"I'm Teaching Naked"

Wait, let me explain... as Megan was packing all her school supplies to start her first year as a "real" teacher she realized it would be far easier to teach naked than to try to cram ALL her supplies into her 2 suitcases! At the last minute I told her to pack a 3rd suitcase and just pay the fee, but when we got to the airport there was a 2 week embargo limit on luggage (guess which 2 weeks?) So she could take ONE suitcase and we paid for a 2nd one and shoved the contents of her 3rd suitcase into pockets, a backpack and a pillowcase. Sorry to say, the pillowcase didn't make it... moment of silence!

So today is her first day as a 3rd grade teacher. Someone stopped me at church and lamented the fact that we had kids with adult jobs - how could this be. When Cam announced the fact that she had accepted this job in the Dominican Republic he said "I guess this is what happens when you take your kids on missions trips" And he is so right.

As we drove to the airport with our good friend Janet, I realized Megan was more prepared at her age, than I had ever been. We passed the parking garage once, entered the airport at the wrong entrance and when I turned to Janet to make sure she had remembered where we parked she looked at me with the same blank look I had on my face. It was Megan that directed us to the garage, calmly reentered the correct location and reminded us it was P4 - or something like that! I'm sure she was worried Janet and I would never make it home!

Yes, she is ready. All her exposure to new situations has given her a confidence beyond her years. I was reading Bill Hybels book "Whispers" where he tells the story of his Dad buying him a plane ticket when he was 15 years old to travel the world - Yikes!  But his Dad knew him and knew that would be a good life lesson for his son - today he is the pastor of one of the largest churches in America and he credits his Dad with helping him think beyond his years.

Pushing our kids beyond their comfort zone is an excellent way to prepare them for life. Letting them struggle and problem solve on their own, will only make them stronger adults. And isn't that what we want for our kids? As sad as I was to drop Megan at the airport, I couldn't help thinking about the alternative - a lazy adult living in my basement, too worried about failure to try something new.

So as she starts her first day teaching (with clothes on) I pray that she will continue to grow in all aspects of her life - not just ones that make cents and sensibility!

Wedded Bliss

A couple of months ago I got a phone call from my friend Laureen. She was getting married and wanted to know if I could help with the wedding - a.k.a. be the wedding planner. I immediatly accepted because I knew that Laureen and I were of the same thinking - plan a marriage, not a wedding!!

She is in her last year of nursing school and her fiance Jon has been working at a Christian School - so the budget was low, but the creativity was high!! And since her secret goal has been to make my blog, I share with you their special day!

So here is the beautiful couple - Jon and Laureen

And that is my beautiful daughter Megan to the left - there is love in the air!

First stop Trader Joe's to pick up 7 boxes of sunflowers - they had the best price and the flowers were beautiful. We found that any room looks better with flowers and the more flowers, the better so I was glad that we had more than enough and could be creative with them. They came in black buckets which we used to put the extra flowers and arranged them outside the church on cement pilons.

We lined the walkway from the church to the reception with mason jars filled with sunflowers - this looked so beautiful and really made a statement. I would definatly do this idea again. We put them outside right before the wedding began to save on wilting.

                            
The flowers were arranged at Jon's house (in his bedroom with the air conditioner set on high) Laureen had bought 30 clear vases of various shapes at the thrift shop. We then transported them over to the church. Laureen's dad volunteered to help us and as we loaded  his van he commented that he probably wasn't the best person for this job, since he is allergic to flowers. Suck it up Mike :)
                                  

Guests were invited to take a vase of flowers home with them.

On each table were prayer rocks with the bride and grooms initials. Guests were invited to take a rock home to remember to pray for this couple.

 These were the bouquets the girls carried. They are wrapped with twine to compliment the burlap theme.

At the bottom of the picture you can see a sunflower pinned onto the chair. We pinned one on 4 of the rows so the ushers knew where to seat the family. This looked pretty and held up well.

This is Laureen's sister Jeanie walking down her sister Sophie and Jon's nephew - JJ. He was carrying a pillow made out of burlap - that pillow set the theme for the rest of the wedding!

Laureen and her dad - they were so sweet waiting to walk down together. Part of my job was standing in the back and telling people when to walk and in what order and if they should bring both feet together - no on should have that much power!

                            
                     

 The stage at the church had a screen to hide at the worship band instruments. We strung a garland of flowers across the front and hung mason jars with candles in them (it's a little hard to see but it looked great) We had stools covered with burlap on either side and put a vase of sunflowers on them. In the center is the unity candle.

 There were 16 round tables and 4 long tables. We put on beige table clothes and runners made out of burlap. In each flower I stuck a table number. We had a banner flag theme going so I bought skewers and used pretty paper to cut triangles, poked two holes in them and slid the skewer in place. We wrote on the flag with a puffy paint. There were no table assignments, but the DJ called tables to get food.

 This is in front of the kitchen - it is a metal slide down door - ugly - so we hung up burlap and then decided to collect some wedding photos from some of the guests (this was done on Tuesday!) We then made a game of guessing who the pictures were - that was fun and funny! We strung a set of lights right above the pictures so you see better.

Another window opening that we covered and decorated.

Between the wedding and the reception the guests were invited to play yard games - croquet, wiffle ball, bocce,etc. We had these coolers outside and I had sewn these covers to hide the "orange". Then we strung the flags to let the guests know what was inside. Guest could also help themselves to soft pretzels. We could have used 2 more coolers since it was pretty hot that day.

                                
 The gift table - there is a wooden trunk to collect cards.

The buffet table - they had chalkboards to let you know what food there was and flags were in the hoagies to let you know what kind you were taking. A long burlap runner went down the middle.

 The dessert table was a personal favorite. Laureen's mom and aunts baked and baked - everything was delicious. They had a cake that they cut, but the homebaked goodies went quickly. We filled 2 big jars with cookies. Strung along the front of the table is a flag that says desserts.

                      
Here I am taking a little break and enjoying the moment.

 The "dance floor" needed to be set apart, so Jon strung bristro lights from the ceiling - it looked really cool and made a fun place to dance. At the end of the night, we just cut the twine and wrapped the lights up. They plan to hang them in their apartment.

They also had a photo booth that doubled as their guest book. After you received your picture, you could tape it into their book and add your personal message. Included on the table were scissors, markers and stickers to make your page special. This was a great idea and the line to get in was always long!!
                        
This wonderful couple met their goal - they had a meaningful, beautiful, unique wedding without "breaking the bank".
And we all know that makes cents and sensibility!

Missing My Man

Of course I am missing Cam, for all the obvious reasons, but there is a surprising reason why I am missing him - My bed in not being made - no, this is not code for anything, simply put my bed sheets are in shambles.

Sometime ago we fell into a comfortable routine - Cam would make the bed every morning. Knowing what a neat freak I am, this may surprise some of you but since I am also an early riser it has made more sense. Cam kind of frowned upon me waking him up at 6am so I could make the bed. So he took over that household chore.

He has always said that I could fall asleep on a pile of dirty rags, but secretly I just like when HE straightens out the covers and makes the bed look nice! Everybody needs a job!

So this brings me to another story - so many of you enjoyed the story about the repair man folding the laundry (see "One of Those People" post) that I thought I would tell you another story about this incredible lady! She once told me that her kids had to keep their rooms clean, but they didn't have to make their beds - this peaked my interest - no bed making? Why? Everyday she would make their beds and spends that time praying over them - that they would make good choices, be pleasing to God in all they do, safety, etc.

Isn't that a great idea!

I can't say that I totally adopted it, but I have from time to time gone into my kids rooms and done just that - instead of mumbling under my breath, I take the time to thank God for the children He has given me while I straighten up their beds.

So maybe that is why I am missing my man so much - that care and attention he takes to make our room look nice reminds me of how much he loves and cares for me!

Well, it's almost noon - better go make my bed!! And instead of missing him, I will pray for him and the ministry he is doing in Montenegro.

If You Don't Ask, The Answer Is Always NO!

Cam and the "little" boys - yes, we still call Ryan and Dylan that - maybe when they hit 6' 5" I'll stop, but until then...
Anyway, they are in Montenegro on a missions trip - usually these trips are a family affair, but the trip coincides with a family wedding and "our" baby leaving to teach in D.R. So someone had to stay home to pack, plan and pin the bra strap to the dress - guess who was nominated??

Our dear friend Laureen is getting married this Friday night! Megan is the maid of honor and Laureen asked me to help with some of the details - don't worry, I am not going to give anything away - you will just have to attend to find out.

Laureen told me months ago that she had high hopes of "making" my blog and since she has been totally thrifty in the planning of her wedding - here it is!

I will give a more detailed run down after the wedding along with pictures, but I do have one story to share.

At her wedding she is having "lawn games". While pictures are being taken and before dinner, guests are invited to play outside and mingle. So we have been collecting games for this. While at the thrift shop last night Megan spotted a bean bag toss game - retail about $50.
We both squealed in delight - literally, we squealed, but then we were informed that someone else had set it there to buy - that is the problem with the thrift shop - you must be quick - there is no back room to pull from.
Anyway, I asked who was buying it and a lady announced it was her - that's when the appeal started. I asked if she really wanted it, since we were looking for games for an upcoming wedding, she assured me she did and I left it at that. But I kept my eye on her, in case she changed her mind. When she went up to pay for it, she noticed that on the tag it said that one bean bag was missing. Now you and I know how easy it would be to make another bean bag, but for her it was a deal breaker. I made sure I was standing within eye contact, ok, I was creeepin' hard and when she said she didn't want it, I jumped on it!

Score!

The point of the story is, if I hadn't asked, the answer would have been no. It always pays to be bold, ask for a better price, longer warranty, extra options. A friend of mine had a repair man come to her house. He charged her his full hourly rate but the job only took 30 minutes, when she inquired about a discount, he told her he had to charge the full amount, she then told him he could spend the extra half hour helping her fold her laundry since she would be paying him anyway - which he did! - see, if you don't ask, the answer is no - and that makes cents and sensibility!

One of Those People

Well, I am officially "one of those people" - you know the ones - not really handy, like their toilets to flush... you know - "those people".

I broke down yesterday and called the plumber to "look at" our toilet (who says some jobs don't come with perks)

This call came after about 4 months of hearing it "run", telling 75 people they couldn't use it during a party, manually filling the tank back up and 2 repair trips to Lowes.

I always envision myself as a "repair girl" you know the MacGirlver - get it? I could look at a problem and find a way to fix it. But when it comes to appliances, I am at a loss. Maybe it is the fear of electrocution or that I will take something apart and never be able to put it back together or worse, put it back together and have a pile of spare parts laying on the ground (I wonder if they are important?). One of these days, I am going to take a "home repair" class at Bucks just so I can be a little more handy around the house.

My Dad was the type of dad who could fix anything - broken water heater - fixed, snow blower - fixed and he only lived 10 minutes from me, so my brokenness, was his fixedness! Maybe I should have been paying closer attention to what he was doing. One of my favorite memories is of my dad putting in a ceiling fan and one of my kids coming up behind him with a screwdriver and poking him in the butt - we all learned some new words that day!!

You know how people say, you marry your father - not so much.
I think I specifically loved Cam because he had different traits, but in instances like the toilet, I secretly wish I had married a plumber - Don't get me wrong, Cam can fix 75% of the things that break in our house and that is 100% more than me but we both know when it is time to call in the professionals!

Since Cam is out of the country, I thought I would surprise him with a fixed toilet - not to mention washer too (last week our washer water pump broke)! I figured it is OK to be one of "those people" that calls on the professionals - sometimes it makes more cents and sensibility.

Follow Up

So many of you (ok, three of you) have asked how Creation went - especially the food!! No one was poisoned, sickened or constipated (actually our youth pastor has a contest every year where he puts the kids name on the white board and when they poop they are out of the contest - needless to say that is one contest I am happy to lose)
Everything went great. First of all the weather was fantastic with the last day (Saturday) being the only day that was unbearably hot and it eventually rained that night for about 20 minutes but it felt great. That is always an answer to prayer - the first year we went to creation it rained the whole time - people were mud sliding down the side of the hill - which is fun, but terribly messy!! And cooking in the rain is NEVER fun! So I am so happy for that.
I was especially happy how all the meals worked out and were super healthy. I got a card from one mom who is into healthy eating (no Anne, it isn't you) and she was happy for the good food and said "Man does not live by twinkie alone" haha.
The funny thing was, most of the kids gravitated to the fruit and veggies - I guess they wanted out of the contest too!
And Colin and Jorie drove up Friday nite to surprize the boys -the look on Ryan's face was priceless!




After heading out Sat. nite, we did a quick load of wash, rented an Expedition (we figured it's cheaper to rent a vehicle for a week than replace our worn out van which we don't need all that room on a daily basis) And head up to Vermont for a week of vacation - yes - honest to goodness family time! Friends of ours have a house on the side of the mountain and our sooooo gracious to let us use it! There is no TV, internet, phone service, it is heaven!!

We fish, hike, swim, read, jump off cliffs (not Jorie and I) visit the country store, roast marshmellows, watch fireworks, set off fireworks, visit Ben and Jerry's, shoot guns (not me) play volleyball, oh, did I say play volleyball and generally relax. It is one of my favorite vacation spots.


One thing we like to do is spend some time praying for each other. As we sat in our little circle and prayed for the person on our right I realized this would be our last time together for a while. I am so thankful for the fam. that God has given me and that each one seeking God in all they do - what more could a mom ask for!

So now we are in the midst of Vacation Bible School - and as I hold a little one in my lap I am reminded how quickly the time goes and to make the most of every moment - the good, the bad, the ugly.

Blind men shouldn't rearrange furniture

I love to rearrange! Furniture is my favorite. Cam will often wake up and walk into a completly different layout - if he ever loses his eyesight, he may be in trouble!

This works because most of my rooms have complementary colors so they will work in any room - and because my house is "Primitive Country" which basically means whatever I can pick out of the trash, clean up and reuse -  works for me!

With summer here, we've been eating out back on our porch most nights. As we sat there we all were saying how nice it would be to have a ceiling fan out there. Well, two trips to Lowes and 3 hours later our dream became a reality!

Now the back porch is like another room, and a room needs to be decorated. I started by putting a table cloth on the nasty picnic table. Next I potted a flat of basil and marigolds I had bought from the school next store to ours (their students planted and grew them from seed and then stood outside and sold them! - love it!)

I brought out 2 tables from inside and set to "accessorizing" them. Like I said, I pulled from the house to make it work! I also decided it would be nice to have utensils and napkins outside so I put them inside a big jar I use for punch at parites, but sits in my closet all the other days of the year.

I finished with a few accessories, such as a ladder, rubber boots, an outdoor clock and an old rusty star.

Outdoor room complete and best of all - it cost me nothing but the cost of the fan (and installation - still waiting for Cam's bill to come!)

Making a usable outdoor space make Cents and Sensibility!