Easter Weekend

The last day before Easter break Isaac had an Easter Parade at school. All the Preppies (the Prep year is akin to American Kindergarten) shared some fun Easter songs with the parents and paraded around to show off their hats.





Then school let out for a two week break. We'll start Term 2 in the middle of April.

We enjoyed our long Easter weekend by taking a day trip out to Toowoomba, a city in the mountains (which are just really big hills at a higher altitude) about two hours west of Brisbane. It was lovely and had gorgeous parks! This playground was pretty cool with big painted concrete things to climb around on.





And a big spiderweb.


We found a picnic bench on the side of the mountain and ate lunch. I wish I'd gotten a picture of the kids running up and down the hill behind them. They were in heaven!


We found a lovely little waterfall!


At another playground there was this cool spinning contraption! The kids climbed on and Mike pushed them around. Pretty cool!


I found this tree and thought we looked a lot alike.


It was a fun little day trip!

In Australia the eggs are brown, not white. Although back in January I did find this carton of eggs at the store! Too bad I couldn't have kept it until March.


So instead of trying to dye the brown eggs this year we decided to paint them, which is apparently what they do here.












I failed to take pictures of the finished products. And they were still too wet to hide the next morning. But they tasted just fine!

Call him lazy, but the Easter bunny hides eggs in our living room. That way the eggs get hidden the night before. Besides, we really don't have much of a yard anyway. The kids enjoy finding the eggs regardless.


And yes, the kids have gift bags for Easter baskets (just like the gift bags they used for Trick or Treating). I refuse to buy and store baskets that come out once a year (especially since their other Easter baskets are sitting in a storage facility in Houston). And gift bags fold down so nicely!




This year the kids got sleeping bags! We're going on our first camping trip next week (luckily with another family who actually camps, so they can tell us what to do). Hooray!


And the lamb cake! Last year my lamb cake mold was still on a boat making its way here, so I was thrilled to have my lamb cake this year! And I actually whipped out the icing pipe and piped on the wool for the first time. I really liked it! Although I learned for next year to 1) frost the face first so as not to get that naked margin and 2) make more frosting. You can't see that the back of his head is bald. I was a little sad to not have coconut for grass (they have really finely shredded coconut here called desiccated, or as Mike likes to call it "desecrated"), or Peeps to put around him, or Easter M&M's! I'll have to buy a green platter just for him!


But of course, amidst all the fun traditions, I am grateful for our Savior and the path of hope which He selflessly provided for us. I am so grateful for my family, near and far, and the knowledge that we can be together forever! Happy Easter!