tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24320206191375021322024-02-07T03:10:17.858-07:00Outside the box!I hope to inspire you to use your creative talents for the Lord and the people He places in your life."Who can find a virtuous woman?...she seeketh wool, and fax, and worketh willingly with her hands." Proverbs 31:10a,13Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.comBlogger762125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-67596982482576720892013-01-16T13:05:00.000-07:002013-01-16T13:05:25.721-07:00Gabriel's gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the midst of all my gift-making for family and friends, I received a special hand-made gift from my nephew, Gabriel. He's been getting really creative with a certain type of craft, which you'll see below. I think it's great!</div>
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From the moment we arrived that day at his house, he kept mentioning that he was still working on a gift and that I was not to go into a certain part of the house. Then, after a long day of playing and hanging out, it was time to open presents. Gabriel's eagerness could not hold out any longer, so I was the first one to receive a gift--his gift of love.</div>
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He did some wood burning on a frame, and I love it!</div>
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On it, it says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart," Proverbs 3:5. This is one of my favorite verses.<br />
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<i>Thank-you, Gabriel...I will treasure this gift always!</i></div>
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He also made some ornaments for a few others, including this one for Quentin. Isn't it awesome?<br />
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<i>Coming up...one last gift I made for each family...I can't believe I forgot about this...it is SO. MUCH. FUN!!!</i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-71884948108507802422013-01-14T13:27:00.000-07:002013-01-14T13:27:14.034-07:00Abigail's scarf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There's somewhat of a craze right now with repurposing items into other things, and it's fascinating to me. Not too long ago, I learned how to make a t-shirt scarf (a picture of that one will be coming next month because I'm doing it for a M.O.P.S. craft). Anyway, there was another style that my sister-in-law and I really liked but had not yet learned how to do. I found the link to a video tutorial<a href="http://thepinkpeonyoflejardin.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-make-frilly-scarf-from-t-shirt.html"> here</a> and I learned how to make it. It was so much fun! </div>
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In fact, I made one before I made Abigail's for a M.O.P.S. Christmas party. We had an accessory exchange for one of our games that night. My scarf was exchanged three times and all three gals who "owned" it loved it a lot!:) The last gal got to really keep it, but I've thought about making one for the other two ladies some time. I know they would be so surprised. </div>
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Abigail really likes navy blue, so that's the color I used. I also made a felt flower pin for it if she'd like to pin it to the side. You really must check out the link above as it shows how it drapes so beautifully on a person. I have got to make one for myself one of these days, too! It's a simple craft that gives instant gratification to the maker and receiver. </div>
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<i>Not only did Abigail love it, but her kids seemed to like it as well. :)</i></div>
Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-39579607860854472862013-01-11T13:44:00.002-07:002013-01-11T13:44:49.431-07:00Peek-a-boo house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I saw the idea for this<a href="http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2012/11/peek-boo-house/"> baby toy</a>, I knew I had to make this for my nephew, Jedidiah. It is so fun and adorable and I enjoyed every minute making it. I actually made it on the day we spent with he and his family, and while I worked two of his older brothers watched. They are really into crafting, too.</div>
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This craft uses scraps of felt and recycled materials like cardboard and flip-top lids from wipies! Take a look below....<br />
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Isn't that such a novel idea? Behind each large window and door, I taped on pictures of his brothers and sister and his cousins on the Johnson side of the family.<br />
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To protect the pictures, I used packaging tape instead of regular tape. The rest of the house was constructed using hot glue. I knew that little hands are eager to pull things, so I wanted to make sure nothing would fall apart (or at least I hope it doesn't right away!).<br />
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Most of the kids gathered around Jedidiah showing him how to play with the toy. We all had a blast watching him...isn't he just the cutest little guy?Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-5281005600510188882013-01-11T13:04:00.001-07:002013-01-14T13:04:22.277-07:00Kit's box and nightie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love surprises, don't you? I think I actually like being the one who surprises more than the one who is surprised. Alyzza has been wanting pajamas for her doll, Kit, but because I was already planning on making her one for Christmas, I down-played it any time she brought it up. And what better way to present this gift than to put it in a special box where all of the other doll clothes and accessories would go in, too.</div>
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And boy, was she sooo surprised when she opened up the box!</div>
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It's hard to see, but I hand-painted the top of the box with her initials and on the inside, lined it with felt.<br />
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Look at that look of surprise....</div>
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....and a hug for Mom!</div>
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She totally loves it, don't you think?:)</div>
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Here she is with her cousin, Annalina, who has another American Girl doll, Kaya. The girls enjoyed playing with their dolls together during Christmas break. And there's Kit with her nightie on--so cute!<br />
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This makes my heart smile.:)Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-15681406747862657882013-01-10T19:07:00.001-07:002013-01-10T19:07:55.033-07:00Handprint t-shirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Little S and I made a gift for Daddy, using materials we already had. We grabbed one of his t-shirts and paint to create this special memory.</div>
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I painted her hands with white craft paint. Then, using fabric paint, wrote, "I Love you, Dad....then her name with the year.<br />
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<i>Super cute and easy! I love memory-type crafts, don't you? </i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-68144307275905231512013-01-10T19:02:00.001-07:002013-01-10T19:02:18.236-07:00Framed Christmas Carol Print<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This gift was fun to give to a couple of gals this year! You can find the free printable<a href="http://www.simplyklassichome.com/2012/12christmas-carol-printables-three-color.html"> here</a>, then print on card stock and frame it however you choose. I decided to put a red border around it by gluing the print onto red card stock. The frame and star (it was an ornament; just used some glue to keep it in place) were both from the Dollar Tree, so not only is this decoration so pretty, it's pretty affordable, too! </div>
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<br />Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-43599017555769629622013-01-10T14:17:00.001-07:002013-01-10T14:17:53.081-07:00Bird Nest Necklace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Don't you love Pinterest? It's a great place to find lots of ideas! When I was looking for ideas for M.O.P.S. crafts, I came across this beautiful bird nest necklace. I knew it would be too difficult to do in a large group setting, so I did it with the steering committee at our retreat. It was a huge hit! </div>
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So....since then, I've made one for my sister-in-law, myself and the other ladies in the family. For Christmas, my sisters, Raquel and Sonia, my mom, and mother-in-law, all received this personalized handmade gift. My mother-in-law chose the colors she wanted while we were together in Tennessee, but for the others, I chose colors and the amount of beads to represent each of their children. Not only did this make a great Christmas gift, but it could be made for Mother's Day as well.</div>
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I haven't had a lot of experience with making jewelry, but the tutorial <a href="http://www.sarahortega.com/2011/05/diy-bird-nest-necklace.html">here</a> was wonderful! I felt like I accomplished such a gorgeous piece without lots of hassle. Enjoy!</div>
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<br />Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-34077810405022161812013-01-10T14:08:00.001-07:002013-01-10T14:08:59.102-07:00Alyzza's gift for her teacher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here's Alyzza's gift for her teacher: a washer necklace. I've seen some tutorials on the web, but when I saw one in Family Fun Magazine, I knew it could be something Alyzza could make for her teacher. She loved it a lot and knew that Mrs. G. would love it, too!</div>
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She painted the washer with finger nail polish. After the paint dried, she did another coat of clear nail polish. She selected the ribbon, and I tied it onto the washer. She gave it to Mrs. G. during her class Christmas party. She said that her teacher really liked it--and I'm so glad!Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-71836061448154716382013-01-10T14:01:00.000-07:002013-01-10T14:01:38.752-07:00Angel towels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This year for Christmas, I wanted the girls to make something for their teachers. When I found <a href="http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/kids/12-days-of-christmas-carols-and-crafts_13/">this</a> idea for angel towels, I knew this would be the perfect gift for Little S' nursery workers and M.O.P.S. teachers.</div>
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We had a lot of fun making these. In fact, it was our first <i>real</i> craft to do together. On a clean garbage bag, I put all of the towels (six in all) on top, ready for assembly-style crafting. We stamped a hand at a time, then her foot, all the while giving her an M&M as we completed each step. Then, I finished the angels by painting on their heads, halos and the phrase, "Angels we have heard on high." You could also write, "Hark, the herald angels sing."</div>
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Take a look....and by the way, we ended up making more towels for the grandparents and a set for us. The second time, we included Alyzza in the process, so now some of us have precious memories of both girls from Christmas 2012.</div>
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<br />Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-14893237099488847812013-01-09T13:31:00.001-07:002013-01-09T13:31:20.677-07:00Peppermint Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For the last M.O.P.S. meeting of 2012, the gals put together brownie mixes. I had first planned on having them put together cookie mixes, but when I saw this idea, I knew I just had to do it. Sure, it was a splurge on the peppermint chips, but it was well worth it! They are soooo yummy (you can enjoy these any time of the year for sure!)</div>
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Instead of using canning jars, we used holiday treat bags that you can buy at Hobby Lobby, Target or Walmart. It was a great idea from one of the gals on the steering committee and I am thankful for it. It saved us a lot of money!<br />
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I found the tutorial for these <a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/peppermint-brownie-mix-for-jar-gift">here</a>. It also includes the link to print out the labels. The front one that is shown above is super cute, isn't it? The second label is placed on the back and it includes the directions and further ingredients to put these yummy treats together.<br />
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These mixes make great gifts for a neighbor, teacher or friend. Enjoy!Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-47538324719664552832013-01-09T13:25:00.001-07:002013-01-09T13:25:14.784-07:00Cupcake liner Christmas trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Every year, our church has a Christmas party that my husband puts together. There's always great food, fun games, a gift exchange and lots of laughs! I've always enjoyed decorating for it each year as well. I like to pull in some help from others, and this year, it ended up being that Alyzza was my special helper. </div>
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We made these super cute cupcake liner Christmas trees:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FQRENPlIG_UgHXd7bZAnoP8fNqXVEuQPZOCR886_To1VeKGdmi9FdcqmKWL1roG4CD0xJunZV0e8jpBj7B9AkW4VDrUV2wNkl-PUWKgESILXpeyjMn7j3XHswVGXkqV7DxMCAsBTnwC7/s1600/cupcake+liner+trees+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FQRENPlIG_UgHXd7bZAnoP8fNqXVEuQPZOCR886_To1VeKGdmi9FdcqmKWL1roG4CD0xJunZV0e8jpBj7B9AkW4VDrUV2wNkl-PUWKgESILXpeyjMn7j3XHswVGXkqV7DxMCAsBTnwC7/s320/cupcake+liner+trees+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I bought cupcake liners at the Dollar Tree and Walmart and used styrofoam tree forms for the large ones and card stock to make the tree form for the small ones.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicU3G71bRD-TWXPzw7U54AjDRfIOe8G2tK_hoWq3zHhUQ-mj5tqeBD1OoTnXnDiULKME3Wv3LmpGG_9g8PzxCHZdQSeRVciJAqqM3iFDO5sLnkNKtifLo1J-3Niq4Yp0QrhrwlEE3bWnxK/s1600/cupcake+liner+trees+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicU3G71bRD-TWXPzw7U54AjDRfIOe8G2tK_hoWq3zHhUQ-mj5tqeBD1OoTnXnDiULKME3Wv3LmpGG_9g8PzxCHZdQSeRVciJAqqM3iFDO5sLnkNKtifLo1J-3Niq4Yp0QrhrwlEE3bWnxK/s320/cupcake+liner+trees+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Some of the packages included cupcake toppers, so for some of the trees, I put those on the top. It took us a few hours to make fifteen or so of these, but it was a fun project I enjoyed doing with my big girl.:)<br />
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Wouldn't this be an awesome thing to do for a Valentine's Day event as well? You could use red and pink cupcake liners and still put some fluff around it to represent snow since it's a winter holiday.<br />
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For the step-by-step on how to make these go<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2011/11/make-cupcake-liner-christmastrees-holiday-tutorial.html"> here.</a> Have fun!:)Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-85378512915285202912013-01-09T13:04:00.001-07:002013-01-09T13:04:47.489-07:00Christmas traditions, old and new<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love traditions, don't you? Here, I will share things that we've enjoyed doing the last couple of years, and then I'll share two new traditions we've begun with the girls during Christmas. I know this is kind of late, but with our trip to TN, and getting back into the swing of things, I'm now getting back into writing again. So, enjoy the next several posts with Christmas goodies and gifts we made. Perhaps you can tuck away the ideas and use them for other celebrations and next Christmas.:)</div>
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Last year, we began the tradition of having the girls choose out their own ornament for the year. Their name and year are written on each one, so that they'll have a collection of their own when they are grown. This year, we bought them at a thrift store for 99 cents each! Little S chose the horse and Alyzza chose the sparkly bunch of grapes (below).</div>
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Christmas lights around town are so much fun, aren't they? We went to Boulder to see this spectacular showcase of trees:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RQQvmhMvWG_3G0KEpk2OYCtiR_K4OBQKYPDP3AeCxIwNrXFyinAKHNufg2BfKZOjjt6xqkwBLmh9AB1gfEkr701Ak5etPN1meUs1jZCx0b4dbLRri19lkuYJ01keLMShwGTvVZ4ZIlbH/s1600/traditions+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RQQvmhMvWG_3G0KEpk2OYCtiR_K4OBQKYPDP3AeCxIwNrXFyinAKHNufg2BfKZOjjt6xqkwBLmh9AB1gfEkr701Ak5etPN1meUs1jZCx0b4dbLRri19lkuYJ01keLMShwGTvVZ4ZIlbH/s320/traditions+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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And now for the new ones...I heard about a "Journey to Bethlehem" event at one of my M.O.P.S. meetings and knew that we should go. It was held at the church where we have our meetings. I put it in as one of our advent calendar activities, too.<br />
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If you haven't been to something like this, search for one in your community. We experienced the story of Christmas, and the girls got to enjoy some fun things, too. Alyzza loved the headdress and the clay ornament she got to make!<br />
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This stocking was a fun idea that came together between me and Alyzza. It's called "Stocking Mail." We wrote notes to each other and passed them by placing them in the stocking and hanging it on each other's doorknob. It was always a great surprise!<br />
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<i>What traditions do you enjoy with your family? I'd love to hear about them!</i><br />
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<br />Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-62960997511801770502012-12-06T13:48:00.000-07:002012-12-06T13:48:09.159-07:00Our new advent calendar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This new advent calendar was created by putting together ideas from two different sources. The looks of it, made from a mini muffin pan, came from Family Fun Magazine (of course!:). It is sooo cute; we just love it! </div>
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For the circles, I used leftover Christmas wrap from last year. Then I glued them onto magnetic sheets. The circle magnets that cover the holes are approximately 2-1/2 inches in diameter, but you might want to measure your tin to see if this measurement works. You want to cover the holes completely, but you don't want a lot of overlap between all of the circles. I stamped numbers onto the smaller circles made from scrap booking paper. They measure about an inch in diameter. </div>
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Here's a look at this fun project....</div>
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The directions say to fill each hole with a trinket, candy or fun thing to do. While I like those ideas, I also wanted things that were meaningful....meaning that I didn't want to fill it up <i>mostly</i> with candy and trinkets!<br />
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I started thinking about the Christmas traditions that we like to do and wondered if those could be put into this calendar. Then,<a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/"> Money Saving Mom </a> shared with her readers a sale on a DVD and pdf book. For only $10 including shipping, I bought the Why Do We Call it Christmas? dvd and the book, <i>Everyday Emmanuel </i>from this<a href="http://www.whatsinthebible.com/"> website. </a><br />
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The book is mostly comprised of ideas on how to celebrate advent by focusing on the real meaning of Christmas and making precious family memories. Using some of their ideas, I listed 24 things that I wanted to do with my family this season. Some only take a few minutes during the day, while a few are fun outings and projects to do together. The girls will still get a treat here and there with the piece of paper that says what we'll do, but it isn't the focus. I like that they look forward to each day's event, but they're not getting too hyper with that upcoming party or event. It's always a "last minute" surprise and it's great!:)<br />
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Here are the things we have already begun or will do. If you know our girls and see them regularly, please don't tell them! <i>Shhhhh......</i><br />
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1. Christmas party put on by our foster care agency<br />
2. What God Wants for Christmas, part 1 (an interactive nativity by Family Life Publishing)<br />
3. Buy the girls their Christmas ornament for the year<br />
4. Give mailman a holiday treat<br />
5. What God Wants for Christmas, part 2<br />
6. See the Christmas lights in our community<br />
7. Go to<i> Journey to Bethlehem </i>(an event put on by the church that hosts our M.O.P.S. group)<br />
8. Make gifts for school teacher, nursery workers and MOPS teachers with girls<br />
9. What God Wants for Christmas, part 3<br />
10. Finish making presents and wrap gifts while listening to Christmas music<br />
11. Watch new Christmas movie, Why Do We Call it Christmas?<br />
12. What God Wants for Christmas, part 4<br />
13. Dad and Alyzza have a coin club Christmas party/I will help Little S buy presents for family<br />
14. Play Christmas game/Uno<br />
15. Build paper nativity set and/or decorate church reception hall for party on Sunday<br />
16. What God Wants for Christmas #'s 5 and 6<br />
17. Alyzza's Christmas program at school<br />
18. Put on a Christmas puppet show<br />
19. Make treats for neighbors<br />
20. Christmas caroling and give treats to neighbors and possibly shut-ins<br />
21. Our Christmas (we are going to TN in a few days....)<br />
22. Drink yummy peppermint hot chocolate<br />
23. What God Wants for Christmas, #7<br />
24. Special activity to do on the plane trip to TN (probably a busy bag or activity book)<br />
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Other ideas can include....playing together in the snow (we just haven't had any in a while, but probably will put it in and take something out of my list), make snow ice cream, read a Christmas book, etc. We have begun reading Christmas books when we do our reading time, since we have so many to choose from, and it's fun to read them all during this time of year.<br />
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<i>So, there you have it! A fun new way to do an advent calendar while keeping it meaningful, inexpensive and full of family fun!</i><br />
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<i>More to come on some of the projects and recipes we will be doing as part of this calendar's events....stay tuned....</i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-20380232571998995912012-12-02T21:48:00.002-07:002012-12-02T21:53:19.257-07:00It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our Christmas decorations have been up for a week now, so I thought it should be time for a little tour....</div>
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If you were to visit our home, this is what you would see hanging on the door. Then, moving around the two front rooms, you'll see....<br />
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...this tree and snowman garland,</div>
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our kid-friendly nativity set I made for a M.O.P.S. craft,</div>
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a snowman nativity set, a snowman countdown and some scrabble tiles that say, "O Come let us adore Him,"<br />
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Winnie-the-Pooh window clings sent to us in a fun package from Q's parents,<br />
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the nativity set my mom gave me 13 years ago that began my collection of nativities (see how many you can count from this post!),<br />
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the nativity advent calendar that we are enjoying already,</div>
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a new way to hang up our Christmas cards using some wide candy cane ribbon,</div>
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(a close up view of my first card; it came from Alyzza:)</div>
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a nativity picture made completely from fabric (I love handmade touches around our home),<br />
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a few knick-knacks,</div>
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blocks that spell out, "Merry Christmas,"</div>
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an interactive nativity set and a Precious Moments one that plays music,</div>
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Noel blocks, mini trees and a Willow tree angel,</div>
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three wise men with Mary and baby Jesus,</div>
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an angel collection on top of one of our book cases (two of the angels are handmade gifts from friends),<br />
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our Christmas book basket (we're enjoying reading from this collection already!),<br />
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a light-up snowflake (another gift from Q's parents),</div>
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snuggly snowmen that the girls can play with,</div>
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and finally, a snowman village on top of the other book case. The picture of our tree didn't come out right, but another one was shown in my last post with Alyzza decorating it.:)</div>
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Did you count how many nativities I have? I just love having that as my theme at Christmas time. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season! </div>
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Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-26982038111717941212012-11-30T07:04:00.001-07:002012-11-30T07:04:19.134-07:00Our Thanksgiving Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone...and that the Christmas season is here! Here are some fun activities and crafts we did over the Thanksgiving holiday.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cf0_RljRQcG9n0-zqv5fmzDHJDIMafga7NEZZ-mGyoCp8xMKQea5BnecCwR9oHbhhNO1dEuL7tZbk6ebfXFQsRdGYpMQuJZvlMPlcUUXz_1dfYr4v3fyLf1JXQV15c4XX9NsDMjGSvSL/s1600/Thanksgiving+Fun+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cf0_RljRQcG9n0-zqv5fmzDHJDIMafga7NEZZ-mGyoCp8xMKQea5BnecCwR9oHbhhNO1dEuL7tZbk6ebfXFQsRdGYpMQuJZvlMPlcUUXz_1dfYr4v3fyLf1JXQV15c4XX9NsDMjGSvSL/s320/Thanksgiving+Fun+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I found these paper place mats at Target for the girls to do before breakfast one morning. They had fun coloring the turkey, doing a maze, unscrambling words and writing down what they were thankful for.<br />
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Of course, Little S just scribbled away (we didn't know what she was writing, but I'm sure she did). She had a crayon in one hand while holding a spoon in the other!<br />
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Alyzza made this costume at school and had fun wearing it all weekend.<br />
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I don't remember what spurred this idea on, but I ended up doing a quick craft for Q and Alyzza. I made these rubber band shooters out of dowels and clothespins (a fantastic idea from Family Fun). They had a blast, and of course, some of us got caught in the middle of it all (I need to make one for myself, too!)<br />
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a close up view of this fun, handmade toy<br />
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I found this banner at Target, too. A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, we started these links of thankfulness.:) It was fun to see what the girls would say. Little S said she was thankful that Jesus gave her water and then said almost the same thing about milk the next day. It was too cute!<br />
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Little S and I went on a short walk and gathered the best pine cones we could find. I made this trio of owls for her. She chose the craft out of a fall-themed Family Fun book that my secret sister at MOPS gave me. Alyzza chose the craft below out of the same book. If you haven't noticed already, I really like Family Fun. It is the source of so many of our creative endeavors around here.:)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpIimg4cXnaFMJadqKI0aaMkud0gNejOM-tVI_pEydP9fM0gLUfpix6G6358AkcZYDGTnzK-jm7o4vJBW8OrCP_XEPVCcBRuD0XnXyUL3UezRN9IMUZASjnLN7vpsCyRRDcgkpF0dl9Ms/s1600/Thanksgiving+fun+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpIimg4cXnaFMJadqKI0aaMkud0gNejOM-tVI_pEydP9fM0gLUfpix6G6358AkcZYDGTnzK-jm7o4vJBW8OrCP_XEPVCcBRuD0XnXyUL3UezRN9IMUZASjnLN7vpsCyRRDcgkpF0dl9Ms/s320/Thanksgiving+fun+8.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Here is Alyzza's pilgrim pal. We started off working together, but then I had to finish it later because we ran out of time. He is made out of a toilet paper tube, felt, yarn, pipe cleaners, colored paper and a bit of aluminum foil.<br />
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On Thanksgiving morning, Q read the story of Squanto to the girls (and yes, that's a bow in Daddy's hair, compliments of Alyzza).<br />
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After nap time, we drove to Loveland to have Thanksgiving dinner with Q's cousin and her family. This acorn squash with beet soup was the appetizer. After that, we had so many dishes to choose from to complete our meal. And of course, we kept some room in our bellies to enjoy some pie. We all had a fun time together and hope to get together again before too long.<br />
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A family tradition we have is to set up the Christmas tree and decorations the day after Thanksgiving. The girls were so excited and helped Daddy put the ornaments on, while I put out some of the other things. Do you want to see how it all turned out?<br />
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<i>Come back soon and find out!:)</i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-71349416829268870352012-11-20T13:50:00.001-07:002012-11-20T13:50:08.073-07:00The Little Nativity Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week, we did another craft at our M.O.P.S. group. Because we wouldn't meet up again until after Thanksgiving...and some of us like to decorate for Christmas the day after that, I thought it would be a good idea to make this little wooden spool nativity set:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs91HTPv_g5GhlHo3UIzO_7auCLhw3sjjMUj6fcKST_mSKk5NK3Z2s3hUzXHN9EmSEf-BP6gLMGPIhy095WC9O_qwlJoM0uvuFXuN-eWx2rKPspPCiX1ExPlpTrZGHZVKxVBVWlU0VdjXI/s1600/wooden+spool+nativity+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs91HTPv_g5GhlHo3UIzO_7auCLhw3sjjMUj6fcKST_mSKk5NK3Z2s3hUzXHN9EmSEf-BP6gLMGPIhy095WC9O_qwlJoM0uvuFXuN-eWx2rKPspPCiX1ExPlpTrZGHZVKxVBVWlU0VdjXI/s320/wooden+spool+nativity+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Some of you have seen a couple of the other sets that I've made in the past, so this one isn't much different. It took me a few tries to realize that the best fabric for the head coverings was felt. We also used fine-tipped Sharpie markers for the head details and used the yarn for the bodies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJhY9xOlzHiKlKSqSqW4seISXLbq8jckmuJ0SyCqCnX6hMOW6hd8C2WMvt-ixgaOUp1AKeIKmMtFKvfpbTXmB_Ya0sjkZHkxpvp_qg_eAsev8RzklOthM4XZi3Nh7fQKe-ngg-Q1SvXGx/s1600/wooden+spool+nativity+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJhY9xOlzHiKlKSqSqW4seISXLbq8jckmuJ0SyCqCnX6hMOW6hd8C2WMvt-ixgaOUp1AKeIKmMtFKvfpbTXmB_Ya0sjkZHkxpvp_qg_eAsev8RzklOthM4XZi3Nh7fQKe-ngg-Q1SvXGx/s320/wooden+spool+nativity+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I found this stable at the Dollar Tree right before we did our craft, so it was a neat thing to show the ladies how they can complete their set. I made a star out of craft foam and glued it on the top. You can also add some animals from a barnyard play set, as well as other wooden people to represent the shepherds and angels.<br />
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For the most part, I thought the craft went well. I had to set up the steps on two tables, so the ladies made their sets in assembly-line fashion. I only wish that we had more time though and that I could have set up more glue guns to keep the line going faster; those were the main problems that I did not foresee or have control over...oh well. However, the last group that went had ladies who were so understanding and they loved the craft so much they thought they could enjoy making it at home with their kids. <i>That made me</i> <i>happy.:)</i><br />
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The girls have played with our set a couple of times already.<i> Little S</i> loves the baby Jesus story already and enjoys singing, "Away in a Manger." Two days ago, she played with the set and lost baby Jesus, so we'll hope and pray he returns to the stable soon!:)<br />
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<i>Coming up soon...Thanksgiving activities this year....and as time permits some random Christmas gift and organization ideas! Stay tuned....</i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-85409431257986215342012-11-15T14:01:00.000-07:002012-11-15T14:01:09.670-07:00A very happy 60th anniversary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Not too long ago, we had a celebration for a couple in our church--they reached a milestone--60 years of married bliss. To honor them, Quentin decided to dedicate a service to them and to have a party afterward. I worked on decorations and Alyzza helped me decorate. I decided to go with a fall theme; it looks pretty at this time of year, plus we could keep it up until our Thanksgiving potluck.</div>
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Here's what we did to give the Sander's a super celebration....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7lzOdBAkKGGIgO16tLuggW8sJVrLFYu-VgOswjedCsGJp1gmyQ2D0X7y23qt8DAYBsXJ0GRFvSPAwA8mPduXTnUvSouVEGZYbCBniXlyHXJdGzBRDZC6SzdYlTuFYgB8VKKkysD2kbrk/s1600/autumn+garland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7lzOdBAkKGGIgO16tLuggW8sJVrLFYu-VgOswjedCsGJp1gmyQ2D0X7y23qt8DAYBsXJ0GRFvSPAwA8mPduXTnUvSouVEGZYbCBniXlyHXJdGzBRDZC6SzdYlTuFYgB8VKKkysD2kbrk/s320/autumn+garland.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
These felt circle garlands came out sooo cute; it gave me a good excuse to do some sewing again! I found the basic idea <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2011/09/tutorial-happy-day-garland.html">here</a> and I just love it!<br />
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<i>Pretty garlands make me happy!:)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExaxiYtX4HOFMv8Aa1UnYhFgM_fhfyGdPztXe0Bp5E3Q-PJ5jtZ9RoY1TFe58579trsb1bVMetWwZsP-AgZPCkcaJG0UqTpqOtcmtHm3BE6qJOvUwR7zIf33nNCYYR7vF7ZsvoZcXNFRa/s1600/pumpkin+centerpieces.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExaxiYtX4HOFMv8Aa1UnYhFgM_fhfyGdPztXe0Bp5E3Q-PJ5jtZ9RoY1TFe58579trsb1bVMetWwZsP-AgZPCkcaJG0UqTpqOtcmtHm3BE6qJOvUwR7zIf33nNCYYR7vF7ZsvoZcXNFRa/s320/pumpkin+centerpieces.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We used the fabric pumpkins we made last year for centerpieces. Laying these out with some Dollar Tree leaves were the perfect project for Alyzza.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mzIdWiIuuqZbsen_2Z3KYUgpkwbmQI18T7gnc-FQszB1tIc49DMWCvWJ6TGly_RZaZAkSmBxDaTu0d3ceb3nuKlw2SokVcqaIskhlAARArSJsEx8Q_bo-Lr5Cho7bKE2lli7t0qn2ybW/s1600/Sanders+bulletin+board+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mzIdWiIuuqZbsen_2Z3KYUgpkwbmQI18T7gnc-FQszB1tIc49DMWCvWJ6TGly_RZaZAkSmBxDaTu0d3ceb3nuKlw2SokVcqaIskhlAARArSJsEx8Q_bo-Lr5Cho7bKE2lli7t0qn2ybW/s320/Sanders+bulletin+board+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This simple bulletin board was easy to pull together. I stapled cardstock up there and had a couple of pens nearby for church friends to write the Sander's a note.<br />
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The pens were placed in a paper pocket that I stapled to the board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkGJFINR-IE7G8IGkzFRegZFRekoJPEqedDY9RO8wvzAZdTrzuDYnTHUkrBLGmb1luZ5tB_veA6HrwFayKY6p2pm-AGanvto7r_VUyjb9zjxjhNfn1gNR9MdOmSEWJHwBa9_rHWWyzul9/s1600/Sander's+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkGJFINR-IE7G8IGkzFRegZFRekoJPEqedDY9RO8wvzAZdTrzuDYnTHUkrBLGmb1luZ5tB_veA6HrwFayKY6p2pm-AGanvto7r_VUyjb9zjxjhNfn1gNR9MdOmSEWJHwBa9_rHWWyzul9/s320/Sander's+cake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This beautiful cake was made by Janis, another church member who we adore (she loves doing special things for our girls, too, and we appreciate that so much).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqSVisI0ofYQ6A0B7zjZfnRow3SUP65LWzaTUnfgxYehCEZDolH6s8ObNGefN4Z8RzrGD3DLgKUif5w2vgBYtbzDHoCcv0EPAMiCuYBC9dpk7k7YArKd3nyMWgtukSXJY8c22356Fn_Lu/s1600/Sanders+with+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqSVisI0ofYQ6A0B7zjZfnRow3SUP65LWzaTUnfgxYehCEZDolH6s8ObNGefN4Z8RzrGD3DLgKUif5w2vgBYtbzDHoCcv0EPAMiCuYBC9dpk7k7YArKd3nyMWgtukSXJY8c22356Fn_Lu/s320/Sanders+with+cake.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Congratulations, Dr. and Mrs. Sanders!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1HmrRiCFNOkskQbah6vt1rYLzMyiKjN4v5LE5v51i3HkvLV2qL75GQAdiRhtmehd7MsVUnWn3e4myUw48tif9aicDFmkB9JV88p2dWoeRviKHJ_f87l8nDBFWaMobQEhhse9mJt2qOqq/s1600/autumn+bouquet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1HmrRiCFNOkskQbah6vt1rYLzMyiKjN4v5LE5v51i3HkvLV2qL75GQAdiRhtmehd7MsVUnWn3e4myUw48tif9aicDFmkB9JV88p2dWoeRviKHJ_f87l8nDBFWaMobQEhhse9mJt2qOqq/s320/autumn+bouquet.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Quentin wanted to give them gifts during the service, and one of his ideas was to give Mrs. Sanders a bouquet of flowers. I had just stumbled across this <a href="http://myblessedlife.net/2012/10/easy-fall-flower-can-door-decor.html">idea </a>for a fall bouquet, and knew this would be the perfect gift for her. She absolutely loved it. (I hope to make one of these soon for us, but it will get greater use next fall.) Quentin also gave the Sanders a large-print New Testament and had their names engraved on it.<br />
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<i>All in all, it was a great celebration. To God be the glory for a tremendous example of love and ministry. Thank you, Dr. and Mrs. Sanders; we appreciate you.</i><br />
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<br />Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-90602512278422672322012-11-07T13:04:00.000-07:002012-11-07T13:04:39.922-07:00Pretty in yellow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few weeks ago, it was Spirit Week at Alyzza's school. We looked at the themes of each day and everything looked fine--except for the fact that Alyzza did not have anything yellow to wear for her class color day. We kept brainstorming on what to do so that she could participate. One of my ideas was to look for yellow polo shirts at Goodwill (or even find a white one and dye it yellow) for her to wear. </div>
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Well...an idea hit me when I was out shopping one day. I found a ladies yellow sleeveless tank at the Dollar Tree. Surely, this could be turned into a dress, right? Next door to the Dollar Tree is Goodwill, so we always have to go in and take a look. :) There, I found a men's yellow polo shirt for $2! So far, so good--$3 for a fun yellow dress is awesome!</div>
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Well, after some tweaking and sewing, here's the dress I made for Alyzza. She was sooo excited when I showed it to her.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP71O4xAZC1WACuJR6_D3SOhJLzdMRUzxoht4JXClSCh9fTCD6Q0JxloX4VmHMyIEJcLlTdmisIztitWxBh2L6lN4Vi0fPNss4L3fJJVUrnJNg2bJAEfT6SfbE2-85kITeUbRQSjtEfuHy/s1600/A's+yellow+dress+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP71O4xAZC1WACuJR6_D3SOhJLzdMRUzxoht4JXClSCh9fTCD6Q0JxloX4VmHMyIEJcLlTdmisIztitWxBh2L6lN4Vi0fPNss4L3fJJVUrnJNg2bJAEfT6SfbE2-85kITeUbRQSjtEfuHy/s320/A's+yellow+dress+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I had just a tiny bit of fabric left over from the men's shirt after making three ruffles each on the top and bottom of the dress. For school, she needed to wear a polo underneath it, but if it still fits her by next spring or summer, she could go sleeveless with it.<br />
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Making this dress for Alyzza reminded me of the many times my mom sewed something up for us for a school event. Sometimes, she worked late into the night and early the next morning to make sure that something was ready to go. I've always appreciated that about my mom; she's such a hard worker and puts so much creativity into what she does.<br />
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<i>Thanks, Mom, for instilling that desire in me. I'm now enjoying making things for my girls.</i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-51756609505007646382012-10-21T13:56:00.001-06:002012-10-21T13:56:57.049-06:00Easy fall decor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm back....and not as late as the last time. :) Life in general is just plain busy, but I'm encouraged in many ways. I mentioned a couple of months back that I've been organizing things around the house. Even though I am not done, I'm feeling a huge sense of accomplishment lately. I can actually find things and can work quicker and easier with projects. We are seeing the Lord work mightily in our family. Alyzza is doing well post-adoption and we're seeing praises in regards to Little S' situation. Thanks so much for your prayers. We will continue to keep you updated in the best way possible.</div>
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One of the things I have been enjoying this fall is starting back up at M.O.P.S. again. Little S is in a new class and since she's older, she always looks forward to going with me. In fact, when we're out and about doing other things she'll ask if we're going to M.O.P.S. She loves it that much! This year, I joined the steering committee as the crafts coordinator. This past summer, I worked at gathering ideas from my stash of books and magazines as well as off of the internet. I came up six crafts that I'll be sharing with you after we do them. We did the first craft recently, and that is shown in the second photo. I'll explain more on that below. But, this first picture shows something I did with Little S last month. I call it "Fall in a Jar."</div>
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We went for a walk and I encouraged her to find things that she'd like to put in a jar. She found leaves, twigs, rocks and crab apples. She talked about what she found with Dad. It's great to incorporate God's creation in the conversation as well. This jar made a great centerpiece until she accidentally dropped it on the floor and the jar broke into many pieces! (Yikes!)<br />
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Here's our beautiful fall wreath we made at M.O.P.S. It was a hit with everyone! It was probably the most time-consuming prep work I've done for any craft (for 60-70 ladies), but it was well worth it. Alyzza helped me with counting strips of fabric, but the cutting had to be done by me. Thankfully, the rotary cutter came in handy. The other ones should be easier to pull together and I've had offers from some of the ladies to ask them for help if I need it. Here is the<a href="http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/tricks-treats-autumn-fabric-wreath-by-elise-blaha.html"> link</a> for this wreath, which really can be used for any season using the right colors. From the instructions it does not say how many strips you need, but someone asked about that in the comments section. You need roughly 100 strips or so to make a full wreath. Use a variety of prints and solids to make it look the best. I used denim and corduroy to add some texture to it as well.<br />
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<i>How's your fall season going so far? Have fun adding these ideas to your fall decor this year. </i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-1058342416328430552012-09-04T21:37:00.000-06:002012-09-04T21:40:23.300-06:00Alyzza's Adoption Day Celebration!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I thought it was about time to reveal pictures of the day when we finalized Alyzza's adoption. All of these pictures came from my sister-in-law, Abigail, so I'd like to give a special thanks to her for these. The pictures also show mostly family, and those which did not include Little S (they were sooo cute, but still can't show you her face on this blog). Anyway, here's the story of Alyzza's Adoption Day:</div>
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After a half-day of school, Q went to pick Alyzza up to bring her back home to get ready to leave. We needed to drive an hour away to Fort Collins for the hearing, so after lunch we had a time of rest and getting dressed up to go. Alyzza chose this fancy dress, given to her by her cousin, Annalina, to wear. We also gave her a couple of gifts from us, and revealed to her a special gift from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. See that beautiful necklace she's wearing? It has her new initials on one side and the date of adoption on the other. It was such a thoughtful gift and one that she'll keep forever.<br />
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Two sweet girls just hanging out--Alyzza Joy and Annalina Joy! :)<br />
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More cousins....Gabriel, Alyzza, Annalina, Carson and Ross<br />
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Daddy and her big girl</div>
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After our waiting time in the lobby, we went inside the court room. Besides Alyzza's caseworker and lawyer, also joining us were Abigail and her kids and our friend, Shannon, and her boys. They sat in the jury section as they watched. It was neat to see that the majority of our "audience" were children.<br />
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The judge asked us a few questions,<br />
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then had us check over some paperwork to make sure all of our names and things were correct. He was so down-to-earth and friendly. We could tell that he loves kids and that he enjoys doing these hearings.<br />
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He shook Alyzza's hand to congratulate her, then he gave her a special certificate.<br />
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We hugged when it was all done....it was finally official! What an awesome feeling. I've never given birth to a child before, but I'm sure my feelings that day were pretty much the same to those who have. I didn't know whether to cry or jump up and down with excitement.:)<br />
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The jury (aka my fabulous nephews and niece!)</div>
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me with the youngest of the crew, cutie pie, Jedidiah</div>
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Alyzza having a great time with Carson</div>
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After the hearing, we headed to a park nearby where Q had reserved a shelter. We ate some yummy chicken fingers from Raising Cane's, then enjoyed a piece of cake. Several other friends from our church here and from our former church in Fort Collins joined us in celebrating this special day with us. All of them have prayed and cried with us during this time of adding children into our family.<br />
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<i>Thanks again to all of you who have prayed with us as well. Through this I have realized that God always has the perfect plan in each of our lives. If it hadn't been for my roller coaster of physical adversities and miscarriages, Alyzza may have never been a part of our family. We can't wait to join Little S and perhaps others to the Johnson household. Please continue to keep Alyzza in your prayers during this time of adjustment as well as the situation that is holding back Little S's adoption. We appreciate it!:)</i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-48231597576183630632012-08-26T15:24:00.000-06:002012-08-26T15:28:32.706-06:00So, where have I been? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In recent weeks, I have been emailed by a few friends asking where I have been lately. I'm sure you've all noticed my absence on this blog that has lasted longer than I anticipated--six months to be exact! </div>
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This momma has been busy with life in general. In these last several months, there has been heart ache, answer to prayer, celebrations, transitions, and tons of organization around the house! We have seen the girls grow in many areas and we've grown as a family. Here are some highlights to catch you up on everything!</div>
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1. In March, we celebrated A's one-year anniversary! Although it was a joyous time in our eyes, for her it was a struggle because it brought back memories and some uncertainties in her heart. So, this brought me tons of heart ache. Lots of tears on both ends left me wondering if I could handle being a foster mom any more. Parenting is a hard job, but when you are dealing with a five-year-old who has had lots of scars in her life, it makes this job even harder. We prayed lots (and continue to do so) during the spring and summer for things to smooth out with her.</div>
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2. Crafting has become a rare occasion around here, but instead, I've been organizing many areas of our home. It started with the girls' rooms and now, I'm working on the basement. Although A's room is decorated, Little S' room is not so much. The basement has come a long ways, but it is so worth it. I have boxes of kids' clothing all labeled, which is what the majority of the stuff is down there. This spring, we switched rooms with Little S', so my room isn't feeling very homey yet. My sewing machine is set up, but I have yet to figure out how I'm going to set up notions and such.</div>
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3. In May, we heard about a glitch in Little S' adoption process. Even though it is something beyond our control, we are determined to prayerfully get it settled so we can move ahead and adopt her. I can't go into any details here, but if you think of it, can you pray for this situation? We should know more specifics in October.</div>
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4. We went to California for a conference and family vacation in June. While Q and I went to sessions designed especially for those in ministry, the girls had child care workers who kept them busy with lots of fun stuff to do. A huge highlight of that time was for A to meet Patch the Pirate! We even took a picture with him. Then, after a few days, we headed up north to be with my side of the family. Everyone there fell in love with the girls. We had so much fun doing things around the Bay Area and just hanging out together.</div>
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5. In July, we began getting things ready for A to start school. We enrolled her in a Christian school knowing that her adoption day was close. At the end of July, we received an email saying that the finalization of adoption was happening on August 21. It was also Little S' 2nd birthday! So, on that day, we celebrated her joining our family. We had Q's sister and family and some close friends join us in the court room. Then, we had a party at a park nearby with some additional folks who have prayed during this journey. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for this day to happen. She has been our daughter for over a year, but in the eyes of the state, she has been our daughter for almost a week now. Continue to pray for us as we go through some "growing pains" post-adoption. Lots of conversations and tears have already happened, but at least now we all know she's here for keeps.:)</div>
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And now, may I introduce to you Miss A, who we've kept her first name the same, but we've changed her middle name to Joy (named after Aunt Abigail and cousin Annalina who share the same name!:)</div>
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Here's Alyzza Joy Johnson....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4dQQYrKdcsXOuZHIUaimpllz044rdpVkKEGd85oPafI8Jn_d7uNQIpVKmUg98wrRlyvjtUe5pRyTb59XTfOZBVXvjNAQzHDSfU0WAcXg0oaBwJwmB34Qnoai3kBsDheHVcgdaRX3VAdM/s1600/alyzza+at+santa+cruz,+june+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4dQQYrKdcsXOuZHIUaimpllz044rdpVkKEGd85oPafI8Jn_d7uNQIpVKmUg98wrRlyvjtUe5pRyTb59XTfOZBVXvjNAQzHDSfU0WAcXg0oaBwJwmB34Qnoai3kBsDheHVcgdaRX3VAdM/s320/alyzza+at+santa+cruz,+june+2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We could not share her name or picture up until now because of foster care regulations. I will have more pictures and details about her adoption day later. For now, I hope I've caught you all up on what's happening in the Johnson household and given you additional things to pray for. Love you all.--TheoTheo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-3828497602392655632012-02-24T11:31:00.002-07:002012-02-27T15:16:12.410-07:00Homemade Sugar Scrub<div>Here's another fun idea that we did at one of our M.O.P.S. meetings--homemade sugar scrub!</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3femQcuunkO2hRK3Pd-r4ciu37m_SXdQAlIKemOKSYVadDjHwLYFiCqZrEEj41TJDVXjtbRWRBfMp7BYo3cgbB_yPZfDsqOLiv5JVixlPED4kcW3fTqj1Xh2fBu4ugPEqbKebp_ezdTgp/s1600/homemade+sugar+scrub.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3femQcuunkO2hRK3Pd-r4ciu37m_SXdQAlIKemOKSYVadDjHwLYFiCqZrEEj41TJDVXjtbRWRBfMp7BYo3cgbB_yPZfDsqOLiv5JVixlPED4kcW3fTqj1Xh2fBu4ugPEqbKebp_ezdTgp/s320/homemade+sugar+scrub.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712771687989012002" /></a>This would make a great gift for a new mom, for Mother's Day, a birthday, or even for a stressful mom (we all may know one, eh?). This would make her day!<div><br /></div><div>It's so easy to put together, too. Mix one cup white sugar with one cup brown sugar in a bowl. Then, add one cup vegetable oil to the mix. Add a couple drops of a scented oil (mine has eucalyptus in it.) That's all there is to it. When you're done, the scrub will look like this:</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQKW085egEOO9IuNeDcbTN80rXOf2nf6Ki2yIRIJmmp9M-GlHLRZzjXfIxEfvug1iLC6ZV91A9ql6jEnN2z4yDjqkhnFyGIhT3wU8dfBu3nHbC0Cpyb-qummVXMClzJmz9Riow_GKC94G/s1600/homemade+sugar+scrub+2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQKW085egEOO9IuNeDcbTN80rXOf2nf6Ki2yIRIJmmp9M-GlHLRZzjXfIxEfvug1iLC6ZV91A9ql6jEnN2z4yDjqkhnFyGIhT3wU8dfBu3nHbC0Cpyb-qummVXMClzJmz9Riow_GKC94G/s320/homemade+sugar+scrub+2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712771689275932514" /></a>When you're mixing a batch to give away, why don't you make some for yourself, too. :)</div>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-57826449258421729862012-02-22T15:40:00.004-07:002012-02-24T11:30:28.594-07:00A's 100th day of school<div>This is a little late in posting, but I wanted to share what we did for A's 100th day of school. It took place about a week before Valentine's Day, but it didn't happen on the day she thought it would. You see, we had a huge snowstorm which cancelled school. When I told her that morning, she was disappointed, but I reassured her that the 100th day of school would still happen next Monday morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>To get ready, I had an idea for a special gift for her teacher--100 kisses in a jar. She counted them by placing them in sets of ten on the table.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANKAfqhfZso1pnzqNXlx1-07jD48rr4iorQXQT0gcSKVAu2dKluMX4_GQeMmbRzNv0CIKWQCiikkq5gX9PSExXbxcL_vgMKm7bh4GOYCIL0BJ8F8X0G9QedsX8101kaltpUd8gn77cIIC/s1600/counting+100+kisses.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANKAfqhfZso1pnzqNXlx1-07jD48rr4iorQXQT0gcSKVAu2dKluMX4_GQeMmbRzNv0CIKWQCiikkq5gX9PSExXbxcL_vgMKm7bh4GOYCIL0BJ8F8X0G9QedsX8101kaltpUd8gn77cIIC/s320/counting+100+kisses.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712093951073855794" /></a>Then, we made mini donuts. I didn't make 100 of them, just enough for each child to have two. Because I had made them the day before the snow storm, I knew that they wouldn't last over the weekend. So, A made deliveries to our neighbors. It was a welcome treat on a very snowy day.<div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLs_hi7lwQySR3EHRcab5jbsHXSDZOeGaCw4Uz9311PRMW0o7cL_XAVXiQOx4ik1V3qeuuIsJoIJrkJSGvV81a_dfxTQZOib-P6K0d4ymm5lXCBEuWjjlntH0kyJgubCRk87FKyZMMzv0k/s1600/100th+day+donuts+1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLs_hi7lwQySR3EHRcab5jbsHXSDZOeGaCw4Uz9311PRMW0o7cL_XAVXiQOx4ik1V3qeuuIsJoIJrkJSGvV81a_dfxTQZOib-P6K0d4ymm5lXCBEuWjjlntH0kyJgubCRk87FKyZMMzv0k/s320/100th+day+donuts+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712093948549137346" /></a>On Sunday afternoon, we worked on another batch--still as yummy as the first. I found the recipe <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com">here</a>. They have the perfect touch of lemon in them!</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1i1l6c2WL5yAaBrilfURyXlWoB3Ayeiqp3JXCdTouF1canXoYwDI5Bm7YclV_2qlIr9SI4mHK8XY56YnpTH9_j6aDieKoVEuUCb0dprTwbvPTEy5MSKHU1hFWJAMYnVCpirKVoywJG3Oj/s1600/100th+day+donuts+2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1i1l6c2WL5yAaBrilfURyXlWoB3Ayeiqp3JXCdTouF1canXoYwDI5Bm7YclV_2qlIr9SI4mHK8XY56YnpTH9_j6aDieKoVEuUCb0dprTwbvPTEy5MSKHU1hFWJAMYnVCpirKVoywJG3Oj/s320/100th+day+donuts+2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712093942489632306" /></a>We melted vanilla bark coating and dipped each one. A had fun adding the sprinkles. Her class loved them!</div><div><br /></div><div>As for her 100th day project, she came up with something very different--nothing like what I saw when I taught school. She counted out 100 Q-tips and put them in a jar! Have any of you ever heard of that project? She did a great job and had a fun day at school celebrating 100 days of growing smarter.:)</div>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-62865474514276725412012-02-12T17:56:00.003-07:002012-02-12T18:16:33.398-07:00Awesome possum!<div>Here's a fun project that I did at my M.O.P.S. group right before Christmas. We were given a clear plate to decorate with paint markers. The goal of this was to design a plate that can be used for a celebration--a birthday, holiday, or a big accomplishment.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of my favorite things to say to a child when they do something great is "Awesome possum!" I used it all the time when I taught, and now I say it to our girls. I knew that's what I wanted to do on my plate, so I first drew a little girl and wrote the saying on the plate. Others did their own drawings like I did while others used a print-out of a favorite cartoon character to embellish theirs. </div><div><br /></div><div>We traced our design using a black dry erase marker. Then, we were able to trace the lines on the underside of the plate using paint markers. We used a clear sealant so that the paint doesn't wash off. They are still delicate and can only be hand-washed, so be careful if you do this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's what my plate looks like:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-OndyS8ZaW3khwCTB_4dq4RxXzhHY9VhcJolNjAUbux91I_2vXWnm3sLt9g4-vMhs_wdIPBdU-0MH5uPDoYIRu0GLtXwyu4C609bzHKfq2IRJK4_QtT6caSYeF4GKiOjrPhziXFDQ4jY/s1600/awesome+possum+plate.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-OndyS8ZaW3khwCTB_4dq4RxXzhHY9VhcJolNjAUbux91I_2vXWnm3sLt9g4-vMhs_wdIPBdU-0MH5uPDoYIRu0GLtXwyu4C609bzHKfq2IRJK4_QtT6caSYeF4GKiOjrPhziXFDQ4jY/s400/awesome+possum+plate.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708418808794456514" /></a>It was such a fun and relaxing way to get creative with the ladies in my group. It will be awesome to use this when the girls accomplish something great. From having a great day at school to doing a job without being told (and perhaps in the midst of potty training this summer with Little S!), this plate can be a huge way to encourage the recipient. They can use it for a meal, a dessert, or even all day--yipee! <i>I can't wait!:)</i>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2432020619137502132.post-51424607273202783252012-02-03T15:04:00.002-07:002012-02-03T15:13:21.961-07:00Listening sheetsI've been using <i>listening sheets</i> with A for the past couple of months as a way to train her to listen carefully to a sermon in church. It has been a wonderful thing to keep her involved and quiet during the church service.<div><br /></div><div>When she first came to live with us (last March), I put together a bag of things for her to do during the service. Inside of it would be a coloring book, pencils, crayons, and a Bible. But, when I found this <a href="http://www.valeriewritenow.com/2011/09/listening-sheets.html">link</a> to the listening sheets, I eliminated the coloring book. If she needs to have a change of pace for a while, then I photocopy a Bible coloring sheet. I want her focus to be on things of the Lord, and not just "fillers" that she can do at home, school or anywhere else.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, are you ready to check it out for yourself? There are a few options to choose from (readers, non-readers and older children), so click on the link and print away! I know these will be a blessing to you as they have been to us and others we have shared them with in our church.</div>Theo-Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10878970592263471629noreply@blogger.com0