An Oldie But Goodie-Pumpkin Pie Play Dough

This play dough recipe is a must for fall! It just smells so good!

You will need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. cream of tartar
• 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (of course I had none, so I just made a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger)
• red and yellow food coloring

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir over medium-low heat. Continue to stir until the mixtures reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove it from the heat and knead it when it's cool enough to handle. (This is the best part! I love kneading the warm dough, especially when it smells so good!) Store in an air tight container.

We made a few pumpkins by adding some leaves and stems cut from pipe cleaners. Madelyn also just rolled out the dough and made some pumpkin "cookies".

Pinecone Painting

We are having another rainy day here today and to be honest, I have been slacking in the fun department lately, so what better way to liven things up than doing a messy project. I’ve done this with the big kids in the past and it was always a hit, so I thought I would let Stella have a crack at it.

Here’s what you need:

Now, it’s time to get down to business.

Stella always loves getting into her art! But no worries here, all of the paint we use is non-toxic so even if she does taste it, she’ll be fine.

An Oldie But Goodie-No Mess Fingerpainted Leaves

The truth is, I have never really been afraid to make a mess. In fact, we do it quite often here! This technique is just another fun way to finger paint!

Let's get started!

Lay a piece of wax paper on the table and put a piece of construction paper on top of it. Then add a few colors. Try to keep your paint towards the center so it does not ooze out the side when you start painting!

Add a second sheet of wax paper.

Now the fun begins!

Carefully remove the wax paper.

The colors all blend really well! With no mess!

This is a great way to make:

Catching Up

 I know I have been a blog slacker, but not because I haven't been feeling well, it's actually the opposite. I have been really feeling good and have just been spending as much time with my family as possible. Actually, for a few days, we were cut off from the rest of the world because massive flooding in our area made our tiny town an island of sorts. Thankfully, our house is high enough on a hill and we were spared from the devastating floods that have affected so many in our area. The company Mike works for was hit hard and it's going  to be a long road to getting things back to normal.

Also this past week, we celebrated Madelyn's 6th birthday! The day did not start out so good for her because school was cancelled due to the flood. She was to be the Star Of the Day and she had special cupcakes to share with her class. When she found out school was cancelled, she sobbed for hours! The day turned around for her when we took her to Wal-Mart and bought her a new bike. She was thrilled that we let her ride it all through the store. Sadly, Daddy had to miss her birthday dinner and cake because he had to go in to work to prepare for the flood (a lot of good that did!).

Here she is making her wish. It was to go to school the next day. It didn't come true. They were off for the rest of the week.  :(

 Tomorrow I'll be heading back to the doctor for treatment number 2. I am feeling great and in no way discouraged by the terrible sickness I suffered from my first treatment. I am confident that the new plan to combat my tummy troubles after treatment will work this time. Your continued prayers are much appreciated. Thanks!

A Rough Week

“God only gives you what He knows you can handle.” 

I’ve had many people say that to me and, for the most part, I do agree with that. However, this week, I found myself asking why He has so much faith in my strength. Last Saturday, following my first chemo treatment, I became very ill. My doctor had warned me that usually the Saturday and Sunday following a Wednesday treatment are the worst days. I just kept praying for Monday to get here thinking that by then I would start feeling better. Monday came and went and I was still no better. Of course, I am very stubborn and refused to admit that I needed to go to the hospital. I was sure I could handle it. WRONG! By Thursday morning, I could barely lift my head and it was obvious that I was not going to get any better on my own. So, I spent several hours at the hospital receiving IV meds and fluids. Ever so slowly I am regaining my strength and today, I actually feel pretty good.

Thankfully, my family has been awesome helping out and taking care of things that need to be done around here and for that, I am forever grateful.  This first treatment has been a learning experience and we now know how to better approach my next one. Until then, I’m just going to rest and gain strength.

Thank you for your continued prayers!