Skirty Skirt - First Attempt

My first attempt at making a skirt for Sadie was quick, easy, and successful! I put this together based on a few skirt tutorials I read through on the internet, but made it my own using the things that were the easiest to do with the cutest finished product.

When we found out we were having a daughter, I purchased fabric to make her a quilt. I had about a yard of the main fabric left over and knew it would be the perfect skirt material.

Sadie and Isaac will be dedicated at our church tomorrow. A dedication is a public proclamation that we, as parents, covenant with God that we will do our best to raise our children to know, love, and honor him. When a child reaches an age where they understand the significance of a relationship with God and choose to follow Him, then we discuss the subject of baptism. We make this dedication covenant with the support of our family members and church family. Guess who's going to wear her new skirt tomorrow for the dedication??? (I'll post pictures of her in it after tomorrow since she's wearing a shirt that completely clashes right now!)

This is the back with ties to make a bow.

Up close of the bow. Cute!

The front

Oh my! Now I might have to switch my focus from doll making to skirt making. But only for Sadie. Ha, ha!

I might be serious. (grin)

Math Fact Tables

The Dollar Tree has knocked it out of the park again! These posters are perfect for helping the boys practice skip counting, addition tables, and multiplication tables.

But since I'm high on design (ha, ha) they don't quite fit into my decorating scheme in the dining room aka the school room. I revolt at the idea of hanging school-type posters in our living areas.

I cut them up to fit our needs...now we have flashcard sized fact cards! SCORE! Much prettier than the few I had made and the other ones I was neglecting to make!

With such a bargain, I got one set for each boy...now there's no excuse for not practicing our facts!

We've also really been enjoying our Schoolhouse Rock dvd during lunch time for review!

**editted to add: I ordered Addition Songs and Multiplication Songs for the boys and they just came in the mail. As soon as I opened the package, Luke yelled, "Run away so we don't have to listen to them!" HA!!! That's why I plan to use them in the car! Joke's on them!!! (insert evil homeschooling mama laugh!!!!!!!!) But Sadie is getting her groove on to them right now, so my guess is that she'll have them memorized long before the boys.

Quilting Frenzy - One Year Later

After my quilting frenzy almost one year ago, this lovely quilt sat on my closet shelf just waiting for me to finish hand-stitching the binding. It's funny how I am finding myself discontent with just sitting and vegging out in the evenings due a self-imposed lull in the doll making business. I really like keeping my hands busy with creative pursuits. It refreshes me. Anyhow, it took just over an hour to finish up the binding on this quilt and now it's perfect for snuggling under during these snowy, cold winter days.

P.S. Not all of my quilts come with a clashing fabric clad baby appliqued to the top :o) !!! I couldn't keep her off it to take pictures...her favorite - rolling from edge to edge, then very primly sitting up to straighten any wrinkles that had occurred. Ha!

In Your Face Cow

Time for an art project!!! I loved this project when I first saw it here... I've always had an odd affection for cows...maybe because I love milk or maybe because I grew up surrounded by dairy farms or maybe just because I'm weird. I still don't mind their nose tickling stench...smells like home. Not literally, but it reminds me of Independence and Hallsport, old neighbors, bike hikes with friends (Annie), the General Store where we bought penny candy and 10 cent popsicles, the crick where we swam and explored, and the church where my faith began to grow. I no longer own all the cow figurines and paraphernalia I had as a child, but now I've got something better! Great cow art by my boys!

Elijah, 8 years

Luke, 6 years

Isaac's UGLY cow (with a little assistance with drawing), 4 years

Kindred Spirits and Transformed Lives

Doing this battle of life as a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mom, and a homeschooling teacher along with several kindred spirits with whom I am blessed enough to claim friendship. I am at a different place than each of them though in most cases not that far removed - one has grown children, two don't homeschool, one has fewer children, one has more, one has the same. The common bond that seals our friendship is our heart's desire to surrender our lives to the living Christ, the one whose strength is made perfect in our weakness. Not one of those ladies would claim to have it all together and yet I see them as some of the strongest Christian ladies I know.


They are real. They inspire me. They challenge and lovingly correct me. They pray with and for me.


I trust them with my heart, my deepest feelings and ugliness. I find no judgement, no rejection. I find love. I find encouragement. I am safe. True Christ-likeness.


I had a conversation with one of those friends today and was reminded of an analogy from C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader that really struck me as it pertains to my own heart issues of sin, of becoming more Christ-like. I can do what God asks of me - to fellowship with Him, to pray, to read Scripture, but the real heart change comes when I allow Christ to scrape and scratch out the ugliness in my heart, my sin. It hurts so much but after it's all done...transformation!!!


In the book, Eustace, a rather ornery, complaining, very unlikeable sort, has been magically turned into a dragon wearing a constricting golden arm cuff. He has no way of turning back into a boy except for the help of Aslan, the lion. Aslan tells him that he must undress, so Eustace figures out that like a snake sheds its skin, maybe he can shed his scales. So he starts scraping and scratching. Much to his delight, he sheds one layer but as he looks down, there is another layer. He does this three times and each time there is another layer to peel off.

So Aslan says, " '...you will have to let me undress you.'

I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it. The very first tear he made was so deep that I though it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt...

...then he caught hold of me - I didn't like it very much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again."

WOW! Compare this fictional story to a real, transformed life in Christ!!! Double WOW!!!


I'm thankful in this new year for the complete Chronicles of Narnia book series to feed my addiction (he, he!) but mostly for kindred spirits and an expectancy to see real change and transformation in my own life and my friend's lives. It might be difficult, but we're in it together with Christ!!!

I Will Choose A Good Attitude

The new strategy for my sweet, yet often sighing, grumpy face-making boy when mama says something he doesn't like...which is seeming like all. the. time.

Might have to employ this strategy on myself at times, too!

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:13

Christmas 2010

The best part of my Christmas day...

What an armful of cutie pies...so blessed!!!