Happy 9th Birthday, Eva!

 Eva received $10 from Uncle Jim, Aunt Amy, Madalynn, and James.

 She is turning into such a beautiful young lady! It's hard to believe she's 9 now!

 She received a sand art kit from Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Sherry (our neighbors).

 Papa & Nana Smith gave her a new art curriculum video set.

 Finally, a new water bottle (from Papa & Nana Smith)!

 A book about pioneer life written by a Michigander from the West Michigan area (from Papa & Nana Smith).

 Pottery Wheel kit from Dad, Mom & sisters.

 Scrapbook, stamp, art kit from the Inglerights.

 Allyn drew Eva paints, a paintbrush, and an art palette.

 A Bible trivia game from Papa and Nana Carmichael.

 Sabra made her a bracelet.

Cora drew her a princess picture.

Eva made her own birthday cake to look like an artist's palette. She did a great job!

Celebrating Easter!

The girls enjoyed an egg hunt for Easter. This year, since I wanted to avoid the candy, we just assigned monetary amounts to different eggs (we had solid eggs, decorated eggs, mini eggs, jumbo eggs, etc.). The girls worked with their buddies and after adding up what they "earned", then each girl got that amount.

 Dara and Hava are buddies.

 Allyn and Jaina are buddies.

 Sabra and Cora are buddies.

 Eva and Martha are buddies.

 Chad parents gave the girls The Legend of the Sand Dollar: An Inspirational Story of Hope for Easter by Chris Auer and illustrated by Rick Johnson. Dara read the story to everyone and then in the back of the book, Donalyn had attached a sand dollar that Chad's grandparents had gotten from FL many years ago. The girls loved it!

Easter Morning Play

The girls acted out the story, The Tale of the Three Trees, for Easter. I read the story and Eva, Allyn, Sabra and Cora each had multiple parts to play. This was a no cost production done for our church on Easter morning. Eva, Allyn, and Sabra were each a woodcutter who cut down a tree.

 

Eva then took her tree to a carpenter's shop and fashioned a feed box from it.

 

Allyn's tree went to a shipyard where she made it into a simple fishing boat.

Sabra's tree was made into beams and left in a pile.

Cora was Mary who placed baby Jesus in the manger made from the 1st tree.

Eva was Jesus who fell asleep when a storm arose and then called the waters.

Eva also carried a cross made from the beams of the 3rd tree.

When Christ arose from the dead, the trees realized their dreams came true and exceeded their expectations!

The girls then sang Romans 8:28.

Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty of Life!

Are we training our children for a career or for living life? What is our ultimate goal?

Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty of Life!

Happy 6th Birthday, Sabra!

 

Happy to be 6!

 Sabra's tea pot and tea cup cake. It started falling apart before I even finished decorating it.

 Sabra wasn't upset that it fell apart. It still tasted good!

 Dara made Sabra a blanket for her doll.

 Allyn made Sabra some paper dolls.

 Daddy & Mommy gave her new princess gloves.

 Papa & Nana Smith gave her crocs, Polly Pockets, and ordered her some Little House on the Prairie beginning readers.

 Eva made Sabra a pillow for her doll and bought her some princess jewelery.

 Papa & Nana Carmichael gave her a mug of her very own.

 Jerry & Sherry gave Sabra a coloring book and some bath gifts.

I forgot to turn this picture, but she got some play dough play things, a doll, some organic suckers and a purse from the Inglerights.

The inventive mother of necessity

I truly enjoyed this post by Large Family Mothering about the good things that come through hardships.

My Life For Yours: A Mother's Pondering About Her Body

My Life For Yours: A Mother's Pondering About Her Body