Easter Traditions

Passing on holiday traditions to our children is important to us so it was great visiting Foam Lake attending Pat's Baba's Greek Orthodox church. We had our paska blessed. Our basket contained yummy things for us to eat on Easter morning including beautiful Ukrainian Easter Eggs and the beautiful bread made by Baba.  

After church Olivia played her violin for Baba.

When we woke up on Easter Morning the Easter Bunny had been for a visit.

I know these aren't Snappy Socks.  But still cute and Eastery!

After the hunt the kids put all the eggs in the middle and they each got their share.  

Reminds me a bit of the halloween candy sorting from a few years ago........

Then our Easter tour continued to my mom's house.  The kids watched the recording of the Royal Wedding.

So sweet holding hands.  

Ellie decided she needed to have a hat on like everyone on TV.

Then as the Royal Guards followed the couple in their carriage she changed into a more armoured headware.

Tuckered out at the end of the day.

I know the kids will look back fondly on the memories they make with their Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins during our visits. ( I will tell you about our 2 visits to the E.R. another day!) 

Spring Cooking

Most families have spring cleaning, we have spring cooking.  I think we may finally be done with the snow but it sure took long enough.  This picture is from last week and Pat was so ready to get out an barbecue.  It may have been snowing and he may have had to straddle dog poo in his moccasins but he was determined to cook over and open flame.  

He decided to make home made sliders out of a half pork half beef Triple D concoction so I thought that kind of burger deserved a homemade bun.

I planned on having tiny buns but ran to pick up Carson from playschool and then ran to Tims to bring Pat a mid day coffee and the longer I was gone the more my buns rose.  So the moral of the story is that I blame my big buns on kids, my husband and Tim Hortons.  (True in more ways than one.)

I like how the buns turned out but I am wondering how I get the cinnamon buns that are gooey all over......Any tips from experts? I had some amazing ones from Sereda Pharmacy in Lanigan.  Between that, the coffee and the King Pizza I was in heaven.

This weekend we were excited to spend not only Easter but Ukrainian Easter with our family.  We had the unique opportunity to go to church with Baba to have our Eater basket blessed.   I asked Baba this weekend to show me how to make the paska.  She said she would love too.  I can't wait!

I've been framed! A photo lesson.

Finally a break from the snow so the kids, dog and I took a walk to the park. 

On the way there Ellie poked her head back at me through the stroller and the sunshade made a frame for her face.  This gave me an idea for a new photo tip/ assignment. You don't have to go on a photo safari to try this just try these tips in your everyday pictures.  We will keep in mind the tips from the last time of composing off centre.   

This tip is called Framing your shot.  Framing is a way of drawing the viewer into the main subject of the image.  Framing can help set a scene or tell a story or give an image a mood.  

 This shot isn't framing just darn cute and cropped just off center.  The background is out of focus so it brings your attention to his face.  

 The monkey in a frame.  

 Try moving around to shoot through something to give your image depth.  A foreground, midground and background.  The red playground is our foreground, the girls are the midground, the trees are the background.  The subject should be what is in focus so you may have to try manual focus as a camera may want to focus on the closest object.  

 Try a new angle.  The slide frames Carson and notice how the color hamony of the blue makes him stand out.  He is also off center to the right.  Since we read left to right our eye naturally likes to wander into the picture from the left and search for a subject on the right.  

 I think this image shows a mood of an abandoned baby. The empty swings and the space around her.  "Hey put down the camera and come push me!"

 A fun angle not much for a frame.  

Off centre with a smile!

 Boys behind bars.  

Color harmony.

Would you like to try?  Send me your best shot corla_rokochy@hotmail.com  It's our little Easter Break project.  

Easter Feaster Part 5 Snow Bunny

This weekend we held our fifth annual Easter Feaster.  As always we had a great time even with a snow storm the kids insisted that we do the Egg Hunt outside and the Easter Bunny was more than happy to make the kids wish come true.

After running out of food two years ago and having to order pizza this year we went overboard with too much ham, potatoes and a hugemungeous turkey that my awesome friend Sam brought over.  Food Fun and Friendship that's what makes our world go round.  

Here are my gals helping make the hash brown casserole.  I told Olivia it was like one of our favourite shows Dinner Impossible feeding 55 people.  

 A big bowl of yum!  Ellie loves to stir.

 The mad hatter carving the gigantic turkey and sporting his favourite hockey jersey.

 Levi and his buds helped us hide the eggs.  It only cost me a few chocolate bars.  Good kids.

Waiting for the bunny.   

I hope we can see him in all the snow.  

Oh there he comes!

Everyone line up.  We let them go in age groups starting with the youngest so we make sure everyone gets some.  

Happiness is.....

 Found one.

 Ellie was a bit unsure of our special guest.  Good thing Sam and Carla were there to pick her up when mom was taking pictures.

At least it was better than last year.  

 Sam put her eggs in her hood so she wouldn't lose them!

 HAPPY EASTER eveyone.