The GIANT Robot!!!

One of the crafts for VBS is a robot the size of a cereal box, which is actually really, really cute!!! So, I decided that in addition to our black tulle outer space, sparkling silver stars, white USA spaceships and rocket signs, that we needed a GIANT robot!

And that's exactly what I created Sunday afternoon. And I had sooooo much fun doing it!!!! :)

Start with several boxes for a body and arms...

Add a few necessary pieces...and...

What do you know?? A giant robot!!

Want to see more photos and details or make one of your own - click here for more!!

Vacation Bible School - Operation Space

The last couple of months I've been working on crafts (I'm the craft director) for Vacation Bible School at church. Our theme is Operation Space and learning about the Bible and His creation. VBS is the third week of July (yep, right after two weeks of camp!), so I've had to get all my crafts, decorations and supplies done and ready before I leave this weekend. A challenge for sure, but I'm just about 10 minutes away from being done!

I'm using one corner of the fellowship hall for our craft area and have been trying to develop a plan for an outer space themed area. After multiple sketches and trial & errors, I decided to block off a 20' area with black tulle.

My plan is to use my photo/quilt background stands and rods to drape tulle to create a wall and ceiling. I started out with a basic plan of the stands and string to hang up the tulle. And then when that didn't work, I went to Dad for ideas. He is making a couple of wooden stands to use and then cutting pvc pipe to connect them and hold the tulle. Magnificent!! I can ALWAYS come up with the ideas and then Dad has to figure out how to make them work! :)

After the black tulle is draped, I have stars and spaceships to hang from the ceiling and wall to create a space area. Sounds cool, doesn't it?? Hopefully all will work as planned when it comes to decorating the church in 2 1/2 weeks.

Oh, wait!!! That's not all!!! Erinn (one of the gals helping me with crafts) and I went to the Learning Center (gotta love that place!) and created signs as well!!! Just take a peek at the entrance and exit signs - I'm sooooo excited!!!!

Entrance!!

Exit!

I still need to add red crepe paper to the end of each rocket to add some more flair, but aren't they cute?!?! We are hoping to part the black tulle for a tunnel effect and putting these signs up to enter in and exit out.

In my sketches, it works beautifully and in real life, hopefully it will fantastic!!!

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas - Yummy!!!

I found this recipe for chicken enchiladas and cheese (everything is better with cheese!) a couple months ago and I've already made it a couple times. It's quick, easy and very yummy!!

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup picante sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack & Colby cheese (can use other cheeses as well)
6 flour tortillas
1 small tomato, chopped (opt.)
1 green onion, sliced (opt.)

Stir the coup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl. Stir one cup picante sauce mixture with the chicken and cheese in another large bowl.

Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them seamside down in an 11"x 8" shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining picante sauce mixture over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil if needed.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion and sprinkle with more cheese.

It's time for a bath!

I've been trying to figure out the best way to combat the hair my cats leave on my bed and chair, so I googled, "how to keep cats from shedding?". One of the search results: give them a bath.

Yeah, sure! Actually the concept of giving cats a bath is not a new one to me. In the summer time when we had Rascal, he would get a bath about once a month because his long hair just caught everything. He finally learned to tolerate it and just sat in the tub, looking at you with those pitiful blue eyes.

Skittles and Scamper are another story. I really didn't think it would be that bad, considering that I took Sissie (my cat before Skittles) a bath and while she didn't like it, she didn't resist me. Note to myself to remember in the future: Skittles is much more hyper, stubborn and playful than Sissie and her kitten, Scamper, is just like her.

I figured Scamper would be worse than Skittles, so I started with her. The poor thing thought I was drowning her the way she screamed in addition to Skittles howling on the other side of the bathtub door. But I managed to get her wet, washed with shampoo and rinsed off with me just barely getting wet and no scratches.

One down and one to go!

Skittles was a terror! As soon as I grabbed her and stepped into the tub, she started clawing up my shoulder with HUGE black eyes focused on ME! I managed to get her paw down in the 3" bath of water and that was it. With her howling and Scamper screaming on the other side of the door like she herself was getting another bath, I could not get her back into the water.


After trying to get that hysterical cat back in the water several times, I ended up soaking wet and displaying some rather large scratch marks. If I would have let her, I think she would have scaled the bathtub wall!

I finally threw Scamper out of the bathroom since her racket was not helping the situation one bit and ended up sticking Skittles in the sink, got her wet, shampooed and rinsed off. Finally.

I dried both of them off and in 30 minutes time, they were both happy and content. They don't carry grudges for long! ;)

Spring Cleaning: The kitchen, utility room & bathroom

I've been wanting to tackle these rooms, especially the kitchen for quite a while. Krissa and Jena both took things from my cabinets when they moved, so it's time to do some resorting.

Kitchen:
X basic cleaning
X organize it
X wash & sort cabinets
X clean fridge
X defrost freezer
X clean oven
X clean microwave
X clean dishwasher
X dust/Windex skylight
X find home for new crockpot
X organize cookbook shelf
X sort recipes

You can't ever have TOO many cookbooks!

But they did need sorted and organized - much better!

And I found a home for my new crockpot!

Shelves, closets and every drawer and cabinet are clean and organized!

I think the cat and dog treat supply is ample! ;)

When I can't, God can!

Circumstances happen that I have no control over and can't change, even though I try with all my ability, but God can help me to accept the fact that I just can't do it all on my own.

Areas of my life I want to change and improve are impossible to do on my own, but God can give me the strength when I continually seem to fail.

Decisions can put me at a loss of knowing what to do, but God can give me the wisdom to make the correct choice.

The important thing is that I continually rely on Him!

...even when I can't change what I want to,

...even when I repeatedly fall short of the mark,

...even when I have no clue what to do,

He does! And I just need to trust and rest in him!

photo from allposters.com