Planning a trip to Target by this Saturday??? Planning to spend at least $50.00?? Here's a link to receive a $10.00 Target gift card with your $50.00 (or more) purchase...
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Christmas Keepsakes
I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I love that Christmas is right around the corner. And, I also love that there are so many fun, creative, inexpensive activities out there to do to have fun celebrating, making memories, and starting traditions in your home. Here are a few fun ideas I found that would be great to do with your kiddos, at a girls' craft night, or at a family Christmas party...
http://www.giverslog.com/wrapthegift/?p=20
http://modern-interior-design-decorating.blogspot.com/2010/09/easy-simple-christmas-decorating.html
http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.ca/2012/01/christmas-reindeer-footprint-craft.html
http://rhymetime4kids.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-crafts-for-toddlers.html
http://emptybobbinsewing.com/2010/12/12/o-christmas-tree-o-felt-christmas-tree/
http://spoonful.com/crafts/felted-wreath
http://www.giverslog.com/wrapthegift/?p=20
http://modern-interior-design-decorating.blogspot.com/2010/09/easy-simple-christmas-decorating.html
http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.ca/2012/01/christmas-reindeer-footprint-craft.html
http://rhymetime4kids.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-crafts-for-toddlers.html
http://emptybobbinsewing.com/2010/12/12/o-christmas-tree-o-felt-christmas-tree/
http://spoonful.com/crafts/felted-wreath
Monday, December 3, 2012
FREE Printable Christmas Tags
These are adorable and totally free to print!!! Just in time for Christmas and gift-giving.
Create-Your-Own Felt Nativity Set
Here's a FUN ONE to make for little ones. Check out this adorable Felt Nativity Set...
Download the template here: http://crazyblessedlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/nativity-master.pdf
More pictures of nativity here: http://mycrazyblessedlife.com/2012/11/07/wall-nativity/
Thanks, "My Crazy Blessed Life!" blog for this adorable idea!!!
Download the template here: http://crazyblessedlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/nativity-master.pdf
More pictures of nativity here: http://mycrazyblessedlife.com/2012/11/07/wall-nativity/
Thanks, "My Crazy Blessed Life!" blog for this adorable idea!!!
Zephaniah 3:17
Yesterday started off like any other Sunday in the Hershey household. Everyone was up and ready-to-go and off to church. We call Faith Church our home. This is the very church I grew up in. I love this church.
It is so much more than just a building to me, a place to worship God.
It is a family to me. A community of people on different journeys...brought together by the common thread of desiring to worship God and grow in their understanding of and relationship with Him.
And, as I sat in the church pew during the worship service, I was STRUCK by (...and my mind keeps coming back to...) a key verse from Pastor Joel's message:
ZEPHANIAH 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
It is so much more than just a building to me, a place to worship God.
It is a family to me. A community of people on different journeys...brought together by the common thread of desiring to worship God and grow in their understanding of and relationship with Him.
And, as I sat in the church pew during the worship service, I was STRUCK by (...and my mind keeps coming back to...) a key verse from Pastor Joel's message:
ZEPHANIAH 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
One reason this verse struck me was because my mind immediately raced to a familiar song, "Mighty to Save," and I began recalling the tune and lyrics of it. This song is beautiful and holds a special place in my memory. As we waited (...and waited...and waited...and longed for a child for several years...), this was ONE OF THOSE SONGS that really spoke to me. It touched a place in my heart. It brought tears to my eyes. Countless times, I BELTED this song out in our home or in the car as it came on the radio. (...For those of you that know me well, know I cannot sing to save my life...but I found such peace and fulfillment in still belting this song of praise out to God.) I cried to this song. I literally wept to this song. I found hope in this song.
I may or may not know what you're going through right now. You may be in the deepest of valleys...going through a crisis or dealing with junk that's incomprehensible. You may be attempting to resolve a relationship. You may need forgiveness. You may be clinging to a hope that you'll find work or be able to pay for this month's rent or mortgage bill. You may not have even felt like waking up today. The stress of life is yucky. It can feel hopeless...depressing...and just straight-up crappy...at times.
I'm not sure what you think about God or how you feel about going to church. You may be completely against it...hurt by it...turned off by it. Or, you may know God and may have your own stories of how certain songs have touched your life, how songs have helped you to heal or grieve or feel loved.
Either way, my hope is that you can take a minute, and listen to this song. May it touch your heart. May it uplift you today. May it start your day off knowing that there's hope for today and hope for tomorrow. You are special. You are loved.
God loves you.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Family Day...and what that means for us!
Yesterday [November 30th] marked an anniversary for our family. It was our "Family Day." For those of you who don't know...or were unaware of the details...our family was formed through adoption, and our daughter, Mya, joined our family when she was just three weeks old. November 30th is the very day...2 years ago...that we became a family and brought her home to be our daughter. [Her official legal adoption didn't happen until 6 months later...but for us, we say November 30th was the day we became a family.]
So, what is "Family Day?"
Family Day can look different for different families. Some families may even call it their "Gotcha Day." It's an exciting day...a celebration...a day of rejoicing and a day of remembering. It can even be a pretty emotion-filled day. For our family, it has a ceremonious and emotional meaning.
On November 30, 2010...We were blessed to have an adoption ceremony at Bethany Christian Services with our caseworkers, the interim care family that Mya lived with for the first 3 weeks of her life, my parents, and Mya's birthmom, biological grandma, and biological brother. It was a ceremony that included Mya's birthmom reading vows, Brandon and I reading vows, and an official "handing over" of Mya from her birthmom to us. Talk about emotional. It was beautiful. It was special. It's a moment in my life that I can so vividly remember and can still see in my mind. I cherish that day. And, I'm thankful for the pictures...the memories...the emotional moments.
And, although that's part of our story...our journey...that's not what each Family Day looks like...and that's exactly what makes Family Days so SPECIAL, so IMPORTANT, so UNIQUE. I love hearing how each family's story is different. Family Day's hold special places in the hearts of everyone touched by adoption. And, although your family may not have been formed through adoption, each and every family is created and formed in its own amazing way! You all have a story. And, all of our stories continue to be written. Maybe your family will even include adoption someday, too.
Whether or not your family is formed by adoption, may you take this opportunity to know that there are so many great resources out there to learn more and to share with your children about adoption. Chances are, you will know someone...in your family, in your neighborhood, in your child's class at school, in your workplace...that is touched by the gift of adoption. So, here is a list of GREAT adoption-related books for you to enjoy...and many are available at our local libraries for you to borrow!
So, what is "Family Day?"
Family Day can look different for different families. Some families may even call it their "Gotcha Day." It's an exciting day...a celebration...a day of rejoicing and a day of remembering. It can even be a pretty emotion-filled day. For our family, it has a ceremonious and emotional meaning.
On November 30, 2010...We were blessed to have an adoption ceremony at Bethany Christian Services with our caseworkers, the interim care family that Mya lived with for the first 3 weeks of her life, my parents, and Mya's birthmom, biological grandma, and biological brother. It was a ceremony that included Mya's birthmom reading vows, Brandon and I reading vows, and an official "handing over" of Mya from her birthmom to us. Talk about emotional. It was beautiful. It was special. It's a moment in my life that I can so vividly remember and can still see in my mind. I cherish that day. And, I'm thankful for the pictures...the memories...the emotional moments.
And, although that's part of our story...our journey...that's not what each Family Day looks like...and that's exactly what makes Family Days so SPECIAL, so IMPORTANT, so UNIQUE. I love hearing how each family's story is different. Family Day's hold special places in the hearts of everyone touched by adoption. And, although your family may not have been formed through adoption, each and every family is created and formed in its own amazing way! You all have a story. And, all of our stories continue to be written. Maybe your family will even include adoption someday, too.
Whether or not your family is formed by adoption, may you take this opportunity to know that there are so many great resources out there to learn more and to share with your children about adoption. Chances are, you will know someone...in your family, in your neighborhood, in your child's class at school, in your workplace...that is touched by the gift of adoption. So, here is a list of GREAT adoption-related books for you to enjoy...and many are available at our local libraries for you to borrow!
Adoption-related Stories that we have and that I can recommend:
"My Adopted Child, There's No One Like You." By: Dr. Kevin Leman
"God Found Us You." and "God Gave Us You." By: Lisa Tawn Bergren
"A Mother for Choco." By: Keiko Kasza
"Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born." By: Jamie Lee Curtis
"Happy Adoption Day!" By: John McCutcheon
"Forever Fingerprints." By: Sherrie Eldridge
"Mommy's Heart Went Pop!" By: Christina Kyllonen & Peter Greer
***Please note: "Mommy's Heart Went Pop!" is also available for purchase at Sweet Charity Thrift Boutique in Strasburg, PA.
"Brown Like Me." By: Noelle Lamperti
"Shaoey and Dot." By: Mary Beth & Steven Curtis Chapman
"The Colors of Us." By: Karen Katz
And many, many more!
Spread the Word
I'm feeling so blessed by your love and support. Please feel free to SPREAD THE WORD about my blog. Share it with friends. Post it on your FB page. Share ideas with me. Provide me with feedback. I'm learning as I go...and am embracing all of the help I can get.
Thank you for sharing in this journey with me.
(P.S. I think I'm really gonna like this blogging thing.)
And, on a different note...
This gift idea is WAY TOO CUTE not to share. Maybe a fun Christmas gift for a teacher or co-worker? Or, maybe a fun craft to do with your kids or students? The possibilities are endless with what you could do with these.
(P.S. I think I'm really gonna like this blogging thing.)
And, on a different note...
This gift idea is WAY TOO CUTE not to share. Maybe a fun Christmas gift for a teacher or co-worker? Or, maybe a fun craft to do with your kids or students? The possibilities are endless with what you could do with these.
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