Every year, my husband’s company (The Center for Creative Leadership) host a Christmas event and Santa comes to visit. I picked up the kids from school a little early to spend some time with them at the event.
Santa and Luke
The boys got to hear Santa tell a story, sang some Christmas songs, opened a gift, and ate together while headed over to New Life (where I work on Friday nights).
At church, I had a two meetings with two new volunteers and helped a couple of others get connected with the people with whom they’d be serving. Once the service started, I noticed a mom standing in the lobby with her kids. I found out that her son didn’t want to go to class because he wasn’t sure if he knew anyone. I asked if he would go with me and told him I’d help him get to know some other boys. We walked into his class and two boys came over, gave hugged him and told him they’d missed him! You could see the smile grow on his face. Then, one of the boys remembered he had severe food allergies and asked if they could pray for him. The two 9 and 10 year old boys gathered around this young man and prayed that God would heal him! From there, the boys spent the rest of the evening together! This is why I love working with kids!
Saturday, December 16
We had a little family Christmas.
Clark was SO excited about his “Heely’s” (shoes that have “rollers”) and new Bible,
George loved his soccer shirts/jerseys,
Paul enjoyed his new games,
Luke loves his new running shoes because the make him SO fast!
Sunday, December 17
We went to church, then I had coffee with a friend. That evening I went to a Volunteer appreciation dinner at Holly Newman’s hone. It was an incredible evening. I got to know volunteers better over dinner, and then we gathered in the living room and reflected on what God has done in New Life Kids in 2017. There was SO.MUCH.GOOD that happened this year and I’m so grateful to be a small part of it!
Monday, December 18
We enjoyed a day where we didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything! Then the doorbell rang…and on the porch sat two large boxes ….
That evening I signed books, dropped some off at the post office, and made personal deliveries.
Tuesday, December 19
I had 7-8 kids at my house all day. I watched 3 kids for a friend and a neighbor spent most of the day with us too. We played in the morning, then jumped in the “Egly Sleigh” and delivered a few books, then played some more.
Wednesday, December 20
I went to a volunteer meeting at church, then got to drop off a bunch of books and gifts at the Hope and Home Foster Care. Every year they have a day where foster parents can come pick up gifts for their foster children! We’ve donated gifts for this event for the last two years, and I as excited to donate a bunch of books this year too! Each book was personally signed with a note of love and encouragement inside.
We were planning to leave for Tulsa on Thursday, but bad weather was coming our way and we decided to stay ahead of that and left as soon as I got home.
(Playing with a Rubix Cube to pass the time on the drive to Tulsa)
Thursday, December 21
I got to spend time with my sisters Brooke, Rachelle and Rachelle’s family. We took the kids to explore an old engine and see the Tulsa Driller. That evening, we went to look at Christmas Lights.
Friday, December 22
My boys played all day with one of their favorite Tulsa friends (Caleb Blonsky)…then Ted and I went our with some of our favorite Tulsa friends that night – the Blonsky brothers and their wives. We’ve been friends since before we were married and always pick up right where we left off when we are together. It’s as if no time has passed and we cherish our time with them. We were all together 16 years ago for Craig and Robin’s wedding (the couple on the far left) and we all got to be together again to celebrate their 16th anniversary!
What have you been up to this week? Leave me a comment!
If you are like me, stockings are an afterthought. I put the presents under the tree and then those stockings are hanging there…staring back at me…begging me to stuff them. I’ve usually already spent my Christmas budget on REAL gifts, so I don’t want to spend much on the stocking stuffers. So, I decided to make a trip to the Dollar Tree to see what I could find. Would you believe that I found enough to fill all of my kid’s stockings – for under $10 each!! Here are things I found!
My #1 favorite idea EVER for Christmas stockings:
JOURNAL
Put a journal in your child’s stocking with the following questions (one question per page):
What was your favorite book or movie this year?
What is one happy memory from this year?
What is one thing you learned?
What did God do in your life this year?
What are you looking forward to in 2018?
After everyone answers the questions, do two things: FIRST: Have each person share their answers and SECOND: Put the journal back in their stocking for the next year.
Not only will we get to reflect on good memories from THIS year as we talk about our answers, but we will also get to look back on all that we’ve learned, relive the happiest memories, and remember what God has done YEAR AFTER YEAR!!!!!
(Can you see why this is my favorite stocking stuffer idea EVER!!!!????)
There are LOTS of options for journals at the Dollar Store – I found a unique one for each person in our house!
2. CHAPSTICK OR LIP BALM
It doesn’t seem like we can ever have enough of these. Especially in the winter or dry climate of Colorado!
3. PAINT WITH WATER BOOKS
I LOVED these as a little kid and was so pleased to find them at the dollar store for my youngest boys!
4. DRAWING BOOKS
My kids enjoy drawing and I was so happy to see that the dollar store had books that will teach us how to draw animals and sea life!
5. BOOKS TO READ
There are tons of books for all reading levels.
6. ACTIVITY BOOKS
These are handy for holiday road trips. My kids also keep them beside their beds to work on puzzles when they can’t sleep.
7. LEARNING GAMES AND BOOKS!
These are perfect for 3-8 year olds who are just beginning to learn letters and numbers, or who are learning to read and write.
8. PUZZLES
Honestly, the puzzles at the dollar store aren’t my favorite, but they do make a simple and inexpensive stocking stuffer. Your kids can do this once, and you don’t have to feel guilty about throwing it away.
9. PLAY MONEY
My kids love to ‘set up shop’ in our house and sell their toys to each other. This gift idea a little too wide for our stockings, but I still wanted to add it to the list because it’s an expensive gift you can put in a gift bag!
10. GAMES
There are so many to choose from – Checkers, Mini Jenga, TicTacToe, Card Games, Ball Games and more!
11. LEGOS
I can’t say what the quality of these are, but I went ahead and put one of these in each of my kid’s stockings so we could try them out.
12. CANDY or SNACKS
They have a ton of snacks from which to choose.
13. CUP OR WATER BOTTLE
Encourage your children to drink more water by adding a special cup to their stocking.
14. HAIR ACCESSORIES
I have four boys, so the only one in our house that uses most of this stuff is ME. However, I grew up with FOUR sisters, and I know how handy it was to have extra bands, bows, clips, combs and brushes!
15. CRAFTS
Lots of items to put in the stocking for the child who loves to draw, paint and color!
BONUS – If you are filling a stocking for your family pet – they have stocking stuffers treats for dogs and cats too!
Do you have a favorite item that you add to the stockings in your house? Comment and let me know!
One of my favorite biographies of all time. This book tells the fascinating story of how one woman survived the Rwandan Genocide and how she was able to forgive those who caused her family and country so much harm.
There was a period of probably 3 years where I stopped reading. I had little children and was sleep-deprived and only wanted to use my free moments to catch up on household chores or REST (with my eyes closed). Then, I watched (and LOVED) The Blind Side and wanted to know more. I checked this book out from my Library and started devouring books again. This book reminded me why I love reading! SUCH a GOOD story!!!
I
A follow up – An autobiography by Michael Oher – his side of the story:
One of my favorite books on Leadership. The author worked for Disney and tells some incredible stories. I’ve read this book twice and going to read it again in the next month!
My book – perfect time to buy if you haven’t already! With the $5 coupon, you can get it for $10!
It tells the story of the Magnificent Four who love to explore climbing Pike’s Peak and encounter the animals who live on this mountain. You and your child will enjoy this story of adventure and learn some fun facts about Colorado Wildlife!
One of my favorite ‘chapter books’ for kids ages 8 and up. A heart-warming story about how some challenging children learn the story of Jesus and how it transforms them.
When Luke was three, I handed him a few gummy snacks to enjoy. A couple of minutes later, he came to me with wide eyes and said, “I need more—I lost mine!” We weren’t sure if he’d actually lost them or just eaten them. George, who was ten at the time, must have been wondering the same thing. Without missing a beat, he placed his hand on Luke’s tummy and declared, “Let me check… Yep, those gummy snacks are in there—I can feel them! You didn’t lose them, you atethem!”
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When Paul was six, he loved to tell stories—especially tall tales. One day, after enthusiastically recounting how he kicked a soccer ball so hard it flew straight through the front door, Ted couldn’t help but smile and say, “Paul, I think you’re exaggerating.” Without missing a beat, Paul replied, “Dad, I’m in kindergarten. I don’t even know what exaggerating means!”
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One night after having take out food for dinner, I had the worst dream. The next morning, I told Clark, who was eight at the time, about it. “I dreamt that Dad and I were falsely accused of something and ended up in jail!” Clark’s eyes widened as he replied, “Mom, I’m SO glad you didn’t get my fortune cookie last night. The paper inside said, ‘Your dreams will come true!’”
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A conversation with 10-year-old George:
“Mom, what other names were you and Dad thinking of before you decided on George?”
“Well,” I said, “we considered Ethan, William, and even Theodore the Fourth—after Dad, since he’s Theodore the Third.”
George lit up and said, “I wish you’d named me after Dad! I want to be just like him!”
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Leave me a comment and tell me something funny you’ve heard recently!
Two and a half years ago, when we decided to move to Colorado, I had mixed feelings. Part of me was excited about the new adventure, and part of me felt fear and even dread! I didn’t want to say good bye to all the things and the people we loved. I didn’t know anyone, or much of anything about Colorado! Then I stumbled across this quote:
“Always in the big woods when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the Unknown, and it is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into.” ~ Wendell Berry
Wow. I clung to this quote like I would a favorite Bible verse or security blanket.
Along with the quote was a picture of a tunnel on Gold Camp Road in Colorado Springs. I was determined to one day, find that tunnel, get a picture of it and post the quote.
On Thanksgiving 2017 – this dream finally became a reality!
We have an annual tradition of going out as a family on Thanksgiving morning. We like to spend the morning hiking or exploring. Since we didn’t have any friends or family in town this year, we decided to try to find the tunnel. We weren’t exactly sure where it was or how far we’d have to hike/drive. Someone sort of told me where it was, and we headed off.
We drove past Helen Hunt Falls and continued up the mountain until the road became a dirt (Lower Gold Camp Road). We continued on this gorgeous road about a mile until – “wah – lah!” There it was, right in front of us. We parked and explored this incredible tunnel. It was everything I had imagined and more. Stunning, spooky, enormous, and picturesque!
I’m grateful to call Colorado Springs home. I’m glad I was able to move beyond the fear (and the dread) of leaving what was familiar and those we loved to embrace this new adventure! I honestly can’t believe we get to call Colorado home!
My husband Ted has been working on a book for a couple of years now. One day as we were talking about HIS book, he mentioned that I should write a book. Unfortunately, my first answer was, “I can’t write a book.” (I’m finding this is a pattern with me, and not a good one!)
Nelson Mandela once said,
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
That sums up how I was feeling (and how I felt most of the way)
As I continued to think about it, I realized I COULD write a book – a Children’s Book! I’ve been reading children’s literature since I was a child. Because I’ve probably read a million children’s books by now, I can recognize the good ones, the bad ones – and the amazing ones that needs to be read over and over!!
Begin Writing
So… I started writing. I had lots of ideas and wrote some in a journal by hand, typed some on my computer, I even typed ideas into the “notes” section on my phone. Then…I finally had ideas that came together into a ‘story’ that might even work as my first BOOK!
From there, I started sharing it – I read it to my kids and asked for their feedback. I read it to my kid’s classes and asked for feedback. I sent it to friends and family and asked for their feedback. I tweaked and changed and edited until I was ready for the next step:
Finding an illustrator
I reached out to a ton of illustrators and most never returned my calls or emails. The ones who did respond said that they charge up to $20,000 per project. That was not realistic for me.
From there, I said, “God, if you want me to finish this project, you’ll need to help me find an illustrator. Bring the right person across my path.”
In August 2017, we had a neighborhood picnic and a face painter was there. His name was Cedric Taylor. He brought several illustrations with him of examples of what he could paint. His pictures were fun, happy, inviting, and just beautiful – exactly what I was looking for in my book! I wrote down his name and knew he was THE ONE!
I found out that he worked at a local art studio and showed up there one afternoon in early September. I gave Cedric a copy of my manuscript and asked if he would want to work with me.
He called me the next day and said that he would be willing to illustrate the book and already had sketches drawn! We met at 5:30 am at our local YMCA and when I saw the work he had done, I cried. I love how God gives each person gifts that are so different. Cedric’s drawings were incredible. I was amazed how he brought the story to life! We agreed on a price for his work and from there I focused on…
Finding a graphic artist
I happened to remember that one of my new friends in Colorado Springs is in charge of designing and publishing my favorite Bible studies. She uses amazon.com‘s Create Space to self-publish. I reached out to her to see if I could hire her as my book designer to help make this book a reality. She said YES!
So … between my writing, the beautiful illustrations by Cedric Taylor, the incredible design work of Kristall Willis and SO many others who gave ideas, edited, supported the Go Fund Me Page campaign … we have a PUBLISHED book!
This is a fictional story of the Egly boys climbing Pikes Peak and encountering the animals that actually live there. Children will enjoy this adventure story and learn some fun facts about Colorado Wildlife!
Putting a product out into the world is sort of like putting your own child out there. I really hope people appreciate it, and I also hope that it makes a difference!
Thanks to each of you who made this book a reality- and to each of you who have purchased a copy! I am truly grateful!
On Thursday, December 7th – two people reached out to me to say they had received the very first copies of my book! One lady (Marne) is about to become a mother and purchased it for her daughter. Another was from one of my best friends (Jenelle) who bought it for her three children. Marne, Jenelle, and Jenelle’s 3 kids were the first ever to hold the book in their hands.
This is the feedback I received from Jenelle:
“Love, Love, LOVE your book. More Please! You had me from the first page. Seriously, we love it.”
Then she sent me a picture of her son who is now motivated to write his own book!
Wow! I hope to inspire LOTS of children to READ and then to WRITE! Each of us can publish our own books!
I hope this post makes the path to becoming a published author a little clearer for you! Write me when you have published your book so I can get a copy!
Amazon allows you to sell your book for two years. That time limit has expired, but I will happily send you a signed copy for $10 shipped.
So easy! Natural! No chemicals! And with the added oil, your spray will smell like lemon or orange, it completely masks the strong smell of the vinegar and smells like fresh, clean citrus instead!
I’ve loved reading since I was a child. I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in a book, encountering a new world, learning new facts, or discovering a life story!
As a child, my favorite books were The Boxcar children and the Grandma’s Attic series.
My current favorites are memoirs and biographies.
If I had a day completely to myself, I’d read all day long. That’s not something that happens very often (or ever), but I can still find a few minutes to read each day.
I’m usually always reading 2-4 books at the same time.
I have one book by my bed that I read before bed or when I can’t sleep.
I keep a book in the car to read if I’m waiting in line or have a few minutes in between appointments.
I keep a couple of books in the living room and read before the kids wake up, when Luke is napping, or in the evening.
I have a book in my workbag and read if I have 5-10 minutes in between meetings.
Here are thoughts on each of the books I’m currently reading or have recently finished:
Feisty and Feminine – This book explains some of the issues we are facing in our world right now. It’s informative, interesting and offers suggestions as to what we, as Christian women, can do to help make a difference.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: I heard two people say this was their favorite book of the year so I checked out the audio book from the library. I’m only halfway through and find it intriguing! This book is part memoir and part research into the food we eat and how it affects us and our environment.
The Way of the Wild Heart – because #boymom. Only a couple chapters in and this book is helping me understand this boy world that I live in. John Eldridge discusses each of the ‘six stages’ of manhood.
Spiritual Parenting – In preparing for my new role, I read this book written by our Family Ministries Executive Pastor, Dr. Michelle Anthony. The book encourages us, as parents, to ask God what He is doing in the lives of our sons and daughters so that we can come along side that work. Michelle tells stories from her own life and gives simple and pro-active suggestions that encourage and inspire me as a mother and children’s ministry director! I recommend this book to parents, grandparents, and those wanting to impact young lives.
Chasing daylight – A true story about a man who discovered he had cancer and was given 3 months to live. Instead of wallowing in despair, he made a fantastic plan to create “Perfect Moments” in each day. I enjoyed this book because it challenged me to look for opportunities to create my own perfect moments, and value each day of life and health that I have been given. We have two copies at our house so I’d like to send my copy of Chasing Daylight to one of you! Leave me a comment and tell me you’d like this book and I will have my sons draw a name and choose a winner on Sunday! (Update: Winner – Corey C. – Congratulations!)
Also – leave me a comment and tell me what you are reading or suggest what I should read next!!
Creating Magic
