good friday (traditions)

This year, we're starting some new family traditions. 2010 is my year for creating memories that my kids will hopefully remember throughout their lives. Maybe some traditions will be passed along.

So this year on Good Friday, we decided to make salt dough to symbolize Jesus' tomb.

Here's the recipe:
4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 TBSP. oil

I'm a pretty decent cook, but a baker I am not. I was pleased with how easy this was to make!
1. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl, and mix together.
2. Form the dough into a hill shape (for the tomb).
3. Make a little opening in one side of your hill.
4. Bake the dough at 250 for 4-5 hours.
5. Let it cool, then PAINT!

I used this recipe to make 2 tombs, so it's up to you if you'd like to double the recipe. The dough shrinks when you bake it (who knew??), so our holes ended up a little small. Not a huge deal, but remember...you have to fit Jesus inside.

We used pipe cleaners (or chenille stems, as I was informed at Michael's) for Jesus' body. And He was lucky enough to be wrapped in a Cottonelle before being placed in the tomb. Since I am not crafty, I don't have piles of fabric or gauze lying around my home. But if you do, then by all means...
The Cottonelle did smell nice though. ;-)

Here are the ingredients (all four of them). My kind of recipe!


Before we began, I let the boys go outside and choose a rock to be placed in front of the opening of the tomb.


If you know Collin, there was much debate over which rock would be perfect. It had to be just so. There rocks were even "ranked," with 3rd, 2nd and finally a 1st place choice. I love that kid.

Then the mixing began. Super easy. Just combine everything in a large bowl. After the ingredients are combined, start shaping the dough into a ball.






This morning it was heavily overcast, and as soon as I laid everything out on the deck, it started to sprinkle. Just when I was about to bring everything back inside, it stopped. Collin said "God must have stopped the rain, just so we could do our Easter project". Maybe He did.












Four hours later the dough was cooked, and we had bright blue, sunny skies. So I rounded up the kids and headed for the driveway to paint.






What's that you say? You're wondering where my 3rd child is...that sweet lil' baby girl? Oh thaaaaat's right. Here she is. Trying will all her might to fly out of the exersaucer. She would much prefer to crawl across the driveway and snag holes in her cute little pants.


She's my 3rd child. I barely heard the noise.


Oh yeah, now she's really angry. Maybe she didn't get the memo. I don't negotiate with terrorists.


Here are the finished products. Fun, easy and meaningful.





These shots would have been a lot easier to capture if the wind hadn't been blowing 50 miles an hour. Jesus kept flying off our deck and across our yard like a tumbleweed.

Oh yes he did.


We went back inside to place Jesus in the tomb. We will check on Saturday morning to see if He is still there. (He will be). Then we'll check again on Sunday morning, and this time the stone will be rolled away, and Jesus will be gone!


The sky was beautiful tonight. Yes that is my sky as seen from my lens. (You didn't think I'd do clip art, did you?)


Happy Easter!