Monday, March 31, 2008







This is one of the lunchbox tins I have made recently. I made this for my homeschooling hero...Diana Waring...She has helped and encouraged me more than she will ever know. This is the front and one side.....The quote says, "What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.
The other tin is a recipe tin I made for my very good friend. I was her secret pal at church this year and I thought for sure that she knew it was me. She was kinda saying to ME that she thought it was me or another friend....this was hard, because she is my VERY GOOD FRIEND...I know her VERY WELL...anyway, when we had our revealing, I came with this and she was flabbergasted...she said, she had NO idea it was me....we've had many good laughs over this since...it looked alot nicer in person than this photo shows...
These tins are fun to make and are a FABULOUS gift to give...
I might make a couple for Mother's Day...who knows!

C~

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Resurrection Day

Well Easter is almost upon us...what a day for rejoicing!!! I love Easter!!!
I think it is the best day of the year! Christmas is a great time to celebrate the arrival of Messiah, but Easter shows that we have HOPE...God died for us! But He didn't just DIE...He rose again...
He is risen, He is risen indeed!
Luke 24:5-6a...
"and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen."

And we can be forgiven:
Acts 16:31- "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Believe that everything He did was for you...believe that HIS work and nothing else, on the cross was sufficient to forgive you of your sins....

In my family, my parents made wonderful Easter baskets for us and the Easter Bunny brought wonderful things for us...it was so much fun and my sister and I loved it!
When I became a Christian, got married and then started having children, my husband and I loved the traditions we had grown up with, but we wanted a deeper meaning with Christ at the center, where He belongs. We had made up a set of Resurrection Eggs...I had seen some a friend made and wanted some too...now, Family Life Today makes them and they are nice. We still have the homemade ones...an idea came to mind to make Resurrection Baskets where each item to give to our children has a symbolic meaning to something that happened in the account of the last week in the Life of Christ (I know that it wasn't His LAST week, but I am at a loss for the right words, so there we are...). So from Palm Sunday through His resurrection (and beyond too), we look for tangible things to impress into the children's minds the Amazing Grace of our great God...
I thought I would jot down some things we have done...past and present...we do not do ALL of these things every year...
I would love to hear any ideas you have as well!

Sunglasses-darkness from noon-three
cup-last supper
hat-crown of thorns
Leather and metal jewelry-scourging of Jesus
booklights/flashlight-Jesus is the light of the world, brought light into a dark world, light of revelation (thief who repented, Centurion who said, "Surely this man was the Son of God) [This year, I found a Rooster Flashlight for David...that also symbolized Peter's Denial of Christ that He foretold]
Soap-Washing Disciples feet, Pilate washing his hands of the decision
Watch-again, the darkness from noon to three
Bandaids-Grave clothes
Stuffed Donkey, Rooster or Lamb-Palm Sunday worship of Christ, Peter's Denial and Jesus is the Lamb of God
Bibles-Jesus' command to make disciples of the world, teaching all that He commanded/also Jesus walking on road to Emmaus revealing Scriptuer to Cleopas and the other man
Praise music-Palm Sunday Worship
Towels-Washing Disciples feet [this year, I found some magic (compressed) towels (washcloths) at a dollar store...the children are going to love those]
A little something sweet to remember that what Christ did for us is sweet for us
Sour Candy-to remember the vinegar offered to His on the cross-also because it seemed so bad to those who were there...He died...Weeping of the women around
Garment of some sort {pjs this year} for the garments they divided/cast lost for
game-the soldiers cast lots for who would get Christ's garments
Something with a cross-Crucifixion
30 dimes-thirty pieces of silver-Judas' betrayal money
Prayer journal- Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Always an empty egg to represent the EMPTY TOMB...if I can find a different container that is useful, I will get that instead of an egg...the eggs though are so cheap...
Special polished rocks-rock rolled in front of the tomb
Swedish Fish or other fish shaped items-eating fish with Peter after Resurrected/eating fish with the two men on the Road to Emmaus

How does your family celebrate?
Happy Resurrection Day!
May the Lord God bless you!

C~

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Tag, You're it...

Okay, my friend Kristen has tagged me, so I think I will try to get this done now...

5 things you can't live without (well, I could live without them, but I do enjoy these) under $5:
1. Chocolate
2. Coffee or tea
3. Jamba Juice (that would be a small one for under $5)
4. Salt and Pepper Pretzels
5. Veggie Sub from Subway
(And actually, the things I couldn't live without are: Salvation, Jesus Christ, the Bible, Family and Friends...now there is a good list!)

5 Favorite Movies
1. Pride and Prejudice (BBC version)
2. Amazing Grace
3. The Ultimate Gift
4. White Christmas
5. Anne of Green Gables

5 Baby Names you LOVE but won't use

Girls:
1. Esther
2. Elsie
3. Elizabeth
4. Jane
5. Charlotte

Boys:
1. Noah
2. Abraham
3. Jonathan
4. Samuel
5. Matthew

5 songs you could here over and over again:
1. Anything by David Phelps
2. Barbie Bandaids and Heroes by the Isaacs
3. This old Place by Ernie Haase and Signature Sound
4. Jerusalem by the Hoppers
5. We Will Stand by Russ Taff
(There are SO many more...)

5 People who influenced your life in a positive way:
1. Sue Reynolds
2. Mr. Kelly (high school teacher)
3. Pastor Steve Brown
4. Pam Rinas
5. Pamela Spurling

5 Things that stay in your purse at all times:
1.Wallet
2. Lipstick/lip gloss
3. Receipts
4. Checkbook
5. Garbage that you take from your children when they have a candy, gum or cough drop

5 Moments that you knew changed you forever:
1. Salvation
2. Marriage
3. Giving birth to each of my children
4. When my good friend's daughter died
5. When my parents divorced

5 Obsessions you have right now: (well I wouldn't call them obsessions, maybe current fads)
1. Jamba Juice
2. Broccoli Salad at the Skagit Valley Co-op
3. Green Smoothies
4. Blogging
5. Cooking healthier for my family

5 Places you would really like to go
1. I would like to travel through all 50 states to see that which is the best of each state
2. Egypt
3. Israel
4. Iraq (No way right now...)
5. All around the Mediterranean

5 People you would love to see their top 5
1. Pamela Spurling
2. Rachel (HIC)
3. Joanna (HIC)
4. Lanita (HIC)
5. Rebecca (Serendipity)

Will write more later...

C~

Friday, March 7, 2008

Spring Forward

The many signs of spring are popping up all around us....the ones I love: The cherry bloosom tree in all of its glory, the lilac starting to bud, the crocus...my first sign of spring, hubby getting the yard all cleaned up from the winter...all these remind me that warmer, sunny days could be on their way...now when you live in Washington State, it could just mean warmer days with more rain.
One sign of spring that I LOATHE is "Spring Forward" day...when most of us lose that terrible hour in our lives...now fall back, I LOVE...but with the day approaching (Saturday Night, Sunday Morning) I started to think...what really is the point? Why do we still change the clocks every year? I know that there was a very valid point for it when a great deal of the country had farms with crops to tend and all...but now...I just don't get it...
In the fall, it is dark when we get up and it is dark when most of the world gets home from work...how does not being on DAYLIGHT SAVINGS help that??? Most people are inside all day where they cannot see ANY daylight....then in the spring/summer...is there really any difference because we move the clocks ahead an hour...I think it really just messes with most people's systems and makes them kinda sluggish for several days...In the spring especially, I find I struggle for several days trying to keep up with things...who knew an hour could wreck this kind of havok...
AND if it is SO necessary to our survival to remain in this cycle, why are there a couple of states (Hawaii, the eastern time zone of Indiana and Arizona, with the exception of Navajo nation [now how confusing is that???]who do not do this clock dance?
But then again, maybe if we didn't do this bi-yearly clock dance, our children would be walking home from school in the dark in the shortest days of winter...and maybe we would really rather prefer more light at night in the summer than in the morning...
So until a better solution presents itself, I will, as cheerfully as possible, fast forward my clock one hour and, most likely, find my way to bed a little earlier on Saturday, so I can be ready to worship in the house of the Lord on Sunday...
Happy Spring!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

ATG & Awana Grand Prix

I got one of those ATG adhesive guns and I have to tell you...it is SLICK! I was a little frustrated at first, because they send this half sheet of paper with a diagram on it and I must have done it wrong...I have ZERO spacial judgement...and adhesive was coming out all over the place...then I laid it down and followed the movement of the inner mechanisms and it is working like a charm...It is easy to use, like a glue stick and strong like tacky tape...you can remove aqny you get in the wrong place and I LOVE IT!!! I hear that the adhesive refills are pretty cheap too in comparison with other adhesive....You gotta try it!!!
Our AWANA Grand Prix is tonight...you might all know it better as a Pinewood Derby...and let me tell you....I think building these cars with the children SHOULD BE a father's job....just like giving birth is a MOTHER'S job...my stress levels were going up faster than ANYTHING and I just really DREAD this time of YEAR....We still have to get wieghts on them and I have NO idea when that will happen as I will be gone all day....
Speaking of jobs, I am thankful for many of my jobs as Momma...I am thankful that I get to be the one home with my babies, I am thankful that I get to teach my children what I think they should know, I am thankful that I get to show them by example how they can learn for life and I hope I am pointing them in that direction...I could do without housework and cooking, but even in that, I am thankful for a house to clean and food to eat...I wonder how many little things each and every one of us take for granted...until they are gone.
"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Blessings,
C~