Homemade Christmas

I am organizing the creative activities in my MOPS group this year. I was asked to blog about Gifts for our girlfriends, rather then bring everything made to show all the ladies. I couldn't be happer! It's going to be fun doing a treasure hunt online for some pictures of the ideas I already have in my head!

I've really been thinking a lot about Christmas, and what it means to me and what I want my kids to get out of it. What I feel God has really been laying on my heart is that it really IS all about HIS Son coming to earth. It is His birthday, afterall. So I'm trying to get my kids away from the "give me this, give me that" mindset, and more into the serve others mindset that I believe God wants us all to have.

This year, we've talked to the kids about the gifts that Jesus was given on His birthday by the three wisemen. We are really going to try and stick to the "three gifts" idea. We also are going to be catching each other being Christlike to each other and write it down, read it on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and give our servant gifts to the King. (A great idea I heard about from someone who made that MOPS meeting, where they talked about Advent, that I missed.)

But we all have some special friends that we would love to give gifts to, I'm sure. I certainly love giving and getting gifts. I've tried to be more thoughtful, as I was preparing this list. Here goes!

So here are some ideas for some homemade gifts that you can make for your girlfriends:

Homemade Christmas Gifts for Girlfriends

1) A Coupon Book ~ Coupons could include babysitting-- for a night for her and her hubby to go out on a date! Time together is SO important to build healthy marriages, and keep the romance alive! Wouldn't you love to help your friend out? Consider the fact of how much going out costs anymore, and know that offering your babysitting services would be a HUGE blessing!

Another coupon could be for a girls night out, just the two of you! Dinner and a movie. Or mani pedis! :)

2) CHOCOLATE!!! I saw this awesome idea from non other than Martha Stewart. (shocker, I know) This year I'm lovin' the idea of making chocolate pretzel bark! So easy and you can dress it up or keep it completely simple. And it's SO yummy with a cup of coffee! Package it in a clear celophane bag and tie it off with some homespun ribbon, or sparkly curlies!

3) If your friend loves to cook, make her some flavored olive oil! I saw this neat idea in my All You Magazine...to really dress it up, make your own pretty corks, by drilling a hole in the top of a cork and putting a beautifully designed ceramic knob. So cute!

4) If your friend LOVES bags, (like I do), make her a personalized bag. You could go all out and actually sew a bag, but I LOVE the idea of getting a canvas bag. I've found them as cheap as $.25 in a thrift store, and that was BRAND NEW! Take the canvas bag and but a cute iron on, you can find super cute ones on etsy.com, or go to Michael's and shop their selection. Iron it onto a piece of coordinating fabric and then iron it onto the bag. You can even do a little detailing and sew around the edges.

I love that last picture "filled with joy." Aren't we? What a neat way to share God's love, during this crazy time, filled with hustle and bustle. Also a great reminder to ourselves..( I did mention I LOVE BAGS?!?!) Make yourself a cute reminder of the King's love, Joy and Peace at Christmas time and always!

5) Another idea that I like, that is personalized for your friend, is a dry erase board. Find an inexpensive frame at Walmart, or Goodwill, or Dollar Tree, and some pretty scrapbook paper. Hobby Lobby or Michaels are good places to get paper by the sheet. Or you could make something up in Microsoft Word. Look under clip art. Does your friend have a rooster themed kitchen? Make her a rooster themed dry erase board! Although, that will be more cartoony then soft, and pretty. OR take notebook paper and make a lined board! Insert scrapbook paper the size of the picture and WALA! you have a personalized homemade dry erase board. Use paper that coordinates with a room you think she would use it in her house. Or paper that is specific to her likes. Don't forget the dry erase marker, you can get an entire pack of 3 or 4 at the Dollar Tree for... $1.00!!

Make it as simple or as complex as you want. Just make sure you're not taking on more then you can handle during this busy time. Remember to take time to celebrate the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas and show your children what giving is all about!

Love you ladies! Can't wait till our next craft!!
Courtney

FREEDOM....

Lately I've been struggling with finding enough TIME... Sure as a mom, our lives are filled with verious tasks of motherhood, carpool, afterschool sports, field trips. This just sort of snuck up on me. I was doing good. I thought I was doing good. And then BAM! It hit me! satan has a way to attack me, for sure. he knows what will get us down...

This morning, as I was getting ready to leave for a MOPS Steering Team Meeting, a book on my shelf really stuck out to me. Sort of like it was glowing and saying "pick me!" I picked it up on the way to the bathroom. It was titled "Amazing Freedom." A book by the lovely ladies from the Women of Faith Conference. {Which I am supposed to be going to this weekend.} I started reading the devotional chapter titled "Freedom from Busyness." I didn't get to finish it, and ended up rushing out the door, late, to MOPS.

When I got home, I preceeded to get in a depressed funk about all that I had to do before I would be ready to go to the conference. It ended with me sobbing in the kitchen to my husband about how I was sorry our house was such a mess and how I don't know how to keep {some areas- like the dining room table} clean. I texted my mother and told her I wasn't going to go to the conference, there was too much to do and I couldn't leave my husband with this mess. She called me and tried to encourage me and cheer me up. I listened for a few minutes, then told her I was having a nervous breakdown and I had to go. I hung up.

My husband had to leave, and as he did, I felt the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit, leading me to sit down right then and read my Bible. I now remembered the last thing I told my husband as I was getting into the car this morning. "I missed my time with Jesus this morning. I really needed it. I can already tell."

So as I sat at my kitchen table, piled HIGH with treasures, trinkets, and trash, I remembered a sweet friend telling me earlier in the week about a great time in the Word from Galatians 5. I felt that's where the Lord wanted me to read.

The Word lept off the page and into my overwhelmed heart, and aching head. The chapter's title was "Freedom of the Gospel." What are you saying Lord? I read down further.

"So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again.... But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to recieve by faith the righteousness God has primised to us.... What is important is faith expressing itself in love. You were running the race so well. Who has help you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for He is the One who called you to freedom. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!... For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters...So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives... The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. ...Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. ~Galatians 5:1,5-7,13,16,22-23,25

Earlier, the song "Nothing's Gonna Hold Me Back" by Jesus Culture was in the back of my mind. The lyrics that the Holy Spirit had playing on rerun in my head go right along with this.

My chains fell off. My heart was free. I'm alive to live for you. Amazing love how can this be? You gave everything for me. Nothing's gonna hold me back. No, nothings gonna hold me back.

The important thing is faith being expressed in LOVE. As a mom, I have the opportunity to share God's love in a real and very tangible way, in the way that I show His love to my children, and raise them. I also believe this is what He's called us to do in the world as well. He wants us to live our faith by loving others. I can do this!

He gives is His Holy Spirit to guide our lives. When He is guiding our lives, you will live a life that is producing the gifts of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Mind you, I know that I need the Holy Spirit to show up daily to help me and guide me. But His Word says that He will. His Word also says that I have been called to live in freedom He has called to me. To me. Little ol' me.

When I feel overwhelmed with my stuff and very much like a failure, His unfailing love overwhelmes me. It washes away the dirt and crud that satan would have me drown in. His amazing love. His awesome sacrifice. He gave everything for me. He set me free!

He is the One who has called you to freedom. ~Galatians 5: 7b
Don't forget it! Be encouraged today!

Long time no write.

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I last posted! I've been SUPER busy! Super busy doesn't even really cover it!

School has started. The Girls are doing GREAT! Loving their teachers and friends and so far, it's going pretty smoothly. The first two weeks of school I subbed in the Pre-School class, as the Teacher's Aid. WOW! That was both a lot of fun and EXHAUSTING! I'm so thankful for my hubby who really picked up the slack with housework and dinner. I was SO tired coming home from school that I crashed on the couch SEVERAL nights! lol! I have a lot of respect for women who hold both a full time job out in the workforce, and can also hold down the full time one within the home. Hats off you you Momma's!

Third week of school found me working for my mom at an apartment, painting and cleaning. At the end of this week, I wondered what "normal" looked like? And couldn't wait to stay home and have a "normal week." That brought ne to some more thoughts about what normalcy is all about, which I will have to write an entire post on. :)

Fourth week of school you could find me in our Senior Pastor's office, taking part in THE GREAT Exteme Makeover, Office Edition. My husband felt called to redo Pastor's office, but then of course was called in 30 other directions as he did both his job and the senior pastor's while he was away on vacation. It was a lot, A LOT of hard work, but it paid off when my hubby recored the Pastor and his wife's FIRST reaction to the room renovation! We painted, put new carpet, a new desk, and two new chairs, to give a breif description. It was AWESOME! Lots of good hard work and fun! I'm very glad that's over.

Now on to "normal." What is that again, anyway? This week I was home, getting ready for a church Fall Festival/Yard Sale. I didn't actually end up making it to the event because of car troubles. But I did clean out my hallway, which has been accumulating "yard sale" stuff for the past 3 months! SO HAPPY to have accomplished that!

This weekend I got a bushel of apples to make applesauce. This year I'm going to try canning it, instead of freezing. Looking forward continuing work on the neverending basement project...although I will say, that when I went down to get more yard sale stuff that I thought I had stored in there, I was very pleased to realize that most of that stuff clogging the immediate area at the bottom of the stairs, is actually trash! HALEJUAH!!!! SAWWEEETT!

So I look forward to spending the next week a slightly slower pace. Please Lord? And possibly catching up on some post ideas that I've been mulling over in my spare time :)

The Tioga Co. Fair

We took the kids to the fair. Twice. One day with friends and another day with Grandma. Little Man rode the DRAGONS! And my big girls rode the Gravatron AND the Tilt-A-Whirl!! (At least that's what they were called back in my day. Now, they do not have names. I wonder why??!) They have grown so much, this summer, and I cannot escape that fact, even at the FAIR!
We had so much fun visiting the barns with goats, pigs, cows and the latest addition to the fair: CHICKENS! Had lots of fun taking pictures of the kids, and looking at things artistically, an attempting to take some neat pictures.

Birthday Party Fun

We went to a birthday party. The little girl is 15 days apart from Middle Miss. Our due dates were August 1st and August 2nd. Middle Miss came 2 weeks early, and my friend's daughter was born on her due date of August 2nd. The girls had so much fun playing together. They did homemade bubbles. Have to get the recipe for that! They were better then the bubbles from the store! We compared.

So many great pictures! Too many to post! Thank you for inviting us to celebrate!

Blueberry Picking!

My we've been busy. Busy with what, I ask myself. At times I can't remember. So I will start with a recap of what I can.

We took the kids blueberry picking. TWICE! The first time we only had a half an hour before the patch closed. We picked about 4 pounds that day. Good little pickers! Little Man sat happily in his stroller while we picked quickly. The view from the blueberry patch is AMAZING! I haven't been in 2 years, and a little has changed. The last time I was there you could not see the windmills. But time means change and change means progress, right?

of

The next time we went we had a little more time. We picked 8 pounds. Little Man even picked! Daddy gave him a small branch with berries on it and he picked and ate them. Opps. The girls were very good and waited until we checked out, before they ate. We saw a doe with twin fawns on the way home. What a special treat to see God's creation!

AND I got all of the blueberries put up! I'm so proud of my little accomplishment! AND I made 2 batches of Blueberry Buckle, tweaked a little to make it healthier! :) Best Recipe EVER! Check out the recipe here: http://www.pickyourown.org/blueberrycc.htm
And the family LOVED fresh blueberry pancakes too! What else will I be making with my yummy blueberries?? I cannot wait to find out!

It's been awhile...

It's been awhile. We've been busy. What have you accomplished you ask? I'm not exactly sure. The other day I realized that we only have 4 more weeks left of summer, before SCHOOL starts! I love school, and my girls do too, however, there's just a lot more to be done on our "to do" list!

I was looking for a picture of it, but I must have taken it on my cell phone. Anyway, the girls and I made up a poster board of all of the activities that we wanted to do this summer. We've gotten a lot of little ones, but the ones like "Camping" and "go to Knoebels" just haven't happened yet. I'm still hoping we can make it happen!

I've been just trying to enjoy my kids. Being away from them really made me think about enjoying each moment with them, and teaching them what life is really about. Giving thanks to God in EVERY season... I will tell you more about my trip in another post. :) I will say it was...FABULOUS!!! :)

Well, I really need to get back to laundry and cleaning, as I'm not getting much of that done while I'm on here! :)

We passed the TEST!

Tuesday we had our second meeting with our caseworker. Seems to surreal to be saying that. Caseworker? We're starting the foster care process. God has been laying it on my heart for over a year now. He later spoke to Adam. :) When the caseworker from the county first came to my MOPS group last year, I so badly wanted to "sign up" but the timing wasn't right. My son was a wee babe and I was going through postpartem depression, but didn't realize it yet.

Over the past year, God has spoken to me, through His Word, through video clips, conversations with other parents, and through my love for children. Everytime I've tried to give up on this dream, everytime satan whispered a lie to me about my parenting skills or something else, the Lord has reminded me, that I am supposed to do this. I can't ignore the call He has on my life.

So fastforward to May 2011, we went to the Mansfield Growers Market and saw the local agency Concern had a booth and were giving information about becoming a foster parent. May 31st we went to an informational meeting at the Concern office. June we started our paperwork and July our caseworker came to our house to meet with us and give us more paperwork. On Tuesday she came to do our home study. We passed the test! It wasn't as hard as I thought. In the process, I was able to "summer" clean the house. It feels good to be able to have a deeply cleaned house, at least some of the rooms got the DEEP clean. I still have more to do, but it's very rewarding.

She's coming again today, to start our training. I'm so grateful that she's able to come here and do this with us. They are wonderful to work with parents who want to open their home to others. I want to share God's wonderful, amazing love, that He's given to me, with sweet little babes. If it's the child is a fit with our family, we may be adding to our numbers. No longer the Barnes Family Five, but of SIX?? We will see.

God has been pacing me, one step at a time. I have not given too much thought to the END of the process. I am more concerned with the beginning, thank you Jesus, and of welcoming a hurting child into our home and loving that little one and showing my children what God ultimately did for us: He loved us unconditionally and called us His own. Adopted us into His family. Called us His children. What amazing Love is this!!

Ditch Lilies

These are my FAVORITE summer flowers. FAVORITE.

Clothesline

Love the laundry hanging on my NEW CLOTHESLINE! Thank you Hubby for the wonderful job of FINALLY putting up my most amazing clothesline! We'll be saving money now! AND I will enjoy hanging out my clothes!!!



~ "Just Hangin" by Cat Girl 007 on Flikr

what.a.day

What.A.Day. I am so very glad to be home. It's been very busy. So busy I'm struggling to remember what I did this morning, let alone what I was doing before I got sucked into this things called facebook, blogger, ie THE INTERNET. We went to my mother's for breakfast. it was very nice. then went home to get some things done. Supposively around the house...but definately on the computer. {sigh} Are there dishes still in my sink? Yup. Did it rain on the clothes that I DID actually put on the line this morning? Yup. UGG. Oh great. Just realized that's my mattress cover on there. I hate it when that happens. Hubby doesn't like to remake the bed, after just making it. But I guess I'd better get that dry so I can sleep in my bed.

My mother and I took the kids shopping. They were good. Little Man was GREAT! I can't believe how good he was! AMAZING! The girls did pretty well too, although Middle Princess had difficulty listening to the FIRST TIME INSTRUCTIONS. Therefore Mommy spoke them on REPEAT, which was annoying for her and all others within earshot. {sigh}

I GOT A BATHING SUIT! Sort of a big deal. Since I have un-grown my old one. A word which means, that I have gotten TOO SMALL for it! And therefore am frightened to wear it in public, for fear that when it gets wet, I will find myself quite bathing suitless and that would NOT BE PRETTY. Not for all the innocent people in the pool. And the poor poor babies. I had an interesting time trying to find something, since it is JULY, and 95% of all bathing suits ARE SOLD OUT! UGG! I ended up going the creative route. I will have to let you know how it goes after the first time of swimming in it.

We ate dinner at Sam's Club. Not something I'd like to do OFTEN. However, it did save LOTS of money and was very FAST! Which I like, AND we got to do a DRIVE BY SHOPPING spree where I was able to get CHICKEN, and fruits and veggies IN BULK and SHARE with mother. SCORE!

All three little monkeys were sleeping by the time we reached my final destination. Got the two youngest in the house. Then SWORE I saw my oldest walking around in the living room. Went upstairs to put the little ones down. Couldn't find oldest Little Miss. YELLING all over the house AND outside for her... I found her. Smirking on the couch, "SLEEPING". What really aggrivated me? The fact that she had a melt down saying that she didn't hear us. I know she heard us. The SMIRK on her face told me so. VERY NOT HAPPY DADDY spoke to her regarding her little prank. Maybe if we hadn't been so tired, we would have seen the funny in it. I'm sure tomorrow we will laugh. Tonight we prayed for them and kissed them and tucked them in.

Jesus please give us grace and mercy as we parent these precious GIFTS.

I work for The King.

The other day I was surfing blogs and came across one I just love.

www.abeautifuljourneyblog.com

On it, I found these words, that pretty much sum it up and speak volumes to my little heart.

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of His home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board, and a job to do, but it is all for Him.

Therefore, I want to dress my best, and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and all His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him."
~ Lydia Sherman

Trying to manage my home in a way that is pleasing to Him and brings Him worship and glory. It's so hard to do, but I know I can do it.

I was reading a book that I recently picked up at our MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, yard sale. It's titled "Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home" by Emilie Barnes. So far I'm really enjoying it. It's a great reminder to me why I want to keep my home clean and neat, and welcoming.

"For home is not merely a structure of wood, brick, and metal. Home is what grows within its walls, nurtured by ther hears and souls of those who live within. Allow the joy and peace of our Lord to permeate the walls of your home and the "rooms" of your life with a spirit of welcome that only Christ himself can give you."

In only it's first chaper, this book is a good encouragment and reminder to see the heart of the matter.

I want my home to reflect the words of this Jewish blessing:
May it's doors be open to those in need, and its rooms be filled with kindness. May joy shine from its windows, and His presence never leave it.

Thank You.

"Thank You Jesus for...." That is how my daughter ALWAYS starts her prayers. Not "dear Jesus" but Thank You Jesus. When she is praying for a family memebers boo boo, or saying her bedtime prayers, praying for her food. I LOVE that! It reminds me that I need to be thankful. To come in a spirit of thankfulness for ALL that He has done for us. I don't know where she got that from, she's just always done it. And I love it. I love her. And I love Jesus and am so thankful that He's given me the job of being her momma.

Lord, help me to remember to be thankful in all things.

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you..." ~Colossians 1:3

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
~Colossians 4:2

Devote yourself to being thankful. WOW. Working on that.

"For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.."
~ 1 Timothy 4:4

Out of the mouths of babes.... I think when she asks the Lord, with thanksgiving in the beginning of her prayer, the Lord hears her. I know He does.

"But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
~ Luke 18:16

I know that there is power in my little girl's prayers. I don't want to hinder her coming to Jesus. With a faith like hers, I know that Kingdom of Heaven belongs to her! I pray I can continue to nurture that faith and lead her in the way that she should go.

THE BENCH!

I have had the desire to renovate my dining room, if only to change the furniture around and get a new table and chairs. We were blessed when we were first married with the gift of a table and chairs from our professor and his wife who did our marriage counceling. The condtion was that we had to give it away when we were ready to get something else. Well, I've been dreaming of a rectangular table and new chairs and a bench for the kids to sit on. I've scoured the internet for pictures and designs of a bench. Then my friend Kristie offered to help me build it. So the day after the last day of school, I packed my play pen, my 3 kids, and my wood into the mini-van and set out to Kristie's house. The girls were ecstatic to be playing with their friends! With me, Kristie and our 6 kids, we had a fun afternoon! We got down on her covered deck, (which I am ENVIOUS of!!!) and got to buildin'!

We had the kids try it out. Needed a few adjustments.

TADA!!!

While we were there, Little Man played in Kristie's little one's excersaucer and FELL ASLEEP!! He's NEVER done that before!!

Kristie helped me load the bench and off I went home, after a day filled with playing and building, to PAINT IT!

The Before picture...

The During picture...

I was so happy to find a gallon of paint in my basement stash of the same color that was used on the trim in the living room and play room of our house! SO thankful that I didn't have to buy it! AND it was very similar to the color that I had wanted to use!

In addition to the AMAZING bench that we built (I say "we" loosly, because basically, Kristie did all the work, while I helped with design and holding boards!) I was blessed that same week with a NEW to Me TABLE! My mom found it at a yard sale in New Jersey! The nice older woman GAVE IT TO HER FOR FREE!!!!! FOR FREE!!!! It is at least 40 years old! SOLID WOOD!! 3 leaves! The woman said she sat 14 people around it! I think at least 10 can fit comfortably! It's oval, so not the rectangle shaped that I had wanted, but it's all good! It has a very long, straight side that the NEW BENCH fits up to PERFECTLY! Thank you Jesus!! and Mom! and Kristie!!

I will post pictures of the final dining room "redo" SOON!

PICTURES!!

So I have been doing this blogging bit for a few months now...really liking it, if only for myself. It's a neat way for me to be both creative, and to journal some things on my heart. Things about a day in the life of this mommy, and the things that Jesus puts on my heart. It's good. ANYWHO! I just figured out TODAY how to put pictures on my blog!! YIPPEEE! So I will be making it a little more pretty! As they say, and at least have some photos to rememeber the various occasions by. Thanks to anyone who's reading and enjoying! I'm glad I get to live out a mini-dream and blog...