Hide and Found

I have been trying to hide lately. From a lot of things in general, but also from something specific. Sometimes you can hide and the problem goes away. In my situation, even I knew, my problem was not going away. I knew eventually I was going to have to come out and face it.

You may be wondering what my problem is and I am willing to share it with you. Vacation Bible School! (Since I was willing to share my problem with you, will you be willing to pray for me!) You may be thinking didn't you tackle this last year and find success in the end! If you need proof of this check out this post. (If you're just curious you can check it out too!) Maybe I need to read it a couple times as well.
For some reason I have gotten it into my thought process that I just couldn't do it this year! It just wasn't going to happen as far as I was concerned.  I didn't pick up my supplies. I even went as far as skipping church! I had forgotten that I can't do Vacation Bible School..........ALONE! I need God to help me during this difficult time.
Check out the theme verse for Vacation Bible School this year! I guess God was trying to get my attention all along!

I have recently been gifted by God with some amazing books! I love books and I feel God helps you find the right books to read when you need them. The first is actually a Bible study by Chip Ingram called The Invisible War.


It comes with a DVD as well. My husband and I are working through this study with our good friends. In the third session, Chip Ingram talks about putting on the Belt of Truth. I have not been utilizing this important tool with the thinking that I had to run Vacation Bible School alone. The truth is God runs the program, I help Him!
Another book that has greatly helped me is Water Into Wine by Kelly Minter.



It is all about Jesus's first miracle. (If you would like to read about this miracle in the Bible you can find it in John 2:2-11.) I knew of this story, but have never really thought about it before. The servants had such faith. They filled up the jars to the brim with water, drew water out of the jars and served it to the Master of the Banquet. Along the way it miraculously turned into the best wine ever! I'm not sure I'd be willing to do that. What if nothing happened? How embarrassed would I be if all the Master of the Banquet got was water? They did what they were told to do by Jesus and they were rewarded by being part of His first miracle. It really made me think, I just have to do what I am asked and able to do. It is God's job to turn our water into wine. We can't be perfect and do everything exactly right. We are to do what God asks, He will make it amazing!
So, am I still anxious? I would be lying if I didn't say, Yes. I just have to keep telling myself the truth.
I can't do this without God!
 I CAN do this with God!

Daniel Boone Homestead

We went on a Field Trip with Lighthouse Learning Christian Homeschool Co-op. We visited Daniel Boone's Homestead. The outside of the house has changed, as the family grew the house grew. The house's inside was set up just like it would've been when Daniel Boone had lived there. I thought it was neat that we had a chance to view a house from history.

Kitchen

Dining Room

A Bedroom

Pie Pie and her friend enjoying her favorite spot in the house.

It was a little ledge they could climb up and sit on.

This was my favorite room, the Spring house. You can't see it very well in the picture but there was an actual spring. I know what you're thinking, Obviously! But I thought it was pretty cool! 

Pants and her friend checking out the sheep.

When the tour was finished we headed out to find a good spot for a picnic. Any spot would have been great if we had remembered bug spray. It was a beautiful weather day, it just seemed the bugs were heavily enjoying it too.

This was our view while we ate lunch.

When the kids were done eating they started figuring out ways to play with the water without actually being in the water.

Look what we caught!

It was a great day with even greater friends!

We are looking forward to the rest of our field trips this year!

Pie Pie and Pants indulged me with a picture of them together!

Our beautiful girls.



Smiles

Easter Sunday!

This is my all time favorite picture of my girls with my nephew!

They all posed so cutely with their baskets and goodies!  I asked Pie Pie why she cooperated with the picture taking, usually she hates pictures. She said, "Because it's Easter Mommy"!

I guess I'll be waiting until Easter comes around again for another "perfect" picture!

Smiles,

Nikki!



New Easter Traditions (for Us)

We didn't have any special traditions for Easter, but we do now! To get us into the Spirit of the Easter Season I ordered two special gifts for my children. The first is Resurrection Eggs. I had tried to get these a couple of years ago, but failed. Not this year, I ordered early and got them in plenty of time! I even had a chance to share them with the kids at AWANA.

They are so much fun! My 4 year old explained what each object was in the eggs to my husband. I ordered them from this great website!


I also ordered a really neat magnet set. I saw it on Confessions of a Homeschooler and knew my girls would enjoy it.  It comes with a background to place them on too! I ordered this set from

Alphabet Alley. It is a really neat website that has a lot of Bible products.

We colored eggs for the first time with some good friends. I never did it before with the girls because they don't eat hard boiled eggs, I can't make hard boiled eggs and I thought they would be too messy. The good thing about doing this project with friends is they help you out. They hard boiled the eggs and the girls weren't so messy because we were at a friend's house. Pants actually tried an egg and like it!

Our friends also taught us how to make Resurrection Rolls. They are super easy and very yummy. You need large marshmallows, crescent rolls, melted butter, cinnamon and sugar.

 First you cut a large marshmallow in half, then you dip it in the melted butter, next you roll it in the cinnamon and sugar. Then you roll the marshmallow up in the crescent roll.

(Just cook them according to the directions on your crescent rolls package.)

 When they cook the marshmallow kind of oozes into the roll and the roll should be empty inside like Jesus's tomb on Easter Morning!

We also made them on Easter Sunday with my nephew and sister-in-law. Everyone enjoyed them and the kids really can make them pretty much all on their own. If you don't mind things getting a little sticky!

Thank you to the Betz family for sharing your traditions with us!

 

Smiles

Some new Smiles for this week!

Celebrating my Dad's Birthday!

I love you Dad!

My Dad being silly with my niece!

A picture drawn by Pants of a Mother holding her baby.

Easter Candy!

The Perfect Crash Landing!

Get out there and find some of your own Smiles!

Smiles,

Nikki!

It's A Bird, It's A Plane.......

It's a Flying Mouse!

We started learning about Simple Machines way back in the beginning of the school year. Pie Pie had picked out some projects way back then. We are finally getting started on them!

The first one is a Mouse-A-Pult. Pie Pie and Daddy spent some time making this project on Sunday. Bonus! Everyday is a school day here! Not really, but I can dream right!?

Getting Started.

Always look at the directions first.

Pie Pie got to use a drill.

All I did was sew up the fabric mouse. Pie Pie decorated it.

Ready, Aim.......

Fire!



I tried very hard to get a picture of the flying mouse, but that critter was just too fast for me! I even allowed Pie Pie to shoot it directly at me! Still no luck.

Super fun way to spend some time together!

Big thank you to Daddy for helping Pie Pie with this Science Project!



Smiles

Horse Style

Meeting a new horse.

Sharing your new friend's warmth.

Shedding a winter coat.

Getting all the tangles out.

First ride of Spring.

Smiles,

Nikki!

Post Office

We got together with some other homeschool families and went to the post office. Yeah! A break from "normal" school!

We were led on a tour by the Acting Postmaster. She was a great guide who told us all about how the post office works.

There was a beautiful tree out front that was in full bloom.

Here is a postal worker helping a customer.

They had all kinds of different bins for mail, flats and packages.

Each carrier sorts their own mail in these slots for their route.

It's always fun to take a field trip especially when you get to go behind the scenes to see how things work!

****Extra Credit Question!*****

Who was the first Postmaster General?