Clare's Contemplations

Totally 80's-For My 30th!

2012-02-14T15:35:00.002-07:00

This year was the big 3-0 for me. Surprisingly, I was excited about turning 30. It seems to be the threshold of "real" adulthood, but not only that, I am quickly realizing that life moves fast, better not to mourn things that do not merit sadness. Turning 30 is one of those things. I am not, nor am I anywhere close. Ask me again when I am 80. But I did feel that this merited a party. Perhaps it is rude to throw oneself a party (I wouldn't know, but feel free to ask Mrs. Post on my behalf.) but I really can't say that I did it solo, I had lots of help from my Honey and some very good friends.

Joel came up with the 80's theme (I won't force you to do the math, I was born in 1982.) and at first I kind of balked. What exactly constituted the 80's? Then it hit me: tacky is truly the best descriptive phrase for that decade. And tacky, well, I can do tacky!

I always have to have a banner and this one practically put itself together. Two packages of glitter foam and roll of black grosgrain ribbon from the dollar store. A little hot glue. Wah-lah!

I always have to have a banner. This one practically put itself together. Two packages of glitter foam and some grosgrain from the dollar store. Wah-lah!
My best decorating cohort in crime, Sarah, designed the invites for my party. I am realizing just now that I forgot to take a photo of the invitation. Perhaps later. Anyway, they were great neon colors with zebra print, and they were the springboard for the color scheme: pink and green with zebra print. Awful, yes? The pink plastic containers are from the dollar store, and the confetti is from Party City ($3). The plates, tablecloth, napkins and favor boxes are from Hobby Lobby. Joel bought the vintage record for my cake plate. (Goodwill, $0.50) (See, Mom, I am using my crock from Goodwill that you bought me!)

It actually turned out really cute. And much nicer than those silly "over the hill" parties people do for 30. The only thing that said "30" was my store-bought banner from Hobby Lobby (that is also where I got the spirals from as well). I don't usually do the diva style-you know, hot pink and animal prints, but it went so well for this!

One of my favorite things of the whole party was the "photo booth". So simple, but it was fantastic having a picture of everyone at the end of the night! I asked each couple to pose when they came in. I didn't miss anyone and it will make a great page when I do a photobook.

The setup could not have been simpler. I took my rolling wardrobe rack, raised it to it highest position and extended the arms. I covered it with a full size white sheet and draped the banner over it.

I made little "speech bubble" signs with neon poster board and balloon sticks. I usually throw at least 3-4 parties in a given year and balloon sticks (purchased at Hobby Lobby) have saved me countless dollars on helium filled balloons. Just pop a cheap-o balloon that you blew up yourself into the plastic collar and you have stand up balloons just the right height for table decor.

They worked perfectly taped to the back of my bubbles as handles. By the way, they said, "Rad!", "Totally Cool!" "Like Awesome, Dude!" and "Cowabunga!" I was not smart enough to open my mouth the way you are supposed to, so it looks like you are talking. Still cute, though.

Click on the photo to enlarge the instructions for the photo booth.I printed it on the computer and popped it into an 8x10 frame from my house. The pink basket is filled with props: glasses, sheriff's badge, cheap bead necklaces, etc, for your photo taking enjoyment.

The party favors. I have two party rules, well actually three, now. 1. You must have balloons. 2. You must have a banner. 3. You must have favors, no matter the age or sex of the party-goers. I think my mom did that to me.

The favors were so fun to put together. They included a variety of candy, and then each had different toys for the boy ones and the girl ones. The guys had the sticky "wall-walker" dudes and a Rubik's cube. You did not live in the 80's if you do not know what a Rubik's cube is. Thank you, Party City, for providing them in perfect colors for $0.59 each!

The girls' favors were fun, too. They each got a cheap animal print ring and a really fun "make your own friendship bracelet" kit- also from Party City. That place has the BEST selection of favors. And I love that you can buy them individually-perfect when you have an unusual number of guests! And so inexpensive- the rings were $0.25 and the kits were $0.59. Even the Sixlets and Pop Rocks were priced individually! I bought the Smarties, Toostie Pops and Fun Dips at Target.

I forgot that I had bought Pixie Stix. :( I always forget something at a party, so I guess that wasn't too bad. All the boys favors were green and the girls were pink.

Set up was pretty simple. My dear, gracious friend, Christy offered up her house for the shindig. Ours is way too small to have more than about 6 people. It was great! The zebra lanterns, tablecloth and scrapbook paper used as a runner are all from Hobby Lobby.

The prizes were fun, too. Bubble Tape, slinky, cheap plastic bangles, candy necklaces, a klacker- all reminded me of my childhood. We played some great games. My friend Sarah's husband put together a fantastic movie clip game that was a smash hit. She did a balloon popping trivia game, and I did a riddle game using songs from the top 100 of the 80's. There were also prizes for best costume, because you can't have an 80's party without dressing up!

I used the glow in the dark stars, and borrowed the Rubik's cube and rings from the favors to use as table scatter.

A pulled back shot of the photo booth, along with the tripod. That worked so well for taking photos- I even got a few decent self-timer shots.

My "too cool for school" hubby and me all decked out in our 80's best. When Sarah and I went shopping for our outfits were were amazed that all those ugly clothes are back in style! My dress is from Charlotte Russe ($15) and also that crazy ugly necklace. The headband is from Party City ($3) and the bracelets I already had. You can't see my shoes, but they were crocheted flats from Kohl's ($4). It came together well once I teased the tarnation out of my hair- it took 3 applications of hairspray to get it that full-it is pretty flat normally!

And what is a birthday without an unflattering, about to blow out the candles, photo? It is really awkward to have 12 other adults sing to you while you stand there. It was worth the wait for the cakes though: red velvet and Tuxedo Cream Mousse Cheesecake by the Cheesecake Factory (both from Costco).

Someone joked that once I pulled the candles out that it looked like eyes. So I added a mouth.

It was a fabulous party. Everyone had a great time (although that could have just been because we were all so giddy without our children!) and we are already planning our next one. It could have also been the food- I am a big fan of catering. We had Rudy's Barbeque and it was wonderful! Good food, great friends and plenty of laughter. It was a marvelous way to start off my third decade!

Visit from Grammy and Grandpa Doc

2012-02-08T11:12:00.001-07:00

My parents surprised me with a visit in the end of January. I was very excited, because this was the first time my mom would see my house. We had a wonderful time, and the visit was filled with my favorite activity: shopping! I wish I had taken more pictures, but sometimes it is nice to just enjoy the time together and not making everything a major event. My mom bought me a sewing machine for Christmas and she spent some time teaching me some tips (like how to thread the machine!) and my lack of knowledge was so hilarious that even Joel had to get in on the action. He gave some pattern-reading tips.

My parents brought my two youngest brothers, Luke and Mark. Carson was so happy to have some boys to play with! Grammy bought the boys all matching Star Wars Lego shirts and they were so cute matching.

Luke will probably want to karate chop me when he sees this photo! No time with Grammy would be complete without a trip to the Mouse House (Chuck E. Cheese's). Everyone loves it.

Jocelyn and Grammy played Grammy's favorite game: air hockey.

Dad and the boys enjoyed some video game racing time.

Josie and Grammy playing Grammy's other favorite game: Skee Ball. Grammy is pretty good!

Taking grown men to Chuck E. Cheese is hilarious. It is hard to know who has more fun: the men or the kids. My dad looked pretty goofy playing this 3D game.

Never to young to start with the video games! Carson was piloting some sort of aircraft.

Jocelyn's favorite game was this wave rider game. It made you feel like you were in the ocean, or on a roller coaster, etc. She made everyone ride it with her and probably went on it ten times.

Me and my dad.

The boys chose glow in the dark teeth as their prize. Here they are making scary "werewolf" faces, according to Carson.

He loved his teeth so much he went to sleep with them in his mouth on the way home! It was kind of hilarious.

Grammy is always so good to read to the kids. She brought special books for each of them. Carson's was about knights and dragons, and he loves it. It was too short of a visit, but I won't complain because I am just glad we got to spend time together. Hopefully we can do it again soon!

Feeling the Love

2012-01-31T15:08:00.003-07:00

I have a weird thing about seasonal decorations. I don't like to put them up (in what I consider) too early. I feel like three weeks is about good for Christmas decorations, and I shorten the time for other holidays, the ones I deem less important. I do, however, truly love Valentine's Day.

It is probably because it is in such close proximity to my birthday. I also love that it is not a high demand holiday. I love helping the kids choose Valentine's to exchange, I love the colors, and it is just fun! I have decided, though, that I want to simplify. Fewer decorations, fewer boxes, less unpacking, less re-packing...you get the picture.

I have realized that some of my favorite decorations are the disposable kind. Candy, window clings, flowers. So I kind of went that direction and came up with some really simple things. I made the wreath above from cheap-o ornaments I bought at Target. Talk about re-purposing! I paid $0.30 for a pack of three, and they came in purple, red, white and fuchsia. What could be more Valentine"y"?

The wreath was super simple. I wrapped a foam wreath from the dollar store in dollar store ribbon (beware, it did take two rolls). I pinned the ribbon on with my trusty floral pins-I am loving those things!

Then I used more floral pins to spear the hearts on. I should have started from the outside edge, but I didn't realize that I would prefer it with two rows until I was finished. Still it was easy-peasy, and you could cut plain hearts out of felt for the same effect. And it only took about 15 minutes! Love.

I used the same hearts to make a garland for my fireplace. String the hearts on some ribbon, and insta-garland. I love having a fireplace to put garlands on. When I was taking the photos Carson asked me, "Mom, do you want me to be in the pictures?" How could I say no? Of course I want him in my pictures! Please ignore the jammies...it was 8:00am.

This is what I am talking about with the disposable part. I got this white dish at Pier 1- I love it! My mom suggested filling things with conversation hearts, and I knew this would be perfect. I can toss the candy when the holiday is over, no storing stuff, but I still get the cuteness factor!

One thing leads to another... I bought this candle at Bath and Body Works for $1 with the little glass hurricane. The candle looked too small for the holder, but I put a layer of conversation hearts on the bottom, put the candle in and then filled in the space around the sides. This would be easy to do with any type of candle! I don't plan on burning mine near the conversation hearts-I can't say how that would work.

I am planning on having flowers more often. My mom bought these for Josie at Walmart of all places. Shoved into my square vase that she bought me at Goodwill (it once held more expensive, but not cuter, flowers) it makes for a darling $3 arrangement. And I can toss them!

I used a couple of too-short flowers to fill this little purple vase and I had to display the "love bugs" the kids made at church. I am pretty happy with my little things. They fit right into my desire to simplify and have multi-use and disposable decorative items. And now we are all set for Happy Hearts Day!

A Little Past Due Christmas Post

2012-01-17T22:11:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Christmas at home this year. There is something to be said about a little "just our family" Christmas. I love a big, extended, every relative you have kind of deal, but I also love how easy it is when it is just the four of us. Our little tree became less sad sprig and more real Christmas pine when it was surrounded by a bounty of gifts.

Everyone know that Christmas really begins on Christmas Eve. We always attend the Christmas Eve service at our church. The kids were feeling rowdy and this was the best photo I got. I wanted a couple after we got home, but that was poor planning on my part. Carson's outfit didn't stay clean that long!

I tried getting some pictures at the church, but that didn't work either. Carson was not in the mood to be photographed. I also put my camera on the wrong setting and ended up with zero decent photos of the kids opening their gifts that night. It was still a really nice night, though. We always go out to dinner. That is one of my favorite parts! The house is always spotless and so I get to come home after a great dinner to a clean house and just enjoy the evening. Joel and I ended up exchanging our gifts to each other after the kids went to bed. We loved that so much we decided we are going to do that every year.

We are the only people I know who have to wake their children up on Christmas morning. We had two sleepy heads for sure! I actually love when Christmas is on a Sunday. There is something so appropriate about spending the Lord's birthday in His house. However, it did make for an early morning since we wanted the kids to open their gifts before church.

Carson was so cute this year. He was very grateful for all his presents and was so excited to have gifts for everyone. He bought his dad some "dude spray "- that is what he calls cologne. He was so pleased with himself and even more pleased when he got a very nice thank-you hug from Daddy.

We got both the kids new robes and Carson absolutely adores his. He wore it all day for two solid days-over his clothes, even! He makes such a dapper little dude.

Jocelyn looked pretty cute in hers too. She made some of the sweetest faces over her presents-she is so expressive and excited. She loved her set of Kit books from Grammy.

Carson loved all his presents. I had to laugh over leaving the clearance tag on this one! I bought most of their presents back in July for great deals-but I didn't intend to document that in photos.:)

Jocelyn loves making a tower out of her presents every year. This is 2011's pile of loot!

I couldn't resist taking a photo of Carson with his favorite stocking stuffer: Lego Star Wars undies. He is going to make threats over this photo in later years. And his future wife will love it!

We finished all the festivities in time to get prettied up for church. This photo is an absolutely perfect representation of my children's personalities. And please note that yes, those are pirate ships on my son's socks.

And for the finale: a fairly decent family photo, considering this was the second time we have used the timer on my camera and it was precariously perched on the sofa arm since we do not have a tripod. Someday... a tripod and a DSLR to go with it. But for now, I will settle for an okay photo of a wonderful family on a very nice Christmas morning. I know it is January, but better late than never, right?

Rest is the Best

2012-01-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Somedays, I just don't want to do the right thing. I know, you are aghast, that I would not always enjoy and seek to do the right thing. But sometimes, I just want to tuck my feet into the sofa cushions and watch reality tv to make me feel better about my own life. Sometimes, I don't want to exercise, or homeschool or choose the healthy snack. The last one, well, pretty much I never want that one. Just being honest here.

I want to be more like Jesus, I just wish sometimes it were a little easier. Doing the wrong thing just doesn't require the same amount of effort. They lie when they tell you it is less work to smile than to frown. Physically, perhaps yes, mentally...well, I think we all know that sometimes it is just pure torture to put on a grin and bear it.

There is no denying that executing the myriad of tasks that I have each and every day, due to the fact that I am a wife, mother, teacher and involved in my church, takes time, energy, organization, patience and then a little more time. And there is also no denying that grabbing the box of chocolates that Carson bought me for Christmas, propping my feet up and zoning off to the most recent episode of Project Runway: Allstars would be a lot less effort.

But unfortunately, at least that I know of, the Lord does not issue calls to watch Project Runway. He does, however, issue a call to rest:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

I think that is the key that I am missing. I am bearing my own burdens and refusing the rest that I have been offered. I want to create my own rest because I am selfish and power hungry. I want to do things in my own strength so that I can receive the credit.

And there is no denying that following Christ *does* involve taking up a yoke, albeit an easy and light one. It does involve sacrifice on my party. And sacrifice is not missing the latest episode of my favorite show. It involves daily dying to myself, the part that wants to hold onto my pride, and my need for recognition. That part that wants all the good stuff to come from me and all the bad stuff to be someone else's fault.

And it often means doing the right thing, for the right reason, even when I have the wrong attitude. I am a firm believer that when we focus on doing God's will, even without a "cheerful heart" that He will reward us by moving our heart to the right attitude. It is like running: it isn't fun when you get started and are in terrible shape, and out of breath and your knees hurt and you know that the 60 year-old lady who keeps passing you is laughing behind her hand. But you "keep on keepin' on" and you find that it isn't quite as bad as it was. That you are getting faster. That your 13 minute mile shrinks to a 10 minute one and you are proud to wear the title "runner". It might not be fun, even then, but you are seeing the benefits.

But then you (and by you, I mean me) face some hardships. Your knees keep hurting and they won't stop. You give up running and slowly, all the ground you had gained is lost. And you are frustrated. And you decide you are giving it up for good because it isn't easy and you are tired of trying. Because doing the right thing never gets easy- it just can become more of a habit. It is truly a discipline.

We think of discipline so negatively: grounding, writing sentences, all those "tortures" we endured as children. But what we didn't realize is that discipline is something to seek, to desire:

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

When I run, I am disciplining myself. When I choose, consciously, and sometimes painfully, to do the right thing, I am allowing myself to be disciplined by the Lord. When I focus on having the "right attitude" I decide that if my attitude is bad, I just shouldn't do something. This says the opposite. It is sometimes painful to do the right thing. I have to sacrifice what the almighty "I" wants and buckle down. When I focus on doing what the Lord has told me is right, then He will bring my attitude back into line through His loving, perfect discipline.

So, it is really about a balance of rest and discipline. Doing the right thing is about focusing on the reward of righteousness and peace that lie on the other side of the pain and frustration of wading through being disciplined. But while I am in the midst of the all the "not funness" of that- I can also remember that I can rest. I am allowed to breath and gather strength through the One that can enable me to do all things. And maybe, like a little child who doesn't want to take a nap, it is realizing that rest is sometimes part of the discipline. Because the rest prepares me for the work that I need to do- and I don't know about you, but sometimes a little nap just makes me a nicer person!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-12-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

(So, today, pretend to sit down with me, and pick your choice: hot chocolate or peppermint mocha, and I will subject you to the wanderings of my mind...)

I am strange. I tried to deny it, but I really have learned it is better to just own it. I love this time of the year. And I am not talking about Christmas. I do love Christmas, but I really get in my groove the day after. It is not just the clearance shopping, either.

I am ready to be refreshed. I spent a whole year working, scheduling, making, breaking and generally just trying to get everything done. I need a new start, a clean slate. I am not much one for making New Year's resolutions-mostly because it is more likely that I *won't* do what I resolve to do, than actually accomplish it!

However, I do really feel like I am getting a wonderful, unblemished gift. If, as Anne of Green Gables would say, "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it.", then surely a whole year of new tomorrows is as vibrant as a vegetable growing in the garden-full of possibilities!

I know that I don't need the numbers of the year to change to make a fresh start, but there is so much putting away of the old at the change of the year. Throwing away old calendars, packing up Christmas decorations, which leads to house cleaning and a general decision making time. What will I keep and what will I give up to make room for something better? Even stores are making sweeping changes, clearancing out everything from clothes to bathroom soap.

And it just is a whole new year to envision living better and more fully than I did the year before. If this year has been good, how much better can I make the new one?

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” Mark 2:20-22

I want to pour new wine into my new wineskins! I want to have new clothes, so I don't need to patch the old ones. And I love new- new jeans, new towels, new packages of candy. And that is how the new year feels to me. It is a significant point of change- all perfect and unblemished. And that makes me excited. I get to make changes and learn from the mistakes of the past year. Yes, of course, the coming year will have its share of trials and imperfections. But I get another chance.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

Last year, is so, well, last year! I serve a God of not just second chances, but eternal forgiveness to those who seek it. I am overjoyed at the prospect of my 30th new year- one full of chances, choices, and completely unblemished, fresh with no mistakes in it. I am excited to see all the ways that will be made for me, all the streams that will bubble up unexpectedly. This really is, to me, the most wonderful time of the year. I love a new year!

I will leave you with my favorite "after Christmas" carol (by the way, Boxing Day is celebrated the world over on December 26th)

Boxing Day
(Relient K)

Take it all down
Christmas is over
Do not despair but rather be glad
We had a good year. Now let's have another
Remembering all the good times that we had

Oh no more lights glistening
No more carols to sing
But Christmas it makes way for spring

The hearts of men are bitter and weathered
As cold as the snow that falls from above
But just for one day we all came together
We showed the whole world that we know how to love

Oh no more lights glistening
No more carols to sing
But Christmas it makes way for spring

Oh, remember that Christmas, it makes way for spring.

The Most (Im)Perfect Tree in the World

2011-12-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have one simple requirement for our Christmas tree. At some point it must have been alive-read: I want a real tree! I don't have a problem with other people having fake trees, but they are not for me. I love the "trouble" of watering the tree every day, I love vacuuming up the needles, I love the irregularity that can only come from having a tree that grew, in the sun and in the rain, until I brought it home.

And this year, I had the perfect plan for obtaining one. The last three years we have been gifted a tree from the Trees for Troops program. The trees have been beautiful- full, tall, gorgeous trees that probably would have cost somewhere between $45- $70 each. One year we even got a Noble fir! Anyway, now that Joel is no longer in the military, we aren't eligble, so I had to re-group.

I had heard that you could cut your own tree through the Forest Service. The permits were only $10! It would be so great, we would all go out together, tramp through the woods, select a wonderful tree and bring it home. I had done it once before with my parents, and it was fantastic memory. Joel purchased our permit and we were all set. It would be Christmas card perfect.

And it all went downhill from there. We had planned to get our tree on Friday, but when I looked at the weather on Wednesday, (when the temperatures were in the 50's) I saw that on Thursday the weather service was calling for the bottom to drop out: temps in the 20's, snow, and lots of wind. Not exactly ideal tree-cutting weather!

So, we decided we would hurry and go on Wednesday afternoon after Joel got out of school. My first mistake was forgetting my camera. Fail. Then we drove up to the forest, and it was beautiful. I wasn't expecting "perfect" trees, so I wasn't surprised by the sparseness of the growth, I was confident we would find a wonderful one.

The kids were not impressed by our nature trek. It was during nap time, so Carson, usually my outdoor lover, was crabby. Jocelyn was tired of walking up and down-it was very hilly. We were having zero success. All the trees were wrong: too small, too tall, too sparse, bare on one side, crooked... I could go on and on. There were a number of other tree hunters out there and they did not seem to be struggling. They were chopping and strapping trees on cars, no problems.

Part of the reason was that they did not seem to have any problems breaking the rules. The permit specifically states the areas where you can cut trees. Also, trees cannot have trunks thicker than 6 inches in diameter, and you are not allowed to "top" trees- they must be cut off near the ground. I was determined to obey the rules (I must have had a greater fear of the $5,000 fine than they did!).

But that was making it hard. Actually impossible. Finally, we found the most likely candidate we had seen. It was the right diameter, although it was far too tall. But we figured we could pare it down once we got it home. We looked around for a while longer, but not having any more success we decided to go for it. Once we cut it, I realized it was even more sparse than I had originally thought. I chose to be optimistic, though.

It was the PRICKLIEST tree I have ever handled. Jocelyn started singing "O Pokey Tree" on the way home! Both Joel and I sustained various injuries- the tree seemed to be fighting to stay in the forest. But we wrangled it onto the truck and got it home.

Where I realized, that to make it fit in our living room, we would need to cut off about three feet. Of the best part. My little sparse tree would be even more sparse once we cut it down to size. We fought to wrap lights on it, getting poked the whole time. And it wasn't like the Christmas movies. It did not magically become more full once the lights were on.

However, I realized something. Our poor little Charlie Brown tree has character. And we had fun getting it. And it is real. So, I can give in to the imaginary expectations that I so often let rule my life, or I can be happy with what I've got.

And I am. I realized that is what I want all of Christmas (and my life for that matter) to be about. Getting to the true meaning and not being ruled by everyone else's expectations- real or imagined! In the end, I have to live with my tree AND my choices. And I want to know that I pleased the Lord and went with the "real" thing (not that I have anything against other people having artificial trees- I am really applying this to other areas of life!) in all areas of my life. Because I have to live with my tree-and my choices-not everyone else.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

In the end, I will be called into account for my choices, and I want to know that I have the strength of character to make such wise decisions that I will be proud to defend them when I need to. And also, to have enough confidence in Christ to know that I can be happy being different- even if that sometimes is a little prickly...

Easy Snowflake Ornaments

2011-12-07T17:17:00.001-07:00

If you want a quick and easy Christmas craft, this is for you! These snowflakes would be perfect as gift tags/package toppers, too. I loved that they have a sort of vintage/Swedish vibe, which is so trendy this year.

The list of supplies is laughable:

-white spray paint
-a ruler
-hot glue gun
-and the secret ingredient...toilet paper tubes!

I photographed the ribbon, but I was inspired to add them to my fireplace garland, so I didn't end up using it.

Start by prepping your paper tubes. There were little bits of paper stuck all over them, but it is really easy to remove all that by rubbing the flat side of your scissors blade up and down the tube. That makes it nice and clean.

Then, take your tube and flatten it. Measure out half-inch increments. You don't need to mark all the way across, just make lines so you know where to cut. Then cut all the way across.

You will end up with a pile of ovals. You can make one of either kind of snowflake with one tube. If you go through toilet paper like we do, however, you can probably make enough to trim an entire tree with what you save in a week! That is probably more information than you wanted.

Take your ovals and glue them together with a small dot at the bottom. If you want to make the eight pointed snowflake, glue four ovals together, then a separate four. Stack them, rotating the top section slightly, using a glob (professional word, by the way) of glue in the center to hold them together. For the five pointed ones, just glue five ovals together at the center.

Once the glue has set, you can spray paint them. If you wanted perfection, you could hand paint them with craft paint. I am too lazy for that. I put three coats of paint on, they dry at lightening speed. However, the cardboard sucks up paint, it wouldn't have hurt anything for me to have added a fourth coat. But I was in a hurry and not looking for perfection!

I was very pleased with how they turned out. You can see a little of the numbers they print on the inside of the tube, but you have to look at them pretty closely.

They are the perfect accent to my holiday garland! I didn't need hooks or anything to hang them, I just stuck them right on the garland. It might be fun to whip some of these up and hang them from the ceiling with some ribbon. I don't think anyone would guess their humble origins.

Pretty Paper Wreath

2011-12-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

I love making wreaths. It is a very satisfactory activity for someone with a short attention span, such as myself. In the wonderful world of Pinterest, I found this wreath. If you look at the tutorial, however, she has a lot of things I don't have. Like a really nice printer. She printed all the cardstock. And then she glues antique book pages to the back of each strip. Not gonna happen. Her's is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but obviously she is more patient than I am! So, while I needn't rewrite her perfectly fine tutorial, here is what I did.

I purchased:
- Floral pins ($4.99 at Hobby Lobby-used a 40% off coupon)
-12 inch straw wreath ($2.99 at Michael's used 20% off coupon)
-Colored card stock ($9.99 regularly at Hobby Lobby, on sale for 50% off)
-Roll of polka-dotted ribbon ($1.99 regularly at Michael's, on sale for 70% off)

(Is it weird that I want to see pictures of this kind of stuff? I get so frustrated when I can't visualize what someone is talking about. So, I posted one for you!)

She recommends cutting your card stock into two-inch widths. Since I went with a smaller wreath, that would have been a little too large. I used the really nice commercial paper cutter at our church and I chopped my paper into 1 7/8 inches (approximately). The nice part is that I also ended up cutting a few by hand, and you can't really tell the difference. The other cool part: I only used about 15 sheets of the card stock, so that made this a really cheap project, coming in around $7. You could make one for every season!

So, anyways, you cut your paper into strips, then you put the ends together and push a floral pin through the paper into the wreath. Note here: do not put your strips too close together. I found that if I put the top of one strip in the middle of the strip underneath, it was about right. If you put them too close it makes it too full and it looks funny.

That is really all there is to it! I made the little paper accordion like she did, but I don't know if I love it. I will probably leave it, anyway. It was really tricky to form it into a circle! Then I used a one inch punch on some left over paper and hot glued the little circle onto the accordion. I added a little ribbon, and it was done. The whole project probably took me about 45 minutes, after I cut the paper.

I think my short cuts made it less difficult, but not really any less cute. I am happy with it, and since I have a tendency to want to change things up frequently, it will be really easy to remove it all and start again!

Thanksgiving and A Birthday

2011-11-26T20:25:00.001-07:00

My Thanksgiving baby had another Thanksgiving birthday this year. Josie was born on a Thanksgiving Thursday and this year she turned six on Thanksgiving day. It was fun to remember all the excitement of her delivery! Her dad gave her flowers (she loves flowers, such a girl!) as a wake-up gift.

Her brother gave her pajamas and bunny slippers for Kit. She was thrilled! I thought it was hilarious that she slept with her bow in- it made her look so cute for her photos. Usually, we do breakfast in bed, but since we weren't going out for lunch, we had a special birthday breakfast at McDonald's. A sausage McGriddle is one of the birthday girl's favorite things.

We had been invited to have dinner at our friends' house, so we had a very peaceful morning. I whipped up my most favorite Thanksgiving dish, sweet potato casserole, while the rest of the family took in the Black Friday ads and the parade.

I wanted to snap a shot of one of our favorite traditions: watching the Macy's parade. Jocelyn couldn't believe it was on when I was a little girl. We really should have a tradition of watching the dog show-that is what I watched while I was in labor with her!

I also wanted a good picture of my two favorite turkeys. I got some really good ones-for once! This one is such an accurate representation of their personalities.

Josie was excited to get to spend her birthday with her best friend, Hannah. I was excited that I didn't have to cook! Lunch was delicious, thanks to my dear friend, Sarah, and her sweet mom. It is so nice to not have to spend the holiday with just our little family. I always miss my wonderful extended family, and it helps make it a little easier when you are with good friends.

Jocelyn discovered a love of pumpkin pie! It is kind of tough to fit 6 candles in a little piece of pie- next time her birthday is on Thanksgiving we will have to put them on the whole thing!

A girl after my own heart: she used her candles to lick all the Cool Whip off her plate. Pumpkin pie without cool whip is like a mashed potatoes without gravy-except for worse!

Another favorite tradition is making a snack-craft. We did turkeys last year and this year I copied these little acorns from my sister.

These were a snap, and the kids loved making them! It is:half a mini Nutter Butter cookie, an unwrapped Hershey's kiss and a mini chocolate chip (we stuck ours on with a little bit of peanut butter piped out of sandwich baggie). So easy, so cute!

They were obviously a hit with Carson, who clearly takes after his dad. Josie had a great birthday, and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Who can go wrong with good food and great friends?

To Josie, on Her 6th Birthday

2011-11-24T20:49:00.001-07:00

Dear Josie,
             What a year this has been! Far and away, the biggest and best memory I will have of this year is that you were saved. I never realized how hard it is to trust that the Lord will draw your child to Himself when the time is right. I have wanted for you to have Jesus in your heart since before you were born. I have prayed that He would give me the right words to say, and not let me get in the way, and He didn't!

You came to me one day in January (I wish I had written down which one) and said, "I prayed to Jesus, and asked Him into my heart during rest time". You told me that it had been a few days before. I was a little hesitant- I mean, you were so little, barely five! But you had been asking a lot of questions, and the more we talked to you about it, the more we realized, you had figured out how much you needed Jesus. And I hope you will see that you always will.

Miss Kelly, one of the best teachers ever, talked to you about it a lot, too. She knew you were ready, and she has been so instrumental in discipling you. You have been so excited, telling everyone you know about Jesus, and how to accept Him as Savior.

You were so ready to be baptized! It took a long time, for a lot of different reasons, but finally you were baptized last Sunday. You were so proud, and so very excited. Your dad was very nervous, but he did a great job. He talked about how " when your 5 year old tells you she accepted Jesus, you think she is too young to know what she is talking about, but after you listen to her you realize you might be too old to know what you are talking about!" and he shared Philippians 1:9-11. We picked those verses for just for you.

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11

When Daddy asked you if you had accepted Jesus into your heart, you so proudly and clearly said, "Yes." It was one of the sweetest moments of my life.

And, of course, you did plenty of other things this year. You have learned how to ride your bike, cross the monkey bars, and tell time. You love playing with your birthday gift, Kit. You spend hours with your Barbies and Pollys. Drawing entertains you endlessly, too, and secretly I hope that you will continue to be artistic.

You are so confident, and I love that. You have lots of friends, but your best friends are Hannah and Rebekah. You are polite and fearless. I hope you keep your great sense of self-esteem. You are created in God's image-so you should be confident in His love. You are a wonderful big sister, sharing and taking care of Carson. I see you always thinking about everything-and you are so curious!

Some other things: you love to eat your vegetables (every mom's dream!) and bell pepper and carrots are your favorite. You love an apple with the peel on, too. You love to watch "Mythbusters" and "Chopped" with me and your dad. You love to play outside, and are great friends with all the kids in the neighborhood. You love listening to me read from the "Little House on the Prairie" series.,

You are a CHAMP at learning your Awana verses. You passed your book and review in less than one-third of the time you were supposed to. I am so proud of your love for God's Word! I hope that stays with you.

I love you so much. I am so thankful for you, and I love that your birthday is on Thanksgiving this year, just like the year you were born. And this year, I am thankful for your new birth in Christ. He gave you to me, and it thrills my heart to know that you belong to Him. You are so wonderful, and I can't imagine having a better daughter. I love you.
                                                                                              Love,
                                                                                                    Mother
                                                                               (because that is what you always call me!)

Josie's "Best Birthday Ever!"

2011-11-18T22:41:00.001-07:00

Josie has known since her dear friend's party at American Girl (in March!) that she, too, wanted to have an "American Girl Store Birthday Party and the Cheesecake Factory" celebration. The heart knows what it wants. Anyway, in order to avoid the holiday rush, we scheduled her party before her birthday. That did not seem to bother her in the slightest...

I don't consider myself to be super "girly". Feminine, yes, but not so much into high heels, make-up. poofy dresses and bling. Josie is the exact opposite. She wanted to have the whole look for her big day. She loves to dress up! She posed for a photo by the display window of the store.

She was joined by her two "bestest of best" friends. They all delighted in opening every little box and bag at the store to ooh and ahh over the tiny things. I may have been guilty of a little of that, too!

My little cheeseball. She could not make a decision about her doll. We had spent almost an hour in the store, literally inspecting every single doll! I tried not to push her towards Marie-Grace (who just so happened to be 25% off- a significant amount when each doll is $100!) I really wanted it to be her choice.

In the end, she selected Kit. An excellent choice, if I do say so myself. They bear a little bit of resemblance to each other, and I had heard horror stories concerning the upkeep of the dolls with the long hair. Kit's is nice and short- a typical 1930's bob.

Josie anxiously watching while the purchase is completed. I think she told everyone in the store that it was her birthday party.

Someone kindly gifted her with a sticker to announce it. Her dad gave her money to buy whatever she wanted, as a special gift from him. She choose, Grace, Kit's basset hound. I think that is an adorable name for a dog- especially a basset!

Aunt Robyn generously provided the money to have Kit's ears pierced. Josie is dying to have her own ears pierced, but I am not ready for that quite yet. Both of Josie's friends also decided that they wanted to have their dolls ears done, too.

The three princesses waiting on their dolls. They were by far the cutest girls in the store!

If you ever want to get a million compliments on your daughter, put her in a frilly dress, do up her hair and let her wear heels. People kept stopping me to tell me how beautiful she was. She, of course, ate it up with a spoon! Also the perfect time for her to interject, "it's my birthday party", cue more compliments!

Finally, she got to hold her doll, all ear-piercing complete! I love the little bag they gave us with the extra earrings.

Headed to dinner. Josie was insistent on bringing her stroller for her new friend. It was pretty darn cute to watch her wheel Kit around.

Josie's dress came with a matching one that fit Kit. Of course, Kit had to do a costume change before dinner, so they could be twins.

Michael's has the CUTEST American Girl doll party supplies. Each doll got her own plate, place mat and cup. EEEK! I almost couldn't stand the cuteness. They also had a great craft set so each girl was able to make two headbands and two bracelets for her doll. It was a wonderful activity for taking up the time while we waited on the food. It would have been even better if it hadn't been so dark! But they still had fun (although after trying to tie clear string in the dark it is a wonder the three moms aren't blind!). You can see Josie explaining her headband technique to her friend. (Just in case you were wondering, I did NOT pay full price for the things-providentially, there were 50% of coupons the week of her party!)

Josie, sharing a sip with Kit. The paper goods also went well with the mini favors that I packed for each girl. They had tiny packages of candy (mini Tootsie Pops, Haribo gummy bears, etc.) teeny notepads, mini cameras, and little Hello Kitty tins that looked like purses. Everything was doll-sized!

The fun didn't stop! Josie had a great time opening her presents. She got one of the best little girl gifts- a purse filled with fun things.

She got a little ambitious pulling out all the tissue paper!

Josie with Grace. Aren't they adorable?

This, too, was also adorable, errr delicious! I tried the new Hershey's cheesecake: chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, chocolate cheesecake=yum!

Josie's special birthday sundae. She was beaming while the servers sang to her. The one time that happened to me, I cried. Josie just eats up all the attention!

She also love that the plate read "Happy Birthday Josie!!" in chocolate and sprinkles.

After everyone was packed full of dinner (all the girls had mini corn dogs, by the way, which I thought was hilarious!) my good friend suggested the most beautiful photo spot. I think they should model, don't you?

This one, however is my favorite. She is such a special little girl. Hard to believe she will be six soon. She just kept saying, over and over, that it was "the best birthday ever". I'm glad.

Sad Day

2011-11-15T08:22:00.001-07:00

Without sharing details that aren't mine to share, suffice it to say that a dear friend has suffered a great tragedy. This is the first time that I can remember being so absolutely devastated for someone. I don't know what to say-which is a completely foreign feeling to me. I don't know what to do, which isn't. I have cried so much that my head is still hurting.

And this is only the beginning. If I feel this way, I know I have absolutely no comprehension of how my friend is suffering. And there is no end in sight.

But God is sovereign. He did not look away during this time. He has known about this since the beginning of time and He is not surprised by a single thing that occurred. I was sorely tempted to ask "Why?" but I realized that I don't want to know. There will be no making sense of this in this life.

I just keep praying that the Lord will let me be there for my friend. That He will keep meaningless things from coming out of my mouth, that I will be filled with compassion and tenderness. That I will be a blessing and not a stumbling block.

And I have to believe He will answer those prayers. That I can be His love, that He purposefully included me in this situation because He knew that He could fit me for the task. And I will be grateful for that. And I will pray for my friend without ceasing...

Racecars and Shoeboxes

2011-11-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

This year Josie and Carson started attending Awana at a different church. We had attended (and I had taught) on post at the chapel for the last three years, but with Joel getting out it was time to find a new program. We absolutely love the new one! It is huge and does a lot of the things that our smaller club couldn't do. One of those things is the Awana Grand Prix. Josie got into the spirit of things by pretending to "drive".

This is Carson's car. Neither car was the prettiest, nor the fastest, but they both enjoyed coloring them. Next year we will do paint, but we didn't have time to make them too fancy this year.

This was Josie's. There was some pretty stiff competition in her division. Fortunately, I think it was the dads who were the competitive ones, the kids just wanted to have fun and enjoy looking at the cars!

Josie and Carson were thrilled to be asked to hold the flags for the opening ceremony! We were a little nervous about them touching the ground, but they did just fine.

Each racer was allowed to place his or her car on the track for each heat. There were three heats, and for Carson's division there were five groups. For Josie's there were eight!

Josie got some encouragement from Cubbie Bear while placing her car.

And their off! The race was so quick you couldn't hardly see the cars.

The whole thing was very professional, with a digital track and scores posted electronically on the leaderboard as soon as the last car cleared the finish line. The speeds were translated into miles. Josie's car was one of the slowest ones, at 155 mph. The fastest car in her division went 214 mph! Carson nor Josie won, but they did have a good time. I am little frightened at the amount of "ideas" Joel has for next year...

Later on the kids packed their shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. This is without a doubt one of my favorite holiday traditions. I packed my first box at age 13, and I haven't missed a year since.

Carson had a little trouble figuring out why we were buying gifts for someone he didn't know, but once he understood, he really got into it. He tried to buy everything in the store for his "friend". He really wanted to send his friend a ball, and he hand-picked the stuffed moose he sent. It was very sweet.

Jocelyn was so cute. She wanted everything to be just perfect for her box, and in the end it was so full it would barely close!

She specifically wanted to put flip flops in her box. I am so praying that some little girl in a foreign country has turquoise flip flops on her wish list. And a stuffed puppy.

She drew the sweetest card to put in her box, I had to take a picture. She really loves doing it as much as I do.

So that is just a little of what has been going on here. We have been busy, busy as usual. I don't think it is going to get any slower with the holidays coming. I guess I better just resign myself to it at some point that this is normal!

Burlap and Felt Fall Wreath

2011-10-25T21:06:00.006-06:00

Our moms' group at church has a delightful sharing time we call "Mom Moments" where a different woman shares about something she has a passion or talent for. This last week, one of my friends shared about wreath making. She inspired me to whip up this super speedy fall one!

This is not much of a tutorial, just because this was so easy to make, but if you want to try your hand at it you will need:

Wreath form- I used straw because I had picked one up at Goodwill for $1. I left it plastic wrapped to cut down on the mess!

4 "sheets" of felt in whatever colors you want ($0.20 each at Michael's)

1/4 yd. of burlap, and believe it or not, I did not even use all of that! (Walmart, I think it was $1.50)

Total: Less than $4!

I have never crafted with burlap before, but I definitely will from now on. The woman who cut the burlap for me showed me that if you pull one of the strings from whichever direction you want to cut in, it leaves a nice little path to help keep your cut straight. Also, it gave me that "frayed" look I was going for. I eyeballed the width of my strips, and didn't measure, I just used the inital strip to compare the others to.

Then you just stick a straight pin through the end of your strip, through the wreath and start wrapping! When you get to the end, pull up the starting strip and tuck the end of the last strip under it. It is a little hard to show in the photo, but pretty easy to understand when you are actually doing it.

Then-on to the fun part! Wrapping the wreath took about 15 minutes, the flowers can take as much or as little time as you want. I used this tutorial to make most of them, I just varied the width of the felt, and how deep and far apart I made the cuts, to get the different looks.

I also made a few using this tutorial, and I really should have followed a template. I just free-handed the shapes, and they did not come out the way I wanted them to. You can pick out those, they are the brown one at the end on the left, and then the tan one just to the right of the last yellow flower on the left. But they gave it some nice visual interest, and I really wasn't striving for perfection.

Then I stuck them on with straight pins and moved them around until I got a grouping I liked. Then some of them fell out when I dropped it trying to hang it up, and I got this. I actually moved them today, and am happier. The great part is that these would be so easy to switch out for the seasons and have a totally new wreath!

Scary and Sweet Treats

2011-10-25T09:11:00.004-06:00

We were invited to a friend's home the other night for dinner, and I brought dessert. I wanted something a little more interesting than regular old brownies or cupcakes, and I wanted it to feel "fall-y" too! I found this cookie recipe at Land 'O Lakes website, and it seemed really easy-and I also had all the ingredients. A couple of tips: I lined my baking sheets with parchment paper. The cookies slid off like a dream-I am sold on that stuff! Next, I did not make my own frosting, I simple tinted a can of store bought stuff with a couple of drops of red and yellow food coloring. Last, I made my cookies much bigger than the recipe recommended. It saved me from rolling and cutting out 72 cookies! Doing the sandwich cookie with the cut-out top made it look festive without having to go to the trouble of icing shaped cookies. The cookies turned out perfectly, I was very pleased. Besides, no one thinks that I can cook. I can, I just don't usually like to!

This one was just for me- eyeballs! I don't know why, but I think the eyeballs everywhere this time of year are hilarious. I found this recipe for "Edible Eyeballs" and I really wanted to try it!

They also turned out perfectly (for the most part, I will explain later). Even the little kids knew exactly what they were, and it was so funny to hear them ask for an eyeball!

A couple of tips: I did not have an empty egg carton, so I simply stuck all my eggs in a bowl in the fridge so I could use mine. Second, many eggs these days have two tiny holes in the bottom for ventilation, in case a child puts them over his mouth. I found that sort of messed them up. The ones I did in the old eggs (without holes) turned out perfectly, where as the ones that had the holes in them had jelly bean goop on them (the black stuff you can see on some of them in the photo). Someone online said they used a camping egg container instead of the plastic eggs and I bet that would work really well, and you could skip worrying over the holes. I wanted to show you both the "good" eyeballs and the "bad" ones so you could see what I was talking about!

I was thinking these might be fun to make with mini eggs and use regular hard Lifesavers and mini jelly beans! It was super simple to do: you mix pudding, put a black jelly bean in a Lifesaver gummy and put it in the egg half. Then you fill them with pudding and freeze for 3+ hours. Then you pop them out by pushing with the back of a fork.

So cute! Well, for eyeballs... Anyway, I would definitely make these for a party-they are a little tricky to eat, but they look so cool. You could probably use green pudding and make monster eyeballs, too. This would be a great project for an 8-10 year old. They wouldn't even need any help from mom!

-In case you were wondering where I got the cute little pumpkin plates from, they are $0.50 each at Walgreens right now. I couldn't resist, and they are the perfect size for the kids!

Empty as an Unfilled Ice Tray

2011-10-17T17:47:00.007-06:00

I have ice trays. What, you might say, does that have to do with anything. Well, you must remember, that often what is NOT said implies volumes more than what actually is spoken. What I am really saying is that I do not have an ice maker, therefore, I have old-school plastic ice trays.

And I don't like them. It is hard to get the ice out of them, you have to remember to fill them, and they fall over in my freezer. My tiny, tiny, freezer that does not have room for ice trays.

And I want to be bitter. You may laugh, or wonder why, all you ice-maker-having people, but it really can make one bitter. I forget on occassion to fill them, and then I don't have ice. I know that strange things can happen to ice makers that limit the production of ice, but it is rare. My forgetfulness, on the other hand, is not so rare.

I know, too, because I have had ice makers. Ice whenever you want it, fresh for the taking. No struggling with popping trays (which, by the way, are not made like they used to be-they keep cracking!) or running them under water in vain attempts to release the cubes. So many more cubes than my three measly trays can hold. And also, ice maker ice is skinny, not fat little lumps that don't fit in my water bottle or my kids' cups.

And knowing what I did have and what I have now, it makes me want to be bitter. And frustrated. And crabby. Feelings that are utterly wasted on my inanimate and completely unfeeling little blue plastic trays.

Feelings that aren't wasted on me. Because I have discovered, bitter thoughts breed company. Misery loves company, but bitterness-it just makes friends for itself. One bitter thought turns into another and another, and pretty soon my mind is swamped with thoughts of, "I don't deserve this" and "It isn't fair" and "This is anyone's fault but mine." And it is difficult to pull out of the tightly winding spiral.

That is why, when I started listening to myself over the three extra minutes it was taking me to pry the tiny pieces of frozen water out of the miserable little contraptions I stopped and thought:

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Every thought? Even petty ones, about ice trays? Yes! Because Paul knew (and of course, it was inspired of God!) that even little thoughts can lead you far, far astray. Because complaining about ice (or the lack thereof) leads to discontentedness with ice trays, and then freezers, then fridges, then kitchens and pretty soon, you need a whole new house. Trust me, I know.

I won't pretend. I could try to think of why I am thankful for my ice trays. I have running water, and a freezer that freezes, and drinks that need ice. I don't own this home, so it won't be my permanent problem. And sometimes, that works.

But sometimes, that can cause problems for me, too. I try to figure out how my life is superior to others, and that is pride, not thankfulness. So tonight, I took a different approach. I thought, "This is stupid. I am wasting time and mental energy complaining over something that is really nothing. Moving on to something new."

And it didn't happen instantly, but when I made a conscious decision to redirect my thinking, it worked. Of course, I revisited it for the purpose of this post, but I am not bitter anymore. My ice trays are really not worth my time in the bigger scheme of things. And I am a very little person who needs a longer to-do list if I am going to focus on something so inconsequential.

And I don't want to be inconsequential. I want to focus on what is important in life. I don't ever want to see the tally of the minutes of my life and see more than about 3 seconds devoted to bitterness over ice trays. Because you know what? I was created for more than wasting time stewing over things that won't last.

"Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save
themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here
is no fire to sit by."

Isaiah 47:14

That is what those kind of things are worth. Any person, or action, or thought, that is not totally devoted to increasing the greatness and glory of Christ is worthless in the bigger scheme of things.

I want to be a fire, no matter how small, through which people can be warmed by the love of Christ. I want to provide light and heat. I don't want to pursue idle thoughts that last for only a moment in terms of worth, but greatly diminish my capacity to pursue my intended purpose: warmth and vision-filled with the One who ignited the Truth in me. Otherwise, I am as empty and pointless as an unfilled ice tray...

Pumpkin Picking Pickers 2011

2011-10-03T20:09:00.007-06:00

We went back to our favorite October spot again this year, Diana's Pumpkin Patch. It is a little out of the way, but we love it, so it is worth the drive. We had absolutely perfect weather, too! I loved the photo spot-"How tall this fall?". It will be fun to watch the kids grow from year to year-especially since I don't think our landlord would appreciate us marking heights on the door frame.

The corn maze was amazing this year! I have never seen it so tall and thick. You felt like you were in a hidden forest. Josie gives you a good idea of how big it was.

It is hard to get lost with Joel, though. He has a terrific sense of direction. The game in the maze this year was "Clue" and you were searching for the characters and weapons from the game. However, everything had cute farm twists like the "Dairy Barn" and the "Pig Pen" and the weapons were things like a pitchfork!

Carson led the way most of the time, and I have to say he did a pretty good job. I can only hope he inherits his dad's sense of direction and not mine!

Jocelyn does pretty well, too. She found a scarecrow-they offered helpful hints about the maze. She was so excited!

The Picker "Go Team!". We successfully completed the maze-in record time for us. The kids did great; they weren't giving up.

I thought this would be a funny picture, but it didn't work out quite the way I wanted because *of course* the kids weren't cooperating! Where have the photogenic babies I had gone? But, it is a decent picture of me, which are as scarce as hen's teeth, so I kept it.

Joel got the hint. I showed him the last ridiculous photo I posted of him, so I think he is on a roll now.

I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to go into the actual pumpkin patch. Instead they grew the pumpkins down the road (literally) and then placed them in this field for the customers. They practice crop rotation, and this year the regular field wasn't available. I guess I would rather have superior pumpkins and good farming practices, but it sure is fun to go into the real field.

Carson made a beeline towards his pumpkin as if it had a neon sign over it. He was so happy! He did not want a huge one, this one was just his size. Although he still made me carry it.

Jocelyn was a little more choosy. She wanted a big one and this was the winner. I do not direct pumpkin choices at all. I love to see what interests them.

Jocelyn was put in charge of pumpkin transport. Can you see how happy she was about it?

The hay slide was new. The kids loved it. I thought it was so fun and old fashioned. The pyramid was really tall!

It actually went really fast, especially if you used the sack. (I know, because I tried it, but only once. The landing was really hard!)

Definite hit, and such a nice simple pleasure.

Jocelyn loved the bunnies, and they seemed to be equally fond of her. She still really misses S'mores, her rabbit. Maybe when she is older she can have another bunny, she loves them so much. It was nice to have a little visit.

Carson bypassed the rabbits in favor of plunging into the corn bin. It is always a hit with him, and I like it because it is not nearly as messy as sand! Although, I am pretty sure we brought a kernel or two home...

A final treat is to get rootbeer in a real bottle. I DO NOT like rootbeer, but I have to say, IBC in a bottle is not horrible. Not good, but not horrible, either.

Another not so terrible picture of me. Maybe someday I will remember to take off my sunglasses. It is just so bright out in the sunshine!

The final family photo. One of the sweet women who worked there offered to take this for us. I love that it is a family owned place. They are so nice there! I love that it is our special fall tradition, and I am guessing we will be going back as long as we live here. See you next October!

Crayons Can Melt On Us...

2011-09-30T17:52:00.007-06:00

I pinned this project a while back (when crayons were still $0.40 a box!). I don't know why, but I kind of procrastinated completing it. Sadly, I had everything I needed, I bought the canvas almost two years ago and I have so many crayons I could outfit a first grade class! I just can't resist when they are so cheap. I loved the fun colors, and knew it would go perfectly in my kids' playroom-which I just happen to be fixing up lately!

You'll need:

- approximately 4 boxes of crayons

-hot glue gun

-canvas (16x20 stretched and primed)

-hair dryer

I figured out how many crayons I needed by laying them out in advance. I used four boxes, minus the gray, white, black and brown crayons. I also decided that I did not want to line to crayons straight across the top. I liked the look of having them staggered better. That is the beauty of laying them out! I also decided I wanted to have the "Crayola" portion of the label showing. I have seen some where they show the color name, but I preferred the uniformity.

This part was so easy. Rather than trying to put glue on the crayons (I tried that initially, it was tricky) I just ran two short lines of glue and shoved as many crayons on as I could. I ran the lines about an inch apart and the key to staggering them was just making sure that I did not put any two neighboring crayons at the same height. I think if I did it again, I would probably further exaggerate the unevenness. Oh well, you live and learn.

Once all the crayons were glued, I dragged it outside, propped it on a crate and plugged in my hairdryer.

I set it to high and started blowing! I started out trying to stay even-going across the whole board in long lines. That doesn't work because it allows the crayons to cool too much between passes. Focus on one area until the crayons start to bleed.

It is really fun to watch them drip! Then you just decide how much you want to melt them.

I wish I had let Jocelyn watch this part. It would have been a good art lesson to see the colors blend together and form new ones. It would also be a great science lesson on melting!

I still wanted my crayons to have tips so I didn't melt them down too much. Be careful, how you aim the hairdryer will change how the wax drips. I even got a little on the edges of my canvas, but it wasn't that big of a deal. I found it worked best when I positioned the dryer above the tips pointed straight down. I really focused on melting the ends, but I suppose if you wanted your canvas to be more "drippy" you could go up and down the entire crayon.

My beautiful "art". I originally was going to stop after I took the top photo, then I decided to melt it a little more. I am pretty sure I could take it off the wall and melt it even further if I wanted to. It was about a 15 minute project- total satisfaction! It dried really quickly, too, and was a snap to hang. I didn't even put picture wire on the back. Ta-Da!

P.S. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me where I got my title from. I absolutely couldn't resist the reference-it was too perfect.

Chile Festival

2011-09-24T15:26:00.008-06:00

We have discovered something that we love about Colorado that isn't incredibly well known: its local chiles! Every year Pueblo, a town a little south of us, has a terrific little festival to celebrate these tasty peppers. The whole town smells of delicious roasting chiles (if you have never experienced that-you should, it makes my mouth water!) Jocelyn loves it because she can collect all the free ~~junk~~ "treasures".

I love it because we can eat! I am developing a fondness for street food, due to excessive viewing of television shows such as, "The Great Food Truck Race" and also my dear husband, who loves food from any type of establishment that looks as if it might fail an inspection by a blind Health Department employee. Anyway, the first tasty morsel we tried was a regional favorite: the Slopper. It is the bottom of a hamburger bun, a beef patty and generous helpings of green chile, cheese and onion. It looks terrible, tasted great.

I was completely fascinated by the beautiful "ristras"- bunches of fresh chiles strung together, to be used for decor and cooking. They were so coloful! If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see my favorite ones: the multicolored tiny chiles on the end.

This man was in the process of constructing a ristra. It is pretty time consuming to hand tie each chile- that probably explains the hefty price tag! (The large ones were $30+). He was obviously a pro; he was working very quickly.

The chiles can be purchased fresh, but we prefer ours to be roasted. The workers put bushels of chiles into the roasting drums and rotate them over high flames. It is hotter than blue blazes next to them! However, that is not why he is hosing them off. Once the chiles are properly blackened, they run cold water over them to wash off the skin. Then another worker shovels away the remains from the ground. It is kind of like being in the vicinity of a fire- you can get covered in ash if you stand too close!

I tried all day to get a decent photo of the kids. Not happening! It was a little too warm and sunny for smiling.

See all that delicious, beautiful chile goodness? And you cannot imagine the smell...

Joel always has to sample a few to choose the proper heat level. He tried a medium, declared it not the slightest bit hot, and decided to try "Dynomite"- the hottest pepper available at this particular stand. He spent about 5 minutes choking, sweating and coughing before he opted for hot variety- pleasantly in the middle.

The highlight of my day-bar none- was my chile sundae. Chocolate chile ice cream, covered in habenero hot fudge, topped with a chile gummy. DIVINE! It had the tiniest bit of heat, but it was not at all unpleasant. I could have eaten two of these myself. It was wonderful. Don't judge unless you have tried one. Now I understand how they can say that chiles and chocolate are complimentary. It was sweet, and a little spicy, and chocolately, and wonderful....

I love the piles of fresh chiles. You can choose your variety and they throw it in the roaster while you are waiting. There are chiles everywhere- fitting, considering the event!

My little goofball got his balloon stuck in his sunglasses and couldn't figure how to get it out!

The last treat of the day (I didn't include photos of our chile wrap and fresh ear of corn-yum!) was a pink lemonade shaved ice. It was delicious-good thing it was huge!

We cooled off with our shaved ice by the Riverwalk, my most favorite part of Pueblo. It reminds me of the San Antonio Riverwalk- except much less hectic! It is beautiful, and there is always plenty of shade. One day I want to take a boatride on it.

My little dude was fascinated by the water. He looked so peaceful. He dragged that blue balloon around all day-it was sweet.

This sight made me crack up! It is so Colorado- snowboards and boots in a water fountain. They had been placed there by a booth peddling outdoor gear. It is 92 degrees- but they were doing a steady business!

Back to the car after a fun day, with full tummies. The best way to end any adventure!

A Day in Denver

2011-09-21T21:42:00.005-06:00

We decided to take a last minute trip to Denver last week. We wanted to visit the Denver Science and Nature Museum one last time before it isn't free for us anymore. (Losing our military discount is making me very sad!) And I wanted to go to IKEA-of course! We started out in the dinosaur area. It makes Joel crabby that I have to go on and on about how bogus evolution is, but that is just so ridiculous! However, I did think the display above was quite pretty (even if it is total fiction...)

Jocelyn is really getting into exhibits now that she has learned to read. She was very interested in everything.

Our fearless map-reader. Yes, he is as lost as he looks, but he insisted on carrying the map the entire time.

Jocelyn took this photo of Joel and me, and I thought she did a fairly good job. The lighting in this particular area did not agree with my camera. I tried it with and without flash-no success. Someday, when I am big (and rich!) I will have a DSLR...

I thought this was a fun photo of Josie-maybe a teeny bit creepy, but unique. She isn't posing, she was really concentrating on the display.

It is a really fun place. They pay a lot of attention to adding little play areas and kid-related things in with the adult exhibits. The kids were supposed to be herding the llamas, but they preferred riding them.

I am NOT responsible for this thing. As a matter of fact, I don't even know him. I am not even sure how this photo wound up on my camera. I plead the 5th.:)

This Body Trek exhibit was really cool and interactive. Jocelyn was watching how her bones move on-screen. You received a little card at the start and it had your measurements, gender and other information to help you have a really personalized experience.

This was the kids' area in Body Trek. Those are the faces of my charming children. I think it is too weird!

There was a computer program that showed you aging. This is Jocelyn at 70 shown with the effects of excessive sun exposure. It was rather hysterical. I did not get a chance to do it because of the lines (and maybe because I was a little afraid to!).

We hadn't been through the rocks and minerals area before. Colorado is famous for its mines. Jocelyn, because she is a girl, loved all the sparkling rocks and gemstones.

This entire cave was moved from Mexico (I think) and rebuilt in the museum. The photos don't do it justice. It was amazing!

I have a similiar picture of Jocelyn moving moon rocks from the last time we visited. I don't really understand the allure of the "grabbers" but someone knew what they were doing, because my kids love them!

We had a great time, I am glad that we were able to go again. It probably will be a long time before we return, it is a little pricey. I realized after we left that we didn't even go into the kids' room-Josie and Carson were fascinated by all the regular exhibits.

We finished the day at IKEA-I heart that store. You just can't over-value a place with free childcare! We picked up some furniture for the playroom. I am still working on it, but I am hoping to post about the finished room soon.

On the 10th Anniversary of 9/11

2011-09-11T20:43:00.003-06:00

Joel and I were discussing how much life has changed since 9/11. I remember the military before, all pressed shirts and dress pants. Now they all wear combat uniforms. I remember flying to Illinois that August, and on my return flight home Joel walked me to my departure gate. Now, you are not allowed past security without a boarding pass.

But I also remember how it seemed every house had a flag hanging right after that day. I remember just praying and praying for the safety of people I didn't know. I remember the feeling of pride mixed with sadness on sending my husband away to war- the war completely accelerated in response to that day.

Pride because I joined many, many wives before me who released their husbands to the care of the Almighty, as their only protection from the danger they would surely face. I was so proud that Joel joined, knowing that the question was "when" he would deploy, not "if".

My generation was welcomed into the ranks of the war generations: Vietnam, Korea, the World Wars,the Civil and Revolutionary Wars, and so many more. There are differences, to be certain, but also so many similarities. Fear, anger, but mixed with pride, and a much greater realization that the Lord was (and always has been) totally in control.

This was, and always will be a defining event in our history. To personally experience that day was almost unbelievable. We will never be able to forget. And I, for one, don't want to.

Telling Tales

2011-09-09T21:17:00.005-06:00

image via

I was re-reading some of my earliest blog posts, and thinking how thankful I was that my aunt got me started on blogging. I have a terrible memory, and it isn't getting any better with age. I have figured out a few tricks to improve it, but that really isn't the point of this post. To have it written down is much better than trying to rely on my frail brain.

My life is often mundane, and really lacks any outstanding incidents-at least to me. But when people ask about things, like the birth of my children, I realize that boring is truly in the eye of the beholder.

I am fascinated by people's stories. Some of my favorite books as a child were the "Little House" series (thanks, Mom) as well as the "Stories from Grandma's Attic". Both series were true accounts of pioneer/farm life and I loved being able to sympathize with and understand the feelings of those girls, even though they lived so long ago.

And it wasn't just the big things. I loved reading about the straw "air castle" and all the tasty food in "Farmer Boy". I loved the story about the Valentine cards in "Caddie Woodlawn". I am human, and I connected to those human elements. They made the stories come alive. The parts about Indians, thieves, and months-long blizzards are all amazing, but it was the little things that drew me in and gave me insight.

And that is why I share my stories. I tell my little, boring tales because it makes me real, and it helps me to remember. I want my kids to read this and understand me better. I want my great, great grand kids to read and feel like they knew me.

And that is why it is so important to tell your story. It is yours alone to relate, but you might be surprised at how it touches people. I don't think everyone needs a blog. However, there are many ways to tell your story. I try to share little memories with my kids and Joel whenever they come to mind. Everything doesn't have to be written down-take photos, sing songs, buy souvenirs, draw a picture!

Just remember: God has given you a story that is all your own. And He desires you to use your life experiences to guide and help others. So many Jewish traditions are tied into story telling. Every Passover celebration is a huge, long recounting of the Israelites rescue from Egypt. Every year, over and over. And it never gets old.

Tell your story, and don't be ashamed that it is boring. We shared our testimonies in Lifegroup a few Sundays back, and I was surprised at the number of adults who said that their salvation experience was "boring" or " normal". Being saved from deserved damnation by astounding, completely unmerited grace can never be either of those things. God gave you your testimony for a reason.

Be real, and you will find it draws people to you. No one expects, or even desires, perfection. It is our flaws and weaknesses that allow God's power to shine through in our lives. It is the little strange things, that could never be coincidences, that often help us to discover purpose.

And how could you not want to share that? I often gain more insight into my very own, lived-through experiences when I tell them to others. Sometimes, the other person helps me realize things that I never would have seen on my own, and sometimes, I just see it myself, by trying to describe it to someone else.

One of my favorite quotes of all times is about story telling. In "The Horse and His Boy" C.S. Lewis paints the most beautiful scene between a troubled orphan boy and the lion, Aslan-who is a representation of Christ. The boy, Shasta, feels as if his whole journey has been plagued with trials, and he is trying to understand what happened to his only friend, Aravis. Shasta says, "Then was it you who wounded Aravis?" Aslan replies, "It was I.". Shasta counters with, "But what for?"

"Child," said the Voice [Aslan], "I am telling you your own story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."

You have to tell your own story. No one can do it for you, because God only gave it to you FOR A REASON. Never doubt that any occurrence in your life is a mere coincidence. God does not deal in coincidences, He deals in certainties. Never mistake that there is a plan, a purpose, a hope, a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—
those He
redeemed from the
hand of the foe,
those He gathered from the lands,
from east and west,
from north and south." Psalm 107:1-3(NIV)

Don't be afraid. He brought you to this place for a reason, and perhaps, through the telling (though it may be hard) He may show you things that you would have never seen otherwise. You may be a blessing to someone in ways you never imagined. But you will never know unless you begin. "Once upon a time..."

A Little Update

2011-09-07T21:41:00.003-06:00

Exactly what I am NOT doing...

I haven't posted in over a week! Craziness! I make myself as busy as I want to be-and I hate it when a post just doesn't seem to be flowing. I had my mind set to write up a couple recently, but when I actually sat down at the computer they seemed contrived and just didn't work. Anyway- in the past 10 days:

1. Joel officially had his last day in uniform. He is on "terminal" leave until the end of October. He also quit his second job (Home Depot, in case you didn't know-he was working nights there) in order to find something that will fit better with his new school schedule. He starts in October.

2. We went to Cheyenne over Labor Day weekend. And I forgot my camera! We visited the most beautiful little park. It had a terrific area called "The Children's Village"- it was so surprising! It had all these terrific water features, and was absolutely enchanting. However, I won't drone on, since I don't have any pictures. My personal favorite part was the labyrinth. I had never walked one before, and it was so peaceful!

3. I started leading Bible study again last week. It is a lot of work, but I love it. I don't know that people realize how much time and energy that kind of thing takes, but I am much more appreciative of all the good leaders I have had in the past. I am really passionate about growing and developing the group this year. I think we are off to a good start.

4. I am cleaning my basement. Our house has sort of a funny lay out, so everything that doesn't have a home ends up in the basement (and is slowly finding it's way out of the house-I love it!). I got a new shelf for my stockpile, and I am doing some rearranging and sorting. I am also prepping for the semi-annual JBF sale-super excited to rid myself of all the kids clothes from last winter!

5. Lots of clearance shopping! This is my favorite time of year for good deals-I stocked up on $0.10 notebooks today, because my little artist (Josie) is using up one every couple of days. My fave recent finds: $6 jeans at the Gap, a free Battleship game (I had a coupon) and an adorable little pencil box that is so perfect for all my pens on my desk!

In addition to all that, last weekend, we had dinner with friends. This weekend we are having a Lifegroup dinner, and the kids start Awana on Sunday. I am praying that goes smoothly, since I won't be teaching and it is at a new church. I am keeping up with laundry, and schooling and all the other million little things. It doesn't seem like much, but it keeps me hopping! I am hoping this week we will be able to ease into a more "normal" schedule. I don't know if I can keep up this pace!:)

Fancy Framed Scripture

2011-08-27T09:35:00.010-06:00

This is such an easy project I almost didn't post it. But I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. It is my goal to have Scripture in every room of my house-but not just generic "as for me and my house" verses. I wanted things that particularly pertained to our family. These verses are actually the theme for the women's Bible study I lead, but they are longtime favorites of mine.

Simple-CHEAP- supplies:

1. Frame-$0.95 from Walmart. Not clearance, regular price.

2. Scrapbook paper- hurry, they are 50% at Hobby Lobby through today-$0.59 for both.

3. Ribbon-again 50% off at the HL, isn't t it always? Could have used what I had on hand, but what fun would that be?$2

4. Buttons (optional) I love these little one color containers from Michael's. I used the red ones for my mobile. $1

Total cost: less than $5 if you purchase exactly what I did
Don't forget your trusty hot glue gun- isn't mine sad? But still very functional!

I was not going to blog about this, so I did not take photos of the first steps. I selected my Scripture and set it up in Word. (I copied and pasted directly from Biblegateway!) Play around a little- you will want to move your margins in so that you get it the right size. My computer actually shows it in actual size, so I just held my frame glass up to make sure it worked. Then I chopped a sheet of scrapbook paper to printer paper size and ran it through my printer. Easy!

I then glued a strip of ribbon across the top. You can't get too fancy, because it won't fit in the frame, but ribbon is flat enough. I folded it to the back and glued to make it look clean.

Popped it in the frame, and you could stop here, but why?

I wanted an extra 3D accent. This is the same flower I used for my notebook, but for your viewing pleasure I will explain it in further detail. Like my expensive tracing tools? Yes, that is a Tupperware lid and a prep cup from Walmart. Depending on the size of your flower, you need two circles: a larger one, and a slightly smaller one. You could also do all the same size, too.

Before I forget, I wanted my flowers to be double-sided. I glued the pink paper to the back of the dotted one before I cut my circles. You could purchase double sided paper, or just skip this step. That will leave some plain white areas, but it it still cute.

Then I hacked them out with my "fancy" scissors. I say hacked, because there is no need to be precise. Then fold them in half.

It is called a box top flower because you put them together like you would fold a cardboard box flaps to keep it closed. Once you get it together, put a small dot of glue in the "corners" to hold it together. Fluff the petals and glue a button in the middle!

I used the second ribbon to cut out some petals. I hotglued the finished flower in the corner and presto! A finished personalized Scripture verse. You can make one to match every room in your house.

It reminds me of Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Makes it a little easier, huh?

3 Year Blog-O-Versary and an Update

2011-08-24T15:26:00.005-06:00

So, I was reading some of my blog posts from when I first started blogging (if you are ever interested my first post is here) and realized that Iwas much better about actually talking about my life in the beginning. That may or may not interest you, but it was really great to have those memories recorded. There was a number of things I had forgotten about (particularly this hilarious incident involving a strange cat) and I realized that this is a good place to see where I was growing. August is the month I started blogging, and believe it or not, this marks THREE years!

I also realized something else (you can look to your right on the blog and see this, but I will recap in case you are lazy and don't want to scroll around the page).

In 2008, I blogged 46 times. In 2009, it was 57. In 2010, 66. This year, 52 times (53 including this post). That may sound good, because each year it has increased. However, let me remind you that I blogged 46 times in the first 5 months! That means I averaged posting right around 2x a week in the first year, and only about 1x a week the next year.

Part of that is easy to explain. Joel deployed in September 2008, and initially I had more time for blogging. Then I started adding things to my schedule and it got crazy. It hasn't stopped. But this is important to me, so I am choosing to make it a priority. And also to record some of the smaller, but just-as-important-to-me happenings.

So, in the name of status updates here is what I have been doing:

1. Physical therapy. Three times a week. Every week. I love it-not kidding. It is relaxing to me to get to simply follow instructions for an hour and nothing else. It is a long, boring story but the short version is: my knee cap is out of place, and I have swelling in the tissue underneath it (and the bursae, for those of you who know what that means). It was causing me quite a bit of pain, and the therapy is really helping. I may have a tear in my meniscus (part of the knee that helps it to move freely), we will find out for sure when I have an MRI in September.

2. Joel is getting out. He will wear his uniform for the last time on August 30th *tear*, followed by about 7 weeks of leave. We have a multitude of praises: two years of commissary privileges, six month extension on health insurance, and last but not least, he will get both a lump sum and (small, but still praise-worthy) monthly payments.

3. He has decided to attend school to become a mechanic. I am thrilled, mostly because I really feel like the Lord is clearly leading in all of this. We still have miles to go before we sleep, but this is a big first step.

4. In other, less life-changing news: Jocelyn has learned how to ride her bike without training wheels! It took her about an hour-she is amazing! Now, every day she begs to ride it. PE-check!

5. I will be starting my second year leading our moms' group at church. I am still completely unqualified, thankfully I serve an amazing God who equips faithfully. I am anxious to focus more attention on that this year, I have tons of ideas and hope I can conjure up some follow-through.

6. We are getting ready to start first grade with Jocelyn. Nothing in my life daunts me quite like homeschooling-I still feel like I am just play-acting, not actually teaching. It is a learning process, and Carson is insistent on starting preschool, so I will probably dabble in that as well. I have almost all my curriculum lined up, I just need to get a schedule together.

That is definitely not "all" we are doing, there is plenty of couponing, and photo-booking, and blog-reading and I am dipping my toes into Pinterest (can anyone say "time-suck"?). Not so much cooking or cleaning. I hope to get something crafty going soon, I am kind of missing it. We are enjoying doing nothing with Joel, lots of 1/2 price floats at Sonic, and going to the movies, and the park-that kind of thing. It has been a good summer, however, I am looking forward to seeing what the next couple of months bring. And doing more blogging!

The Happy Ending Starts in the Middle

2011-08-19T14:37:00.006-06:00

via

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She was beautiful, sweet, and kind. She grew up in a wonderful, loving family. She went to college and met a wonderful, kind, handsome man while at school. They both obtained degrees, and then had a wonderful wedding. They bought a picturesque home and always kept it clean. Not too long after they had beautiful, sweet, obedient children together and lived to a ripe, old age.

Doesn't that just sound like the perfect story? It is the, for many, the representation of what the "perfect" life would look like. I, personally, wouldn't know for sure-having never come close to anyone's ideal of perfection. However, even though it seems to have all the elements required for Utopia, it is a little boring.

It certainly isn't a story that I would want to read again and again. There is no climax, no action, no "hold-your-breath" moments. There is no angst, no cliff-hanger, nothing that leaves you yearning to find out how it all ends.

Because you don't really care. You are in no way invested in the characters, or the story. You can't identify with them-who lives such an idyllic life? You wouldn't really want to know them, or be friends with them-it would just make you jealous and insecure.

But why is this always what most of us claim to desire? Maybe this is what we really want, but somehow, I have reason to doubt the veracity of that.

And where is God in all of this anyway?

We serve an amazing God: author of wonders and miracles beyond our comprehension, the jaw-dropping, nail-biting kind. The Red Sea dividing, time-changing, food-multiplying kind. The climatic kind. The story-changing kind. If there is no antagonist, there can be no hero.

The stories that we really admire the most aren't the "perfect" kind. They are the ones of courage, faith, hope in the face of certain defeat. We devour tales of Ruth, Esther, Rahab, Corrie Ten Boom, Beth Moore. We delight in their success against the odds. We love the stories that shake us to tears, biting our lips until the conflict is resolved.

We love these heroines for the trials they have faced, for the imperfections they have, and for the faith that they cultivate. They, and so many others, have confronted seemingly insurmountable odds, and still they have persevered and arrived triumphant on the other side.

But we claim to not want that in our own lives. We want the fairytale; but we don't want to face any dragons. No evil stepmothers, or wicked witches, please. We want the ball gowns, and the palace, and of course, the handsome prince; but we would prefer to never deal with frogs, or poverty or -heaven forbid- any cleaning!

We want to be counted with the women of Hebrews 11, but we don't want to deal with barrenness, or death, or war, or famine.

We want the dream without the drama, the glamour without the gore. In essence, we want to skip the parts that make the story so meaningful.

What if we realized it is the hard parts that cause us to be drawn to these tales? What if our hard parts are what draw people to us? What if-just consider- it is my imperfections, my hard times, my trials, that allow the light of Christ to shine most brightly in my life?

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."
2 Corinthians 11:30

"He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. " 2 Corinthians 12:9

Why do we want to skip the hard parts? Because we are selfish, and human and discontented. Because we are fearful and lack faith. I don't want to desire to go through life without trial or hardship. That is the illuminating part of the story-you really discover a character's motivation, their true worth, and what they are really made of, when they have to persevere through trials.

No one asks for hard times. But we need to recognize that the "testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2). And to live a life that says:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. "

There isn't really a happy ending if there hasn't been been some hard times in the interim between the beginning and the finish. It is that stark contrast that makes us appreciate the satisfaction of hard-won contentment. It is the comparison of dark to light that really helps us see that the happy ending is really only happy if there was a little sadness, a little hardship, a little unforeseeable obstacle, to make it all worthwhile. Really the happy ending starts before we can even see where this is all going...

Pueblo Children's Musuem

2011-08-12T18:40:00.007-06:00

We joined several of our friends on Tuesday for a trip to the Buell Children's Museum. We had never been before, and I was sure we would have a good time, just because we were with such good friends. However, I was surprised by how terrific the museum was! It is in the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, and it was really art focused. That made it a huge hit with Josie!

They really out did themselves, I thought, with keeping to a central theme. The theme changes with the seasons, and while we were there it was "islands". I think it is great that they change things up-we will definitely want to return when there is a different one. This was a table that had been turned into a "fishing pond"- just simple magnetic fish puzzles with poles, but the number of puzzles and all the glittery streamers made it special.

This was a craft station where there were all the supplies to make a "treasure chest" out of a VCR tape case. I thought that was an ingenious way to recycle! I am not a crafty mom- I don't really plan craft projects for my kids. It was great to have all the things we needed to make fun projects already set out for us!

One of Carson's favorite things was just the little sand table. There was plenty of toys to use, but he preferred just pushing it up against the side to make a "castle". Again, this is something we don't have at home (and never will, if you know how I feel about sand!) that it was really fun to use.

I thought this was an adorable example of the museum's creativity. All the contributors' photos were from their childhood-too cute, since it is a children's museum! And I absolutely loved all the old photos.

There were supplies to make boats and float them in the little water table. Carson was fascinated endlessly, getting his boat to move by blowing on , and splashing the water. Such a simple activity, but I didn't have to buy the pieces, or worry about my floor getting flooded!

The art queen was in her element. She literally completed one of every project and there was about 12 different things to do! She made a cute visor-it looked like a watermelon.. I was so happy that she could be creative to her heart's content and I didn't have to clean up the mess!

Carson did a little painting-with coffee! Another super simple project, but it was fun to read the info they had tying coffee in with the island theme. I don't think the kids appreciated that part, but I thought it was interesting. It might have been a little more impressive to older kids.

Jocelyn made fast friends with one of the museum curators. The lady was so nice and followed Josie around helping her with the projects. She was very friendly and it gave me time to help Carson do some things.

Personally, my favorite part was this kinetic sculpture. It is hard to appreciate in a photo, but the balls did all kinds of whirling, and jumping and clanging- it was really fascinating. Any art that was in the museum had placards with information about the artists- and some even showed work from their childhoods! Another neat detail that tied it all together.

Jocelyn showing off her visor, tie-dyed hair flower, and "grass skirt". She brought home an armload of her crafts-and loved every minute of it!

This was a cool interactive science area where the kids could use tubes and blocks to build a ball ramp. I wish I had photographed the totally great cardboard palm trees- they were amazing! The kids used them lean their tubes against, it was neat to watch them try their theories to see what worked.

I would highly recommend a visit there- especially if your kids are between 2-8. There was so much to do; we were there for over three hours, and I am sure the kids would have stayed longer! It is small enough you can easily see your kids, I hate feeling like they are going to get lost (or worse). Everything was perfectly kid-friendly, and it was so inexpensive ($3 for kids and $4 for adults). I would much rather spend an afternoon there than at the movies!

Book Review: Desiring God

2011-08-10T17:31:00.006-06:00

I won't lie. I am a fast reader. But this book took me a looong time to read. Well over a month. There were several things to consider when assessing why it took me so long. First, this is not a fast read kind of book .The subject matter is deep, and Piper is not a breezy, accessible to the masses kind of author. That is fine. I don't think that always choosing the literary equivalent of cotton candy is the best route,and it definitely does nothing to broaden the mind. So, keep in mind, that this is a book best read in a quiet place with plenty of time for reflection.

I don't have anything against challenging material. However, the second reason that it took so long is that I despise books with extensive footnotes. I have never read any book (barring textbooks) that had as many footnotes as this one. I felt like I spent more time on some pages trying to find my place after yet again squinting to read the smaller, numbered font at the bottom than I did actually processing the words! Piper is obviously well-read, but his continual quoting of other's works-whether to support or contrast his own- became distracting after a while. It is definitely worse in the first half of the book than the second. I am not one for reading legal treatises; I don't need him to "prove" himself and his views quite so vigorously. It may seem petty to dislike this aspect, but to me it really said something about the author. He also used extensive quotes from other authors (Jonathan Edwards, C.S. Lewis, and even quoted himself from other books he had written) and it felt like he was arguing his point when I wasn't even taking issue with what he said!

Lastly, I don't need to be entertained all the time. However, there is a fine line between "entertaining" one's readers at the expense of valuable content, and maintaining their interest. I was just not able to focus on some of what he was saying because it was too intellectual. A book written for the average person should use layman's terms, and a good bit of analogy to aid explanation. Piper often seemed more interested in showcasing his knowledge of early Bible scholars and formal church language than actually interpreting spiritual concepts for the everyman.

All that said, I do not discourage you at all from reading this book yourself. There is much that is profitable. I preferred the latter half of the book (once I moved past his dry, sometimes painful explanations) and out of all the chapters found the last two to be the best. He has very strong views on missions, and suffering, in the church. I felt that he gave me much to think about.

His major claim throughout the book is that a Christian's life is to be spent in pursuit of happiness in God, and through Him. He contends that modern Christianity posits that ours is to be a life of drudgery and monotonous service-if we pursue happiness it is heathen, we are to "deny ourselves and take up our crosses". He does see this to be the case, and links our pursuit of happiness to major areas of Christianity: marriage, money, missions, prayer and so on. We can find true happiness in the Creator of happiness if we only know where to look.

I think the biggest reason that this book did not appeal to me is that it was written in such a manner that the author firmly believes that the reader does not agree with (or know enough about) Piper's points and must be made to see the error of his ways. I agreed with much of what he had to say, and to have to labor under his assumptions that I was un-enlightened and backward in my thinking was a little frustrating. However, if you are willing to look past his negative approach, (a little odd for a book that is all about happiness and joy in Christian living) I believe you will be challenged, and if nothing else gain a greater respect for many of the great Christians who have, through out the centuries, created a beautiful history that does much to illuminate our paths today.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, in exchange for my unbiased review, by the publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah.

Mini Doll Houses

2011-08-05T20:07:00.006-06:00

My crafty sister comes up with the best ideas. She had the perfect project for the girls to do while the boys went to Medieval Times. Jocelyn loves to paint (although I don't know a 5 year-old girl that doesn't!) and she also loves dollhouses. Robyn had seen these CD rack dollhouses on Etsy and she figured out how to replicate them.

We purchased the CD holders at Michael's. With 40% off coupons they were only about $6! We also purchased a myriad of little wooden pieces to make the people, furniture and accessories. The total for each house was about $10 after all the pieces.

The painting was a huge hit! The houses offered lots of possibilities for customization. The girls definitely took advantage of that. Jocelyn's house was primarily pink-her current favorite color.

We let them paint all their own pieces. The variety of wooden things was amazing. We found the bowls and little bottles (I was thinking for milk- Jocelyn immediately said soda!). The pegs were just right for people-big ones for the adults, little ones for the kids.

My sister creating bedding. She really comes up with the best ideas!

We took the flat rectangles and some spools to make tables. It worked out beautifully.

We also used the rectangles with some little "muffin" peg pieces to make beds. One of my tiny contributions was making teeny pillows for the beds. They were so small! I stuffed them with parts of a cotton ball- I didn't even use an entire one for both pillows!

This is the one of the packages from the wooden pieces, just so you can have an idea.

The girls were so intent on their art. It was funny to see all the special little touches that they added to make each piece their own. They each re-created their own family with the peg people.

Gillyan's was a little more polished than Jocelyn's. She even added a little bald spot to the back of her dad doll's head! We rolled over laughing about that one.

Aren't they so cute? You can kind of see the little pieces I was talking about earlier. They were multi-purpose- the girls also made them into cupcakes and muffins. That is "Gillyan"- don't you like her stylish bob?

My sister used scrapbook paper for the custom carpet. That is the "TV" over in the corner.

The couches were a custom piece by Uncle Steve. Aunt Robyn covered them with paper. I think Jocelyn's whole house kind of looks like a piece of modern art.

The finished products! Jocelyn's house is full of color.

Gillyan's house is a little more put together- you can even see the tiny cupcakes on the table. It was an adorable project. I was surprised at how easy it was-it made me want to make my own! The girls loved being able to make their own design choices, and Jocelyn has played with it for hours since we brought it home. It is a great memento for Josie from our trip to North Carolina.

The Coming Storm...

2011-07-29T09:33:00.002-06:00

I can see it. It moves slowly from over the mountains, giving me plenty of time to prepare. Almost every afternoon for the past two weeks we have had rain. It is rare around here, in this semi-arid place. The storms follow a fairly predictable pattern; moving from west to east, north to south.

And I expect them. I appreciate the warning that the dark, gathering clouds provide. I know a storm is coming. I can't know how long it will last, or how fierce it will be, or how much rain will fall. But I know it is on its way.

And that is where our life is right now. I know that leaving the security of the military, searching for a new job and all the unknowns that accompany it, are slowly crossing towards me. I know that there is potential that we will be covered in a downpour caused by loss of health insurance, income and even direction.

But I am thankful for the warning that we have had. Many experience far worse life storms that occur without warning- veritable cloudbursts, hurricanes and tornadoes. We are aware a storm is coming, so we have had time to prepare. We can't ascertain the severity until we are in the middle, but we can plan for the worst and hope for the best.

However, I can also begin to acknowledge the blessing that storms bring. Here, we are always grateful for rain. The landscape immediately responds with bursts of green, the temperature cooler, the air calmer. You don't want the storms to pass you by here- the temporary inconvenience of torrential downpours, high winds, thunder and lightning leave behind too many gifts.

And the storms of life are similar. I can try to run away, hope that the ominous clouds will only threaten and not deliver. Or I can look forward to the benefits that they leave behind; stronger faith, new friends, a renewed sense of purpose.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock." Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV)

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 (NIV)

This is my chance to see where my foundation is laid, to grow my faith and reap perseverance. This is my opportunity to put the rubber to the road, to see how strong my God can make me. To trust Him fully, because I can plan and prepare, but only the Lord can bring good out of that. He gives me these hard times to show me just how faithful He is, but also so that I can show my faith and give the glory to Him.

I know that there is a silver lining to these clouds, and it won't just be making it out alive on the other side. I don't know how long it will last, or how strong it will be, but I know when the leaves are dripping and the sky is clear that I will still be standing- by the grace of God, and only that. And that is how I want it to be.

Busch Gardens

2011-07-24T21:30:00.003-06:00

We started off our day with a tram ride from the parking lot. Everyone was all ready to have fun!

We took a Sky Ride from "England" to "France"- different parts of the park are named and themed after various parts of Europe. Joel, Josie, Carson and I were in the cart in front so I got a quick picture of Steve, Gilly and Gideyon.

While the big boys (Joel and Steve) rode one of the roller coasters, those of us who were less adventurous took a train ride through the park.

Robyn is not an amusement park-lover, but she did brave the "Catapult" with Josie and Carson. I get pretty motion sick on things that go 'round, so I was so honored that my sister was willing to endure this particular ride for the sake of my kids- twice! She is the best person to go with- she cheerfully watched the kids while Joel, Steve and I enjoyed the rides. Such a great servant!

There was a fun kids' part. Steve helped Josie across one of the rope bridges in a big climbing area.

Gideyon and Josie piloted a dragon together. It was kind of funny to watch!

The park provided a cool service upon entry: they measured the kids and gave them color-coded wristbands so it was easy to know what rides they could do. Carson was sorely disappointed that he could not ride any of the "big kid" rides. He kept Robyn company and forced her to entertain him in Sesame Street (another kids' area). Gillyan and Gideyon were thrilled to find that they were tall enough for one "real" roller-coaster: the Loch Ness Monster. It was a sweet memory for me to be chosen as Gillyan's ride partner- that was my first roller coaster, too!

One of the fun things about the park was the abundance of things the whole family could do. We also all rode on the river boat together. It was nice and relaxing.

I thought this stockade was too funny! Although, probably the titles should have been switched...

At the end of the day, everyone was tired, hot and wet (there were quite a few water rides) but very happy. I haven't had such a good time at the amusement park in years- and I rode a couple of coasters myself! It made me miss my dad- he taught me how to enjoy them. It was nice to create some of those memories with my own kids and niece and nephew. I hope we will be able to go back soon!

Fun With Fruit!

2011-07-23T09:19:00.003-06:00

I realized that I started posting our vacation photos terribly out of order. So, I am just going to go with it. I don't figure that any of you really care how accurate the timeline is! I love the "big events" of a vacation, like travelling to the beach, but my favorite parts are the sitting-around-doing-nothing-important ones. The kids had a ton of fun just being together,too. One of the things that Joel and the kids loved is that it rained quite a number of days while we were gone. Here the rain is very brief and usually accompanied by thunder and lightening-not suitable for playing in. There, my kids had the chance to enjoy being outside.

The girls thought it was hilarious to stand under this tree and get dripped on. It wasn't raining very hard, so the additional water just added to the fun.

Why, you may ask, are our children clustered around a half of a watermelon, outside, eating it with spoons? Well, the short version is: we were leaving for the beach and my sister asked Gideyon (her son) to carry this leftover watermelon down the edge of their property and throw it into the woods. Immediately, all the kids asked if they could just eat it instead. We decided that it would be fine, since they were all outside.

I guess playing in the rain made them very hungry. They managed to destroy half a watermelon between four little people. They started standing up, but eating slippery, sticky melon in the rain isn't the easiest thing.

They switched to the deck, and Carson joined in on the action. He doesn't even usually eat watermelon, but I guess the allure of enjoying al fresco straight from the rind was too much to resist! They were just so cute and excited about it, it was sweet.

On another day, they all set up a Lemonade stand. Gillyan had done one earlier in the summer with great success and she was anxious to try it again. My sister, who does everything so well, of course managed to find the adorable stand for $25 and magically produced all the matching accessories from various places around her house. A little disgusting isn't it? The banner and sign were from the Dollar Spot at Target! How cute is the whole thing?

Of course, the little entrepreneurs were also the first customers. I am surprised they had any to sell at all. However, true to the reported nature of Southerners, all the neighbors were as kind as could be and after quite a bit of patronage, the kids came away with over $40 for a few hours of work!

It probably didn't hurt that they are all adorable and it was hot enough to boil an egg on the sidewalk. I was impressed with their perseverance and after a couple of $5 "tips", I am considering opening a lemonade stand! They put their earnings towards fun things on our trip to Busch Gardens. No worries, I will post pics soon!

The Beach and a Birthday!

2011-07-20T19:13:00.006-06:00

I hope you don't get bored easily, because I figure I have a least two more posts worth of vacation photos after this. We had such an amazing time at my sister's. I actually didn't get pictures of a lot of it because I was having too much fun and there was no one else to man the camera! We decided to go to Virginia Beach, VA, while we where there, mostly because we also wanted to visit Busch Gardens, which is nearby. So we loaded up all our gear and hit the sand!

The girls loved it. It was HOT that day but the water felt terrific. There were quite a few people (no surprise in July) but it was still really nice. That is saying a lot for me because I am not a beach person. I HATE sand. Truly. If I could visit the ocean without dealing with the sand it would be perfect. Sand is the most insidious substance on earth. And trust me, it was everywhere after we left!

Carson was a little more cautious, but he loved filling up his sand toys with water. He ended up insisting on removing his rash guard (his swim top) so that he could be like the big boys. I wasn't too happy with that, since I am a little OCD about sunburns. However, after slathering him with more sunscreen he was just fine.

My fabulous sister and her great husband. She is definitely the hostess with the mostess. She is a great vacation planner, and due to all her forethought and skill we were able to accomplish everything we wanted to do and see (and eat!). And her house is always clean- even with four extra people in it!

Joel had the most marvelous time. We actually went on his birthday and he said it was one of his best ever. He adored the water. He and I have been to the beach in Mexico, but it was during our cruise and we didn't get to spend as much time there. He was in the water the whole time in Virginia, and he definitely would have stayed longer.

Jocelyn got a little braver about the waves towards the end. I am glad that both kids do well in the water. A few more rounds of swimming lessons and they won't even need us anymore!

The only (sort-of) photo of me at the beach. I won't lie- I am not too fond of swimsuits, and I never have been. I don't run around in my underwear in real life, so why would I want to do it for the water?! Not that I have a problem with swimwear, it just isn't my thing. Anyway, I thought the shadow/sand photo was kind of fun.

Carson thought the sand was amazing. I knew he would love that part. He kept running back down to the water to wash his hands off. I thought it was kind of amusing, since after washing off he was right back in the sand!

In all, it was a great way to celebrate my honey's birthday. He loves a vacation and it was wonderful that the two events coincided. I am sure we will be planning another beach trip soon, since it seems that I am greatly outnumbered by sand-lovers. Oh well, I did have a good time- but don't tell anyone!

BTW: What do you think of my new blog header?

PandaManiac

2011-07-19T16:10:00.007-06:00

Well, the VBS craziness started the first full week in June. I volunteered back in February to co-direct the Vacation Bible School at our church. I have taught for years, but this was my debut in a directing position. I really was more like assistant, but everything went well and I would like to think I had a teeny tiny part in that. We had a ton of amazing help, and as usual, everything came together in the 11th hour so that it was a success. One of my personal favorite things was the huge paper lanterns that our decorating team put together. They are at the top of the photo above.

Every VBS we have participated in this summer has been the Pandamania curriculum by Group Publishing. I am a hardcore Lifeway girl, but we made the best of it. There have been some highlights (the curriculum is really easy to use) and I have to admit that I love one particular aspect: the kids make snack each day. A different group of kids made snack for the rest of the children each day. Jocelyn's group (kindergarten and first grade) made the snack above for the day they studied Jonah and the whale. Cute, huh?

Carson was still in our nursery this year. He will graduate to pre-k and that will make him deliriously happy. He was disappointed he was not in "Josie's class", but he did enjoy all the playground time his group got.

Jocelyn was invited to help lead worship on stage. She was delighted as she loves the spotlight!

This is the majority of our VBS. I thought it was a really great idea to get a total group shot.

The very next week we did VBS at the chapel on post. Switching from night VBS to a morning one is a little bit of a challenge! However, it was my second year to lead "Chadder's Theater" (one of the rotation classes where the kids watch a video segment and discuss God's work in their everyday lives) so it was pretty easy. Carson was able to be part of the preschool class there- see how much happier he is? The set designers at the chapel always do a really great job. This year's theme wasn't quite as fun as other years (it was pandas-just pandas, not China or Asian, or anything besides just the bears) but they still made it look good.

A great idea that I stole from my sister is "thank-you" happies. I made one for each of the kids' crew leaders, with little notepads, pencil cups and candy. Then for the chaplains' assistants who ran the video for the theater, I made little popcorn cups. I figured they deserved some movie snacks after sitting through the same cheesy video four times each day!

This week we are doing a mission VBS with our church. We are at a trailer park full of underprivileged kids. We are doing a lot of creative thinking because we are not in our home environment and these kids aren't your usual regular VBS students. This is part of the "altar" that was a visual aid for today's Bible story about Elijah. I know it looks strange, but offering up candy as a sacrifice is pretty meaningful to kids!

Jocelyn got roped into helping with the singing again. She had a little too much time off and forgot some of the motions, but she gave it her best shot.

The kids are doing well, and I am glad that they get a chance to see that everyone doesn't have the same kind of life they do. The school district provides lunch for the kids every day because many don't have enough to eat. One of the kids had a pretty rough day because his house was broken into last night. There are little five and six year-olds who come by themselves because they are used to taking care of things on their own. It is a little heartbreaking, especially since we live in such a prosperous area. However, I am glad that I get to have a part in ministering to these kids.

Since I am officially in my third week of PandaMania, I think the kids and I now officially qualify as PandaManiacs. Don't you?

Quick Check-In

2011-07-18T16:40:00.003-06:00

A little sneak peak of beautiful North Carolina...

I feel like I haven't posted in forever! We went on vacation and I am planning to post my recap(s) soon, but those take some time to put together and that is a scarce commodity right now. I am in my third week of VBS (once at our home church, once on post, and now a mission VBS nearby) and still unpacking from the aforementioned vacation. However, I did not want anyone to think that I fell off the face of the earth. Just trying to get back to real life, and it is taking a while to cross over. I hope to be back at it soon. Did you miss me?

Pet Rocks

2011-06-28T20:05:00.005-06:00

I have talked about the big changes that are coming our way before. We are really getting into crunch time, now. Joel received his form the other day from the big wigs that decide whether or not you are "fit for duty". We knew what his would say (due to his ankle surgery last year, he doesn't meet Army requirements), but it felt so very official to see the paperwork that said he was no longer eligible for service. And so much more real.

We are preparing to take a vacation. I know, it doesn't seem like the best time to me, either. But Joel really felt like this might be the last chance we have to do this for a while. To me, it will make the next couple of weeks fly by, and right now, I would rather that time stand still for a few minutes.

But, as everyone who has ever parented small children knows, time stands still for no mom. Every day seems to run away on winged feet, leaving me hopeless to catch it and actually make sense of things. And we all know what a worrier I am. I like to have things all planned out, and be ready for the future. But that, to beat a dead horse, is impossible right now.

So, I am trying to focus on the positive. And thinking about that reminded me of memorial stones. Memorial stones, like the ones from Joshua:

"So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:4-7 (NIV)

They are memories of the time the Lord has provided in my life. Sometimes in completely miraculous ways, other times in ways that are "normal" but that still affect me deeply. Focusing on these things, these concrete examples of the Lord's working in my life, reminds me that He will not change, and since He has "engraved me on His hands" (Isaiah 49:16) He is not bound to forget in the future.

Often, He has come through in the 11th hour (His timing is perfection, but often it seems so close to "too late" in my human mind). I can't help but remember Jocelyn's birth: Joel was deploying to Iraq on the 1st of December. I was due on the 8th. The doctors wouldn't induce me. I was hysterical. I kept praying and praying, literally begging God to allow Joel to see our first child before he left to fight a war I wasn't promised that he would come home from. I was living in Texas, no family or friends nearby. It brings tears to my eyes to think of it every time. It was an impossible situation.

But God was there. And on Thanksgiving Day, we gave thanks for our new daughter. The one who arrived BEFORE her dad left. All through God's power and provision. Nothing I did could have changed that situation. I was completely dependent on the Lord. And He did not disappoint. We celebrated our few brief days as a family, and treasured the memories during that long year apart.

That memory is a memorial stone. A record of His care for me during a humanly insurmountable difficulty. During a time when I couldn't do anything, He was able to do everything. And He didn't even ask my opinion, but when I realized how futile it was to continue to to try to rely on my own strength and when I gave it over fully to Him, He gave me the desires of my heart.

You would think that I would have the faith of a Hebrews 11 hero after that point. But, I can be as forgetful as the Israelites. Here I am again, worried and stressed, after a million examples of how He has answered every question I have ever had. So, I go back. And I remember. Because to forget might be on the of the greatest tragedies in a Christian's life.

And sometimes, I am tempted to go drag rocks out of the ground to build a tangible monument to His grace, to have a physical pile of stones sitting in my way, reinforcing my fragile memory. But as the Israelites moved on, so must I. I must discipline myself to remember. I have to make these things the pure, lovely, of good report thoughts that I should be having (Philippians 4:8). Picking up these little pebbles and reviewing them, knowing them intimately. And that is a good practice, one I am sure I will be tested on sooner rather than later.

"Attractive" Lap Trays

2011-06-27T13:31:00.010-06:00

We are taking a trip. A rather long one. We are driving from Colorado to see my sister in North Carolina. With a three year-old and a five year-old. The kids and I have taken several long car trips before (none of our family lives closer than a solid one-day drive-about 14 hours- and we have been several times to Washington, which is another two day trek) but they haven't been recently. Also, this will be the first time Joel has had to travel with the kids for more than a day.

We have a very tiny car. We do not have a DVD player. We considered investing in one, but we have not had great success with portable ones in the past, so we decided to forgo it this time. We both loaded up our Ipods with movies, but I know that even those get boring quickly. I wanted something that the kids could use to play in their seats, kind of like a table.

I debated buying tv trays, but they were kind of pricey. We also have very limited space, so I wanted something compact. I was also thinking it would be fun to have something that was magnetic.

Then I thought about cookie sheets. My mom used to give my brother a cookie sheet and magnetic letters when he was little so he could play on the floor. That was it! I bought two cookie sheets (from the wonderful Dollar Tree). They were a little plain, so I decided to spruce them up, with what else? Mod Podge and scrapbook paper, of course!

Here's what you will need:

Cookie Sheet-from the Dollar Store

Mod Podge

Brush

2 Sheets of Scrapbook Paper (one isn't wide enough to cover the entire tray)

Rubber Cement

Clear Coat Spray Paint (optional)

First, trim your paper to fit your cookie sheet. This is really easy, just fold it where it meets the edge and trim along your folded line. Isn't that scrapbook paper cute? I thought I was particularly clever to buy travel themed ones!

Next, you will need to trim your edges to fit the rounded corners. Flip your cookie sheet over and trace along the edge, the match up the top and bottom of the paper and you will only have to cut once.

Just be sure not to crease your paper! You don't want a big fold line across the middle. You can also use this as a guide because you will have to use a portion of your second sheet to cover the rest of the tray. I just kind of eyeballed how wide I wanted my "stripe" to be, and then rounded the corners on the side that would be against the tray. I also forgot to take photos of that part!

Then, spread your rubber cement across the back of the larger sheet. Press it firmly into the bottom of the pan. I used rubber cement instead of Mod Podge because I thought it would hold better on the metal. Then glue your shorter section to cover the remainder of the bottom of the tray.

Cover the entire surface with Mod Podge. Remember, use it sparingly! It will bubble some, but I have found that it almost always dries flat. Allow to dry completely- for me, about 30 minutes.

Then, cover it with the clear coat. You could probably skip this step, but I wanted it to be fairly sturdy. I used about 3 coats, it only takes about 10 minutes to dry.

Ta-da- a magnetic lap tray, suitable for magnets of all sorts, coloring, constructing, eating, whatever. Easy! Then I realized something. Crayons would still roll around and off the tray- although the lip would prevent that somewhat.

So I decided to magnetize some crayons. I chose the twistable kind because they don't melt as easily, and they don't have to be sharpened. Also, it prevents my kids from peeling the paper off- one of their favorite activities! I just bought a roll of magnetic strips to use.

Cut the magnet to size. I wanted mine to be fairly long so it would hold well. This stuff isn't very strong.

I cut my strips in half so they would fit the crayons better.

The stuff says it is adhesive, it isn't. It doesn't hold for more than about 6 seconds. So I just ran a line of hot glue down the magnet. Hold it on the crayon until it sets.

And you have a magnetic crayon! Perfect for your little magnetic tray.

Fun, huh? Also, the nice part about cutting the magnet strips in half is that it allows you to put the crayons back in the packaging. Not that they will ever be in there.

There you have it- two magnetic travel trays. I hope the kids enjoy them on our trip. Not too bad considering they only cost me about $1.50 each!

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-21T17:30:00.004-06:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this state?! I know, it probably bores you all to tears to hear me ramble on about it. I suppose part of it is that I did not have much appreciation for the outdoors when I was younger. I am catching up now! Please excuse the funny camera angle, I am experimenting with more "artistic" shots. What do you think? Anyway, we found the perfect picnic spot at Helen Hunts Fall (if you have never been there and you live in the Springs, you should definitely go) last year. We were anxious to make another trip up there and Joel readily agreed it would make a great Father's Day.

On the drive up to the falls you follow the creek almost the whole way. It is fed by snow melt from the mountains, so it is crystal clear and a little chilly! There are plenty of little dips and bends that form mini "falls" and my engineers thought it would be fun to move all the rocks around to see how it would affect the water flow. Shh, no one tell Josie she is doing science!

The kids jumped at the opportunity to wear their rain boots. There isn't much actual rainfall in this dry country, so the creek was a good place to try them out. Jocelyn realized that they also made good tools for moving rocks.

Carson decided the water was a little too cold for him, so he mostly ran around the edge of the creek and threw rocks, and sticks, and pretty much anything else he could lay hands on into the water.

Jocelyn saw Carson posing on this tree so she had to try it. If you are pondering her strange outfit, she has on a rashguard. It is the top of her swimsuit, and she had the bottoms on underneath her skirt.

Carson, braving the water. I am not sure what his deal was, he was much more adventurous last year. I think he was a little out of sorts about having his nap interrupted. That boy loves his sleep!

Jocelyn was hilarious-she kept getting water in her boots and then she would hold on to this rock while she emptied them out. The first time she did it they must have been full to the brim! It was so funny, and she, of course, had to keep showing off.

Joel had as much fun as the kids. He decided once they pulled down the "dam" they should rebuild it, so it would be "better". He had worked until 6am that morning, and he said the cold water was keeping him awake! He was really a great sport about the whole thing, and I think he had a pretty good time.

The only kind of couples' photos we seem to take lately. I think we are pretty cute.

The finished "dam"- it didn't hold the water completely, but it did a pretty good job of significantly deepening the pool behind it. All the workers left tired and happy!

Book Review: The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

2011-06-16T17:02:00.005-06:00

I love a historical, romantic fiction novel. The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo falls into that category, but I didn't see much in the way to recommend it as either historical or romantic. It was a fine book, but it wasn't amazing.

First, I was unaware that this book is the third in a series of three. I am unsure as to whether the other two titles would have filled in the gaps that I found in this one. The book is not labeled as part of a series, so I am guessing it was intended to also work as a stand-alone novel. In that case, it had some details that were sorely lacking to aid in understanding the plot.

Charlotte Beck is the beautiful, spoiled daughter of a Colorado tycoon. She is only interested in pleasing herself- mainly through obtaining a college education and becoming a board member in her father's company. I disliked how inaccurate many of the details concerning a period woman's behavior were. I am sure there were exceptions- but I doubt that they were quite this bold. I am not a feminist at all, so I suppose if that is your thing you would probably enjoy Charlotte's determination to be proven an equal to her male counterparts in business. I did not.

Her "love interest", Alex Hambly, is more often frustrated with Charlotte than enamored of her. When Charlotte's father arranges Alex's marriage to Charlotte, neither of them are happy about the prospect. However, due to the Hambly family's financial troubles Alex needs the Beck's funds, and because of Charlotte's outrageous behavior, Charlotte's father is insistent on the match.

The book has a predictable ending, which I don't mind, actually I usually enjoy them. Both Charlotte and Alex realize their love for each other and settle down, happily ever after. However, as I was not deeply engaged in the characters, and found much of Charlotte's behavior to be ridiculous, I was not applauding. The author seemingly hurries to tie up what I am guessing are lose ends from the previous book and it is a little hard to follow.

I will refrain from passing too harsh a judgement. The book wasn't a total drag, and had some interesting details. I would like to think that I would have enjoyed it much more if I had read the series in its entirety.

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I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher, Waterbrook Press,in exchange for my unbiased review.

Coupons and Criticism

2011-06-06T08:47:00.004-06:00

I like saving money. Mostly because when I save it I have it spend somewhere else. I took up couponing about 8 months ago and I have really started saving money on my groceries. I won't make this into a coupon blog (or even a money-saving blog) because there are plenty of other ones out there. I plan to continue filling the random-party-crafty-type-thing-bizarre-thought-mixed-into-the-everyday niche that I currently occupy now, please don't worry.

But back to the couponing. I am not someone who is easily daunted. I very easily fall into righteous indignation equally over rights and wrongs. I am just as likely to return a dollar to the cashier as to make sure they don't overcharge me a dollar. I am all about fairness-especially when it comes to businesses.

And I am a fine-print reader. Want to know the ins and outs of a store's return policy? Ask me. Want to know what exclusions apply to a sale? I know them all. So when it comes to coupons, and coupon policies, trust me, I know what I am talking about. I can tell you that Proctor and Gamble's coupons say, "Limit of 4 like coupons in a transaction" in bold red print, I can tell you that trial sizes are excluded from almost everything. I know I can use a Target coupon and a manufacturer's coupon at Target to get a better deal.

And you would think, since I am so committed to honesty and integrity, that my transactions would go flawlessly. And you would be wrong. I have spent 15 minutes at Target's customer service counter because they CHARGED me for a coupon-rather than discount my purchase the amount (and it was $3!). I have had to read the fine print out loud to the cashier. I have had to recite their own store's coupon policy to them ("yes, you can take this coupon, you just need to reduce the amount so I am not getting an overage").

In short, it hasn't really gotten any easier. I am constantly fighting with the cashiers for justice. Often they just huff and tell me, "well, they will do it this once". Oh, thank you, for following the rules! You are so gracious. After a particularly trying episode at the commissary this week- three separate coupon "discussions" to put it nicely, I thought about just giving up. Was it really worth all the hassle? There are days when I feel like I am educating every cashier in Colorado Springs about coupon etiquette. And I am in no way an extreme couponer!

Every time I stand at the register with my fist full of coupons, my heart beats a little faster. I prepare myself for battle, knowing that imparting this knowledge will come at a cost. Mostly to me, to my patience, my kindness, forcing my own sense of injustice back down, telling myself that I must assume that they are ignorant. Otherwise, wouldn't they be rejoicing with me at all the money I am saving?

I really think they don't know. They think I must be doing something wrong. If it was as easy to save money as pushing a little piece of paper across the counter, wouldn't everyone be doing it? And it is, but also it isn't. They think I must be cheating, trying to take something that I don't deserve, that I haven't earned. And I am, but I'm not. You know? So they argue with me, and they reject my coupons, and I have to patiently explain, over and over, that I know I am doing the right thing. They don't have to use their own coupons, but could they please just let me use mine?

And it makes me feel like I am a coupon evangelist, of sorts. Trying to convert the world to saving money, one cashier at a time. And I was struck by how it really is just like true evangelism. I know the right way, I am doing the right thing. But it just seems so wrong to everyone. A little too easy. But they don't see how once I clip that coupon, I have to go out there and use it- it won't change my life by sitting in a drawer. And using it is the hard part. But I can't give up, because I know in my heart it is the right thing to do.

Explaining over and over to unfeeling minimum wage employees, who suddenly become very possessive over a system they don't fully understand, and that has never done them any good-"just buy our products at regular price, we have the best ones and it will save you money", just because it is all they have ever known, can be very trying. But I keep doing it, because I know that being a good steward of the resources I have been blessed with is the right thing.

And I have to keep sharing the real Good News in the same way. Even when I am embarassed and I just want to shut down-to keep it to myself. And even when I want to just clutch the precious gift that I have been entrusted with to my chest, I can't really have faith until I use it. Even when others don't understand- when the old ways seem just fine, even though upon close inspection, anyone can see that they are barely passable at best.

And there will be plenty who won't understand-who don't even want to understand. They are content to try to establish the system based on their own flawed knowledge, content to try to work their way into a heaven that has very legible fine print, but is the Cornerstone over which men stumble. "I AM the way, the Truth and the light- NO man comes to the Father, except by Me." John 14:6 (emphasis mine). It just seems a little too easy-and we want to feel that we have earned our rights. Except we can't.

And it is truly my job to explain it. Over and over and over. Even if they still choose to close their eyes. Even if they reject it outright. I have been given stewardship over the keys to true life, and I can't keep them in a drawer. It may seem to good to be true, but it is complete Truth. And I can't give up, because I am absolutely convinced in my heart that it is the right thing to do. So I will keep patiently explaining, and kindly reminding, and in the end, I know I won't be the only one to benefit.

Memorial Weekend: Part 2

2011-06-04T09:16:00.004-06:00

We went up to Rosemont Reservoir on Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. Joel had been dying to fish there, but by the time we got there it was really too late. It was still nice to walk the trail, though. It is about 1/2 mile each way, but the kids did pretty well. It gives me hope that soon we will be able to go further.

I love this state. Doesn't that just look like a poster or something- it needs a cheesy cliche caption, something like "The Road Less Travelled". The light was perfect for photos.

I loved this shot, too. The kids had a great time running down the hill, they were completely unaware that hiking back up is not quite as fun.

Carson was so anxious to get down there. I think I am going to print this shot in black and white. Isn't it precious?

The reservoir supplies part of Colorado Springs drinking water, so it is pretty pristine. The fishing regulations are extremely strict. I just thought it was such a majestic example of God's grace to us through the beauty of creation.

Joel realized the other day that there are precious few photos with me in them. So he decided to snap a couple. I so got the "can't keep my squinty eyes open for a decent photo gene", thanks to my maternal side. Oh well, hopefully you will be distracted by my cute kids.

Carson was completely enamored of the huge sticks everywhere. And since there was water that was right handy, and plenty of wood, what else was a boy to do?

Jocelyn had to show that she could pick up pick "logs", too.

And, of course, throwing sticks in the water has no age limit for males. This picture is blurry, but it was rather hilarious watching Joel launch them into the water.

Jocelyn, happily watching her splash.

A boy, a stick, water and lots of dirt. I think Carson would have just moved there permanently.

I have been trying to take fewer scenic photos. But these views were just to gorgeous to resist!

A tiny creek that feed into the reservoir. Even the creek was pretty!

The guys finishing up the trail. Carson walked the whole way, which is pretty good for him. He can be a little whiny when he is tired. He was trying to catch up to Josie, so he kind of got fooled into it.

Some of the aspens were leafing and some weren't, but they were pretty either way. It was a nice little drive/hike. I am hoping to do some more of these this summer. It is easy to see beauty of the mountains from down here, but they are even more gorgeous up close and personal.

Memorial Weekend: Part 1

2011-06-01T10:20:00.006-06:00

We started our Memorial Day weekend off on Friday. We visited the North Pole Theme Park. We took Josie right after Carson was born in May of 2008. I thought it would be fun to take them again. I love this park because it is not crowded, it is fairly cheap in the grand scheme of things ($13 per person) and it is really geared towards little kids. As a matter of fact, there was no rides that Carson couldn't go on-which he thought was terrific!
We started off on the Sky Ride. Because the park is at the base of Pikes Peak, there are some absolutely fabulous views. Joel ended up taking off Carson's crocs because Carson was afraid they were going to fall off!

I got this really great shot of them coming around the turn. Josie and I were in the car right behind them. Carson was mostly grinning like that the whole day and running around saying, "Can I ride another one?"

Jocelyn was my buddy. She was a little afraid of the heights, but I told her my trick for when I am afraid. I just sing. So she sang "Jesus Loves Me" and told me she felt much better.

We also went on the Ferris Wheel, it is the world's highest. Not the tallest, but the highest altitude. It is funny, because it is actually pretty small. Then the kids went on the "Rodeo Rider". Jocelyn loved it, but Carson wasn't quite so sure about it.

As you can see by his face!

Far and away, the roller coaster was the biggest hit. It is really jerks you around, so Joel wouldn't ride it. Carson and I rode it three times and Josie went five times! Thekids were so adorable, they kept putting their hands in the air. It never goes any higher than about six feet off the ground, so it is not scary at all.

This was Jocelyn's other favorite ride. She is sitting in a huge Christmas ornament that rotates around a giant Christmas tree. It is funny to me to see all the Christmas themed things in May!

Josie loved being able to drive her own "antique" car. I just think it is so great that the park pretty much lets kids do everything on their own. There was only a handful of rides that she needed an adult.

Joel and Carson cruising. Carson loved driving. And Joel said he did a pretty good job.

The "Big Slide". It goes so fast it is really hard to get a good photo. It takes far longer to climb to the top then to come down!

Josie got a little carried away!

Joel and I switched off with Carson. We decided that trekking up all those stairs definitely constituted a work-out!

This is probably one of the only photos my kids will ever have with Santa Claus. We caught him walking through the park and Josie ran right up to him. We don't "do" Santa, but I don't have any problem with him. I have no idea why this photo has dark spots on the sides. It is like my lens cover didn't open all the way.

Josie feeding the deer. She was a real pro.
Carson was terrified. You would have thought that those deer were trying to eat him! You can't really tell, but Joel is kind of holding him up there. It was rather comical.
Joel was not afraid of the animals. This big llama practically tried to kiss him!
Waiting on Josie to finish her last ride. Carson was pretty exhausted from all his running around, and he told me he just wanted me to hold him. I was happy to oblige.
Joel's attempt at a family shot. We really need a tri-pod! But I thought it wasn't bad, at all. We had a great day, the weather was practically perfect, and the kids must have liked it. They were begging to come back before we even left the parking lot!

CD Review:Abide with Me

2011-05-30T21:47:00.007-06:00

I love my church. The Word is preached, the fellowship is sweet, and we are active in trying to reach our world for Christ. Of course, no church on earth is perfect, and one of the things I wish I could change about mine is the lack of hymns. I love the old hymns, they are so sweet, and are full of inspired words and lovely melodies.

That is probably part of the reason that I thoroughly enjoyed Phillip Keveren's "Abide with Me: Piano and Praise" CD. Keveren puts his on small touches on the songs, but the beauty of the original music still shines through beautifully. I really don't love when songs are so re-arranged that you cannot even recognize the original tune, that is not the case with these.

My favorite tracks were "Here I Am to Worship" and "Be Thou My Vision". I sang "Be Thou My Vision" in a youth drama in high school, and it has always been one of my favorites. I was very pleased with this version. I liked that it was just the piano, that way I could sing along if I wanted, but it also made very pleasant back drop music as well.

I was not familiar with all the songs, but even the new ones were still beautiful and made me want to look up the words, so I could appreciate them fully. Most of them I did know, and I loved how all the pieces were reminders of God's promises to be with us, His holiness, and how worthy He is of our worship and praise.

It reminded me of the majestic offertory pieces played by the pianist at the churches I attended when I was younger. You just wanted the song to last a little longer, and you loved the peaceful feeling it left you with. You wanted to just be quiet, and for me, it often was truly a time of worship. Now, I don't have to wait for the infrequent appearance of hymns at my church. I can listen whenever I want!

You can find your own copy of "Abide with Me: Piano and Praise" at Discovery House Publishers website: http://www.dhp.org/, as well as other inspirational CDs and books . They kindly provided me with a complimentary copy to review.

Book Review: Dug Down Deep

2011-05-26T13:34:00.008-06:00

My first experience with Joshua Harris was not memorable. I was 12 or 13 and at a homeschool conference. My parents bought me one of his "NA: New Attitude" t-shirts. He did not make much of an impression on me.

That has certainly changed! Dug Down Deep: Building Your Life on Truths That Last is not a book I will soon forget. My natural inclination is towards fiction. I like stories that make me feel good. I tend to avoid "self-help" and "theology" books because often they make me feel guilty, or are so "spiritual" that they don't apply to every day life.

In Dug Down Deep Harris covers a variety of foundational, spiritual topics. He makes it easy to understand and apply-a hard combination to find! He opens each chapter with a relateable real-life anecdote uses that as a bridge to delve into a more comprehensive discussion. He covers subjects that range the importance of the church, to the Trinity and much more.

This book was easy to read. I have been a Christian for many years, so much of his material was familiar, but presented in new and interesting ways. This would be a brilliant tool for a new believer-especially someone that does not have a background in church. It also includes a study guide that would be a great catalyst for group discussions, or to use as a one-on-one discipling tool.

My favorite aspect was how Harris uses his own life to provide perspective on the topics. He was raised in a Bible believing home, and while he never had any true "prodigal" moments, his story in so many ways mirrored my own that I felt instantly connected. I have struggled with my faith because I want to believe in God, not just because that is how I have been raised. I want to truly understand why certain things (salvation, the Trinity, the infallibility of the Word) are so important, not just accept unfounded opinions.

Harris provides strong, Biblical proof for each of his points. The book is filled with quotes from godly theologians to help round out his presentations. Harris obtained the title from the parable about the wise and foolish builders, and mentions that he wants to be like the wise man-investing the time and energy to build his 'house" on a firm spiritual foundation, one that is deep and lasting.

I walked away from this book with a greater appreciation for my faith. There are so many great concepts that I can apply to my own life, and use to share my faith with others. Joshua Harris may have not been incredibly memorable so many years ago, but what he has to say now will certainly stick with me. Obviously, we have both matured. May it be as much to the glory of God in my life as it has been in Harris'.

Please rank my review! Your email address is used for verification purposes ONLY, you will not receive any communications.

I was provided a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review, by the publisher, Waterbrook Multnomah.

Mail Call

2011-05-25T09:57:00.003-06:00

I love getting mail. Ever since I was a small child, I have been fascinated by the whole postal process. It amazes me that someone in a far away state (or even country!) can put something in a box at near their home and days, or sometimes weeks, later it arrives at mine.

I faithfully check my mailbox every day. I have figured out when the mailman comes (actually, I think we have a mail-woman, but whatever), so I can be prompt. If I happen to be unable to check it, I will usually go as soon as I can the next day, even if it happens to be on Sunday. My neighbors probably think I'm crazy. They are probably right...

My mail lately has been fabulous! Just this last week, I have received: a photo book,coupons for free: yogurt, sweet potato fries, and allergy medicine, a CD to review, a book to review, and a bottle of shampoo! Checking the mail has become an event.

Our larger packages are delivered to our front door. Joel joked the other day that he can't go outside without bumping into some sort of box. For me, it is like Christmas every day. I get free samples, coupons, magazines, books, all kinds of things!

But it makes Josie sad. Every day she says, "Mom, did I get any mail?". Well, she is 5, so the answer is usually no. Every now and then I will get some kind of kids' catalog that I will say is for her. But usually, she does not get any mail. My mom ordered her a magazine, but we have been having some trouble getting it delivered so usually, while I am rejoicing, poor Josie is lamenting.

Why doesn't she get any mail? Part of it is that she is young. I get plenty of credit card and insurance offers because of my age. Part of it is that she doesn't do anything to get mail. Even if I never did a single thing I would still get mail.

But it wouldn't be the kind of mail I love. How do I get all those things? Well, when I began my couponing I started following a couple of money saving bloggers (Money Saving Mom and Mojo Savings, namely). They would show photos of what came in their mail, all the freebies and coupons. And I was a little jealous.

Until I realized something. I can do what they do. I can fill out forms and surveys. I can write companies. I can join review groups. I can become a member of survey companies. I can put together photo books. And I can get fun mail!

It is silly, I know. But to me, the rewards are worth the effort. For example: it usually takes me 2-3 hours to put together a photo book. I won't pay full price for them, so I am always waiting for a sale. This last book, I only had a few days to put it together before the deal expired, so I had to hurry. It was a little stressful, but oh, the joy of opening that box! All my hard work, come to fruition.

And the surveys I do can take hours. It is not a task for the faint of heart. But, I love getting the test products, and I like knowing my opinion counts. Free stuff to tell people how I feel? Sign me up! I love doing book reviews for that reason, too.

What it boils down to is this: if I sit around and wait for fun mail it probably won't happen with any great regularity. We will occasionally get cards from friends and family, every now and then I might get a cents-off coupon, and there will always be bills and credit card offers. But if I want to get mail that I really enjoy more than every once in a while, I have to get out there and make it happen. I have to be proactive.

How often am I that way about my faith? I accepted Jesus, now I just sit back and wait for the blessings to roll in, right? You can try that, but it won't be very beneficial. You have to get out there."Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) After coming to faith, we still have a job to do.

Faith is a two-way street. Thankfully, what you receive will always far outweigh what you put in, but you can't just sit around doing nothing and have every prayer answered. You have to invest. It is personal, it takes time, and you may have to wait more than weeks to see the results. Sometimes, you never see the results.

Several months ago, I registered to get coupons for free shampoo and conditioner. I am still waiting for those. I have a feeling I may never get them. But I won't let that stop me. I can't be that way with my faith, either. "But, Lord, I am sharing my faith. I am working with children's/men's/women's/homeless/name-your-group ministries. But I am not seeing any fruit. What gives?"

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." (1 Corinthians 3:7)

Ugh. We don't like that verse. Basically it means sometimes I can put my best foot forward and nothing will come of it, to our eyes. But God knows. And He will bless our efforts, when they
are solely focused on pleasing Him.

And some things have guaranteed results. I can promise that if you spend time in the Word, it won't return void. Actually, God promises that!

"So is My word that goes out from My mouth:
It will not return to Me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:11

But, if you put forth little effort, you will get back fewer rewards. We look to the giants of the faith: Paul, John, Billy Graham, Beth Moore, and say, "I could never be like that." Maybe you won't write award-winning Bible studies (and I can certify that you will never write a book of the Bible!) but you can develop a thirst for the Word like they have.

I am learning, slowly but surely, that I can. I can be in love with God, I can drink up his Words like a man lost in the desert, I can talk to other people about Him, I can share His salvation that has become mine. I can use this little blog, my tiniest corner of the internet world, to be a birthday candle in the vast universe. I can do what I can do with what God has given me. I don't have to be anybody but me, and He will bless that. But not if I hide under a bushel lamenting. Only if I get out there and put forth some effort.

I can make sure that I have fun mail. And I do. When someone leaves a few words in a comment that says, "I believe in you. Your faith inspires me in some small way." When my kids say Bible verses. When a friend leaves a post on my Facebook page. When Josie accepted Christ. When I see the overwhelming awesome beauty of the mountains and I know that God made them with me in His mind. When I am reading His Word and I can be certain that He gave me that particular verse that makes me quiver and cry, knowing it would be exactly what I needed to hear.

It isn't without effort. There are certainly days that go by when I feel like I must be losing ground, or I am at least about to lose my temper. I pity myself saying, "I give and I give..." But then I get the message I really need, "No, I give. And I will continue to-strength, patience, perseverance-you name it, I've got it. Just ask." And I know that He is the One who is responsible for every good thing-in my life and in my mailbox.

Let The Wild Rumpus Start!

2011-05-21T17:57:00.010-06:00

I have been throwing parties for a while now, but I haven't done a really good one for my kids. I have decided that pre-organized, buy-all-the-matching-pieces-at-the-party-store parties aren't really my style anymore. Well, Carson turned 3 in April, and I knew it would finally be my chance. He has never had a "real" party, the invite his friends kind, so it was a great time.

I won't lie, I picked to base the party on the book, "Where The Wild Things Are",for myself. I love it-it isn't Carson's favorite or anything. As a matter of fact, he had never even heard it until a few weeks ago! However, it fits his little personality so well, and I know he loves it now!

Of course, I had to have the banner. This one was fun- (my aunt told me a handy tip-click on a photo to enlarge it!) and pretty easy. I simple cut out images from the book and did simple triangle foam flags. I turned to my trusty felt letters for the words. I felt like "Carson's Wild Rumpus" was an appropriate title for a gathering that included kids from 21 months to 6 years. I prefer parties that included the whole family when kids are young, so I needed something good for varied ages and both boys and girls.

Hanging the balloons from the ceiling eliminated the need for expensive helium, but still provided that same effect. I will definitely use that trick again!

Just in case you were wondering, behind that white sheet is our television, DVR, Blu-Ray player and other various ugly cords and equipment. Since this area is the focal point, I didn't want all that stuff to be in the way. I popped a spring tension curtain rod up, threw a white flat sheet over it, and presto-chango, it went away!
This was another great aspect of using this book: one of the party activities was making crowns for all the Kings (and Queens!) of the Wild Things. I bought foam crowns at the Dollar Spot, and fixed each child a baggie of foam stickers, plastic "jewels" and stars. To keep it simple, I made sure everything came with adhesive. Then the kids could do it themselves.

The beloved Dollar Spot strikes again! These little bags were so perfect! I put in a Wild Things sticker play scene, some bubbles (which I labeled "A Magic Trick to Tame the Wild Things) and a pencil. Since the kids would get to take home the contents of the pinata, their crowns, and their masks, I didn't feel compelled to fill the bags with too much other stuff.

These were definitely the hit. I made "vines" out of tissue paper and it couldn't have been easier. They looked terrific. They gave it the space a great 3-D effect. I used this very vague tutorial from Martha. Essentially, you accordion fold the tissue, and cut around it. I made up a little pattern out of cardstock.

This is a better photo of the vines. I forgot to take a picture of them in context before the party. Doesn't an empty table after all the fun is over look so sad?

A cute little touch. I found these Little Debbie kite shaped brownies and couldn't resist them-they were an exact match to the party colors!

The table as a whole. Party basics: pepperoni/salami/cheese/cracker/veggie tray with dip and apples and bananas with fruit dip. The kite brownies are in the basket at the back. The cookie tray-more on that later. I love balloon sticks! One of the best investments for parties-I use them all the time.

The cookies. I was looking for an alternative to the regular old cake or cupcakes. My friend, Denise, suggested "Double Doozies". I made place and bake sugar cookies, used green Betty Crocker "Cookie" frosting and colored vanilla frosting yellow for the filling. They were really fun, not messy (far fewer crumbs and frosting smears than with cupcakes) easy and colorful-in short, ideal!

I made the cake plate by hot gluing cups and plates from Walmart together. It worked really well. I wanted something less stuffy than glass and I wanted it to match. This was a good solution-and the plates were cheap-$1 for 4!

A better shot of the yummy munchies. I mostly stuck with the green and yellow color scheme, even for the food. It makes it more cohesive.The drinks. Bucket was from Walmart. Kiwi-Strawberry Shasta-because Joel wanted it, watermelon Airheads drinks, and re-labeled waters. The labels were a pain, I don't recommend trying to do those unless you are far more computer-savvy than I am. But they did look cute!

Okay, so Josie said these looked creepy, but I thought they were cool. I printed these faces and cut them out to make masks (find the pdfs here) for the kids. I thought they looked neat all together on the wall. Later, while I was reading the book the kids used them.

The birthday boy. Doesn't he look so serious? He was happy with the cookies,which was the important part to me.

The kids after they made their crowns. This activity was well received. It was very easy, but they loved putting the stickers and jewels on. I liked it because it wasn't messy.

You can sort of see the vines in this photo. Laken pretty much always looks that serious!

I read "Where the Wild Things Are". The kids wore their crowns and used the masks to pretend to be Wild Things. It was really fun. Several of the kids hadn't heard the story before and they really liked it. Acting it out got everyone involved.

The pinata. I went with a pirate ship because it was the closest thing I could I could find to Max's private boat. I don't mind being crafty, but there was no way I was making a pinata. Carson specifically asked for a "pinyoda" so I obliged. I guess it isn't a party if you don't get a chance to beat something with a bat.

The party ended across the street at the playground. The weather was beautiful. The party turned out really well, it was definitely worth all the time and effort. And I know Carson liked it, because when he woke up from his nap, he said, "Mom, that was the funnest party ever!" Thanks, Dude.

Covered Clipboard

2011-05-17T21:36:00.003-06:00

So, are you ready for me to try another "tutorial" on you? This is a super simple project, but I have kind of developed the habit of taking pictures of anything I make, so I decided to just throw it into a post. I made three of these for our VBS registration table at church. It is just a fun way to give a cheap-o clipboard a little personality.

You need these simple ingredients:

-clipboard (I bought $2 chipboard ones from Target)

-piece of scrapbook paper

-craft paint

-coordinating ribbon

-Mod Podge (of course!)

First, take the time to paint the top part of your clipboard. I suppose you could try to get the paper cut around the actual clip part, but I thought that would be a pain. I decided that it would look more finished if it matched, instead of leaving it plain. There is no real science to this part. Paint the top part beside the clip and a little underneath it. I painted more than I needed to, just to make sure it was all covered.

After the paint has dried, cut your paper to fit your board. I used a ruler to make sure that I had the length right, then I just traced around the board and cut it out.

Cover your board in Mod Podge. Honestly, I am still learning how much is the right amount. My initial inclination was to think that more is better, but I kind of am leaning the opposite way now. I think you should use less than I did probably. The key is to put on a thin coat and very quickly place your paper. If you have a brayer (kind of a handled rolling pin for smoothing paper) it would be great. I don't and it worked fine without it.

After the undercoat dries then coat the top with more Mod Podge to seal it. The longer you can wait for the undercoat to dry, the better. If you get antsy and cover the top too soon it will make your paper bubble.

Then, as a finishing touch, I hot glued two types of ribbon across the top. It covers that seam at the top, and gives it that special touch. That's it! So the next time your clipboard needs a little extra pizzaz, just grab your Mod Podge!

A Story of A Song, A Psalm and A Stockpile

2011-05-14T17:15:00.002-06:00

"If the Lord delights in a man's way,

He makes his steps firm:

though he stumble, he will not fall,

for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken,

or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely:

their children will be blessed.

Turn from evil and do good:

then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the Lord loves the just

and will not forsake His faithful ones.

They will be protected forever."

-Psalm 37:23-28b

I have been so busy lately. In some ways, I think it is my way of trying to avoid thinking about the future. Joel has picked up a second job, and instead of making me feel better, knowing that he was able to find work quickly, that he is desirable as an employee and all the other good things, it has made me frustrated. I have been spoiled by his hours the last couple of months, for the most part he was reporting to his unit early in the morning and then was free the rest of the day. We decided that it would be prudent for him to moonlight (of course, with permission) to have some money put away, and also so that he would have work while he looks for a more permanent job.

I won't lie. I haven't been grateful. It has only been two weeks but he is working nights and I don't like it. It makes me fearful that this will become our future. I don't want to trust. And when I am not trusting, I start closing up.

I have been couponing with some degree of success for about the last six months. I even started a "stockpile". I love looking at my little neat rows of bottles, boxes and cans. Please don't think I have been hoarding, at most I might have 3 or 4 of any one item. However, it still gave me some security. A little measure of pride, knowing that whatever the next however long holds, that at least we will have plenty of bodywash!

Silly, I know. But when faith is lacking, I start looking to tangible things to fill in the gap. My little collection was very slowly becoming a way of telling God, "It's okay, if You can't take care of my family, I will at least have toiletries and food covered.". Wow, it sounds so shallow to even write that, but it is true.

Verse 25 of the above chapter is one of my favorite verses. "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken." I have been quoting it to myself for a while now- probably ever since Joel decided that the Army wasn't for him. Now that getting out is becoming an unavoidable reality, I have really started saying it over and over. I know I have been made righteous by the blood of Christ, so it applies right?

Yet, I still felt like I was being given the opportunity to store all these great deals as a way to provide. Such a tiny little amount of stuff, yet I still felt like it was a good start. I looked at bottles of laundry detergent and thought, "That will see us through for a few months." And it brought me a tiny measure of satisfaction, of security.

Then I realized I had never truly read verse 26. "They are always generous and lend freely..." What? How are those two things linked together? Does that mean the Lord will provide for me-more than enough- and then I can give to others?

No. And I got a little uncomfortable thinking about it. I am pretty sure it means, "Don't wait until everything in your life is in order to start giving." Start giving, and everything will fall into order.

Our church has given us the opportunity to share with the needy. We are filling baskets for missionaries to hand out. And guess what is in them? Yeah, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent. Not so coincidentally, everything in my little stockpile-cereal included.

But, Lord, what about me? What about me? Generous, freely. I can't get away. I want my children to be blessed- and in doing so, I have to stop trying to provide myself. The Lord will not forsake His faithful ones. I want to be faithful with my "few things" (Matthew 25:23) so I can be trusted with many.

And not just my physical things. Also with my time, and my talents. If I feel like my talents are few, yet I am not freely giving them to the Lord's work, how can I ever expect them to increase? I truly have been given so much. I don't want to be greedy.

So I am going upstairs, and downstairs, and into the pantry. I have been given to, and I want to give freely. Somehow, I know if it hurts, it is the right thing. The Holy Spirit won't let me go on this one. My security HAS to be in the Lord. If I stumble, I have to believe that He will uphold me with His hand. But He can't do that if I am so set on making sure I do everything right in my own strength. I have to put myself in a position where He can surprise me, where He can provide for me, and I can't take any of the credit.

"Give Until There's Nothing Left"
Relient K

No one told me
The right way
The right way to go about this
So I'll figure it out for myself
Cause how much
Is too much
To give You
Well, I may never know
So I'll just give until there's nothing else

Yeah, I'll give give give (until there's nothing else)
Give my life (until it all runs out)
Give give (and I'll have no regrets)
I'll give until there's nothing left
I'll give

No one told me
How bad I need You (need You)
But I somehow arrived
To that conclusion all by myself (all by myself)
And I want
All you have to offer (to offer)
So I offer myself and I'll just give until there's nothing else

And I'll give give give (until there's nothing else)
Give my life (until it all runs out)

Give give (and I'll have no regrets)
I'll give until there's nothing left to
Give give give (until there's nothing else)
Give my life (until it all runs out)
Give give (and I'll have no regrets)
I'll give until there's nothing left

Sometimes I think
Like all I ever do
Is ask for things
Until I ask too much of You
But that's not the way (that's not the way)
I wanna live (I wanna live)
I need to change (I need to change)
But something's got to give
Yeah something's got to

Give give give (until there's nothing left)
Give my life (until it all runs out)
Give give (and I'll have no regrets)
I'll give until there's nothing left to give
Give give give (until there's nothing left)
Give my life (until it all runs out)
Give give
Give until there's nothing left
I'll give

I am really willing? I am certainly not able. But He is, and I know He is just waiting. Waiting for me to give up,to give away, to give out. To pour myself out as a fragrant offering...

I'm sorry that you all get drawn into my little dramas and revelations. I can't let myself get away without being accountable, though. To put this out there is to be fragile, exposed. It scares me. But to borrow lyrics from another Relient K song but "to go back where I was would just be wrong, I'm pressing on". (Sorry, I seriously love that group.)

Thanks for putting up with me. Hard to believe that this is my 200th post, huh? That is a whole lotta Clare. But my prayer is that by the time I reach my 400th post I will still be learning and growing- every little thing making me a little more like Him.

Book Review: The Corruptible

2011-05-10T17:02:00.009-06:00

I love a good police/detective/crime scene investigation show. There is something about the combination of intelligence, danger and mystery that draws me right in. The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir has elements of all three.

I love a romance novel, but it is refreshing to read a book that doesn't rely on love relationships for its main storyline. There is plenty to keep the story moving without that. Mynheir is a retired police detective and does a good job giving his main character, private investigator, Ray Quinn, plenty of authenticity. The story follows Quinn as he tries to recover information that was stolen from a very wealthy client. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting.

The Corruptible is the second in a series, but I had no trouble keeping up with the story. I would, however, really like to read the first book. I think it would have helped me to have a greater appreciation for Ray. Nevertheless, I still found him to be engaging. I had a little bit more difficulty connecting to Ray's "sidekick", Crevis. I am guessing that there will be further books that flesh out that character more fully. Ray also has a female friend, not a love interest, who appears again from the first book. Pam is the spiritual part of the equation. She is not very prominent in this book, but it is easy to see that the story is building so that Ray will be more drawn to Christ in the next book(s). Still , she brought a nice element to the story, without being overbearing or cliche.

In all, The Corruptible was a fun, fast read. It kept my interest, even after I had deduced the true perpetrator behind the crime. That is the sign of a good book to me. There were parts that felt a little too forced, but they were few enough to overlook. I would definitely read Mr. Mynheir again, and seek out his previous books.

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I was provided a complimentary copy of this book for my review by the publisher, Waterbrook Multnomah.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T09:41:00.004-06:00

I had a fabulous Mother's Day- truly, it was full of all the things I love. I did not, however, take any photos! Joel took a couple of quick shots of the kids and me before church-as you can see from the one above, it didn't work out so well. However, isn't that just like being a mom? Poor Carson, he was ready for breakfast! He usually eats as soon as he gets up, but he woke up late and since we were heading to grab breakfast anyway, we made him wait. Such mean parents! The morning started out with a nice surprise: I got breakfast for free from McDonald's! I have a love affair with all things fast food, and with two little people (and a husband who had worked until 6:00 am at his new second job) having someone fix me breakfast or going to someplace "nice" just wasn't in the works. I love breakfast at the big "M" though, so it was fine with me. Getting it for free, because it was Mother's Day was an added bonus.

After church (I came home with an armload of crafts and cards from Sunday School projects) we grabbed lunch at Wendy's. I can't stand crowds-I am getting a little claustrophobic in my old age, so no sit-down for us! I was happy to have my new favorite salad, the Baja, there. We came home so Joel could have a nap and Josie and I did a little bargain hunting. I was so excited to snag some free body wash from Walgreen's and do a little more couponing at Target.

After Carson and Joel had both had their naps we grabbed some KFC for our traditional Mother's Day picnic. We went to a little park near our house, and the weather was great. I got to use the picnic set that Joel gave me for my very first Mother's Day when I was pregnant with Josie. And then we flew kites. I have discovered I love doing that, it is just so neat to see the kites way up in the sky and be able to control them with a little string. It also helps me to be a little more appreciative of our ever-present Colorado wind, so that is a good thing.

The kids gave me my gifts when we got home. Jocelyn knew that I really wanted a silver necklace with a key, so that is what she gave me. It was very sweet. Joel and Carson gave me some yummy lotion and an even more delicious box of chocolates! It was a really wonderful day, and makes me wish Mother's Day came around more often!

Music for May

2011-05-06T10:39:00.004-06:00

I love music. Few things in life make me happier. If my life was a movie it would have a continual sound track. Running, cleaning house, working on the computer, driving, I am always surrounding myself with music. My tastes are varied, but there are always some groups that I can't get away from. So for my May Faves I decided that I would share my current five favorite albums. In no particular order:

1. "The Shelter" by Jars of Clay. I kind of bought this album by accident. I went to the "Rock and Worship Roadshow" in February mainly because Jars of Clay was performing. I have had a love affair with this group from their very first album way back when I was 16. I currently own pretty much everything they have ever done, but I was missing their album from 2009, "The Long Fall Back to Earth" which has a song that I really love on it. Well, they were running a deal at the show that was basically 2 albums for $20. I realized I didn't have "The Shelter" so I snagged it. WOW! This will probably always hold a place in my top 10 favorite albums of all time. Really. Two songs that send chills up my arms: "Small Rebellions" and "We Will Follow". This is worship music for me. If you like J.O.C. at all BUY THIS ALBUM! Or actually still buy it, even if you don't.

2. "The Outsiders" by Needtobreathe. I loved the song "Let Us Love" from the radio single. This group is kind of a funky southern country/rock group. Not what I usually listen to. But I really like this group. I really like the title track, "The Outsiders" and also "Garden". Fun band, fun album.

3. "Crazy Love" by Hawk Nelson. First Hawk Nelson purchase, not my last. I could not get enough of the "Crazy Love" radio single so this album was a must have! Originally it was a sleeper- there are several tracks I don't care for- but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. I really like "Your Love is a Mystery" and still haven't gotten bored of the title track, either.

4. "Five Score and Seven Years Ago" by Relient K. An oldie, but a goodie. I don't ever get tired of this album. May have to buy a new Relient K CD soon, though, because I love this group. A couple of songs that make me turn it up and sing: "I Need You", "I'm Taking You with Me" and "Devestation and Reform". This group is loud, and I like that.

5. "Church Music" by David Crowder Band. This is a mixed bag: he can be a little strange, but I have to say, the songs I like I am obsessed with, so I am willing to put up with a few I don't care for in exchange. I absolutely adore his version of "How He Loves" and his version of "All Around Me" is the best. I don't even LIKE those songs when other people sing them. Another excellent worship inducing album.

Not an expert by any means, but I know what I like. Check out any of these tracks on Amazon or Itunes to give them a listen. Maybe you'll find a new favorite, too.

Trendy Tiles

2011-05-05T16:23:00.007-06:00

I have been wanting to post about these for a while. I can't even remember where I first saw them. Somewhere about the time my Mod Podge obsession began, I think. I am completely enamored of projects that are something I can use, and that don't require any sewing. I have nothing against sewing, other than that I am jealous of anyone that can. Mostly because I can't, really because I don't have a sewing machine...anyway, that is not the point! Back to the subject at hand: Scrabble tile necklaces! This great project combines several of my favorite things: Mod Podge, scrapbook paper (I don't scrapbook but I loooove the endless variety of papers!) and junk jewelry. Also, it is easy and a quick one-day results type deal. Perfect for someone with no patience such as myself.

To make these you need:
-cardstock (or an index card)
-and X-acto knife
-scrapbook paper
-Scrabble tile
-Mod Podge
-paintbrush
-Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
-self-adhesive "crystals" (optional)
-E-6000 glue
-jewelry bails (more about these later)
-thin ribbon to match your paper (for the actual necklace part)

To begin, I make a template to view my papers through. Because you are dealing with a Scrabble tile (this is what forms your necklace pendant) you want to make sure that if you have a patterned paper that you are using it to its best advantage. So, I take a piece of cardstock, lay my tile on it, and carefully cut around it with an X-acto knife.

This is your "viewer". You can place it over you paper to find the right spot, and then you can use it to cut your paper the right size for your tile.

See? I can tell exactly what my tile will look like. I will warn you: not all Scrabble tiles are created equal, so you may have to do a little trimming. Also, in case you were wondering, I purchased my tiles at a yardsale. The great part about that is that they cost me $2 instead of $10. If you found a game that was in poor condition, you could probably get them for even less! Plus, a game has quite a few tiles in it (over 100) so you will have plenty to work with.

Once you have your cardstock cut to size, cover your tile (the back, because it is flat and the paper will adhere better and be smooth) with Mod Podge and immediately place your paper.
Give that a few minutes to dry and then coat the paper with Mod Podge, too. That will seal the surface before you apply the Dimensional Magic later. Allow your tile to dry, about an hour, before handling it too much.

Tiles waiting to have their bails adhered. Aren't they pretty? The tulip one is actually a stamp that Joel brought me from Iraq! I thought that was fun. So, you ask, what is a "bail"? That is the technical term for a jewelry backing that has a loop for a chain or other necklace material (like ribbon) to go through. There is a plate to glue to the pendant and then an eye at the top.

I buy my bails at Hobby Lobby. These are $2.47 for four, but their jewelry "findings" (all the little metal pieces used to make jewelry) are often on sale for 50% off. If you would prefer a metal chain or wire necklace to the ribbon, you can buy those there for around $1-$2 each. Also, a picture of my wonderful E-6000 glue. I usually buy my glues with a 40% off coupon, and Hobby Lobby now stocks all of them, both Mod-Podges and the E-6000.

Apply your E-6000 to your bail and press it firmly to the back of your tile. E-6000 is a very gummy glue, so don't mess with it too much or it will slide around. I set mine aside to dry, usually for at least half and hour.

Then for the Mod Podge Dimensional Magic! This stuff can be a little tricky. First, don't be dismayed that it is opaque. It dries clear and gives you sort of a "bubble"- a fun 3D look for your finished piece. If you are planning on putting a crystal on your tile, put it on before the Dimensional Magic. Then trace the outline of your tile with the Dimensional Magic, filling it in as you go. The tricky part is putting on enough to give it a nice finished effect, but not so much that it spills over the edges. If it does, quickly clean it with a finger, the stuff is water soluble until it dries. Usually it is best to start by testing a little on paper, to make sure you don't have any air bubbles. They don't dissipate, so if you get one try using a needle to pull it off the tile. Give your Dimensional Magic plenty of drying time- at least three hours before handling and overnight before wearing or packaging. If you touch it before it is dry you will leave fingerprints!

I couldn't find the necklaces I wanted so I decided to make mine out of ribbon. I coated the ends with some regular Mod Podge so they wouldn't fray. It dries really quickly and doesn't affect the appearance. Don't you like my lovely work surface? I have found that using a regular notebook as a "cutting board" of sorts is a cheap way to avoid cutting into my counter tops or table, besides when I get glue every where I just rip off the top couple of sheets and I have a fresh surface!

I made little matching bags for the necklaces- I was making them for my Bible study group moms. I used a inch circle hole punch to cut paper and then just hot glued a little ribbon and the circle onto tiny paper bags.

This is a better view of one of the bags. I thought it made for a really cute, simple presentation.

The finished product! You can't really appreciate the 3D quality in a photo, but it gives it a much more "professional" look. You could just leave it with the regular Mod Podge on top, but I prefer it this way. I am not usually a bling girl, but the crystals really give certain papers just the right touch. Those were a fortunate find- a sheet of about 50 in the dollar area at Michael's. I am kicking myself for not buying more! These can be really pricey.

And that's about it! The drying time takes far longer than anything else. If I excluded that, it only took a couple of hours to make 10 necklaces. The funny part is that I ran out of bails before I finished mine, so it is waiting. However, if I got ambitious, it would be easy to have one to match every outfit!

Carrot Patches

2011-05-02T08:50:00.004-06:00

I love a simple project that produces (almost) instant results. As soon as I saw these "Carrot Patch Cookies" in my April issue of "Family Fun" I wanted to try them. They are so cute and different. Mine don't look exactly like the model ones, but I still think they turned out pretty well.

The original instructions call for "chocolate wafers" and green licorice called "Rips" that I had never heard of, or seen. I substituted apple "Sour Punch Straws" and chocolate sandwich cookies. I found everything I needed (except the straws) at the Dollar Tree (I am telling you-love that place!) so it made for a cheap craft. We made 10 with the ingredients and I still had plenty left over!

Jocelyn and her friend Bekah filled the "planters" and planted the "carrots". They barely got them together before they had to have a taste. Personally, the thought of a chocolate frosting covered Mike and Ike with Sour Punch straws stuck in it is disgusting to me...but still really adorable!

Carson enjoyed his, too. These were a snap to put together, and I was definitely pleased with how they turned out. We made them on Easter, because making fun cookies on holidays is kind of becoming a tradition (see our Turkey Cookies from Thanksgiving). The kids like doing something special that is just for them. My biggest tip: be sure and make an example at least the day before so that you have an idea of how things need to go! I realized that it would be better for me to assemble the planters and carrots before hand. It was complicated and involved using a knife, so it was better to do it myself. The kids liked filling the planters with the "dirt" and then putting in the carrots. Mostly, they just enjoyed eating them!

The finished product- perfect for munching! These would be fun to serve all spring long- especially if you were having a garden party. Or you could just have a whole "carrot" party with these cute jelly bean favors and crepe paper carrots from Martha! Maybe next year...