The day finally came...

...for us to go see Mary Poppins! This was my Valentine's Day gift, but Friday was the earliest date we could go see the show. I've been so excited these past few weeks! Right as we left, Q gave me this gorgeous plant:

It's called a cyclamen. The blooms are so unique and bright, and I love them. Q also handed me a card, but he said it was for me to open up later. We set out for a place to eat dinner. We pulled up in front of Cinzetti's, but we were a half hour early. So, we spent some time at a nearby Border's store until the restaurant opened.

We took this picture as we waited to be seated. We were so hungry and couldn't wait to dig into their many delicious choices. Their top-of-the-line buffet filled us up, but we still managed to have room for dessert!

One thing we both tried was this berry tartlet. It was sweet and delicious! When we were done eating, we got back in the car and headed down to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We had a bit of difficulty finding parking, but we made it to the show a few minutes before it began.

I saw some clips of the show some time ago, never thinking I'd actually get to go to it live, so I was thrilled to actually be there with Q. The story line is based both on the book by P.L. Travers and the Disney movie. There are familiar songs, as well as some new ones. My favorite was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, because each letter was given a hand gesture, so the entire cast did this together as they sang. It was really impressive! Q liked Step in Time which included Bert and the Chimney Sweeps. Bert was played by Gavin Lee, a long-time cast member who has played the role both in New York and London. During the song, he climbed up the sides and top of the stage (upside down with cables tied to him, of course). It was very cool!

After the show, I asked Q if I could have the card. He said to wait, but we were going to be heading home in a few minutes. He had other plans which I didn't know about. After we walked out of the theater, we came across some steps that looked very familiar. He had me sit down on them, although it was a bit chilly. He pulled out the card and had me open it. You see, this was where he proposed to me almost five years ago. I read the card and it brought a few tears to my eyes. It was very sweet and so special.

Thank-you, Q, for a fun night with you! I love you.:)

M is for Moses

This past Wednesday in our Kids' Bible Club our theme was "M is for Moses." I've tried several times to upload pictures from the night, but for some reason haven't been able to. So, I was able to retake a few pictures to show you. I don't have a picture of the snack or of the kids, but I will describe what we did the best I can.

Bible time: The Bible lesson was taken from Exodus 2:1-10. It focuses on how Moses was found as a baby by Pharoah's daughter. Because his parents put him in the river, his life was saved and he grew up in Pharoah's home. God had a special plan for his life when he was older as he helped deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

After the story, I taught Mieka and Sylar the Bible verse. It was Psalm 118:6. It says, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" 

We played this game from my Children of the Bible game book. It's laminated, so it's easy to move pieces around as necessary. This one called, "A message for me" was really fun for the kids. I asked questions from the story and when they said the right answer, they chose a number for me to remove from the board. Underneath those numbers was the message, "God has a plan." They were able to say it right before the last number was removed. We talked about how God had a plan for Moses' life and how he has a plan for our lives as well.

Craft time: After they completed their worksheet, we each made a baby Moses out of clay. I cut out water and grass with pinking shears. I cut slits on the sides of the water for the pieces of grass to stand up in. Then, before we put the baby in, we used a tooth pick to give him facial features. These are so cute and tiny. The project fits in the palm of my hand.

Snack time: We ate graham crackers spread with frosting for our snack. I gave them some M & M candies to spell out the letter "m" on their cracker before they ate it. 

Next time we will learn about a man who obeyed God despite opposition from those around him. Do you want a clue as to who it is? His name begins with the letter "n." Come back to find out if you're right with your guess!:)

Friends, fun and handmade cards

Today I  joined a group of ladies who meet once a month to make cards. Mary is a sweet friend from church so I was so excited to go with her this morning. Right as we arrived, she gave me a scrap booking tape dispenser to keep and use as I made my cards. The lady who assembled all of the card supplies together is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. She charged us six dollars to make four gorgeous cards. I'm planning to go again in the near future. She has so many more supplies than I do--and I get to have fun hanging out with the other ladies.

The cards we made today all revolve around spring and I think you'll enjoy them. We got to be creative and make our cards fit any theme--birthday, get well, thinking of you, Easter, etc. I chose to make three of them into birthday cards and one of them into a thinking of you card.

This card was made using a technique called "stain-glass" effect. She embossed these flowers for us, then we painted them on the back side before gluing them on. She let us have a try at the embossing tool--this was a first one for me and it was fun!

The flowers for this card were made by pressing a stamp into a homemade pad of ink. She dropped some purple dye onto a short stack of baby wipes and it helped create the look you see here. Pretty cool, eh?

This sweet and simple 3-D flower card was so easy to make. I love how the wording becomes the stem on the flower.

I think this card was everyone's favorite. It's delicate vintage look is gorgeous! I like how the bird pops out giving the card a three-dimensional look.

The inside of each card and envelope was made to match the front. Our demonstrator said that the stamp on the front lets the recipient know that there is something fun on the inside. ;)

Do any of you get together with friends to do some kind of craft? Whether it's making cards, scrap booking, sewing, or quilting, doing it with people makes it even more fun!

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

Have you ever felt like life is so busy that you can't get everything done...including spending time reading God's Word? I think we've all been there at one time or another. We live in a fast-paced world that tells us that we need to have things and do things in order to survive.

I'm so thankful that I read the book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, by Joanna Weaver. It shares what Christian women need to know about having true intimacy with God amidst the society pressures to be everywhere and do everything.

The book begins by sharing the story of sisters, Mary and Martha, who responded differently when Jesus came to visit. Martha busily moved around the house making sure things were ready while Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening and taking in every word. I think that most of us are more often like Martha; we are too busy moving about, that we don't stop and spend time with our Saviour. We forget to be like Mary, whom Jesus said had "chosen the better part." 

Having a deep relationship with the Lord is more important than being busy simply because the pressure is on us to be so. The author gives encouragement and insight on how to begin having intimacy with God so that it flows into loving service for Him and the people He places in our life. 

I highly recommend this book if you haven't read it yet. I'm sure you can find it at your local library and check it out like I did. Your heart will be encouraged and challenged. 

"Roll the dice" review game

Last week, I bought a package of five giant dice at the local dollar store. I wanted to have them on hand to use for review games with the kids at church. During my preparation time this past weekend, I thought of a way to use them. 

Our lessons have been on the life of Elisha. I chose a verse that we could work on for a few weeks that talk about God's power. Elisha couldn't do all those wonderful miracles without God, so this is a great verse--"For thou art great, and doest wondrous things; thou art God alone." Psalm 86:10

After I had the kids recite the verse a couple times, we played a review game. To play the game, I wrote the verse on the white board, then put a number underneath each word. I wrote it all out on a sheet of paper to show you what I did:

I gave either one or two dice at a time to one of the kids to roll. Whatever total number was shown, that was the word that I erased. After each turn, we recited the verse. By the time we did this several times, not much of the verse was left on the board. I remember playing the "erase the word" game on the chalkboard when I was a kid. Adding the dice gives this old game a new twist. The kids really liked it, so perhaps we'll play it again some time.

Three stores, $17, and some fabulous finds!

I love good deals, don't you? Going to thrift stores has been a part of my life since I was a kid. My sisters and I got our "new" clothes at Saver's as we began each school year. Through the years, I've learned that with some praying and ample time searching through the racks, awesome bargains can be found. It's good to find out about those extra savings days to get an even better deal. A lot of times I will go in with a list in hand (or in mind) so that I don't buy things I don't need.

However, there are times when Q and I will go to a thrift store and we'll find something that we may not need, but is simply just for fun. This past weekend, I scoured through three stores with some money in hand. Most of the items I bought are not really needed at this time in our lives, but were simply things of educational value, for my craft stash, or for some fun!

My first stop was at a new thrift store right here in Lafayette. I went to Sister Carmen Community Center. It was there where I spent just $5 and got the best deals out of all the stores!

My first find at Sister Carmen's was this Nativity advent calendar. I've wanted one for quite some time, so I was excited to find this one for just a buck. There are three missing pieces, so I think I'll be able to make a couple stars easily, as well as a baby Jesus. The calendar is in great condition and will be a nice decoration for next Christmas.

I also found two other Christmas decorations, a children's mouse mask, clothing and some Little Golden books. Take a look at my new cute skirt for this coming spring and summer...

All adult clothing there is just ninety-nine cents! I also found a pair of knee-length shorts that were brand new that I can't wait to wear when the weather gets warmer.

I found a few children's books at both Sister Carmen's and Saver's in Boulder. For years, I've collected Little Golden books. Both Q and I have some from when we were kids that we've enjoyed sharing with the little people who come visit us. When I look for these, I look for older editions, classic stories and ones with beautiful illustrations. The ones I bought were all older Disney classics (I'm not too keen on the newer Disney ones). I also found Pat the Bunny--a great baby and toddler book I've had my eye on for a long time!

I also bought a cute jumper and this Fisher-Price music toy at Saver's. I remember playing with one of these when I was a little kid. It plays two songs while the screen changes the pictures. It was too good to pass up at $3--yeah! 

While Q and I were at Nederland, we found a tiny thrift store to go to. There we found a beautiful wooden puzzle of the United States that we both really liked. Then, I found a box that had a weaving loom kit. This has been something I've wanted for a long time, so I'm glad I bought it for just $2! It may be something I can use when kids come over or in children's ministry. I'm really excited!

We got some awesome deals for the $17 spent at all three stores. I will definitely be visiting Sister Carmen's again in the future...most likely with a list of needed items. It may be a while before I go again just for those fun items!

Have any of you had some good deals at thrift stores lately? Do you have any more tips on saving even more money at these stores? I would love to hear your ideas!:)

Some time away with my Q

When Q told me yesterday that he'd like to do something fun today, I got really excited. It's been a busy and hard week, so we both needed some time to relax and get away for a few hours. After a restful morning, we headed to Boulder and did some shopping. For lunch, we went to the Cheesecake Factory. Their food is always sooo good!

My brother-in-law, Jesse, got me hooked on these sweet corn tamale cakes. I haven't had them in a long time, so they tasted really good today. Q and I shared this as well as the main meal. He chose beef ribs that were so tender and flavorful.

The rib meal also came with fries and onion rings. We had a coupon for a free slice of cheesecake, but since we got so full with the other food, we decided to take it home to eat it. We chose their lemon-raspberry cheesecake. It was an awesome sweet ending to our date today.

After lunch, we went to the town of Lyons, where the Madhava Honey Company is located. Inside the shop, was this beehive where you could see the honey being produced. It was really fascinating. We also bought some honey to enjoy at home. 

Our last stop was in the little town of Nederland. We had fun going to some of the shops and enjoying some hot chocolate afterward.

I'm so thankful for my Q and the times we get to do this. I enjoy every moment we get to spend together. 

I love you, Q! Thanks for giving me another memorable day with you.