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Summer Break Reading & Writing Resource For Kindergarten and First Grade Level (Free Download Included)
Kindergarten is a fun and amazing time when our children are learning so much! One second they are memorizing the alphabet and potty-training. Then you swear you just blink and here they are reading words and writing sentences! It’s quite remarkable to watch their little sponge-like brains just absorb the world around them! But, as any teacher or parent will tell you, this is also the time when repetition seems to be a vital tool in the retention process! The University of Tennessee in Knoxville studied the effects of summer reading in young students and concluded that, “children who do not read in the summer lose two to three months…
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He Grieves: When Your Spouse is Spiritually Shaken By Loss
Being the spouse of someone that is in deep mourning is a unique kind of helplessness and pain. And whether it comes on suddenly or over time, it rocks your world, just as it shakes theirs. The focus is, rightfully so, on the partner in deep mourning. So, when you’re the spouse, you feel selfish to even acknowledge that you are on a somewhat parallel path, also mourning a deep loss, but a different kind of loss. The loss of the one standing right in front of you. The one that is physically still there, but emotionally, they feel empty and gone. You face the fear of the unknown as…
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Recipe: Colorado Big Game Meatballs (w/pasta)
When my husband started hunting deer and elk a few years ago, I had no clue how to cook it. Like zero, zilch, not a clue. The first year we had our meat processed, we requested far too many cuts and I was completely lost in kitchen. The next year, we got a bit smarter (for our preferences) and requested to have most of it processed as ground meat. Over time, I have come to enjoy our little kitchen experiments where we test out this and that to see what we can make. If it’s my husband doing the experimenting, it’s almost guaranteed to be a win! (Love you, hubby!)…
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Our Favorite French Toast Recipe!
This recipe has quickly become a breakfast favorite in our home! And the most surprising positive review came from my husband, who isn’t even a fan of french toast, in general! He loved it! It could have had something to do with the added bacon (wink, wink) but I like to think that I just converted him with my awesome skills! So, from our home to yours, we hope you enjoy our Favorite French Toast Recipe! Blessings! Ingredients 1 Loaf Fresh French Bread (Not Pre-Sliced) 4 Eggs, Beaten 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1/4 Cup Milk 2 Tablespoons Sugar 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg…
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The Healer of a Crippled Heart
Merriam-Webster defines a cripple as “being lame, flawed, or imperfect.” I don’t know about you, but I can definitely identify with that. I have battled things in my heart that have left me feeling hurt, hopeless, overwhelmed, defeated… crippled. I have often longed to accept this defeat because each time I try to stand on my own, I fall flat on my face. But the Bible tells us that “it was faith in Jesus that made this crippled man well… He was made completely well because of trust in Jesus.” (Acts 3:16) We talk a lot about the healing of the blind, the deaf, and the lame, but Jesus didn’t…
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Art Journaling In The Space Between Feeling & Reacting
I remember reading a line in one of Lysa Terkeurst’s books that really spoke to me… “I’ve gotten so much better about sitting in the space between the feeling and the reaction.” She went on to say, “I sit with the feeling and take time to sort it out.” I remember thinking, wow… I want to be able to do that. It sat with me for a long, long time. As strange as it sounds, I feel like God took me on a refurbishing journey this last year. Some people say they reinvent themselves at some point in life, but I didn’t reinvent myself. I was refurbished. I liken it…
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DIY: Old Books Repurposed into Art and Prayer Journals
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about this blog post! It combines so many of my favorite things: Books, repurposing, journaling, art journaling, prayer journaling, crafting, and even thrifting! What a fun and unique project!! I think these adorable and one-of-a-kind creations make great gifts too!! The customization options are truly endless!! I really hope you enjoy this DIY project as much as I did! And I hope it brings you even more blessings as you use it!! This tutorial will primarily be a visual tutorial with instructions below each photo. Again, the customization options are endless, so think of this as more of a…
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Recipe: Ground Turkey Enchiladas
This is a favorite in our house and I’ve even made it for family members that don’t share my undying love of Mexican food (it’s truly hard to imagine that we are related) and they loved it too! Suffice it to say, when your three-year-old loves it, and your in-laws love it, it’s a keeper! So, here’s our favorite recipe for ground turkey enchiladas! Hope you enjoy! Tip: Don’t forget to pair it with Nana’s Simple Homemade Tortilla Chips and Papa’s Guacamole recipe, found directly below the enchilada recipe on this page! Ingredients 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 4 oz can diced green chilies (mild) 10.5 oz…
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Recipe: Grandma Millie’s Bao (Chinese Steamed Meat Buns)
I share this recipe in loving memory of a beautiful woman who selflessly cared for and nurtured all those around her. Her bao recipe, or Chinese steamed meat buns, was special to all of her boys, but especially my husband. Anytime she asked what he would like for his birthday, the answer was always the same… bao. And she would laugh, roll her eyes, and mumble about how long it takes to make. But she would glow too. I can see her face now, as I share this. You see, Millie spoke love through her cooking and her boys lived for her meals. Their bond was so much deeper than…
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Paint Colorful Animal Art With This Easy-to-Follow Tutorial! (For Kids Too!)
When I was in high school, my art teacher gave me a “B” every single year. She always said that although my art was good, I failed to create something original. You see, I had become pretty decent at duplicating art that I saw in magazines or books, but no matter how hard I tried, my mind just didn’t create something out of nothing. Someone probably should have told her that a few years later a company would make billions… yes, billions… helping people do just what I did in her class every day… (Hello, Pinterest!) … or maybe someone should have told me so that I could invest in…
