Edgar the Sick Ghost Helper

One of my wonderful first grade teacher friends came up with a fun idea--she thought of a pretend a character named Edgar the ghost helper, who helps out sick ghosts who say, "Ehhh" {the sound of short vowel e}!  I loved this idea, and decided to come up with a few little things to go along with our ghost helping friend named Edgar.  I wrote the silly poem above--and it was read aloud as an introduction to the station activity pictures below.  Our first "write the room" station choice this year was to go find the sick ghosts saying "Ehhhh" that were hanging around the room, and record the words they found on the ghosts onto their own ghost page.

Sometimes...

Sometimes...
Life can be difficult.

It's been a little
that way for us lately.

Our son has Crohn's Disease.
Crohn's is nasty.
No two ways about it.

Nasty.


We are using means.
We are not flying solo.
We are praying for wisdom.
We are consulting with physicians.
We are seeking the LORD.

The Great Physician.

What a blessing it is
to know that HE is in perfect
and Sovereign control.
HE does not give more than
we can bear.

Ever.

God's Grace is evident
in the life of our son.
He says that he has nothing
to complain about!
He continues to be thankful.

What a rebuke.
What a blessing.


Today our Pastor
preached from Philippians.
How encouraging it was!

"Finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord."
~ Philippians 3:1a ~

We don't rejoice in circumstances.
Sometimes circumstances are hard.

We rejoice in the Lord.
We can always do that!
Think of what HE has done for us!

"Yea doubtless,
and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:
for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things,
and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ,

And be found in him,
not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law,
but that which is
through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which
is of God by faith:

That I may know Him,
and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;

If by any means I might attain unto
the resurrection of the dead.

Not as though I had already attained,
either were already perfect:
but I follow after,
if that I may apprehend that for which
also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

~ Philippians 3:8-12 ~


How Precious HE is!

May the LORD give you
the grace you need
this day
to face whatever it is
you must face.
HE is Faithful!
Look to HIM.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Photos courtesy of Emma ~
Thank you my little love xo

New DT members

After much deliberation, we have reached a decision and picked our new team members.  I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the people who applied and hope you will try again the next time.  The successful crafters were:

Michelle

Alan

Tracy

Sandra

You'll see their work over the next couple of challenges and I'm sure you'll love their work as much as we do.  Congratulations to you all.

Oven Baked Hash Browned Potatoes

Jennifer Jo and I seem to
have similar taste buds.
I like her recipes.

And this was no exception.

And...
it's EASY!

And...
MULTIPLY-ABLE.
(Is that a word?)

You can make these for a few
or for many.
It all depends on how many potatoes
you begin with.

Oh YUM!!

Head on over to Jennifer Jo's
for her recipe for these fabulous
Oven-Baked Hash Browns!

You won't be sorry you did.
Your family will thank you.

The End.

Blessings,
Camille

Winners and Top 3 (challenges 20 & 21)

So, I'm back with winners and top3 awards to give away.

For Challenge 20, we had a $25 gift certificate from Peachy Keen Stamps.  I used random.org to generate the winning number and it chose #1 - Salma.  Please email me on cardsformen@donnasden.co.uk and I'll pass your info on to the sponsor.

The top 3 for challenge 20 were:

7 - Alicia

18 - Doreen

48 - Coops

Well done girls.  Grab our top 3 blinkie from the sidebar and add it to your own.

For Challenge 21, we had 3 digistamps of choice from Fresh Brewed Designs.  Again I used random.org and the winner was #6 - Hazel.  Take a look over at Fresh Brewed Designs and let me know which 3 images you'd like.  Email me your choices on cardsformen@donnasden.co.uk

The top 3 for challenge 21 were:

9 - Pinky

13 - Ellie

27 - Joyce

Well done girls.  Grab our top 3 blinkie from the sidebar and add it to your own.

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who made an entry for our DT call.   After much deliberation, we have managed to whittle it down and I will be emailing the winners over the next few days.  We really appreciate the efforts you all put in, but we (unfortunately) couldn't take you all.

That's it for now!

We've Got a Bat Mobile...

We don't have Batman, but we do have his Bat Mobile...well, sort of.  As we learned all kinds of interesting facts about bats last week, the kids placed cool new bat facts they learned on our "Bat Fact Mobile!"  We also recorded all of our new learning in our Bat Fact Journals, complete with hand drawn bat diagrams, foods that different bats eat, types of bats, and a design for a button to wear to show people that bats really aren't all that bad!

Just Us Girls

Auntie Beverley invited us
to come for a visit.
She lives three to four hours
away from us ~
depending on the ferry traffic.

We went.

We are so
thankful that we did!

Just us girls.
Just the three of us.
Auntie Beverley stayed all cozy
in her place across the lawn.

And we stayed within view
in her sweet guest house.
Isn't it just
A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.??

We arrived in time for a
wonderful home-cooked meal
last Thursday evening.

Then we ventured up to
*our place* and my girl and
I snuggled in the big bed
and watched "Sarah Plain and Tall"
on a little portable DVD player.

We ate popcorn.

Friday morning we got up
and prepped for the day.
We had quiet time together.
We packed the van.

We took a few *self-timed* photos.

And then...
We headed across the lawn to
have breakfast with our precious Auntie.
How lovely it was to be able
to spend some special time with her!

Here we are...
Just the three of us
in Auntie Beverley's sweet sitting area
just off the kitchen.

The view from the lower level
of the main house...
isn't it AMAZING??

Auntie Beverley lives on a cliff
and...
she has beach access.
A little walk along the beach
was in order.

Good thing I packed boots
for my girl! :)

Emma enjoyed exploring.
We found some amazing shells!
This beach is relatively untouched ~
A wonderful sampling of
God's glorious creation.

Back up the bulkhead...

We went into town
and shopped.
We visited a lovely
little bakery for lunch.
And then...

We travelled home!

It was a
W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.
31-hour retreat.
Thank you so much for
having us stay with you
Auntie Beverley!

Lots of Love,
Emma and Camille
XOXO

Challenge 22 - Animals

Well done to all our entrants for the last challenge.  Funny cards are not easy and it was great to see a good amount of you were up for our DT call.  I'll be back tonight with the winners of challenges 20 and 21 and hope to contact the DT winners over the next day or two.

This weeks challenge theme is animals and we had some wonderful images to work with from our sponsor, Digital Delights.

Welcome to Digital Delights, a magical place filled with my little digi creations from all walks of life. We have a wide range of digital stamps which are delivered straight to your email 24/7!!

http://digitaldelightsbyloubyloo.com/

The prize we have is 3 digital images of your choice and, believe me, you'll have a hard time choosing.  Here's what the great girls from the design team came up with:

Jen

Shirley

Tussemaja

Mandy

Patricia

Donna

Hope that has given you some inspiration.  Now for the rules:

1. Your card must be new for this challenge and must follow the theme set.
2. There must be a link in your post back to Cards for Men
3. Your card must be for a boy/man.

The challenge will run from now until midnight GMT on 6 November 2011.  Leave a link to your card (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If it's not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll add your link in before the draw.  Good luck.

Dinner for One

Howie took the children away to
stay in his parents' basement suite
for three nights last weekend.

The purpose?

To allow me time to
plan and sort and purge.
A Blitz.

What a blessing!

I was alone for dinner two nights running.
The rest of the family had food sent with them.
They were set.

Me?
My plan was to just
*wing it*.

What to eat?
The answer for one night was....

A twice baked potato ~
stuffed with sour cream,
green onions and cheese.

Oh YUM!
It was good.
I ate. it. all.

What do you eat when
you are cooking for one?

Happy Weekend!
(I'll be back to visit with you
next week, Lord-willing.)

Blessings,
Camille

Yuck Soup

Yuck!  Soup...that is.  To practice reading words with /ck/, some of my first grade friends helped to illustrate /ck/ ingredients to put into "Yuck Soup"--a soup made entirely of /ck/ things!  This silly anchor chart is one that many buddy readers like to read over and over again, using cool pointers and laughing at all the weird ingredients:  socks, a duck, Cracker Jacks, a clock, crackers, snack cakes, black licorice, a Snickers bar, a cricket {ew!}, a sticker, chicken nuggets, bricks, blocks, rocks, and...a package of pop-tarts.  Do NOT try this recipe at home.  :)

  

Love Letters

My friend
Trisha
shared the most
W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.
idea a few months ago on her old blog.

Today, I am sharing her idea
with you here on mine.

I had planned on just linking
directly to her post.
But, it took me so long to
implement it that now...
her old blog is not available.

The links don't work.
So, I am sending you directly to
her main blog.

I am sure you will be blessed by reading
whatever Trisha writes.
She loves the LORD.
She seeks to LIVE her faith.
By HIS grace.
She is a Sweetie.

Love letters.

We often just imagine them
to be between two who are courting.
But, have you ever thought
of writing love letters to your children?
Or how about your Spouse?

The idea is simple.

You get a journal for each child.
You write a note to them
in it once in awhile.
Or every day if you like.

It might be on special occasions.
It might be when you notice
that they have done something sweet.
It might be *just because*.

Some ideas.

Compose a letter to your child
sharing a memory from their baby days.
Or, tell them what you think is
extra special about them.
Write out a prayer that
you have prayed for your child.
Share an encouraging Scripture passage.

Write from your heart to theirs.

It doesn't need to be long.
It is sure to be a blessing!

Thank you Trisha for sharing your
precious tradition with us.
May the LORD use this lovely idea
to be a blessing in the lives of others.

I am sure HE will!
Blessings,
Camille

Finding the Balance

Just a little more than five years ago I was computer illiterate.
I didn't know how to send email.
I didn't know the first thing about creating Word documents or files.

I didn't want to know.

I'd had enough of computers in High School.
We had to create programs using DOS ~ 'Nuff said.

I figured I had enough on my plate
with little ones and family responsibilities.
Howie could accomplish whatever tasks were
necessary on the computer.

I communicated with friends and family the old-fashioned way.
I wrote letters.  I read the newspaper.
I kept a ledger book for our family's budget.
The calendar was on the wall.

Then, we began our homeschool journey.
It was a requirement to email the teacher once per week.
I thought maybe Howie could do that.
It was overwhelming.  But, I quickly adjusted.

About the same time as all of this was happening,
my sister moved away.  Far away.
She began a blog and invited her friends and family
to read it.  I did.

Then I ventured out online and *met* another blogger.
Her posts drew me in.  She shared her faith.
She shared her life.  It was a blessing.

These were the only two blogs
I read for about a year.
I was never going to blog.

You know how the saying goes ~
"Never say never."

I began blogging over two years ago.

At first it was just a big, unkown world.
I didn't know anyone. And no one knew me.
Before long I was visiting people.
And they reciprocated.

It was fun.  And addicting.


How quickly the computer takes on a life of its own.
How quickly a blessing can become a curse.  If it's allowed to.
There were many attempts along
the way to keep things in check.
Balanced.

I was accountable to my husband.
But, I still found myself going overboard at times.
I still blogged most days.
The computer was constantly drawing me in.
School.  Email.  Shopping.
Blogging.  Research.

It all melded into one big pool.
The pull was great.  Too easy to check the blog.
Too easy to lose track of time.
Too easy to neglect my first calling.

Wife.  Mother.  Teacher.

This past Summer I (mostly) took
a month off from the computer.
It was good.
When I came back I had a plan.
Please understand,
this plan is what works for me.
It may not be what works for you.

My system is simple.

I seek to limit my computer time to twice per week.
Email is sent and answered.
Blog posts are written, posted and moderated.
Blog friends are visited.  Online orders are placed.
Banking is done.

And then I am free.

Free to be a Wife.  Free to be a Mum.
Free to be a Teacher.
I find that I can think
more clearly.  More freely.  Free.

May the LORD help us all as we navigate this
online life in a wise and godly way.
He is Faithful.  He will guide.
He will give wisdom.

Finding the Balance.
By His Grace.  For His Glory.

Many blessings,
Camille


**Photo Credit ~ Calvin...thank you my love! xo

Challenge 21 - Make Us Laugh (and a DT call!)

Good morning everyone,

I'm a little late with this today - I normally schedule the night before but didn't have time.  Well done with all the entries for the last challenge.  Keep an eye out for the winners post and top 3 later on.

The challenge this time is to 'Make Us Laugh' and we have a wonderful sponsor, Fresh Brewed Designs.

HI! I am Heather, a christian, homeschooling mommy of two. I started cardmaking in 2007 and have not been able to stop! 

I love creating with pretty papers, ribbons and sparkle. I am also the artist and owner of my own rubber stamp and digi shop: Fresh Brewed Designs. Fresh Brewed designs is an online shop that opened in November 2010 selling a wide variety of rubber and digital stamps as well as specializes in many coffee themed images. It started with a dream and with the prodding of a very supportive husband, family and friends, with a lot of help and a lot of headaches:) and a lot of lessons and prayers turned into something bigger.
Fresh Brewed Designs has become a place to share, create, laugh and build lasting friendships.

Our motto is:
Fresh Brewed Designs... where creativity is brewed fresh daily.

We always have a pot brewing, so stop by and join us for a cuppa whenever you want!!!

Heather has donated a prize of 3 digi stamps so get along and have a look at what she's got!  The design team got some great images to play with.  Here's some of our ideas:

Shirley

Patricia

Mandy

Donna

Jen

I hope they've given you some ideas - we can't wait to see what you come up with.  It says in the title that we're having a DT call.  We're looking for 2-4 new team members to join us from November.  You need to be able to make a card each fortnight (using sponsor images if we get them), comment on entries on a rota basis and generally just join in our happy team.  Making Cards for Men each time is not always easy, but the challenge is rewarding and you end up with a great stockpile of cards for those unexpected occasions.  If you're interested, then enter the challenge and put 'DT' after your name.  Good Luck.

Here's some rules:

1. Your card must be new for this challenge and must follow the theme set.
2. There must be a link in your post back to Cards for Men
3. Your card must be for a boy/man.

The challenge will run until midnight BST (British Summer Time) on 23 October 2011.  Leave a link to your card (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If it's not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll add it in before the draw.

Not Just Once a Year...

Giving thanks always.

Not just once a year ~
(it's Thanksgiving this
weekend here in Canada).

Making it a practice to
give thanks.
Always.
In all things.

By HIS Grace.

"Giving thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
~ Ephesians 5:20 ~

To the ONE Who is the
giver of all things.
For HIS Glory.

And so...
I continue to count.
To number.
To record.

The blessings come daily.
If we will only take the time
to notice.

1501. Little girl's hair to cut ~
and save! :)

1502. A husband who is planning to take the children
away for a few nights (usually once per year)
so I can plan...and sort...and clear the cobwebs
of my brain! Thank you Sweetie! xo

1503. That Howie's parents are willing to host them!

1504. Have I mentioned that I *love*
my dishwasher?? ~

I ran it FIVE times the other
day and it didn't miss a beat!
(I don't normally run it THAT much)

1505. Young men who help!

1506. So thankful that the two
peanut-allergic (anaphylactic)
children in our family can have
the almond flour required for
*the diet* ~
What a blessing!!

1507. A *fresh* way of doing things...

1508. Window-sill ripening tomatoes
in a South facing window ~
The last of the *crop* came in...
it's October!

1509. Learning to say *YES*!

1510. Children that know how to
clean up after themselves

1511. The forgiveness extended to
me by the children when I lack in grace

1512. God's AMAZING Grace!

1513. Masterpiece drying on the line

1514. More masterpieces...

1515. Finding joy in the journey....

My journal sits on my counter.

I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille