sticker sale

This is for all the locals...

scrapbookers...

moms...

teachers...

and sticker lovers...

What:

HUGE scrapbook sticker and paper sale

including Mrs. Grossman stickers

everything under a quarter

When:

January 1, 2011

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Where:

Bethel College of Performing Arts

123 E Broadway

Newton, KS

(across the street from First Bank of Newton)

I went to check out the stickers and take a few pictures before the sale.

There are rolls and rolls of stickers like these.

Lots of stickers are a penny and everything is under a quarter.

I picked up a bunch of boyish stickers...

bugs...

cows...

fire trucks...

farm scenes...

monsters...

someday Levi will be sticking them all over my house I'm sure.

The best part about this sale is that all the proceeds are going towards 

finishing the adoption expenses for this sweet boy.

I hope that he and Levi will be good buddies some day!

christmas eve

Joel's side of the family always celebrates on Christmas Eve and they have lots of traditions. We started the morning off with a huge, delicious brunch. Then we all got to open our stocking gifts. We each filled a stocking for someone else in the family and were supposed to pray for them throughout the year. Joel's parents filled stockings for all the kids. The grandkids always get pajamas in their stockings. The older three kids got cameras this year. I caught Ellie taking a picture of Cora's picture. So sweet. Levi slept through all of this. When he woke up from his nap, Grammy and Papa gave the littlest grandkids their presents...wagons! They were a hit and we all braved the cold so that the kids could have wagon rides. Levi LOVES his wagon. He even will sit in it in the house and play with his toys. So funny.

The afternoon was spent cleaning up and munching on snacks. There is never a shortage of food at the McClenahan gatherings. And I can't help but eat all day because my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law are such fabulous cooks. We managed to get all the kids down for naps before going to the Christmas Eve service at our church. When we got home it was time to eat AGAIN. After dinner all the kids put on their jammers and posed for the yearly cousin picture...except Levi who didn't want to sit still for even five seconds. I'm going to have to look back, but I'm pretty sure Cora was doing this exact same thing in her cousin picture.

My father-in-law always plays the piano with Levi. He loves it...it is so sweet. We sang a few Christmas carols together and Levi wouldn't stay away from the piano. He thought he needed to help his Papa while he played for us. Two of my nephews recited the Christmas story and then it was time for more presents. We are so blessed and so spoiled. 

We tried to put Levi to bed after he opened his presents but he just screamed and screamed. We didn't want him to wake all his cousins up, so he won and got to come back downstairs. He was SO happy, like happier than he had been all day...what a stinker. He crawled all around and played and played until almost eleven o'clock. Let's just say the rest of the night didn't go so well and I got to spend lots of time with my little man early Christmas morning. But through my sleepiness I reminded myself how thankful I was to be holding my baby. Last year I would have done anything to be rocking my crying baby in the middle of the night. A sweet, unexpected blessing.

And that is our Christmas Eve story. We are only half-way through our celebrations around here. More Christmas is still to come...and then someone's birthday is right around the corner. 

merry christmas

when daddy comes home

Today I want to remember you in your crazy mismatched jammers crawling as fast as you can to talk to your daddy. You adore him. You get so excited when you hear him come home and as soon as he picks you up you wave bye-bye to me. You want to go with him so badly. Someday you will be putting on your own boots and waving goodbye to me as you and dad leave to go to the farm. When that day comes I may never see you again! Until then we will wave to daddy as he drives away in his big red truck. And as soon as you hear the backdoor creaking open again, you will be racing to the mud room to greet him.

his & her journals {diy}

Our small group has been going through a book on personal discipleship this year. We have been focusing on Scripture memory skills and sharpening your devotional life among other things. So, for Christmas this year I thought it would be fun to make each of the couples a set of journals.

Materials (his journal):

Moleskine kraft journal

graph paper

paper file tab (I made mine with the McGill file tab punch)

invitation envelope

adhesive (I used an adhesive dot roller)

paper cutter

I almost lost all my file tabs when this chubby little hand found me.

Every time there were craft supplies within reach somehow he knew and would crawl as fast as he could to get them. He is always helping me.

Okay, back to the journals. Cut a two inch strip of graph paper and attach using adhesive.

You could use any kind of paper on the front. I wanted to add something to the guys journals and Joel told me the graph paper wasn't too girly. So, I went with graph paper and I really like how they turned out.

Use adhesive to attach the envelope and file tab to the inside of the front cover. Again, make this personal to whoever you are giving it to. We have been memorizing verses together in small group, so my file tab says "verses". The envelope is for the guys to put their 3x5 memory verse cards in.

I had bought these monogram paperclips on clearance at Hobby Lobby awhile back. They worked perfect for this project. I wish I had more of them. (The paperclips are Spare Parts alpha clips.)

I put each guys initial on the paperclip and attached to the top of each journal.

Materials (her journal):

composition notebook

2 sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper (mine is Amy Butler from Michaels)

ribbon (I used black grosgrain)

adhesive (I used Mod Podge and an adhesive dot roller)

6"x9" envelope with clasp

paper file tab (again, I made mine with the McGill file tab punch)

letter stickers (American Crafts Thickers)

ink pad (optional)

paper cutter

I basically followed the steps from this tutorial to make the girls journals. I just changed it up a little to be a journal instead of a planner. I only used two pieces of scrapbook paper and left off the circle punch on the front and the tabs on the inside pages. I attached my scrapbook paper with Mod Podge hoping that it would last a little longer.

On the inside cover I attached an envelope, a strip of coordinating paper, and a file tab. Again, personalize the envelope for whoever you are giving it to...or for yourself. For this gift I added the envelope to hold memory verse cards.

At the last minute I decided to add a letter sticker on the bottom corner.

Tie the his and her journals together with twine and add a tag.

I know some of you do your best work at the last minute, so there you go. A diy project if you are still searching for the perfect gift. If you are all prepared for Christmas and just relaxing this week, you can bookmark this diy project for another time. Some of you had asked me to give you the links for the projects made on my craft weekend. I don't have a link for the ornament tree, but Lindsay basically made it the same way Megan made her ornament wreath. Here are some of the other links:

book page wreath

card table play house

art binder

chili spice mix

lavender sachets

bird mobile

candy caddy

clothespin magnets

ugly sweaters {x3}

This is the third year our small group has had an ugly Christmas sweater contest.

This year I think Mitch and Emilie definitely won the prize for most creative.

Next year Joel and I are going to have to step it up a notch.

They made Mitch's Christmas sweater.

Nothing says Christmas like a red cardinal, right?

Complete with bird poop on the shoulder.

Nice.

Emilie even made her boots.

Who knew that red spray paint and tinsel would make such festive boots?

We always have a white elephant gift exchange too.

Someone brought this gift wrapped up like a burrito.

Everyone was scared to pick it.

It was one of the last gifts and it ended up having a Chipotle gift card in it.

If only we would have known.

 A few people in our group didn't wear their Christmas sweaters.

But we will give them a break because of this sweet girl...

and this sweet little girl too.

They have both been a little busy lately.

We have two newborns in our group and two more on the way.

You know where to come if you need a baby fix.

And the night wouldn't have been complete without a whipped cream fight.

I'm pretty sure Joel started it.

Poor Abby is such a good sport.

Joel and I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with these couples every week.

You never know what to expect at a small group Christmas party.

So fun.