More Etsy loving

Just thought i would post some of my favorite dresses by Amanda Archer

found on Etsy (of course)

Homemade Playdough

Colored Playdough

1 cup water

1 tbs vegetable oil

1/2 cup salt

1 tbs cream of tartar

food coloring

1 cup flour

 Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.  Remove from heat and add flour. Stir, then knead until smooth.  The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don't have it on hand.  Store this dough in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Taken from a book used often in our house

PFR

PFR formerly known as "Pray for Rain" to those of us keen on Christian music in the mid-1990's.  Famous in the Wheeler household for such songs as Goldies last Day and Great Lengths.

I digress, lately the Connell household has been praying for rain. Not just sprinkles, but lightning, and the crack of thunder to be specific.  Our prayers were answered mid-afternoon yesterday, and it was an amazing down-pour.    It is hard for kids to understand why we pray and how God even listens and answers. Good ole' Fl. has needed rain, so we decided to ask God to water the flowers, grass, and trees because they were really thirsty.  A few days of praying and waiting in anticipation and suddenly the storm was almost here.  We sat outside eagerly waiting for it.  First the clouds got dark, really dark, then the wind started to blow harder and harder, we could see the dark clouds moving overhead and hear thunder off in the distance.  We sat and waited to see who would be the first one to feel the raindrops on their skin.  Once the raindrops were felt, a minute went by and all of a sudden it is as if a train was coming down the road, the rain was so loud and was announcing it's arrival.  There were cheers and glee and running around outside getting soaked with big smiles on our faces, because we knew that God had heard our prayers.  We knew this rain was for us just as much as it was for the dry, thirsty ground.  Lightning and Thunder soon followed and two giddy boys watched from the window panes of our front door.  

I was so glad that we received an ideal storm for teaching my kids,  the way it came and went was perfect, we could use all of our senses to tell it was coming and when it came it was a huge arrival and did not disappoint.

That night before bed, we thanked God for listening to our prayers and answering us.

Owen's prayer went something like this:

Daddy: " Thank you God for the lightning and thunder"

O: " Thank you God por da witenin and punger"

Daddy: (smiling because of hearing punger) " Thank you God that Owen is so cute"

O: "Thank you God dat I'n so Cute"

Daddy: " Thank you God for my family"

O: "Thank you God por Daddy's family"

Daddy: "Thank you for Loving us, Amen"

O: " Thank you por wuving us, Amen"

Rain Rain come again!

picture was taken with my mobile, a few months prior

A great day!

Pictures that tell the story of our day of celebration

Happy Birthday Caeden

My oldest child, for the past four years, you have filled our hearts with joy and laughter.  When you were just a babe, God gave me a prayer for you.

 Prov. 2:1-11:

We pray, Caeden, that you will listen to God and treasure his instructions.  That you will tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.  That you will cry out for insight and understanding . Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure.  Then, Caeden, you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly.  He is their shield protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to Him.

Then, Caeden, you will undestand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time.  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.  Wise planning will watch over you .  Understanding will keep you safe.

May the Lord protect you as you start school this year, and grow even more independent and responsible.  We pray for your salvation that God will grip your heart and never let you go.  May you always know how deeply you are loved and may you be compelled to love others as Christ's love manifests through you.  Every day you live life to the fullest with such enthusiasm and inquisitiveness.  We love being inspired by you, and laughing with you.

We love you

Mom, Dad and Owen

Air Craft Carrier or Cruise Ship

Our message in church this morning was really fabulous and challenging.

Orlando, our pastor, gave an analogy about the church choosing to act like a cruise ship or an air craft carrier. 

 If you think about a cruise ship: 1) it is all about you when you are on the ship, 2) when your time is up, you have accomplished nothing all week, 3) it is very self-serving

If you think about an air craft carrier: 1) each person on the ship has specific job to do and works together to accomplish a mission, 2) each plane on the ship is sent out to aid/protect/serve others, 3) it is very service oriented

His examples were more easy to understand, but you get the picture.  In my life and in the way we want to train our kids to live, we want to be an air craft carrier.  I do not want my kids growing up thinking that life is all about how they can be served and how life can be comfortable.  But, if I look at my life now, do my kids really see a service oriented life. 

God has been tugging our hearts this past year to give up material things and not hold so dear to the temporal.  We have been getting our house ready to sell and be available for where God wants to be and what He wants us to do.  I have no idea what that will look like.  If we have to  live in a trailer, ok; if we get to buy an RV park and move, ok; Not to us OH Lord, but for your glory!

Lilly Pulitzer

I read in a magazine about how lilly pulitzer

had celebrities design some clothing and the proeeds are going to a charity 

for kids with EB.  That is the same disease that took the precious life of jtsetsma.

On the lillypulitzer website there is a link to this family's blog.

The mother and father's first child was stillborn and their second child has EB.  We can follow their story and pray for them as we did with Jameson.  

For the love of Bikes.....and Etsy

Just browsing on Etsy and came across all these great items that could each find a place in my home or on my family members bodies.  We love bikes in this household, and since I love Etsy, I thought I would do a bike search.  Well, i didn't look at all hundred and some odd pages, but I did list some below:

Garbella

this clock is a bike cog design

vital industries

what a fun scarf, for when I go to the BMX track on those chilly nights:)

lofty mornings

for next two t-shirt prints

Ikestaedts

really cute clutch

bicycle painting's shop

for this tee and the print below

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens was a blast.  It was one of those moments where I had early conversations with myself of "ok, don't get stressed, take it slow, let things just happen and be ok with it, don't rush around and try to see everything,  if the kids don't nap it is ok."  I tend to like my scheduled life a little too much sometimes and it is good for me to step out of the norm and going to a theme park on a hot saturday with two toddlers and 12 other family members/friends and see that we can still have a wonderful time.  

The kids were fantastic, really great.  They loved every part of it..animals, rides, water play area, food, cupcakes, presents, (no naps :)).  We left the house at 7:45 am and did not leave Busch Gardens until 6:30 pm.; we had our last supper with Brad and Heather before they left on their trip across the country, then drove to Michelle's house in Brandon to sleep over.  I am thankful for Fl. Resident season passes so we can go back all year for free (minus parking) and experience Busch Gardens again.

Lion Cupcakes a success?

Busch Gardens was a blast and i will post more about that later.

The lion cupcakes were a success, considering they traveled 2.5 hours in baggies in the car then 2.5 hours in the baggies in the stroller before we decorated and ate them.  Owen enjoyed them, and I think everyone else did too.  Except myself, because my husband and I are on a no sugar diet for 6 weeks (only 1 week down).

C's cupcake was the only one with carmel popcorn for the lion mane.  I actually liked how it looked better than the ones with slivered almonds.  

Mission completed and successful, i think!