What I love...

So, I was scrolling back and realized I never shared one of my favorite Christmas memories.



This!!  My very own, private Christmas concert!  Every one of my children have learned to play an instrument.  This year's concert was missing my Flute (braces have made it hard to play)  But, she is learning how to Jump (as in on a horse...).  I told her bringing a horse in to jump over furniture was out this year. :-)

All those hours of practice, the expense of lessons are WORTH EVERY MINUTE!  I pray they will always play, and that they will enjoy it half as much as I do hearing them.

No more UFOs!

I have to take a minute to brag... I have no more U.F.O.s in my quilting stash!  I mean, no more Un-Finished Objects!  Actually...a small disclaimer:  no UFO that was previously started and set aside for 10-20 years...there may be plenty of fabric stashed away for projects intended to be started though.


Here's what my daughter inspired me to tackle:


My "Color Wash Irish Chain" king-sized quilt.  Finally, a quilt for my bed!  I did this one early in my quilting years, hand quilted parts of it, and packed it away for the next 10-12 years while I started homeschooling a bunch of kiddos....

My crossed-stitched - "Angel of Light".  I completed the stitching of this one 20 years ago (no lie...I stitched the date on it) and had no idea how  I wanted to finish it.  Selah decided it would be a lovely Christmas throw pillow.

We call this one "The Ultimate Quilt Makeover".  We had to basically do a "fixer upper" quilt edition on this one.  We took the torn back off, repaired the blocks, then re-backed (with a bed sheet), re-pinned, and re-quilted.  Matt has his TV quilt back... if the kids will share :-)

I feel so productive!  I may not quilt for another 10 years....

First Friday Friends - December

Sorry...I'm behind AGAIN!

Our First Friday Friends



group is going so well!  Our December meeting focused on the "Heart of Rejoicing".

The girls divided into their "flower groups" (my way of making teams of older/younger girls for games or discussions).

Then, I gave them some tinsel, crepe paper, and toilet paper.  Their task was to "decorate" on of their team into a Christmas symbol.  It was hilarious!!

Our craft was making paper bag advent chains that held 12 verses for special Mother/Daughter times during the month focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birth.

This group is the most precious collection of moms and daughters, it's truly special to see how a group of "strangers" have become just dear friends in just a short time.

12 Angry Jurors - Stage boys!

My "theater kids" had their latest play..."12 Angry Jurors" with their community theater group.  It's a remake of the old movie "12 Angry Men".

They were AMAZING!!  I am so impressed with them. This was a dramatic show, and they pulled it off with class.  I love the confidence that theater has given them.  Their director is an amazing woman who truly pulls out the best in them.

The cast... a great group of young people!

Another Girls' Weekend

We finally got a chance to get away for our "long overdue" Mother/daughter weekend.  First stop, Starbucks - of course!

I love to take my daughters away - for a one-on-one, special weekend when it's time for "the talk".  I highly recommend - Passport to Purity Weekend Retreat Kit. (not a review... I just love how this resource gives you everything you need - including audios, a journal, the activity directions... it makes it very easy!)

We didn't go far away...just to Boerne (about 40 minutes away).  We stayed in an adorable cabin!

 We  ate a ton of great food!  Including going to the most expensive place in town, and ordering a side of mac-n-cheese and a cup of soup :-)

We shopped for antiques!  We decided to look for the perfect tea cup and saucer for each of the girls in our family...we are planning to surprise them. (blog post coming soon...)


I got her a grown up NIV study Bible and case to commerate our time together.  Plus, we found a beautiful (and inexpensive) ring while shopping.

We went for a stroll along the creek.  The weather was perfect!

This is such a sweet time.  Our conversations will always be a favorite memory!

The Beginner's Bible from Zonderkidz: A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

The Beginner's Bible  from Zonderkidz

This is a Bentz Test Laboratory family favorite!  The freshly updated classic - The Beginner's Bible  from Zonderkidz.
This Children's Bible, designed for ages 4-8,  was first published in 1989 and has sold over 25 million copies!  This was our first Bible for all my children...we wore the cover off - literally.
Now, 8 testers later (the oldest "original model" is now in college...) my youngest tester is getting a bright and beautiful copy of her own Beginner's Bible!

This Bible features stories from the Old and New Testament that you and your child can read together.  It is also perfect for your new readers to practice their skills.  48 stories from the Old Testament and 46 stories from the New Testament give your child a big picture of God's great story. It's one of the first independent books my kids get to read on their own, and I love hearing them read the Bible to me. 
The illustrations are vibrant!  The pages are printed on high quality, glossy paper.  This new edition is designed to last.  Check out some of these pictures!

A dictionary is included in the back, and is a great way to start your early learner on looking up words.

But, that's not all!   You can find these goodies to go with your Beginner's Bible online - Resources for Children like videos and games. Plus,  coloring pages, dot to dots, word puzzles, search and find, mazes and drawing.

They also a huge variety of resources for us Parents & Teachers to bring the bible to life like sticker sheets, printable place mats, trivia cards, reading suggestions and even snack suggestions to go with your story!

And now, you can take it on the go too with their FREE App.

Sometimes things do get better with age :-)   The Beginner's Bible is one treasure you will want to have.

This is a great little video to tell you about their 25 years... Thanks ZonderKids!


Find  Zonderkidz on Social Media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zonderkidz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zonderkidz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/zondervan

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/zondervanp/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zondervan/


Hashtags
#HSReview,#TheBeginnersBible,#FaithBuilding,#Bible,#Zondervan, #kidzbible, #childrensbible, #nonfiction, #bookstagram, #reading, #books, #childrensliterature, #bookshelf

See what other members of the Crew thought here

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Since I always blog about the kids, I thought you might like to see the reason I have something to blog about.... 

Wishing you a very blessed 2017!