Snow days begin, EFA, Episode 1.4

It's been years since was had snow like this in October.  Even church was cancelled so our Strong man got to stay home with us. I'm not sure what it does to his preaching schedule, but we loved the extra day together.

Honestly the skier in me is in heaven and already thinking about waxing and sharpening my old skies to teach my littles the sport on our new hill. But since it is October the snow was wet and heavy, not to mention the hoolies are both snot factories, we decided to lay low and spend this unexpected day together being creative.

Here's a supper fun, easy all day craft.  It breaks the day up well so that even the tiniest ones can enjoy it without getting bored.  You will need:
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups baking soda
1 1/4 cups cold water
waxed paper
flour
rolling pins
cookie cutters

Combine the cornstarch, baking soda and water in a medium sauce pan.  Cook until mixture is dough-like. 
Put dough on a cookie sheet cover with a damp towel until cool enough to handle.  About 15 minutes.  Need the dough until it has that smooth dough texture.

Next sprinkle some flour on the waxed paper and begin rolling the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick.

Or just flour the table and do things there, as Laughter did.

Once the dough is rolled out cut into all kinds of shapes.  You can either bake shapes at 350 until hardened or place them on a cooling rack and let them harden over night.  If you choose to bake them flip once to make sure both sides harden.  The total cooking time is between 8 and 12 minutes.
If you want to make your shapes in to ornaments use a toothpick to make a hole before backing.

Once the shapes have cooled begin painting.  Any kind of paint works.

The whole family loved it! 

Some good memories were made through this project along with some inexpensive Christmas gifts as well.

In God we have boasted all day long, and we will give thanks to Your name forever.

~ Psalm 44:8

1161.  Snow days.

1162.  Fun projects with the family.

1163.  Working together as a team.

1164.  Imaginations running free.

1165.  Talk of Jesus' birth.

1166.  Man of the woods loving the idea of gift giving and making gifts with special people in mind.

The eye of Laughter

Laughter loves the camera.  As much as I fear for my tool, I love seeing life through his eyes.

I forget how big the world is to such a small person.

When I stop to look through his eyes it looks as if it's a whole new place.

Maybe my perspective needs to be tweaked.

Mostly just refocused.

In reality isn't this the way I should see life?  Me as a small child needing my Father to hold my hand through the daily stuff, just as Laughter expects from me.

Laughter has Philippians 4:13 memorized.  We quote it almost everyday for just about anything that comes up.  Shouldn't I as an adult be using the same strength to get through the ordinary,

...The chaos of each day.

Honestly, there is nothing I can do without Christ.  Breathing for example, what is it that makes the heart beat?

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

~ Philippians 4:13

1144.  Little boys who love life.

1145.  Memorizing scripture with the kidlets.

1146.  Perspective of a small child.

1147.  The strength of my Creator.

Epic Family adventures, Episode 1.3

Welcome to what we call "Daddy Death Matches":

With a little Mommy thrown in there too.  Not sure you can tell but I'm being bench pressed by my strong man.  Just a warm up before the match begins.

Meet Ogre Laughter.  He loves having a pillow stuffed in his shirt as he battles with Daddy.  It's a riot to watch him roll around like a turtle on its back trying to turn over.

Death matches are not the best things for the state of my house, but at least there are lots of soft cushions for the boys to fall on.

Every once in a while Mommy needs to intervene.

Usually something is in need of protecting.  Most days it's Mommy while other days it's stuffed animals.

We finish off the night with stories of knights and dragons and boyish fairy tales full of honor, and valor. Always laced with biblical truths.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:  to visit orphans and widows in there distress, and to keep ones self unstained by the world.

~ James 1:27

1135.  Daddy death matches.

1136.  Ogre Laughter.

1137.  Stories of battles told.

Epic Family Adventures, Episode 1.2

Man time:

Momma time:

Good days!

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

~ 1 Chronicles 16:34

1151.  Boys adoring there Daddy.

1152.  Husband that finds joy in fatherhood.

1153.  A complete family.

1154.  Rest.

Tea time

As I was making a cup of tea for myself when the littles decided today was a good day to try some.

Let me tell you about this girl, Miss Artist, the same age as Man of the woods.  These two get along splendid.  Some days she comes to play dressed as a princess but quickly finds the armor and swords.  She fits into this family well.

We all enjoyed our time together.  A new experience for the boys.

Man of the woods pointed out the "blood" on the table.  Even a tea party can't take the boy out of them...=)

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children of ones youth.

~ Psalm 127:4

1140.  A simple cup of tea turned into a party.

1141.  Miss Artist the perfect little girl playmate for the boys.

1142.  Little boy hearts and perspective.

Preacher husband

For a few short Sundays my Strong man is preaching.  Teaching teens is everyday stuff around here.  I never envisioned him wanting to preach on Sunday morning.

So you can imagine when he came home one night telling me that while our Shepherd is on vacation flowing directly into a conference that he would be preaching, I was a bit surprised. 

It's not his first time, but it is the first time he's doing both the morning and evening services for five straight weeks.

In all honesty he's filling in for some pretty big shoes.  I expected his normal, which is always good.  I did not expect extraordinary.

One of the Deacon quality men in our church came up to me last week to tell me that my Strong man "was one of the best he heard, preaching straight from the Word.  If we ever had our own church he wouldn't mind attending."  Coming from this man I was amazed at the high compliment.  Not because he is slow to give one, but because I admire his walk with the Lord so much. 

If you're interested in what he's got to say you can head over to our church's web page and listen online, but clicking here.  The series is called, "Think Orange" starting October 9th and will continue into the first week of November.

1128.  Strong man preaching.

1129.  Rest in my husbands words.

1130.  Family to watch the boys so I can be at all my husbands messages.

1131.  The look Strong man gave me as he stood at the pulpit just before he declared his flaws.

1132.  Strong man's passion for the Word.

Epic Family Adventures, Episode 1.1

Now with an official name the saga continues:

It continues so that when the boys are grown, they'll be able to look back and see they were loved from there youngest moments.

Man of the woods is becoming pretty handy with a camera.  He took the picture of the leaf.

With our new home came much land for us to explore.

We heard an old hunting cabin was out in the woods. On this gorgeous day we put on some warm clothes and headed out to find it.

Of course we stopped and admired God's creation as we went.

And then we found it...

Strong man's dream home!

Okay granted there is no insulation and the windows have all been broken out.  In fact I'm not sure the door even closes...if there even is one?!

And well let's be honest there are many animals living here.

I shouldn't forget to mention the boards that deeply bowed as we crossed on them or the missing entry steps that had obviously been there at one point.

Welcome to his dream home!...Sounds fun to me, but I'm not sure dream is the right word.

And make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you.

~ 1 Thessalonians 4:11

1131.  Pancake breakfast.

1132.  Son who points out creation with, "look what God did."

1133.  Laughter willingness to go and do anything.

1134.  Rainbow of colors found in creation.

1135.  Falling into Strong man's excitement for small rustic cabins in the middle of the woods.