One Project at a Time

 Two years ago, I won a Moda Charm Pack of "Woodland Holiday" at a sewing presentation. A year ago, while skimming the book Simplify with Camille Roskelley, I found a pattern, pieced the top and pinned the layers. This year, I finally quilted it and sewed on the binding and hanging pouch. Next year, it will be displayed!!!

This is being linked up to:

Wonderful Easter idea

My cousin sent me the link to this great activity to do for Easter last night. I was so inspired that we stopped at the store this morning while out for church to pick up the supplies we did not already have on hand. I was going to write "to do with the kids for Easter" but as we were making it today, I thought how clever of an idea and that it would be a wonderful reminder for anyone, as well as a conversation starter and possible opener to share Jesus with others.

You can read all about it here. Be sure to follow the link to the additional ideas for discussing it with children (or others).

They asked if we were going to do this every year.

Enamored with the lights

L was quite impressed by the (quite impressive) light shows we were priviliged to see this year: Christmas on Greenview and this house in Frisco as well as the Main Street display there, too. Yesterday while we were driving around in the car, she says, "Next year can we put some music on with our lights?"

Speaking of talking, there has been almost incessant logorrhea around here the past few days and I'm in desperate need of a break! I think there must be a little post-holiday blues going on as it has been getting to me more than usual.

Lent Activity resource

This activity guide for Lent looks great!!! Just the brief opening information was educational for the kids and I! And I love that the author gives grace by noting not to get hung up on doing an activity every day. If the link is closed, it is available (at no charge) on the author's website under "Easter Devotionals."

Valentine book suggestion

This is a great children's picture book telling the story of Valentine. It can be ordered from Voice of the Martyrs here.

Gingerbread house-making extravaganza!

Here they are. Making these took a lot of time and was a LOT, LOT, LOT of work!!!
We used this recipe for gingerbread, and this recipe for the icing "glue." (I did beat it nearly 10 minutes to get it nice and stiff. You want it as thick as possible for the assembly process.)I didn't use the gingerbread recipe at the second link because it called for whipping cream which I didn't have. (This site had blueprints for a variety of houses such as a log cabin, etc., but I didn't check them out.)
We ended up needing two batches of both the gingerbread and the cement to complete these three structures:This mat worked really well for rolling and transferring straight to the pan. The recipe suggested using foil.Geoff designed the pattern for the two smaller houses. Here are the baked pieces for one of them. Little G wanted a bigger house, so he designed his own. This is one of the end pieces ready to cut out:And in the oven, nearly done:
Assembling them was the most difficult part. It required both adults and several pairs of patient hands to hold pieces together till they set up enough to stand on their own. Geoff used graham crackers (and saltines after we ran out of those) for supports on the insides of two of them:Once we got them assembled, we propped them up and let them sit overnight to dry and stabilize!Then the best part...decorating!!!

Little America lighting festivities

Each year, the Suzuki students are invited to play at the annual lighting ceremony at a local hotel. The size of the group seems to vary from year to year, based on who is in town and available to come participate. Whenever we are here, the kids enjoy taking part.

Afterward, there are cookies and cider for all and then we walk around outside looking at the lights, depending on how cold it is that night. Geoff's mom and grandma came with us this year.

It's always very crowded, but a fun way to kick off the Christmas season!

Thanksgiving and...

These two are "web surfing." The idea came from a "Miss Spider" video, but the pun is lost on them as they aren't up on that terminology. The "webs" are more popsicle-glue gun creations.Some Thanksgiving day festivities. Here L is cutting up the bread for the stuffing. Yes, I realize that at least one of you have nearly lost a digit using that knife or one identical to it, but you may remember a post a while back about her caution while cutting due to the necessity of preserving the sucking thumb. She has a little extra motivation for keeping at least that particular finger.
Playing Zooreka while lunch cooks:Some pumpkin cookies that we didn't need, but are really good. (Perhaps someone is reading this who remembers a particularly giddy Bible study gathering - possibly in Wendy's or Rita's dorm room - where these cookies were involved.)