Wisdom for Wednesday-Who will take care of us?

Welcome to this week's:

I heard a sermon by Joyce Meyer the other day and this is something she said, "God will always take care of you!"  What a simple statement but it means so much!  No matter what we face and what we go through we can always count on him to take care of us.  I know that personally as I have faced some hard times, I have wondered why he wasn't taking care of me.  The thing is that God is always taking care of us, but it may not be in the way or when we want him too.  He is always working and it may seem like he isn't doing anything because he isn't doing it according to our timeline.  His way is always the best and he does know what he is doing.  When we feel like he isn't working in our lives and taking care of us, that is when we need to trust him the most and know that his ways are above our ways.  

Have a great day!

Where is summer going????

Is it just me or does it seem like the summers go faster every year??  Can you believe that it is almost July already?  

Well, I have now started to think a little more about school and started to work on a few things. Crystal is excited because they are adopting Reading Wonders for next year.  She was on top of it and already made I have who has games for the high frequency words and vocabulary words in it.  Along with those games, she wanted the connect four games that we have used with all our reading series.  Since she is only able to use one hand/arm due to her surgery :-( , I got busy and worked on the connect four games and I finished them up this week.

     

If you're interested, you can check them out in our TPT store: 

Buy the bundle and save $7!!!

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4

Set 5

Set 6

I'm still doing some redecorating in my house and have gotten a lot done so far.  I still have more to do so my goal is to finish it all before summer is over. I hope I can do it!

Have a great day!

Long Time...No "Write"

Hey there! It's me, Crystal. :-)

I thought I'd bring you up to speed (mostly through pictures because typing is still a challenge) on the last few weeks--still not teaching related if that is the only reason you stop in, you can click away...I would apologize, but we're on summer break you understand!

Three weeks ago the kids and I went on a school trip to Washington DC! We've been planning, fundraising, and saving for this trip for two years. 

We had a great time! It was jam-packed with seeing sights and there was way too many people everywhere for this country Kansas kid, but I'm so thankful we got to experience seeing our nation's history up close and personal. 

Definitely leaves one to wonder how our country has gotten to where it is today, but explaining that would require me getting on my soapbox...I'll spare you! ;-)

We flew in on a Friday night, the kids left for church camp in CO the next morning, and I reported bright and early for shoulder surgery  that Monday morning.

Surgery went well. More extensive damage than they expected...not too surprising since I injured it in September. I am in this sling/brace thing full-time for another week and then I really hope I can start taking it off some (or burn it already!).

I definitely underestimated how difficult it would be without my dominant arm. 

Seriously. 

I can not even begin to explain... 

Happy to say that I'm almost two weeks post-op and doing well. I struggle between doing nothing (because I'm so limited, it is annoying) or trying to do too much!

Wisdom for Wednesday - True Greatness

Hi there! 

I'll be keeping this short and sweet because typing one-handed is laborious and time consuming! I thought I could figure out a way to get comfortable and be able to use my right fingers, but it wasn't as easy as I thought...

More wisdom from True Woman 101: Divine Design by Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  

"Jesus taught that..."

Hmm...

True greatness comes by serving.

Are we serving or selfishly seeking?

 

Pinterest Approved Recipe Link-Up : June Edition

I have linked up with Teaching in Paradise for their pinterest approved recipe link-up:  June Edition.  

Since it is summer, I've had some time to try some new pinterest recipes that I have been wanting to try and I fell in love with them!

1.  This is so simple to make and is absolutely delicious!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

2.  Another simple one to make that is delicious!

Bacon-Ranch Easy Chicken Bake

My next recipe that I want to try is Texas Chicken Nachos.

They just look yummy!

Don't forget to link up and share your favorite recipes and ones that you want to try. 

Have a great day

Summer Busyness!

Is it just me or does it seem like summers are busy?  I think my problem is that I hold off on doing everything all year because I'm too busy and tired from school and I try to get it all done in the summer.  I've been busy painting, pulling up a wood floor and organizing things.  I looked at my fitbit at 10:30 and couldn't believe the steps that I had already taken:

15,801 steps by mid morning.  This has become a pattern for me...you would think that I would start losing some weight.  LOL!  

I had to add a dog bath to my schedule as well.  My poor dog has fleas so bad!  I put frontline on her and it didn't help.  So, she  we got a dawn soap bath to help kill those fleas off of her.  I say we because with her shaking off the water so many times, I was soaked by the end of it as well.

I think I'm ready to slow it down a bit and start taking a few naps during the day before it's too late.

Hope you are enjoying your time off!

Wisdom for Wednesday-Let it Go!

Welcome to another week of:

I love this quote.  It is so true because you can worry worry and worry some more but it doesn't get you anywhere at all!  This is my new goal.....to stop worrying so much.  I am working on letting it go and giving it to God and trusting him and believing that he knows what is best for me.  If I am looking to him, he will guide me in the right direction and put me on the right path.

Have a great day!

Home Improvement HELP!

I apologize that this blog isn't about education at all, but it is summer.  :-)  Well, I feel like I have been doing home improvement stuff all day every day and I'm ready to be done.  I started with painting the living room and finally finished it!  YAY!  It used to be a sage green and now it is a more neutral color called basket beige.  

Unfortunately, as the living room was tore up and getting painted, the kitchen wood floor got wet and buckled up.  Another project-ripping the wood floor up.  

So my living room and kitchen were a disaster.  I am the type of person that likes to have things in their place and when it isn't I get a little stressed.  Now, over half the kitchen floor is tore out and I'm also painting the kitchen.  Here is the problem, under the wood floor there is a laminate that could be used, but there is some permanent marker on parts of it.  My husband had to install a couple of dishwashers and got tired of trying to take the floor out by it and remember where the pieces went back.  Therefore, he labeled  the wood pieces and the laminate flooring with the permanent marker.I have been trying everything to try to get it off.  I searched the internet and tried the following:

1.  rubbing alcohol

2.  WD40

3.  Goof off

4.  Colgate whitening toothpaste with scope-yes I tried it because someone online said that it worked for them. 

5.  Magic Eraser

So far, I have found nothing that has worked.  I really don't want to have to put a new floor down when the one that is down is usable.  

Anyone have any suggestions of how I could get the permanent marker out?  

Babysitting Time!

My co-teacher wanted to take her other 2 boys to the swimming pool on Thursday and asked me if I could watch her 1 year old when she went.  Of course, I said yes and was excited and nervous at the same time. You see, I have no kids except for my pets (those are my babies).  So, to have a 1 year old all by myself I will have to say made me a little nervous.  I am happy to report that we had a great time and I made it through my nervousness.  We started out time together playing ball, I mean a lot of ball (this entertained him for a very long time)!!  LOL!

Then he started to get tired (and so did I)!  

Then he slept!

He is such a good boy!  We had a great time!

Wisdom for Wednesday-Worry

Welcome to this week's:

I read this the other day in my daily devotional from the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  When I read it.....I thought OUCH!  I am such a worrier no matter how hard I try, I still worry.  I worry about big things, little things, important things, unimportant things.  I have got to work on this worrying!  

The devotional said, "Who is in charge of your life?"  If it is you, then you have good reason to worry.  But since I am in charge, worry is both unnecessary and counterproductive.  

It is so true that if I try to take care of everything in my life on my own, I should be worrying.  But on the other hand if I were to just release it to God, then he can take care of it for me or show me how to handle it.  This is something that I can say and I understand it, but to take action on it is so hard for me.  Life would be so much easier if I would start doing it all the time!  Something I will continue to work on.

Have a great day!

I love Mom Time!

You are never too old to need your mom!  My mom came down and spent 2 nights here with me at the house.  I love being around her and spending time with her.  We took time to just relax!  Both of us tend to get a lot of things going and stay pretty busy.  That relaxing time doesn't happen often, but we did a lot of relaxing and just visiting these last couple of days!  We took time every morning to sit out on my porch and enjoy our coffee and listen to the birds!

My mom has such a green thumb and gave these plants to me.  I'm hoping I can keep them alive!  I didn't develop the green thumb that she has-these look good, but she said that they went through a hail storm at her house and she didn't think they looked as good.  Plus she started these by just a sprig!  No way could I do that!  

Unfortunately, she had to leave today and we both were teary eyed as she left.  She is only 2 1/2 hours away, but with schedules and everything going on it is hard to get together.  I am grateful for the days that I had with her and the relaxing that we both got to do.  I'm already looking forward to the next time we get to sit on the porch, relax and drink our coffee!

Hope you are having a great day!

DIY Headboard

 Hey there!

I'm happy to report that I am ALMOST back to normal as far as my back/neck is concerned. 

So thankful! 

The kids and I are headed to Washington DC this week and I was so worried I'd be miserable. I'll be having shoulder surgery when we get back, so Kristi will be keeping up the blog without me for a couple of weeks.

I was able to complete one of the things on my to-do list for this summer...making a headboard.

Confession...My husband and I have been married almost 20 years and we have never had a headboard unless you count the waterbed we had for a couple of years.

Anyway, we got a new king-sized bed last summer and I had made up my mind that I was going to make a headboard. I went to Pinterest (where else?) and found a bunch of options, but eventually settled on this one. Plans are included at the link, but I had to adapt them for our king-size bed.

 What can I say? I have amazing kids! 

They were more than willing to help me make the cuts.

 

The boards are pine 1x4s, 1x2s, and 1x6s cut to various lengths so that not joints match up.

 

We chose three different stain colors: Cherry (light), Ebony (medium), and Dark Walnut (dark). 

 

My husband finished putting it together for me. 

He knew I wanted to see the finished project before we left on our trip and I was in no shape to keep working on it!

I realize that this picture would be much more dramatic in my bedroom, but you get the idea. :-)

I'm thrilled with the way it turned out--and for only $60! 

Side tables up next, but I'll probably need even more help with my arm in a brace... Hmmm...

Here's hoping the kids and hubby are still feeling so helpful!