My sister in law, Sarah, is creating these amazing signs on etsy.
Everything is completely hand made.
Her husband made the screens, they cut the wood and sanded it and she hand printing them all. She is so incredible and started all of this on her own, figuring it all out as she went. She is such an inspiration and I am so proud of her.
Go now and check out her amazing store (and you can like her on Facebook too).
She is such an example of a hard worker and someone who is truly seeking to Glorify God in every aspect of her life. Love her so much and am just so excited for her new shop!
Both girls had a wonderful first day and I couldn't be happier!
I knew Ella was going to do great but I was a little nervous about McKenna. She had a very tight grip on my arm as I dropped her off but she never shed a tear! And she napped on her nap mat! I still can't believe it! That girl barely sits still on the couch, I can't believe she laid on her mat long enough to actually fall asleep. I wish so bad I could be a fly on the wall. She makes me laugh just thinking about what she is like in the classroom.
We started prepping for the first day of school last night. While Bob gave them a bath, I set up a mini nail, hair and ice cream sandwich snack salon. They enjoyed their treat while getting a blow dry and then picked out their polish color.
This kind of stuff is Ella's dream and she immediately went into a high pitched voice and kept calling me Fancy. Ella picked red for her nails and McKenna went with purple.
Between two sets of nap mats, school supplies, back packs, lunches and teacher treats, I didn't really have an extra hand to take their picture going into school. This was my one and only attempt.
For the teacher treats I totally copied my friend Suni's idea. I made an apple dip that was so good! It was carmel, cream cheese and heath chips. Delicious! (click here for recipe.)
I tried again with the picture after I picked them up and had more hands.
This last weekend was my sweet mom's birthday. Nothing near as crazy as last year:)
We started the morning off with some surprise flowers, balloons and a donut cake.
It was such a fun day celebrating my mom. We cooked out, swam and Anna gave everyone haircuts! So fun having a talented sister in hair school!
Bob was the first one up.
The girls were mesmerized and thought it was so cool that Anna was cutting their dad's hair. Ella then asked if she could have bangs like Aunt Anna.
Then McKenna got the itch. She was cracking us up! She would hold out her hair and make all kinds of noises to let us know she wanted to be next.
She just reached full pony tail level so I didn't want to cut any off yet so her haircut was more of a pretend one:)
And she loved every second of it.
I love you so much mom and I am so thankful for you!
Happy Birthday!
There’s an estimated
7,000 children who work in the Ghana fishing industry. Some of
these children are as young as 5 and 6 years old. All of these children are slaves.
–Mercy Project We recently got an email from Heather of Mercy Project and it was so eye opening. We are so thankful to be in a group with other bloggers bringing attention to this amazing group of people helping free children from slavery. Today, as we’re celebrating
the systems in our own country that strive to prevent injustices like child
trafficking and child labor, we’re forwarding information on of the many child slaves around the
world who are unprotected and the organizations, like Mercy Project, who are
working to free them.
As a mother, it’s
impossible for me to imagine my children working 14 hours a day, 7 days a
week. When I showed this video to my kids, they could not even fathom what was going on. They kept asking when they got to go home or where their parents were. It is just so inconceivable to them in our world that not everyone has this life that we lead. I want my kids to understand that at an early age, but so often I don't know what to say. I am so thankful for the Mercy Project and the people that are changing the lives of the people and children of Ghana- and how they are bringing attention to these poor children so that we can help. We are unable to wrap our brains around the thought of children engaged in long, hard days of physical labor,
eating one meal a day, and then falling asleep at night on a dirt floor filled
with other slave children. Yet
this is the daily reality for kids who have been trafficked into the fishing
industry in Ghana, Africa. As with
much of Africa, there is a great deal of poverty in Ghana. Unfortunately, this
leaves many mothers in an unimaginable position: sell their children to someone
who can take better care of them or watch them starve to death. Most of the
mothers are told their children will be given food, housing, and an education.
Instead, the kids are often taken to Lake Volta where they become child slaves
and their mothers never see them again.
Thankfully, Mercy Project is working to break the cycles of trafficking
around Lake Volta by providing alternate, more efficient, sustainable, fishing
methods for villagers – ultimately eliminating the need for child slaves. Because of the work Mercy Project is
doing in Ghana, the first group of children will be freed this month from Lake
Volta.
We want to share this moving, 10 minute documentary about the issues surrounding child labor and
trafficking in Ghana, and most importantly, the hope Mercy Project is bringing to
children and entire communities in Africa. Mercy Project is the only NGO working on Lake Volta
addressing the injustice of child labor and child trafficking at its root - by
strengthening the Ghanaian economy and eliminating the structures that cause
the demand for trafficked children.
Whether
these ideas of child labor, child trafficking, and modern-day slavery are new
to you or you’re aware of these injustices, but need to hear some good news
every once in awhile, we invite you to become a part of what Mercy Project is
doing in Ghana. When Mercy Project
frees their first group of children this month, we can all celebrate together.
You can learn more and get involved by watching Mercy Project’s short documentary, following Mercy Project on Facebook, connecting with Mercy Project via Twitter, visiting the Mercy Project’s website and telling everyone you know.
Although
child trafficking, child labor, and the unstable economies that result in these
injustices are a tragedy, we’re grateful for what Mercy Project is doing to
protect the vulnerable and for allowing us to be a part of this story. While we’re commemorating labor
laws and ethical work in our own country today, we invite you to follow along
on this journey with Mercy Project to protect and free children in Ghana.
Now, I know you guys come here for my amazingly tricky and difficult tutorials as of lately. I mean, who can even think to figure out polka dot pants and shirts. I really am just so advanced in this crafting world and you guys are all so welcome for helping yall figure the hard stuff out.
This is another one of my really difficult crafts and I really hope you guys can follow along.
You buy bow tie pasta, paint them with the help of your pre school age kids (I used acrylic paint or whatever I had at home) and glue it on a canvas. All the while, all can you think about is Goldie Hawn in Overboard when she got the macaroni necklace from her "kids" and she puts in on right then. Then its in the montage of scenes when she soaks them all with the hose and they all get poison ivy. Lindsay and I used to say "I-I-I ate a bug!" to each other all the time. Love that movie.
Ya, so this is like the cheesiest thing ever and everything I make is the equivalent of things a four year old can do, but at least I took pics of it all in multiple places :)
So, go out and pretend your goldie hawn after she sees her future life partner as that sweaty carpenter, and he sees her mole on her thigh and make something out of macaroni. I mean, this isn't near as cool as her necklace, but you get the inspiration. Then hot glue it on something. Real classy like.
