Fall Craft Fun

Here are a few fall fun crafts, that are super easy, cheap and will make your home look great!

Boo!

What you need:
3 wooden plaques (1.00 each at walmart)
ribbon
paint or crafting paper
hot glue


This project cost be around $3.50
paint each plaque white. Then pick the color for the back ground that you may want. I did orange and then brushed really lightly black to make a spooky look. FAter your background dries I took a pencil and sketched B-O-O onto each plaque. Then added white as to make the letters look a little more 3D. The final step is to add a bow if you choose. I picked up this ribbon at Joann's on sale and it only coasted me $.50 for the whole thing!
 Another way to do this would be to take scrapbook paper of your choice and cut to fit on the plagues. Then use a glue or mod-pud to glue the paper to the plaques. You could even use the pre-cut letters from a craft store as well.



Fall door sign

This was so cheap as well. I had saw a sign some what like this at a store for $30.00!!! I made this for close to $5.00

What you need.
Wooden cut out leafs. Find in holiday section of a craft store.
Ribbon
Paint
hot glue

For this project I took the pre-cut leafs at Hobby Lobby, which where on sale and cost me $.40 each! I had to paint the back coat white first because there where lines. Then Took fall colors and mad a back coat. Along the edges I took my paint brush and just daped brown paint to add more of the 3D effect. With a thin tip paint brush i drew the lines of the leafs. Same as the boo sign I stenciled on the letters first them painted them. Later on I notice a sharpie would have worked just as good! Once all was dry I hot glued these on top of each other and added ribbon to hand the sign with!


Candy Corn Welcome!

What you need:

Candy corn wood cut outs
paint
ribbon
hot glue

Once again I got these pre-cut wood candy corns in the holiday section of Joann's and on sale cost me $.20 each! Also the ribbon was on sale because it was a holiday color! I had to paint the base white on these as well. Then just painted each like candy corn! After I stenciled on the letter and then pained over them. One again a sharpie will work just fine for this point!. Once all was dry I took the ribbon I had bought and hot glued the candy corn to it on one side and made a loop at the top then came back down the other side!

This one is even easy for kids to help out with!

Letting God lead

As many know Will and I have taken this summer to explore different church's and different ministry's in the church. This has been such a great experience and tiring at the same time. We have felt God calling us to something but just don't know what. It was been hard to sit back and say God I will go where you want me to go!
Over the last week, I have been so anxious and ready to get back on the mission field. Expectantly back in Mali! I have no clue when I will go back or where I could go next! It has really been on my heart, thinking about everyone back there and just how life was like out on the field. I wouldn't say life was easier, but it was just know that prescient of God is always there. Not that it he isn't in the US. In the US our ever day life takes over so much and out on the field all that is gone!
Also just thinking what it would be like for Will to be there and for us to experience that together.
No matter how much I love working with Special needs kids here my heart has always been for mission ever  since my first mission trip in 8th grade!

My prayer lately has been....
 "God open my eyes to what you want me to see and move my feet where you want me to go!"

Good Bye Summer Hello School year

Transitioning into this school year has been one of the hardest thing. I have never had a problem with change. Yes I get a little over whelmed at first but nothing bad. This year came at me full force! Starting out Monday I went into this year excited! I have the job of my dreams, working with special needs kids! Not only working with them but showing them the love of Christ and watching them grow during the year. Sure enough by Tuesday, I was done! It only took a day for school to completely take over me and so much I didn't want to go to class come Wednesday. I have never felt this way before, but feeling as if I am going to fail ever class because I don't learn like the average student just got to me! I am so thankful to have Will in  my life, over the week he has held me countless times while I just cry and has surprised me with treat and what not.
I do have to say Sunday was great for, being at church and just worshiping and at house church. it seemed that those two times have been the only time I haven't just felt like giving up on the whole thing.

Start of something new

Lots have happened since I last posted!

Will moved into his house! Where we will be living once we get married! It has been a long week of working hard there. Unpacking him, fixing things up and cleaning! The house is a little 3 bed 2 bath farm house on 10 acrs. When looking for a house we both wanted something we can have others too and have a ministry of our own at. One of the big things was to have some land to do camp fires and play games on. This way we can fellowship with others.
Here are some pics:

under the old farm house porch. this will be a couple weeks project

Back porch screen door

We have also taken another big step of faith. As some know we have taken off the summer of teaching at Ridgecrest to search out what and where God wants us as a couple. It has been a hard and crazy road so far. We have tried out a few church's in Billings where the house is located so we can pour back into the community we will be living in. Also just weeing different parts of ministry besides youth. We both love working with the youth but have both had a feeling that God is wants us to be else where or doing something different.

One thing both of us have noticed is that friends and family from both church and Kansas city area aren't agreeing with us getting a house down here or  searching out what God's plan for us is.
This has been so hard on the both of us. To see relationships  that mean a lot to us being threatened because we will either be across town from them or 2 and 1/2 hours away.

My Parents have always told me " that we didn't raise you to stay in our house or be by our side at all times. We raised you to start your own life and to live on your own. If we didn't do that then  we didn't do our jobs."

Not everyone is meant to stay in Raytown the rest of their life's. It  has been a great place to grow up and to learn what life is really about. At some point in time everyone is ready to get out of there.
Springfield area has been great to Will and I. We have both grown a lot as a person and a couple. We have both prayed and seeked where we should be and  believe that down in this area is going to offer many more opportunities for our life's. As far of keeping in touch. Everyone is just a phone call away and we are still coming to visit and eager all of you all to come down and visit as well. We have room to host who ever and it really isn't a bad drive with lots of fun things to do down here too.

As far as our church family. We love and miss you all. Ridgecrest has been great! We are just seek where God may want us to move next. Who knows it may just be a different ministry with in the church. Both of us plane on keeping in touch either way.

Flower Pots

This cute idea come about when I the dirt was to rocking to plant my plants at the house. So I found old Maison jars in the farm house and old can of black spray paint and then i had ribbon on hand in my craft stuff

Stuff you need:
Maison jars
Spray paint(Color of choice)
ribbon ( got mine a dollar at target in dollar section)
 Flowers of choices
Extra dirt

Clean jars off then spray them.
Wait to dry
fill with extra dirt
Put your flowers in
Wrap ribbon around the top

Simple and cute for gifts or even on the deck or stairs at home!

Heartbreaking

Being in the city teaching this summer instead of a country town has really opened my eyes.  It is heartbreaking and frustrating watching these kids come in and out each day.  We have kids that stink because parents don't bath them, or kids that are sick and can focus and parents still send them to a 3 hour program. Even kids that when we do snacks scarf down the food and are scared others are going to take their food.  It is heart breaking to see this kids.
It just blows my mine to see kids that have no clue how to color, paint, use sticker, play with play doh.... I could go one and on and on.
It is one thing to have a kid but having a kid you do nothing with or even care about is another. Each of these kids may have special needs but are all bright and precious in one way or the other.  Each of these kids need that attention from their parents and structure in their life's to be able to just function.

Easy and Cheap meals

Crock pot Chicken tacos:

1 can salsa (I used  Tacobell)
1 can green chilies
1 T fresh garlic or powder to tast
2 tsp Cuman
1 pack taco seasoning
1 pack ranch seasoning
1/2 onion diced
Salt for taste
 1-2 pounds chicken breast ( I used 2 breast and it made more than enough for a family of 4)
 Pack of tortea shells
Taco toppings

Combine ingredients in crock pot and let cook 4-6 hour.
take a fork and shred  the chicken
Leave in crock pot n juices on low until ready to eat

Take toria shells and fill if you desire you can add a half cup oil to a friing pan lay tacos in until both sides are browned



Pizza roll ups:

1 pack of homemade pizza crest
10 slices of pepperoni from deli
10 slices of salami from deli
pizza cheese mix
pizza sauce

make crust to box
roll out
lay the pepperoni and salami on the crust
Then put cheese to desire
roll up like a log and fold ends under.
Cooked as to pizza crust box or until done
Slice and serve with pizza sauce



This is a great fast dinner for a family and for kids. Also is super cheap all the ingredients cost me about 5 dollars

HOW TO:

This blog is going to be a bit different.
I found a fun craft on pinterest but now way of knowing how to do it...

Here are the steps
 You will need
A green blue pain, dark green, and light blue, brown and a bronze.
scrapbook paper
paper towel
paint brush
a canvas
First I combined the greenblue, dark green and light blue to get the background color I wanted.

Then get a paper towel and crinkle it up. 

combined the bronze and a little dot of brown to make it darker.

Just sponge pain the canvas. Hit test out on paper first to get to your liking.

I used the bronze mixture and just brown to add more effect when sponging 

Then I printed out letters off or word that I liked. Traced on the scrapbook paper I picked out and cut. This was a little time consuming. But well worth it.

After that just find a bird outline on google you like cut around it and trace then paint in brown.

And you are done! This cost me around 5 dollars to make and was really cute when it turned out!

Engagement photos and house

New news we have a contract on a house in Billings, Mo and small farm house with 10  acr. Which means I am finally going to get my chickens and garden. We should close by June 30th if not before!

Now for some engagement photos by Aaron Davis

Will you take a leap with me?

This weekend was Dnow weekend for Rbcstudents. What a weekend! I am so ready to sleep for days now. God did so much in students and leaders life's.The theme for this weekend was here and now and with the end in mind. So what are you doing today right now to make a difference with the end in mind?

For the last month or so I have had the thought in the back of my head to run the St.Jude half marathon next year. About 6 months to a year ago Will went to help a family out with their air and he came home and told me the story of their daughter. Her name is Avery and she is now 3. Avery is battling with Brain cancer. Ever since then I have been following Avery's journey. Avery just got home from being at   
St.Jude for about a month.
I have been a running almost all of my life. Run cross-country in high school. So this long distance is nothing new to me. I have just never raced it. Which has always been a goal of mine.  With that said There is a project that is going on called the leapyearproject. This project is to take this year and find something that you can do to have the community or state or even the world better. This is my leapyearproject.

I would love to raise $1,000 for St.Jude just to get a start! My goal is to get the community, friends, family and local business involved in making a change to fight the battle of finding a cure for cancer.


Will you make a leap year project to make a difference for the better?
Take the chance make a difference!

Wedding planning!

We are now registered at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond! I have to say this has been Will's favorite part so far. He was excited to get going. Target was a little of a pain, mainly because no one wanted to help us out. Bed Bath and Beyond took us forever just because they have someone walk around the store with you telling you what you need. Over all it was a pretty fun time. We still have to add to them once we figure out where we will be living.
On another note I went dress shopping a couple of weeks ago with my maid of honor! It was fun and a little discouraging. I did figure out what type of dress I liked. Which I would have never gone for by just looking at them online. But lace is a must now! The dresses out of lace looked amazing. Just didn't find one that I loved! I have a feeling this is going to be quite hard.

UP note is we have a DATE!!!!! oh and a place for the wedding and reception. 446 days and counting!

That is about all for wedding world. We are doing pictures some time next month!

Not knowing where to go

 Have you ever had that feeling of I'm just stuck or not know what or where to go next? That's where I have been! It has really hit me hard in the last week or so and is quite frustrating. Not knowing what God wants next or where  to go from getting back from Africa has been the hardest thing on me lately. I know I'm to go back again I just have no clue when and  in the last week I have had this fear come over me  about going back. Never had this fear going the last time. Alot of it is the unknown I know of just not knowing how asthma is going to react or is someone medically going to be there.  My heart is for missions and always has been. It is just hard waiting to find out  where God wants me next. But alot of what God wants at times is for us to wait.

God's story

I have got far behind on this blogging thing.
Well since I updated last I have started two new jobs both dealing with special need people of some sort. I have doing assistance living type of thing and being a sub para in rogersville. This is defiantly where God wants me right now.  I have also reapplied and been back accepted to MSU for this summer and next year. I am going to go back and finish my special ed and maybe get a masters. I will get culinary done some time, it's just not where God wants me right now.

Over presidents day weekend Will and I went on our first missions trip together. We went to Oklahoma with the group that I do bible study will. It was alot of fun. Both of us have a heart for missions and have been on several trips just not together. It was alot of fun getting to share the experience together.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

And then......... Wedding planning!  I offically have a planning book which is amazing. We still odn't for sure have a date or a place but should soon. We have a few more places to look at but pretty well know where we will end up! So exciting. My mom came down last week to go look at a few places  with me and get a few little things planned. Oh and meet my maid of honor! Which is doing an amzaing job may i mention. Things I would never think of she is on top of.

I am super excited for what God has been doing and is doing in my life and Will's. I love that he made us for each other and that it is crazy how we both had a "list" made years ago and we fit each others to a T.

That is all for now.
What is God doing in your life?

Breathing and on U.S. soil.....Day 17

Rough Rough start today! The shot was sure in full kick! Can I say flying and being drugged up is not fun!!!! Little to say I slept a good 3-4 hours on our 8 hr flight! But I did get Starbucks in the mix! God had an amazing plane this whole trip. We all know I open up to no one. Well Aaron and me have kinda just clicked with all the shots, yes that means I have opened up! Asthma may have sucked but there is always a reason. Pretty much the last 2 hours we have been like middle schoolers passing notes on the plain but it was worth it! The convo of trusting God and just hearing how God works in both of our lifes is amazing. And all this wouldn't have happened if I wouldn't have had asthma attacks. As Aaron said on my first shot " we can bond by a board game or something better. Faking asthma attacks is a rough way of doing so." lol God knew what he had in store rather I liked shots or not, it built an awesome relationship that I don't see leaving any time soon. As for now I am ready to hit Chicago and turn on my phone to call Will   not ready to ready to reenter the world of life, that way my phone can stay off! I made it back to U.S. soil breathing!!!!! The Joke the whole trip!

Aaron and me...you can tell we really like each other

I don't know who is laughing more in this picture

Good bye Africa...Day 16

Last morning here in Africa! :( Today has literately been a blur. We went to church this morning with Mitchell. It started at 9ish and lasted until about 11-11:30 that is what you call a church service. They are so interscholastic here! I wish people at home would have the joy for the Lord like the Africans do here! It is like at home going to church is just something people do one Sunday mornings to check off their list. Here the people sow ant to be at church and dance and sing and just shut out to the lord! After church we went to a French restaurant . It was So GOOD! Except for the fact they smoke inside and my asthma just loved it! Which just lead to one even after the next and wouldn't you know ended with another shot! yes 5 in 17 days lucky me! My asthma just couldn't wait until I got back to the U.S. soil. once again another reaction. Then we did a debreife about what happened in each village and loaded the bus! A few long term missionary made all of us dinner before we left. Which was amazing. Sweet tea! and Cold! so good! Then it was off to the air port. Dear Lord they need a better system, no way are you getting out of there illegally. They check your passport 4-5 times in the amount of 5 feet. Then you put your bags through the scanner wait for your bus to go to the plain and oh wait get our bags searched again and you scanned again before getting on the bus. Seriously! there is a better system. As for now we are officially on the way out of here! It was surreal coming now surreal leaving! On top of this all i just don't feel good, so I am ready to sleep off part of this shot!

church

Adams little girl at church

Saying Good Byes...Day 15

oh the lovely reaction, I feel quit weird this morning but today is just a packing up day so I should be good. We packed up fast this morning then movie marathon this afternoon. I ended up starting to run a fever from the shot. So I took a nap most of the afternoon, but during all this God had a plan.  I ended up having a wonderful talk with Randy and Aaron on just how I am not ready to go home even though I have to and need to. Wouldn't you know that God would point to Psalm 55:16 and Psalm 56:4.
 These just assured me that no matter what happens when I leave here I know I can count on God when I can't count on anyone else.  Going home is going to be hard knowing no one is going to really understand what happened on this trip. Then we had our celebration dinner. It was a blast, we laughed, singed, danced and said out good bye with the translators. Oh wait and one more movie October Skys to end the night as a team.  We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow before we leave. tonight can last forever

Me with several of our translators

boys being boys

singing and dancing

Day at the Artison.... Day 14

Today pretty much started off with us being lazy and watching another movie. For the most part of the afternoon we went to Olympia to eat pizza. Then off to the artison. I hated that place! It was like a big court year with thousand of people coming your way asking you to buy their things. There isn't prices on anything you bargin for what you want. I got a couple good deals. I don't know if my first one was a good one or not. Then we came back to the house and part of the group went to the def school, So that tomorrow we can have the day just to pack up. The rest of us watched Ever After and then as a whole at frozen pudding and watch the Lion King with a couple of our translators. Oh and Lovely shot time. I made it a little over 3 days this time! Which is a first!  At least I got to wait until the end of the movie for this one or pick to, to say the least. This shot did not end so well. I had a bad reaction again. Good thing I just went to sleep.


Sorry I don't have any pictures from this day, as the trip started to wind down I didn't take as many picture.

reuniting... Day 13

Romans 10:15
And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the scriptures say "how beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring good news."

It is weird staring out the day not being in the village and with the other team members, but I am sure today had something in store that we never new. We all had some pretty good talks before the other half of the team made it back. They got back around 2:30 . It was as if we hadn't seen our team for days. Which I think is awesome that we are that close to each other. So the afternoon was spent than none other showering and watching the Goonies! Yes we watched it on VHS too! Then we all set out for dinner to where we went our first night. We sat around the table and did our high and lows of the trip. It was fun hearing from everyone and how our hearts and things just change over the trip. It is amazing what God did in all of our lifes.

The TEAM or my African Family!

Breaking Heart..... Day 12

Last morning in the village so sad. It was weird coming and now it is weird leaving It is going to be hard leaving early but God has a plane and a reason for everything.

" be still and know that I am God." psalm 46:10

From teh time I went to bed last night to when I woke up this morning this verse has been in my head. We may not understand why we are leaving early but God has a reason and now we just need to trust him.
1John 4:16

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. god is love whoever lives in love lives in God and God lives in them.

Psalm 18:39
You armed with strength for battle, you humbled my adversaries before me.

We have all had our weakness out here. Some it has been home sick for me my asthma, but God has given us the strength to be here to push through these things to glorify his name.

2 Corinthians 12:16
That is why for Christ sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in headships in persecutions, in difficulties. for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Saying bye to Sita today was probably the most heart breaking thing that has happened to me. I could not let her go. Yep tears and all. It didn't help that when I finally put her down she looked at me like she was going to cry. Tracy told me I had to be strong  but when you are saying bye to a little girl that has been attached to you all trip it is hard. I had her in one arm and Adam holding me in another. Leaving the village was for sure not easy. God for sure captured my heart this time in ways I never expected!  We made it back to Bomiko fine. The group we came back with is pretty neat. We went out to dinner with them and had a fun time, sharing stories from both villages we had been in. Charity and me gave Aaron a work out because we are in the roof bedroom and couldn't figure out how to lock or unlock our room. He ever gets a break from us! lol

Picture of Sita thanks to Adam

Sita hitting Adam with a water bottle

May I just say I love how they are both smiling...one because she is hitting

him the other because he is getting hit

The Season of Engagment

For all of you who want to know how it happened here you go:

He came and woke me up at 8am yesterday wanting to spend the day with me because he didn't have work. Well I had a full list of things I wanted to get done. One being my online class. So while he went out to run some errons I tackled that and making cake pops for something on Saturday. I really didn't want to leave the house!  Then we went out to lunch probably around 2ish at Qdoba. After that he drove around acting like he had no clue how to get to Lake Springfield! He was just being really really weird and not him self! He went to the river off of battlefield first. Which is where we went to the first night we were together! Then it was off to the lake. Which was nothing new for us. We go there quit a bit to fish and just chill by the lake. When we got there he took out his backpack to walk up the trail to the cliff that over looks the lake. If any of you know it is a short short walk and no need for a backpack! Once we got up there and sat down he pulled out all the letter that I had wrote him since we had been together. read a few that had certain things in them. Then pulled out the photo timeline book I made for our one year. Looked through that and when we got to the back I had wrote a letter in it. He told me to read it. I said I wrote it I don't need to read it. But I did out loud. The last line says. " I am excited for where God is going to take us this year. Then He went on to say that he had been thinking about where we would be and praying about this next year. Got down on a knee and asked me while over looking the lake! Of Course I said YES!!!!!

The Perfect Closing..... Day 11

Psalms has truly been a book that has reveled it's self to me on this trip. It seems like almost every day I am turning to it! Psalm 67 may this just be my prayer this morning over the day.
3:00pm so far it has been a pretty laid back day. Aaron, Charity and I stayed back this morning while the others went to the village that has never heard the word of God before! We will be going their tomorrow night to show one of the films. Charity has been pretty under the weather all day. Two IV's down and she is starting to come back to life. Mean while I finally finished Choosing to See! Such a good book! The end was filled with nothing more than a ton of Psalms. Funny how God can work. Staying back has been good. We have had a few good conversations. Aaron and I got into a good one about taking your faith in your own hands and how in the world God got us here! It has been a long afternoon! My asthma has started to some what react not bad though! We had some other missionaries show up this afternoon to stay the night with us. With everything going on Randy made a decision to send Aaron, Charity and I back to the city with the other missionary's tomorrow. I just had another shot  and it hit hard! I had a reaction to this one like I hadn't on the others. Tonight has been hard I don't want to leave. If God knows how to break my heart he did tonight. It sucks don't know how else to say it. In the midst of crying I got to see the perfect sunset!Tonight the stars are shining and lighting up the sky. Amazing and a shooting start like none I have ever seen before! It was almost like a firework across the sky! God knew what he was doing. It was like a closer. The hardest part was sitting by the fire with Adam next to me having scubby on his lap and sita on mine falling asleep and her just not letting go!  If someone could have taken a picture or just pressed paused I could have stayed in that moment of having those two kids that way forever! But sad enough it had to end! Her mom taking her away for bed was almost to hard to take. I am tearing up writing this. If I could take her home I would. Saying bye is not going to be easy tomorrow. I for sure don't want this night to end! I can say I FELL in LOVE! This is my new home!

Amazing Sunset

Light Pictures.... Day 10

Woke up feeling pretty good this  morning. Still a little in the fog but not bad at all.

Joshua 1:9
I've commanded you to be strong and brave. don't ever be afraid or discourage! I am the Lord your God , and I will be there to help you wherever you go.
I love how God lets you know he is there. Yesterday morning I just sat and cried out to God why? Why can't I have a normal day? why my asthma? I just wanted to be able to help out and not always sit back and take it easy.  This afternoon we went out of the village and met up with the other Team. We went to a village that is very heavy Muslim. There we greeted the chief and tried to let them have us put in a water filter, but they didn't want the water system. We headed on to the lake from their. We spent a couple of hours at the lake eating lunch, talking, resting, and worshiping. It was so pretty the cattle kept coming  down through out the time. After the lake we were going to try to go to a village that has never been reached before. The road was so narrow there and bumppy. We could not make it. So it was back to our villages we went to take showers and make dinner. Which was very good! Made it through the day without any asthma attacks. Been a good day! For our nightly  entertainment we did light pictures. Aaron, James and Me made pictures out of swing or head lamps around or even putting them on the huts and having a shadow light. This is what happens when we don't have Technology.

The lake

worship

This is what we came to when we met up with the other team...lol

One foggie day .....Day 9

Today I woke up at probably 3-4 am and the moon was unbelievably Gorgeous! If I could have captured it I would have. Got to sleep in a bit. For sure feel like I have been hit by a train just because of the steroids and how bad the attack was. i did wake up to the song completely by Anna Laura. Such a smoothing and comforting song. especially with all these asthma attacks.
Psalms 56:9-11
my enemies will retreat when I call to you for help, this I know God is on my side! I promise God for what he Promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?

We had church will the Village people today. I missed most of it because I went out in the bush before not knowing to have some alone time by the tree. Then played with bubbles with the kids. So much fun! As for the afternoon I took about a 3hr nap under the hut. My body needed it! After the nap I felt a little better some of the shot had warren off.  We had a group of three boys come and put on an African dance performance. It was really neat to watch them. Who knew Randy had moves. He did a hand stand. The boys dancing ended up accepting Christ and dedicated their dance to the Lord. It is neat to see them see that they can use their talents to show others to Christ. Then the boys had fun trying to take a million pictures of me as I ran and hid! Quit attractive pictures came out of that let me tell you! And may I add we had probably I would say at least 100 people in our family complex and a little boy managed to lay on the ground and fall asleep!We are currently in F showing the Hope film. Adam and me just dance with the kids like no one business. They can move! It was quite the work out. So far today no breathing problems just still a little warn out from last night and in a fog. Hopefully I can make it the night! We had 33 come to Christ tonight at the movie!

Church in the village

Bubbles

The dancers

team dancin

little boy asleep in the middle of all that was going on