Adventures.

 I think breaks are good for everyone, as they leave us all feeling refreshed and ready to tackle what is before us. Just some of the many adventures that we have taken this week as we return to schooling from Spring Break....

:: Spring craft from Family Fun ::

:: Nature study. Hanging this homemade bird feeder right in front of our school room window has been splendid for bird watching! I also picked up a copy of Critters of Illinois pocket guide to add to our study materials. The Husband actually read through the whole guide, exclaiming interesting tid-bits for me to hear. Nature fun for everyone. ::

:: We made these egg holders from Family Fun magazine, but unfortunately they wouldn't hold our decorated hard-boiled egg. I spontaneously decided to "blow" an egg so the kids could see how it was done & so we'd have an egg light enough for the holder. Craft and science. ::

:: Literary aids. Log house inspired by our read-aloud On the Banks of Plum Creek. That outer area of the house is the "lean-to". We're becoming huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fans! (I also rented one of the Little House TV series seasons from the library!) ::

:: Science ::

:: Oobleck ::

:: Liquid or solid? ::

:: Fun for fingers of all ages! ::

Do breaks leave you feeling refreshed?

A Parable

From today's English lesson:

Once a fox and a stork were good friends. The fox invited the stork to dinner. All they had to eat was soup. It was in flat dishes. The stork could put only the tip of his bill into the dish. The fox lapped his soup up quickly.


The next day the stork invited the fox to dinner. They had soup again. This time it was in a bottle. The stork could put his bill in and drink it, but the fox could only lick the outside of the bottle.

When asked what the moral of the story was, Tatiana proclaimed, "Hospitality!" It led into a really great conversation about considering and meeting the needs of others. A small joy in an otherwise ordinary day.

Inspired.

To be more purposeful with girlfriend get-togethers :: How Can I Help Someone Else When I Have So Much to Do at Home? :: Preschoolers and Peace

Sewing for spring :: Fabric Easter basket :: Moda Bakeshop

Who knew what felt could do?? :: Gulf Coast Cottage :: Etsy

Crafting for Him :: Easter garland :: the homespun heart

Keep resting on Sunday (I pretty much do exactly what this post says!) :: How Can Sunday Be Restful with Little Ones? :: Preschoolers and Peace

Hmmmmm :: Relevant Conference

The Winter Past

Many people are eagerly anticipating Spring. Small children, gardeners, warm-weather lovers, lanscapers, normal-people-who-enjoy-decent-weather. And I used to be one of those people, opening my windows on the first day when the temperatures rose above 50° F. I have come to realize though, that because of my grief, I actually enjoyed winter. Winter just seemed fitting during that season of my grief. Desolate. Frozen.  Icy and beautiful at times. A gloomy cocoon at others. I would look up at the gray-white blanket of low lying clouds and feel insulated. It was as if nature was giving me a nod and telling me it's okay to have a time of frigid slumber.

I never would have guessed in a million years that I would ever not want Spring to come, especially being prone to seasonal-affectiveness like I am. These last few weeks I have been mentally, emotionally, and spiritually preparing myself for Spring's arrival. I'm sure it's no coincidence that the most recent book I read had the following verse as it's theme:

For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over, it is gone:
The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing is come...

(Crazy how God can use something like a novel to reach our hearts, isn't it??) I'm not sure I'm going to be doing any singing, but it will be a time of reflection and remembering. The days when we first received Olivia's diagnosis are quickly approaching, as is the day of her birth. I remember many blue skies during those days. And those same blue skies are coming again. The earth will be celebrating. The laughter of children will float through my window on warm breezes. And I....I will be missing Olivia for one full year. I will be thawing out. I will find new ways to enjoy life. I will grow and I will grow something. And hopefully by the time next winter comes, I might not enjoy it as much.

Preparing for flowers,

Pieces of Me: Mug

As if you don't know me well enough, I will be doing a series on things that make me, me. Some serious, some silly. All uniquely moi. So without further ado....

...Meet my favorite mug.

Mug, meet my blog readers.

I received this from a friend for my birthday 2 years ago and have loved it ever since. I don't even think she knows how truly attached I am. I use it so often that sometimes it gets all stained inside and requires a good scrubbing. I love the color, the creative design, and the verse that says, "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. (Prov. 31:29)" I guess every time I use it I am reminded that the person that gave it to me loves me and feel the encouragement that the verse gives, like a little morning hug to go with my tea. Because as you will soon find out, I am not a coffee drinker.

My favorite mug does have a chip on the side of the rim, but it just adds to the cosy-ness of a favorite mug, dontcha think? If this mug should happen to meet an unfortunate demise at the hands of some careless carefree person, I will probably have to ask the original giver for a replacement. There's just something comforting about a lovely coffee mug.

Any one else have a favorite coffee (or tea!) mug?

Incredible, Jr.

This Incredibles suit has gotten more use and laughs than any other costume in our house. It is on its third child now. Sebastian has even created his own word for "Incredibles", since he is still working on his speech development. The word he made up? HI-YAH! (as if you were gonna Karate chop someone)

Incredibly smart, incredibly cute, incredibly strong tempered. I love my incredible son!

Sister-in-love

Wednesday started out like any other day, but ended up like no other. Right around the time that I was sitting down to have my quiet time, my husband called while en route to tell me that his sister was in the hospital and was expected to have emergency surgery later that day. I was worried, no doubt. My mind started to go there. You know, those dark recesses of your mind that hold the fears that you might not even want to admit to yourself, let alone talk about out loud.

At the same time, my eyes were reading through my devotional page....

I need not be afraid

God knows the fears and faith struggles that keep you awake in the night

he wants to bless us

beckons us to leave our fear behind

And the tears were pouring down, people. Because this is a sister-in-law like no other and I don't even want to imagine what my life would be like without her. This probably is sounding pretty dramatic; to the doctors I'm sure it was nothing more than a routine gallbladder removal. But to me, the fear was very real. Probably even more so because I no longer believe the lie that "everything's gonna be okay". I have erased that phrase from my vocabulary because that just isn't something we can be sure of, let alone promise someone else. I used to believe that I was good enough, blessed enough, loved-by-God enough that nothing terrible would ever happen to me. (Crazy, right?) Those things happen to other people. But now that I am other people, these kinds of situations shake me up real good.

In all His wisdom, God allowed this hospital to have Bible verses posted around the hospital that spoke to me throughout the day. His Words brought me the peace that I so desperately needed. The first one was Job 33:4 which I continually prayed over my patient :

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

And the second one (Psalm 145:18), after she came out of surgery with flying colors, was posted right out side her room:

The LORD is near to all who call on him...

And I praised Him for hearing me and for it being in His will to answer how He did.

In the quiet late afternoon, I had some time to reflect on the day. I remembered arriving at the hospital, wanting to see my patient in pre-op, and the nurse asked me if I was a relative.

Yes, I'm her sister.

(And proud of it, too.)

A different nurse actually did ask if we really were sisters. And as we explained our relationship, she commented that those kind of sisters are really the best kind. Because we love one another and are true friends, even though we aren't obligated to by some sense of familial duty.

And during my little quiet time, the only thing that kept me from falling soundly asleep (like the patient) was the beep, beep, beeping of her pulse ox monitor. It might've been utterly annoying to some, but to me the sound was beautiful, reminding me that it belongs to a heart that beats so nearly to my own.

I am one lucky sister-(in-law).

Any one else blessed to have a wonderful sister-in-law?

Sew and Sew: Disney Style

It's been a really long while since my last edition of Sew & Sew. I have been doing more creating, especially lately, so I thought I'd share some of my latest projects, particularly the ones for our upcoming trip to Disney.

I picked some Disney-ish fabrics to make the each of the girls a dress. I prefer the idea of creating the 'look' of Disney, as opposed to using Disney print fabric. These two dresses only required about 4 yards total of fabric, purchased on sale of course! For Sienna's dress I used my "go-to" pattern when it comes to little girls dresses (New Look 6613). I have made probably a dozen dresses from this same pattern with 2 more planned.

 I didn't want the dresses to be exact duplicates of each other, so for Tatiana's dress I chose a slightly more grown-up pattern, which I have used once already (McCall's 5574). I love this style, particularly because of the middle bodice section which allows for lots of fabric mixing & matching. Neither of the patterns called for ruffles at the bottom, so I just measured around the bottom edge and multiplied by 1.5 to get the length (you can do x2 for a fuller ruffle).

 

  

:: frayed fabric flower from this tutorial. For lotsa fabric flower tutorials visit here ::

  

:: detail of Mickey heads added to the ends of the straps. I tried several different methods, but the winner was just to trace/draw a Mickey head on a double layer of fabric, then zig-zag stitch with a really short stitch length (as in applique) around the inside of the tracing, then cut away the extra fabric close to the stitching. ::

  

 :: appliqued Mickey head. I'm not that great at applique, but I'm improving. ::

An old pair of Target jeans get new life as Disney capris!

 

  

:: I had to open up the inside seam of the leg to put on the applique and then sew it back up again. I think they still need "something". Maybe a patchwork belt or something added to the back pockets? ::

:: And just because I couldn't resist. ::

Amidst the Flames

"When most people say 'for better or for worse', they really only mean 'for better'."

- from the movie Fireproof

I've given a lot of thought over the years, but especially more so this last year, about what 'for better or for worse' really means. I think back to my premarital counseling and can distinctly remember one of the pastors trying to convey to us, the young couple in love, what the future might hold.

Will you still love him when he's balding and 30 pounds heavier?

Will you still love her when she's pregnant and cranky?

Will you still love him when he's in a bad mood?

Will you still love her when she's old and wrinkled?

If those are the most extreme difficulties that we have ever had to deal with, we would have an easy life. Probably not nearly as rich and rewarding, but definitely easy. I think the questions a pastor should ask an engaged couple should be more probing and probably a lot scarier:

Will you still love him when he is depressed and wants to give up on his faith?

Will you still love her when she has a miscarriage? Again.

Will you still love him when he gets addicted to viewing inappropriate websites?

Will you still love her when she has spent more money than you make in a year?

Will you still love him when he has had no job for months on end? When you don't know where the money will come from to care for your family?

Will you still love her when she has gotten herself emotionally involved with someone else?

Will you still love him when your marriage just seems hopeless to save it?

Will you still love her when you hear the words 'no heartbeat' and find yourselves standing in front of a tiny casket?

Will you still love each other when it seems like the very fabric of your marriage is coming apart at the seams?

Early on in our marriage, a pastor mentioned to us that when we had gotten married that he didn't think we stood "a snowball's chance in hell" of staying married for the long run. Amazing, huh?! I guess what this pastor didn't realize is that the trials that we would go through would make us stronger, that we would come out the other side battered and bruised, but still come out together.  And that just like the Bible story, there would be an extra person amidst those flames saving us from destruction.

"Fireproof doesn't mean a fire will never come, but that when it comes 

you'll be able to withstand it."

- from the movie Fireproof 

Super?

 I came across this comparison on another blog recently and have really enjoyed reading through it. Not only enjoyed it, but have been blessed by it. There are some areas where I am, in fact, super. And many areas where, praise the Lord, I am abiding in Him. I am going through this chart in during my quiet times and am sure I will refer to it again and again. I find it especially fitting as today is my first day back on the job as a full-time Mom ( I think Mom deserves a capital "m", don't you?), as the Husband returns to full-time work. So just for today, I am focusing on 'pleasing the Lord' and 'finding peace through Jesus in the midst of any storm'.

If you visit the original posting, there is a downloadable version for you to print as well.

If just for today, which abiding quality would you pick to focus on?

The Great BIG Good News Post

As if my post the other day wasn't great news enough, there's more!

At the beginning of the month I celebrated my 32nd birthday. Birthdays are pretty special around our house and even more so now that we've really given deep thought to the privilege of having a birth day. One of my dearest friends from high school, along with her boyfriend, took us out to dinner. We found a babysitter on the spur of the moment and we were off to enjoy some hibachi-style cuisine. It was fabulous! (But catching up with an old friend was equally great!) 

"...a time to be born..."

That same weekend another of my bestest girls celebrated a birthday and I made some treats.

 

 

I also made some chocolate cupcakes with whipped chocolate ganache which tasted, if I do say so, really divine. But alas, I failed to get a picture of those. Since we're on the topic, should I start referring to myself as the Cupcake Queen? Cupcake Diva?

"...a time to embrace..."

And more.....

Four years ago my mom promised my oldest daughter a trip to Disney World when she turned eight. We never worked out what the exact details would be, who would go, etc. Well people, the time has come. Yesterday marked the start of a three-month countdown to our all-girls trip to Disney! If you do the math correctly, we will be leaving only 3 days after the date Olivia was born. I am sure I will be mournful around those days, but am praying that I will be able to have this special time of celebration as well.

"...a time to weep and a time to laugh..."

And still more....

Guess whose children must've turned on the outside water hose when they built a snowman back in December? And so guess whose water bill was about 3 times what it normally is for the month of January? And shortly after I received said bill, guess who received a spontaneous donation of money from a gal in my mom's small group which was just enough to cover the bill? Amazing, huh?!!!!

"...a time to gather stones together..."

And yet more....

Since I'm sure you're tired of guessing from that last paragraph, I won't make you guess anymore. The Husband received not one, but two great job offers last week. Two!! After two years of our little business struggling through, we have decided to accept a full-time job as an employee and continue to do small contractual jobs on the side. We are all sad to see Daddy leave our family as he heads back to work, but are happy for the respite that this steady income will provide. We know that God has His perfect timing and just feel so blessed that we have arrived at this point still clinging to His promises.

I don't think I'll ever forget the year that the Husband got a job for my birthday!

"...a time to weep and a time to dance..."

And now, my friends, I feel like dancing.

Feel free to do a little jig on my behalf!

He Provides: Undeserved

I was feeling desperate. Again. I was driving home from somewhere and crying out to God. Again. Where will the money come from now, Lord? Where? December was beautifully snowy, granting the Husband lots of work removing it. January was...nada. My finite mind reviewed all the possibilities, carefully calculating dollar amounts and potential sources.  Wasn't I just saying the day before that sometimes God has a plan, has an option that we've never even thought of yet? That He always provides. Silly, silly girl. I felt the movement in my Spirit urging me on and with five little letters He provided in an enormously unexpected way.

Taxes.

I expected something. But this? THIS was beyond my wildest expectations. And honestly, I felt like there must be some mistake because good things just don't happen to me.  

Anymore.  

I know, in my mind, that God is good. That He hasn't changed. But I think after living with struggle and then the pain of grief for so long, my heart began to wonder.

I feel so undeserving. Undeserving of outrageous kindness; of over-abundant provision. After much thought, I just keep coming back to the same notion. If I feel totally undeserving of His choice in abundant provision, how much more undeserving I am for the work He has done for me on the cross, for His immense love, for the hope I have in Him, for the riches of His grace.

Be blessed,

Fancy Five

Sienna turned five, so we got all fancied up. I was feeling especially creative, so some hand-made touches were an order!

We used Fancy Nancy as our theme, so we tried to make everything fancy!

:: Felt garland following this tutorial ::

:: Yes, I drew Fancy Nancy free-hand based on a image that I found on a sticker. ::

:: Fancy finger-foods ::

:: Fancy make-overs with body glitter & glittery hairspray. My brother (he'll be 30 this year!) even let me glitter his hair! ::

:: Fancy Nancy story time ::

:: Fancy homemade cake with pink frosting & white roses & sprinkles! ::

:: My fancy 5-year old ::

All photos are courtesy of Stephanie.

Inundated

With 

laundry,

costume alterations,

new blog design for a friend's business,

dishes,

cupcakes (!!),

children needing attention,

husband needing attention,

homeschooling,

grief,

His undeserved blessings,

celebration,

traumatic thoughts from dark days,

friends,

God's love,

parties.

What are you  inundated with?

Dontcha just love how that word sounds so much like what it means?

More details to come,

Cakes & Quakes

Our regular school routine was interrupted last week, but this week we are going to veer from our regularly scheduled program to learn about earthquakes and Haiti. We have already had some brief conversations about the devastation there, especially since the kids were asked to give some of their money at church to aid in the relief effort. Over the weekend, the littlest kids had a bake sale at church to raise money. Of course, we contributed:

 

:: my top-notch mixing expert ::

  

:: efficient & cute! ::

  

:: my quality control associate ::

  

:: everyone loves sprinkles ::

  

:: little fingers doing a big job ::

  

:: pretty & purposeful -- they were a hot-seller for the bake-sale ::

I left out the part where I tried a new sugar cookie recipe and lovingly mixed, chilled, rolled, cut, and baked and the blasted things turned out harder than a rock. Grrr. Next time, I am totally going to follow all the tips and recipes from this awesome cookie blog. But I digress.

This week we are making an earthquakes & Haiti lapbook. (Remember our first adventures with lapbooks?) I am using the free earthquake lapbook resources here and supplementing with good library books, good conversation, and good thoughts. I just love using real-life events or experiences to make learning come alive!

Have the recent events in Haiti spurred on any good conversation with your kids?