Southwest Foster Care Appreciation Dinner

Our girls and several of their friends served at the Southwest Foster Care Appreciation Dinner recently. It was so great to be a part of this event. We are so thankful for foster care families! They are ‪#‎worldchangers‬ and ‪#‎mentors‬ and making a difference in ways that they may never know!

Fun in OKC With My Girlz

The NOAH Jags just competed in their last cheer competition at the American Cheer Championship in OKC. They finished in first and made lots of fun memories this past season. She's blessed to be on a great team with awesome friends!

This was my favorite team. They were all special ed kids and so fun to watch! We could tell they've been working very hard on their routine!

Great season girls! And no broken bones for Abby! Whew! ;-)

Kenzie just turned 16 so I let her drive us to OKC and back to get her driving hours in. I was so nervous but she really did great...

My sedation.

After the competition was over, we walked around downtown for a bit & I let them talk me into getting Marble Slab. So. Yummy...

Anything with pumpkin is a must have.

Fun times with my girlz ;-)

Kenzie's Christmas Dances

Kenzie's Teen Ballet class from Studio C Dance and Arts recently performed at two elementary schools in our town along with the Owasso Youth Orchestra. The music they were given to practice to was much faster than what the orchestra actually played so they had to improvise some but I think they still did great! ;-)

They also performed a few Christmas numbers in class...

Great job, girls!

Asher's Preschool Christmas Program

Asher's preschool Christmas program was this morning. The kids, of course, were too cute!!!

Asher's sweet little gal pal, Ella ;-)

Thrive Moms Retreat

Thrive Moms is a ministry for moms to encourage and inspire you to do more than JUST SURVIVE motherhood. According to their website, "We believe God want us to Thrive and walk confidently in who he calls us to be as mothers. We are a ministry seeking to serve, inspire, and empower imperfect moms with the perfect grace of Christ. We strive to accomplish this through our weekly newsletter: Momentum, Prayer Ministry, Support Ministry, online and local community gatherings, and seasonal online events.

EACH SPRING & FALL, WE OFFER A FREE ONLINE CONFERENCE JUST FOR MOMS!

As busy moms, we know it’s hard for you to get away. We have created an online conference just for you. A safe place for community, encouragement and inspiration. We invite you to join us for our virtual retreats - a chance to snuggle in your PJs while soaking in truth and encouragement from our speakers, with live chat to engage with other women who are fighting the same battles that you are."

Here are the past 4 Thrive Moms Retreats. Enjoy...

For Those Who Are Struggling...

My sweet friend, Amber, sent me these videos to watch during our waiting to hear a court date to adopt Mercy. She and her hubby have adopted five precious kiddos and knows all how the hard and wonderful parts of adoption. Thought I'd post them here for later reference and for anyone else that might be going through struggles - which is pretty much all of us!...

* Planted  - When adversity hits, life can start to unravel. But we have access to deep roots of faith and friendship that allow us to overcome and thrive. Learn how to be Planted.

* Elijah - An angry king. Devastating drought. Epic opposition. And one man who overcomes it all. When the world around us is spinning out of control, where do we turn?

* The Time Is Now - No matter how much we want one, there’s no blueprint for a perfect life. Feel like you’ve hit a wall? Don’t be discouraged. Maybe it’s just a part of what God wants to help you rebuild. The Time Is Now to lay the first brick on a new foundation.

* Habakkuk - Ever question God? Ever wonder where He was hiding when you or someone you love was going through a difficult or perhaps horrendous time? In Part One of the Habakkuk Series taught by Craig Groeschel you will get these tough questioned answered by looking at the life of an ancient prophet named Habakkuk. And when tough times come again, and they will, you will be better prepared to face them head on, persevere and come through with more faith, hope and love than you ever had before.

Shop With Purpose This Christmas Season!

Shop for a great cause this Christmas season! Here's a few ideas near and dear to my heart. They are AmAzInG gifts that keep on giving! ...

* Crocheted Infinity Scarves - made by Jamaica Hoyord benefitting her family's adoption

* Adoption t's benefiting Jamaica & Tony Hoyord's adoption - Sale ends Nov. 22 @11pm CST

* Scentsy Fundraiser benefitting Jamaica & Tony Hoyord's adoption, hosted by Sonya Veilleux Houle

* Young Living Essential Oils - for every starter kit sold, Kerry Banzet will donate $50 to Arise and shine Uganda Babies Home

* Little Yellow Yarn House - AdOrAbLe crocheted creations made by Kerry Banzet. 100% goes to support orphan care.

* Steps Of Faith - a ministry began by our daughter, Kenzie, who has a desire to teach dance to kids who can't afford it. She is collecting donations of dance clothes (ballet shoes, skirts & leotards size 2T and up) for kids in Uganda, Africa.

* Just Love Coffee Roasters Adoption Fundraiser benefiting our family's current adoption

* Adoption t's benefitting our family's current adoption. (Sale ends Thanksgiving evening at 11pm CST!)

* Harriet's Bead Creations - Aprons, table linens, Christmas tree ornaments, jewelry, headbands, & bags all made in Uganda, Africa. 100% of the proceeds goes to pay school fees for kids in Uganda. (Also available at Bless UR Heart Boutique in downtown Owasso, OK.)

* Uganda Bags and Beads - Jewelry and bags made by women in Uganda, Africa. 100% goes to Arise and Shine Uganda Babies Home. (Also available at Bless UR Heart Boutique in downtown Owasso, OK.)

* LIFTED Uganda - baby bibs made by ladies in Uganda. 100% of the proceeds helps them have a sustainable income and provide for their families.

* Trust Without Borders - jewelry made by Cathy Border; current proceeds will be given to her church's annual Christmas offering.

* Sole Hope - proceeds benefit Sole Hope, an organization that treats those in Uganda who have been affected by jiggers.

* Project Hope Worldwide - sponsor a child this Christmas season!

* Give A Goat - Give a goat for a family in need in Uganda

* Mercy for Mamas - $7 will purchase a "Mama Kit" and will help a laboring mama in Uganda have a safe and sanitary delivery

"For the Love" by Jen Hatmaker

Moms, if you have not read "For the Love" by Jen Hatmaker, you have to get it. It's hilarious and encouraging and makes you feel like your crazy world is not so bad, and may in fact be quite "normal"! ;-)

Here's the four video book club series that streamed in September 2015...

And go here to get...

* FREE access to 4 book club videos with Jen

* FREE "For the Love" discussion guide

* FREE printable recipe - Jen's favorite chocolate cake

* FREE printable invitation & other book club leader resources

Elephant and Piggie

One of Asher's little buddies introduced him to the "Elephant and Piggie" books last year and he instantly fell in love. It's hilarious how he thinks the books are so funny. He cracks up and laughs a big 'ole belly laugh throughout the entire book.

So I thought I'd put a few videos here for him to watch of the books and helpful links below for anyone who might be interested...

GAMES, LESSON PLANS, & ACTIVITIES:

Color Gerald the Elephant

Color Piggie

Elephant and Piggie Dance Game

Elephant and Piggie "Happy Pig Day" Event Kit

Elephant and Piggie Party Kit

The World of Elephant and Piggie Teaching Guide

LINKS:

Elephant and Piggie on Amazon (includes books, plush stuffed animals, music, bags, etc.)

Elephant and Piggie on Pinterest

Facts & Books Starring Gerald the Elephant

Facts and Books Starring Piggie

Official Website of Author, Mo Willems

VIDEOS:

Living Room Makeover

We recently did a makeover of our living room. The walls used to be painted a dark olive green with a glaze over that and our furniture was dark brown and a bit stuffy...

The girls have been after me to change it for a while now. I used to be so good about updating our house but with adding a child to our family & keeping up with the kid's activities, the house has moved to the back burner.

So while the girls were gone on their missions trip to Chicago, we thought we'd make over the room and surprise them when they got back. I posted all of our living room furniture on facebook and it literally sold within minutes. That was a huge blessing because it gave me some cash to go buy a new couch! I've always wanted a comfy sectional & found one at a local store at a great price.

In the meantime, we painted the room a light grey to brighten it up more, then I added pops of color with accessories.

Next, I created a collage wall with pictures, a mirror, and a cross that I've been collecting for a while now.  Funny, I actually won the off-white picture frames (made by Change of Art) in a contest several years ago. They have just been sitting in boxes in our office ever since they arrived! I know. That is bad. I have to tell you - I love these frames, though! They come with a template that you tape to the wall wherever you want your picture. The template shows you where to hammer in your nail. Then you just tear off the paper & hang your picture frame. It's also so easy to change out pictures with these frames. I am definitely sold!

Next project was the "Love is spoken" wall hanging. When I bought it at Hobby Lobby, it looked like this...

Boring. Then I found this oversized clothes pins at Target. Hot glued them to the board and added pictures. Simple and easy...

Next project was another large canvas I also found at Hobby Lobby. It was also plain so I hot glued miniature clothes pins to it. Then I had a bunch of pics printed in sepia tone & put them in the clips. I love that I can change out the pics simply and it holds a lot which I love because I love pics of my family...

Next project... Mercy's bedroom! :-D