DIY Bridal Shower

 Well, we have been pretty busy around here.  One of the events we have had lately is my sister's bridal shower.  It was a little stressful getting ready, but it all turned out lovely!

I found inspiration (as usual) on Pinterest and printed and punched out these cupcake toppers with Hannah's silhouette on them.  How cute are they?

 

As you'll soon see in my upcoming posts on Hannah's DIY wedding we have been using her silhouettes a lot.  I loved that I was able to incorporate it into the shower decor too!

 

Awhile ago I saw a bunch of tutorials (like THIS and THIS) and I decided to make a book page wreath.  Well, sadly it sat half finished on my fridge for a couple of months.  Then I decided to complete the dang thing and use it as a decoration for the bridal shower.  It was nice to have the motivation to get it done and off my refrigerator.

 Hannah was blessed with lots of wonderful gifts to help her take care of her new home with her new hubby!

   One of Hannah's friends was the game master and she kept us busy with lots of fun games.

 Here is a shot of us sisters (I'm the oldest and the shortest... whats up with that?).  We're all so excited to help Hannah celebrate her wedding... it will be here before we know it!

Craft Camp Week 2 - Patriotic

 We just had our second Craft Camp!  It was another success! The moms in charge this week were self-proclaimed craft-challenged but we all thought they did a great job with their patriotic theme!

 The kids all painted stripes on flower pots and we mod-podged on some shiny stars around the top. 

 After the pots had dried we helped them plant some pretty petunias in their festive hand-painted pots!  How cute!

 

The kids had such a great time playing on the trampoline and tossing the red, white and blue  balloons around!  We only had a few tears when the balloons popped!  ;-)

 

 We had all American hot dogs for lunch and followed it with some yummy patriotic sundaes!

Plus the kids got to take home sparklers and star bubble necklaces!  What fun!

Thanks for another great craft camp ladies!  You have all set the bar high... I am hosting next time and I'm a little nervous!  ;-)

 
 

My two drama "queens"...

Weekend at the Lake

We had a nice weekend at the lake last week.  Here are a few of my fave pic!

 

Sevenly - National Autism Association

Sevenly is a unique way to give.  One design. One week. One cause.  For every purchase they give $7 to this week’s charity. The charity of the week is: National Autism Association.

Problem - Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S.. Children with autism often have life-threatening tendencies like wandering from safety, unaware of their surroundings and unable to recognize danger. Each year there are twice as many deaths of children with autism than children without the disorder. Most deaths are due to drowning, falling from extreme heights, or other preventable accidents.

Solution - This week your support will protect a child with autism by providing their parents with an emergency kit equipped with critical tools to assist in preventing and responding to emergencies. This kit includes door alarms for their home, an ID tag for the child, visual safety prompts to be displayed on doors and windows, and an emergency plan.

This is so close to my heart.  While we still do not have a diagnosis for either Joe or Christine there has been talk of autism being a possibility.  From what I have read about it there are a lot of similarities between common autistic traits and some things we have seen in Joe especially.  I can relate to families with children who have autism.  I know from personal experience how hard it is to have a child that you cannot communicate effectively with.  I have felt the pain of not knowing how to help your child to learn or reach that next milestone that seems so far away.  I often feel overwhelmed when I think about what my children's futures will be like.  


Please consider contributing to this cause.  If nothing else please pray for autistic children and their families.  It is not a smooth road they are on.

2 Cor 12:9, 10 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Craft Camp Week 1 - Summertime!

Yesterday we had our first Craft Camp!  There were a couple of hiccups along the way (we were missing a few people due to illness), but all in all it went pretty well.

 Leah hosted and had the theme of summer/beach which worked out well since she had some fun stuff leftover from a luau that they had a couple years ago.  She sure has gotten her money's worth out of these decorations... I think she said this is the fourth party that they have used them for!

 The kids got to dig for shells in the sand, and play on the trampoline and playground while a couple of us moms ironed on freezer paper stencils to the kids shirts.

Then each kid got to paint their own "craft camp" shirt.  They all did a good job, some better than others.  ;-)

  

 After we finished up our activities we all were ready for lunch!  The moms had all pitched in the different parts of lunch so there was not a lot of responsibility on any one mom.  It felt pretty well

divided up.

Everyone seemed to have a great time and we are all looking forward to our next one in a couple of weeks!

He Heard Hannah - book review

I recently won a giveaway for a book that I had been reading about online for awhile. He Heard Hannah is "An amazing true story, where two lives are inexorably interwoven. Courtney Becker, a 911 dispatcher, took a routine call on November 19th, 2004. The call for help came from a man whose young daughter was in cardiac arrest. Courtney was destined to receive that call, and that little girl became part of his spiritual journey.
He Heard Hannah is an incredibly inspiring story of spiritual perseverance and life changing hope. God's purpose is undeniably seen through the miraculous, life changing events that are told in this book, and it illuminates the biblical truth, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."


I was incredibly moved by this book.  I don't often read non-fiction but I was intrigued by the true story behind this book.  In the beginning it took me a little while to get into it, mostly because I did not have a lot of time to spend reading.  It became my "waiting room" book and once I got going, I was pulled into the story of these parallel lives.  I was amazed as I read on about how God clearly orchestrated their paths crossing and used a tragedy for His triumphant purpose.  I would definitely recommend this book!  Have the tissues handy, its a tear jerker!


Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)