If you have one piece of paper and a stapler (or glue or tape), you can quickly make a little book for your child to color or write in. These are fun for any reason, and they make a nice little piece of mail for Grandma, too.
I have several good friends who are currently pregnant or have just had a baby, so I want to share this beautiful song in honor of them. May God bless and protect your precious baby whom He has created in His image. And may God bless you as you raise them to love and follow Christ.
A Mother’s Prayer – Rachel Aldous
Verse:
My sweet baby on loan from above.
No better treasure could I more love.
I stand here beside your bed as I pray
I lay my hand on your head and I say:
Chorus:
May you grow up to serve Him all of your days.
May He lead you and guide you in all of your ways.
May His hand bless your future with friendships that last.
May you cherish your youth and not grow up too fast
Verse:
I stare in wonder at your tiny frame.
Just to think that God knows you by name.
He knows every hair on your beautiful head.
He knows your thoughts before they are said.
Chorus:
May you grow up to serve Him all of your days
May He lead you and guide you in all of your ways.
May His Hand bless your future with friendships that last.
May you cherish your youth and not grow up too fast.
Prayer:
May God grant you peace in the midst of a storm.
May God give you strength even when you’re forlorn.
May you answer the door when Jesus comes knocking.
May wisdom guide when our mouth is talking.
May discretion protect you and keep you pure.
May you never stumble or fall for a lure.
May your heart remain humble to the very end.
May uprightness and truth be what you defend.
May the world not ensnare or change who you are.
May the light that’s within you shine like the stars.
May angels surround you body, spirit, mind.
May favor and peace be yours to find.
May rejection and pain never reach you.
May your spirit grow bold for what you’re called to.
Chorus:
May you grow up to serve Him all of your days.
May He lead you and guide you in all of your ways.
May His Hand bless your future with friendships that last.
May you cherish your youth and not grow up too fast.
As you rest in God’s care I will rest, too.
Knowing that Jesus is watching over you.
Amen
Hannah (Rachel’s daughter) speaks: I love you, Mommy…
Click here to view an interview with Rachel Aldous.
How do you store your child’s artwork? Well, my brother, bless his heart, keeps all of Ava and Landon’s mail and artwork that they give him in a very special place…. on top of his microwave. 🙂 A pretty little stack of papers have been there since Ava was itty-bitty. It’s so sweet that he keeps his niece and nephew’s pictures and that he keeps them out where they can be enjoyed, but I thought that perhaps he would like a slightly more organized and attractive, yet still accessible, way to keep their artwork. So, I found this black Document Storage Box, and I just couldn’t pass it up. It’s the perfect size, and we chose to personalize it and give it to him as a gift.
Isn’t this the cutest little prince (minus a crown) that you’ve ever seen? I thought Landon should get to dress up a little at Ava’s princess-themed birthday party, so I gathered a few craft supplies I had on hand and made this little Prince’s Tunic for my little boy from two pieces of felt and some pieces and materials for embellishment. It’s very easy, and if you aren’t handy with a needle and thread, I would assume you could use craft or fabric glue of some kind to get the job done, as well!
Ava loves dressing up and imagining and this past year has been filled with both. She loves pretending to be a princess, so this year for her birthday, I decided to give her a princess-themed party. This party cost me $30 total (decorations and food included)! I have a lot of craft supplies and saved party supplies, so that helped my budget go farther. Read below to see some highlighted parts of the party and find ideas that may spark some ideas of your own for your future birthday party planning. Our glass doors made a great backdrop for the party, but they aren’t so great for taking pictures (sorry about that)…
click photo to enlarge
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Cupcake Rose Bouquet – There are many tutorials online for creating the cupcake rose bouquet. Our cupcakes were made from boxed cake mix on clearance after Easter (just because it had an Easter-related graphic on the box), and icing was on clearance for the same reason. I dyed half of the the mix yellow and half of it pink before pouring it into the muffin cups to give us colorful two-toned cupcakes. I added powdered sugar to the purchased icing to give it more body for creating the rose tops. I bought the pot for $1 at the dollar store and then painted it with yellow acrylic paint and added lace at the top with glue. Floral foam ($1 from dollar store) and toothpicks are how the cupcakes are secured to the pot.
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Tea Cup Ice Cream Bowls – The tea cups from the set my mom and dad bought me a couple years ago were perfect for our royal party. Instead of putting drinks in them, however, I used them to serve ice cream. I also brought out my “pretty things” like vases for serving, serving tray and bowl for center piece, etc.
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Wrapping Paper – I used colorful wrapping paper as a runner down our counter to give color and continuity to the decorations. I even folded and cut it to make a small matching valence for the kitchen window. And, oh yeah, I wrapped presents with it, too.
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Palace Windows – Our new leaded glass windows are courtesy of Crayola window crayons. I just used the black window crayon and drew lines on the glass. Then, to give the windows a peaked top, I cut cardstock and taped it in the upper corners. I loved the effect! It really made a difference.
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Napkin Flower Decorations – There are many tutorials online for creating these, as well. I used this tutorial and loved the way they turned out. I bought napkins at the dollar store for a total of $2 and got these pretty decorations out of it. I also used tissue paper for the large ones.
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Balloons – Pretty Princess helium balloon was $1 from dollar store and lasts a long time! Pink helium balloons from Kroger were $1 each and were on the ground the next morning – hmmm. Regular blow up balloons were tied to the backs of each chair to add some color.
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Paper Cup Embellishment – Landon helped me stick diamond-thingys on each paper cup ($1 from dollar store) to make them a little more special.
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Cookies – Our sugar cookies came from a bought package of mix, which was also found on clearance after Easter simply because of the Easter-related packaging. The icing was on clearance, too – I piped it on the cookies using a plastic sandwich bag.
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Tulle – I spread white tulle over our white tablecloth to give it a little more of that fairytale feeling. I also tied some to Ava’s chair to make it more special.
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Pinata – It was free! Check out our paper-mache hot air balloon pinata tutorial.
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Princess’ Scepter – I attached one of the napkin flowers to the end of a bubble wand.
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Prince’s Sword – I painted some cardboard green to match the bubble wand. Then I cut a hole in the middle and it slipped down until it hit the handle.
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Prince’s Tunic – I made this from felt, ribbon, and beads for Landon – you can check out my prince’s tunic tutorial.
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Princess Ava – Of course, the birthday girl is the most important part of the party! Her grandma and grandpa had a sleepover with her in their RV the night before the party, which allowed me to decorate, and made everything more fun for Ava. My mom fixed her up in all her princess loveliness before she arrived at our house for the party. When the princess did arrive at the “palace” she was so excited that we thought she would absolutely burst!
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If you read our post about our Paper Mache Hot Air Balloon Piñata (you can read it here), then you may be interested to know that the balloon did not last as a decoration – That baby got whacked to pieces! 🙂 And it was fun! We skipped the blindfold and just hit away! Here a couple photos of the balloon on party day and a couple videos of its last glorious moments!
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| Little brother’s job was to fill the piñata. |
The decision to destroy the pinata.
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| Princess Ava did most of the hitting. |
Goodbye, pretty balloon. You served your purpose well!
In honor of Independence Day, I would like to share part of this interesting and inspiring article with you.
This article was written by David Barton, Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage. David is highly respected and astonishingly knowledgeable on the foundation of our country.
4th of July
David Barton
John Adams concluded that Independence Day should be commemorated in a particular manner and with a specific spirit. As he told Abigail: “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.” John Adams believed that the Fourth of July should become a religious holiday – a day when we remembered God’s hand in deliverance and a day of religious activities when we committed ourselves to Him in “solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
Have you ever considered what it meant for those 56 men – an eclectic group of ministers, business men, teachers, university professors, sailors, captains, farmers – to sign the Declaration of Independence? This was a contract that began with the reasons for the separation from Great Britain and closed in the final paragraph stating “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Dr. Benjamin Rush
Dr. Benjamin Rush, the father of American Medicine and a signer, recorded that day in his diary. In 1781, he wrote to John Adams “Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the House when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress to subscribe to what was believed by many at that time to be our death warrants? The silence and gloom of the morning was interrupted, I well recollect, only for a moment by Colonel Harrison of Virginia (a big guy) who said to Mr. Gerry (small in stature) at the table: ‘I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing… From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.’ This speech procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”
Robert Morris
These men took this pledge seriously. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania is an example of the highest level of integrity. He was chosen as the financier of the American Revolution. What an honor, except that there was no bank willing to give any loans to help fund the revolution. It was three years and the Battle of Saratoga before America got any kind of funding at all. After winning that battle, foreign nations like France, Holland, and others decided maybe we weren’t such a bad risk and began loaning us money. So where did we get money for the first three years? Congress, at that time, could not have obtained a loan of one thousand dollars, yet Robert Morris effected loans upon his own credit, of tens of thousands. In 1781, George Washington conceived the expedition against Cornwallis, at Yorktown. He asked Judge Peters of Pennsylvania, “What can you do for me?” “With money, everything, without it, nothing,” he replied, at the same time turning with anxious look toward Mr. Morris. “Let me know the sum you desire,” said Mr. Morris; and before noon Washington’s plan and estimates were complete. Robert Morris promised him the amount, and he raised it upon his own responsibility. It has been justly remarked, that: “If it were not demonstrable by official records, posterity would hardly be made to believe that the campaign of 1781, which resulted in the capture of Cornwallis, and virtually closed the Revolutionary War, was sustained wholly on the credit of an individual merchant.” America couldn’t repay him because there was no money and yet Robert Morris never complained because he had given his word.
John Hart
You see the same thing in the life of John Hart. He was a strong Christian gentleman and Speaker of the House of Representatives in New Jersey. He promised to help provide them with guidance and leadership. There were three things that were important in his life; his Savior, his family and his farm. Because of his signature on the Declaration, the British were seeking him (and the rest of the signers) to execute as traitors. John Hart fled his home after which his farm was ravaged, his timber destroyed, his cattle and stock butchered for the use of the British army. He did not dare to remain two nights in the same location. After Washington’s success at the battle of Trenton, he finally returned home to find that his wife had died and his children scattered. He lost almost everything that was important to him but kept his word.
John Hancock
John Hancock, a very wealthy individual lived in a mansion reflecting his princely fortune – one of the largest in the Province of Massachusetts. During the time the American army besieged Boston to rid it of the British, the American officers proposed the entire destruction of the city. “By the execution of such a plan, the whole fortune of Mr. Hancock would have been sacrificed. Yet he readily acceded to the measure, declaring his willingness to surrender his all, whenever the liberties of his country should require it.” A man of his word, he demonstrated his integrity.
John Peter MuhlenburgThe 16 Congressional proclamations for prayer and fasting throughout the Revolution were not bland (i.e., the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ, the quoting of Romans 14:17, etc.); however, this is not unusual considering the prominent role that many ministers played in the Revolution.
One such example is John Peter Muhlenburg. In a sermon delivered to his Virginia congregation on January 21, 1776, he preached verse by verse from Ecclesiastes 3 – the passage which speaks of a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. Arriving at verse 8, which declares that there is a time of war and a time of peace, Muhlenburg noted that this surely was not the time of peace; this was the time of war. Concluding with a prayer, and while standing in full view of the congregation, he removed his clerical robes to reveal that beneath them he was wearing the uniform of an officer in the Continental army! He marched to the back of the church; ordered the drum to beat for recruits and nearly three hundred men joined him, becoming the Eighth Virginia Brigade. John Peter Muhlenburg finished the Revolution as a Major-General, having been at Valley Forge and having participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stonypoint, and Yorktown.
Reverend James Caldwell
Another minister-leader in the Revolution was the Reverend James Caldwell. His actions during one battle inspired a painting showing him standing with a stack of hymn books in his arms while engaged in the midst of a fierce battle against the British outside a battered Presbyterian church. During the battle, the Americans had developed a serious problem: they had run out of wadding for their guns, which was just as serious as having no ammunition. Reverend Caldwell recognized the perfect solution; he ran inside the church and returned with a stack of Watts Hymnals – one of the strongest doctrinal hymnals of the Christian faith (Isaac Watts authored “O God Our Help In Ages Past,” “Joy to the World,” “Jesus Shall Reign,” and several other classic hymns). Distributing the Watts Hymnals among the soldiers served two purposes: first, its pages would provide the needed wadding; second, the use of the hymnal carried a symbolic message. Reverend Caldwell took that hymn book – the source of great doctrine and spiritual truth – raised it up in the air and shouted to the Americans, “Give ’em Watts, boys!”
The American Sentiment
The spiritual emphasis manifested so often by the Americans during the Revolution caused one Crown-appointed British governor to write to Great Britain complaining that: “If you ask an American who is his master, he’ll tell you he has none. And he has no governor but Jesus Christ.”
Letters like this, and sermons like those preached by the Reverend Peter Powers titled “Jesus Christ the King,” gave rise to a sentiment that has been described as a motto of the American Revolution. Most Americans are unaware that the Revolution might have had mottoes, but many wars do (e.g., in the Texas’ war for independence, it was “Remember the Alamo”; in the Union side in the Civil War, it was “In God We Trust”; in World War I, it was “Remember the Lusitania”; in World War II, it was “Remember Pearl Harbor”; etc.). A motto of the American Revolution directed against the tyrant King George III and the theologically discredited doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings (which asserted that when the king spoke, it was the voice of God speaking directly to the people) was simple and direct: “No King but King Jesus!” Another motto (first suggested by Benjamin Franklin and often repeated during the Revolution) was similar in tone: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”
Preserving American liberty depends first upon our understanding the foundations on which this great country was built and then preserving the principles on which it was founded. Let’s not let the purpose for which we were established be forgotten. The Founding Fathers have passed us a torch; let’s not let it go out. > Read the entire 4th of July Article by David Barton.
In preparation for July 4th, I worked with Ava, who is almost 4 years old, for several days on saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Each day I said it once or twice and she said it with me, and then one day she recited it all by herself. Her great-grandpa (WWII veteran) and an elderly gentleman in our neighborhood (also a veteran) are just a couple of the people to whom she has proudly recited the Pledge.
Below is a video of my little patriot saying the Pledge of Allegiance….
I’m so proud of my girl. And I’m so proud to be an American!
It’s tough. Some parts of life are just difficult. Life is not always a bed of roses – sometimes it just feels like a vast expanse of mud. We all go through hard times and find ourselves feeling like we are the only one. The fact is that we’re not. Sometimes the nature of our situations just leave us quiet – Quiet in our sorrow or fear or hurt or worry or need. And all the other people in our same situation are quiet, too. So it is unsurprising that we often feel alone and closed-off.
For close to a year, my family has been going through a very difficult time which we have been quiet about. We are quiet for many reasons, which we feel are good reasons. The downside is that by being quiet, we have shut ourselves off from people who are going through the exact same thing. Sometimes it would be nice to just be reminded that we are not alone.
While I don’t plan on opening up any time soon about all my feelings in regards to the situation my family is currently in, I do recognize that we are not alone. Not only are there other people with our problem, there are other people like me with our problem, and if I could call a conference for all the people who are currently walking in my shoes, there wouldn’t be a facility capable of holding all the attendees.
Although I won’t get to have a pow-wow with all the wives and mothers who are dealing with my situation in their own homes, I can know that I am certainly not walking alone. My heavenly Father not only knows about my problems, but He walks through them with me, and gives me daily strength, encouragement, and wisdom to make it through. He understands every complex feeling and thought and He knows our every need. Talking about how God cares for us is not just a sweet thought intended to make people feel better. The love of God and the presence of God is a powerful truth that changes situations, that lights up the dark, that feeds the hungry soul, that turns sadness into joy. His power and His goodness supercede all that our minds are humanly capable of. When I begin thinking about who God is and all that He has done for me (Praise the Lord!), I cannot help but feel hopeful and free knowing that my God who claims me as His own is taking care of me.
Ava is old enough now to begin understanding that there are some things she needs to do on a daily basis to help herself and to contribute to our family life. So, we made her a Responsibility Jar by decorating an empty food canister and purchasing some glass pebbles (I really wanted marbles but couldn’t find any) at the dollar store. Colorful pom-poms would have been fun, too.How It Works
Ava and I talked about what her responsibilities would be and she helped me make the pictures on white labels. We then trimmed them and stuck them onto the outside of the canister. Each time she completes one of her responsibilities, she gets to draw a pebble (she calls them jewels) from a bag and add it to her jar.Why It Works
Currently, I like using a jar better than using a chart, because I never have to re-do or re-print it. If we decide to change one of her responsibilities, we can just cover over an existing label with a new one. Currently, she has four responsibilites (which I am monitoring at this age) – Brush her teeth, Make her bed, Eat all of her food, and Pick up her toys. She thinks brushing her teeth and making her bed are fun, so I was glad to include them as part of her responsibilities. I don’t want her to think of all responsibilities or chores as being a pain.
Motivation
At this age, just putting the “jewel” in the jar is enough motivation. I hope it continues this way for a while. If one day when she is older we need to motivate her further, we may let there be some sort of reward when she fills the jar… maybe something like getting to pick a movie for movie night or a trip to the park or whatever seems appropriate when we cross that bridge.
Ava wants a piñata for her upcoming, princess-themed, 4th birthday party, so we made a piñata together instead of purchasing one. I was already aware of the idea of making a paper mache piñata from a balloon, but I was struggling with how a balloon shape could be attractive for her “princessy” party. Then I realized that I should go with the shape and not fight it. So, folks, I introduce to you our pretty princess hot air balloon (because every princess should have a hot air balloon, right?) and the steps we took to make it…
This is a fun project that lets your child be creative with whatever you have on-hand. I have lots of craft supplies and scraps from other projects, and you probably have a lot randon things around your house, too (buttons, paper, pasta….).
First, I asked Ava to draw a person on a piece of heavy paper (you could also use a broken down Little Debbie snack cake box, since they are white on the inside). Next, we got out our glue and I let Ava have a ball going through all our scrappy stuff to pick out what she wanted to use. I helped her with the shirt and skirt, but she pretty much did everything else. It was so fun to see what scraps/pieces she chose. (I think I definitely need a pair of shoes like these.)
We even got pretty detailed. Check out these undies and the little book pictured below!
It will be fun to do this again in a year or two when Landon is able to participate and make a little guy version of our scrappy people.
