Making disciples....

Me and Cassy

I have been a junior high leader at our church for a little over one year. It has been such an awesome experience as I get to mentor and enjoy life with about ten 8th grade girls. I never expected my time with them to be something I value so much or something that I look forward to. Every week I am refreshed and renewed by these kids. These are two hours during my week where I can play goofy games, talk like a teenager (LOL!) and act crazy-like. I also have developed a deep love of texting. In fact, I probably send about 2000 texts a month (and mostly to my junior highers!)

I'm not in this picture, but this is part of the youth group at Winter Camp last year.

I have been so blessed by these girls! They are so unique and wonderful and fun to be around. They have their ups and downs and I am so excited that they have invited me to be a part of their lives and I can help solve their problems. It is so neat to see these girls grow in their faith. One thing I love about them is how open then are. They openly share their troubles and problems and we can talk about them, pray for them and share life together!

Eleanor and Mikayla

Just to prove to you that I am a junior-higher-at-heart, I now listen to Taylor Swift (LOVE her!!!). Also, if you gave me the choice of hanging out for an evening with my junior highers or going to dinner with our "adult" friends, I would most likely choose the crazy young people....

Julia and Jordan

One last great thing about our youth group is the wonderful team of leaders. I have become close to them, and have so much fun with them! We often hang out for about an hour after youth group, just talking. One of the new things we started this school year is making videos for our kids. They represent what NOT to do, or give us talking points for our small group. They are pretty funny and a lot of fun to watch! So, I'll be putting them up here for you to enjoy also.

This video introduces the "mean girls" and also the dorky boys and our interactions with each other. In our small groups, we talk about how to meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of others.



In this video, we talk about how we can change. Do we change to fit into our group of friends? Is this good or bad? How should we change?

Alright.... enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

One thing that I love about fall is all the squash. I found a recipe last year that I absolutely LOVE and it is so delicious, healthy and very easy to make. First, you need to buy a Spaghetti Squash. They are a creamy light brownish-yellow color. I know Vons and Trader Joe's have them this time of year. You cut it down the middle, scoop out the seeds, put it cut side-down on a pan in the oven for half an hour or so, until its soft.


While its cooking, you put together in a pan one chopped onion and one green pepper. You can add some oil and garlic for flavoring.
After this stuff is tender, you can add some tomatoes and even some meat. When I make this, I often buy chicken sausages at Trader Joe's and chop them up and put them in here to heat them up. They are pre-cooked, so they can be added at the end.

Instead of adding fresh tomatoes like I normally would, I had some (well, 2) cans of Italian-style chopped tomatoes that I had accidentally purchased. I thought it would be a good time to use them. It was perfect using them because the extra liquid in the tomatoes as well as the flavoring made this dish even better!
Anyways, about this time the squash was cooked so after it sits for a minute or two, you take a fork to it and pull the squash apart. Its called Spaghetti Squash because it comes out of the squash looking like spaghetti noodles:

Well, you mix everything together, or you can serve it like spaghetti - the "noodles" on the bottom with the sauce on the top. Add basil and feta cheese to top it off.

Chalkboard

So, I bought that dresser a few months ago that went into my office. Well, I finally got around to turning the mirror that came with it into a chalk board. It is sitting in the office waiting for Hubby to hang, but I'll show you how I did it and how awesome it looks!
This is the before picture:
First I covered it in three coats of Magnetic paint.
Then I covered it in Chalkboard paint

After that, I painted the outside edge that red color that was on the dresser.
This is the way it looks now. I know it still needs to go up in the office, but doesn't it look good?

October 15

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

I know it holds significance for many people. It holds significance for me.

I would be 32 weeks pregnant today.

When I think about this period of time, I remember the joy and pain.

Take a moment today and light a candle, write a note or say a prayer, for someone you know that has lost a child. Whether it be in pregnancy or after birth.

Remember.

Newest dresser

So, a little while back I promised that I would show you what I have been up to. Here's some pictures! I found an AWESOME wood dresser at a garage sale for a whopping total of $10! Yup.... $10. Even cheaper than the Salvation Army. So, here's the work I've done on it. I also have been working on my chalk board. So, here are some pics of the dresser:

This dresser is done, so I will get some new pics and post them in the near future. If you're interested in buying it, I will be selling it..... so let me know!

Flowers

So, in my quest for a little flower bed in the back yard, I have come across a website that is extremely beneficial for people living in Southern California. It is a wonderful resource that tells you what you should/can be doing in this month of October to build and make your garden. There is a different web page for each month! Also, you can search by flower or plant to get tips and hints about the best flowers and plants to grow in California. It is SO COOL! Take a minute to check it out if you are curious about what you can be doing in your yard. Also, now is the time to do planting if you live in California. Many plants are planted in the fall..... so..... get going!

coming soon...

I have been doing some projects at home. Having the life of a substitute teacher, there are weeks where I don't work. This being one of them, I have had some time to do some projects at home. I have been working on my chalkboard, and it is turning out great! Also, I decided to tackle the backyard. So.... check back soon!

Autumn

In the spirit of Fall, here are some things I'm dreaming of...

Thanks to BHG for the pictures

I'm planning a fall party in October and am so excited because I love this season! I grew up in a place where this was a common sight in the fall:

Anyways, these are some things I'm thinking we might have at our party:

Cute centerpieces are a must

Squash soup anyone?

While we're on the subject of food.... how about some pie?

I was thinking we'd have some autumn cookies - how about decorating them?

For entertainment, I was thinking we'd do some pumpkin carving.

One last picture that I just love...

French Fry

I know I haven't posted in a while, and I thought I would introduce you to our baby, French Fry. She is a one and a half year-old French Bulldog.

She has a lot of personality and loves people and most people love her!

She also likes to take naps and lay in the warm sun. (sorry if this is sounding like a personals ad!)

Last year for Halloween she was a cheerleader! Her outfit this year is just going to be awesome, so you'll have to come back in November to see what she was.

She is also a trouble maker, and when left alone for too long gets into things that she shouldn't. In this picture, she has torn apart a doggie bed.

I'll leave you with some cute pictures of her. Enjoy! (p.s. the red pillow in this first pillow was made by me!)

Entryway

This is a project I've been working on for a few days. Remember that huge black bookshelf that is now in the office? Well, when we had someone living with us, it was pushed up against this wall. So, in the last few weeks since I've been re-doing the office, I've now had this space free to decorate. So, here is a picture from our front door looking into the house. My mother-in-law had this table from ikea that she used a while back and then wanted to get rid of. We gladly took if off her hands. The baskets underneath are from ikea as well. The table is now working well as a place we put our keys, and mail. Sorry about the mess in this picture.

Here are some different angles looking at the wall. (and with a clean table!)


Here are some close-ups of the pictures on the wall.


In order to hang these pictures so nicely, I cut newspaper out the same size as the frames. I "hung" the newspaper using a nail. Then, I ripped the newspaper out, leaving only the nail.


Lastly, I'm looking for ideas/inspiration for this last wall. See when you walk in how this wall just is so blank? It sticks out like a sore thumb......

My Office

So, I posted quite a bit ago about my office. Here is a history of this room.


This first picture is what the room looked like when we moved in. Not too bad, just a little plain.


So, I thought a red paint would liven it up. Which it did. Maybe a little too much!


This is what the room looked like first. It was going to be the "office" and I had just started arranging things.


We had someone come live in that room for a few months, and when I finally re-claimed it, I wanted to update it before it became the office again.


So, fresh coat of paint helped a lot! In the next pictures, you will see what the room looks like now. Certainly it is not done, but we're further on the way!


This is where I have been doing some crafts. I borrowed the sewing machine from my mother-in-law and have figured out how to use it!


This picture is the bookcase. Things are not quite organized right yet, but its a great storage area for me!


Finally, this is how the red dresser looks in the room. Doesn't it just pop? Do you notice the bulletin board above it? Eventually that will be hanging on the wall, but baby steps....