Outside the box!

Marshmallow Crispy Treats

2012-01-26T22:11:00.002-07:00

We have a favorite dessert in our house--these marshmallow crispy treats!

They are not ordinary either, as they have a secret ingredient in them--flaxseed. Flaxseed can be added to all sorts of recipes, but I never thought about this one. I found the recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. All of the recipes have secret ingredients in them, mainly pureed vegetables. Everything we have tried has been awesome! Pureeing food hasn't been that difficult, but if you have some extra jars of baby food, they can be used as well (Little S grew out of them really fast, so I still have some jars I'm trying to use up when I can.).

So, enjoy this sweet treat this weekend with a tall glass of milk (you'll probably want to get a second one when you're done, but that's okay--they're "healthified"!).

Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread

1 (10-ounce) package marshmallows

6 cups crisp brown rice cereal

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Melt the margarine in a large pot over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the rice cereal and flaxseed, and stir until the rice is well coated with marshmallow. Press the mixture into the baking dish and let cool before cutting into squares.

Makes 8 large squares.

A gift from God

2012-01-20T15:18:00.005-07:00

I love the verse in Ephesians 3:20 that says that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think. He has done something so wonderful in an area of my life that I have been wanting to share with you.

Many of you know from reading my blog or knowing me personally that becoming a mother has been a huge desire of mine. After losing a couple of babies, I wondered if I'd ever hear a child call me Mom.

Well....to make a long story short, over the holidays we found out that Little S will become a permanent member of our family. We are sooo excited about this news! When she first came, we did not know how long she would be with us as she was an emergency placement. After spending one night with us, a judge sent her back home. But later that day, was placed back with us after a social services worker noticed more things in her home that were not safe. Even in that, I know God was working on Little S's story. She was meant to be with us for good. We have fallen in love with this beautiful curly-topped girl. She was not born from my womb, but I feel like it sometimes. Our hearts are knit together as one.;)

We have so much to learn as we begin the process of adopting her, but we know that God will continue to help us through each step. Many of you have been praying, so I thank you so much for doing so.

As a way to celebrate, I got a new charm for my bracelet--her birthstone!

We will keep you posted on our adoption journey. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Perhaps I will be able to share a picture when it is all said and done.

And by the way, she calls me "Mama."

Our advent calendars

2012-01-14T21:37:00.002-07:00

Q and I enjoyed beginning some traditions with the girls during the holiday season. One of them was the advent calendars. Do you remember when I bought this one?

I bought it almost two years ago at our local thrift store. It was missing a couple of pieces, so I made a felt baby Jesus (I also set out to make another star, but didn't get to it...oh well...). We took turns filling up the nativity scene until the day before Christmas.

Before we had kids I knew that I wanted to do the book advent calendar. All you do is wrap books and number them. You can do 25 or however many Christmas books you have, then read one a day until Christmas.

Even though I own over twenty Christmas books (and could have borrowed a couple from the library), I decided to do ten books that do not focus on Santa, reindeer, the Grinch, etc,--but rather on the real meaning of Christmas, and a couple of fun ones (like snowmen). Our girls are very impressionable, especially the eldest who came from a home that only focused on the "pretend" things of the season. The fun books can be enjoyed much later, as I wanted to instill the real focus of Christmas during their early years.

The last book we read through has eleven chapters, so we were able to read something almost every day during the month of December. I have made a special note of that one at the bottom of my list. Here are some great options for you that mostly focus on Jesus' birthday. Hope this is a help to you if you'd like to try this.

The Crippled Lamb, by Max Lucado

Merry Christmas, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond

The Story of Christmas, by Patricia A. Pingry

The Legend of the Christmas Stocking, by Rick Osborne

Snow What Fun! When Snowmen come to life on Christmas Eve, by Cheryl Hawkinson

Jingle Bell Sleigh, by Monique Z. Stephens

Simeon and the Baby Jesus, by Evelyn Marzhausen

ABC is for Christmas, by Jane Werner Watson

The Christmas Story, by Jane Werner

The Twelve Days of Christmas, illustrated by Sheilah Beckett

The Animals' Christmas Eve, by Gale Wiersum

The Gift of the Magi, adapted from the story by O. Henry, illustrated by Robert Sauber

The Legend of the Candy Cane, by Lori Walburg

Little Miss Spider-A Christmas Wish, by David Kirk

The Christmas Star, story adapted by Moira Butterfield

The ABC's of Christmas, by Jane Belk Moncure

The Candymaker's Gift, by David and Helen Haidle

A Little House Christmas (Holiday Stories from the Little House Books), by Laura Ingalls Wilder

One Wintry Night, by Ruth Bell Graham (This was the final book we did with eleven chapters. It is my absolute favorite. It covers sin and our need for the Savior and highlights a few notable characters from the Bible before ending with the Nativity and life/death of Christ.)

A scarf for Miss C

2012-01-14T21:36:00.003-07:00

When A and I were planning on what to make for Christmas gifts, we stumbled upon a cute scarf in the November 2011 issue of Family Fun Magazine. There was a neat section on things kids could make for their favorite people. Miss C is A's kindergarten teacher and she is awesome; she is exactly what A has needed this year. She is loving, fun and consistent. We adore her!

A helped me choose the colors of fleece--red and purple. Because she was coming down with sickness, she just didn't feel well enough to help me put this together. So, I taught her as I wove the fabric strips in and out of the scarf. Then, I added a fringe at the ends. Hopefully if we make this again for someone else, A will be able to do this project with very little help. We all thought it came out pretty cute!:)

What gifts did your children give to their teachers this year?

Glitter snowflake

2012-01-12T22:13:00.001-07:00

During A's Christmas break, we put this incredible snowflake together:

It's the cutest decoration for the winter season. Do you know what it's made out of? Look closely--

If you guessed Q-tips, you're right! This project was found in Family Fun Magazine's December 2011 issue. After you wrap a large piece of cardboard with plastic wrap, you arrange 18 cotton swabs as shown in the picture above. We used glitter glue at each point, but they recommended using tacky glue then sprinkling glitter onto the glue (I guess it depends on how messy you want to get, right?). You let your snowflake(s) dry overnight then find a place to hang it with monofilament line. Pretty neat, huh? :)

My gift to A

2012-01-12T22:12:00.003-07:00

Since this last fall, A has been wanting her very own scarf. I was lending her mine on those very cold days on our walk to school. Little did she know that I was working on one as a gift for Christmas (I just love surprises, don't you?:).

Many days and hours later, this pink and green beauty, done only in a garter stitch was finally completed. The fringe went on the night before Christmas, so I was relieved to have it done.

After church that morning, Q took the girls outside to take pictures of them in their special dresses while I worked on lunch. I put the scarf on and waited for A to come in the door. She immediately noticed and asked about it. I asked her if she liked it and then told her it was hers. We took a couple of pictures and her face says it all (wish I could show you but because she's in foster care, can't do it). I was unsure how many things I could make this year, but I knew I had to do this one for her. She wears her scarf proudly everywhere and she lets people know that "Mommy Q" (her nickname for me) made it just for her.

This is a memory of Christmas I will never forget.

Simply cute and whimsical

2012-01-12T22:11:00.004-07:00

This year for Christmas, the girls were flooded with gifts from family and friends. This was our first year as parents, so it was fun to see their reactions as they opened up their gifts. As you all know, I love giving and receiving handmade gifts. They are so special and heartfelt. When A opened up the package that contained these aprons, she was ecstatic!

She's been wanting an apron to use when she cooks and bakes with me so this was awesome! The smaller apron is for Little S, but she is not too sure what to think of it right now. They came from my youngest sister, who made them with the help of our mom. She chose the best colors, which I am in awe of. Great job, Raquel!

I really like the pleats at the top of the biggest apron.

This patchwork bird applique' is sooo adorable!

There were a few places where the stitching was done in a curvy fashion. I love all of the details, time and effort they put into these. They will definitely be something I will not part with when the girls outgrow them either. They will make great heirlooms.:)

A favorite holiday pie

2012-01-05T15:59:00.003-07:00

As I've been planning on what to write here over the next few weeks, I couldn't pass up sharing a few holiday favorites, including this pie:

It is no ordinary pie, either as it has three layers of sweetness! On the bottom is a chocolate layer, followed by a cheesecake layer in the center, then to top it all off, a pumpkin pie layer!

I found the recipe for Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Pie in Better Homes and Garden's Annual Recipe Book from 2008. You'll definitely want to try it for a holiday, birthday or other special event. Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

1 recipe Deep-Dish Pie Pastry (see at bottom of recipe)

12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1-1/2 8 oz. pkgs.)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

1 15-oz can pumpkin

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream

chopped chocolate (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare and roll out Deep Dish Pie Pastry. Transfer pastry to a 9-1/2 to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust edge 1/2 inch beyond pie plate. Flute edge high. Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

2. In medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 egg; beat on low speed until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture in cooled pastry shell. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces.

3. In bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and pie spiece. Stir in 4 eggs. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Slowly pour pumpkin mixture on chocolate layer. To preven overbrowning, cover pie edge with foil.

4. Bake 60-65 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove foil. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Top with chopped chocolate. Makes 8 servings.

Deep-Dish Pie Pastry--In medium bowl stir together 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut in 6 tablespoons shortening until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of flour mixture; gently toss with fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, until all flour is moistened (5 to 6 tablespoons total). Form into ball. On lightly floured surface, flatten dough. Roll pastry from center to edge to 13-inch circle.

Top with whipped cream if you'd like--yum!:)

Come and join me....

2012-01-04T21:15:00.004-07:00

Happy new year, everyone!

Life has been busy, but this year I've got a plan to keep up with the important things in life. I love organization, but with the girls joining our family this last year, things around the house have become very disorganized. I was simply surviving as a wife, mom, and keeper of my home. This year I really want to thrive!

So....for the past couple of weeks, I've been reading, researching and trying out new things to help me be all that I can be for the Lord and my family. Here are a few things that I am beginning in this new year, that I hope will help you as well:

Personal Growth: I know that I can't do anything well without the Lord's help, so I'm striving to get to know Him better through Bible reading. A devotional book by Jason Janz called, Alone with God, should help me with this goal. I'd also like to read some books and on the top of the list are....Changed into His Image, by Jim Berg, The Ministry of Motherhood, by Sally Clarkson and Kisses from Katie, by Katie Davis.

Home Organization: I found a neat website called Home Storage Solutions 101 and I love it! Each week, you're given a new area in your home to tackle and get organized. This week's challenge has been to clear kitchen counters for more space and to keep your sink free of dirty dishes as much as possible. It's been a little bit of a challenge, but I'm already seeing improvement. I've already begun next week's challenge--kitchen cupboards! If you sign up for their emails, you will receive a weekly task for the whole year.

Menu Planning and preparation: I am still going to be using E-mealz as much as possible, but I needed to find a way to write out what I'm going to be preparing for each meal every week. If you click here, you'll find several templates to help you with meal planning. I'm currently using design #4 and I have it posted on my refrigerator for easy reference.

Mothering with Purpose: As a new mom, I'm enjoying spending time with the girls. But, I have found with not being very organized with the above mentioned things, that it hasn't left much time on teaching times and special activities with the girls. So, I'm going to be working this week with A on a craft and cooking list. There are so many things she wants to learn how to do, so we're going to make a list and aim for at least one a week. I'm also working on getting some busy boxes together for Little S. Having a better routine with this active 16-month-old will help her grow, but also keep her out of trouble. Yes, I've seen her get bored with toys, and that's when she pretends she's a tornado and all of our belongings are strewn all over the house.:)

Of course, these are just a few areas of my life; there is so much room for growth in my marriage, church ministry responsibilities, musical abilities, crafting, and community involvement. I haven't written down ideas for these other things yet, but I will in the days ahead. Each new year is like a blank canvas. It has no mistakes in it; it just has room for it to become beautiful. I know that the Lord can enable us to become more beautiful in His eyes as we strive to please Him in every area of our lives.

How about you? What new things would you like to accomplish this year?

Turkey cookie treat

2011-11-30T21:37:00.002-07:00

At my last MOPS meeting, someone in my group brought a sweet treat for us to enjoy:

So cute, huh? The turkey's body is a chocolate-covered cherry--yum! It was a nice surprise. Everything was "glued" together with chocolate frosting. The girls loved eating theirs up as I was able to bring a few of them home with me.

Just another cute idea to remember for next year.....

Edible Indian Corn

2011-11-30T11:55:00.002-07:00

Here's a yummy treat that I made for A's class right before Thanksgiving break. I found this idea on Family Fun and I could not wait to try it out! This edible Indian corn looks hard to put together, but it really is not. I did the majority of the work and then A helped me put on the green fruit leather at the end.

These treats were a huge hit with her teacher and classmates.

So, here's the recipe for ya if you want to give them a try. I'm sure you can make some interesting shapes, perhaps stars for the Christmas season. :)

Edible Indian Corn

Makes 15 treats

4 tablespoons butter

4 cups mini marshmallows

5 cups puffed corn cereal (KIX)

1-1/3 cups diced dried fruit

popsicle sticks

fruit leather

In a large pot, melt butter and mini marshmallows over low heat (about 5 minutes). Remove the mixture from the stove and use a wooden spoon to stir in puffed corn cereal and diced dried fruit. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes. Using buttered hands, shape each treat by pressing 1/3 cup of the mixture around a popsicle stick. Add fruit leather husks to the bottom of the ear, slightly moistening them to help them stick if needed.

The Thankful Tree

2011-11-16T22:01:00.003-07:00

We started a new tradition in our house this year for the Thanksgiving season. We have a thankful tree on our dining room wall. It is not complete yet, but hope to have more thankful hands on it before the month is over.

I used brown packaging paper to make the tree and wrote "The Thankful Tree" on it as well as First Thessalonians 5:18 ("In everything give thanks....). Then, on most days after lunch we trace one of our hands and write something we're thankful for. It's been an encouragement to me in so many ways. I have been delighted to see A get so into it. In fact, she has written a few of them herself. My heart smiled after I asked her what one of them said. She said, "I'm thankful for you, Theo." :)

What traditions do you have for Thanksgiving? I'd love to hear about them!:)

Lovin' my pumpkins!

2011-11-10T15:00:00.004-07:00

Happy Fall, everyone! I hope you are enjoying the sights and scents of the season. There have been days when I look outside and see that fall is in full swing. But, there have been days that feel like summer and a few days where we've seen a white Christmas! It's kind of strange, but that's Colorado for ya!

If you were to come into my home, you'd see lots of pumpkins in many forms--some ceramic, some fabric, and a few that are the real thing. Here are a few of my favorites, including an easy craft idea:

I made this fabric pumpkin at one of my M.O.P.S. meetings. It's adorable and sooo easy to put together. I think A and I will make some of these for our Thanksgiving potluck at church (and perhaps use them for our Thanksgiving celebration with family). All you do is take a fabric quarter (found in quilting section at the craft store) and place it right side down on a table. Take a toilet paper tube and place it standing up in the center of the fabric as you put three plastic grocery sacks around it forming your pumpkin. Take the corners and edges of your fabric and push it into the tube. Use a small piece of a paper lunch sack and twist it to make a stem. Then, curl green pipe cleaners (two are recommended; I lost one of mine!) and stick them next to the stem. Now you have the cutest little pumpkin to decorate--and take apart later if you'd like for easy storage.:)

A can't wait to roast pumpkin seeds this year! I'm going to teach her how to scrape out the seeds and cook the pumpkin meat. Perhaps we'll even make that pumpkin pie that Q has been hinting about!

Do any of you have a wall flower from Bath and Body Works? I love their scents and right now, I have creamy pumpkin. It has been one of my favorites! You've got to try these if you haven't yet.:)

What's your favorite thing about fall these days?

Pipe cleaner people

2011-10-30T14:17:00.002-06:00

About a month ago, I needed a creative idea to use in our Sunday School program. While looking through my ETC (Evangelizing Today's Child) files, I found a neat project that focuses on reviewing Bible verses.

A and I made pipe cleaner people that hold memory verse cards. This is how hers turned out:

All you need is two pipe cleaners, a dixie cup, tape, crayons, scissors, pen and paper. The pipe cleaners are twisted together to make the arms, legs, and a loop for the head. An adult can help the child make a face or they can do it themselves. This is cut out and taped to the pipe cleaner loop. Cut out a small card and write a favorite Bible verse on it. A few can be done so that they can be changed from time to time. The arms hold onto the card. Twist the body to sit on a dixie cup and reinforce with tape. That's all there is to it!

Because it happened to be Q's birthday on the day we did this, we decided to make one for him, too.

I think the resemblance is striking, don't you think?:)

Besides using these to review Scripture, they can also be used as reminders and sweet notes to the people in your family. Have fun!:)

Snow fluff cookies

2011-10-27T21:45:00.006-06:00

As mentioned in my previous post, we got our first big snow of the year. It was really cute to hear A talk about how it was Jesus' birthday and suggest making gingerbread cookies. She immediately associated the winter scene outside with Christmas. I had to explain to her that the holidays weren't for a while yet. She was disappointed as she cannot wait for Christmas.

This snow picture right outside our door was so beautiful and peaceful. Hard to think that it was so much warmer just a couple of days before this happened!

Remember the mobile I told you about? It has a completely different look with the snow in the back ground.

We began a tradition in our house a few years ago that involves the first day of snow. We make cookies and drink hot chocolate. Now with kids, this day is even more fun. I have enjoyed making snowball cookies, but this year I chose to do something different. By looking in a couple of cookbooks, I came across a recipe for snowfluff cookies. Another recipe called them cornflake kisses. No matter what you call them, they are perfect for this special day.

A and I used the recipe in this Mix and Fix Cookbook (published by Parents Magazine years ago). This book has been mine since I was a young girl. Flipping through the pages has brought back memories of making some of these recipes.

Here's the recipe where it's called cornflake kisses:

2 egg whites

2 cups cornflakes

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1 cup dry shredded coconut

1. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff.

2. Gradually add the sugar, and keep beating!

3. Gently fold in the other ingredients, just barely mixing everything together.

4. Drop the batter onto a greased cookie sheet, a teaspoonful at a time.

5. Bake in a moderate oven (325 degrees) for 12 minutes.

Makes 30 small kisses.

After lunch, Q and A went sledding for a while. When they returned they were drenched, but had such a good time together. We all sat down to eat snowfluff cookies and drink hot chocolate. This is such a neat tradition for us to continue with the kids.:)

Fall Leaf Mobile

2011-10-24T22:16:00.004-06:00

I began this post last night while it was still looking like fall. Snow began falling tonight so tomorrow will look more like winter has arrived. It may not be the case where you live and you can still enjoy the gorgeous colors of autumn for some time.

A and I put together this fun decoration a few weeks ago to celebrate this season. If you have some leaves right outside your door and you'd like to preserve them, this is a great project to use them for.

I found this idea in last month's edition of Family Fun Magazine. After you press your leaves in a large book for a couple of days, place them between two pieces of clear contact paper. Cut around them, leaving a small border. Punch holes, tie a string to each, then hang them from a branch. We found our branch near our garden then taped it to the curtain rod. When the sun shines these leaves really glow. It's amazing!

Take time to enjoy this wondrous season God has given us. He is the Master Painter of the universe!:)

Life as "mom"

2011-09-27T21:02:00.002-06:00

Blogging has been on my mind a bit, but not as much as the two precious girls God has entrusted us to take care of right now. Life as their mom has been busy, joyous and even hard at times, but God has given us the grace and strength to get through each day.

So, in the last five weeks that I have not blogged, much has happened. The girls are getting bigger and learning new things. Little S turned one and she is now a running, babbling and "little miss trouble" (probably should spell that with all caps!) thirteen-month old. Our eldest, A, is loving school and her teacher so much. Her enthusiasm for learning is contagious. Q has had another birthday; A and I have done a couple of fun projects, and lots of thoughts have been going through my head that I'd like to share with all of you.

I've also begun singing with the Longmont Chorale again and I've begun a new thing--I joined M.O.P.S. today. I love it! I know it will be a great source of encouragement for me during this time being a mom to two little ones.

As the routine of fall has settled in with a new Kindergartner and adjustments are being made to the higher energy levels of a toddler, I am going to do my best to begin blogging again--beginning with those few things that have happened recently. It may not be every day, or even every week, but I'll still keep plugging along sharing the latest projects, family news and thoughts that God gives me.

I just don't want to lose sight of my priorities which include my time with the Lord and my family and ministry. I love being a help and encouragement to others through this blog, but sometimes things come up, and I have to take a break.

Hope you all are doing well--I'd love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and share what's been new with you.

More things to come soon....

"Obey your teacher and be kind to others."

2011-08-21T22:07:00.004-06:00

For the past few days, that is what I've been leaving with A as she heads off to school. We want her to remember to obey her teacher and to be kind to others around her.

She began K5 last Thursday as a half day student. She already loves her teacher and enjoys being at school. It is different being on the other side of things now. I had been so used to being the teacher and now I'm a parent. It's fun to hear about her day and to see what she brings home in her back pack.

Because I want her to keep learning and growing at home, I've begun putting out activities on the table for her to do before lunch. Here are a few ideas that I've begun or that we will do this year:

Leap pad (paid $2 for it at a thrift store and it came with one book:)

phonics games like Boggle Jr.

number and letter puzzles

dry-erase writing tablet

quiet reading time

A Beka curriculum phonics for K5 (I'm on the hunt for a used set)

Family Fun activities--I just subscribed to this magazine for a few dollars and the first issue came yesterday. We are sooo excited about this!

We are thrilled with what her teacher is doing in the classroom. They do lots and lots of activities. Reading is encouraged, but the "sight word list" is comprised of many words that can be read phonetically. That is a big reason why I want to do some supplemental things at home, like mentioned above. If we're able to adopt her, we'd like to put her in a private Christian school next year, and we know that teaching her the A Beka phonics will help her out so much and she won't be lost next year. She will be an awesome reader.

In my living room, I like to write phrases with the scrabble tiles. A and I came up with the one below (her name is blocked out for privacy). Notice the letter K--it has a five next to it. It was just perfect. "A_____ is in K5."

We are celebrating the beginning of school and having so much fun. Will you pray that A has a great year and obeys and makes wise choices with her classmates?

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

A lifesaver in the kitchen

2011-08-16T21:56:00.001-06:00

I know it's been a while, but things have been super busy around here. With fighting a cold and getting A ready for school, life right now is having me focus on more important things.

But--I wanted to share with you something that has been motivating me to do better at meal planning and cooking during this busy time of taking care of two little girls. My sister-in-law told me about E-mealz, a website devoted to helping others with this endeavor. For a small monthly fee you get a 7-day menu plan (just dinners) and shopping list at the grocery store of your choice (there are a couple to choose from or you can choose an option to use another store). They keep your shopping cost low by searching for deals and listing store-brand items on the shopping list. They do it all (minus the shopping, of course!).

Isn't that amazing? Even though I have always enjoyed putting together a meal, things get crazy around here and sometimes it forces me to do something easy--which is not always the healthiest food to eat, either. But with this system, I am cooking meals again and everyone loves them. I chose the 4-6 person low-fat plan, using Wal-mart as my store. I always have leftovers for the next day, so that helps, too. I don't usually choose all seven meals, but rather my favorite 3-4, which lasts all week.

So, what do you think? Check out the site today if you'd like to learn more about it (click on the link above).

Below is a picture of one of our favorite meals so far--Apple Baked French Toast....yum!

The wait is over!

2011-08-04T14:55:00.004-06:00

Something has happened in our garden area that we've been waiting for all summer long.

Want to know what it is?

Nope--it's not the sunflowers, but they are really looking beautiful!

It's not even this corn that has grown so much these past couple of weeks.

And although the potatoes are ready to be harvested, it's not this either.

Okay--you can take a look now:

Yipee! We got our first two eggs. Quentin came in yesterday afternoon and was so excited to show me.

They are smaller than our store-bought eggs, but they look great! Can't wait to use them soon. They should get bigger as time goes on.

I asked Q what chicken he thought gave us those eggs. He thinks that it came from Mary Poppins (the golden one between the two black ones).

As I went around with the camera this morning taking pictures, I had a hard time with the chickens, as they kept following me around. I thought I was going to miss the above shot as they ran towards me so fast! Then, as I zoomed in on Turkey Lurkey, she got really curious with the camera. It took me a few tries to get this picture:

I can't wait until all of the chickens start laying eggs. We're going to have a ton of eggs once they get going. Anyone want to come and get some? We'll have plenty for you!:)

From my latest thrift store shopping experience....

2011-07-30T22:00:00.008-06:00

We have done some thrift store shopping this summer, but this past Thursday was one of the best yet! When I take the girls with me, it becomes a challenge to really sort through stuff and find those "gems", so I took this opportunity while Q had the girls to go out and see what I could find. I went looking for a big basket, but did not find one. Instead, I found these items at my favorite thrift store in town--Sister Carmen's:

Backyardigans Hopsplash: 25 cents! The box was torn, so I really hope it works when we set it up this week for A to have fun with.

Soft letter and number cube: 10 cents! Little S is having fun with this already.:)

Rainbow fish puppet: 10 cents! I love collecting characters from children's books. This is a nice addition to my collection.

Little House on the Prairie book set: $2.25 (25 cents per book) This set is going to one of my nieces for her birthday. She's going to love it!

My Little Bible: 25 cents--This is a gift for Little S. We gave A a Bible for Easter, so I thought this would be neat to give to the baby as well. I'd love to make it a tradition that we always give a Bible or Bible story book to every foster child we have in our home.

Children's books: 25 cents each. The Goldilocks book is an older edition and it is also a pop-up book. It's really cute!

Little S really likes the My Big Animal book. It's full of animal pictures that any young child will love.

Children's craft books: 25 cents each. There are lots of fun things to do for A and I inside these books.

File Folder Games: 25 cents! This has never been used.:) When I see a teaching tool like this and it's super cheap I just have to buy it! The pieces have to be cut out then stored in file folders. It will be a fun way to reinforce what A is learning at school.

Crustacean Multiplication Dominoes: 25 cents. Again, it's another teaching tool for kids and I love it!

Animal Bingo: 25 cents! I really like this one, and so does A. The pieces are durable and there's even a pouch to store them in.

The animal pictures are beautiful and bright!

Duck prints: 50 cents each. I've started a collection of duck items for when I change the decor in one of the bathrooms. It will be the kids' bathroom and it will so cute with these pictures.

Ralph Loren western shirt: 99 cents! I love the look of this shirt--perfect with a pair of jeans.

Sonoma every day t-shirts: 99 cents each. These looked practically brand-new and they will be great for layering during the colder months.

Riders boot cut jeans: 99 cents! They fit great and will look good with any of the shirts shown above.

Billabong purse: 25 cents! The top part of the purse is made out of corduroy and the colors below match the clothing items that I bought on this day, too.

Did you add all that up yet? :) My grand total for this thrift store shopping trip was....

$11.83!!

This was an awesome day full of great finds. It's fun to find unexpected treasures for incredible prices. God is so good to take care of our needs (and wants, too!)

Praises from Vacation Bible School

2011-07-30T21:29:00.002-06:00

We had a busy week with Vacation Bible School. Like last year, we had Tim Tutton bring his Video Bus each day and teach the lessons and songs, do fun tricks, and show the videos. Every aspect of the program reinforced the truth of the Gospel. The children knew each day that God loves them and that He sent His only son to die for their sins.

Here are the praises of the week, for which we are thankful to the Lord for:

1. God gave strength each day to Mr. Tutton as he shared God's Word.

2. Two teen boys accepted Christ as their Savior.

3. The Gospel seed was planted in many hearts.

4. We had a high of 25 children on the bus (Wednesday).

5. Along with Q and I, another worker, Pat, came to help with the kids.

6. Lots of cookies were donated from members of the church.

7. Families were impacted for Christ as their children told them about what they heard on the bus.

How was your Vacation Bible School this year? I'd love to hear what God did for you.:)

Strawberry Lemon Trifle

2011-07-28T21:56:00.003-06:00

A and I made this easy (and low fat!) dessert for a ladies Bible study last weekend. It comes from Taste of Home's Fast Fixes with Mixes Cookbook. We enjoyed every bit of it, as it was a refreshing treat during this summer heat.

Strawberry Lemon Trifle

4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 cup fat-free lemon yogurt

2 cups fat-free milk

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix (for a creamier treat, use two boxes and double the milk)

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided

1 tablespoon white grape juice or water

1 prepared angel food cake (10 inches)

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt. Add the milk, pudding mix and lemon peel; beat until smooth. In a blender, process 1/2 cup strawberries and grape juice until smooth. Tear cake into 1-inch cubes; place a third in a trifle bowl or 3-qt. serving bowl. Top with a third of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining strawberries. Drizzle with half of the strawberry sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining cake and pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yield: 14 servings.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad Johnson!

2011-07-22T20:48:00.007-06:00

At the end of our vacation, there was a little surprise for my in-laws. Their 45th wedding anniversary was soon approaching, so Q and his siblings decided to honor them in a special way. Since Abigail and her family were now in Colorado, this was going to be the location of the surprise anniversary bash. She and her family worked hard to decorate, cook a meal and add some unique touches to the evening.

When we walked in with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, we saw this sign:

Her kids traced their hands and colored in their hand prints. I love all the colors in their sign.:)

This was the kids' table....

The flowers in this centerpiece were so pretty....

This was the adult table....

Abigail put some gorgeous flowers into two vases. The vases showed pictures of everyone in the family.

After a fabulous turkey dinner, it was time for dessert. My in-laws were told to close their eyes for something BIG....

That two-layer cake was quite the surprise for them! One layer had bavarian cream, while the other had raspberries and chocolate. Blackberries adorned the cake beautifully.

This event was so special to them. I'm so glad they enjoyed it. I'm thankful that they have been married for all those years....what a great accomplishment and an example to all of us.

Family reunion t-shirts

2011-07-21T11:15:00.004-06:00

Last year, Quentin came up with a great idea for all the kids on his side of the family. He found several t-shirts on clearance at Wal-mart for me to do something with, so that they could all wear them during the reunion. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was going to do until right before the trip. With Q's help, it all came together. We also didn't know how many children we would have in the home either, so I had to later buy t-shirts for A and Little S.

Here are a few of the shirts, beginning with Little S....

The phrase on the shirts, "I'm related to Dell Johnson" was all Q's idea. Dell is his dad, aka "Grandpa." Each shirt had an iron-on number on it, indicating their age.

This next one is Carson's, who is two years old:

I used Crayola's fabric markers to do all the writing. Each shirt had a different color on it. There are three girls, so all of them wore pink t-shirts. The boys' shirts were either white or gray, and they were all muscle shirts. There are seven kids all together, ranging from ten months to nine years old.

Here's A's t-shirt...(I picked hers up for a buck at the Dollar Tree--not bad, huh?)

This is Canon's shirt....

On the back of each shirt I wrote, "Johnson Family Reunion, 2011."

The kids all wore their shirts to a special dinner out. We received several compliments on them, too. My brother-in-law took several group pictures of the kids, but unfortunately, I'm not able to share them at this time to protect our foster daughters. Maybe some day....

So there you have it--a fun, inexpensive idea to do for your next family gathering.:)

Glenwood Caverns

2011-07-18T07:41:00.006-06:00

One of the highlights of our family vacation was going to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

We had fun during the cave tour....

Amazing, isn't it?

My niece, Annalina, and A had a great time climbing the rock wall. This is something A has been wanting to do for a long time, so we were glad she got to do it!:)

Here's a neat picture of the wall, with Annalina climbing it.

Q and A got to go on a roller coaster ride that overlooked the valley. They both said that they would definitely do it again if they could. There were other adventures there including a giant swing (too scary for me--check out the website to see this one!) and a maze. This is a neat place to take your family if you're looking for a Colorado adventure!:)

July fourth celebration

2011-07-13T21:39:00.004-06:00

We returned from vacation a few days ago, and since then it has been busy getting back into the swing of things. I'm not blogging as much as before, but it's okay--Little S and A take up a lot of my time and I know it's an eternal investment. :)

So, I just wanted to share with you a few things from July fourth and from our vacation in the next few posts. First up: what we did to celebrate the holiday at our church....

We had a great Sunday School and church service. My father-in-law spoke about civil government and it was good! He got me thinking about some things. I had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem, too. It's one of my favorite songs to sing. Those who served in the military (or those who are serving currently) were honored. My brother-in-law was dressed in his "whites" and led us in prayer at the beginning of the service.

Then, we had a potluck full of lots of yummy food! A couple of days before, a few ladies, along with A and I decorated the reception hall. We bought some things at the Dollar Tree, including lanterns like this:

Hanging underneath were the tables covered with red and blue stars. We sponge-painted those onto paper using craft paint.

We also found these hanging stars that looked great mixed with the lanterns.

We placed these centerpieces on each table to finish the look. We didn't spend a whole lot of time and money doing this, but the end result looked great.

A and I also made this birthday cake for America. It was Q's idea to put the candles on. Our country is 235 years old!;0)

After the potluck, Q gave a devotional. Then, we cleaned up and finished packing for our Johnson Family reunion. Q's family was all there that Sunday morning for church and they helped us get packed up afterward. We had a busy weekend with work, the girls' family visits, etc., so it was great having them help us get on the road.

Next up...vacation! Stay tuned....

Little S and her curls

2011-06-29T21:14:00.003-06:00

When people first meet Little S, they say things like,

"Look at those long eyelashes!"

"She's so teeny to be walking already."

"She's such a beautiful baby." (we hear this one A LOT--in fact, Q calls her "the show stopper" because every where we go, people stop to see her and sometimes a crowd will gather--seriously!)

And then my all-time favorite, (which was what I said the first time I saw her) is,

"Look at those curls!"

(A took this picture of her curls when she first came to live with us.)

Her curls are beautiful indeed, but it takes time and patience each day to take care of them. Regular detangling spray does not work on her African-American hair. I used a sample leave-in conditioner that my hair gal gave me (which worked well), but I don't want to pay a lot of money for a regular can. I've heard of a couple of other good conditioners that work well, especially for kids, but I'm waiting to try them as I've been using something I made myself (trying to save a little money, folks!). I googled "how to make your own leave-in conditioner, and more than a few popped on the screen. You basically mix four parts water with one part conditioner and shake it up. I actually added more conditioner to the spray bottle since Little S's hair is super curly and gets tangled very easily.

Here's what I've been doing, and so far it works:

Every morning, I spray Little S' hair with water (she's okay with this so far...)

Then, I spray the homemade leave-in conditioner in her hair (she's still okay, but I have to give her something to distract her with)

Finally, I take a wide-tooth comb to comb out her hair. Sometimes there will be a few hard tangles to deal with, and for Little S, this is hard to bear. There are many mornings that I'm literally chasing her around the room as she squirms away. I'm trying to figure out the best way to make her stay put because when she does, the process goes fairly quickly.

Little S will have gorgeous curls for the rest of her life (which we're all a bit envious of, right?):) When she's older she will learn to care for the curls God gave her. Hopefully, this homemade leave-in conditioner will continue to work for her.

Any thoughts or tips on what I could be doing better for this little one? I'd love to hear about it!:)

Home made strawberry ice cream

2011-06-27T22:28:00.007-06:00

We've been harvesting quite a few strawberries lately and have had some to share, too. For a while, A has been wanting to make strawberry ice cream. This past Sunday afternoon was the perfect time to do this fun project together.

It was fun picking berries with her. We made sure that the ones we chose were bright and perfect (no bugs or holes in them!)

We filled part of a large bowl of varying sizes of these beauties...

We made the vanilla custard on the stove top, which we let cool for a bit before putting it in the refrigerator.

We washed the strawberries and took the stems off. We put them in the refrigerator to get cold. Then, we took turns smashing them with a fork.

Once the custard was cool, we began the churning process. We poured the smashed berries in and let my Kitchen Aid do the work. I have an ice cream mixer bowl that has special attachments and churns the ice cream beautifully.

When the churning was done, I put the ice cream in a container and put it in the freezer. After church, it had been about four hours, and it was still a little soft--but scrumptious nonetheless!

There's nothing like fresh homemade strawberry ice cream on a hot summer day....

So you want the recipe? This one came from a book called, Soda Fountain Classics, by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern.

You'll love this ice cream as much as we have this week!

Rich Strawberry Ice Cream

3 eggs, plus 2-3 yolks

4 cups milk or light cream (I like to do half of the amount with milk and the other half with cream)

1-1/4 cups sugar

Put the eggs and yolks in a bowl and beat until smooth. Heat the milk (or cream) and sugar in a saucepan to just below boiling. Gradually stir 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the beaten eggs, then stir the mixture back into the saucepan. Stir over a gentle heat until the mixture thickens (stir in the same direction). do not let it boil or the custard will curdle. (Some people use a double boiler or a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water). When the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat, strain into a bowl or pitcher, cool, and chill. Before churning, add 1 cup mashed fresh strawberries. Churn (in batches if necessary) and freeze.

Makes about 6 cups.

T-shirt capes

2011-06-24T22:24:00.005-06:00

This past spring, two of our nephews and one niece turned two years old. Since I painted t-shirts for Eli, Carson and Josie's first birthdays, I thought it would be fun to come up with another t-shirt creation this year, too.

After some thought, the t-shirt cape idea came to be. I'm sure there are different variations out there, but perhaps these pictures will inspire you to make these fun and simple t-shirts for the little ones in your life.

First up--Josie's t-shirt cape....

For each shirt, I cut out their monogram out of fabric that I also used for the cape. I first glued the letters with fabric glue, let it partially dry, then stitched them with the machine.

I also stitched this three-layered heart on the back that matched the polka-dots on the fabric.

Eli's shirt is next....

I was glad to find awesome plaid fabrics for both boys' shirts.

Because boys really like to be superheros, the lightning applique' on the back was perfect.

Last but not least is Carson's t-shirt...

And just like Eli's, the lightning bolt on the back really stands out!

Each cape was slightly longer than the length of the shirt. It was hemmed all the way around. Then, I stitched velcro to the top corners of each cape and at the shoulders of each shirt.

To help you see what these shirts look like in action, my sil, Abigail, sent me a couple of pictures of Carson wearing his.

Doesn't he look awesome with that hat on, too? (So cute!)

All three kids are having fun playing in their t-shirt capes. Perhaps this is something you can do for the young ones in your family. It's such a perfect time to do it, too! Summer is full of imaginative play!

Happy Sewing! :)

Fishing cupcakes

2011-06-20T22:24:00.002-06:00

I hope all of you dads out there had a wonderful Father's Day. I'm thankful for my dad and all of the time he spent with us girls...teaching us about the Lord, taking us to fun places and being a huge support in our lives.

Remember those "mum" cupcakes A and I made for Mother's Day? Well, we decided to make something for the dads this year. I found these fishing cupcakes and knew this would be it (she gives a complete tutorial, so head on over there)! As Q and A love to go fishing together, I knew she would enjoy helping me and giving one to him, too.

Aren't they the cutest thing? Since we were in a hurry to get these done, I actually made the cupcakes myself, but then A helped with the frosting later. I even taught her how to pipe the frosting, and hers went to Q. It was really sweet. The fishing pole required using a needle, so I did that as well. But as always, A was right there watching me do it.:)

We took a plate over for the dads in our church. They all liked these very much. You'll just have to try them, too....perhaps for another celebration this summer! It would be nice for a get together at the lake with friends and family, or for a child's birthday party.

Have a great time creating these cupcakes that will be a hit at your next celebration.:)

A's Fairy Birthday Party: the activities

2011-06-14T20:34:00.003-06:00

When Q and I first started talking about A's birthday party, we wanted to keep it simple and fun. We wanted just a few friends over and have the traditional party elements--the cake, presents, and games.

For the activities/games, we chose a few things that the kids could enjoy doing inside and outside (especially if it rained). When our young guests arrived, A told them what they could do before we enjoyed the cake. Here's what we set out (not all of the activities were done, but at least we were prepared:):

Inside activities:

** Color Tinkerbell pictures with colored pencils. Choose stickers to go with the pictures. (These came from a big Tinkerbell coloring book, so we tore out a few pages and set them on a small table in the living room.)

**Play the "Pretty princess" game (up to four players). This was also set on the table. I'm sure you can set up any simple game and the kids will have a blast.:)

Outside activities:

**sidewalk chalk

**bubbles (I found Tinkerbell bubble/wand sets at the Dollar Tree.)

**jump rope

**soccer

**look at the chickens--this was not planned, but the kids and adults loved taking a look at our fabulous foursome.

After A opened her presents, we did one last outside activity--the pinata! We bought the biggest pinata we've ever seen at a small grocery store at the end of our block. The girls took turns hitting Tinkerbell (with and without a blindfold) but it was so hard to break her open. After Q and I gave it a few hits, candy and trinkets started coming out. It was so much fun for all!

One of the moms commented how nice the girls were when going after the stuff (remember the days when everyone jumped in and fought over the candy and someone always ended up hurt?). Not this little bunch of sweet girls.....

A's party was so much fun and I know she will remember it for years to come. Hope you all enjoyed hearing about what we did, and perhaps gave you an idea or two to use in the future.:)

A's Fairy Birthday Party: the cake

2011-06-12T21:25:00.003-06:00

The last thing I made for A's party was her cake. I wanted to do it to her specifications and make it really special....but, with a baby added to our family recently, I didn't know how I was going to do it. The Lord helped me get it all done (hooray for naptime) and it was a great teaching time as both girls watched me for a bit while I worked. A even helped make the frosting. :)

So, here's the cake before adding the candles. I did write A's name on the bottom of the cake, but removed it for privacy.

The frosting was home made. I used Wilton's recipe (see below). I colored the main cake and grass by adding green food coloring to the frosting. But, when I realized I didn't have anything for the flowers, I panicked (just slightly). Then I began to think about what I could add that would add color. I walked to the corner grocery store with the girls and bought strawberry flavored jello. It worked! Q noticed that the flowers had a slightly different taste, but it tasted great. After making the pink frosting, I made another color by adding blue to it. It came out more of a periwinkle blue than a purple, but I was still pleased with it.

The writing was done using a purple gel writer which can be found at just about any grocery store. As for decorating tips goes, I used the grass tip and the star tip for the rest of the cake.

Here's the cake with the candles on it. I found this set of Tinkerbell candles at Walmart for a few dollars. It really completed the look.

When A saw her cake she said, "This is the best cake ever!" It really made my day that she enjoyed it so much.

Here are the recipes that I used to put it all together:

Best-Ever Chocolate Cake

(from Our Best Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens)

3/4 cup butter

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/2 cups milk

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Lightly grease bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans or two 9-inch cake pas or two 8x8x2-inch baking pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper. Grease and lightly flour waxed paper and sides of pans. Set pans aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until well mixed. Scrape side of bowl; continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 minute total). Beat in vanilla.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more. Spread evenly into the prepared pans.

5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutest for round cake pans 35 to 40 minutes for 8-inch square pans, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes. remove from pans. Peel off waxed paper. Cool completely on wire racks.

Buttercream recipe

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened but not melted

1 lb. confectioners sugar (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons milk or water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar, water and vanilla. Blend on medium speed until all ingredients are mixed well. Blend a minute or two more until creamy in texture. If using a hand mixer and icing is not creamy, use high speed or add more milk a drop at a time. This icing can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. Rewhip before using. Yield: 3 cups stiff icing. To thin icing add 2 teaspoons milk per cup of stiff icing.

A's Fairy Birthday Party: her outfit for the day

2011-06-10T22:04:00.002-06:00

For A's party, I wanted her to be comfortably dressed, but also wanted her to fit the theme of the party. I remembered that I had an old Tinkerbell t-shirt of mine that I no longer wore and thought it would be neat for her to wear it.

Using the steps for an empire-waist tee from the book, Tease: inspired t-shirt transformations by superstars of art, craft and design by Sarah Socket, I came up with this for her:

All I did was trim the sleeves and used the fabric strips to tie a knot on each side (the strips were put through two slits a couple inches apart near her shoulder). I also trimmed the bottom and used the scrap to go through slits all around the main body of the shirt. Then, the ends were tied in the back. I found a pair of green shorts on sale at Kohl's and she was good to go.

She looked so cute as a little Tinkerbell. She really loved what I created for her, too. It was fun for me to see her enjoy this creation to wear on her special day. :)

A's Fairy Birthday Party: the fairy headbands

2011-06-09T21:50:00.003-06:00

A week before A's party, I googled "fairy birthday party ideas" and several sites popped on my screen. I clicked on one and it had a neat idea of making fairy headbands using just a few materials (I don't know the website, but I'll explain how we made them).

I knew A would enjoy helping me put these together for her and her friends to wear at the party. All you need is pipe cleaners, artificial flowers, ribbon and a hot glue gun.

We twisted two pipe cleaners together to form a ring. Then, I used the hot glue gun to adhere the flowers all around the pipe cleaners. A enjoyed choosing all of the flowers from my stash and using her scissors to cut them down to size. Then, she chose the colorful ribbons and I cut them all in different lengths ranging from 12 inches to 24 inches. I tied seven or eight of them at one end of the headband to complete the project.

When the girls arrived, it was A's job to give them one. Then, I sprinkled a bit of pixie dust on their heads (found at the dollar store). They all turned out pretty cute and it was fun to see all of the fairies in our home (and just to clarify--the pixie dust did not make them fly!).

Just a note on the picture: I blurred out A's face for privacy, so that is why it looks a little odd. She also isn't wearing her headband here, but she loved hers just the same.:)

Coming up...more hand made creations for A's fairy party!

A's Fairy Birthday Party: the decorations

2011-06-07T21:10:00.004-06:00

This past Sunday, A turned five years old. We gave her a fun birthday party with some of her closest friends.

We bought a few flower-themed party supplies at the Dollar Tree. They fit the Tinkerbell party A wanted perfectly. Here are some of the things we did to decorate for her special day:

Using fabric paint, I wrote, "Happy Birthday, __________" on the banner. It hung on the front door.

Near the table, four flower/butterfly garlands hung from the ceiling. Three balloons, including one with a picture of Tinkerbell on it, floated behind the table.

We placed a yellow tablecloth and a tissue flower garland on the table. I placed decorative tissue paper and Tinkerbell placemats on the center of the table where the drinks and cake were going to be set. The plates and napkins matched the decorations, too. I also put a picture stand that held three pictures of A.

More flower garlands were hung between the two rooms and by the big chair (which we used as the "birthday chair" where A opened her presents). The paper lantern was one of four that we hung inside and outside. They were so cute! The big bunch of star balloons was a freebie that Q found on craigslist. A family had just celebrated their son's highschool graduation and wanted to give these away to someone who could use them. It was a great idea.:)

Here's a close up of the decorations above the birthday chair.

These flower window clings were placed on all four windows. A had a great time helping me put these up.

And there you have it--the decorations we used for A's party. It didn't cost a lot of money, and they ended up being way cuter (and cheaper) than what I could have made myself. But--I did make a few things for the party anyway, but you'll have to wait to see what those things are.

Stay tuned as we share more ideas and pictures of A's fabulous fairy party.:)

Two fun and easy kid crafts

2011-06-01T21:41:00.002-06:00

A and I like looking at the craft books at the library. We recently borrowed one called Creative Kitchen Crafts by Kathy Ross.

One Sunday afternoon, we looked through it to see what we could make. We found the "bird recipe card holder" idea and had fun making it.

We cut down a party hat for the bird's body. Then A made the wings and beak out of felt and glued them on. I cut a slit on the top of the cone for the bird's mouth. This is where the recipe card will sit. Lastly, we glued on googly eyes.

It really works--and it is such a cute decoration in the kitchen. For the next craft, I looked through my craft books and found another one written by Kathy Ross. It's called Gifts to make for your favorite grown up. We wanted to make something for her teachers as a thank you for a great school year.

I looked through it first and saw something I knew we could make. When A looked through the book, she noticed the same craft and said, "This is what we should make!" I said, "Good, because I was thinking the same thing." :)

We found a few small canning jars to make painted candle holders. I made a heart stencil using scrap paper for each one and taped them onto the jars. A used nail polish to paint the jars. Before the paint dried we sprinkled salt on the hearts.

Once they dried, we tore the paper off and tied a ribbon around the top of each jar. We bought votive candles and placed them inside. It was a simple and cute gift that her teachers liked.:)

Have you made some fun and easy crafts with your kiddos lately? I'd love to hear about what you're doing.

An anniversary surprise....

2011-05-28T21:59:00.005-06:00

Q and I just celebrated five years of wedded bliss! We decided to celebrate a day early on Thursday, since Fridays are always so busy for us. We all got ready early on that morning, so that we could have a few hours to ourselves before Q had to go to work. We took A to the babysitter's house and then we were off for a date--all alone (it doesn't happen much when you have kids as many of you know:).

Our first stop was Starbuck's. I tried something different (I usually get a green tea frap). I got a frap that had a mix of strawberries n' cream and their new coconut cream flavor. Toasted coconut was sprinkled on top of the whipped cream. It was delicious and definitely one I'll have again.

We drove to downtown Denver and parked. Q took me for a walk and led me to this store:

I was so excited! Being a frugal shopper, I scoured the clearance racks and found some things to try on. He told me I could choose a few things. It was fun to try on brand-new items in a store like this (which hardly ever happens since most of my clothing comes from thrift stores). I found a couple of tops and a nice pair of jeans that fit nicely.

While I was in the dressing room, my phone rang. It was a caseworker who said that she had a baby for us and asked if she could bring her to our home. You see, the day before we had heard about Little S and through an unusual circumstance, didn't arrive that day. So we prayed for God's will to be done, and now we were hearing she was coming. She and Q arranged the way we would get her. Since we were in the area, we decided to go to the clinic where she was being checked by the doctor. We grabbed lunch and a couple of treats from the Cheesecake Factory and headed to see her.

We immediately fell in love with this nine-month-old baby. We drove to pick A up from the sitter's house and she was surprised that Little S was finally with us. The rest of the day was so fun and the two girls got along well. But then, the next morning, we found out that she was going to leave us because of the decision the judge had made at a court hearing. Both A and I cried about it; I think she took it the hardest. An hour later, she was gone.

We sometimes wonder why things like this happen, but God always has the best in store for all who are involved in the situation. I took A to go see her mom and then I talked on the phone to family about what had happened. I knew I had more tears to shed so that's what I did. I was so tired and discouraged about it. Why would a decision like that be made so quickly? Inside I prayed that Little S would be safe. I went to get myself lunch at a deli because even though I wasn't really hungry, my body needed it. As I was paying the cashier, my phone rang. It was Q. He asked me to be in a place where I could hear him, so I went outside. He said that the caseworker had called and asked if we'd be willing to take her back. I couldn't believe it! Whoever took Little S back had found out some more things from her living situation that were not safe. So, the judge ordered her back into foster care.

Yesterday evening, Little S came back to us. We don't know how long she'll be with us, but for now, we're enjoying cute baby feet....

....and the most adorable head of curls!

We're grateful for another young life we can be a help to in the days ahead. Please keep us in your prayers as we get adjusted to life with two kids.:)

This was an anniversary I will never forget...through the tears and prayers, we went to bed overjoyed with what God did for us.

Her long-awaited dress

2011-05-25T21:42:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, I showed A a picture of a pillow case dress. I was asked by a friend at church to make a couple of them and it was finally time to make them. A asked if I could make one for her, too. I found an old pillowcase (that had some pink in it, of course!) to use. I set all the pillowcases aside and got busy with other things. But--she knew a dress was coming her way some time soon.

Not long after that, A said something to me that was so cute. I was reading some crafty blogs and she peered over my shoulder. She saw a picture of a little girl wearing a handmade dress. She asked me what it was all about. I said, "Her mommy made her that dress." Then she said, "Like you're making me one." Of course my heart melted. ;) I've always wanted to make dresses for my daughter, and this opportunity to make one for my foster daughter is special to me.

This past Saturday, I set to work on the three dresses and A was so excited! She even helped me figure out where to put the trim and to make a letter "a" for the dress.

Adding the rick-rack to the top and bottom of the dress was a special touch.

She really likes that appliqued "A" that stands for her name.

She could not wait to wear it, so she wore it to church on Sunday. She enjoyed all of the compliments from everyone at church, too. I loved making this dress for her; it was something I always wanted to do. And I know that she'll remember it, too. It makes my heart smile.

A's creativity

2011-05-23T21:53:00.003-06:00

I have been delighted to see A enjoy crafting and baking as much as I do. Sometimes, we put something together using a book's instructions, but there have been a few times when she comes up with something on her own.

I was going to put a large oatmeal box into the recycling box when she stopped me and said, "Can I make a baby bed out of that?"

She came up with the design and I helped her with the cutting and taping. We were both pleased with the end result.

We cut off one side of the box so that her babies could rest snugly inside. She wasn't satisfied with just a regular bed--she wanted one that rocked, too. So, we took part of that extra piece and curved it to fit the bottom.

She has been a great mommy as she puts her babies down for naps in that crib--her very own creation.

I absolutely love it.

Our growing garden (and chickens!)

2011-05-23T21:00:00.006-06:00

We have had so much rain here lately, which has been a big help for the garden. We may be stuck indoors some times, but we're grateful that things are growing well outside.

Here's a look at some of the plants that are growing....

First up--the radishes (hope the bunnies don't get them first!)

The strawberry plants are beginning to flower. We are sooo excited that our berries will be here soon. A and I have been talking about recipes we'd like to make using the strawberries.

Snow peas are great in salads, so we'll be able to enjoy some soon.

The gooseberry plant is really growing fast.

We've been watching the rhubarb lately and decided that it needed to be harvested soon. So, today, A and I went outside and brought a bunch inside to clean, chop, and put in the freezer.

Yummy rhubarb for lots of great desserts this summer!

This first picture of Dorothy and Turkey Lurky was taken by A herself. I just love it! Our little chicks are becoming full-grown hens.

The four of them stick together as they search for bugs and plants to eat.

They have discovered that there is fun all around our property. We don't have the fence up yet, so we need to watch them closely, especially in the front yard. They like to walk around on the front porch, too.

Here, Mary Poppins stops to stare at A while she claps her hands. As they have come closer to the house, it has reminded me of the Minerva Louise books. I just read the first one to A yesterday and hope to borrow the others from the library soon. Minerva Louise is a chicken who likes to explore and ends up in all sorts of places. It's really cute!

How's your garden growing so far? I can't wait to begin harvesting more things in the near future.

Celebration story time

2011-05-22T16:40:00.003-06:00

This month was my last to do story time for the year. I had a great time and will miss the kids until school starts up again in the fall. The theme for this story time was celebrations, so it was fun coming up with things I could do to fit this theme. I decided to do a book about a mother for Mother's Day and then focus the rest on birthdays.

Before I began, I placed this hat on my head:

I thought it was pretty cute! We sang the "Hello Time" song, then I pulled out a special friend who I have brought out before--Mr. Monkey!

He had on a birthday hat, so he was ready to celebrate, too!

This first book called, Hazel's Amazing Mother, by Rosemary Wells, is such a cute story. Hazel's Mother does so many things for her, and at the end of the tale, shows her courage in a way that demonstrates loves to her daughter. So sweet....

Then I did a finger play about cakes:

A delicious cake

Mix the batter, stir the batter (stirring motion)

Shake some flour in. (shake one hand)

Mix the batter, stir the batter (stirring motion)

Place it in a tin. (pour into pan)

Sprinkle little raisins on, (sprinkling motion)

Pop it in to bake. (put "cake" in oven)

Open wide the oven door,

And out comes a cake! (open oven)

Bunny Cakes, by Rosemary Wells, is another cute and funny book about Max and Ruby. They set out to make cakes for their grandmother and surprise her at the end.

Then we played a balloon game where the kids had to hit their balloon in the air and try not to let it fall on the ground. We played a second round where we sang the Alphabet Song while we did it.

I read a poem called, "The End" by A.A. Milne. It's one of my favorites!

The End

When I was one,

I had just begun.

When I was two,

I was nearly new.

When I was three,

I was hardly me.

When I was four,

I was not much more.

When I was five,

I was just alive.

But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever.

So I think I'll be six now forever and ever.

The last book was called The Secret Birthday Message, by Eric Carle. It is a simple story about a boy who has to find his birthday present by following clues.

For our last activity, I used these adorable cupcake cutouts that I purchased at the Dollar Tree for an alphabet game. I wrote a letter on each one, then put some velcro on the back to attach to the flannel board. I left several letters out, so the object of the game was that they had to figure out what letter came next. If they did, then I placed it on the board and put a real birthday candle behind it.

When we were done, we sang, "Happy Birthday" to everyone. Then, I brought Mr. Monkey out again and we sang, "The Good-bye Song" to end our time together.

We had fun at our celebration! Hope this gives you some ideas to use for a story time or learning activities at home.

Scripture for kids to memorize

2011-05-20T21:24:00.007-06:00

I was excited to see a post at Katey's blog, Having Fun at Home. She shares a list of Scripture passages that have word pictures in them, which are easy for kids to memorize. (To find the post, go to her blog archive for April of this year, and you'll find it easily. I tried linking to it first, but was unable to do so).

I really like her list; here are a few of them:

Psalm 23--The Lord is my Shepherd; He leads me beside the still waters...

Ephesians 6--The armor of God is described.

Hebrews 4:12--God's Word is a sharp sword.

Psalm 51:10--Create in me a clean heart.

John 8:12--Jesus is the light of the world.

I've been thinking about beginning this list with A during our breakfast or lunch time. As she has become more knowledgeable about the Bible through our teachings at home and church, I think she is more ready to do this. The time she is with us is so valuable. We know that if she does leave us, than the things that have been taught will stay with her, including God's Word.

Check out that post today. I hope that it will be a help for you to teach your children, grandchildren, and even the children you work with at church and/or school.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

(This is another verse to put on your list(if it isn't on Katey's already--can't remember!:). It was one of the first verses I remember learning as a child because it was posted on my Christian school's hallway. It has stuck with me all of these years....)

Can't-Leave-Alone Bars

2011-05-17T20:32:00.003-06:00

Are ya looking for a new recipe to try using a cake mix? If so, I've got the recipe for you. As A and I were searching for a yummy dessert to serve to some friends, we came across this one in Taste of Home's Fast Fixes with Mixes Cookbook. These brownies are called Can't-Leave-Alone Bars for a good reason--you really can't leave them alone after you've tried one. They are addicting!

Can't-Leave-Alone Bars

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter, cubed

In a bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and oil. With floured hands, press two-thirds of the mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x2-in. baking pan. Set remaining cake mixture aside. in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk, chocolate chips and butter. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 45 seconds; stir. microwave 45-60 seconds longer or until chips and butter are melted; stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting. Yield: 3 dozen.

(Almost) home made birthday invitations

2011-05-16T21:56:00.004-06:00

Someone in our home is turning five in less than three weeks and she is soooo excited! A has been talking about her Tinkerbell birthday party almost since the day she came to live with us. So, we've been talking and planning, and now we're getting started on putting it all together.

A couple of days ago, we worked on the invitations. We bought a couple sets of note cards from the Dollar Tree that would be a good base to what we wanted to do.

Since Tinkerbell and her fairy friends live among the flowers, we decided to do a lot with that (as well as butterflies, too) for the party.

This is what the cards looked like when we bought them:

And here is what it looked like after we added a few things:

It took us a while to figure out what we wanted the front of the card to say. A settled on the phrase above (her name is erased for privacy). The paper was cut out using decorative scissors. Then, A placed a fairy sticker on each one.

On the inside of each card, I stamped a "You're Invited" stamp that included the when, where, time, for....and all I had to do was fill in the blanks and write my own rsvp. The butterflies shown above were stamped by A on the other side.

It was a semi-homemade card and we both liked it at the end. She helped make them which makes it very special. Now, we just have to pass them out and see who comes to our little fairy party.:)

My birthday

2011-05-14T21:22:00.006-06:00

I had a great time celebrating my birthday this week with my little family--Q and A. They kept everything a secret, so it was fun anticipating what was next. First, they took me to The Egg and I, one of my all-time favorite restaurants that we don't go to very often. It is becoming a birthday tradition for me.

Next, they took me to the Crocs store in Boulder to pick out a new pair of shoes. With all of their new styles, I was excited to see what I could get. I chose a pair of their wrapped Mary Janes. They are so comfy and cute!

Then, we went to Ben and Jerry's for some ice cream. Of course, it was chocolate, but I also tried a sampling of a flavor called, Late Night Snack. You have to try it because it is so different. If you like sweet and salty combos, this ice cream is for you. I don't know if I'd try it again as the chocolate-covered potato chips left a weird after taste in my mouth!;)

We also went to a bookstore and had fun looking at so many books. I was glad that they were able to take me out a little early on my birthday. Fridays are busy because I take A to her biological family visits an hour away. But, I managed to still enjoy my birthday yesterday by doing a few fun things by myself, and later with A.

I had lunch with Q at Noodles and Company, another favorite spot. Then during my alone time, I went to Starbuck's for my free birthday drink!

I know the color looks weird, but trust me, it is good. It's a green tea frap with a shot of raspberry--yum!

After A's visit, I picked her up and headed to Johnson's Corner for dinner and dessert.

Because it was an early dinner, we weren't too hungry. We did manage to eat part of a burger, a few fries and onion rings.

I usually don't eat onion rings, so I told A I was going to try one. She said I should dip it in ketchup, so I did. It wasn't too bad. I thought it would make a great picture, so I held my onion ring in front of the camera. As I did, she held hers up. After taking the photo she said, "My onion ring smiled." (Do you see it smiling, too?) :)

I told Q before our fun outing that I thought it would be neat if our waitress could put a birthday candle on a cinnamon roll for me. He said it would be hilarious, so I knew I had to ask. Sure enough, the waitress said, "Ya, we've done that before." Before long, several of the employees came out with my birthday roll and sang to me. It was so funny!

You've gotta see a close up of these "world-famous" cinnamon rolls.....

We ate a few bites, and packed the rest up (along with the rest of our meal and a roll for Q). We knew we could enjoy this scrumptious roll the next day, too.

After all that eating out, I feel like I gained a few pounds. But it's okay, cuz' birthdays come once a year, and this one was a good one to remember. :)

Mother's Day cupcakes

2011-05-13T14:36:00.002-06:00

When I saw these gorgeous flower cupcakes at Raising Homemakers, I knew this would be the perfect thing to do for all of the moms at church (click here for a complete tutorial). They are called "mum-cakes" as they resemble mums.

A and I worked in two different segments (taking a break in between to spend time at the library) to make these beauties. We spent three hours on twenty-one cupcakes, and that doesn't include the baking time. I used a cake mix (which I rarely do) to speed up the time. I also made a quick and simple batch of buttercream frosting, but this can also be purchased to help save time. The end result was astonishing! I was so glad that A really stuck with it and had lots of fun helping me put these together.

Take a look....

The petals are made out of mini marshmallows that are cut in half and dipped in colored sugar. This is the most time-consuming part of it, so grab a friend or your kiddos and have fun doing this.:) The frosting acts like the glue as you put the petals on working from the outside in. And just a note about that....you might want to frost a handful at a time as the frosting hardens as it sits out.

Most of the cupcakes were a solid color, but as we were getting close to the end, we made a few that had a few colors in them. They still looked so pretty!

All of the moms enjoyed their special cupcake after church. I even got to enjoy one later as A let me know that I could get one too because I was a mom (so cute!).

These cupcakes could be used for any spring or summer celebration. Just make sure you plan ahead and know that these will take a while. The end result is worth it!:)

A Mother for Choco

2011-05-09T14:34:00.004-06:00

I recently read a book I came across in the children's section at the library. It's called A Mother for Choco and it tells the story of a bird who is looking for a mother. He finds one named Mrs. Bear and they do all sorts of things together. At the end of the story, we find out that Mrs. Bear has taken in other children as her own. She has become their mother.

This book tugged on my heart a bit because of the life-stage I am in. As we have had a few children in our home through foster care, I can see myself as Mrs. Bear. I am taking care of them, having fun with them and nurturing them. Big Brother and Little Brother did see me as Mom but went home to their real mother after a short time. That time hurt so badly, and now a few months later, I still think of them as my kids and it hurts.

Then, almost two months ago, A came to be with us. She knows her real mother and sees her once a week. She sometimes calls me "Mommy Q", a name she made up for me a while back, but knows that I'm not her real mom. It's been a hard couple of weeks as she has been confused with the situation. Inside my heart, I know I'm a mom but sometimes don't think that I am (sometimes because of others' perceptions). Foster parents and other caregivers out there are moms and dads and love and take care of the children placed in their care.

So, yesterday was a day of mixed emotions for me. I wasn't sure if I should stand up when the mothers were acknowledged at church and given a flower. The little girl who we love so dearly already may not see me as her mom (and that's okay), but she did acknowledge this weekend that I was a mom. I got a few awesome notes from family that encouraged my heart. We had a good family day. We went out for lunch with a dear lady from church. We went to the lake and went fishing. We came back home and grilled hot dogs for dinner. Then A went to sleep.

I don't want to sound selfish or anything, but I wished for more. I wanted what lots of mothers get on this special day....the cards, flowers, chocolates, gifts, the acknowledgment on a more personal level. It sounds really weird, but perhaps when a child calls me "Mom" or when we've made it official by adopting it will be that. I am thankful to those who encouraged me and said I really was a mom to A. Like I said before...I know I'm a mom, but because of our unique situation, don't always feel like it.

So, why write all this after Mother's Day? Well, because it's still on my heart, and if you think of it, could use your prayers right now. And, I also wanted to encourage you to thank and acknowledge caregivers, foster parents, legal guardians, etc. on days like this. There are many of us who wish we could have biological children, but are going through the process of adoption. There are some, too, that give and give and give to children year after year unselfishly in different capacities. They are all parents, too.

I hope I didn't sound too weird, selfish, harsh, or anything. I know that Mother's Day is a sensitive topic to many women out there, too, for different reasons. I just hope by writing this I can be an encouragement, ask for prayer, and bring awareness to those who are not the "typical" mom or dad. We all love to be acknowledged, praised and awarded, don't we?:)

If you get a chance, read A Mother for Choco. It is such a cute and awesome story for kids of all ages.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T21:51:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to wish all you moms out there a very happy mother's day. But--there is one mom who I'd like to brag on a bit, and that is my own mother, Debbie. She is one special lady and I'm so thankful for her. When I think of my mom, the virtuous woman from Proverbs 31 woman comes to mind. She works willingly with her hands to take care of others before herself. She's very creative, loving and selfless. I hope I can be that kind of mom some day.

When I was a teenager, I wrote lots of poetry. I went through my file to find a poem that I wrote to my mom years ago. I'd like to share it with you all...

A Friend Waiting for Me (please do not reprint without permission)

At home,

There is a friend waiting for me,

Someone with a heart

Full of sweet charity.

There at home, in the kitchen

Is a friend waiting for me,

Someone with a heart

Full of sweet melody.

There in the kitchen, sitting in the chair

Is a friend waiting for me,

Someone with a heart

Full of sweet mercy.

There sitting in the chair is my mother,

A friend who has been waiting for me,

For a long time she has been there

Waiting to hear what my question would be.

Then with a shaky voice

I reply, "Mother, what shall I do?"

She answers in a small voice,

"Do what the Lord would want you to do."

She then shows me from the Word of God

The answer to my problem,

She reads the verses one by one

In a voice of peaceful solemn.

A moment later

She embraces me with her sweet charity,

As many tears

Run down my cheeks.

Anytime I need someone,

I can clearly see,

There is someone at home, in the kitchen,

Sitting in the chair,

My mother; a friend waiting for me.

May 11, 1990

Thank you, Mom, for your continued love and support all of these years. We love you!:)

Baby clothes valance

2011-05-06T15:12:00.003-06:00

Here's a cute and creative idea that I've been meaning to post for a while. I forgot about it until I was looking through my pictures and realized I hadn't shared it yet. A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law, Abigail, and daughter, Annalina, were in Colorado house hunting. We drove about an hour to meet them. We enjoyed looking at the homes and giving feedback as well.

One of the homes had the cutest valance in their laundry room. Abigail pointed it out to me, and I took a picture of it. The owner used baby clothes and put them through a curtain rod. What a neat way to remember your favorites and the little ones who wore them. This would also work with toddler clothes, too.

I love it--how about you?:)

Gardening story time

2011-05-05T19:18:00.002-06:00

My story time for last month was so much fun. It was neat to read stories and do activities about gardening. Here's what I did...

After singing our "Hello Time" song, I pulled out a puppet that starts off as a caterpillar and ends up as a butterfly (you just turn it inside-out!:). I read the following poem while I held my cute critter:

Little Caterpillar

There was a little caterpillar crawling all about

He worked and he worked without a doubt,

Wrapping himself in a snug cocoon.

Waiting and waiting, will it be soon?

Look, he's coming out, my oh my!

For now he's become a beautiful butterfly.

The first book I read was called Tops and Bottoms, by Janet Stevens. It is a humorous story with a great lesson: "If you want to eat, you've got to work." It's also a Biblical principal to teach to kids. We shared it with A after we read this same book to her.

The next thing I did was share another poem called, "The Rain."

The Rain

Pitter-patter, raindrops,

Falling from the sky;

Here is my umbrella,

To keep me safe and dry.

When the rain is over,

And the sun begins to glow,

Little flowers start to bud,

And grow and grow and grow!

The next book I read was called, Growing Vegetable Soup, by Lois Ehlert. The story begins with a family planting the seeds, then harvesting it, then finally, putting all of the vegetables in a pot to make soup.

I made a game called Veggie Soup Letter Match. Using some felt and letter stickers, this activity was easy to put together. The kids had to match a lowercase letter to its uppercase letter. When they figured it out, they placed the veggies in a pot. When we were all done, I had a few kids take turns stirring our vegetable soup.

The last book I read was called, The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss. We all enjoyed this classic story of a boy who believed his carrot seed could really grow when others around him didn't think so.

The librarians had a pot with a fabric carrot inside. It was covered with a piece of brown cloth to represent soil. They let me use this to retell the story with the kids. I used a real carrot seed and let them see that up close, too.

At the end of the story time, we sang "The Good-bye" song together. We had a ton of fun and can't wait until this month's story time, which I'm currently working on.

Stay tuned for our final story time of the year. You won't want to miss this one! :)

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

2011-05-02T20:59:00.006-06:00

A and I were invited to a spring banquet at another church this past Friday night. The theme was "Sweet, Sweet Spirit." As soon as we walked in, we noticed all of the colorful decorations everywhere. The ladies who decorated used the game, Candyland, as their source of inspiration. I was really impressed with it all, so I had to share it with you. You might be able to use these ideas for your next ladies banquet or a birthday party!

After we found a table to sit at, the first thing we noticed were the goodies at our place setting.

Circus animal cookies, M&M's, gum, bottled water, and a pencil (which was used for a couple of "candy" word games) were placed on top of a polka dot napkin. Each table also had a different colored table cloth. Candyland is all about colors, and this was just the beginning of it!

I really liked these neat place cards that were placed at each setting.

The program was placed inside our beautiful stemware.

The centerpiece held our dessert--sweet and colorful cupcakes. Not only did they look good, but they were scrumptious as well.

These giant pieces of candy hung over our tables. With some paper plates, construction paper, tissue paper and cellophane, these could be put together easily.

Colored construction paper lined the walls to make it look like the game board.

I loved these big game board pieces. They were close to three feet tall. Here's a close up of one of them...

Pretty cute, huh?

This is the first bulletin board which says the title of the banquet with colorful dots around it. A Candyland game board sits on the drink table underneath it.

The second bulletin board quoted the theme verse for the evening. The speaker spoke on bitterness, which is the opposite of having a sweet spirit. It was both a convicting and encouraging message. We had a super time with all of the girls and ladies there and hope to go again next year.:)

Easter week bulletin board

2011-04-28T20:53:00.002-06:00

I searched in my stash of ministry magazines for a bulletin board idea I could do for church. I came across this one in the March/April 2006 issue of Teach Kids! Magazine (CEF press):

"Who did Jesus die for?" is a great question to think about during Easter week. The answer is you, of course.:) During our breakfast this past Sunday, A and I told members of our church to sign their names on the poster.

Around the poster, I added pictures of the week of Christ's death and resurrection. They came from our Sunday School materials (A Beka Book).

Hope this gives you an idea for next Easter, or for another time when you want to emphasize salvation.

Our Easter Sunday

2011-04-25T21:53:00.004-06:00

Our Easter Sunday began early in the morning. We needed to get ready for the "Sonrise" service, but first, I had something fun planned for A. I woke her up and showed her the Easter Garden we had put together the previous week.

The stone was rolled away and a sign said, "He is Risen!" Then, I pointed to an empty Easter basket and a note beside it. It told her that she had to read clues to get some things and at the end of it, there was the best treasure of all. It was fun to watch her run around the house collecting things to fill her basket. Finally, she found the last item....

Now she has her very own Bible (and it had to be pink--her favorite color!) I signed the inside of it with our names and put the date in there as well. She loved taking it with her to church and showing everyone there.

We had our early service at an area park. We sang songs and read Scripture together, all focusing on Christ's death and resurrection.

After that early service, we went back to church to enjoy a breakfast together. A and I cooked and dyed these eggs the day before. She even made a "Happy Easter" sign and it looked great. However, I need to work on making hard-boiled eggs better, as quite a few of them were a bit too soft. Oh well...at least they looked pretty.:)

The breakfast was followed by Sunday School and another service. It was a great time of celebrating together the real meaning of Easter.

Since we had a couple of services in the morning, the evening service was cancelled. So, we just made the rest of the day a family time for us. We went to Red Lobster for lunch, then went on a hike.

It was a beautiful day enjoying God's creation. When we arrived back home, we had a nice dinner and played a game of Uno together.

How was your Easter? Hope you enjoyed a time of remembering what Christ did so long ago. Let's be thankful now and always...

Easter Egg Garland

2011-04-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

This super-cute Easter egg garland has been all over the web lately, and I had to show it to you just in case you haven't seen it yet. It took us a while to get it done because we were busy with other things, but we are glad to say that the garland went up a couple of days ago and we can enjoy it for Easter and for the rest of spring. I love the look of it in my kitchen as it brightens up my day....

If you'd like to put together your own paint chip garland, go here for the detailed instructions. She is one creative gal, so I know you'll enjoy browsing through the rest of her blog as well.

As for other Easter preparations....A and I just finished putting together something for the kids at church and for our neighbors.

Can you guess what it is? It is something I did last year and wrote about. If you can't figure it out, go here to read all about it. It is a simple and meaningful Easter gift.

Hope you've all had an enjoyable week getting ready for the wonderful celebration tomorrow. Have a wonderful Easter. Christ is risen! :)

Getting all the seeds in...

2011-04-19T21:42:00.005-06:00

Q has been working long hours since the weekend to get all of the seeds planted. Here are a few of the things he's been working on, with A's help, of course!

She loved helping Q plant the seed potatoes. We have a couple of rows of these in the main garden area.

It's kind of hard to see, but the next picture shows a bush cherry plant. It's a thin vine right now, but once it gets growing, it will blossom wonderfully for us.

We also have a few raspberry plants. We are all so excited about these--yum!!

Inside, we have a few tomato plants growing, as well as these pepper plants....

After supper tonight, A helped Q plant lots more seeds, including a couple more tomato varieties.

It's going to be fun watching everything grow this spring and summer! How's your garden growing so far? I would love to hear about it.:)

Easter Garden

2011-04-18T15:29:00.003-06:00

Here's a fun and meaningful activity you can do this week for Easter. It's called the Easter Garden. It's a great way to teach the children in your life the real meaning of Easter.

To make your Easter garden, you'll need the following materials:

1. a large tin foil dish or baking tray

2. damp sand or peat

3. empty toilet paper roll

4. a large round stone

5. twigs, flowers, leaves, small stones,etc.

How to put it all together:

Fill your tray with sand or peat. Lay the toilet paper roll on the surface, and cover with more sand or peat to make a hill. Leave one end uncovered.

Place the round stone to one side of the hole to represent the stone rolled away from the empty tomb.

Use the twigs, flowers and stones to complete the Easter Garden.

We collected all of our materials outside near our house. Q had a bag of sand which we were able to use, too. When we were all done, this is what our Easter garden looked like:

You can add lots of different things to embellish your special garden. The possibilities are endless!

When we showed Q our project, he and A talked about the twig being the cross, so he broke off a couple of the branches to make it look more like that. Take a look at it now....

We are keeping the tomb closed until Easter Sunday. I'm thinking about surprising A on Sunday morning with a small sign next to the open tomb that says, "He is Risen!" This simple project has already help begin conversations about Christ dying on the cross and His resurrection. Use it in your home, Sunday School classroom or where ever you'll have children this week. It is a wonderful ministry tool that I hope will teach many about why we celebrate Easter.

I found the idea for the Easter garden in this Spring Activity Book that I found at my local thrift store for a quarter.:) We have already done a couple of simple projects out of it and hope to do more.

Have a wonderful Easter celebrating the Christ who died for our sins and rose from the dead!:)

Bath time fun

2011-04-17T14:06:00.006-06:00

Recently, I was flipping through my Family Fun Craft book, and I noticed a couple of projects we could do to make bath time more fun for A. The first thing we made was a whale scoop using an empty milk jug, scissors and permanent marker.

After we cleaned it out, I cut some of the top off to make a large mouth for our whale. Then, A gave the whale a face using the marker.

She loves using the scoop to play with the water and to rinse herself off at the end of her bath. Mr. Whale also stores other bath toys when not in use, keeping the bath tub a lot cleaner these days.:)

We've also had some fun with this batch of homemade finger paints. The recipe calls for a bit of dish soap, so they're perfect for bath time.

A makes shapes and letters on the wall--a great educational activity. And the nicest thing about it is that it washes right off when she's done playing with it.

Here's the recipe for you to try:

Homemade finger paints

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 cups cold water

1/4 cup clear dishwashing liquid

food coloring (for vibrant colors, use food coloring paste)

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add the water. Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth, almost clear gel (about 5 minutes). When the mixture is cool, stir in the dishwashing liquid. Scoop equal amounts into containers and stir in the food coloring. Store in airtight containers.

The chicks meet the outside world...

2011-04-12T13:35:00.002-06:00

Our four chicks have been enjoying time outside since last week. Q takes them out on warm days to get used to being out in the garden. They're learning how to dig for food. Once in a while, they find a bug and eat him up!

They seem to be loving it and it is so good for them. They're getting bigger every day, too. Their baby "fluff" is being replaced by adult feathers.

Dorothy (the black chick show here) sometimes finds a way to get out of this small coop that Q put together. She doesn't go very far and eventually runs back inside. The four have become a family and they stick together out there.

Look how big the turken is here! As we have not really settled on a name for her, we've been calling her Turkey Lurky and it seems to fit.

Q will continue taking the chicks out for a few hours during the day time, but at night, they're back inside. He's ordered a real chicken coop that should be here soon. Dorothy, Tinkerbell, Mary Poppins and Turkey Lurky will have fun in there, for sure.;)

Chore pockets

2011-04-11T21:21:00.003-06:00

After brainstorming with Q about a chore chart for A, we came up with an easy way for her to remember what to do each day. I decorated large envelopes with photo corners and labeled them as follows: morning chores, evening chores and done. I stuck them onto the wall using sticky-tack. These chore pockets are fun and easy to put together for the young children in your home.

I took pictures of the things she has to do in the morning and at night. Then, I glued them onto scrap booking paper and wrote the description on the back side (just in case we have a sitter and they need to know what each picture means). I then laminated each picture with clear Contact paper.

The morning chore pictures remind A to....

...get up and use the bathroom, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush her hair, brush her teeth and make her bed.

The evening chore pictures remind her to...

...wipe the table and sweep the floor after dinner, clean up her toys/craft projects, put on her pajamas, brush her teeth, and read books, sing and pray with us before lights out.:)

She is doing a great job so far with this new system. Right now we have a couple of incentives for her if she does her chores happily and right away. I have put up an index card next to the pockets that says if she does her chores for seven days, she can have a pair of sunglasses. It's the thing she's been wanting for a while, so we think this is a good way she can earn them. She also loves to vaccuum, even though it is not on her regular chore list. Q told her that she can earn fifty cents each time she vaccuums the back part of our house, up to twice a week (which is three rooms and a short hallway).

We want A to learn how to work hard and obey because God wants us to; it is an important principle to learn. So, we may not always give her a physical reward of some kind, and that's okay. We give her tons of praise in the process and she loves to please with the jobs she's given.

Well worth the wait....

2011-04-10T16:37:00.002-06:00

For the past several weeks, Q and I, along with a few others from church have met each Wednesday afternoon to pass out church invitations in different neighborhoods. We go out in pairs and place one of these beautifully printed tracts at each door.

If we see people walking along, we stop to invite them to join us at First Baptist Church. We hadn't seen anyone come as a result of our efforts until last week. For the past two Sundays we have seen a couple of ladies come to our morning service because of the invitation they received at their door. What an encouragement it was to Q and I as we saw the fruit of our labors.

It is so easy to give up and be discouraged when you're out week by week inviting others to your church and witnessing for the Lord. I'm reminded of Galatians 6:9 that says, "And be not weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."

Keep on keeping on in your efforts for the Lord. In due season, we will reap what we sow!:)

Red Velvet Cake

2011-04-08T15:44:00.002-06:00

A surprise birthday party was in the works for a while, and it finally happened. We really surprised our friend, Pat after church Wednesday night. Another lady, Shirley, put all of the refreshments together and Q asked A and I to make the dessert. She and I worked together on a red velvet cake. For a four-year-old, I thought she did well from start to finish. I think her favorite part was putting the frosting and sprinkles on with my help.

Here's a look at our finished creation....

The cake was enjoyed by all. With it's light chocolaty flavor and creamy frosting, it was perfect for everybody's palate.

And best of all, the birthday girl enjoyed her slice, along with the sweet fellowship of friends all around her.

And just in case you want to make this fun birthday cake, here's the recipe. It comes from Better Homes and Gardens Annual Cookbook from 2008.

Red Velvet Cake

3 eggs

3/4 cup butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2-1/4 cups sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1 ounce bottle red food coloring (2 tablespoons)

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons vinegar

1 recipe Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)

1. Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8x1-1/2 inch round baking pans; set aside. (I used two 9-inch pans and it worked well.)

2. In bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. In mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time; beat on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time; beat on medium after each addition. Beat in food coloring on low.

3. alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on medium-low after each just until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar. Add to batter; beat just until combined.

4. Spread in prepared pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until pick inserted near centers comes out clean (cakes may appear marbled). Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Removed from pans; cool.

5. Prepare Buttercream frosting. Place one layer, flat side up, on plate. Spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack layer, flat side up; spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack final layer, flat side down; spread remaining frosting on top and sides. Makes 16 servings.

Buttercream Frosting

In saucepan whisk together 1-1/2 cups whole milk, 1/3 cup flour, and dash salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Transfer to bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cooled (do not stir). In bowl beat 1-1/2 cups softened butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla on medium 5 minutes until light and fluffy and sugar is almost dissolved. Add milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; beat on low after each until smooth.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-04-05T21:27:00.003-06:00

When I saw the recipe for these cookies here, I couldn't wait to make them. We had a spring snow on Sunday afternoon which gave me a good excuse to make these with A. We had a great time making these and eating them, too! We shared them with folks at church, neighbors and her teachers at school. You'll love them, too, but note that these cookies are HUGE! You'll probably want to share one with a friend. Enjoy!:)

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

3-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 ounce bag chocolate chips

1 bag Oreo cookies, double stuff (I used the store brand and they still worked great!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an oreo cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of oreo cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until oreo cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE cookies

This is how the cookies looked after baking....

And this is how one of them looked like after Q bit into it....

Lots of chocolatey goodness! By the way, these taste better warm than cold. :)

A's activity jar

2011-04-01T21:13:00.002-06:00

It's been a busy week, as Q and I have been doing respite care for twin brothers since last Friday. They go home tomorrow, and hopefully, I'll be back to blogging more regularly. I've been wanting to share with you something I've been doing with our foster daughter A, which has been a lot of fun and a help, too.

It's called the Activity Jar. Inside this canning jar are strips of paper that each have some kind of activity written on it. I put a label on it with smiley face stickers on the side (I've erased A's name for privacy).

When she has finished her morning chores, she can choose an activity to do. There are some school-type activities, so it's a neat way to get her ready for kindergarten in the fall. She now attends preschool, but when she's home, this jar is a wonderful thing for us to do. Some activities require my help, but there are some that with just a minute or two of prep, she's on her own and busy for a while.

There's usually time to do a couple in the morning before lunch. Sometimes we even do a couple in the afternoon after rest time. The first rule I have is that she at least do an activity for about twenty minutes, even if it is not her favorite. Of course, we have found a few things she really loves, so she spends a lot of time on those. The second rule is that whatever she chooses, that's what we do (unless it requires me to play a game with her and I can't just then because I'm busy prepping a meal or something; then she just chooses something else).

When she gets done with an activity, it goes into another jar. When the activity jar is empty, we put them all back and start over. I've already thought of a couple things to add for the next round to keep it exciting!

Here are a few of the activities I've come up with. I've put a * next to the ones that A really loves.:)

1. Practice writing letters in tablet. *

2. Play dress-up.

3. Put on a puppet show.

4. Make a macaroni necklace. *

5. Type on the computer. *

6. Play with paper/magnetic dolls. *

7. Play with play-dough and cookie cutters. *

8. Play Candy land, Hi-ho cherrio, or Memory. *

9. Paint with watercolor pencils.

10. Do giant puzzles. *

As the weather is getting warmer, I've been thinking about coming up with a jar for outside activities like sidewalk chalk, painting with water, playing soccer, flying a kite, nature walks, bubbles, etc.

Have any of you done something like this? If so, what activities can you suggest for us to add to the jar? I'd love to hear your ideas.:)

Gardening fun (plus a surprise!)

2011-03-25T22:11:00.007-06:00

For the past couple of weeks, Q has been outside working on the garden area. He recently ordered seeds for this year and wants to be ready. A few days ago, Q had A help him plant tomato and pepper seeds in styrofoam cups. (When we refer to our foster daughter we'll call her A and not show her face to protect her.) This was a great learning thing for her to do with Q. She is excited to see these plants grow.

The cups will stay in a cake carrier which will act like a small green house until the plants are ready to go outside.

The two walked outside to the garden area to plant some peas.

A got to plant a few herself--what great fun!

And now for the surprise--remember I mentioned that we were thinking about getting a few chicks? Well, Q and A got to buy four of them yesterday. A chose a black chick with a little white in it. There's another one like it for me, and they're the breed called "barred rock." She named hers Tinkerbell and I named mine Dorothy, after the main character in the Wizard of Oz (I am a Judy Garland fan!). Her nickname will be Dot because of the white spot on her head. The third one is a "sex-link", a beautiful yellow and tan variety. Q named her Mary Poppins. Then, the last one is a yellow chick called a "turken." It's a pretty interesting breed because it has no feathers on part of its head and neck.

Take a look.....

We have not named her yet, and thought one of you out there can help us out! Please send us your name ideas. Perhaps yours will be chosen for our last little bird.

Right now the chicks are in a box under a light to keep them warm. We've placed them in our spare bathroom with all of the necessities they need. They are eating and drinking well. We hope they will all survive and grow to be gorgeous hens that will lay lots of eggs for us! We'll keep you posted on them and on the garden.

How's your garden preparations going? Oh--and don't forget to send us your name ideas for our last chick! Until next time....

Double-Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

2011-03-24T16:07:00.004-06:00

We had family visiting us in our home recently--Q's big brother, Ben, his son, Canon and Aunt Berdean. Since they were going to be with us a few days after Ben's birthday, Q thought it would be fun to have a special dessert just for him. He requested a peanut butter pie, but I didn't want to make it the traditional way--I wanted it to be a little different. So, I scoured the internet looking for just the right one. I found it here, and couldn't wait to make it!

Take a look at this scrumptious double-chocolate peanut butter pie....

Are ya drooling yet?

Here's the recipe just in case you need to make this today.;) Enjoy....

Double-chocolate peanut butter pie

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

8 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (9-ounce package), finely ground (2 cups)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 cup)

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup well-chilled heavy cream

3/4 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped

Kosher salt

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Make the chocolate crust. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium glass bowl, combine the chocolate and butter and microwave at high power in 20-second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Stir well, then stir in the cookie crumbs. Press the cookie crumbs over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and 1-1/2 inches up the side. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until set; the crust will continue to firm up as it cools.

2. Meanwhile, make the peanut butter filling. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the peanut butter, sugar and vanilla extract until blended. In another bowl, using the same beaters, whip the chilled cream until firm. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to loosen it, then fold in the remaining whipped cream and 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts. Spoon the filling into the crust, smoothing the surface. Sprinkle lightly with salt and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

3. Make the chocolate topping. In a medium glass bowl, combine the chocolate with the heavy cream and microwave at high power in 20-second intervals until the chocolate is melted and the cream is hot. Stir the chocolate topping until blended, then let cool to barely warm, stirring occasionally.

4. Spread the chocolate topping over the peanut butter filling and refrigerate until just firm, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped peanuts around the edge of the pie. Carefully run a thin knife around the pie crust to loosen it, then remove the outer edge of the pan.

Ben sure loved his pie, and I know you will, too!:)

Dr. Seuss hat finger puppets

2011-03-20T22:22:00.007-06:00

For my Dr. Seuss story time earlier this month, I made a few hat finger puppets to go with this poem:

One little cat on a sunny day

Put on his hat and went out to play

Two little cats when it started getting dark

Put on their hats and went to the park

Three little cats when the sky was blue

Put on their hats and went to the zoo

Four little cats by the kitchen door

Put on their hats and went to the store

Five little cats on a sunny day

Put on their hats and they all ran away.

I found my cat puppet and tried a hat on--he really became "The Cat in the Hat." :)

The hats were made from empty toilet paper tubes covered in strips of craft foam. I used hot glue to place the foam on.

On the bottom part of the hat, I cut a small "x" so that you can put your finger through.

It was fun creating hats in different color combinations. After my story times, I let the kids play with the puppets for a couple of minutes and they really enjoyed that. The teachers said they liked the idea and perhaps could do it next year for Dr. Seuss's birthday. The only change would be to use another kind of glue that would be safe enough for kids to use. It just has to be strong enough to glue the craft foam in place. Another alternative would be to use construction paper instead of the foam.

Clickety clack...down the old reading track

2011-03-18T16:07:00.004-06:00

Recently, I had some extra time on my hands, so I asked the librarians if they needed help with anything. They asked me if I would be willing to put up a new bulletin board. I was really excited to put something together, as it would help me get creative again.

I looked through my bulletin board file and found a cute train picture that I could copy. I made a transparency of it, traced it onto poster board, then colored it in with chalk. I was able to laminate it at the library.

The board is right above the kids' computers. I drew the track on several sheets of construction paper using chalk and laminated those as well.

Here's a close up of the colorful train and its conductor. One of the librarians came up with the idea to use some fiberfill for the smoke at the top.

Along the track are book covers that the librarians had on hand for other boards and projects. I thought everything came together well and I can't wait to do another one! :)

A busy and wonderful time....

2011-03-14T21:43:00.002-06:00

It's been a crazy week at our house, but we are so thankful. Last Tuesday, we got a call from our agency, asking us if we'd consider taking in a four-year-old girl. We were told that this could possibly turn into a foster-adoption situation, so we said, "yes." We heard back the next day saying that they'd like us to take her in, so she joined our home this past Friday.

It's been a whirlwind of activity with family staying with us for a few days, a chorale concert this weekend and adjusting to life with an active little girl. We've had fun through it all and can't wait to see what God is going to do in our lives in the near future. As our hearts were saddened saying good-bye to our first little guys, we're now excited to take in a fun gal who makes us laugh and hearts smile already.

Please keep us in your prayers during this transition time, and that God will continue to direct in our lives with children.

I've got some other things I'll write about soon, so stay tuned! :)

Quilted note cards

2011-03-09T15:25:00.005-07:00

Several months ago, I bought a fun sewing kit called the Quilt-it Kit, by Denyse Schmidt. Inside, there are fifteen quilt and patchwork projects for both the beginner and advanced crafter. Last fall, I knew it was time to make something out of this kit, so I made the Dis-cards. They are note cards with fabric scraps sewn on them. I made some for my mom, but couldn't take a picture of them because I had just lost our camera.

Thankfully, I had another reason to make more--my sister and sister-in-law's birthdays. They both loved them a lot. My sister said, "They are too pretty to use!" And I agree. I really like these, although I haven't made any for myself yet. I just have to find the time, right?:)

For each card, I laid out five strips of fabric that went well together. I found that if I put in a couple of solid colored strips, then the overall look of the card didn't look too busy with patterns.

When you start stitching on the pieces, go from right to left, stitching each one vertically and overlapping the next one on top of the one you just did (and don't forget to stitch that last piece on both sides!). Also, use a regular size stitch, as stitches too close together will tear the card apart. After stitching on each strip, sew some zig-zags starting at the top and going from side to side until you get to the bottom. Trim the excess fabric around the sides...and that's it--a pretty quilted note card.

This card is a mix of blues and pinks. The three patterned fabrics were used for the apron I made my sil, Abigail.

There are lots of browns in this one, with just a bit of blue.

This card really stands out with all that green!

This picture shows the last two cards I made for each gal--pink and brown and then a blue and brown mix. I wrapped up all five cards in a ribbon before sending them off.

I really liked this project as it didn't take me a long time, like most of my sewing projects do. Several cards can be done in an afternoon, and I love the satisfaction of that.

Have fun creating this simple project for the special ladies in your life. Happy sewing!:)

A box of treasures

2011-03-07T15:16:00.005-07:00

This past week, I got an email from our church pianist, Shirley, asking me if I'd like to have a BIG box full of crafting treasures. Of course, I said, "yes" and on Sunday morning, I received the goods.

The first thing I pulled up was a bag that had a baby quilt inside. It just needs some embroidery work to finish it. Then, I pulled up this tin...

...lots of beads with awesome possibilities!

These pipe cleaners were a neat find. Whenever these were sold, they cost just ten cents a bag. I couldn't get over how thin they were compared to how thick some of the ones you can buy today are.

I went crazy over all of the rick rack, bias tape, and seam binding packages!

I was also super excited to see this Wilton decorating tip case. I haven't done a lot of decorating with the few tips I already had, but this got me to thinking that I ought to dive in again and have some fun. Along with these were an assortment of other cake decorating items.

Thanks, Shirley, for your fun box of treasures. Can't wait to really get crafting again!:)

A decorative dry-erase board

2011-03-05T21:29:00.003-07:00

When I saw this idea from January's issue of Real Simple magazine, I knew it would be a neat thing to do in my kitchen. This dry-erase board is perfect for writing my to-do lists for food I have to make and prep.

It's currently sitting on one of the counters, but it would be great to put it on the wall somewhere. To make one yourself, all you have to do is find a frame and decorative paper or fabric to put inside of it. Make sure that the paper or fabric is light in color so that your writing shows up. Use a dry-erase marker to write your list, and when you're done with something, it's easy to erase it. You can also change your background to go with the season, or make it match the room you have in it. The possibilities are endless!

Here are some other ways to use this board-- write your shopping lists, reminders, project ideas, quotes, doodles, notes to members of your family or guests--can you think of anymore?

After having just one of these in use, I've been thinking about putting more around the house. It's going to be fun doing this--and for those who see my special notes.:)

Peppermint laundry soap

2011-03-02T19:29:00.005-07:00

When I found the recipe for this laundry soap here, I knew I just had to try it. Peppermint is such a refreshing scent. I've done some loads with it already, and this recipe is a keeper.

Peppermint Laundry Soap

(makes approximately 5 cups)

2 cups finely grated castile soap (1-1/2 .5 ounce bars makes about 2 cups; Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile soap is divine!)

1 cup borax

1 cup baking soda

1 cup soda ash (washing soda)

Mix everything together and store in an air tight jar. Use 1/8 cup per load. Before using, give jar a shake to prevent soap flakes from settling on the bottom.

I think I might just have to have one (or a bunch!)...

2011-03-01T22:18:00.003-07:00

Some time last week, while I was at home, Q called me from one of his favorite stores--JAX. He told me that they were selling chicks there and that he just had to tell me about them. He has been interested in having a couple of chickens for quite a while now. It would be great to have eggs to enjoy (and some to sell, too.) Plus, I love animals and these critters would be fun to have around.

I really wanted to see the chicks, so we went to JAX today to take a close look...

Aren't they just adorable? There were a few different varieties to look at.

We're not ready to buy any at this time, as we have to get things in place for them. But, oh, I wanted to bring a couple of them home today.

I think this one wanted to come home with us, don't you think?

So, do you think we'll have some chickens some day soon? I'll keep you posted!

The after dinner mint

2011-02-27T17:34:00.002-07:00

I've been meaning to share with you a fun thing I like to do when we have company over for a meal. I like to place a piece of candy inside the napkin ring for our guests to enjoy after they've finished eating. At Christmas time, I like to place a candy cane inside, and some times I actually do place a real mint inside, like this:

But usually, it's this--can you guess what candy it is?

If you guessed Tootsie Roll, you're right! I still call it our "after dinner mint" and I usually get a few chuckles when I tell our guests that.

You can use any kind of small wrapped candy, and I guarantee your friends and family will enjoy this sweet way to end a meal. Have fun being creative with this the next time folks are over your place for dinner. ;)

Rhubarb-banana muffins

2011-02-25T10:54:00.005-07:00

A few days ago, I was looking through my cookbooks to find a new recipe. I had some ripe bananas that I needed to use up. I found a recipe for rhubarb-banana muffins in my Better Homes and Gardens Annual Recipes Cookbook (from 2008) and knew I had to try it out. We were not disappointed--they are delicious!

They are moist and sweet, especially with that sugar topping--yum! Enjoy.:)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup mashed banana (3 large)

1/2 cup cooking oil

1-1/2 cups frozen chopped rhubarb, thawed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper bake cups. In bowl combine granulated sugar and softened butter. Using your fingers, combine until crumbly; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Make well in the center; set aside.

3. In medium mixing bowl combine eggs, brown sugar, mashed banana, and cooking oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in rhubarb.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Sprinkle with granulated sugar mixture. Bake about 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.

Valentine's Day story time

2011-02-22T20:53:00.003-07:00

I had a great time at the Valentine's Day story time with the preschoolers this month. After singing our "Hello time" song, I pulled out a new friend out of my bag.

Meet Freddy--

He's pretty cute, huh? But, he doesn't turn into a prince when you kiss him! Oh well, at least I tried. One little girl asked if she could try, too (I didn't have her do it, but it was a nice thought though).

Then, I taught the kids a song that I sang with my Kindergartners back in the day:

Valentine, valentine,

won't you be my valentine?

Valentine, valentine,

won't you be mine?

The first book I read was called My Friend Harry, by Kim Lewis. It's about a little boy who starts school but has to leave his stuffed animal friend behind. After I read the book, I pulled out a stuffed koala who was one of my special friends when I was a girl. Then the kids shared about their friends, too.

The second book I read was called Sweet Hearts, by Jan Carr. It's about a young panda who makes lots of valentine surprises for his family.

Using these felt hearts, I read the following poem:

I have five little valentines, not one more,

I'll give one to mother, and then I'll have...

Four little valentines are all that I see

I'll give one to Dad and then I'll have...

Three little valentines all bright and new

I'll give one to Grandma and then I'll have....

Two paper valentines--this is lots of fun

I'll give one to Grandpa, and then I'll have just...

One paper valentine, and I know what to do

I'll give my last valentine to no one but

YOU.

The last book I read was called A Circle is not a Valentine, by H. Werner Zimmerman. We all loved this book which also teaches the kids about shapes. It is funny and the pictures are delightful.

I passed out a candy heart to each kid, then showed them something I decorated just for them...

...this Valentine gingerbread house. I found the house at the clearance section at Wal-mart. Then, I used Valentine-colored sprinkles, frosting and hearts to decorate it. The kids really liked it a lot and so I left it there so they could enjoy it.

I pulled Freddy out again and we sang the Valentine song and the Good-bye song together. Can't wait until next month's story time...stay tuned!

Homemade oreo cookies

2011-02-18T21:22:00.003-07:00

When I found the recipe for these here, I knew I had to try them! I made the filling pink, too--perfect for Valentine's Day!

Q and I both loved these a lot! They are scrumptious. Enjoy!:)

Homemade Oreos

makes 25-30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa (Hershey's Special Dark is highly recommended)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons room-temperature, unsalted butter

1 large egg

For the filling:

1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

optional-gel dye

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.

2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy. (Optional: Blend in a tiny bit of gel dye until you reach the desired color.)

5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blogs of cream in to the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Our Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T22:11:00.002-07:00

Our Valentine's Day began with a special breakfast at The Egg and I. Several church folk came and enjoyed the fellowship and food. Q invited another area pastor to give a devotional. Many commented on how nice everything was and how they'd like to do something like that again.

After we left the restaurant, Q said we could make a stop at the jewelry store. I just knew what we were going to get, as it was something I had asked him about when we had the boys. I wanted a charm for my Pandora bracelet that represented the boys, whether they stayed or left. As you all know, they've been gone for over a week now, and we still miss them a lot, but I now have a pretty charm that reminds me of them...

The blue is a perfect boy color and the hearts represent how much we loved those boys. They will always be in our hearts. After our short time at the mall, we went back home. Q had to leave for work, and I had to get busy making a special treat for him!

I found a recipe for homemade oreos and knew that Valentine's Day would be the perfect day to make these delectable treats (the recipe will be coming soon, I promise!) I placed them on a big red plate with some chocolate hearts and when Q got home from work, he saw the surprise. When I came home from chorale practice, he had a few little things for me, too....

The heart bracelet, stamper, and ring were from a grab bag of stuff from work. It was really cute to get these fun things, and wouldn't you say the ring looks pretty good on my finger?;)

What a fun day! It was a great day with friends and family. I feel very blessed indeed.

God's Love is like a circle

2011-02-13T21:34:00.002-07:00

I put up a new bulletin board in our children's area at church recently. It's a mix of valentine cut-outs and a song that talks about God's love.

The song is called, "God's Love is like a circle" and it is sung to the tune of "Stand up, stand up for Jesus." I started teaching it today in Sunday School. It's really easy to learn.

God's love is like a circle, a circle big and round, For when you see a circle no ending can be found!

And so the love of Jesus goes on eternally; forever and forever I know that He loves me.

Happy Valentine's Day! Know that Jesus loves you very much and thank Him for His love today.:)

Saying "good-bye" is so hard....

2011-02-11T21:18:00.003-07:00

Last Friday, Q and I got the news that Big Brother and Little Brother were going to be reunified with their mom. We had just a few days left to spend with them as they were going to be leaving on Monday. It was such a hard day, but the Lord helped us get through the transition. After giving their mom their things, we hugged and kissed the boys good-bye. We drove away with huge tears in our eyes.

Now, a few days later, there is such an emptiness in our hearts and I still cry off and on. We grew to love them as our own and so quickly, were taken away. But, we know that God had a plan in having them with us. It was not a mistake. We are thankful for the time we had with them, and hope and pray that they are now in a home that is safe and full of love.

Pray for us as our hearts heal and as we look ahead to the future. We don't know if we'll ever see these little guys again (that would be awesome, but right now they need to bond with their mom again) or that they'll come back (if that happened, it would mean more turmoil at home, so we just have to pray for safety and God's best in their lives). So, we pray that God will send us the children we can keep forever. He already has them picked out; we just have to keep waiting.

As we pray and wait, memories of the boys still come to my mind. I look at pictures multiple times a day. I'm trying to fill my time again like before they came, and it's been difficult. I loved being a mom--and these boys made me one! I pray that God encourages my heart daily and that one day I'll be a mom forever.

Here's a picture I had to share with you of Q and Big Brother. We went to a stock show last month and it was so much fun!

I'll leave you with some Scripture that is such an encouragement to my heart:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

Please pray for us as we continue to wait on the Lord for the children He has for us. Also pray that the Lord will give us peace and comfort as we deal with losing these little guys. We miss them so much...

Music story time

2011-02-09T17:34:00.004-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I did a music story time for the preschool kids at the center. I thought I'd share with you what I did with them, as it could give you ideas to do at home or with other children you work with.

After singing our "Hello Time" song, I brought out a friend who I've had for a long time. His name is Tex. Do you want to meet him?:)

He's a kooky-looking sort of fellow that the kids say looks like a monkey! Honestly, I don't know what he is, but he sure is a lot of fun for the kids.

The first book I read is called, Animal Music, by Harriet Ziefert. With simple rhyme, it shared a couple of stories about animals who played different instruments.

After that first book, we sang a song called "Farm Sounds" and it is sung to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus." I used my farm animal puppets as we sang each verse.

The cow in the barn goes moo, moo, moo,

moo, moo, moo, moo, moo, moo,

The cow in the barn goes moo, moo, moo,

All around the farm.

The pig in the pen goes oink, oink, oink,

oink, oink, oink, oink, oink, oink,

The pig in the pen goes oink, oink, oink,

All around the farm.

The hens in the coop go cluck, cluck, cluck,

cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck,

The hens in the coop go cluck, cluck, cluck,

All around the farm.

The lambs on the hill go baa, baa, baa,

baa, baa, baa, baa, baa, baa,

The lambs on the hill go baa, baa, baa,

All around the farm.

The second book I read is called Our Marching Band, by Lloyd Moss. This story was also a poem about kids who were learning their instruments to play in a band. When I was done, I pulled out an instrument that a lot of kids learn before they begin playing a band instrument--a recorder.

I played a simple tune on it, then showed them my husband's trombone. He taught me how to put it together and play it so they could hear what it sounds like. I don't know how to play songs on it, so the sound that came out was pretty interesting!

The last book I read is called Max found Two Sticks, by Brian Pinkney. I really enjoyed this story and the beautiful illustrations. A young boy finds two sticks outside then plays them on different objects during the day. It's a great way to introduce rhythm to children.

I had the kids play their sticks (their pointer fingers) while I sang the following song:

Tap your sticks (to the tune of "row, row, row your boat")

by Jean Warren

Tap, tap, tap your sticks

tap your sticks today,

Tap them high, tap them low,

Tap them every way.

I brought along a CD with Sousa band music and had the kids pretend to play instruments as we walked in a circle a few times. We ended our time by singing the "Good-bye song" and Tex even came out to give them hugs.

Our story time was a lot of fun and we all had a great time!

Super Bowl party cake

2011-02-04T19:26:00.002-07:00

In my first two years of teaching, the Denver Broncos made it to the Super Bowl. So, it was fitting that my class and I have a party on the Friday before the big day. The students wore their favorite team shirt, had a football game during recess and enjoyed some cake at the end of the day.

Here's a pix of my first class of third graders on our fun day:

The cake was fun and simple to make, but best of all, it tasted great! The following recipe card came in a mailing and was put out by the company that makes Cool Whip. The entire cake is covered in the sweet stuff then decorated.

Here's the recipe and directions on how you can make this football cake. It will be fun to enjoy on Super Bowl Sunday or on any other big game day! Have fun!

A big wooden spool family

2011-02-03T21:04:00.003-07:00

A couple of months ago, I held another giveaway, offering the winner one of my favorite small gifts. Melissa chose a wooden spool family, so I had her give me descriptions of up to ten family members. Her nieces would love playing with them and she couldn't wait to get them!

Here's a picture of the entire family which includes grandparents, mom and dad, aunts, and a few children:

My favorite ones include the grandparents, complete with gray hair....

....and the baby, whose bib is made out of a piece of white rick-rack trim.

Melissa's family enjoyed receiving the dolls. She sent me a couple of pictures for me to see the dolls being played with.

I can't wait to make more of these, as I've promised a niece I'd make her a family for her dollhouse. The set of four I currently have is a hit with kids that visit our home. With just some wooden spools and balls, fabric, trim and glue, you can create a set your family will love.

Four weeks

2011-01-30T21:42:00.003-07:00

It's been exactly four weeks since Little Brother and Big Brother came to us. It is so hard to believe how fast the time has gone by. Sometimes it's hard to think about what life was like before these two came into our lives, as it feels like we've had them longer.

We don't know yet what's going to happen with them (if they'll go back or if we can adopt them), but we are enjoying loving and nurturing them as their foster parents.

Just thought I'd share with you what has happened in this first month. They both have grown in many ways!

1. Both boys have gained a pound since their arrival. The doctor says they look good and are as healthy as can be.

2. We have established routines with them--nap time, bed time, meal times, clean-up, etc.

3. We've taught Big Brother some sign language and it's amazing how much that helps everyone. He knows the signs for please, eat, more, and all done. We're working on some other ones like want, milk, and drink.

4. Little Brother can hold his head up pretty well and loves to laugh. He is just the cutest baby ever.:)

5. Q and I still don't get as much sleep like before they came, but we're learning how to sleep deeply and rest when we can. It's interesting how much your life changes when little bodies are added to the household.

6. We've enjoyed doing things as a family--going to church together, library story time, the playground, around the town on walks, and shopping trips. These guys make things fun for us and everyone they meet.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers. We will continue to keep you posted from time to time.

Toddler pillowcase dress

2011-01-26T15:23:00.003-07:00

After I made my first two pillowcase dresses, I brought them to church to show a few of the ladies. One of them asked me if I'd be willing to make one for her great-granddaughter for a Christmas present.

I bought Simplicity pattern 2383 to make a size two pillow case dress. I went shopping with Mary to choose fabrics for the dress, since we didn't have a pillowcase to start with. After a few days and several hours of work, this is how it turned out:

My favorite part of the dress is the applique'. I think it turned out so cute! This little girl will look adorable wearing this in the summer time.

The ladybug's legs and antennae are made from ribbon looped together. The stitching was done on my machine, except for the eyes.

I would love to make another dress like this, but don't have the opportunity yet! Since we have two little boys now, I've been trying to think of things I'd like to make for them. However, that will have to happen once I get more of a routine down--I've not done any sewing since their arrival...oh well...

Three-in-One gameboard: the game pouches

2011-01-25T21:55:00.005-07:00

I made the game pouches using some material I had on hand, including a couple of pairs of jeans that were used for the pockets.

Since most of the hemming was already done on the denim, the pockets were so easy to put together. Each pocket was labeled so that the pieces would go in the right place when they were not being used.

The pouches themselves were just two pieces sewn together with one side being longer than the other for a flap. The flaps were secured with velcro.

I also put velcro on the inside of each pocket so that the pieces wouldn't fall out. These pouches will hold everything together and keep the game board clean.

Well, that's the end of my biggest project for Christmas! Coming up...a couple of more easy projects that are fun to make!:)