Colossians 3:12-14

  LOVE LOVE LOVE this verse - and was JUST introduced to it again!!!

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy, and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put love, which binds them all together, in perfect unity." - Colossians 3:12-14

NOW I have heard the verse before indeed - but hear THIS story:

I have a SWEET DEAR Bible study friend/mentor named Tammie, and she is just the most AMAZING Christian wife, mother, friend, EVERYTHING!!  She is the most knowledgeable, faith based woman I probably know!  She lives and breathes what she says and always "walks the walk!"  I SO wish some day to be like her!  Anyways, she now likes to give  a little "talk" at bridal showers.  She uses the above verse as her basis and talks to the bride about how she picked out her dress, why she chose it, what else she might be wearing that day and really asks the bride to be a lot of questions about her wedding day attire.  Then Tammie makes reference to this verse, how we are to "clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience," just like the verse says.   We are to wear these clothes DAILY with our husband!  Now I was SO impressed with the idea of this talk - but look what Tammie did - she went ONE step further!  She felt that after being married 20 year+ (help me here, Tammie:))  that she didn't know if she still did this for her husband and felt she should.  LOOK AT THIS :

She used the words from this verse and sewed the words together, connecting them on her dresser drawers to serve as a reminder for her to each day as she is getting dressed to follow what God is asking her to do!! 

Here is  a closer view of each drawer - I absolutely LOVE this and play on making a version for myself to help remind me DAILY to put on these clothes for my husband, too:)!!

I absolutely LOVE this idea - not only does it serve as a great reminder each day of the women that we are meant to be - but it's one more thing that we can do to help us draw closer to our Lord!!

Make your own - I challenge YOU to "clothe yourselves" with the words!
Holly:)

The Backyard.....

  I LOVE MY BOYS:)!!  Actually I love my nephews, our neighbor boys, and my boys' friends!  I am BLESSED with wonderful, fun, energetic boys in my life - and LOTS OF THEM!!!  Everyday football is the game - and you can tell - LOOK AT MY YARD!!!! 

 On any given day 7-8 boys are here playing away - and the worst part - I"M NOT QUARTERBACK ANYMORE!!  They don't need me - THEY want to do it:(!!  This has TOTALLY been the hardest part of being a mom lately - the more independent that my babies are getting to be!  I know they will always NEED me - but I like to be in the action, taking part in all they do:)!  I knew that it would end - just not quite ready for it!:(

Yes, it's true - when it was baseball time in our house, the yard by the back tank PERFECTLY resembled a baseball diamond.  Now that football is everything - my yard resembles a worn out and run down turf - in fact, my oldest son, Grant, actually put that on his Christmas list - football turf for our backyard:)!  Bless his soul!  I am pretty sure that I am not going to be purchasing turf for my backyard, however - these precious faces (husband, too:)) are pretty hard to say "no" to:)!!

They STILL love playing with their Dad, though - and he LOVES reliving his childhood and all those NFL GREATEST moments by Dan Marino:)!

Happy rest of the weekend
Holly:)

Martha or Mary?

This time of year ALWAYS gets to be SUCH a stressful time!  With all the preparations for the holidays - not only Thanksgiving - but Christmas in particular - I always find myself overly tired, crabby and frustrated!  WHY???  This is the time of year that I should be ENJOYING not only my precious husband and babies, but all that God has given to me and blessed me with!  I am reminded quickly of the story of Martha and Mary:

Luke 10:38-42
New International Version (NIV)
At the Home of Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named
Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the
Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.
She came to him and asked, “Lord,
don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?
Tell her to help me!”  41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried
and upset about many things, 42 but few things are  needed—or indeed only one.
[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

   So I challenge EACH of you to do this!  Think about all that you HAVE and have been BLESSED with!  Who cares if every decoration doesn't get put up this year - who cares if you forget the olives for supper - embrace your family and those you love - THAT is what this time of year is for!  And above all - PRAISE THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD:)!!!
 
 I'm choosing to be a Mary this year and all the years to follow - what about you?

Holly:)

Pic Collage....

Look at these FUN things done in Pic Collage!  I have two DARLING teacher partners that are so creative in what they do!!

The Third Grade teacher, Michelle, is AWESOME:)!!  She had her kids create what "Third Grade Is..." They took pictures from the Internet, pictures of objects, people, etc.. and then created collages in the Pic Collage app to show this!

 LOVE THEM:)

Michelle also had the kids used Pages to create documents about America - I will get a copy and upload later:)

My other darling teacher, Mrs. Askegaard teachers Fifth Grade and she is FABULOUS!!  She had her kids use Pic Collage for a few things:

First, they took a picture of themselves and made it black and white.  Then they added adjectives that they would use to describe themselves and put those on the pictures - ADORABLE:)!!

Next, she taught a unit on Andy Warhol - using the iPads, she had the kids select a picture and then turn it Warholish (word here?:)  by using the editing tools -

They do Word A Day in 5th Grade, so some of the kids have been using Pic Collage to create their examples when it's their day to share what the word means.

ALL WONDERFUL IDEAS - KEEP IT UP LADIES:)  I am sure you will hear me talk MORE about these two TECH SAVVY teachers and women:)!

Happy Collaging for Thursday
Holly:)

Art with Mr. E.......

  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this project!  Mr. E, an art teacher in Tennessee, is where I stole this idea!  I actually found it on Pinterest!  We had been studying optical art, and made a radial art project already (which I will post later), and I came across this!!  Students start the project by drawing a wavy line across the middle of the paper.  They then place 5-8 dots on the line spacing some closer together and others further apart.  Starting on the top, connect the dots in a arch, and then connect the ones on the bottom.  Continuing doing this until your have connected them all or "stopped" some and continued others through.  Click on the Mr. E at the top of this blog to go to the full directions!  The end products are AMAZING - just see!

A close up view of a few of the projects.......

This is something that I would do year after year - the kids LOVED it as much as I did.  Once they get going on it - it's quite easy!  I even let them do it in SHARPIE - which is usually a NO NO for me!  I am QUEEN of pencil - but it was a LOT to have to trace at the end and they worked VERY carefully!!

Happy Monday Night Everyone -  I have some MORE great ones to share tomorrow:)
Holly:)

Earth Day Project Idea.....

  I am SUCH a great stealer of ideas:)!!  I NEVER claim them as my own, so I won't this one either - but it is TOO cute to not share!  One of our Kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Willers, also student taught in Barnesville.  She came up with, or FOUND:), this darling idea for Earth Day.  Now, I realize that this is FAR away from today - but TOO CUTE!!!

 Look at these below.....

  Now here's the BEST part, she left the idea in 2nd grade, which is the grade she student taught in and she doesn't do it in Kindergarten.  However, GUESS WHO HAS A 2ND GRADER THIS YEAR - YES I DO:)!!  I am SO exited for my honey to make one and bring home for us to have:)!  In fact, I have been known to SHARE ideas with other teachers JUST so my kiddos can bring them home - I know I am bad:)!!  I have some other GREAT things that I "stole" that I will share later!

Happy Monday everyone
Holly:)

Projects, Projects, Projects....

While I was searching the web for blog ideas, I came across a blog called I am  The Real Housewife  - I LOVE HER:)!!  She has so many great ideas on there - and I stole this one from her!!!

She called it the "Memory Verse" Plate, and the idea is to memorize a verse from the Bible each week, or every other week, whatever will work for your family!  I found this plate shopping with some beautiful girlfriends yesterday, so I decided to use it - $1 at a Thrift Store - LOVE IT:)!  My older son always has some trouble falling asleep on Sunday nights.  The anticipation of school, what is going to happen this week, etc... so this was a PERFECT verse for us!  After it's up for a week or two, I am going to type the verse and tape it on the inside of my cupboard.  I will continue to do this week after week - this will give us a visual reminder of not only the work we have done memorizing these, but the TIME WE HAVE SPENT IN GOD'S WORD:)!! That is what it's about!  My boys are at the perfect age to do this, too - I am looking forward to what is will bring spiritually, and how it will do in our family!
     One other thing I was reminded of is the hand turkeys!  YOU MUST DO THESE WITH YOUR BABIES:)!!!  I did these a while ago now - maybe 4-5 years ago but I put them up EVERY year!  Color the palm of your baby's hand brown, and each finger a different color - then add the eyes and the beak of the turkey afterwards!

I LOVE THEM:)  They are such a precious reminder of how little those hands once were, but also reminds me to be thankful for all that I have - especially these two precious boys;)!

Last but not least - we DID make it to The Vintage Carnival!  The weather almost kept us away - but SO glad that I went.  Two precious friends came with - and we found some treasures (JUNK:))  LOOK AT THIS STUFF IN MY BASEMENT!!!

  I have SUCH great ideas to go with these but NOTHING DONE!  Maybe one of these days I will get started on the "project" list and create, create, create -----the list is long - I also have piles of photos that need to be scrapped:)!!  OH what joy I have in being a wife and mother!


Blessing To You and Happy Sunday night
Holly:)


 

The White House......

I am SO pumped!  Saturday I am going on  a "vintage" shopping trip with a few girlfriends!  Although I love new things - I LOVE refurbished items to use in my house!  I recently bought a turquoise mirror from a girlfriend of mine and I am yet to hang it in my bathroom.  It is SO neat and SO lovely!  This auction area is only open once in a while. so the trip will be fun - even bringing a trailer - who knows what one might come home with:)!!