Welcome Home Daddy!!

We're so happy to have Daddy home, just in time for Christmas! In fact, it was like Christmas this morning when Joshua woke up and saw Daddy at home. The smile on his face was better than all the Christmas presents in the world! Zoe wasn't too sure at first, but about 15 minutes was all it took for her to revert to 'Daddy's little girl' mode. As for me, I'm just happy to have my love back home and see our babies so happy to have Daddy here!

Keeping Christ in Christmas! - part 3

Since I last posted about this book, I was able to contact the authors, who commented on my last post about it. If you want a copy, you can contact them at: kids4ever@charter.net

Here are the hilights since my last post about this book -

Dec 8th: God calls us to pray for others - Eph 6:18a.

Mommy: "Joshua, who would you like to pray for today?"

Joshua: "um... how bout Buzz Yi-near (lightyear)?"

Mommy: "ok, what does Buzz need us to pray for?"

Joshua: "um... I think, cherries. Buzz would like some cherries"

...so that's what we prayed for.

Dec 9th: Jesus is the good shepherd - Luke 2:8, Jn 10:11, Ps 23:4b- Joshua was excited to hang a candycane on the tree, we talked about how it is the same shape as a shepherd's staff, and he knows what that is because Bo Peep has one on Toy Story

Dec 10th: Jesus came to serve others - Eph 6:7

Activity was to plan and carry out a way to serve others so I helped Joshua plan to help me clear the table after dinner. Yay!!!

Dec 11th: Joshua liked this one because it involved angels - Luke 2:10-11

Dec 13th: Mt 5:14-16 - Joshua lit our little battery operated tea lights

Pics from Joshua's Christmas program

Here are some pictures from Joshua's Christmas program (I posted the video 2 posts ago...) He was up there smiling like a little movie star on the red carpet, hilarious! He just saw all the people taking pictures and knew that was what he was supposed to do.

Zoe trying to get to the pots & pansMy favorite little snowman!
Joshua & Maddie
Joshua with his class
He just looked around and smiled. When he spotted me in the audience, his smile got even bigger - so sweet!

Sew & Tell - rice wrap

Happy Sew & Tell Friday!! I couldn't post my finish last week because I want it to be a surprise to my wonderful hubby - sorry I didn't get a chance to visit everyone and see your finishes!

I took a break from quilts last night and made this quick project. It only took me a little over an hour! I was only planning on starting it while the news was on, but was so close to finishing I just had to! Great instant gratification, and one less thing on my to do list for Saturday!!

Here's a little more detail on how I make them... mine weight 5 lbs, so that's how much rice to fill it with

Many thanks to my cute model. Maybe he thought it was a cape! See my cherry quilt there on the couch screaming "QUILT ME!!!" Audience participation please: I am working on getting the tension on my machine right first... yeah, that's my excuse... Anybody have any tension tips? I know every machine is different (I have a Kenmore 385.19233), but I'm sure yall can help me :) Also, anybody want to recommend their favorite gloves (or way to grip/maneuver the quilt).

Here's some good, thorough tension advice I found. It's not novice advice either, so unless you're a tension expert, you might benefit

Joshua's Christmas Program

Joshua had his Christmas program at school today. Unfortunately, during the performance portion (they sang two songs with hand motions and bells, & recited a verse!!) I thought I was pressing record but really pressed stop. I'm so sad!! Here's the cute video I got of Joshua hamming it up before his stage debut. He looks like a natural to me!!

ZoeTube

and Joshua too... here are a few cute videos of the recent festivities.

I have no idea why she was trying to lick the ornaments. But it sure was funny.

Tree decor & quilt back

Here's my cherry quilt for Zoe all spray basted & ready to quilt. I think I am just going to stipple with white thread. Thanks everyone for all your suggestions! If someone has a good picture of one quilted with wavy lines, please let me know because I don't think I've seen one.

Here's how the back turned out. I love it, but there is really NO room for error on the quilting because the top & back are almost exactly the same size. That's what I get for trying to make a cute pieced back I guess... (the white around the edges is the batting)
Here's the top.

Joshua has wanted a yellow star for the tree, and we wanted to make one to go along with our activity for Dec 5th (Matt 2:9b-10) so Joshua and I made a star for the tree. It's cardboar covered with tin foil, but Joshua was upset because he wanted it to be yellow so we made a little yellow outfit for him, and Joshua had me draw on a face before he started decorating.

Let me just say: He is NOT posing, he was in the middle of kicking his legs wildly.

Mr. Star and Joshua the work guy. He's been a 'work guy fighting bad guys' all day long. There was one 2 hour period today during which Joshua did not stop talking.

I handed Joshua ornaments and he hung them wherever he could reach. Mostly, as many as he could fit together on a branch.
Proud of his work! I hung the ones up top, of course. When Zoe got up from her nap, she tried to lick them.
Zoe loves to play in the tupperware drawer & sippy cup basket. And talk on her fake phone.

Keeping Christ in Christmas! - part 2

We've been having fun with our Keeping Christ in Christmas for Kids (click here to see the book) book by Donna & Nick Medendorp. Helps keep me accountable (and presents quite the easy, quick activities) for teaching the kids why we have Christmas, and keeps me focused on Jesus rather than getting caught up in stressful or commercialized holiday stuff that does not always encourage the Christian in me!

Dec 1, we made an advent calendar of sorts to keep track of the 25 days until Christmas. 25 hands making an 'evergreen' tree to teach how God has given us the ability to have everlasting life through Christ (John 6:47b, 1 Peter 2:24a & Jn 3:16)

Dec 2, we lit the tree to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world. (John 8:12)

Dec 3, we wrote down our favorite thing that God has blessed us with (Joshua picked cherries)(Ezekiel 34:26b & Romans 10:12b)

Dec 4, pick one of our toys to donate (John 3:16a & IICor8:7b)

Dec 5, made a star ornament (Matthew 2:9b-10)

Dec 6, set up the nativity & discussed the verse (Luke 2:1-20)

Dec 7, discuss the names of Jesus & make/decorate name place cards for everyone in your family, and write qualities describing that person on the inside (Isaiah 9:6b)

Well, I don't want to break any copyright laws here so I'll stop, but I highly recommend this book - it's so fun! I'd write the activity out every day if I didn't feel like I was stealing these folks' hard work! I'll try to share our favorites with you.

***If you want to own your very own copy, please contact the authors at kids4ever@charter.net - see his comment below***

too many t-shirts?!

Here are two pictures of my tshirt blankets (they're not really quilts). I'm thinking about taking them back apart and quilting them, but they are well loved and we use them all the time. I used to run & do triathlons kind of a lot, and these are tshirts from races as well as my time in college & in the beloved US Army. The two in the middle of the larger quilt are from my first HS XC race. I have only great memories from all these tshirts, and I love having a practical way to keep them around.

About 7'x7', I made this one in 2003

About 4'x5', I finished this one about a week before Joshua was born 3 years ago. I've accumulated more tshirts since then, so when I get enough, I'll probably make another.