Fleece in the Summertime? ~ Fun in the Summer Sun Link-up!

Welcome to the 2nd week of our Fun in the Summer Fun event!  Each Monday until September 7th,  Mama to 4 Blessings along with
Adventures of Mommydom,
Sweet Diva,
 Harvest Moon By Hand,
and Sweet Phenomena
 will be hosting Fun in the Summer Fun link up events.

Here's the line up:

The 1st Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer activities"

The 2nd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer crafts"

The 3rd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer recipes"

The 4th Monday of each month: link up your "How to stay cool in the summer heat"

This week, we made a fleece blanket! =)  Yes, I know what you're thinking......a fleece blanket?!  Not your typical idea for a summer craft, you say?  Yeah, well.....wasn't mine either, but as I took my 3 tag-a-longs to Hobby Lobby with me last week to pick up some supplies, they rebelled against my ideas. 

Sort of. 

They liked what I wanted them to do, but my daughter was leaving at the end of the week on a choir tour/missions trip and wanted a new blanket to take with her.....and had her mind set on the pattern she knew I had to make one.  "Can't you just take one you already have?", I asked.  "Who wants to make a blanket in the summer time anyway?!".  She reminded me that I melted her previous fleece blanket in a dryer in the laundromat we had to use a while back when our dryer gave up the ghost.  =/  By now, her brothers had jumped on the blanket bandwagon and I had 3 kids who apparently desperately needed new fleece blankets.  As we continued to debate our crafting plans, we walked around the corner to the fabrics and guess what we set our eyes upon?  A zebra print fleece that was just what my girl had in mind.....and on sale! 

As I gave in to my daughter, my boys disappeared and returned with big bolts of fleece in their arms.....and 2 more sets of baby blues got their way. =)  I figured part of the fun of  a summer craft is having the time to do what they want to do, yes?

We headed home and Ashlyn got right to work:

First, she cut the selvages off each end of her fleece.

Then, using a 5 1/2" square template pattern, she pinned and then cut out a corner on all four sides.  You can vary the size depending on the size of your blanket......this was for fabric that is 60" x 54".

Next, using a fringe template, she pinned the template and cut fringe around all sides of the blanket.  Depending on the age of  the child and their cutting accuracy, you could just cut 1" strips 5 1/2" long all the way along.  To make your own template, cut out a 6 1/4" x 7" rectangle.  Mark and draw a horizontal line 1" from from the top ~ this is your "stop cutting here" line.  Then, mark and draw your perpendicular lines, each 1" apart, from the horizontal line you drew to the bottom of the paper.  Voila ~ you have a cutting template!

Time-saving tip for impatient little (and big) crafters:  fold your fabric in half, matching ends, before cutting your fringe and you'll cut your cutting time in half as well. =)

Once all her fringe was cut, she tied a knot at the base of each fringe strip.  Once she had all of her fringe knotted, her blanket was done (except for the embroidering of her name in lime green that she'd like done by yours truly). 

After she finished making her blanket, I had to admit....it's not such a bad summer craft at all.  A one-layer fleece blanket makes a nice, soft, cuddly lightweight summer blanket when those heavy comforters and quilts aren't needed!  I think I want to make one for myself now. =)

You may have noticed there's no photos of my boys making their blankets.  We can't decide if the fringe is too girly.....one says it's fine, and the other isn't sure.  Jacob has Fl. Gator fleece and Robert has GA. Bulldog fleece awaiting our decision. 

What do you think?  I'd love to know!  And, while you're at it.....

What is your Kid Friendly Summer Craft (s)?

We would love for you to share them!

Today's Creative Blog

Homeschool Mother's Journal

Linking up today....



In my life this week…

• schooling {year round}, albeit very relaxed =)
• sewing ~ teaching & creating
• eating blueberries!!
• planning

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

getting Math and Language Arts out of the way today, then to visit friends, swim in the pool, and CHILL OUT! ; )

My favorite thing this week was…

Children's Choir celebration night.....& hearing really good things about my boys!!

Things I’m working on…

Making a list of curriculum needed for the coming school year in prep. for a used curriculum book sale tomorrow, organizing, decluttering, a new rag quilt for my Etsy shop, helping my daughter prepare for a choir tour/missions trip, and not tossing my VERY BAD CAT out the door!!!

I’m reading…

"Freedom's Stand" by J.M. Windle.........and curriculum info ; )

I’m praying for…

• My VERY, VERY BAD cat = /
• Wisdom for the coming school year (curriculum, activities, etc.....)
• having one less elementary-aged child and one more middle schooler in our home; wisdom for him to make the right choices in the coming years; that he will choose to follow Christ in all things & grow closer to Him in order to be the Godly man he was created to be ♥
• RAIN!!!!!!
• Finances
• Lost family members

 Questions/thoughts I have…

Are you able to see my GFC following box?  Is yours working on your blog?

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

  

The last time Jacob sang with the 5th grade choir at church (sniff, sniff).  Can you see him?  He's the ♥super cute♥ kid on the back row, 1st one on the right! ; )  I ♥ him!!!!

Finding "The One".....The Journey of Finding True Love

....with Faith Barista.

I discovered Faith Barista's blog a few weeks ago, and haven't been able to link up again due to home improvement projects edging out my blogging time.  I still have more projects to do....but didn't want to miss another week, so checked her weekly topic last night.  When I saw what it was, I thought "Hmmmm......perhaps I'll wait till next week", as it is a topic that tends to get me on a soapbox of sorts.  That, combined with 3 very loud & way-too-hyper-kids-for-that-hour-of-the-evening being hyped up even further by my way-too-hyped-up-for-that-hour-of-the-evening husband had me logging off  and giving up on creating a Barista Jam post.

However, as it often happens, the morning brings with it a renewed and refreshed mind, and often a change of heart.  =)

Faith Barista has become of my favorite new finds.....I think you should check out her blog ~ unless you never need encouragement in your daily walk with Christ.  Maybe that's only me. ; )

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July 21, 1995

The day I changed my last name......and the beginning of a journey that proved to be a much different experience than I ever expected.

As a girl, I often (too often) dreamed of finding The One.....and of what life would be like with him.  Even though I grew up in a family that I thought had me wise beyond my years of the difficult realities of marriage, I have discovered through my  journey that my view was very skewed.  Although I didn't completely fall victim to the "Disney" image of love and happiness, my views were a combination of church-led ideals and American romanticism.

Church-led ideals?  As a teen and young woman growing through those years in a wonderful church community, the idea that God has ONE person for you, out there....just waiting for you to find him/her ~ a Christian soul-mate ~ was one that I grasped wholeheartedly.  The world I know ~ Christian & non-Christian ~ has bought the soul mate philosophy hook, line and sinker.  A soul mate ~ the one person you are destined to be with, God ordained to be with, forever and always.  How romantic.  How ideal.  But is it right?  If it is, then why are Christians divorcing at an alarming rate ~ higher than even non-Christians?

As I've journeyed through this thing called marriage, sometimes rejoicing & sometimes struggling, I've taken the habit of observing others along the way.  As I watched "perfect couples" hurt each other, hurt their children, separate and divorce......as I watched as friends (and myself) were shocked as "scandals" unfolded, affairs were revealed, heart-breaking and family-altering decisions were made......I kept thinking about that "Finding the One" mindset.  And I changed my mind.  Because what happens when things don't turn out the way you expected?  What happens when that person you married becomes someone different, someone you don't even recognize?  What happens when their goals and desires change, when they make choices that you don't agree with and they don't fit into that ideal "one-ness" that you bargained for?  What happens when they (or you) find someone else that they are attracted to, who they are also compatible with.....who meets their needs in a way that you don't at the moment?  Affairs, disloyalty, hurt, anger.  For many Christians operating in "the One" philosophy, they are shocked.  They think, "I made a mistake.  He wasn't the One.  The One is still out there somewhere.....the One God REALLY had for me".  And you have Christians walking out of marriages to correct their "mistake",  moving on to what they think God really intended for them.

????????????????????????????????????????

Does no one else see a problem with this mindset?  At what point did marriage become so fantasy-like.....was it my parents' generation or before?  There WAS at time when people got married, they built a life together, they worked for a common goal.......there wasn't so much focus on feelings & being led by them, but doing what is right ~ because it's RIGHT.....and they STAYED.  As far back as you can look through history, this is how it was.  When did it change?  There is much good about the development of society, but I tend to think that in many ways ~ esp. in marriage and family ~ we have romanticized and fantasized our way out of the stability they were meant to provide.

I've come to think that each of us could build a happy life and a happy marriage with more than one person.  I know, it's not as romantic as the movies or the picture we like to paint in our minds,  but through much prayer and seeking Him, combined with Godly guidance from those He has placed in our lives to serve such a purpose, "finding the One" is simply finding someone we are compatible with and love, someone who has similar goals and desires ~ and hopefully (if you are wise) a similar desire for their walk with the Lord....and choosing to make him/her the One.  Every day. 

To make that choice is difficult at times, harder for those who made their initial choice of a mate without consideration for the things above.  But as you choose this daily ~ sometimes clinging desperately to the Lord, you will find that the Journey of making the one you married the One forever leads you somewhere else.  It has for me.

It's easy to love in the good times.  It's also easy not to love in the difficult times, and easy to be led somewhere I have no business going in those times by my feelings.  In my desire to make it work when I don't feel like making it work, to love when I don't feel like loving, forgive when I don't feel like forgiving, overlooking when I don't feel like overlooking, and praying for him when I don't feel like praying......God has drawn me closer and closer to Him, knowing Him and loving Him more intimately than I ever expected. 

In my Journey to do what is right when I have no idea how to do it, I have found that the only way I CAN do it is with complete and utter dependence on my Lord.  And I find that the more I depend on Him, the more I love Him, the more I grow in Him.......the more I love my husband and the more I see that he is the One, because through Christ I still choose for him to be.  Even when I'm hurt or disappointed, when we drive each other crazy & when I want to smack him upside the head. ; )

In my Journey of Finding the One, I have found the ONE ~ really found Him.  I found him first as a 14-yr.-old girl, when I accepted His gift of salvation.  But through this Journey, I have found a relationship with Him that is deeper, richer and more fulfilling that I ever had before the Journey began.  I have grown in a way that I never could have before.  When He becomes more than just what you believe in and you really FALL IN LOVE with Him.....it is then that you can see the One you married as He does and love him as the One God wants him to be.  And then you find what true love really is.  Forever.

Multitude Monday....on Wednesday: Gifts 252 - 268

Moving my Gratitude List to Wednesday again due to my commitment to the Fun in the Summer Sun Event, which is running every Monday throughout the summer......so this may not be the last time I move it.  = )

Whether on Monday or Wednesday, or any other day of the week ~ my Gratitude List will continue.....

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.

~W.T. Purkiser

252.  Fresh peaches from Georgia

253.  Fresh blueberries from Florida

254.  Fresh eggs from a sewing student's sweet mom ~ from their own chicken =)

255.  A new (to us) vehicle!!!!!!

256.  Not having to be paranoid that I'll be stranded with 3 kids on the side of a busy road

257.  My kids wanting to take care of it......and doing an excellent job of keeping it clean

258.  My Granny in good spirits (a rare event these days.....so good to hear of her being cheerful)

259.  A ♥sweet♥  friend telling me of an answered prayer ~~ that I've been praying for =)

260.  A morning at the park with yet another ♥sweet♥  friend

261.  Air conditioning!!!!

262.  A new thermostat installed that is so much nicer to look at than the ancient one it replaced (it's the little things!)

263.  A comment from my ♥Dad♥ telling me he's proud of me =)

264.  The storm that brought much-needed Rain  (please send more!)

265.  A ♥sweet little girl♥ excitedly waving to "Ms. Jill" as her car passes ours

266.  3 people who experience on a daily basis just how crazy/weird/silly/nuts  I really am....and keep my secrets ; )

267.  "Mom, I love you the most out of anyone!"  (Sigh.....they melt my heart ♥.  They're only mine for a little while ~ and yet, not really.  It is to Him that they belong.  May He bless them and keep them, drawing them close to His side, every day of their lives.  And may they always let Him.)

268.  The privilege of being ♥"Mom"♥


My Mustard Seed Planting verse of the week:

"Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children."

~ Deuteronomy 4:9-10








3 Four & Under

Ashlyn's Newest Backpack......

Poor child had to wait long enough!  I told my girl she could pick out any fabrics in my collection and if she didn't find what she wanted, we'd go to  ♥Hobby Lobby♥ to find something since she waited such a long time, without compaint!

The fabrics she chose were actually ones I was considering for myself.....who'd a thunk it?! ; )  Not I........I never expected her to pick something with so much ♥pink♥!

it measures approx. 10"x12"x4"....perfect size for  for a teen/adult for everyday use ~  Great for field trips/day trips/shopping trips to keep your hands free. 

Ashlyn uses hers for church......holds her Bible, her notebook/binder for Middle School, lip gloss, pen, and anything else she might need!

Monogrammed with her initals =)

27" non-adustable straps .....can be made to any specified length.

Also features one outer pocket, one large inner pocket w/velcro closure and one small inner side pocket (perfect size for a cell phone)!



Soooo, my girl's happy for now, and I really want one, too.....for those field trips and day trips.  I just have t find time to make it......if only I didn't need sleep..... ; )

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And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17

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Linking up with:

Berries of Blue ~ Fun in the Summer Sun Link-Up!

Welcome to the 1st of our Fun in the Summer Fun event! Each Monday until September 7th Mama to 4 Blessings along with
 Adventures of Mommydom,
 Sweet Diva,
Harvest Moon By Hand, and
Sweet Phenomena
will be hosting Fun in the Summer Fun link up events.

Here's the line up:

The 1st Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer activities"

The 2nd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer crafts"

The 3rd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer recipes"

The 4th Monday of each month: link up your "How to stay cool in the summer heat"

Here's our family's  "Kid friendly summer activity"

Berries of Blue.....

Some of the best things about the summertime are the delightful natural gifts God has given for us to delight our taste buds with!  Every year, I think about taking my kids blueberry picking, but have waited too long and missed the short season before I know it!  Recently, when a ♥sweet friend♥ sent an email out with the location she frequents, I decided that THIS year, we wouldn't miss the opportunity!

My kids already have a great appreciation for fresh-from-the-garden, locally-grown fruits and vegetables, so I had no doubts at all that they would be all for it.  We have taken trips in the past to local organic produce farms and that "fresh-picked" taste is one that is easy to get accustomed to. ; )  There's also something about meeting the people that grow the food, talking to them and then choosing and/or picking your own items fresh from the Earth that tends to inspire a sense of wonder and appreciation not only for the food, but for the goodness and the wisdom of our God who created it for us. =)

I highly encourage you to check out what's growing in YOUR local community, get out.....and get picking!  To find local farms in your area, try visiting Local Harvest ~ a great site that should get you on your way......or ask around!  Your friends are often your best source for recommendations! 

If mine were younger, I would have pulled out our copy of Blueberries for Sal  by Robert McClosky and read it to them the night before.  But they're not.....boo hoo.  Just suggesting it for you in case yours are younger.....one of the many great books we discovered when we were learning with Five in a Row. 

On the morning of our recent trip to the blueberry farm, everyone was up bright and early ~ eagerly anticipating the rewards of our soon-to-come "labor".....water bottles packed, smiles in place.....

If you have a bit of a drive to get there and you're a super (ahem) cool (cough) mom like me ; ), take along your favorite new CD, turn it up really loud, and rock out on the way while educating your children on what good music is! ; ) { I don't worry about embarrassing them.....I've learned that as long as they don't know the other people driving around us, they're totally ok with their mom having a dance party in the vehicle. They even love me for my weirdness. ♥ As long as I act normal when their friends are around and within a block or so of church, it's all good! ; ) }

If you're local to my area, we went to:

Dowless Blueberry Farm

7010 Ricker Rd 32244

772-1369

Bucket ready, all smiles!

Rows and rows of beautiful blueberries!  You pay for what goes into the bucket.....what misses the bucket and lands in your mouth instead is free ; )

Jacob was the most productive picker of the 3.....

These 2 spent more time sampling than collecting ; )

"Mom, I keep trying not to eat them, but I just can't help it!  They're so good!"

If you teach them from the time they're born to give thanks for all things, if you express wonder and gratitude for the creativity, thoughtfulness and wisdom that our Lord put into all the gifts He's given, perhaps you'll hear your kids making these types of comments along the way.....

"It's so cool how God made so MANY things for us to enjoy!  I mean, he could have just made ONE kind of food and we'd have to eat the same thing all the time.....but we have SO MANY things!" ~ Ashlyn, with a side note, "I'm sure glad He gave us taste buds!"

"I'm so glad God made these blueberries for us.  I guess He knew how much we'd enjoy them.....and they're really good for us, too!" ~ Robert

Two brothers, who were literally at each other's throats the day before, happily working side by side & commenting on the goodness of God in between mouthfuls of berries.  Boys who will be men before I know it, foraging for food. ; )

Tongue check!! (Not as blue as I expected them to be!)

The results of just under an hour's worth of picking (plus another 1/4 of a bucket).....it was starting to get hotter, more humid and the bugs were waking up.  Those factors started to lead to some mild complaints (plus the fact that they want to go back again next week with some friends) told me this party was over ~ because when the whining starts, the fun stops as far as I'm concerned! ; )

The weigh-in.....we left with lots of berries and a flat of those home-grown tomatoes in the back (oh, the difference home-grown makes!)  =)

As we pulled out of the parking area and onto the street, two of my kids said, "Thanks, Mom, for bringing us.....that was really fun" while the other one quickly chimed in with, "Yeah, you're awesome. You always think of really fun things to do.....I can't wait to go back"!

And so, I encourage YOU to get outside with your kids and discover what fresh, local flavors YOUR community has to offer this summer!  Good summer memories don't come just from vacations or expensive theme parks.....some of the best ones come from the little things that don't cost a lot of money, but instead your time, effort and energy.  That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it!  All the proof I need is in the laughter and smiles, the compatibility of working together, the conversations had and overheard, blue-tinted tongues and little blue chunks stuck in their teeth. ; )  Oh, and I'll admit the "thank you's" and "you're awesome" don't hurt, either. ; )

Join the Fun in the Summer Sun and link-up your kid-friendly summer activity below.....I can't wait to read about it!  Oh, and while you're here....please leave a comment for me so I know you stopped by!

Quick Peach Crisp

The calendar may not say it's summer yet, but here in the South {Florida, specifically} it sure is feeling like it!  Being a major foodie, one of my favorite parts of summer is the flavors!! ; )

This past week, we excitedly cut into our first watermelon of the year, and arrived home from a beach day on Monday to find a surprise waiting for us on our doorstep!  One of my favorite flavors of the season happens to be peaches......and I am convinced that there ain't nothin' quite as sweet as a juicy Georgia peach!!!  With family in The Peach State, I've got connections and get them straight from the packing shed every summer.  My mom was coming home on Memorial Day from a weekend visit with my Granny and delivered a huge box! =)

If you live within driving distance or happen to be passing through close enough to Musella, GA, you should consider making a pit stop at Dickey Farms, visiting their packing shed or shop and picking some up!  Trust me.  They grow the BEST peaches and have been doing it since 1897!!  Visit their website for lots of interesting facts and tons of recipes as well!

We've been going to town on these peaches all week, but I spotted several that needed to be used ASAP.  I whipped up a double batch of Quick Peach Crisp because I will never, ever let a precious peach be wasted if I can help it! ; )  You can use another type of fruit if you don't have peaches {or, (gasp!!!!) if you don't like them}.  As always, I'm posting the original recipe with my whole grain substitutions in parenthesis.  Alas, no picture for you.....I took it out of the oven as I was leaving for my Thursday evening choir rehearsal and it was not picture-worthy the next time I saw it!  Greedy little beggars.......but I gotta love 'em! =)

Quick Peach (Fruit) Crisp

4-5 cups sliced fresh apples, peaches or pears 

 Tbsp. lemon juice

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (or freshly ground soft wheat or oat groats)

1/2 cups regular oats, uncooked

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dash of salt

1/3 cup butter or margarine

Vanilla ice cream (opt)

Place fruit in a lightly greased 8-in. square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice.  Combine sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and salt; cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over fruit.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is browned.  Serve with ice cream, if desired. 

Yield: 6 servings {haha! not in this house ; ) }

**When I double this, as I usually do, I often lower the fat by not doubling the butter.  If your fruit is very juicy (like my peaches were), the juice from the fruit makes up the difference in the moisture content.  I feel less guilty with less butter, and it's still oh-so-yummy!  We want-to-be-healthy-but-really-like-to-enjoy-our-food people have to use all the tricks we can find! ; )

Speaking of Summer, make sure to stop by and visit me every Monday beginning June 6 ~ Sept. 7.  I am so excited to have been asked to collaborate along with

 Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom,

Ann at Harvest Moon by Hand,

Tiffany at Sweet Phenomena  

and our host, Nicole at Mama to 4 Blessings' "Fun in the Summer Sun" Blog event! 

We'll be posting some super fun summer activities that our families enjoy, crafts, recipes & keeping it cool in the summer heat tips and ideas! ; )

Tasty Thursday