My Ever Grateful Table

I am blessed this month to host another Dayspring Inspired review.  This time it is for their Ever Grateful line of products.  I was thrilled to receive a Table Runner that not only celebrates Thanksgiving and our gratitude to God, but looks stunning on my table.  It's the perfect size for both my kitchen and dining room table (72 inches by 14 inches) and its two sided design shows off perfectly with any fall decorating.

The message on both ends of the runner is "Let There Be Thankfulness to God" and this is really my prayer this month for our family and for our country.  Displaying this message on my kitchen table everyday reminds me to turn my heart toward thankfulness daily, not just at Thanksgiving.  What could be more important than that!

We had company for dinner this past week and it gave me the perfect backdrop to use this table runner as the "centerpiece" for my table. I was able to use my "old" white tablecloth and napkins and they looked fresh and new with this beautiful runner.  All I did was add a few little touches and repurpose some left over ribbon as napkin rings.  Stunning.

I have always loved Dayspring Cards and Gifts, but their new lines of home decor are among my favorite.  Not only are they beautiful, they allow you to have God's Word and messages of faith throughout your home. What a great witness for your guests.

I'm spying a few fun Christmas items that I might want to add to my decorations this year.  Be sure to check out their website for some great items for your home and family.

Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, I must disclose that I was given this Table Runner from Dayspring at no cost, all they asked in return is that I give a honest review of the product.  All comments and pictures are mine alone.

The Stop Sign Incident: Body Shop Version

The stop sign incident is now fully in my rear view mirror (love that car humor), but some of the life lessons I've learned are still fresh. 

Thankfully, after a trip to the body shop, my "new" van looks as good as before and the physical evidence is no longer.  I'll admit I'm so happy to have it perfect again. For a few weeks, it was almost like my hood was laughing at me.  I might have even closed my eyes each time I walked in front of the car. Call it avoidance, but I think of it more as protecting my damaged heart.

The office staff at the Jr. High says that while the "incident" will always be a part of school lore, they hope it doesn't stop me from bringing my famous chocolate chip cookies to spoil them.  I think I might have told the secretary that calling me the 'stop sign lady' might take her off my Christmas Camels list. Not that I'm petty.

I will say that the grace and kindness I've received from my husband has been a real blessing.  Not once did my insurance agent husband raise his voice or call me on the carpet for such a "dumb act" of driving.   Even when I told him the final estimate price, his response was "it's just an accident, no harm" and he was willing to give me his car for the three days I was "carless.'  Of course, he did get to drive around in a Honda Accord Coupe in pristine condition thanks to a kind coworker.  I think he only put about 15 miles on it, but he loved every minute of his return to youth.  He used to drive a Acura Integra before kids and I think there are days he really misses the sport car life.

I was also humbled by how kind and honest the Body Shop workers were,  Not once did they laugh at "how" I ended up in their shop.  They not only gave me assurance that my car would look good again, they said I was fine to drive it for a few weeks until I could fit the repair into my schedule.  Their price was nearly 100 dollars less than the competition and that was before I told them they had come highly recommended from our old body shop friend who had retired.

Driving away with my van last week, I was shocked that the car smelled like a new car again; the seats and floor had been vacuumed and they had left me with a box of Russell Stovers Chocolates as a thank you. While I hope I won't be needing their services anytime in the future (please God), it's nice to see such honest hard workers who go above and beyond.

I'm chalking this whole experience up as a learning lesson in grace, patience, kindness of strangers, and the need for stop signs to be permanently placed in curbs and sidewalks.  They just don't belong in the middle of the road.

I'm just saying.

Veterans' Day: Thank You for Your Service

In honor of Veterans Day, the Girl Scouts at our elementary school led the entire student body in a Flag ceremony and Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence   It was a moving experience to stand among 600 young children in perfect silence in gratitude to those who have given all for their freedom.

Let's be honest, there might have been a few tears rolling down my face when I thought about the gravity of what some in our country have "given"by  not only in laying down their lives, but for the mothers and fathers and wives/husbands who have sacrificed so much for me.

On days like this, I'm so proud to be an American and so grateful to God for all the blessings He has poured out on our Country.  Thanks be to God.

Little House is still a Big Part of our Family

It's been a few months since we took the girls to the Little town on the Prairie, but we are still talking about our trip and enjoying bits of Laura in our home. 

Miss M had to give a presentation in school on a famous person whom she admires.  At first, she was thinking of Taylor Swift, but after awhile she changed her mind and chose Laura Ingalls Wilder.  "There is so much to admire about Laura.  Her whole life was an adventure."  Miss M said and I agreed.  She focused on how different the Little House television series was from Laura's real life.  She wrote about how the show started out pretty accurate, but as the years went on the plot included made up characters and events.  Miss M pointed out that Mary actually went blind in real life way before she did on the show!

Of course, "we" had to put in a few hours of research watching the Little House series on Hallmark Channel, finishing up the books, and reading lots of websites devoted to Laura's life.  Miss A has now become a great fan of all things "Laura" too, and we often watch a little bit of the show before school.  The other day, Miss A told me that she wishes she'd lived in Laura's day.  However, when I explained what "all" that meant; chores, no TV or computer, sharing a bed with M, and oranges and red mittens for Christmas, she did change her mind.

Miss M did a fabulous job on her project, putting together both a creative and in depth display board and a great power point.  Not surprisingly, she came home with an A and kudos from her teacher for going above and beyond.   Now, she's trying to come up with a way to go to Missouri to see Laura and Almanzo's homestead.  A girl can dream.

I love that a great family vacation has now become such a big part of our family life.

Balcony Girls: Sweet and Sour Words

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I'm loving the Balcony Girls materials and walking along this journey with a special group of girls.  Our meeting topic on Monday was gossip.  Whooza.  If that doesn't hit home with a group of preteen girls (and their leader), I don't know what would. 

Junior high can be rough.  The comments and rumors that go around in a typical day can eat away at a young girls self esteem. My goal for this meeting was to help the girls stop the gossip and to help them think of ways that they could end a conversation that was going "sour" easily.

We played the game "telephone" while the girls were working on their fleece blankets for badges and it was hilarious the way the words changed as girls whispered ear to ear.  I think at one time the phrase was "I like kicking soccer balls" and by the end of the line, the new phrase was " Cantaloupe is a yellow fuzzy ball."  Nothing like seeing how words can get mixed up as they spread.

What I really enjoyed was seeing the heart of these girls; they get it. They know that words can hurt and that half of what they "hear" at school is nothing but gossip and false truths.  It's hard to see through gossip when you are eleven years old because it sounds so fun and innocent, but these girls really grasped how much it can be sour.  They grasp how words can pierce and things can quickly snowball out of control  Many have been on the bad end of the gossip and hurtful words.  Each girl had great ideas on how to stop a bad conversation and how what might sound like caring is really gossip.  These balcony girls have deep insight.

I loved it when the girls asked if that's why the snack was Dreamsicle Slushes since they were both sweet and sour; just like gossip.  Words that might sound sweet and really meant to be sour.  Are these girls the best or what.

To keep it real, they did complain a little this week.  They couldn't believe that I expected them to cut out their own fleece blankets. They thought I would do the hard work for them like I have before. I told them I full trust in them that they could lay it out, pin it, cut it and tie the knots.  I believed in them.

I think it was my own daughter who said that I sounded so sweet saying it like they were growing up, but it was a little sour that they then had to do all the work! Love these girls.

Cornicopia or Hodgepodge Whatever You Want to Call It...

Just for the record books or in my case the scrapbooks that keep sitting on the craft table starring at me, here are few real life things from the past few weeks that I want to remember. None are all that exciting, but they are the glimpse of our day to day life that I don't want to forget in the years ahead. It is in list form because it's easiest and doesn't require complete sentences!

1.  P and I celebrated our 18th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday November 6th. Amazing. We enjoyed a great date day on Saturday when we went to the NU Game and saw the Huskers lose to Northwestern. Shocking.  I told my parents I don't think I've been to a winning Nebraska game in years. We tend to go every year around our anniversary or when they played Texas.  Maybe the team should ask me to stay home next year!  It was a great day for football and we had so much fun talking without interruption.  Score, I even knitted on the car ride.

2.  Our actual anniversary was spent at church and then at a pancake benefit for one of Mr C's classmates families.  I hate Pancakes and all Breakfast food, but ate some as it was for a good cause. My husband actually tried to say it was like taking me out to eat!

3. Mr C wakes up about 30 minutes before he needs to go to school each morning.  He calls this his "transition to awakeness time" and its crucial for him.  He also wakes up each day and says "I think I might dress up today?"  Hello, he has no choice; its his uniform.  Sadly, he's grown a little more lately and all the dress pants we bought him in October are beginning to look short. 

4.  Miss A was helping me the other day before school to sort the dirty laundry.  She loved it. The piles of colors and whites were so fun for her make.  She did everyone in the family's overflowing laundry basket.  She told me not to ever do this again without her help.  Where is that enthusiasm from the other children.  No one offers to help put it all away when it's clean either.

5. Miss M has her first dance competition this weekend.  Its a local event and includes an all day dance convention. She told me that she's so looking forward to this weekend, but she needs me to purchase some more hair spray.  Can't have that dance bun falling out I guess.  For the Saturday event, she told me it's OK if I bring my knitting along, but I need to remember to watch when she performs.  As if I'd miss it.

6. We boxed up our Operation Christmas Child boxes last week and I've never been so excited to think of the boys and girls getting their packages.   Friday night, the whole family went to the Dollar Tree and filled the boxes to the brim.  Mr C picked out some fun things for a little boy and, of course, the girls picked girls their ages to shop for.  It's very hard to go shopping to buy things for others and not leave with anything for yourself, but it was a great life lesson for the kids. 

7.  Finally, we are a little old fashioned about Christmas decorating (at least I am) and won't allow anything up until after Thanksgiving.  I always feel so bad for this non commercial holiday, it gets lost in the commercialism of Christmas.  So sad.  Anyway, I've obviously been too vocal on it.  On the way home from Church on Sunday, Miss A announces that she plans on going to the house on the edge of the neighborhood and tell them you must take down your "Halloween decorations before you put up your Christmas decorations.  Come on people, it's lets not forget about Thanksgiving!"  We kept a close eye on her Sunday afternoon and did not let her ride her bike too far away!

Whew.  I feel a lot better getting all those "things" off my chest.  Now, I can know these memories are safely kept right here and giving me more brain room for Thanksgiving planning.

My Creative Bunch of Trick and Treators

I'm not really a fan of Halloween.  I love Fall and I love the idea of pretending and dressing up.  It's the "other side" of this holiday that I don't really like.  It is not only because as a Christian I find many of the secular side a little evil, but because I think the scary side of the holiday has taken over the fun parts.

As a child, I have great memories of picking out a fun costume to wear, having my mom make me a costume (I had a great clown costume and she had one that matched!), or making a costume out of old clothes and dance outfits.  We had a pumpkin or two on our porch and a few Thanksgiving decorations and that was it.

Do you know that Halloween has become the 2nd most decorated holiday?  Right after Christmas.  Really.

That being said, I still allow my children to participate in some fashion in the Halloween festivities, I just really work to make it as acceptable as I can.  I volunteer to help with the party planning at the elementary school, I supervise the costume ideas, and always have them focus on either things they would like to be when they grow up, funny creatures or animals or just plain adorable outfits.  Rarely, if ever do we purchase a pre-made costume. We make them. 

Now before you think I sew and am all creative, I'm not.  We use "real clothing" that can be re purposed later as clothing we wear, use felt and glue guns, cut up boxes, milk cartons or plastic tubs. Whatever is needed.  We use my mother to sew.  We try hard to make costumes that are neither offensive, scary, evil nor inappropriate. 

If you think its easy to find pre-made commercial that fits the bill, you are wrong which is why we make them.  Who wants a hooters looking outfit on a seven year old?  If you think I'm kidding about outfits you should read this article.  Amazing is only reasonable response to all of this.

This year Mr C handed out the candy at the door, but earlier in the week had an opportunity to dress up for his schools' dance.  He went as the Travelocity Roaming Gnome.  Not only did he look smashing, he scored some great slippers as a result and now has soft and comfy clothes to do homework in at night.

Miss M went out with a group of girls as a Spa Girl in a soft and fuzzy robe, new flannel PJ's and a facial cucumber mask.  She looked the part and except for the fact she took a shower after "all that walking," she could have just gone to bed.

Miss A's outfit could have been one of most favorite ever. It's in the running with the Amelia Earhart, NASA astronaut, and Clown Costume.  We called her the Bathtub Girl, but her uncle thought she was the Bubble Bath Girl.  It was super easy and really only required us to cut up a big bucket, blow up a few balloons and add a shower cap.  Miss A now has some sweatpants to wear for BB practice too!

While my family's way of celebrating might not work for everyone, it is what is best for us today.  In our old fashioned way of participating, our kids have fun.  We have opportunity to talk about why we celebrate the way we do and I get to see my kids enjoy a childhood ritual of dressing up and pretending. I hope that part never goes out of fashion.