My Jedi

We had a great Thanksgiving, visiting family in Ohio. It was a fantastic week of family time, giving thanks, lots of fun, traditions, and celebrating Christmas a month early because we won't see them next month!  tons of pictures taken and memories made, and #1000gifts written down!

My blog may be on hold this week because I have an opportunity to showcase my cards on Saturday... and I hope to sell a bunch! Which means that I need to put some time and effort into packaging and displaying my wares... anybody have some advice??!?!  Say a prayer for me, that I might be able to sell a bunch, but most of all I will have FUN!! :)

But before I go, I just wanted to share a picture... that became four because I just couldn't get my sweet little Jedi to cooperate all together!!

So just a little entry into Sweet Shot Tuesday...

Celebrating Jesus

I am soo excited I don't know where to begin!!  Thanksgiving was yesterday which means it's time to bring out the Christmas music and decorations... as soon as I get back to my house that is!  In all honesty, I really wasn't that excited about Christmas.  I am a stingy scrooge and hate spending money... although I do like to give gifts. I am a people pleaser so I stress too much about people liking the gifts I get them... but that is not what this post is about!

Each year, I get overwhelmed with the materialistic nature of Christmas, and I so want to return to what Christmas is all about.  I want my kids to know the true "reason for the season!" and the importance of what God did on "Christmas" by sending His Son to earth for us, for ME, for YOU!!

Last year, I discovered this post on Advent with the Jesus Storybook Bible... which we already have and love. So I attempted it.  We actually did most of it, although quite a few nights we had to read a couple of stories to catch up. Last year, I also printed out Jesse Tree ornaments... and they sat in the drawer for the whole month of December, so I am not sure what makes me think that I can do THIS, but I am going to give it a go!!

One of the great blogs I read is Impress Your Kids.  It gives lots of good ideas for kids crafts, using them to teach your kids about the Bible!! Today is the release date of her new ebook, Truth in the Tinsel! The regular price is $4.99, but you can buy it today, Black Friday for $2.99!!  I was so excited to get a pre-release copy to review!  I have been looking through it on and off for the last week, getting more and more excited about giving it a go with my kids this year!  I know that it will mean so much to them!

What is giving me the most freedom is the alternate schedules. I have 4 kids, so I think we might try the one where we do a few days together and the kids can each do a different ornament.  This also helps me because it is almost guaranteed that I will not do this every day!

There is also a GREAT full supply list. It is perfectly detailed for someone like me.  And she also provides the list by day, so I know which supplies I need the first week to get started.  and then there is this sentence ... "Many of these items are interchangeable."  because I will be interchanging items!! :)

I want to tell you EVERYTHING about this great ebook, but I am telling you that you should go check it out for yourself.  Your kids will thank you! :)  Be sure to join the Truth in the Tinsel Facebook page, where Amanda will be providing challenges and encouragement throughout the advent season.  You can also post pictures of your kids working on the ornaments!!  So fun!

Tell me what you do for the Advent season, or let me know if you are participating in the Truth in the Tinsel experience!

PS. for a brief moment, I really considered getting the Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar... If I did that, I could probably even get my hubby to participate! :)

PPS. The CSI Project is all things Advent calendars this week, so even though this isn't my work, I am linking this up so more people can hear about Truth in the Tinsel!



disclosure: IF I did it right, some of the links in this post are affiliate links...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving, and hope that you find things to be thankful for all year long!

Last year we did a thankful tree for the whole month of November. I actually cut out a tree trunk and taped it on the wall and we used the kids handprints as leaves... but as our giving thanks grew, I got tired of cutting out all the handprints, so we moved to leaves on and around our tree.

This year, I didn't even feel like attempting the tree, so I just cut out lots and lots of leaves, and whenever the kids felt like it, they would write a few things down on leaves and tape them to our sun porch doors. I had my kids write their initials on the leaves so we would know who wrote them. Two of my girls did family trees at school, so we added them to the doors and got our "giving thanks" trees ready made.

It makes me so thankful to see my kids find things to be thankful for...

Here are some zoomed in shots of our thankfulness over the last few weeks!

what are YOU thankful for?

Pilgrims and Indians

I don't know if they do this in the public schools, or not, but in the Christian school that my kids attend, they do a Thanksgiving dinner... EVERY YEAR. and the kids get to dress up as Pilgrims or Indians ... EVERY YEAR!  and while I am becoming much more crafty than I used to be, the thought of making costumes each year strikes fear in my heart.  Mostly because I don't want to spend a lot of money, but also because I have no clue how to make things that look AWESOME.

However, this year, I think I did a pretty good job!!

Here's my Top 10 to Thanksgiving costumes!

1. GOOGLE IT!  It is amazing the awesome ideas you find on the internet!

2. Facebook plea... asking friends and family for any old costumes, ideas, something that would work for Thanksgiving dinner dress up.  and give thanks when one donates an Indian costume and another donates black skirt!

3. Shop Salvation Army... on half price Wednesday and buy brown T shirts for 50 cents!  I was also hoping to score a black shirt/skirt for my pilgrim but that didn't happen.

4. Fringe bottom of said 50 cent tshirt.  If I had been thinking I also would have fringed the sleeves... next year!

5. take paint and make stripes to look like war paint on T shirt.

6. Make Indian headband out of construction paper, with a few feathers taped on.

7. Shop Walmart... or any other crafty store and buy white handkerchiefs and white ribbon

8. Follow instructions on awesome web tutorial that you found while Googling, for bonnet, collar and apron, USING hot glue gun of course, because I don't own a sewing machine.

9. try on costumes to make sure everything fits... and say who cares if it doesn't

10. Take a ton of pictures where only one turns out and send them off to school!! :)

It was a great year for costumes this year!

Linking up with Top Ten Tuesday!

God's Words

When I can't think of anything to say... just want to share the truth of God's Word with you today.

Isaiah 12 We studied this chapter the last 2 weeks in church... INCREDIBLE!!!

And in that day thou shalt say , O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away , and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust , and not be afraid : for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say , Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted . 5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout , thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. 

 and we sang this song... LOVE IT!!






Is it thanksgiving without Psalm 100?

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. 

  
I have not been counting the gifts like I have wanted to... but God is still giving them!!  here's just a few of the things I gave thanks for over the last few weeks...


exercising my right to vote ... with my kids in tow.
living in America
freedom
Veterans who serve and sacrifice so we can be free
... and their families who also sacrifice so much!!
a warm van and warm house
tractors

Harvest

falling leaves 
chickens laying eggs

my hubby making me Nutella hot chocolate
sliding into freshly clean bed sheets
65 degree days in November
copuons on packages in the store
playing at the park 
farmers market with a friend and our six kids

apple cider donuts 

coffee date with my husband and friends
Redcup at Starbucks
Moms group at church
a sunny mild November Saturday to take pictures of my kids
rejoicing with Ann Voskamp for pigs in Ecuador 
Bold sunrises...fire in the sky
rainy days... because they aren't snow!
sun breaking through the rain clouds

Wednesday night prayer time at our church
A pastor with a heart for prayer and a heart for our church
little pilgrims and Indians for school Thanksgiving lunches 

an evening making cards... with friends 

a sparkling clean fish bowl 

Snuggling in bed with my kids (and hubby) Sunday morning
kids going thru banks to get money for harvest offering, 
kids singing on the way to church
Giving thanks corporately thru Sunday evening service! 


Have you started counting yet? let me know so I can read your list... and link up with A Holy Experience!

Taco Soup

another one of our favorites in the slow cooker is Taco Soup!!!  many thanks to The Crockpot Lady to introducing me to this recipe... here's my version!

Ingredients:

One lb of ground beef... cooked and drained (I buy bulk and freeze for later use)
One large can of pinto beans (or kidney or black, or a combo)
One large can diced tomatoes (I used crushed this time for the sake of my kids)
One can of diced tomatoes w/ chiles
One bag frozen corn (or 2 cans of corn)
One Ranch Packet
One Taco Seasoning packet (I make my own... want the recipe?)

And cheese and sour cream and tortilla chips for topping! :)

Brown meat, drain and dump in the crockpt

sprinkle season packets on top
drain and rinse beans and add

add the corn and tomatoes

cover and cook on low for 8 hours

Serve up with lots of shredded cheddar cheese, some sour cream and  tortilla chips!!

The joy of this recipe is that it is soo flexible...
want vegetarian? just skip the meat and add more beans
pick whatever beans you have on hand
add spicy tomatoes or plain, diced, or crushed (for less chunky, more smooth)

I love it, and I hope you will, too!!

Linking up with The CSI Project for Slow Cooker week!!

Crockpot Lasagna

I changed up my menu planning this week, just so I could make this meal and take pictures of it and submit it to The CSI Project for their Slow Cooker theme this week!!



I usually make this meal on Sundays.  It's a 4 hour crockpot meal and it is so nice to come home to a hot meal without a ton of work!! I have even assembled it the night before and put it in the fridge and just popped it into the crockpot and turned it on in the morning!!

This is also an AWESOME pot luck meal as it stays warm!  I have made this MANY times when we served at our local rescue mission because it stays hot during the service!!

SO here is CrockPot Lasagna!

 Ingredients:
8 oz. lasagna noodles (9 or 10 noodles)
1 lb italian sausage
2 jars tomato sauce
16 oz. Ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded Mozzerella
garlic powder
italian seasoning
salt/pepper

Shred the cheese if you don't buy already shredded...

Cook the sausage, and drain off the fat

Grease the slow cooker and add a layer of sauce on the bottom
Start layering...

Break Lasagna noodles to fit in slow cooker

add more sauce, then sausage and cheeses
sprinkle with a layer of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt/pepper to taste

keep layering until ingredients are use up
End with a delicious layer of Mozzerella

Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours (I have never cooked more than 5... usually only 4)

and then enjoy the tasty goodness that is Lasagna!

for more great crockpot recipes, be sure to check out The CSI Project this week... and come back here tomorrow! I've got another crockpot recipe for you!!

with the busy holiday season upon us, this is a great recipe to "set and forget," so I am linking up to Tip Me Tuesday with Tip Junkie!

focusing on truth!

My mind has been mush lately... and a lot of confusion, too!  Today, I am focusing on the TRUTH of God's Word!

(sunrise on Monday Morning)

Psalm 34:1-10

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them.  O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.  The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

Sharing with
Word Filled Wednesday
Works for Me Wednesday
Women Living Well Wednesday

These are also the verses I am working on for the rest of 2011 for Siesta Scripture Memory Team

Fall Photos

God has gifted me with the most beautiful children, ever!  Seriously!! 

It has been 2 1/2 years since I got my kids pictures done professionally... which is pathetic!!  and there are so many great photographers out there now and such creative ideas for picture taking lately... but there is one problem, they cost too much! We are greatly blessed, and not lacking! God takes good care of us and meets all of our needs, there just isn't any pocket change for $200-300 sitting fees, etc.

So I decided to take things into my own hands... after all, I have dreams of being good at SOMETHING in my life, why not photography (except that I am too lazy to learn my camera).  So Saturday was a gorgeous sunny day... almost warm for November and I knew that I wouldn't get many more days like that!  So I tortured my kids into putting on semi-nice clothes and go outside in the setting sun (it gets cold fast, when the sun goes behind the trees!) and I took pictures, pictures, and more pictures!! OVER 300 to be "almost" exact!! Well I deleted all the obvious blurry, no rescuing pictures... and then I picked my favorites to share on Facebook... I narrowed it down to 30, I mean, how many people want to look at 100 pictures of my kids?!?!  Well, I do, because they are beautiful, if I say so myself, but I won't bore you! :)  So for Sweet Shot Tuesday, I am picking just a few to share with you!!!

So I think I did pretty good... not $200 good, but nice enough for my picture frames and the picture frames of grandmas and grandpas, and aunts and uncles of my adorable children!! :)

Some real photographers share their pictures with My 3 Boybarians and her Sweet Shot Tuesday Link up, go check them out!