Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms, Step-moms, Foster-moms, Grand-moms, Dog-moms and Ladies who are Like Moms to us all.
I hope you got to call in some reinforcements and relax on Mother’s Day:
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I’m in a really sweet stage of motherhood. All my babies are potty-trained and sleep through most nights.
Though I know didn’t ‘earn’ my coffee on Mother’s Day, my husband still brought me coffee in bed. (“Earn” is a joke – since I’m no longer up at night with kids, I don’t feel like I ‘earn’ the coffee I drink in the morning – but I LOVE it just the same!)
I’m one of those weird people who gets nauseous if I drink straight black coffee without eating something first, so I asked Paul to bring me up some almonds.
Paul ran downstairs and came back up and handed me TWO almonds and said:
“Sorry mom, I got hungry on the way up.”
I laughed and ate my two almonds. Then he opened his other hand…and gave me a bunch more.
I try to make Mother’s Day a ‘no cooking’ day, so the boys grabbed a banana on their way out the door to church. Our church always has FREE donuts available – which makes Sunday mornings a little easier. Today, they also had cake pops for Mother’s Day. I’m not a cake pop fan, but my boys were thrilled.
At church, they sang “Talking to Jesus.” Clark and I looked at each other and smiled because that song has a special meaning to us. If my boys have a bad dream, that’s a song that I play for them to help them get back to sleep. Clark will sometimes request the “Grandma song.” (lol)
You can listen here:
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After church, Ted took us to a delicious Mother’s Day Brunch. I LOVE brunch. According to my mom, I always have. Brunch means you get to try a little bit (or a lot) of everything, and you don’t have to wait for your food.
My boys are just like me.
Luke called it the ‘best day ever.’
George asked how many times he could go back for more food. When he found out it was unlimited – he asked why we can’t do this more often.
Paul agreed with George and asked if we could do this every week.
Clark loved every bite and even, somehow, took food to go.
After lunch, we came home and the boys gave me some handmade cards – my favorite kind.
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Paul gave me ‘homemade cash’ and a certificate that says he will do dishes when needed
Clark made me a 3D card
Luke gave me a dog 🙂
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Clark and I are wore thrift store shirts on Mother’s Day. Both were brand new, with tags, and we only paid a few dollars for them. Mine was originally $70 from Evereve. His was originally $60.
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I wasn’t planning to cook dinner, but I was craving Broccoli Cheddar soup. So, I broke my “no cooking” on Mother’s Day rule, and I am happy I did. The soup was perfect on our wet, chilly Mother’s Day evening. Bonus: I have lunch ready for the week!
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I usually pray over the kids at bedtime, but tonight Paul asked to pray. He prayed that dad would have a good week as he taught the Target leaders, and that the members of the Supreme Court would have courage to make the right decisions. (my heart melted)
I am so grateful for this stage of motherhood. I wish I could freeze my kids at these ages. They are are fun and funny. They are helpful, kind, and creative. I’m truly grateful to be their mom!
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If you are in that “tough” stage of motherhood where all you want is a good night’s sleep or a ‘break’ from the demands of motherhood – I’ve been there! Just do the next right thing. It WILL get easier.
One of our family’s favorite Easter traditions are making Resurrection Rolls together. Not only is it a fantastic object lesson, it’s DELICIOUS!
Making the rolls together is a fun and tangible way to teach your children about the Resurrection. They make a wonderful treat for Easter weekend.
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George, Paul, and two friends.
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This year, I was making rolls early to take pictures for this post, and only two of my sons were available. When the other two heard we did this without them, they were disappointed. I gladly promised we’d make another batch before Easter.
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Here’s what you’ll need:
8 large marshmallows
1/2 stick of butter, melted
Crescent Roll Dough
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Cooking spray
Tin pan
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What You’ll Do
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Read John 19:38-42 to your children. Explain to them what each ingredient represents.
3. The butter represents the embalming oils. Put butter in a shallow dish in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to melt.
4. The marshmallow represents Jesus, white and pure because He was without sin. Dip the marshmallow in butter.
5. Pour some cinnamon sugar in another shallow dish. The cinnamon sugar is like the spices they used to prepare His body for burial. Roll the marshmallow in the spices.
6. Spread out one section of the crescent dough on a plate. The crescent dough represents the linen cloth they wrapped Jesus in. Place the marshmallow in the triangle of dough and wrap the marshmallow completely.
Option – Dip it in the butter again to keep it from sticking to the pan. Or place directly in a muffin tin covered in cooking spray.
7. Place the rolls in the ‘tomb’ – (the oven). Bake for 12-15 minutes.
8. When the muffins are barely brown on top, take them out of the ‘tomb’ and let them cool for about 5 minutes.
9. Let your kids open up their roll and discover what happened. (Spoiler alert) The roll is empty!
It’s been awhile since I’ve given you a peek into our week. I’ve been busy living life and have not taken the time to write about. So, I’ll try to quickly catch you up on our Minnesota life.
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January
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My Mom was in Minnesota!
I was so excited to welcome my mom back to Minnesota. It had been 2.5 years since her last visit. January in Minnesota is not the best time to visit, but we made the most of it.
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Volcan Snow Park
Neither of us love the cold, but we got bundled up to check out the Vulcan Snow Park in St. Paul. The sculptures were works of art and the maze was super cool!
The picture of Clark and Mom was taken in front the bank where locals put a stop to the Jesse James Gang.
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Sisterhood Ladies Night
Another highlight of Mom’s visit was the ‘Sisterhood’ ladies night at my church, with guest speaker Susie Larson.
My mom has loved Susie for YEARS. She listens to her podcasts, reads her books, and sends usher books. When I found out that Susie was speaking at our church on the week my mom was coming to town, I was THRILLED and felt like it wasn’t just a ‘coincidence,’ but a way for God to show us His love. Susie Larson is an amazing communicator, and mom LOVED getting to finally meet her.
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When I moved to Minnesota, I attended this ladies night called “Sisterhood” all by myself. I came alone, sat alone, and went home alone. It was a good night, but not my favorite way to attend a ‘ladies night.’ Fast forward three years, and I can’t tell you how happy my heart was to come with a bunch of sweet neighbors and friends (plus mom). We came together (in three cars), sat together, and went back to our neighborhood together and it meant SO much to me.
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Before mom left, I snapped this picture. This will be the last picture where George is smaller than Grandma.
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Thanks for coming to visit us Mom!
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February
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My mother-in-law in Minnesota
In February, my mother-in-law came for a visit.
Mill City Museum
We took Nana to the Mill City Museum. This was once the home of the General Mills flour plant.
Did you know flour can be as explosive as gun powder?
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A flour explosion destroyed most of the building. What remains is now the “Mill City Museum.” The General Mills factory has relocated to another town.
Nana and Paul
Nana and Clark
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George ‘reenacting’ a pose from our visit almost 3 years ago.
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George with my mom 2.5 years ago, and with Nana in February:
We found a beautiful old window at the museum and stopped to take some pictures.
Nana
George and Clark
The boys and Nana were being goofy. I loved how this elderly woman on the side was watching them.
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It did warm up enough one day for us to take a winter walk.
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Thanks for coming to visit us Nana!
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March
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Bye-bye-Basketball
We finished the basketball season with a weekend in Iowa. Clark’s team got invited to a regional tournament, and it was a great way to end the basketball season.
I’m thankful for these sweet basketball moms
One mom put these on every door
Clark and a few of his teammates
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Wrigley’s World
I can’t give an update without a peek at Wrigley. He is such a good dog. We are crazy about him!
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Wrigley likes to cuddle with his toys
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Just the right size
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My neighbor sent this picture. Wrigley walked over to see if her dogs could play. He was peeking in the window as if to say, “Come out and play with me!”
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The boys had Wrigley try on their hats:
George’s hat
Clark’s hat
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Paul and Wrigley
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Luke and Wrigley
Thanks for reading! Hope you are having a great week. Leave me a comment and let me know what you’ve been up to!
Thanks to every single person who took the effort to put up Christmas lights this year or send out cards. It definitely brought Christmas JOY to our family.
My favorite tree!And this house!
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The new Hawkeye series on Disney Plus
When Ted asked me to come watch Hawkeye with him and the boys, I brought a book to read. I’m not really in to the “Hawkeye” character, and didn’t want to watch this new show, but I did want to hang with the boys while they watched it.
Little did I know how much we would ALL enjoy it. The storyline was so engaging and the characters were endearing. We just finished the final episode on Disney. I said to Ted. ‘Let’s watch that series again’ (I never say that. It was truly THAT GOOD)!
Wrigley is the SWEETEST DOG. However, when he’s outside and not on his leash, he doesn’t always come back when you call him. If he’s not done playing, he will run AWAY from you when he sees you coming toward him.
This became a HUGE problem two times in December. Once when I had to go to work and couldn’t get him inside. Another time when he ran onto the pond and we weren’t sure if it was thick enough to hold him. Paul was a wreck thinking his dog might go through the ice and there was nothing we could do.
Enter the world’s best invention. A collar that beeps, vibrates or shocks. (We don’t use the shock)
The very first time I gave Wrigley a gentle vibrate and beep and said “COME,” he immediately came and sat next to me. I was shocked and overjoyed how well it worked then, and how will it continues to work. I only needed to use the vibrate twice, and now he obeys when he just hears the BEEP!
This device is usually $50, but they are currently 20% off. This was the best $40 I ever spent.
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YouTube videos the whole family can enjoy
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https://youtu.be/-N8860D2ITY
There are so many ANNOYING YouTube Channels. However, there are a handful that we can all enjoy together.
Mark Rober – a former Nasa scientist who makes entertaining videos by creating gadgets and fun experiments.
Dude Perfect – a group of guys that met at church and now make trick shot videos and a ‘game show’ called Overtime.
Fantastic 2 – I can’t NOT mention the channel my son’s created. 🙂
We put ours up over the weekend, and as we hung the ornaments, the ones that made us smile and brought back the sweetest memories were the ones we made together.
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Hanging new ornaments they received for Christmas
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Here are five fun holiday ornaments my boys enjoyed making, and I think your family will have fun with it too.
You can keep them for your own tree, or gift them to loved ones.
Which one of those I listed is your favorite? Leave me a comment.
Send me a picture of your family’s favorite homemade ornament.
Enjoy the holiday season!
Love,
Kathryn
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Disclaimer: The items I recommended from Amazon are affiliate links. If you purchase an item I recommend, I may earn a commission. Thanks for your support!
If you live in the Twin Cities and are looking for something fun to do with your family, or perhaps, needing a birthday party idea – you should check out Tactical Urban Combat.
It’s a huge, super fun, indoor nerf gun arena!
The boys, ranging from age 10 to 14, battled it out for a birthday party and had so much fun (and burned so much energy).
You can come with just yourself – and join other players – or bring a group of up to 20 people!
When you arrive:
Sign in
Go to your designated battle ground
Pick your nerf gun from a large display on the wall
Get your ammo and safety gear
Break into teams
A staff person will go over rules and instructions…. then …
Going over the rules and instructions.
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The Battle Begins!
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Ready for war
They had an amazing time running around, hiding together, ducking behind and peeking out from the obstacles placed strategically around the arena.
They could switch out nerf guns if the one they were using wasn’t ‘accurate’ or ‘powerful’ enough!
The kids had an hour to play – during that time the party host lead them in several games and battles – including Team Elimination and Capture the Flag.
It’s a great place for kids, or for adults that want to feel like a kid again. It’s also a unique way for parents to engage and make memories with their kids.
We went as a family on a separate day and had SO much fun. Here’s a peek:
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Check out one of their two locations:
Mall of America: 340 West Market, Bloomington, MN 55425 – or –
Eden Prairie: 8251 Flying Cloud Dr. #1020, Eden Prairie, MN 55344, USA
Would you like more ideas for fun things to do around town?
Most of our kids are back in school, sitting 8 hours a day, often times wearing a mask. Getting out in the backyard, enjoying fresh air and family time is perfect for fall.
The temps are more mild and kids are ready to burn some energy after a long school day. Playing together not only helps you and your children ‘de-stress,’ but also strengthens the bond with your kids!
Here are FIVE free games to play with your family!
1. Dog tail:
Pull out the longest socks you own.
Everyone tucks one sock into the back of their shorts, like a dog tail.
The object is to grab everyone else’s “tail” (or sock) while keeping your own.
Say GO and the last one wearing a sock wins!
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2. Mr. Fox, what time is it?
Select one person to be Mr. or Mrs. Fox. This person will stand with his or her back to the rest of the players.
All other players line up on the other side of the yard/field. The players take turns asking Mr. Fox what time it is. (“Mr. Fox, what time is it?)
The fox will then respond with a time, such as 3 o’clock. The players must then take the same number of steps forward (in this case, 3 steps). These steps may be as large or small as the players wish, no matter how close they get to the fox.
When Mr. Fox is ready, he will respond to “What time is it?” with “LUNCHTIME!”
When the kids hear ‘lunchtime,’ they will run back to the starting line and try not to get “tagged” by Mr. Fox.
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3. Create an Obstacle Course
Work with your kids to design an obstacle course in the backyard and time each other to complete the course.
4. “Vote with your Feet!”
This is a take on the “Would you rather?” game, except your kids have to run to one or the other side of the yard.
If they “vote” for the first one, run to the right. If they vote for second, run to the left.
Would you rather….
Be Superman or Batman?
Eat Pizza or Hotdogs?
Ride a roller coaster or a water slide?
Go to Target or Walmart?
Laugh or cry?
Jump high or run fast?
Have summer all year or winter all year?
Be really smart or really funny?
Drive a truck or a sports car?
Go back in time or go to the future?
Be able to fly or be invisible?
Have ONE great friend or 20 pretty good friends?
Be in the Mountains or at the Beach?
Take a ride in a speed boat or helicopter?
Go Skydiving or Swim with Sharks?
Build a Sand Castle or Play in the Waves?
Go Skiing or Ride a bike?
Watch a Movie or Read a Book?
Go Rock climbing or Swimming?
Own a Cat or a Dog?
Write a Story or a Draw picture?
Clean the Bathroom or Vacuum the carpet?
Ice Skate or Roller Skate?
Drink Pop or Water?
Play Inside or Outside?
Take a Shower or Bath?
Take a trip to Australia or Italy?
Go Fishing or Make slime?
Play a Video game or Board game?
Have more time or more money?
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5. Be creative with sidewalk chalk:
Lay down and trace each other – then decorate with clothes, faces, etc.
Write a word of encouragement for passers-by
Use tape and color in the spaces like stained glass
Clark’s artwork
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What game will YOU play outside this fall? Leave me comment!
This post was originally written for the Help Club for Moms group, but I thought I’d share it with you as well!
Starting the new school year can be a little crazy if you are a ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants’ or overly laid back person like me. Lots of rushing, perhaps some yelling, maybe tears, and forgetting important things (like lunch) have all been a part of our mornings because we had no systems or routines.
So, here are some changes I’m making this year to start the school year strong.
1. PRACTICE your Morning Routine.
If you want to prevent a super stressful first day of school, begin your ‘back-to-school’ routine a few days beforehand. Slowly start going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. In the morning, “play” like you are going to school. Work out the kinks and see how long it takes everyone to get ready. Mom tip: Take the kids to the park when everyone gets ready on time!
2. Prep the Night Before
Have your children get in the habit of prepping for school the night before:
Clothes laid out?
Ipads charging?
Backpacks and shoes by the door?
3. Get out the calendar
Whether you use a paper calendar (like me) or a digital one, take time to add activities right away – school breaks, conferences, parent-teacher night, and even testing dates. Put important dates on the calendar NOW, so you have time to plan ahead.
4. Email the teacher
As soon as you get the teacher’s email address – send him or her a short and quick note, letting them know how thankful you are that he/she will be investing in your child this year!
The benefit of this is two-fold:
– You establish a positive relationship from the beginning.
– The teacher’s email is now in your contacts, so when you need to email the teacher during the school year, you aren’t scrambling to find the paper that contains the email address.
5. Set the Tone
You set the tone for the attitudes in your home. If you keep a positive attitude, it’s more likely that your child will as well. Focus on the positive and share what you are excited about regarding the new school year. If your child is feeling stressed or anxious, listen to them and pray with them. Remind them that you are available, and God is always with them.
Hope those tips will help you this year! Praying this year is a great one for you and your children.
Do you want to have a better day? Then let me ask you a question: What do you see when you look at this image?
Did you say a black dot?
You’d be right.
HOWEVER, do you notice anything else besides the black dot?
If you thought: “white space,” then you’d be right again! There is actually more WHITE space than black.
Very few people point out the WHITE space. It takes a little more effort to even notice it.
Let’s say this dark spot represents the problems in our world. The white space is the GOOD stuff happening. There is ALWAYS good stuff, we just tend to overlook it. The black dot GRABS out attention. It’s EASIER to notice, and it’s TALKED about more!
If you watch or read the news, the focus is almost exclusively on the ‘black dot.’
We need to PAY attention to what we are PAYING Attention to!
We can’t control the negativity in the world. We can’t prevent the ‘black dot.’ We CAN control what we watch, what we listen to, what we talk about, and what we FOCUS on!
What we FOCUS ON determines how we FEEL!!!!!
Let me say that again in a different way…
Our focus determines our feelings
A couple of months ago I told my boys we were going to the arboretum. In typical kid fashion, they were like
“The arboretum…to look at trees? Mom, that’s BORING!”
So I turned it into a game. I let them bring their school iPads and I said: “Whoever takes the best picture, gets $1.”
Suddenly, their attitudes changed. It was a competition! They had a goal. They had something to focus on.
Look at these incredible pictures and the beauty they found that day:
Paul was on the hunt for flowers and found some!
Paul pointed out this amazing curved tree
Mushrooms
I love the reflections in the water
We got home and my boys proudly showed their dad the pictures they captured. My husband pointed out that our boys would have missed this beauty if they weren’t on the lookout for it.
They FOUND beauty because the LOOKED for it!
You FIND what you LOOK FOR!
Beauty and goodness aren’t hard to find, they are just overlooked.
What’s wrong is ALWAYS available, but so is what’s right. We find what we look for.
Change your FOCUS because: Your FOCUS determines your feelings!
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