Valentine's Day "Jesus Love" Tea

As a Mom in the thick of raising kids, I'm watching the Grandma's.
Learning what to expect when my nest is empty.
Gathering ideas for how I want to age gracefully.
Choosing what I am going to do and what I'm NOT going to do.
Setting some goals and preparing now.

There's a lady in my church who I aspire to be like when

my grandbabies start arriving.
She loves all over her grown children and now her grandchildren.
In fact, she loves all over everyone!
She exudes joy.....and hospitality.
She is a picture of this scripture:

"And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves:
for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
Use hospitality one to another without grudging."
1 Peter 4:8,9

She doesn't let her schedule, time constraints,

or space constraints limit her desire to share the love of Jesus with others.

Again, this year, I was inspired by her love of sharing

her beautiful things,

and delightful treats, and fun activities
with a gaggle of giggling, squirmy little girls

at the big Valentine's Tea Party she threw in her home.

What joy!
What love we all felt through her!

A new twist on chocolate covered strawberries

A couple months ago, a dear friend at church asked me

for some ideas for her youngest daughter's wedding shower.
She explained that her daughter loved flowers and wanted

a garden-themed wedding.
My friend and I chatted about how to hang some things from the ceiling in the event room

and then she mentioned that she was going to incorporate
a "tea party" with the flowers and greenery.
She asked me if I could bring some small, fun finger food appropriate

for such an event, and after thinking about it for a couple days.

I asked her if I could bring chocolate covered strawberries.
She immediately loved that idea, and then texted me the picture below.
"What do you think about something like this?"  she asked.

I never attempted such a feat before,

but was intrigued by the challenge.
I told her I couldn't do ALL the strawberries like a teacup,

but I could certainly do several dozen to add to the decor.

I researched how to do chocolate covered strawberry tea cups,

brought the chocolate candy coating,
and started experimenting a couple weeks before the shower.

I learned several things about this project:

1.)  You must do this in STEPS.

2.)  You need several different colors of candy coating chocolate

warm and ready to pipe at the same time.
So that means some space is required for this as well.

3.)  For me, it worked to pipe all the handles first.
The thicker they are, the less likely they are to break as you

are adhering them to the covered strawberry.

4.)  If you look at the inspiration picture, you'll notice that the strawberries

are actually covered and then laid down on their sides to dry.
I tried experimenting to see if I could make the strawberry sit upright 

on its bottom like an actual teacup.

I cut off the bottom of the strawberry to give it a level bottom 

and then covered it in the candy coating.
I really loved how that turned out.

The only problem with that idea was this:
When you stand looking at the display, 

unless you have a very tall tiered tower,
and they are displayed at eye level,
you end up looking straight down at a bunch of green strawberry tops.
You can't see the pretty design until you pick it up!!

I did not love that.

So I decided to just cover them in the candy coating and lay them on their side

as in the inspiration picture.

5.)  You have to work fast!

The candy coating dries really quick!
I experimented with adding designs with shaped "sprinkles,"
but it was super hard to get them stuck on while the coating was still wet.
So I opted for piping on different designs, again, like

in the inspiration picture.

6.)  To adhere the handle to the hardened, dipped strawberry,

you simply pick up the handle and dip it slightly into warm, melted candy coating

and hold it onto the strawberry.
Again, it dries really quickly, so you don't need to put it into the refrigerator

to dry completely.
I tried that on experiment day, and found later it was unnecessary.
But, the handle does want to try melting and breaking on you

in the nanoseconds you are holding it onto the strawberry,
but the thicker the handle, the less likely that was to happen.

In the days just preceding the shower, I had been really struggling with

an upper respiratory infection of some sort.
The night before the shower, I had every intention of covering

all the strawberries and making the handles,

but I felt the worst that night than any previous night up to that point.

I even weighed my options of calling my friend and cancelling all together.
But one of my students from our homeschool co-op came over to help

my daughter and I on the morning of the shower.

We were able to bang out almost 80 strawberries in 2 hours, 

and I couldn't have been more delighted with their hard work, patience,

and calm spirits!!!

 My friend and her daughters were delighted with the finished product!!

  

Teaching Them Diligently: Resurrection Bags/Baskets

This was just so much fun to put together for my kids this year.

Even my oldest ones.

Because who doesn't love chocolate??

Disclaimer:  With all we had going on the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday,

there was just no way I had the time

to create all of these things the day or so before.

I found these free printables months in advance, and purchased each

item several weeks before as I did my regular grocery shopping.

As I had time, I would wrap one element per evening until each item was completed.

That made it a snap to toss them into each bag, assembly line style,

the night before Easter morning.

Rollo candy!!!

Bandaids!!

Solid chocolate bar!

You can find the link for downloading all of these wonderful free printables

here!!
Click on the choice for "Holiday" printables!!

When you wonder what it's all for

I love walking the streets of my neighborhood at dusk.

It's my favorite time of the day.

One of the streets our family fondly calls "the rich street" because 

the large homes sit majestically in the middle of well manicured lawns

under tall, ancient trees that umbrella them with long, rugged branches.

As I quietly wander past these peaceful estates, I often wonder about the people who live in them.

What do they do for a living?

Are they sitting by the big, picture windows in a comforting easy chair

with a cup of coffee watching the sun set?

Are they even home?

The street is always so quiet and I have never actually seen anyone

 coming or going into these homes.

 Recently, as I was driving home from a busy morning away, I noticed a sign.

It pointed in the direction of these homes and said, "Estate Sale."

I followed the sign to find many cars lining the street and more signs pointing

directly to the home with the sale.

All-of-a-sudden,  I had a free golden ticket to walk right down the driveway

to one of these grand places with an opportunity to simply walk right

in to the open front door.
Last week, I could only walk by on the street at arm's length with privacy laws

keeping me wondering what happened behind such beautiful doors.

Today, I could simply walk right into the kitchen

where on display was the most breath-taking collection of vintage, floral china 

and gleaming crystal I had ever seen.

I almost felt like I was intruding as I tip-toed on plush carpet up the stairs and

into the hallway cedar closet.
Here I was looking through the clothing and collectibles and sentimental jewelry

and treasured books and bathrooms of complete strangers.

Their whole entire lives where laid out on stacked tables with little price tags on

each and every piece. 

And what big, grand, glorious lives it seemed they had lived.

Based on the abundant treasures stuffed in every room.

But what happened?  

Had they passed away?

Moved to an assisted living facility?

Had their family already come through and culled out what they wanted?

And this is what is left over?

I left that day with an even stronger sense that life is but a vapor.

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of

man as the flower of grass.

The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away......"
I Peter 1:24

Several years ago I discovered the wonder of researching my own genealogy. 

What fascinating stories to be uncovered.

Weaving characters from my family tree into the pages of this nation's

history left me breathless at times.

But I also grew disheartened.

Of all the information available through modern technology,
I was limited to what was permanently documented.
Any given person's life was mapped out simply by a handful of events:

birth, the national census, draft cards, marriage, and death.

That's it.

That's all I know about my great-great-grandparents who led full, busy lives.

I can tell you where they were born, who their parents were, where they lived, if they went to war,

when they died and the cause, and where they are buried.

I can't tell you if they liked their neighbors.

I can't tell you their favorite colors, or if they played an instrument.

I can't tell you about their faith, or how they came to find their faith community.

I have no idea if they attended church regularly.

I don't know what they liked to have for breakfast

or if they drank coffee.

I don't know what size shoe they wore or if they voted Republican, Democrat, or something else.

They lived 70, 80 years on this earth rising everyday with the sun, raising their families,

and it's like they are complete strangers to me.

Nothing left.

I have no memories of them.

I drove away from that estate sale that day with a heightened awareness

of the fact that all the things we run ourselves ragged over to get done

really mean nothing in the long run.

Our central purpose is wrapped up in this:

"But you are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood, an holy nation,

a peculiar people,

that you should show forth the praises of him 

who hath called you out of darkness

 into his marvelous light."

I Peter 2:9

That's it.

Our central purpose.

To give glory and praise to our Creator.

Because of the great mercy He has shown to us.

The baubles we grasp for and cling to?

Rubble.

The accomplishments and trophies we exhaust ourselves trying to obtain?

Garage sale items.

You may live on the fanciest street with a house full of treasures,

but what will you be remembered for?

"...the flower thereof falls away:

But the word of the Lord endures forever."

I think I'll continue working to focus on the things unseen.

The things that will go on with me into eternity.

The souls of my children and my husband.

The time spent talking to my children about things that really matter.

Seeing things from God's point of view and not our society's.

Building up my faith community and equipping and encouraging the saints

to keep the Kingdom of God moving forward and growing!

Letting my life be a fragrant incense of praise and glory to my Savior.

Fun spring art!!

This adorable little art project is not original with me.

It was, indeed, a pinterest find.

But it looked like a winner to me, so my plan was to do this at our "Celebrate Spring" party.

I loved how easy it was for my little ones to do.

Let me just say though, not all soda bottles are created the same.

But don't just take my word for it.....

Pinterest fail.

So here's my tip-of-the-day.....

This project works best with Diet 7-up or Seven-up bottles.

The pattern on the bottom of the bottles is flat so the paint sticks to the entire

flower pattern on the bottom.

If you look at the bottom of Coca-Cola bottles (or Dr.Pepper or Sprite), you'll notice

that the points of the flower patterns are raised and will take the paint

and not the entire flower pattern.

We used the smallest size 6-pack bottle available,

and were extremely happy with the results!

Happy painting!!

How to teach our daughters that homemaking has value!!