you.

Happy birthday, dear Buddy Bear, happy birthday to you!

Happily Ever,
Queen B

The bikes are out!

The mundo is out.

G-Bear looks great on her new bike.

E-Bear is ready to go.

Buddy Bear loves his strider.

J-Bear loves her red and blue trike.

It is only mid-April, and we are already biking away on these lovely warm evenings, visiting friends,  enjoying the neighborhood, refreshing our souls.  We are quite a sight, with four on a bike with T and a nice belly on the Momma trailing behind ;)

Happily Ever,

Queen B

Happy Birthday Mommy, and a Birthday Lunch with GG

Yes, even I get to squeeze in a birthday this month.

Thanks to MoMo, Papa and Uncle C for coming over to celebrate with ice cream cake (my favorite!).

Thanks to T, who surprised me by inviting my friends over for treats (when I thought we were just returning home from a night out together), and then letting us stay up talking until all hours. 

Thanks to all my Bears who got out early from school to help me bring frosted lemonades and cake to GG's house for a birthday celebration lunch together.

For a mid-week birthday girl, I felt incredibly special!

Happily Ever,

Queen B

A Fabulous Frozen Birthday

Hooray for our eight year old!

This year, G-Bear chose a Frozen theme for her birthday party.  We had so much fun making this happen.  G-Bear's party was a wonderful way to celebrate Holy Saturday as we waited for Easter to arrive.  The birthday girl was decked out in her Elsa Christmas dress that MoMo had given her.  

The dining room was transformed.  

The cake was ready!

 G-Bear helped me choose the meal for her party, and she did a great job.  We had fun making up names for the foods that would fit the party theme.  Here is what we came up with:

"Arendale Bugs" macaroni and cheese

Anna and Hans Sandwiches

Frozen heart berries

Sven's carrots and dip

Elsa's coronation salad

Potsticker coronation boats

Frozen waters lemonade

 G-Bear also made a Frozen castle out of Duplos to grace the buffet.  Nice job, G-Bear!

As a fun treat for each seat, I set out "snowman building kits" at each place setting so that everyone could build their own Olaf snowman.  The cups included three large marshmallows for the body, two little marshmallows for the feet, pretzels for the arms, raisins for the coal, and candy eyes, carrot nose and bowtie for effect.

Our crew came up with lots of different ways to build their snowmen :)  

All were equally delicious.

After our yummy lunch, it was time for games.  We borrowed MoMo's set of indoor snowball puffs and set up a tower of clear plastic cups to play "Knock down the ice castle!"  GG was in charge of passing out the snowballs.

The game was a hit!  The boys spent a good bit of time studying the tower, trying to decide the best way to knock it down.  

The birthday girl led off with success,

and everyone got a chance to show their snowball skills.  

We had so much fun!

Of course, we played an obligatory pinning game.  This time, we made a pin-the-head-on-Olaf game.

Once again, the birthday girl did pretty well.  Do you think she was peeking?

After games, we opened presents from grandparents, siblings, Mom and Dad.

E-Bear and Buddy Bear had worked hard on their pictures and paper airplanes for G-Bear.

Nana sent a long-coveted Frozen Lego set, and there was much rejoicing.

 G-Bear had long outgrown her princess bike, and MoMo and Papa presented her with a new, lovely pink bike that she had seen at the bike store.

From Mom and Dad, there were Samantha's birthday accessories.  Even the dolls got to celebrate at the party.

Sweet Gabrielle was gracious, excited and so thankful for all the generous gifts.  She was shining with enthusiasm and delight.  We sat down to sing over cake, and I couldn't have been more thankful for all the fun that we were able to have together as a family to celebrate her big day.

G-Bear loved her cake.  I had ordered the cake and decorated the top myself, which was a fun surprise.  It was a super day for G-Bear.  Thanks to GG, MoMo, Papa, Uncle C, Miss K, Uncle Carl, Aunt Sharon and Aunt Cindy for joining in all the fun and helping to make G-Bear feel so special for her birthday.

We love you, sweetie.  Happy eighth birthday, G-Bear!

Happily Ever,

Queen B

Happy Eighth Birthday, G-Bear!

Dearest G-Bear,

What a blessing it is to see you, radiant with excitement, on your eighth birthday.  Daddy and I can hardly believe we have an eight-year-old daughter.  This past year with you has been so wonderful,
and these days are so full of excitement and delight.  I wonder, could next year be as good as this?  You show us again and again the wonderful blessing that it is to watch a child grow up.  I am sure that this coming year will be filled with just as many blessings with you as this past year has been.

April....You look so lovely in your Easter dress and are so careful of your brothers' feelings during our morning egg hunt.  At school as a Lunch Mom, I love getting to watch you in your element with your friends, and I treasure the hugs that you share with me before you head out for recess.

May....A big month of firsts for you, starting with your first lost tooth (a friend pulled it out for you on the playground).  You also started piano lessons, a huge treat that was part of your birthday present.  You are delighted with your lessons and can't wait to practice your new skills everyday.  Daddy and I love hearing the sound of your music in the house. You set a new biking standard when you take off your training wheels, and E-Bear is soon right with you.  You were so determined and brave teaching yourself how to ride your bike!  Thank you for making the table for me for Mother's Day and for you beautiful gifts -- both firsts that made me feel so loved in return.  You help Daddy and his friend take down our backyard hedge and then help Uncle S drive the bobcat to dig out the stumps.  I am grateful for all your help!   Finally, at the end of the month, you take your first ride on our new Mundo bike with Dad and love it.  What a ride this month has been!

June....Biking and walking to school in the morning is a treat, even if we do have to wake up a few minutes earlier.  You are feeling excited but a little nervous to leave First Grade and move on to Second, but I assure you that you will be ready when the time comes.  You come to help E-Bear say good-bye to pre-K and Mrs. Rogers, like the loving, enthusiastic sister you are.  Then, we miss your last day of school to head to Chicago with Daddy for a weekend away, where we celebrate with a Lego Land visit and Lego surprises on Pentecost.  You are a fish at swimming lessons despite the cold, you try your first dives (that chin never quite gets down) and we are so proud of you progress.  Our daily bike rides and evening chats with the Handmaids in the quad are a treat.

July....You have really helped Daddy with the lawn watering as we try to grow baby grass.  We spend a happy Fourth of July at the cabin with a new playset and far away cousins, who all look up to you so much.  I am proud of how kind and inclusive you are to everyone.  We continue our weekly lunches with GG and Chick-fil-a, and our Sunday dinners on the patio at MoMo and Papa's.  You are such a good buddy to E-Bear and Buddy Bear, and J-Bear loves to sit and listen as you read.  One sad day, when we have to say good-bye to a little one that we never got to meet, you were so tender to give me hugs and hold my hand.

August....Our Hilton Head trip with the cousins was a hit.  You didn't miss a beat picking up with your cousins right where you left off. You love to read together, swim together, make sand castles together on the beach, sit together at meals, sleep (or not) together in the loft room and make up talent show skits.  It is so hard to say good-bye when it is time to leave.  Lazy August days are wonderful: you are just as likely to be playing dress up with your brothers as you are to be sitting and reading, shucking corn for me on the back step, or leading an imaginary game in the sandbox.

September....We biked to the Fair this year, and you love waving to passers-by from your perch behind Dad.  I loved watching you walk into the Fair, arm-in-arm with Buddy Bear and E-Bear.  You were such a great sport when you were suddenly too big for things like the Little Farm tractors, and you were equally gracious and excited to get to choose your own rides at the KidWay (hooray for Bumper Boats!).   We said good-bye to summer by taking GG up to the cabin for one last camp out.  You were so excited to sleep with MoMo and Papa in the tent in the yard and you were a pro fishing off the end of the dock, rewarded for your patience and persistence with at least six fish.  In your first weeks of school your favorites are spelling, writing stories, and the County Fair.  When asked to fill a "Me Bag," you choose your piano book, a dress-up necklace, a bookmark, and a picture of our family.  I think your Me Bag suits you perfectly.

October.....You help us celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels by teaching us the prayer you learned.  We enjoy washing dishes together at the cabin (oh, the novelty!) and harvesting potatoes in our garden at home.  The highlight of the month is certainly our trip to California, where you love Disney Land, time with the cousins, long drives in the car (as long as the A/C is on), the trees in Sequoia, throwing rocks in the rives in Yosemite, the beach in Carmel and your dress at Cousin B's wedding.  You were so patient and helpful with all your little cousins at the wedding, leading them down the aisle.  Afterwards, you miss your cousins tremendously for weeks, and I know just how you feel.  You can hardly contain your excitement on Halloween in your SuperGirl costume as you run from house to house with your brothers.  What a candy haul you brought home!  We may never eat it all.

November....It is so nice to have another reader for our family feast day celebrations, as you help to lead our All Saints Day prayers.  I am thankful for your loving notes and messages to me after we finish practicing homework each night.  These days, our weeknights are full for you: spelling, math, reading, a homework page and a few minutes of piano, but by now we are getting into a routine without much complaint.  We journeyed up to the cabin for Thanksgiving, where we played in the snow, on the play set, listened to family stories, watched Thanksgiving fireworks in town and ate lots of good food.  We had to say good-bye to the cabin after Thanksgiving, which we were all really sad to do.

December....You were a big helper to Dad decorate the tree, even if you were standing on the radiator to do it.  I loved the other festive Advent activities we got to do together, including decorating a great gingerbread house and cookies with neighbor Miss S.  When we watch the St. Nicholas movie together, I know you get a little nervous at some parts, and I am thankful for your tenderness in how you think of others.  At your Christmas music concert, you looked lovely in your new dress from MoMo, you sang so enthusiastically, and you played the glockenspiel so energetically, all of which made us very proud of all your hard work.  I hope I never forget the beautiful view of you singing your heart out on the stage, concentrating so hard on both the songs and the motions that went along with them.  We got to say good-bye to your front tooth right before Christmas in return for two shiny quarters.  Then, Christmas was such a joyful time together away from the hustle of school.  You were so excited to get the Frozen dolls and the Molly doll that you had wished for.  I was so thrilled to see your joy on Christmas morning and all the fun you had playing and sledding with your cousins during break.

January....You rang in the New Year with a new pair of ice skates, and before I know it you are skating around the neighborhood rink out of sight.  I love skating with you! You are such a good sport when you fall, which is why you are improving so quickly.  We get to celebrate God's forgiveness with you at your First Reconciliation, which is a very special night filled with God's love and mercy.  I am so excited and thrilled to see the way you are taking your faith on for yourself. Later in the month, we got to reunion with cousins and Nana in North Carolina to watch some ice skating.  I loved watching you jump right in with your cousins again.  You are traveling the world in your Second Grade unit, and I am enjoying all your stories about the places you are encountering in class.  You love school, your teachers and your friends.

February....You have enjoyed the many snowy days at recess, our trips to the ice rinks and coming home to play in the yard with your brothers after school.  Sometimes I look out while I am making dinner and see you just lying on your back in the snow, daydreaming, something I know I used to love to do too.  Twice a week we are tackling swimming lessons at Foss Swim School, and you are improving by leaps and bounds.  When I look at you in your new cap and goggles in the pool, I remember being a little girl in the pool myself.  I am glad you are enjoying your lessons so much.

March....You perform beautifully at your first piano recital!  You are also a huge help to me at the Family Service Morning, where you joined in at nearly all the stations.  We had a wonderful time with Nana playing instruments and dancing at the Ordway Family Day, and you played a flute for the first time.  Skiing in Lutsen was wonderful, especially because you improved so much that Daddy and I got to take you on the blue runs at Mystery Mountain.  I can't believe I got to ski blue hills with my G-Bear!  Back at home in our routine, J-Bear loves to pause near the fence as we pass the playground after picking up E-Bear from Kindergarten.  We are always hoping to catch a glimpse of you, and we are so often rewarded by your big waves, blown kisses, and huge smile.  We make spring snowmen together in the yard, you help us by reading for our Stations of the Cross as we near Holy Week, and you can hardly wait for Easter and your birthday, both on the same weekend this year.

With you, G-Bear, we are always looking forward to something.  You have an enthusiasm that is contagious, and I am so thankful for that, because you are a great leader and example to your siblings in that way.  I have loved watching you this year as you look forward to many things, especially your First Communion.  I am grateful for the ways that you are taking your faith seriously and taking it on for your own.  You are growing into a beautiful young woman, inside and out, gracious and compassionate toward your siblings, trying your best in all you do, willing to accept correction and try again when you fail, whether in your activities, at school, or in relationships with others.  I know that in the coming year we have much to look forward to with you as well.  Daddy and I are so proud of you, G-Bear, and we love you very much.  Happy birthday, dear G-Bear, happy birthday to you!

Happily Ever,

Queen B

Alphabet and Sound Matching Game

It is hard to have your older siblings go back to school after a long, luxurious Spring and Easter Break.  

What is a younger, preschool brother to do?  

Play a "Match-the-Letter-and-the-Sound" game with Mom, of course!

Our ABC preschool mat was perfect for this game.  I had an envelope with all the letters and pictures.  We would pull out a card and match its letter or sound with a letter on the mat.  J-Bear could join in or not as she pleased.  Wherever she put her card, we would just relocate it to the right spot. :)

Here is our persevering preschooler after finishing all the sounds and letters! 

Hang in there, Buddy Bear.  Only a few more hours until G-Bear and E-Bear get home.

Happily Ever,

Queen B

An Easter tooth

In all the excitement on Easter Sunday, E-Bear lost his second tooth on the way home from 

Easter dinner.  Once we retrieved the tooth (lost briefly in the car and accompanied by great wailing), there was great rejoicing.  To make sure the Tooth Fairy didn't miss the news amidst all the Easter excitement, G-Bear helped E-Bear compose a note that was tucked under his pillow with the tooth.

Success!  

The next morning, there where two shiny quarters under E-Bear's pillow where the tooth had been.
Congratulations on your second tooth, E-Bear. :)

Happily Ever,
Queen B

Happy Easter 2015

Christus surrexit alleluia, alleluia!

After forty days of Lent, you can believe that we were ready for Easter.

The feast is always sweetest after the fast.

As joyful as our Easter celebration has been, 

it is but a faint, faint shadow of the celebration of Heaven, 

pale in comparison to Christ's glorious return. 

 There are much, much greater things for which we still hope.

This year, we braved the Easter Vigil with our kids for the first time.  A dear friend was entering the Church, and we couldn't wait another minute to begin the Easter celebration.  The boys were decked out in their navy suits and the girls in their Easter dresses, for which they all received grand compliments on the way to church.  The kids loved the candlelight procession and the passing of the pascal light.  But, we don't have a picture of the evening because both the boys were asleep in the pews before the Gospel reading.  It was a late night at the end of a big, exciting week.

But, when we all awoke early the next morning, there was great rejoicing over the Easter treats and feast!  The egg hunt was over nearly before T and I were in the room, and the kids were soon emptying candy into the candy dish.  J-Bear wasted no time biting into a chocolate lollypop.

There were fancy bandaids and Eos lip balm for everyone (after all, Jesus heals!), and a few other little treats in each basket :), but the greatest excitement was over our bean basket filled with jellies, the chocolate crosses at each seat, and the tiny nests of chocolate eggs set out at the table.

MoMo and Papa joined us for brunch, complete with sous vide lamb that T made for all of us.
Such a perfect Easter treat!  We also had berries and yogurt, scones and biscuits, scrambled eggs (for the kids) and onion frittata (for the adults).

Our Easter lamb.  Well done, T!

It was quite the spread!

Our crew awaiting Easter brunch.

Later in the day, we got to go to my Aunt S's for a lavish Easter dinner.  We were full and exhausted by the time the day was done.  

 Remember, Easter is a full season, longer than Lent by a full ten days.  Talk about a feast.  How can we use this feasting season to be a blessing to others?  We'll be celebrating quite a bit over the next seven weeks, with all the birthdays and G-Bear's First Communion.  I am excited to do Easter crafts with the kids, open Resurrection eggs, celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday next weekend, and hopefully do the Stations of the Resurrection (which now replace our Stations of the Cross on the buffet).  As always, Christ, be before us.

 Christ is risen indeed, alleluia, alleluia!

Happily Ever,

Queen B

Breakfast Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection Rolls are a Holy Saturday breakfast tradition in our house.

We read John's account of Jesus' death and burial.  

This fun baking project is the perfect backdrop for the story.

Roll out the crescent dough,

count out one small marshmallow for each roll.

The white marshmallow represents Jesus.

Anoint the marshmallow, first in the oil, then in the "spices" (cinnamon sugar), 

just like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea did for Jesus.

Then, lay the marshmallow in the crescent roll tomb, and carefully seal it up.

 Hints: make sure the marshmallow is in the center of the dough and REALLY seal the edges well.

Once we sealed our tombs, we dipped each one in more oil and spices. Yum :)

Now, they are ready to bake according to the crescent roll instructions.

Look, our rolls are ready!

 A few may burst open, but that only adds to the effect of the "empty tomb."

We ate ours with whipped cream and sprinkles, because in addition to Holy Saturday, we were celebrating a certain, special, eight-year-old birthday.  

This was such a tasty combination, 

we may have to make the whipped cream a part of our tradition as well.

There is a clear reason why these are a family favorite!

Come, Lord Jesus!

Happily Ever,
Queen B