www.target.com

Ok so maybe "off brand" isn't the COOLEST but in our family it's usually the way we roll! However my daughter wanted an American Girl doll for Christmas this year. Santa brought one for her but my mom also got her (and my younger daughter) the Our Generation brand dolls from Target. It's the same idea as American Girl but only $25 opposed to $100! AFter getting the real American Girl on Christmas morning we figured the Target brand dolls would be a let down but actually I think the girls like those dolls better than the real thing! The target brand is great quality and comes with cute accessories like horses the dolls can ride, a jeep, lots of outfits, a beauty shop, and a wardrobe. Just goes to show, off brand isn't always bad! 

My 3 year old got this game for Christmas from my grandma and I can't believe how good at it she is. It says ages 4+ but even the 2 year olds that were playing it today had a great time! It's fun, it's easy and something the kids can actually play without any adult help! (Which is a HUGE plus!) You push the button that rolls the dice for you inside of a plastic enclosure so the dice never gets lost and whatever shows up on the dice (sheep, cow, pig, horse or chicken) you the piece that matches and put it on your game board. When you have all 5 animals on your game board, you win! 

My 6 year old got this game from my mother-in-law and both my 3 year old and 6 year old love it! And, what's funny is that they are both better at it than I am! Choose cards and beat the timer and your opponent to find hidden Disney characters in the picture tiles. It's fun for us and the girls love it too! 

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to stay home with my children all day and work from home by way of providing child care! I am on my 6th year of providing child care from my home and it is such a great way to be there for my kids and still earn money to supplement my husband's income. And, the children I have been fortunate enough to care for and their families have been an added blessing over the years. I'm not sure what the future holds as we'll be moving in July and my time here in Cincinnati will be done. I haven't decided if i'll continue to do child care from home once we move or if i'll look for work elsewhere. But I wanted to post this website that I think is great if you're looking for a reliable child care provider or want to do in home childcare yourself. www.care.com is how I got started here in Cincinnati. It's a nationwide website where you post what you're looking for and those who are looking to hire someone to care for their children or looking to start up their business from home can contact othes in their area that meet their criteria. Background checks are included in this process and is how I first found the Griffiths who I care for full time! Click on the picture in the corner to be directed to their website. Hopefully, if you're in that sometimes overwhelming stage of looking for someone to care for your children or looking for children to care for this website will help! Afterall, our children are our most precious posession and the decisions we make on who we leave them with can sometimes be scary! Good luck!!

Well, here we are.... 2012!! It seems I have been neglecting my blog with the busyness of Christmas and traveling to visit family and friends. I hope your family had a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year's celebration! We had a wonderful time spending most of Christmas Eve at our church here in Cincinnati where we had 6 services that day. Christmas morning was spent opening presents with our girls, making homemade monkey bread and singing "happy birthday" to Jesus, going to church, and breakfast at IHOP before heading home to clean up our Christmas unwrapping mess and pack for a week at grandma's house! We broke up our trip to Dan's parents house that day (3 hour trip) by spreading some random acts of Christmas joy. If you remember from an earlier post a few months ago, I had wanted to do something like this so here's what we ended up doing. It was so fun being sneaky and paying the bill for the table next to us at IHOP and sneaking out before they knew! (although I kind of wanted to see the look on their faces when instead of handing them a bill, the waitress handed them a little poem i'd printed out about the true meaning of Christmas.) Then it was off to the fire station to deliver homemade cookies. From there we stopped to fill up for gas and handed the person at the pump next to us a $50 gift card for gas. I think the guy was totally surprised and thankful! On the drive, we stopped at every rest stop and taped little baggies of change to vending machines for people to use. It was a lot of fun and also a great lesson for the girls. I wish I would have taken pictures but I didn't... maybe next time! 

Hope your 2012 is blessed and brings lots of joy to you and those you love! God Bless!!

how to be a "food-tastic mom"

Looking for some fun, easy, yummy and nutritional recipes to try at home with your kids? My friend just started up a cooking blog and it's fantastic. I have been privelaged enough to be served some of these recipes and they are AMAZING! She is an amazing cook, and awesome friend and I think you need to check her blog regularly so you can have a chance at becoming as cool as she is (at least in the kitchen!) Check out some of the pictures below and then click on the link to her blog for the recipes! You won't be sorry, I promise!!!! http://www.foodtasticmom.blogspot.com/

Our girls had a wonderful time with the Christmas gift we got in the mail today. No, it wasn't the filet mignon but the dry ice it was packaged in! (my husband may have been the most excited one, though!) Pour boiling hot water onto dry ice and it's instant fog! Add dish soap and you have bubbly fog! This entertained for a good half hour and was also a good lesson in science. A word of caution, though... wear gloves when handling it so your hands don't freeze off! Just a way to enjoy every bit of that Christmas gift that comes in the mail including the packaging! Happy fog making :)

From the Marvin Family Cookbook (my husband's family) this recipe simmers on your stovetop and makes your house smell so yummy! I keep this going all December. One batch usually lasts me about a week and then I change out the ingredients for a fresh batch! 

Ingredients:

3 cinnamon sticks

3 bay leaves

1/4 c. whole cloves

1/3 lemon, cut into sections

Peel of 1/2 orange

1 qt. water

Combine in saucepan and simmer over low heat. Add water as needed. Check every hour as water evaporates quickly.

I got inspired last night to make my own advent calendar for my kids this year. So I took 2 muffin tins and filled each compartment with an ornament to be hung each day along with a little piece of paper with various activities and things to be done sometime that day. (have a fancy dinner, watch 3 christmas movies of their choice, eat dessert first at dinner, read the Christmas story from the Bible, make a Christmas card for someone, jokes... "What do Elves learn at school? The ELFabet!", act out a scene from your favorite Christmas movie, etc.) Then, I used 3 different kinds of wrapping paper cut into squares and taped each opening shut and marked each 1-24 for each day of Advent! 

portablenorthpole

Here's a fun idea that my father in law did for my girls. It sure amazed them and i'll be honest... I was kind of convinced it was authentic, too! Visit www.portablenorthpole.com. In just a few easy steps, you can create a personalized video from Santa Claus for your children, friends,family members or colleagues a you choose, by providing a few little details about the person.

Toms

Toms Shoes

While I am not a huge lover of the look of these shoes, my husband loves them! And, so do a lot of other people and I do like that buying a pair of these shoes promises a free pair of shoes to a child who has none. It's a great idea for a Christmas gift that keeps on giving! 

Life Giving Water Fund

Our church, Anderson Hills UMC, has done a campaign the past few years at Advent to raise money for the Life Giving Water Fund to dig wells in rural Zambia.

The Life-Giving Water Fund provides wells for rural villages in Zambia. The people living in these villages desperately need local, reliable, sources of fresh water. Millions of people in Zambia don't have access to clean water. Women and children travel miles each morning to carry water from shallow pits or impure streams to provide water to satisfy their daily needs. During the frequent droughts these sources are non-existent.

At Anderson Hills UMC, we’ve decided that this is not ok. We’ve made this our problem, and we have committed ourselves to a partnership with the Life-Giving Water Fund to drill wells and provide clean water for the people of rural Zambia. Over the past three years, we have provided the funding to dig 20 wells, providing water for an estimated 45,000 people and saving the lives of over 700 children every year, who are especially prone to water-borne disease..You can help save lives. By clicking the “donate now” link, you can make a donation by credit or debit card to the wells project and help to provide clean drinking water for the people of rural Zambia. You can also receive a card stating you have made a donation in someone's name as their gift for Christmas this year.

World Vision Gift Catalog

Visit the World Vision gift catalog for over 100 different ideas on how to give gifts and unwrap a better tomorrow for a child in need! Consider giving a goat or maybe chickens to a family in need and change their life this Christmas!

Christmas tree ice cream cones

This is super easy and so fun for the kids to do. Take a regular ice cream cone and set it poiny side up. Then frost the outside of the cone with green frosting. Then decorate with all sorts of candy and goodies (m&m's, jelly beans, etc.) It can be a fun decoration or a yummy snack for the kids to enjoy!

Reindeer hands and feet

Trace your childs foot onto a large piece of paper for the reindeer's face and trace their hands on either side for the antlers. Then let your child color and decorate the reindeer however they wish! 

allkidsnetwork.com

Here is a link to a great site with free printable coloring pages and more kids Christmas crafts that look really fun!! Happy crafting!

A million reasons to believe

I just took my kids to Macy's tonight to write their official letters to Santa! What a fun activity and so cute to see their excitement... a fun holiday tradition for a great cause! At Macy's across the country, there is a mailbox to collect letters for Santa Claus. Bring you stamped letter, addressed to Santa Claus at the North Pole and drop it in Santa's special letter box. Macy's will count them up and for each letter received, they will donate $1 to the Make a Wish Foundation, up to $1,000,000. Macy's will deliver them to the post office, and together we'll collect a Million Reasons to Believe. Click the picture to the left to find out more!

allrecipes.com

Can't decide what to make for dinner? Need help planning a menu? Looking for easy recipes your kids will actually eat or just something you can throw together in a pinch? I hate when it's 5:00 in the afternoon and I have no idea what to make for dinner... no inspiration! So, I use this website all the time and have never been disappointed in anything i've made from it! Love, love, love allrecipes.com. Click on the icon to find out what's for dinner tonight!!

smilebox

Looking for a great (and free) way to share pictures and memories with family and friends? Smilebox is a website I use a lot to send pictures in a very creative way either by email or posting to facebook. You can choose from a variety of formats (scrapbook, greeting card, photo book, etc) and occasions to send pictures. Whether you're sharing about a family vacation or sending Christmas greetings, Smilebox is a creative way to share your family photos and videos with loved ones! Click on the image to visit the website and start creating your own to share!

Larry Cochran

VENEZUELA

I traveled to Venezuela while in high school back in 1999. It was my first overseas mission trip with an organization out of Wilmore, KY called GO International. (http://www.gointernational.org/index.php) It was headed up by a man named Larry Cochran, who was one of the main reasons for going on the trip in the first place and developing this heart for missions that I have. Larry is one of those people who you don't have to talk to to know he loves the Lord and has devoted his life to serving Him! So, thank you, Larry for inspiring me and showing me what it is to have a true servant's heart. I was able to travel with my older brother, my cousin, a few friends from my youth group and a great group of other folks from around the United States. We did a vacation Bible school for the kids in the village, showed the "Jesus" film and had an amazing time getting to know the folks there who had next to nothing from our standards but were so joyful and receptive to what we had to share with them. I was amazed and came home a changed person. I decided to major in Spanish in college and focus on Missions as well! This trip changed my perspective on everything! I will be forever grateful to Larry for taking me under his wing, writing me letters of encouragement, sending me mementos from his missions trips, and for praying for me and my family!

Guacamaya Spanish School

HONDURAS

I traveled to Honduras the summer of 2004 for my study abroad in order to complete the requirement for graduation that winter. I traveled by myself for a three week stay in Copan, Honduras. I stayed with a host family, attended classes daily at the language school there and worked alongside American missionaries serving there. It was amazing (and a little scary) to be immersed into a different culture and experience so many things first hand that I wouldn't otherwise experience. (cooking with local women, horseback riding through the mountains, visiting the Mayan Ruins, going to a real "fiesta" and actually just living the Spanish culture day in and day out!) Copan itself is very touristy having the Mayan ruins there and is beautiful and vibrant. But traveling into the mountains with Mary and Billy (the missionaries who let me tag along) was a much different story. People lived in huts made of mud and straw. Children as young as 4 years old walked miles and miles to town just in hopes of selling some of the goods their family had made just to make enough money to survive. I was privelaged enough to be able to help out at a church service there leading the children in singing and learning Bible stories. Billy and Mary also took me to show me some of the work they had been doing training some of the men how to farm to be able to sustain themselves and their villages. A new school was being built and my home church had sent enough money with me to purchase new desks for the new school building there. The kids (especially the teacher) was very grateful for the gift. Nothing is better then seeing those kids' faces light up at the simplest things! It was hard being so far away from home by myself but I am so thankful for a wonderful host family (who drove 2 hours to Tegucigalpa just to buy me my very own Pizza Hut pizza to cure my homesickness) and the amazing and inspirational missionaries I had the privelage of working alongside. Amazing! I was able to experience God in a way i've never experienced before. I was forced to trust Him and lean on Him for everything from traveling by air and bus, to finding my way around town, to speaking the language, translating when needed, and not letting the feeling of homesickness get the best of me. I'll never forget being home by myself one night, sitting out on my host families front step (who lived on top of a hill) and seeing the city lights down in the valley on such a calm, cool night and hearing the sound of the song "Agnus Dei" being sung at a church somewhere in town. It was being sung in Spanish but it didn't matter... it was beautiful! And, right then and there I knew God was with me and He was going to carry me through whatever it was I doing. Talk about a "mountain top" experience. I don't think i'll ever forget that moment I had alone with God in worship!

Campamento Sierra Linda

MEXICO

Due to the prompting from my mother in law, I ended up in Monterrey, Mexico during July, 2010. The West Ohio Conference UMC who our church is a part of was collecting money from all the churches in the conference to send children in Monterrey, Mexico to a church camp free of charge to them. The goal was also to send a team of people from our churches to help with the camp! Erma (my mother in law) had decided to go and a month before the trip told me they were still looking for more people to go. I couldn't believe I was considering going having two small children. I hadn't been away from them for more than a weekend let alone an entire week in another country! But I prayed about it and told God that if I found my passport (I had lost it since my trip to Honduras.... 5 moves will do that!) I would go on the trip but if I couldn't find it I'd take that as a sign He wanted me to stay home. The next day, my mom called to say she'd gone through some papers and found my passport! So I went to Mexico!! We worked alongside the most amazing group of youth at Campamento Sierra Linda on the outskirts of Monterrey (and by outskirts I mean a really rough stone/dirt road straight up a mountain... definitely needed 4 wheel drive!) The group who heads up the camp trained our American team for two days before the children arrived. We broke the kids up by age/gender into cabins and we stayed with our group (day and night) for a week. The theme of the week was a pirate theme about taming the tongue ("Toma tu Timon!") Those kids were so grateful for the gift of camp. Without our churches paying their way they wouldn't have otherwise gotten to experience anything like it. We were able to hand out brand new school supplies to all of the kids thanks to donations from my mother in laws church (their VBS missions project) By the end of the week, about 40 kids accepted Christ!  It was hard to send them back home at the end of the week...not knowing what they were going home to but also knowing we woudl be going home to our comfortable/busy lifestyles. But the dedication of the young staff at that camp was so amazing. They get it! Mostly college age students led by a few older adults (all volunteers) made that camp what it is and serves so many kids at several camps throughout the year in Monterrey! The vision and dream of one man has changed so many lives because he listened to God and acted! What a lesson!

Up next.... INDIA

I am so excited to be traveling to India with World Vision in March! I began volunteering with World Vision as a Child Ambassador this past summer and will be going with a group of Child Ambassadors to India to see first hand the work World Vision does through Child Sponsorship.  For $1/day you can change the life of a child, their family and community by providing clean drinking water, clothing, food, education, medical care, etc. You form a relationship with that child by sending letters back and forth. I can't wait to work alongside World Vision in India! I'll post updates from my trip when I go! Please pray for a great trip, that God would bless our time there and I would be able to grow and learn so much more!

So our oldest daughter turned 6 years old yesterday! I can't believe she is already a Kindergartner, learning to read, and so independent. She wanted to take treats in to school yesterday to give to her class to celebrate her birthday. But, with all of the restrictions "now-a-days" with allergies and making sure snacks are healthy (remember when we could bring in whatever we wanted when we were little and parties were so much more fun?!) I wanted to find something for her to take that was #1) not a huge expense on my part... cheap is good!! #2) not something the kids were going to take one look at and then lose it or throw it in the trash like they seem to with little erasers and things and #3) something interactive they could take home and do. So I looked through my craft cabinet and found cute foam Halloween stickers and some pill bags my husband used when he went to Africa to sort his meds. So I organized 30 sets of stickers into each of the bags (one for each classmate)  and covered up the "pill pouch" writing on the front by printing labels off my computer with a cute poem. It says: "Today is Adelyn's birthday! It's also almost Halloween. So take these stickers home with you and make your own spooky scene." I didn't spend any extra money and everyone is happy, I think! 

FYI: The foam stickers came in a huge packet from Michael's craft store at 50% off!

If you're like I was a little over a year ago, the problem with working out was that I'd be all pumped up and ready to commit to it (usually as a new year's resolution) and then a month or two into it, i'd fizzle out and quit! So, as someone who has been committed to running for a year and a half now, here's my two cents on how to get started and stick with it!

1.) Set a goal! If you don't have something to work towards, chances are you won't be consistent at getting out of bed or putting down that remote to run. Check out http://www.runningintheusa.com/race/List.aspx?State=OH to see a list of upcoming races you can register for online to set your goal. You can search by state, month, and length of race. I'd suggest starting with a 5k (3.1 miles).

2.) Start slow! After you are registered for a race, now is the time to start training. If you haven't run for a long time, I'd suggest just going for a light jog to see just how far you can run (or for how long). Keep a slow pace and just guage where you are from the start.

3.) Keep a training schedule! Find times that work for you to train. For me, it's early in the morning before my kids are up and the day gets busy. For you, maybe it's after work or in the middle of the day. Don't run every day! You'll wear yourself out and most likely injure yourself. Start out trying to run 3 times/week for 20 minutes each. If you're a beginner, you may want to walk for 30 seconds every 5 minutes until you work up to being able to run for 20 minutes straight.

4.) Improve! Keep up the running schedule whether outside or on the treadmill but try to increase the amount of time you are running by one or two minutes every week you are training. For example: the first week, you should jog/walk for 20 minutes three days per week. Maybe the next week you jog/walk for 22 minutes three days per week. Then, the week after that you up it to 23 minutes and then to 25 minutes. Pretty soon, you'll be running for 30 minutes at a time and you'll be ready for your first 5k! 

5.) Gear up! If you want to keep track of how far you are running there are a lot of different running watches out there ranging from very affordable to really expensive that will tell you how far you've run, your pace, calories burned, and total time for a run. The watch I use and have been very happy with is Nike+. http://www.amazon.com/Nike-Sport-Band/dp/B002Y1NYYM. I know Dick's Sporting Good's sells them and some of the local running stores, as well! It's very affordable and a great tool to keep you running strong! Also, make sure you have a good pair of running shoes to avoid aches, pains and injury. Most running stores can fit you for a good pair of shoes. They may be expensive, but it will be worth it!

6.) Find a buddy! Accountability is key! It is so much easier to have someone to run with or at least someone to hold you accountable. I am so thankful to my mom and some of my other friends who run. I might not always be able to run right alongside them, but they keep me accountable in my training. Find a friend or a local running group and training will be more fun and more successful!

Hopefully this has encouraged you. If I can run, then so can you! I hated running up until a year and a half ago. But once I set a goal and got myself in shape it's become a hobby that I enjoy (most of the time!) So whether it's running or some other sort of exercise... it is important! So get out there and do something!

About 1 1/2 years ago I decided to take up a hobby. The "Flying Pig Marathon" in Cincinnati seemed like a big deal and I was interested mainly because I like pigs! I was determined to run the 5k and my goal was just to finish. I'd always dreaded running but after having two kids, I needed something that was just for me and also something to whip me back into shape. So, along with my mom and a few other great ladies we trained for our first 5k ever! Now a year and a half later, I have who knows how many 5k's, 10k's a 15k and two half marathon's under my belt. I'm in a place, running wise, I never imagined I'd be. You might ask, why running?! I've listed some of the benefits from some running experts below and also threw in some of my own. The first step out that door in the morning is the hardest especially when it's hot/humid or cold/windy but it's a time for me to be alone with my thoughts, to pray and do something I can be proud of for myself! 

Running is one of the top fat burning activities. Second only to perhaps cross country skiing, running can burn more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise. Beside the weight loss benefits, running has been proven to help fight the aging process by

*preventing muscle and bone density loss that often occurs with age.

*promotes the production of the human growth hormone within the body, which some celebrities have taken injections of for years to keep them looking younger.

Running can also help fight disease. It:

*reduces the risk of a stroke and the development of breast cancer.

*can help against the early stages of osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension, however always consult your doctor before starting a running schedule if you suffer from these.

*can reduce the risk of a heart attack by strengthening the heart muscles.

*reduces your blood pressure and helps maintain the elasticity of your arteries.

*raises levels of HDL (the good cholesterol)

*lowers the risk of blood clots.

*generally boost the immune system by creating higer levels of lymphocytes.

Psychologically : Running builds confidence and reduces stress! (We all need more confidence and less stress, I think!)

And, as a mom, blocking out time to run is about the only time I get for just ME! Only me, my thoughts, and some occasional Chris Tomlin or David Crowder on the iPod. That in itself is incentive enough to run!(I'd prefer not having to get up so early in the morning to do it when it's cold and dark but when all is said and done, i'm always glad I did it!)

But, it's not easy getting started... i'll post in a separate blog some ways to get started!

Check out the pictures below of some of the fun races i've done with some really GREAT friends! 

Quotable Kid journal

Kids really do say the "darndest" things! I wanted to remember some of the things they said so I bought this journal off of Amazon.com and it's a great way to record some of the conversations we have and some of the things they say. Great memories... and great laughs! Here's some examples of just some of the things my kids have said that i've recorded.

Adelyn: "Mom, since girls call it the Mrs. Sippi River (mississippi) I bet boys call it the Mr. Sippi River."

Me: "Adelyn, what do you want to take to school for sharing letter "V".

Adelyn: "hmmm... I know just the thing! VODKA!"

One night I was putting Adelyn to bed and prayed, "Help us to wake up tomorrow ready to serve you." After the prayer Adelyn said, "is tomorrow Thanksgiving?" 

Me: No, Why?

Adelyn: Well then what are we going to serve Him?"

Adelyn to her little sister: "Wow, Renee! You don't look so good!

Me: "Adelyn, that wasn't very nice!"

Adelyn: "No - I mean her face just doesn't look good!"

Renee walks in on Dan getting dressed after his shower and points to his "you know what" and says... "What's that?!"

Dan: "Oh, just my boy part"

Renee: "I only have a butt!"

Renee: "Mommy was I a baby when I was borned?"

Me: "Yes! you were very tiny. Do you remember what town you were born in?"

Renee: "hmm... probably Target!"

Boz the Bear

Some movie series's my kids loved when they were young! Here are just a few movies my kids loved when they were younger that were faith based and educational. Boz the Bear is kind of a mix between Barney and Veggie Tales. But it has some great lessons and kept my kids attention in the short 12 minute episodes! Then there's Veggie Tales... I think we all know how great Veggie Tales is! Bob and Larry are great! And, finally "Signing Time" teaches the youngsters sign language to better communicate before they can talk to avoid the "terrible 2 tantrums." These DVD's worked wonders with both of my girls. Check them out by clicking on the above links!

Samaritan's Purse

This is something our family tries to do every Christmas season. We take the girls shopping and they both pack a shoebox for a little girl their age. It's their Christmas present to another child in need. The shoeboxes are taken to a donation center and shipped all over the world to little boys and girls who wouldn't otherwise get anything for Christmas. It's a great way to give back and remind your children of the real meaning of Christmas. Click on the picture to be taken to the Samaritan's Purse website for more information of how you and your family can get involved. 

Ingredients: 

1/4 c granulated sugar, divided

1 c all purpose flour

7 tbl Hershey's cocoa, divided

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c milk

1/3 c buter

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1 1/4 c HOT water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together 3/4 c granulated sugar, flour, 3 tbs cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Pour batter into 8 or 9-inch square baking pan.

Stir together remaining 1/2 c granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 4 tbs cocoa.

Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. 

Pour water over top. 

DO NOT STIR!

Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 15 minutes.

Spoon into dessert dishes. Spoon sauce from bottom of pan over top of cake. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream... ENJOY!!

sponsor a child today!

World Vision is a Christian organization that lends aid to those in need around the world. Whether it be disaster relief here at home or abroad, digging wells in rural Africa to provide clean drinking water, or dropping food from airplanes to those starving in the horn of Africa, World Vision is committed to helping "the least of these" and making a difference in the World. One of the ways World Vision does this is through child sponsorship. For $1/day you can change a child's life as well as the child's community of family and friends. As a child ambassador for world vision, I volunteer my time and efforts to help ordinary people make an extraordinary difference. I would love to help you find a child to sponsor (provide clothing, food, education, medical care, clean drinking water, and spiritual guidance) so that you can form a relationship with that child through writing letters, sending gifts, ect. and receiving letters back from that child as well. Some day, if you wish, you can even travel with World Vision to meet your child! Sponsoring a child of our own (her name is Lucy from Mozambique) has been a great way to teach our kids about poverty and also a great way for them to form a relationship with someone from a different culture through writing letters and drawing pictures for each other! If you are interested please let me know or visit the link above to check out some more information!

cork board tiles

If you're anything like me your kids bring home all of these really great art projects from school, pictures they've drawn, etc. The question, though, is what do you do with them?? I have a binder with most of my oldest daughter's artwork but now that my younger daughter is in preschool, i've begun a pile on top of my microwave for the one's not on the refrigerator or taped to the wall. I found a solution that I'm definitely going to try when we move in a few months... cork board wall! Amazon.com has cork board tiles for $6.50/pack of 4 or I know you can get it at Home Depot, Lowes and Menard's. So you could do a small wall in a playroom or a bedroom for very little cost and it'd solve the problem of displaying their wonderful artwork!

penny floor

If you haven't yet discovered www.pinterest.com you are missing out! It's an online pinboard where you can view other's pins and pin some things of your own that you like. I've added some links with pictures here that you can check out of some of my favorite things i've found on there. So many great DIY projects, awesome ideas for kids stuff, not to mention Christmas gift ideas!! (Yes, that time if year will be here before we know it!) If you haven't been on this website you should join the cool crowd and get on. But a word of caution.... like Facebook, it can be extremely addicting! Enjoy!!

Eat More Chicken

Chick Fil A We love Chick-Fil-A! A Christian based company, they have great food and great customer service! You can't get your food brought to your table at just any fast food restaurant, a free balloon, and occasionally free dessert and a free meal if you feel like dressing up like a cow. Their indoor playplace is a hit with our girls and the kids meal "toy" is actually something useful like a book or last time a Veggie Tales story on CD that they love listening to in the car. Thanks, Chick-Fil-A for being a family friendly restaurant. Oh, and it's closed on Sundays! 

Hobby Lobby Also closed on Sundays. Need I say more? This store has it all. Between the furniture, scrapbooking stuff, home decorative items, and crafts (not to mention the crazy sales they have all of the time!) this place is dangerous and almost impossible not to come out of without a cart full! And they play Christian music while you shop! A great way to spend a free afternoon (kid free!)

order yours today!

If you are looking for a good Bible for your little one (i'd say ages 1-4) this is the one we used and our kids both LOVED! The pictures are great and is written as one powerful story that is easy for your child to understand. My sister, Laura, got my girls this Bible and the pages are starting to fall out we've read it so much! 

—R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“A powerfully done, relevant book for parents to teach their children about. Buy this book and use it with your children.”
—Dennis Rainey, President, FamilyLife

“Christians parents looking for a Bible story book they can trust will welcome The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm and Gayle Schoonmaker. The biblical story is told well and in a way that will compel the attention of children. Parents, grandparents, and others will see this book as a friend as they teach their children the things of God.”

Nothing says "fall" like the deliciousness that is PUMPKIN PIE SQUARES! Your kids will thank you, your husband will love you and life will be good when your kitchen smells like this!

Mix together and pat in 9x13 greased pan: 

*1 box yellow cake mix (take out 1 cup and set aside)

*1 stick melted butter

*1 egg

Mix together and pour over crust: 

*1 can (1 lb 14 oz) Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix

*2 eggs

*2/3 cup evaporated milk

Mix and sprinkle over pie mixture:

*1 cup reserved cake mix

*2 tbs. melted butter

*1/4 cup brown sugar

*1 tsp. cinnamon

Bake in metal pan at 350 degrees or glass pan at 325 degrees for 50 minutes

Let cool. Refrigerate and serve with a dollop (or two!) of whipped cream and your belly will be happy!

I have to give all of the credit for this recipe to my mother in law. Thanks Erma!

One of my kids favorite fall crafts is to go out in the yard and find pretty leaves of all different colors, sizes and shapes. We collect the leaves, some small twigs, throw them together with a little mod podge and it's a quick, easy and fun fall tree craft! 

supplies:

mod podge

leaves

twigs

construction paper 

Have the kids collect any leaves they want as well as a few small twigs. Arrange the leaves and twigs on the construction paper to form a tree and use mod podge to glue leaves and twigs to paper. Then coat the top of leaves and twigs with mod podge to seal it! Hang on the refrigerator or frame it for a fun fall decoration!

Faith 5

Our church encourages families to do what is called "Faith 5". We do it every night with our girls before bed and it's a great way to do family devotion time. Here's how it works:

 1. SHARE your highs and lows for the day

 2. READ a scripture in the Bible

 3. TALK about how the verse relates to your highs and lows

 4. PRAY about your highs and lows, family, and other needs

 5. BLESS one another

The blessing at the end is something our church hands out every week in the bulletin that we say every night that week but it can also be a blessing you come up with on your own for each other to say each night so that your kids learn it. Maybe it's a Bible verse you say every night. And before you know it, your kids will have it memorized! It's a great way to learn scripture! This devotion time has been special for our family. Hopefully if you're looking for a way to do devotions with your family this will give you an idea.

Welcome to our blog! We hope you find this to be a place where you can find some fun family ideas and ways to put your faith into practice at home to build a faith that lasts for your children. It's a scary world out there and if you're like us, it's even scarier to think about raising kids in it. In no way are we experts on this. We are simply on a journey just like everyone else to build up our faith in God and live in such a way that our children see it and, in turn, live out that faith throughout their lives. That is our prayer for our own children and if that is your prayer for your children, we hope this blog gives you some ideas on ways to do that! Enjoy!