This week we got a fun package in the mail... our Christmas presents from G.G.! She's so sweet and fun. We love her and miss her. She sent these: 
Dec 23, 2011
Presents from G.G.
Dec 22, 2011
52-51
It's hard to believe that 1. It's week 51 of 2011. This year has flown by! and 2. I actually put up a picture for each week of the year. Even if most of them were a little bit late!
Dec 21, 2011
Dec 20, 2011
Dec 19, 2011
52-48
Checking out the Christmas Lights that PoPs had just put up! She was actually much happier than this picture would lead you to believe!
Dec 14, 2011
Stella-isms: round next
Stella's vocabulary continues to grow and surprise me! Recently she has said some very amusing things. For example on Sunday when we got to small group she looked out her window and said "They have quite the sandbox." Quite, really? You're 4.
Then on the way home she told me she had gotten m&m's in Sunday school and "they were delicious, let me tell you, delicious." Let me tell you how hard it was to not laugh at that!
She has also learned to correctly use the word abrasion. As in a scrape. Yep. That's my kid.
Then on the way home she told me she had gotten m&m's in Sunday school and "they were delicious, let me tell you, delicious." Let me tell you how hard it was to not laugh at that!
She has also learned to correctly use the word abrasion. As in a scrape. Yep. That's my kid.
Dec 12, 2011
52-47
Wow! I'm really super behind! This is Thanksgiving week that I'm posting, Week 47 of my 52 week Challenge!
Nov 30, 2011
52-46
So, I'm a few weeks behind. No surprise there. I feel like I'm always a few weeks behind! Anyway. Pictures. Of my kids. 
Here they are. Filling shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Which Stella loved. And I loved that she loved it! I told her it would go to a little girl who wouldn't get a Christmas present and they would tell her about Jesus. She was pleased about that.
Here they are. Filling shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Which Stella loved. And I loved that she loved it! I told her it would go to a little girl who wouldn't get a Christmas present and they would tell her about Jesus. She was pleased about that.
Nov 28, 2011
Tea Wallets for Aunt Sue
Nov 12, 2011
Project 52 Week 45
Nov 11, 2011
Tea Wallets
I've been making Tea Wallets. They're really cute and useful. I am selling them for $6.00 each (plus shipping, if applicable). Here are some pictures of what they look like. The lighting isn't great on some of them, but you get the idea!
This is all of them
What they look like inside.
What they look liked closed.
clockwise from top left: pink and brown, pink and blue, blue floral and cream, green and pink, navy blue and green, green and white 
Comment or email if you want one! I will also be making more, let me know if there are combinations you want to see!
The Hand that rocks the cradle... Part 2
Yesterday I wrote about how Audrey Saint came and spoke at my Mom's group about grounding our families in the Word. I also left it hanging about the most important part! That came right at the end. Audrey looked at us and said, I'm going to be radical here. Then she suggested that we make a plan to have our children read through the whole Bible twice before they graduate from High School. She suggested that the first time be from (roughly) ages 2 to 12 and then again from 12-18.
I love this idea. It's new for me. It is radical. But, I think I'm ok with radical. Especially if it's radical for Jesus. I want my kids to be familiar with the Word of God. I want them to have parts memorized.
And, she wasn't totally saying that this is something that has to be done all at home. Certainly it can be. And it should be something that is encouraged at home. But we were encouraged to keep a finger on what they were reading and learning in Sunday School and youth group. Count that! But the other part of this idea is being responsible for my children's spiritual training. It is MY job. Well, mine and Sid's, to make sure that Bruce and Stella are grounded, and rooted in faith. Sunday school should be a supplement to what we are teaching at home, not the other way around.
Audrey shared a sobering statistic. Fewer than 1/20th of all Christian Families worship as a family outside of church. (Barna) Wow. That's less than 5 in 100. And we're not really part of that 5. Hmmp.Guess I better get on that.
She talked about how opening the Bible begins a discussion. Issues will come up during that time. Questions, things that ae happening in their lives come out and are able to be discussed openly. These times of conversation around the Word of God will produce fruit. That's something I want!
So, again. What am I going to do? Well, I'm gonna sit down with Sid and make a plan to get our kids through the Bible before they graduate. I'm gonna sit down with Sid and see if we can figure out a good time to sit down and study the Bible together with the kids, at least 2x a week.
I'm so thankful for the Godly women who are in my life, who challenge and encourage me. Thanks, Audrey, for being faithful to share Godly principles and wisdom with us!
I love this idea. It's new for me. It is radical. But, I think I'm ok with radical. Especially if it's radical for Jesus. I want my kids to be familiar with the Word of God. I want them to have parts memorized.
And, she wasn't totally saying that this is something that has to be done all at home. Certainly it can be. And it should be something that is encouraged at home. But we were encouraged to keep a finger on what they were reading and learning in Sunday School and youth group. Count that! But the other part of this idea is being responsible for my children's spiritual training. It is MY job. Well, mine and Sid's, to make sure that Bruce and Stella are grounded, and rooted in faith. Sunday school should be a supplement to what we are teaching at home, not the other way around.
Audrey shared a sobering statistic. Fewer than 1/20th of all Christian Families worship as a family outside of church. (Barna) Wow. That's less than 5 in 100. And we're not really part of that 5. Hmmp.Guess I better get on that.
She talked about how opening the Bible begins a discussion. Issues will come up during that time. Questions, things that ae happening in their lives come out and are able to be discussed openly. These times of conversation around the Word of God will produce fruit. That's something I want!
So, again. What am I going to do? Well, I'm gonna sit down with Sid and make a plan to get our kids through the Bible before they graduate. I'm gonna sit down with Sid and see if we can figure out a good time to sit down and study the Bible together with the kids, at least 2x a week.
I'm so thankful for the Godly women who are in my life, who challenge and encourage me. Thanks, Audrey, for being faithful to share Godly principles and wisdom with us!
Nov 10, 2011
The hand that rocks the cradle...
Rules the world. -- Napoleon Bonaparte
The name of the Young Mothers Group at my church is called Garlands of Grace. There is a verse, but I'm not sure of the reference. Anyway, we had a speaker come and talk to us last week (Nov. 2nd). Her name is Audrey Saint, and she talked to us about Grounding our families in the Word. It was excellent. I've been mulling over some of what she said.
The thing that most stood out to me, that she said several times, was "be jealous for your kids." I had never thought of it quite like that. I mean, I knew I didn't want someone else to educate my kids. And I knew that I was primarily responsible for their spiritual development. And I knew a lot of things. But to be jealous for my kids... that was a new idea for me. I like it.
I am jealous for my husband. I get that. I want his time, attention, and affection. Why shouldn't I also be jealous for my kids? Why shouldn't I be the one to teach them in the ways of the Lord? Why shouldn't I be the one to teach them their academics? I need to be jealous for their time and their hearts.
She took us to Acts 17:26-27a. Which says "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him." We talked about our boundaries and periods. Our job is to help our children to seek God. She talked about taking advantage of teachable moments. I've been trying to do that with more purpose. To really answer the questions.
We talked about verses that describe what we want our children to be like. Psalm 3 talks about a tree planted by a stream. It grows strong and bears fruit in season. I want that for my kids. We talked about really being purposeful! She took us to Deuteronomy 6:6-8, of course. You know, where it talks about teaching your children God's laws when you sit, stand, walk, lie down. I knew that. I love those verses. But one of the things she said was that you can't ground your kids if you aren't first grounded yourself! Oh, yeah.
I love that we talked about honing your craft. Audrey said if you had a job you would always be working to better yourself in your field. Taking courses, or going to seminars, or reading the latest trade magazines. That sort of thing. This is no different. Read books (good ones), and be purposeful. Don't leave it to chance!
We discussed Bible reading, too. As in DO IT. At. home. And Dad too. In front of your kids. And WITH your kids. From a real Bible. Those little story books are all well and good, but they need to know that you think it is important enough to share with them from your Bible. There is more. That, maybe, is the most important part. But I think that will be a different post, for a different day.
But to wrap up this enormously long post, What am I going to do with all this info? Because it's one thing to HEAR good, sound, Biblical advice. It's another thing altogether to follow it.
I am going to try to be more intentional about answering my kids questions Biblically, and making sure they understand that it's biblical. I am going to surround myself to the best of my ability with like-minded Christians. I am going to try to make sure that my kids are hearing the Word of God regularly. From my Bible or Sid's.
The name of the Young Mothers Group at my church is called Garlands of Grace. There is a verse, but I'm not sure of the reference. Anyway, we had a speaker come and talk to us last week (Nov. 2nd). Her name is Audrey Saint, and she talked to us about Grounding our families in the Word. It was excellent. I've been mulling over some of what she said.
The thing that most stood out to me, that she said several times, was "be jealous for your kids." I had never thought of it quite like that. I mean, I knew I didn't want someone else to educate my kids. And I knew that I was primarily responsible for their spiritual development. And I knew a lot of things. But to be jealous for my kids... that was a new idea for me. I like it.
I am jealous for my husband. I get that. I want his time, attention, and affection. Why shouldn't I also be jealous for my kids? Why shouldn't I be the one to teach them in the ways of the Lord? Why shouldn't I be the one to teach them their academics? I need to be jealous for their time and their hearts.
She took us to Acts 17:26-27a. Which says "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him." We talked about our boundaries and periods. Our job is to help our children to seek God. She talked about taking advantage of teachable moments. I've been trying to do that with more purpose. To really answer the questions.
We talked about verses that describe what we want our children to be like. Psalm 3 talks about a tree planted by a stream. It grows strong and bears fruit in season. I want that for my kids. We talked about really being purposeful! She took us to Deuteronomy 6:6-8, of course. You know, where it talks about teaching your children God's laws when you sit, stand, walk, lie down. I knew that. I love those verses. But one of the things she said was that you can't ground your kids if you aren't first grounded yourself! Oh, yeah.
I love that we talked about honing your craft. Audrey said if you had a job you would always be working to better yourself in your field. Taking courses, or going to seminars, or reading the latest trade magazines. That sort of thing. This is no different. Read books (good ones), and be purposeful. Don't leave it to chance!
We discussed Bible reading, too. As in DO IT. At. home. And Dad too. In front of your kids. And WITH your kids. From a real Bible. Those little story books are all well and good, but they need to know that you think it is important enough to share with them from your Bible. There is more. That, maybe, is the most important part. But I think that will be a different post, for a different day.
But to wrap up this enormously long post, What am I going to do with all this info? Because it's one thing to HEAR good, sound, Biblical advice. It's another thing altogether to follow it.
I am going to try to be more intentional about answering my kids questions Biblically, and making sure they understand that it's biblical. I am going to surround myself to the best of my ability with like-minded Christians. I am going to try to make sure that my kids are hearing the Word of God regularly. From my Bible or Sid's.
Nov 2, 2011
Little Things
that brought me smiles in October:
My kids laughing together... this one will probably always be on here!
Weddings, and family.
Apple Butter.
Apple pie.
My friends.
sunshine after lots of rain.
coffee.
Halloween.
My red vest.
Sid being home for dinner more!
So pleased to make my list of little things! Thanks Katie for the inspiration, and the nudge!
My kids laughing together... this one will probably always be on here!
Weddings, and family.
Apple Butter.
Apple pie.
My friends.
sunshine after lots of rain.
coffee.
Halloween.
My red vest.
Sid being home for dinner more!
So pleased to make my list of little things! Thanks Katie for the inspiration, and the nudge!
Nov 1, 2011
What my neighborhood looks like
After a freak October snow storm dumped 5+ inches of snow on us.
Oct 28, 2011
52-43
I can't believe that next week is November already! I also can't believe that I - more-or-less - kept up with a picture a week. The best part will be looking at them all again to see how much they've grown!
They are getting so big! And I love how much they enjoy each other. Most of the time, anyway.
They are getting so big! And I love how much they enjoy each other. Most of the time, anyway.
Oct 19, 2011
Birthday Girl
Stella turned 4 on the tenth. Oh. My. Word. Where did that time go?! Anyway. She wanted Barbies, with a horse and a house. She wanted a crown. And she wanted rainbow cupcakes. Thanks to Pinterest. So, I hopped online and found some rainbow cupcakes. These are the ones she wanted:
These are what mine looked like.
Psychedelic, rainbow cupcakes. But she was a happy camper! I actually really liked the way they turned out. It wasn't exactly what I was going for but they sure were fun! I even took a picture of the inside of one.
Cool, right?
She also got barbies, and a Barbie horse, and a crown, and fabric of her very own. Along with some big embroidery needles. She loves those too! That makes me a happy Momma!
These are what mine looked like.
Psychedelic, rainbow cupcakes. But she was a happy camper! I actually really liked the way they turned out. It wasn't exactly what I was going for but they sure were fun! I even took a picture of the inside of one.
Cool, right? She also got barbies, and a Barbie horse, and a crown, and fabric of her very own. Along with some big embroidery needles. She loves those too! That makes me a happy Momma!
Oct 18, 2011
52-42
Oct 15, 2011
"Dual Citizenship?"
Last week I read an article that talked about how we are raising our kids, as a society. The author asked what your mission statement was for raising your kids. Uhhh, mission statement? For my kids? Yeah, haven't thought about it. He suggested that most modern parents would respond with some variation of "I want them to be happy and successful adults." Then he pointed out that until sometime in the 1960's the answer would have been more along the lines of "Good Citizen." He suggested that this was a better answer.
I can see his point. I want my kids to be good citizens, that pretty much includes happy and successful. But you can't be happy or successful if you're you know, in jail, or constantly in trouble with people because you were never taught how to properly interact with society.
All that to say that I have been mulling over that thought all week. I think that as a Christian we have an even more daunting task when raising our kids. We need to help them, and teach them how to become good citizens of two nations. This temporal earthly one we live in, but also the kingdom of Heaven. That one is even more important.
So this morning, faced with the reality that I have to teach my kids a sort of "dual citizenship" my prayer became "Lord, give me strength, grace, and wisdom as I teach my children what it is to be a citizen of heaven here, on earth."
I can see his point. I want my kids to be good citizens, that pretty much includes happy and successful. But you can't be happy or successful if you're you know, in jail, or constantly in trouble with people because you were never taught how to properly interact with society.
All that to say that I have been mulling over that thought all week. I think that as a Christian we have an even more daunting task when raising our kids. We need to help them, and teach them how to become good citizens of two nations. This temporal earthly one we live in, but also the kingdom of Heaven. That one is even more important.
So this morning, faced with the reality that I have to teach my kids a sort of "dual citizenship" my prayer became "Lord, give me strength, grace, and wisdom as I teach my children what it is to be a citizen of heaven here, on earth."
Oct 14, 2011
Kristin came to visit me!
And we got really cute pictures of the kids in an apple orchard. Made 4.75 pints of Apple sauce and 7 1/2 pints of apple butter AND and apple pie, including a from-scratch crust! It was fun. And busy. We also went shopping at the outlets in Lancaster and just had an overall good time hanging out. Here are some pictures!
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