Emily had her last Upward Basketball game today. This was her second year to play and she has really enjoyed it. She is not as aggressive on the court as she could be, but her ball handling skills have improved and she’s made a lot of friends. We enjoy the non-competitive atmosphere of Upward.
Here are some of the highlights of my week. Thanks to Suzanne at Living to Tell the Story for hosting this blog hop.
1. I am so thankful for my church family. We spent yesterday afternoon visiting with a older friend who is giving Emily knitting lessons. I love all the relationships she has with people of all ages.
2. I’m directing a children’s musical at church about the story of Gideon. The kids are enthusiastic and we’re all having a lot of fun.
3. Spring weather!! It’s been in the 60’s and even 70’s for the past two weeks. I can’t imagine that it will really last, but I’m soaking up the sun while I can!
4. Because of the nice weather, I’ve been spending time out in the yard, getting it cleaned up and ready for spring. It’s so nice to be outside that I don’t mind the work!
5. I’m still nibbling on the chocolate and enjoying the orchid that my father-in-law gave me for Valentine’s Day and feeling thankful for people who care. Emily gave me a box of chocolates, too. Sweet girl!
Emily and I had fun making this cute notebook for her friend’s birthday. The girls are both into mysteries, so I knew she would enjoy a spy notebook.
I made the covers using clip art and scrapbooking papers. Then, I laminated the covers. I trimmed lined and unlined paper to the size of the covers and punched everything with my Pro-click punch.
I folded the extra laminate plastic over and taped it to make an inner pocket.
Finished product!
Emily had fun making this valentine boat for her homeschool group Valentine party this year! We found the directions for this cute boat in Family Fun magazine.
Are you in a “spiritually unmatched” marriage? Mine didn’t start out that way, but has become so in recent years as my husband changed his values and beliefs when he decided to move to Korea without us. It has been tough for me, not only living without my husband, but also in knowing that he has rejected the God he once professed faith in.
Authors, Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller, who are, themselves, in spiritually unequal marriages, have just published Winning Him Without Words, on this very topic.
I’ve been following their Spiritually Unequal Marriage Blog for a few months now and have found these ladies’ faith and insight inspiring. Maybe you will, too!
Their brand-new website, Winning Him Without Words, tells more about the book and authors. There is also an opportunity on both blog and website to win a free book or $300 value “marriage basket!”
I occasionally put the girls to work assembling the Super Star Speech binders. It makes the job go faster with several of us working on it.
Notice that as soon as the camera comes out, they go into “pose mode!”
I just received this Rockland 22 inch rolling duffle bag ($23.99) from CSNstores to review. The Rockland duffle bags come in many different fun patterns. I chose the “pink giraffe” pattern. I have been wanting luggage that is not boring black or navy, but usually the nice prints come with designer prices that I’m not willing to pay!
The duffle bag was a little larger than I expected—easily big enough for a weekend or more. The fabric is heavyweight and sturdy and the handle and wheels operate smoothly. The two outer pockets are smaller than I would like—big enough for a small book or a couple bottles of sunscreen, but not big enough for most shampoo bottles. I really like this duffle bag. I had thought about saving it for Emily’s birthday, but decided to keep it for myself! I told her I would share it with her, though!
Here is a photo of Emily with the bag, to give you an idea of the size:
I also ordered this nice Faberware 11x17” cookie pan. ($9.99) I do a lot of cookie baking, but all I’ve ever had were cheap cookie sheets, so I was interested to see how much difference a nicer pan might make. The first thing I noted was that this is a very heavyweight pan.
The cookies I made on it came out very well and slid right off the pan. Here’s a side by side picture of my new and old pans.
Shipment from CSNstores was prompt and everything arrived in excellent condition.
I received a merchandise credit from CSNstores in exchange for my honest review and thank them for this opportunity!
