His Banner Over Me Is Love

I grew up singing a song about Jesus being the vine, so I totally broke that out today as we got to the letter V on our Ornament String for the Names of Jesus.

I mean V is for VINE, and the song HAD to be sung.



I had a picture in MY head of what I thought the girls' craft should look like, but I didn't want to stiffle any of their creativity.



So rather than giving them lots of instructions, I simply gave them green "vines" and "leaves," along with purple and blue "grapes."  I told them they could make the vines however they wanted and glue them to a white piece of paper as the background.  They each got a gluestick and went to work.



I enjoyed watching them, their personalities coming out as they put the vines, leaves, and grapes on their papers.  They arranged them differently.





They had different finished products, but both Kellah and Kyiah did an excellent job.





As they arranged their vines, we talked about how Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches.  We discussed how we stay connected to Jesus by reading our Bibles, praying, going to church, and obeying God.  When we do those things, we grow closer to Jesus and become more like Him.  We grow fruit!

We talked about how the fruit Jesus helps us grow is in our hearts.
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Gentleness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Self-Control



I hope that the girls remember these fun activities we did all throughout the Christmas season, but more than anything I pray they see the REASON behind everything we did.  I long for them to not only know about Jesus in their heads, but to know Him personally in their hearts.  Then, I ache for them to live out their love for Him, every day in all they do and say.  I want them to take Jesus with them everywhere they go, shining their lights and spreading hope and joy and peace.  I want them to be strong, confident girls who will stand up for what's right, no matter what, because that is what Jesus would want them to do.  I want them to be bold, courageous girls who will love even when it's dangerous and take risks and reach out to those around them, even if they get nothing in return.  I want them to be steadfast and faithful, anchored in Christ such that the storms of this world do not cause them to be shaken or to waver.  I want them to be rooted in Jesus, and because of that not be afraid to go into the deep waters, even when waves are crashing all around.  They will KNOW Jesus is right there with them, leading them, making a way, and holding them up.  He will never leave them or fail them.  Oh how I pray they KNOW this and live like it every day, even NOW when they are so young.



That is the cry of my heart and WHY I am working so hard to keep our focus on JESUS this year.  I pray this focus continues even after the holidays are over.  After all, Jesus' time on earth didn't end the day after Christmas.  That was just the beginning!



Yes, He was born.
Then, He LIVED...

And so should we!
EVERY day, no matter the season, should be about Him.
His birth should change us, most certainly.
But, as we talked about today, we have to STAY connected to Him, all year long.
Only as we ABIDE in Him, the VINE, can we bear fruit.



And I don't know about you, but I think the world could use more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

Not just in December, but come April too!
June and July could do with some of that fruit as well.
We don't want to leave out September or October either.



I'm going to display the girls' vines on our wall to remind us to stay connected to the VINE.
As we do, not only will we produce the fruit the world so badly needs, but we will also benefit personally!!! The song tells us that God's banner over us is love.  Do you understand all that implies?!



As we fix our eyes on Jesus and stay focused on Him, God pours Himself out onto us, into us.  He FILLS us with His love.  He lavishes His blessings on us.  He sings over us!  Oh man, I can't help but smile as I think about it all.



God is sooooo good!
If you don't know what I am talking about or have never experienced the true love of God, I would so enjoy chatting with you.  I would be honored to pray for you and with you.

Man, who knew a simple craft would have me go so deep!
I think I may be singing that song the rest of the day!

Life Lessons

Homeschooling this week has been a bit different.

Monday, was a "snow day," so we didn't do any school work.  Instead, we had some life lessons with math and health (meal planning) during our family trip to the grocery store.  For PE, the girls had gymnastics class in the evening.

Today, I didn't really feel like doing much since it's such a short week with Christmas break starting tomorrow afternoon for Coralyn.  Rather than trying to squeeze our lessons in, I decided to continue with the life lesson theme.

For math, we measured ingredients to make Cookies in a Jar for the neighbors.  We practiced addition and subtraction as we counted how many jars we had filled and how many we had left to go.  We compared the sizes of the jars as well.



Then, for writing, I had Kellah copy out Merry Christmas onto cards for the neighbors to go along with their sweet treats.



When she is done, I think we'll have some reading time.  I will have each of the girls pick out a Christmas book for us to read together.

And lest you think I am the perfect mother, after that, I am going to let Justin Time or Cat in the Hat teach a social studies lesson for me.  Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to unload and reload the dishwasher during that time.  Goodness knows I will have Craedyn "helping" me.  She doesn't seem to want to miss out on anything!  She napped just long enough for me to throw in some laundry and woke up right as we were finishing up the last Cookie Jar.  I swear the child is trying to teach ME some life lessons!

Patience.
Compassion.
Gentleness.
Kindness.
Mercy.

You know, practical stuff that all mothers need.
I think I will let her know I got it down and we can move on to some other things.

Sleep.
Rest.
Peace.
Quiet.

I know I'm not getting a grade or anything, but I'm pretty sure I would be getting an A in Hope.
I'm almost confident I am acing Dream On too!!

Let's not talk so much about Toilets, Baseboards, Dusting 101, Laundry 666 (that one's a killer with soooo much homework), or Clean Floors.  I may have had a 4.0 all my school years, but grades don't matter anymore!

At least I am NOT keeping score.
That right there was a lesson I learned REALLY fast as a mom!

Kellah is letting me know that she is getting tired making cards, so I had better go rescue the girl!  Guess I get to practice my handwriting too!

Snow Day

The black ice continues to change our daily plans.

First, it messed up our birthday party for Kellah on Saturday.

And now today, the school district cancelled school, so Lawrence and Coralyn were home today.

We made the most of our extra time together, though.

Grocery trip to Aldi.

Then, for some fun...we headed to Build-a-Bear so Kellah could pick out her birthday present.

She chose a unicorn and named her Queen Sparkle.

Can you tell she loves her?!

Once we were home and had the groceries put away, the clean clothes folded and put up, and lunch eaten, we set to work on our Advent Jar activity.

Today, we got to make "gingerbread" houses.

If you know anything about me, you know I like to make things as healthy as possible.

So, we used graham crackers, peanut butter, raisins, banana chips, and pretzels for our building materials.

I'm not a total "mean" mom, so I also put out some chocolate chips and chocolate wafer sticks.  It IS the holiday season, after all.  Gotta have some sweets, right?!  

The girls had fun making their houses, and I enjoyed seeing their creativity and imaginations coming through as they put the decorations on their little houses.

Their hands may have been covered in peanut butter and the table was a complete MESS, but they had fun!  

I am trying to remind myself that memories are more important than a clean house!  

I pray the girls will look back on these times with fondness and tell their kids about our traditions.  I hope they will take some of these traditions with them and carry them on in their own families.

For now, I am soaking up the laughter and trying to bottle it up to have for years and years to come.

I think I better understand how Mary felt and what it means when "she treasured all these things in her heart."  Of course, she was the mother of GOD, so she has me there...

Whatever the case may be, I think we have made good out this snow day!

When Life Hands You Lemons...

Make potato soup and cranberry crumble coffee cake!



Today, we were supposed to have family over for lunch to celebrate Kellah turning FIVE.
After that, friends were coming over for a birthday party.
It was going to be all rainbows and unicorns!



Funny, life doesn't work that way.
Instead, we got black ice and snow was in the forecast.

We called family, telling them not to come.
We contacted friends, telling them to stay home.

The weather changed our plans, but it couldn't dampen our spirits!

For a morning snack, the girls got to pick treats from our Cookie Exchange we had yesterday with our Moms Club.

Lunch was popcorn, peanut butter filled pretzels, and apple slices.

Then, the girls used their pretzels as game pieces for My Little Pony BINGO.
We had the game all ready for the birthday party, so might as well play a few extra rounds.
And learn the names of all the My Little Ponies while we were at it.



Having accomplished that, we went downstairs and got in the Christmas spirit by watching Elf.
We had some good laughs, and apparently those made the girls hungry so they had birthday cake for an afternoon snack.



With all that sugar, they needed a way to run off some energy.
I helped them get all bundled up and Lawrence took them outside to "sled" down our icy street.



I volunteered to stay inside with Craedyn and take pictures and videos.
I mean, someone had to make the sacrifice.



They lasted 10 minutes at most and came inside shivering.
Hot cider helped warm them right up.

So did potato soup and cranberry crumble coffee cake for supper!
I like to make things as healthy as possible, so check out my recipe for the potato soup:

*5 good sized red potatoes, cut into chunks (skin on)
*2 small sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
*1 onion, diced
*1/2 bag of baby carrots, diced
*Handful of spinach, finely chopped
*1 box of chicken broth (I used the Simply Organic brand from Aldi)
*Garlic powder

Put it all in the crockpot and cook on medium for 6ish hours.
Use a potato masher to mash everything up and make the soup creamy.
Add the following:

*Meat of your choice (I used Never Any! chipotle chicken sausage from Aldi)
*Cheese of your choice (I used a combo of cheddar, mozarella, and a tiny bit of a Mexican combo we had left over from another meal)

Stir everything together and scoop into bowls.
ENJOY!!!!!

No one seemed to notice the carrots, spinach, or sweet potatoes!!!
May not be the healthiest soup ever, even with the additions and changes I made, but it was yummy!
And healthier than most recipes I was finding online!

The cranberry crumble coffee cake was tasty too!!!!!  Couldn't even tell it was gluten free!  I will DEFINITELY be making this again!

I'm so glad we didn't have any salt issues this time around!
Since it turned out so well when the salt lid stayed on, I figured I could go ahead and share the recipe now that we know it's melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Got this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod blog

The weather outside hasn't improved much.
The snow is coming down, more in the form of icy pellets than big flakes though.
And that wind is blowing.
I'm guessing we'll be inside pretty much all day tomorrow too.
I've already got a roast ready to make for lunch.
This cold weather seemed to be calling for warm, hearty meals.

Kellah told us, W A A A A Y back in October when we started birthday season, that it was going to be cold and snow on HER birthday.  Right she was!



Here we are with snow, and BLACK ICE.

Kellah didn't seem to mind the change of plans too much.
Maybe it's because we told her she would get THREE parties now.
1 with Lawrence's family
1 with my parents
1 with friends

Can't beat that!
I will have to make more cake though...

Kids in the Kitchen

Since it's sooooo cold outside, we decided to come straight back home after taking Coralyn to school this morning.

We have a Cookie Exchange tomorrow with our Moms Club, so we set to work on making our goodies to take.  First up were Christmas Monster Cookies.  As soon as those were done, we whipped up some Fudgy Brownies topped with peppermint.



Of course, the girls thought licking the bowl was the best part!



Since baking 2 delicious treats wasn't enough fun, we drew out a slip from our Advent Jar.  We got to make Gingerbread Playdough.



Super fast and sooooo easy!

Maybe now that the girls are playing with their new playdough, I will have enough time to finish MY breakfast before they girls ask me to make them lunch.

I am not going to lie and say this morning was all rainbows and unicorns.  We didn't have visions of sugarplums either.  We had some stressful moments, but we had fun (and managed to squeeze in Kellah's school work while the cookies were in the oven).

This Christmas season, I am trying REALLY hard to keep the focus on JESUS.  I want the girls to remember we are celebrating HIM.  I want them to understand that it truly is better to give than to receive.

I actually had to make up another Advent Jar activity since almost all the rest deal with taking cookies to the Police Station, dropping cards off at a Nursing Home, or making and delivering goodies to the neighbors.  I want Coralyn to get in on those activities.

We did have a few other fun activities left, like getting a treat at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.  However, I didn't want to head outside in the cold.  Not even a donut could entice me to brace the freezing temperatures and get everyone bundled up.  

Instead, we stayed home and made our own fun!

And I called it, I haven't even finished this post yet and the girls are asking for a snack!!!  Before I take care of their "famished" tummies, here's the easy peasy recipe for the Gingerbread Playdough...

PUT ALL THE INGREDIENTS IN A SAUCEPAN.

1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Salt
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 Cup Water
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 to 2 tsp Cinnamon
1 to 2 tsp Cloves
1 to 2 tsp Nutmeg
1 to 2 tsp Ginger

Stir everything together until it resembles lumpy cake batter.
Keep stirring over medium heat until the dough forms a "clump."
Remove from heat.
Knead on the counter - you may need to sprinkle with just a little flour.

Let cool and then let your kiddos roll, cut, create, and run wild with their imaginations!
Hope your family enjoys the playdough as much as we will throughout the rest of the holidays!

Catch Me If You Can...

I'm the Gingerbread Man!!!



Today, for our Advent Jar activity, Kellah drew out the strip telling us to decorate gingerbread people.  We are doing a cookie exchange with our Moms Club on Friday, so I didn't want to make cookies for them to icing and put candy on.  We do NOT need any more sugar in this house!  We just got rid of 5 dozen sugar cookies yesterday when we delivered the goodies to the Fire Station.



So, instead of edible treats, I cut out a gingerbread person each for Kellah and Kyiah to decorate with scraps of paper I had in our craft box.

Then, I gave them their gingerbread people, the paper scraps, the scissors, and a glue stick.  I told them they could decorate their gingerbread people any way they wanted.  I didn't want to give any other directions.  I wanted to see what THEY could come up with all on their own!



Sometimes, I think I interfere too much.
I try to control the environment.
I try to avoid messes.

In so doing, I think I stiffle the girls' creativity and imagination.
I limit them, and myself really.

If I want my girls to grow up and be strong, independent women who think for themselves, use their gifts, step out to try new things, and confidently embrace the "risks" that come with the unknown, then I need to give them opportunities to do all that NOW.

While they are still young...
and in a safe place...
where they will be encouraged and celebrated...

So...today, I embraced the chaos, and I was NOT disappointed!

I mean, look at Kellah's gingerbread person!!!!



Such detail!
And I didn't help her cut out a single thing or glue anything anywhere.
She chose the colors and the design all on her own!

Kyiah did a GREAT job too.



She may not have paid as much attention to detail as Kellah, but her gingerbread person is HER creation.  She was so proud of it and asked me if she did a good job.  She most certainly did!

I am so proud of my girls and am thoroughly enjoying watching them grow up before my very eyes.  I love seeing their personalities shining through in all they do.  I love seeing them develop new skills.  I love seeing them become the women God has created them to be.

And yes, I realize they are still only 3 and 5 (well, Kellah has her birthday on Saturday to be officially 5)!  It's never too early to teach character and to inspire children to think of ways THEY can make a difference in the world.  THAT is truly the heart behind all our Advent Jar activities that we are doing this Christmas season.



Today reminded me how much kids are capable of, and adults too.
Don't limit yourself.
Don't hold back.
If you have an idea, try it.
If you have a goal, go after it.
If you have a dream, make a plan to turn it into a reality.

Your ideas and goals and dreams are NEEDED in this world.
You are made with unique interests and abilities.
We NEED your gifts and talents.
You may make a mistake or two along the way, but you will also help others, change lives, and make the world a better place as you step out and try new things, go on adventures, take risks, and BE the person God created you to be.

You ARE a masterpiece.


You were made on purpose FOR a purpose.


And just as I learned today via Kellah's gingerbread person, you might just be surprised at what you CAN do!



Oh, and get this...the girls cleaned up their mess without a fuss!
Say what?!
Surprises all over the place!



What surprises await YOU today?!!!
You won't know until you
take that first step,
turn the page,
pick up the pen,
push the button,
open the door,
make the phone call,
send the letter,
fill out a resume,
give a hug,
or simply take time to smile.

I don't know what God may be calling you to do or who He may be challenging you to become.
I don't know all the details, but I know He does.
TRUST Him.



I can hardly wait to see what masterpiece He creates in and through YOU!

Who's the KING?

Who rules your heart?
Who sits on the throne?
Who decides what you do, how you do it, when you do it, and WHY you do it?
Who's in charge?
Who's the boss?
Who's the KING?



Yesterday, as we continued our journey through the alphabet to discover WHO Jesus is, we took a look at the letter L.  We talked about how Jesus is the LION OF JUDAH.

Then, we made LION masks.







And sang one of our favorite songs, "Who's the King of the Jungle?!"

Picturing Jesus as a lion may seem silly, or childish.
We could have gone with the LAMB route since that also starts with L and Jesus IS the Lamb of God, willingly and LOVINGLY sacrificed on our behalf, dying so that we might live.



No matter how ridiculous it seems to think of Jesus as a lion, the imagery is great.
I mean, C.S. Lewis did a pretty good job in his Chronicles of Narnia books.  Aslan is an amazing depiction of who Jesus is and how He wants to interact with us personally.



As the girls made their masks and we sang our song, God was proding at MY heart, asking me who was sitting on the throne.  I needed that reminder to let JESUS be King, to be in control.  I needed to once again surrender my hopes and dreams to Him, trusting that His ways and His timing are WAY better than mine.  I needed to let go (cue the Frozen music now).

I love how God meets us where we are at.  Today's letter M showed us that Jesus is our MANNA.
If you don't know what that is, that's perfect.
The word itself means "what is it?" and was first used when God sent bread-like wafers from heaven to take care of His people, the Israelites, as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.  The fact that they had to wander for that long is a completely different story, but the point is God took care of them, providing for them every single day.



Guess what?
We serve the SAME God today.



Jesus is our MANNA today.
He Himself said, "I am the Bread of Life..."



As I was surrendering my hopes and dreams, He was reminding me that He has all the details covered, that He will guide me every step of the way, that He will provide all along the journey.  And now as I type, I can't help but think of one of my favorite passages of all time from Ephesians 3.



I don't know what the year ahead holds, but I do know the God who holds it.
I don't know exactly what is going to happen in 2017, but I do know the God who is writing the story.
And I trust Him, with my WHOLE heart.
He is in charge.
He is on the throne.
He is MY King!