Lego Table

Sometimes reading & following other blogs can get me into trouble. So many of the well known bloggers out there are either: kitchen gourmets, bargain hunters, or crafty. And I am none of those three. I like to cook but am no gourmet. I love a good bargain but will not spend hours hunting one down. And crafts. Oh crafts. I would love to be a crafty girl, but honestly, I can barely use my hot glue gun that was bought for $1 at the Dollar Tree. And I certainly can't even sew on a button.
So when I'm reading some of these blogs, I see their amazing recipes, awesome bargains, or totally cute craftiness and I wish to be like them. Thankfully for me, I do have a husband that is pretty good with tools (no doubt because of his amazingly handy father). So occasionally when I see a craft that I know he could do, I get excited.

The latest such project was a DIY Lego Table that I saw at The Idea Room.

Eli loves to play with Legos, but they were taking over my breakfast area and dining room table and computer desk. I'd find creations or little pieces everywhere. I thought this souded like a great idea to have a place to play with them.
We didn't want to spend much money on the table, so I searched and searched on Craigslist for a cheapo. Never found one that seemed quite right.
I finally found this one at a furniture outlet. It had a small crack in it, so it was fairly reasonably priced. Now, if you've read about the table at The Idea Room, you know that she suggests having a "lip" around the table. Well the one we found did not have a lip, but that handy husband of mine said "no problem." He made a lip and stained it to match pretty darn perfectly to the original table color.

Next, we ordered these baseplates from Lego. Again, I tried to go cheap, checking for these on Ebay, but no luck.

After the baseplates came in, Philip got busy gluing them to the table. He even used little Lego men to help hold them together!

After all the baseplates were glued on, he used some big thick books as well as clamps to hold them down while they dried...

The table was finished and brought up to Eli's room. He immediately got busy scattering pieces out all over the table.

And then he went to creating masterpieces....

like this:

Star Wars Battle of Endor...

and this:

Atlantis Underwater Exploration Station....

I'm so pleased with how the table turned out. Philip did a great job! And Eli has already spent several hours during our snowed-in week at home upstairs in his room at his Lego table!

So glad God gave me a husband who can pick up the slack in some of my non-gifted areas!

Blessings to this Momma's Heart

Before I share what's on my heart this morning, let me make a disclaimer that Eli and Emma Kate are by no means perfect. They argue. They throw fits (well that's just mostly Emma Kate). They complain. And the list goes on.

But what I want to share today is how they've made my heart happy in the last 15 hours...and without even realizing it.

Last night, they asked if I would download some songs onto their iPod Touch(s). Every song they asked for is a Contemporary Christian song. Specifically, they asked for songs by: Brandon Heath, Britt Nicole and Group 1 Crew. (the grandparents reading this won't recognize those names, but most of the rest of you reading know who those artists are).

I love that this kind of music is what they think is normal. I hope they always want to listen to music that is written to glorify God.

Secondly, this morning they crawled in my bed since its a snow day (HOORAY!), and as usual, I was on my iPad. (that seems to be my favorite iPad spot...my bed). They both asked, but at different times, if we could download the Bible onto their iPods. oh Father, let me seize this moment. A 10 and 8yr old asking for the BIBLE to be put on their iPods. Thank you Father for what you are pouring into their hearts and what they are retaining. Thank you for all the Godly people and places you have placed in their lives (2 of which are school and church). Finally Father, let them finish this race to your Kingdom with endurance.

Some verses that have popped into my mind as I've been typing this:

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
• ...and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1b-2a)

Amen and amen. All glory and praise be to HIM!

Philippians 2:14

Remember a few days ago when I posted about the One Word Prayers I'm going to pray for each of my family members this year? Remember that for Eli, I wanted the opposite of COMPLAIN? Well, today I was reminded of what Paul said in Philippians 2:14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing." (NLT) So, I'm thinking that maybe rather than having just one word, Eli will have a verse that I pray for him. This verse.

The real reason for this post though is because of what I found while searching different versions of Philippians 2:14. Read what The Message says for verses 14-16:

"Do everything readily and cheerfully - no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing."



{Gulp}

I think the Lord just showed me an entire passage that I need to be praying.
I don't think its for Eli though.
I'm thinking its for Eli's mama.

1st Snow Day of 2011

Less than an inch of snow really doesn't seem to be enough for a snow day. But apparently the roads were a bit slick in the wee hours of the morning, so the public schools cancelled for today, which means that our school did too.
Hooray! No complaints from the Jackson fam!

The kids and I had a great day playing both inside and outside.

On the inside we played games. One of which was this... We were still playing this when Philip got home from work (Boo...He doesn't get to take Snow Days with us.).
While he was playing with us, one of the challenges for Emma Kate was to get a mustache and glasses drawn on her face with makeup. She chose her Daddy to do it.

working on the mustache


All finished.
This picture just makes me laugh. Not quite sure what she looks like.

It was bitterly cold today.

When we first woke up, it was 9 degrees with a wind chill of 5 below.

Naturally the kids wanted to go outside to play in the little bit of snow that we did get.

I told them we had to wait a few hours until it "warmed up."

Around noon when it was close to double digits, we bundled up to go play outside.

The big kids dressed warmly in layers and hand-me-down snow clothes from Aunt Karen.

It took me 10-15 minutes though just to get those 2year olds all bundled up.

When I got done with them, they sort of looked like weeble wobble robbers.

Can you even tell who is who?

Zane is 1st picture

Zander is 2nd.

Emma Kate didn't care that she was basically making a "grass angel."

And even with a tiny amount of snow, Eli still thought they needed to get the sled out....

Emma Kate tried pulling Eli, but it didn't go so well....

Then Zander wanted a turn on the sled...

But Zane was content to just sit back and watch...

Emma Kate looking ever-so-much like a janitor enjoyed shoveling the snow....

We are ready for another Snow Day. But next time we want more snow please!

Modern Mission Laser Tag

Our friends, the Finks, are starting a new business here in NWA. Modern Mission Laser Tag.
Very fun concept. Its like outdoor paint ball but without any of the hurt or the mess. They invited us out for a "guinea pig" game before they officially open their business. Since it was during naptime, I stayed home with the boys while Philip took the older 2.
Becky said that we should dress in camo if we had any. Thanks to Aunt Karen who gives us lots of hand-me-downs, I found some things for Eli and EK to wear.

Emma Kate with her headband and gun. Ready to go!

She's "hiding out" behind this trailer....

Eli is crouched down behind that tree. Can you see him?

Coming out to get an opponent...

and off he goes to get away from an opponent...

Thank you Fink's!

We had a great time at Modern Mission Laser Tag!

We love hanging out with your fun family!

New Years Eve 2010

Friends from our Bible Fellowship Class at church invited everyone to their home for New Years Eve (kids included). My parents timed a trip to our house so that they could bring us the rest of our Christmas loot as well as keep Zane & Zander while the rest of us went to the NYE party. (cause I'm guessing that the Z's wouldn't have been the life of the party at midnight!)

I made some snacky foods to take, but I also had Eli and EK make a kiddy snack.
They started with pretzel squares on a pan... then they put Hershey's Kisses on top of those...

and baked for a few minutes. Right after taking them out of the oven, they then smashed an M&M on top of each Kiss...

(looks like somebody may have taste tested one!)

The kids had a great place to hang out at the party. They watched movie after movie in the theater room.

The adults ate and talked and ate some more and played games upstairs.

Around 10:00, I could tell that Emma Kate was getting tired. She came upstairs and crawled in my lap. Although she stayed awake, she pretty much stayed in my lap for the next 2 hours.

She perked up around midnight when we turned the TV on to watch the ball drop.

Here she is with her friend Ryanne at midnight...

(and yes, they are in their pj's)

Ryanne's baby brother Mason, was quite the little trooper. He slept for a little bit, but around 11:00 he woke back up and rang in the New Year as well. His Daddy gave him the appropriate accessories....

(and yes, that is sparkling cider)


Not many adults were still there at midnight....

But being the late night party animals that Philip and I are (insert sarcasm here), we stayed til the end!

Pumpkin Pictures

Mandatory during fall (at least if you live in my house), is getting dressed in fall colors and going to a pumpkin patch for pictures.

Clothes went great.

Pumpkin patch was great.

Getting four kids to look the same way and smile at the same time was not great.

Mainly it was one busy boy who just didn't cooperate. He wasn't bad. Just wasn't into sitting still and smiling at the same time.

Before I show you all the outtakes, here are some that were good!

All those were good right? Did you notice none of them had the baby of the family? Enter Zander and watch the atmosphere of the pictures change.

And now attempting to get a good one of all four of them together.


1st try...Zander is looking at the flowers.

2nd try...Zander must be hot and needing to wipe the sweat off his brow.

3rd try....Zander wonders if anything exciting is happening behind him.

4th try...Zander does his "wrinkle up my nose" smile.

5th try...Zander stands while everyone else sits.

And after that, both Philip and I are done. D-O-N-E-, done. Actually Philip would've probably been done after the 1st or 2nd try. But not me. I gave it good effort. Just came up empty.