Friday, March 27, 2015

7 Challenge for Lent: Week 5- Waste

This week in my 7 challenge for Lent, based on the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, was to find ways to be less wasteful of the resources God has blessed us with here on earth. Mrs. Hatmaker quotes in her book that, "God made the world because He wanted it made. He thinks the world is good and He loves it. It is His world; He has never relinquished title to it. And He has never revoked the conditions, bearing on His gift to us of the use of it, that obliges us to take excellent care of it. If God loves the world, then how might any person of faith be excused for not loving it or justified in destroying it?" (a quote from Wendell Berry, p 253) Such a powerful quote, and a good reminder to Christians that we need to take care of the gift of earth God has blessed to us!

I did not have a hard time with the challenge for this week. Our family already gardens, composts, recycles, conserves energy and water, shops secondhand and thrift stores. We try to buy local when we can, and when we don't forget that it is important to do so. We have driven one car before for a few months when one car was being fixed. Part of this is because we have had to be frugal for several years since the budget forced us to do so. Part of the reason we compost now is because we have had space for it at this house. We also have gardened for many, many years. It was something that my parents did for many years, and my brother has had an awesome garden in years past. 

I have found various ways to conserve water by washing larger loads of laundry when and if I can. We try to minimize the time that we rinse dishes. We turn off the faucet when we brush our teeth. We've taught our kids to turn off lights in their bedrooms-- because we have fined them a dime or quarter of their allowance money when they leave their light on for a long time while not in the room.

We are pretty good at recycling and reusing things. We have many reusable water bottles in our spare refrigerator that we grab when we need one. We take our own items to the recycle center here in town  about twice a month. We can recycle several types of plastic, corrugated cardboard, colored and clear glass (no glass glasses/ cups and no jars though), chipboard (we have SO much chipboard that we recycle!) and of course paper. Our kids help us recycle and are in the habit of putting items in the recycle bin that we keep next to the fridge, so we can bring it out to the garage once or twice a day when it is full. We also have a covered compost bucket on our counter, so we can easily toss food scraps, coffee grounds and tea bags (among other things) into the compost when the bucket is full. My friend told me that she made her own compost bin using a plastic trash can with a lid, and she rolls it on it's side to "stir" the compost mixture. I thought that was a great idea!! 

See this list for this week on the RIGHT side of this photo...
So this week I focused on finding new ways to conserve, recycle and took time to plan my garden. We bought seeds to plant (see list in photo above), read my new gardening book (The New Square Foot Gardener by Mel Bartholomew) and planned my garden. We bought some supplies to set up netting for peas and tomatoes, and we began to figure out what to grow and how to seed it. My daughters and I planted carrot and onion seeds in an egg carton, for easier transplantation. We haven't seen any sprouts yet, but we are still hopeful! 
I am really looking forward to the garden this year, and to try growing new things!
I am almost done with this 7 challenge, as Lent is over on Easter, which is only a week and a half away! The last two challenges are to curb spending, and to cut down areas of stress. Thanks for keeping up with this journey with me!

Read about week 4: Media here.
Read about week 3: Possessions here.
Read about week 2: Clothing here.
Read about week 1: Food (and intro) here.

Genesis 1:12
The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

Luke 8:8
Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Rebekah's 16th birthday!!

Part of her flowers from church one Sunday...
 For our daughter Rebekah's 16th birthday this year, we planned something special! Since 16 is a "big" birthday, we decided to surprise her by picking up 9 of her girl friends and taking them out to see the new movie, "Cinderella!" It was very fun to spend time with her friends, to go out as a family to see the movie too, and then we all went out for frozen yogurt afterwards! I think all of the girls had a wonderful time!

Then on her actual birthday, her younger sisters had the AWANA pinewood derby, so we attended that and the pastor embarrassed her by singing "Happy Birthday!" We went home and had a small party with grandparents, eating cake and ice cream. We also had some silly mustaches for both party nights!
 Her friends ready to see the movie with us...
 Chatting before the movie...

All lined up after the movie-- it was so sweet, we really liked it!
 My girl (sorry she was blinking) chatting with her Daddy! <3 p="">
 The girls chatting together at the yogurt place...
 Rebekah, Mallory and Mom with our finger mustaches! : - D

 Pancakes on birthday morning, and a few gifts too...
Mallory's piece of birthday cake car that she made for Rebekah's birthday... It even had the number 16 on it! : - D
 Her mustache cake, it was so yummy!
 Blowing out the candles... notice the mustaches on Bethany and Grandpa behind her!
Our silly green mustaches on St. Patrick's Day! Seriously funny!

I can't believe my girl is SIXTEEN! Where has the time gone?!
Happy birthday to our sweet, fun, talented, kind, smart, funny 16- year-old, Rebekah! We love you lots and are glad to see the work that God is doing in your life!


Job 14:5
A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

Psalm 39:4
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.

Psalm 90:12
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Jeremiah 2:32
Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Kindergarten: Spring week

We had a cool week in homeschool kindergarten this week, discussing St. Patrick's Day, Spring and Easter (a little bit, Easter is actually still a few weeks away.) We made a shamrock with hearts on paper, stamped and counted eggs, discussed seasons and how trees change during the seasons, sang the "Popcorn Tree" song, and made our own "popcorn trees!" We colored a mini-book about spring, planted carrot & onion seeds in eggshells, (the start of our summer garden!), did addition puzzles, and read books about trees, spring, seeds, Easter and "luck". (We don't really believe in luck, we believe God is in control of all things, and that includes blessings and challenges!) We dot painted a butterfly and colored Spring pictures too!

 Here is the popcorn tree we made:

 Putting trees in different seasons on a paper...
 Doing apple addition puzzles...
These are our seeds we planted in eggshells...

It was an enjoyable, Spring-filled week! We will be taking Spring break this next week, and we are all ready for time away from school!

What about you? Are you taking Spring Break this week? I'd love to hear about your plans!


Verses about seasons...

Psalm 104:19
He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

Jeremiah 8:7
Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.

Acts 14:17
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

Friday, March 20, 2015

7 Challenge for Lent: Week 4- Media

For week 2 of my Lent challenge, based on the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, was to cut out media for 7 days. This was a big challenge for me! I had no idea how addicted to my phone, games apps, Facebook, and to the internet that I was! The first few days were tough to adjust for me. I didn't watch any TV. I did watch a movie on Friday night for my daughter's birthday celebration, but that was a special occasion. I don't often play on the Wii, our video game console, so that was no big deal. But I really, really like Facebook. Going without these things was really good and challenging for me. My life was simpler, I had WAY more time to read, and I finished this old crossword puzzle book! (It had 5-6 puzzles left in it). I read a book, The Mermaid Chair, in TWO days! That really showed me how much time I waste on my phone, playing and checking Facebook! I also began another book that I have wanted to read for a while, and I am really enjoying it! 


Since this week has been done, I have made some changes. I deleted two of my game apps on my phone. They were pretty much just time suckers and time wasters anyway. I have pared down my Facebook and cut out unnecessary posts. I have unsubscribed from several email lists. My time is precious, and I believe that God does not want me to waste it on idle, unimportant things. (Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.) I took time to reflect more, and play with my kids, and listen to them more. There was no radio on in the van while we drove around town too. I enjoyed listening and talking to my kids more in the van. I love music, so that was hard for me to do without! I limited my texting and internet use. I limited my email use too, but I had to use it for my "work" of my American Girl class contacting parents. 


One of the things that Jen Hatmaker says in her book is that we don't realize now what time suckers we have. We think that we "don't have time" to do extra things, but we will take 30 minutes to check Facebook or play on a game app. That hit home for me! At the end of the chapter on media, Jen's husband, Brandon Hatmaker reflected and wrote... "Usually the things we think we need become the very things we need a break from. That was the case for me with media... Media has changed the way we interact with each other and what we spend our time doing... We are held at gunpoint by our technological expectations. What began as something as ease has become something that clutters and consumes. Media 'noise' is everywhere and some perspective would do us all some good." (p 248) He continues, "All told, media month gave me some pretty good perspective. Someone once said, 'Think about the things you'd most hate to lose (outside of your family) and you'll identify your idols.' These are not only the things we treasure too much but what we've likely lost perspective on." (p 249)

We enjoyed more time as a family playing games and not just watching a movie. We took time to talk instead of watching TV in the evenings. It was a lovely, welcomed change for me, I really came to enjoy and appreciate the simplicity. I will be spending more time reading and less time playing games / checking Facebook on my phone! I will be trying to play more games with my kids too. (My kids did not go media-free this week, so I still heard a lot of their videos, etc., It might have been nicer to have them do without media too!)

It reminded me of the song by Chris Rice, which says, "Teach us to count the days, teach us to make the days count..." Yes, Lord, help us to make our days and our time count for YOU!


Job 14:5
A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

Psalm 39:4
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.

Psalm 90:12
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.



Read about week 3: Possessions here.
Read about week 2: Clothing here.
Read about week 1: Food (and intro) here.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

American Girl: Samantha week 1 (Time #2)

This week was our first week of Samantha for this Spring! After we read and discussed Meet Samantha, we discussed telephones and played with a tin-can phone a little bit. Then we began our cute, frilly craft!
 For craft, we made calling card boxes. I found the boxes on Joann.com. I used some scrap fabric that I had from other crafts to cover the boxes and I bought lace to go around the edge. The girls each got one piece of pink & white fabric to cover the top, one to go around the box top and another to go around the box bottom. They each got 12" of lace. We used regular school & craft glue, and it was not easy to stick on the lace. The fabric was fine to stick with craft glue, but the lace didn't stick as well. I should have brought a hot glue gun!
 Gluing the fabric onto the wooden boxes while chatting with friends!
 When the boxes were done, I gave the girls each small pieces of card stock to decorate with their name (and phone # if they wanted) and stickers. After they were decorated, we traded names with each other to put inside our boxes! These boxes were used because many people didn't have telephones in 1904, so they would stop by to visit a friend. If the friend was not home, they would leave their own "calling card" in the box that was in the parlor of the home. It was fun to think about and discuss, it is so different from our instant texting/ email/ cell phone world we live in now!


We had jelly biscuits for snack, you can find the recipe here. In the first book, Samantha watches ants eat a jelly biscuit part that was left on the floor! We liked them, they were yummy!

I took time toward the end of class to read a few pages from Welcome to Samantha's World. It was very interesting to see the pictures of "new" technology they had in 1904! We liked the pictures of the telephone, the shower and the crowded city streets of New York (with horse & carriages, trolleys and cars!) We will read more pages of Welcome to Samantha's World again soon!

We will have time off next week for Spring Break, then we will come back and discuss Samantha Learns a Lesson!



A few verses about visiting...

Genesis 34:1
[ Dinah and the Shechemites ] Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.

Matthew 25:35-37
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

Acts 9:32
As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Kindergarten: S week #2

We had  a sensational week talking about S things again! We talked about the solar system, sun, stars, bleached some things in the sun, shadows, 5 senses, sharks, the sea, seeds and growing, soup and more! We made a mini-book about the five senses, and read books about them too. We ate soup, looked at different seeds and how to plant them, discussed sea life, and the big animal of the sea-- the shark! We measured different "sharks" on a paper with paper clips and a ruler- the inches side and the centimeters too. We made a shark fin and chanted the rhyme about sharks. You can learn more about the sharks info in this blog post from a few years ago. We made fingerprint fish/ sharks too!

Our sun bleaching paper...

Measuring sharks with paper clips...

 Bethany with her black-tipped shark fin...
Sorting vegetables, fruits and other foods after discussing soup!

We also finished our shadows unit, since we didn't do that last week-- it was too cloudy and rainy/snowy. But this past week was lovely!

We are looking forward to discussing Spring and St. Patrick's Day next week in school- come back to hear all about it!


Some verses about the sea and seeds...

Genesis 1:21
So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.


Mark 4:26-32
He (Jesus) also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

Friday, March 13, 2015

7 Challenge for Lent: Week 3- Possessions


The challenge for this third week of Lent is possessions. It was to give away 7 possessions every day. I have gathered 7 items each day to get rid of. The first few days were very easy. Things like: 3 scarves, 4 old placemats, a lot of old rubbermaid/ plastic containers, 4 kids books, a book I don't need about having the perfect word to say (I can look on the internet instead, right?), 3 vases, a tray for the microwave that we never use (it's metal?!), 2 spools of crochet thread (new!), a too-big purse, my son's old pajamas and more.

The challenge for me this week is where to get rid of my things. I decided to bring them somewhere new. Somewhere that I've never donated before. I looked around at a few places that took clothes and household items. I gave a few things to my church and local MOPS group that I knew could be used in the church library or on the Moms give-away table. Another challenge during this week was that my kids were sick and it was not easy to go anywhere. I had to wait until the second part of the week to get rid of things.

My hubby gave a few things too, and I went through my dresser and closet. I gathered a few items from my daughter's drawers that they won't miss. What is the sense in having bulging clothes drawers if there are items on the bottom of the drawer that don't get worn? It is nice to simplify and de-clutter a bit more. The bookshelves don't bulge so much. It is nice to have margin.

For the week, I was supposed to give away 49 items. I didn't count exactly. I just knew I got past the 7 count every day. It may have been closer to 75 items, but that's not the point. I kept thinking of the book 7, and her quote that I like... "Jesus, may there be less of me and my junk, and more of YOU and your kingdom." I'm creating space, less distractions, less stuff for Jesus to "get through" to get to me. I don't need all of this stuff! Getting rid of things can be so freeing!

My trunk load all ready to go!
I did take a load of "stuff" down to a different organization that I've ever donated to before. They took everything I brought them, even air fresheners that I don't use now that I am involved with doTerra! I liked that it was a Catholic organization, so they will be used for God's kingdom in someone else's life too!


So true...


You can read week two (Clothes) in 7 here.You can read week one (Food) here.

What about you? Do you have some items in your life that you can de-clutter and make more space for God? Next week is Media... to give up media for 7 days. This blog post has been scheduled in advance to post on Friday... See you next week!


Matthew 6:25-27 
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (this is said by Jesus)

Proverbs 28:27
Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

Mark 10:20-22
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

American Girl- Preparing for Samantha

This is my plan for the next American Girl we will be studying, Samantha Tarkington from 1904.


Samantha, an American Girl from 1904: A bright Victorian beauty who makes a difference. *NO classes will be held during MVCS testing, on March 10, and on March 24 for Spring Break.*
Week 1 - Meet Samantha- Book 1 Date: 3/17/15
-Play with “tin-can-phones;” Discuss how in 1904 telephones were rare, so boxes were kept in parlor to collect calling cards.   -Craft: calling card boxes-
Snack: Corn Oysters.

Week 2- Samantha Learns a Lesson- Book 2 Date: 3/31/15
-Learn to curtsy; play Charades. -Read about the discovery of terrarium 
-Crafts: glass paperweight using baby food jar, rocks, silk flowers, pearls, ribbon 
AND make tissue paper snowflakes
-Snack: carrot soup 

Week 3- Samantha’s Surprise- Book 3 Date: 4/7/15
-Deep knee bends/ arm circles.  Discuss popularity of calisthenics in 1904; Read- importance of sewing in early 1900′s.           -Craft-Fancy Fan; Geography notebooks-New York
AND Make fun foam gingerbread man magnets
-Snack: gingerbread men

Week 4- Happy Birthday, Samantha!- Book 4 Date: 4/14/15
-Read about Victorian Letter writing, look at pictures of 1904 wedding, & discuss jewelry/fashions
-Craft: gift for mom /write proper letter on stationary to go w/ gift -Snack: blueberry muffins

Week 5- Samantha Saves the Day!- Book 5 Date: 4/21/15
-Craft-May Day Baskets / doily wedding favors
-Snack – Jelly Biscuits

Week 6- Changes for Samantha- Book 6 Date: 4/28/15
-Read about the orphan trains in the Welcome to Samantha’s World Book
-Craft – pressed flower bookmarks and paper chains 
-Snack  – Sugar cookies
_______________________________________________________

 If you want extra things to do related to the American Girls, please check their website : www.americangirl.com       There are lots of games, activities and quizzes for girls to do!



Proverbs 19:4
Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

Luke 12:27
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Kindergarten- S week #1

We had a super week this past week discussing things that begin with S--- seasons, shapes, spiders, shadows, six, seven (and writing them), S animals (snail, squirrel, snake, spider, sloth and scorpion) and more. We made a shape collage which turned out to be a house. We made a spider web (thank you Pinterest) on a paper plate, discussed the life cycle of a spider (also found online), counted 8 legs, wrote 8, 9, 0, and made fingerprint spiders. Even though we were sick part of the week, we still enjoyed some school. We didn't finish our shadows unit because it was rainy, snowy and cloudy. We will work on shadows again next week. We ate square crackers for snack too-- cheez-its!

Enjoy the pictures!

We even had a Substitute teacher on Monday-- my teenage daughter Rebekah helped the younger kids with school that day! : - D
 Sorting and sequencing Curious George cards...
 We had lots of this...
 Bu on Friday, she did rally and do a few spider activities- here is the spider and web...
Gluing the eyes on the spider...

You can see more about this week on this blog post here.
We're hoping to feel better next week! And do our shadows unit...

Here are some verses about spiders and squares...

Job 8:14
What they trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider’s web.

Isaiah 59:5
They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.

Exodus 28:16
It is to be square—a span long and a span wide—and folded double.

Proverbs 22:13
The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”

Friday, March 6, 2015

7 Challenge for Lent: Week 2- Clothes

For week 2 of my Lent challenge, based on the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, was to wear seven items of clothes. I did this for 7 days. This was not a big challenge for me. I am not super fashionable, and "into" style and clothes. I didn't mind too much wearing 7 items. It was simple. I didn't wear any jewelry, scarves, wore one coat, and my 7 items!

Here are my 7 items:



This week of 7 doesn't include underwear, socks, or a bra. Those things are exceptions.
My first item was shoes-- I only wore two pair of shoes. I chose a dressier pair that I could wear for church and teaching. My second item was khaki slacks, also to be worn to church and teaching (but I ended up missing church this week due to a cold.) Item number three was my flannel-lined jeans. I had checked the weather forecast and knew it was going to be cold most of the week, so I didn't decide to wear "regular" jeans.
One of my outfits...
The 4th item on my list was a shirt. I had written down my white turtleneck, but I wore a red long-sleeve shirt (not a turtleneck) and I'm glad I did. It was nice to be able to wear the red shirt to bed if I needed to. It was nice to have a splash of color too! Fifth was another shirt. I chose my black long-sleeve tee, which is very comfy and could also be worn to bed.

and this was the other outfit...
Sixth, I wore a sweater, since I knew it was going to be cold most of the week. It was hard to choose just one sweater, but I chose my black, long, hooded sweater with a tie at the waist. After wearing it almost every day, and in place of a robe in the mornings, I am pretty tired of that sweater! Last, I chose yoga pants. I wore these to bed every night and to my exercise class on Tuesday.

It was a bit of an adjustment for me. The first morning, out of habit, I put on my ring and watch that I usually wear. I took them off about a minute later when I realized it! I nearly always wear a ring, a necklace, a watch, and earrings. I like to wear scarves in the winter. Sometimes after wearing my pants for a day or two, I need to wear a belt. But I didn't wear one last week, I just hiked my pants up.  I really missed my watch. There is our front living room in our home that does not have a working clock. I realized how often I look at it when I didn't have it! The first few days were the hardest to adjust to it.

I did violate 7 one day, when I was sick. I wore my robe instead of my sweater. It was just so much more comfortable when I was sick, achy and tired. I thought it was a decent reason to wear my robe. It was just part of the day, though. I also didn't wear slippers during the day at home. I usually wear my slippers during the day when the floor is cold to my feet. I ended up wearing two pair of socks most days, and slipper socks a lot. It was a good challenge though. I was very happy to wear my slippers again though!

I appreciated the simplicity of my clothing for this week. It made my time getting ready in the mornings slightly shorter, not worrying about the accessories. My kids didn't even really seem to notice. My son told me on Sunday that I should change into pajamas when I didn't feel good. I explained that what I was wearing were my pajamas, that I've been wearing 7 items of clothes this week. I'd been wearing the sweater for FOUR days. He was surprised. "You have? Hmm, I didn't notice..." It made me chuckle. I thought for sure my own family would notice what I wore... He's 12 though, and wears the same sweatshirts a lot!

It was a little extra laundry too. I washed my jeans, sweater and shirts at least twice during the week. I washed them before I began too. I wondered if my cold came from wearing the same sweater for several days and picking up germs from my kids... I'm not sure though.

You can read about the book 7, and my first week on my blog here.

The challenge for this next week is Possessions-- to give away 7 items each day. This will not be hard for me! I have plenty of stuff I can clear out of closets, drawers, and bins. I plan to donate it to somewhere new though. Not the same third party store that I usually do. That will be a challenge for me to get out of my comfort zone!


I meditated on this verse this week again:
Matthew 6:25-27 
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (this is said by Jesus)

This is a prophecy about Jesus, and humbling to think about...

Psalm 22:18
They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.


James 2:1-4
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Thursday, March 5, 2015

American Girl class: Addy week 6 (time #2)

This week in American Girl class, we discussed book 6 in the Addy series, Changes for Addy. I read part of the Emancipation proclamation and discussed emancipation. What an exciting time for slaves!

Our craft was a rag doll filled with beans. I traced and sewed most of the doll at home. It looked like a brown puppet! The bottom end was left open, and they filled it with beans. They stitched the bottom end up with a needle and thread. We put doll clothes on her, and then sewed two blue eyes and a smile. I gave the girls a length of chunky black yarn for the hair. Some of the girls got it sewn on, and some didn't. You can find more detailed instructions on the clothes-- measurements, etc., on this blog post here.

Here is the Ida Bean doll template:
This is on a sheet of 8 1/2 X 11" paper.
 Filling the dolls with beans...
 The girls were eating snack and sewing on the face parts...

Our snack was mock apple pie. I found the recipe online here. It was pretty good, and very interesting that it doesn't have any apples!
 I'm SO thankful for my mom helpers in my class-- they're the best!
 My daughter's nearly finished doll. Most of the girls are calling their dolls Ida Bean or Addy. My daughter is calling hers Addy. It's kinda cute!

It was our last week of Addy. We all really enjoyed her story and the books. I'm sad to "leave" Addy. She's one of my favorites. In two weeks we begin Samantha! We have a week off for our homeschool group testing.

Let me know if you make these dolls, I'd love to hear about them!

Jeremiah 13:23
Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.

Matthew 6:28
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

Matthew 25:36
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
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