Life in Lape Haven

Archive - March 2016

The Hope of Spring

Life in Lape Haven: The Hope of Spring. From azaleas in Georgia to forsythia in Ohio, the arrival of spring is always a time of hope, joy, and new life.

When I was in high school, my family lived in southeast Georgia, about an hour from Savannah, and while winters down south are generally pretty mild, especially compared to what we were used to in Ohio, we always looked forward to spring and the blooming of the azaleas in early March.

If you’ve never been in southeast Georgia when the azaleas are in bloom, I’m sorry – because it is absolutely gorgeous. At our house we had several azalea bushes that contributed to the overall beautification of the area, and it always brought me so much joy just to see the brightly-colored blossoms all around.

Life in Lape Haven: The Hope of Spring. From azaleas in Georgia to forsythia in Ohio, the arrival of spring is always a time of hope, joy, and new life.

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com

Now that we’ve been back up north for 16 years, spring isn’t marked by azaleas anymore, but rather by the forsythia.

In Ohio, we pray for the forsythia to bloom, especially when it has been a cold, harsh winter.

I don’t really think the forsythia is a very pretty plant. There’s no greenery on it when the yellow blooms appear (since the flowers are actually the starts of the leaves), so it’s more like sticks with some random yellow petals on them until the plant fills out a bit more. It’s not nearly as breath-taking as an azalea, even if the bright color is nice after a long season of brown.

Life in Lape Haven: The Hope of Spring. From azaleas in Georgia to forsythia in Ohio, the arrival of spring is always a time of hope, joy, and new life.

But unlike the azalea, whose gorgeous display is the prize itself, it’s the promise that comes with the forsythia’s first blossoms that make it such a wonderful sight to see.

According to old weather folklore, once the forsythia blooms, there are only three more snows left (and usually only flurries) before you are done with winter, and it is truly spring!


Seeing the little yellow blossoms is like glimpsing the light at the end of a cold, dreary tunnel. For as long as I’ve known about this little weather predictor (my mom told us all about it), I’ve never seen it fail. I’ve watched and counted the snow falls every year. Brad thought that I was crazy until he, too, started keeping an eye out for the forsythia’s first sprouts of yellow and saw that the folklore is true.

Now he’s the one asking if “that plant” has bloomed yet, particularly on very gloomy, chilly days in late February or early March. He’s even suggested that we just bring one inside to “help” it bloom sooner.

Life in Lape Haven: The Hope of Spring. From azaleas in Georgia to forsythia in Ohio, the arrival of spring is always a time of hope, joy, and new life.

By the end of winter, even if it’s mild where you live, we are all longing for the hope, joy, and new life of spring.

Is it any wonder, then, that Easter falls during this season?  Just like the forsythia’s first colors promise only three more snows and the hope for freedom from winter,  Jesus’s death meant only three more days until He rose again, bringing a beautiful, glorious hope of forgiveness, joy, and new life in Him and a true freedom more amazing than even the azaleas in full bloom.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” ~ 1 Peter 1:3


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How to Easily Create Beautiful Chalkboard Lettering {+ FREE PRINTABLES}

Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - How to Easily Create Chalkboard Lettering. With a print out, chalk, and a chalk marker, I used an easy technique to made my own custom chalkboard with beautiful lettering, plus I'm sharing my design with you in a FREE printable with three variations.

Almost two years ago, I wrote out my “Mommy Motto” verse on a little chalkboard in my kitchen, doing my best to use my prettiest “scripty” print on it. While my handwriting isn’t horrible, neither is it truly decorative, and every time I saw my little chalkboard, I would think “One of these days I’m going to do that verse over in prettier lettering.”

Of course, rewriting the verse on my kitchen chalkboard was WAAAAYYY down on the bottom of the to-do list. It was really on more of the “it-would-be-nice-if-I-ever-get-a-chance-to-do-it” wish list. So many beautiful, wonderful ideas live on that list. All I have to do it wait for the time and/or the money to do them. You have one of those lists, too, right? (If you have a Pinterest account, I bet you do!)

Then one day I saw a graphic on Pinterest that showed how you could easily transfer your design to a chalkboard, and I discovered these things called “chalk markers.” It was like chalk, only also like a marker, and it would last longer because it didn’t smudge.

I was so excited.

Finally, close to Christmas this year, I remembered to look for a chalk marker during one of my visits to Hobby Lobby. When I found them, I got one to put in my Christmas stocking. 🙂  (I figured I didn’t know how well it would work or how often I’d use it, so I picked a simple white marker.)

Once I had my marker, I just needed the time to create my design and redo my chalkboard.

This past week, I finally did it. (Again, there are so many things on the daily Wife-Mommy-Blogger to-do list that those little “just for fun” projects often get set aside.) But my hubby had the day off, the house was relatively presentable, both boys were healthy and happy, and suddenly I had TIME!!!

So, here’s how I did it:

 

DESIGN IT

Having made lots of graphics for my blog, I knew which fonts I really liked, so designing the lettering was fairly easy. I used Photoshop, but you could easily use the free services on PicMonkey or Canva.  I measured my chalkboard so I knew what size I needed to work inside of with my layout. (Mine was 7×11). You could also just search online for any traceable design or image you’d like to have on a chalkboard and use that, too.

Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - How to Easily Create Chalkboard Lettering. With a print out, chalk, and a chalk marker, I used an easy technique to made my own custom chalkboard with beautiful lettering, plus I'm sharing my design with you in a FREE printable with three variations.

 

PRINT IT

Once I had my design the way I wanted it, I printed it out in black and white. I added a faint gray border around the outside of the design so that I could easily cut it out of the 8-1/2 x 11 letter-sized paper.

 

CHALK IT

Here’s where you start the magic! I turned the paper print-side down and used a piece of white chalk to color all over the back of the design area. (You could also graphite instead of chalk on the back if you happen to have it, but if you have a chalkboard, you most likely have chalk handy.)

 

TAPE IT

After the back was nice and chalky, I flipped the paper over and taped it, gently, print-size up, on the clean chalkboard.

 

TRACE IT

Using a sharpened pencil, I traced over each letter and design carefully, making sure to apply enough pressure that the chalk on the back would transfer onto the chalkboard underneath.

 

WRITE IT

Time to use that chalk marker! I carefully removed the paper from the chalkboard, taking off the tape from one side and gently lifting the paper away. I wanted to make sure that the complete design had transferred enough for me to go over it confidently with the chalk marker before I moved the design too much. Then I began tracing over the faint chalk lines that had transferred. I traced everything from left to right, in columns almost, to avoid smudging the chalk transfer.  Take your time on this step. I found that having just traced the letters in the previous step (with pencil over the print-out) made it easier to remember how the letters were made. 🙂

CLEAN IT UP

I had a couple of places where my marker tip was just a bit too broad for the delicate lettering that I used (next time I’ll make sure to consider that ahead of time!), so I had to go back after I finished writing it all out, and do a bit of straightening of a “t” or opening up the “b” a bit more. I used a tiny piece of slightly dampened papered towel twisted onto the end of a bamboo skewer, so I could get the fine details worked out.

Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - How to Easily Create Chalkboard Lettering. With a print out, chalk, and a chalk marker, I used an easy technique to made my own custom chalkboard with beautiful lettering, plus I'm sharing my design with you in a FREE printable with three variations.

 

ENJOY IT!

I was so pleased with how easily it all came together and how well it turned out for my first attempt. I immediately began thinking of what else I could do with this technique. I do have a small bottle of chalkboard paint on our craft shelf… 🙂 Also, chalk markers come in several different colors. (Beware, though – some chalk markers are PERMANENT on chalkboard and chalkboard paint. Others are not. Make sure you test it first.)

Oh, the possibilities!

 

{FREE PRINTABLES}

Since I had so much fun doing this project, I wanted to share a little bit of it with you, so I’m giving you a few variations of my design as FREE PRINTABLES! You can print one or all three versions, if you’d like.  Just click on the picture of the version you’d like to download, and then select either the “print” icon or the “download” icon at the top of the full-size picture.

Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - How to Easily Create Chalkboard Lettering. With a print out, chalk, and a chalk marker, I used an easy technique to made my own custom chalkboard with beautiful lettering, plus I'm sharing my design with you in a FREE printable with three variations.Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - How to Easily Create Chalkboard Lettering. With a print out, chalk, and a chalk marker, I used an easy technique to made my own custom chalkboard with beautiful lettering, plus I'm sharing my design with you in a FREE printable with three variations.Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - How to Easily Create Chalkboard Lettering. With a print out, chalk, and a chalk marker, I used an easy technique to made my own custom chalkboard with beautiful lettering, plus I'm sharing my design with you in a FREE printable with three variations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it! You can use it to make your own custom chalkboard or simply frame it and hang it for a pretty reminder to be joyful, patient, and faithful!

 

WHAT OTHER VERSE OR QUOTE WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IN CHALKBOARD LETTERING?

(If you try out this technique, please feel free to share you creations in the comments below! I’d love to see them.)


Walking Closely

Life in Lape Haven: Walking Closely: How Doggie-Doo & My 3-Yr-Old Point to God. Walking a child through a yard littered with dog leavings is tricky, especially when your child won't stay close.
How Doggie-Doo & My 3-Year-Old Point to God

Due to my hubby’s and Elijah’s allergies, when we got a dog a couple years ago, we knew we would have to go with a more hypoallergenic breed. Through God’s provision, we were able to bring home a 5-year-old chocolate Labradoodle named Vincent, or Vinny for short.

This giant teddy bear of a dog has brought lots of joy to our home…and occasionally some frustration. For example, he likes to “counter-surf,” meaning snatching food off the kitchen counters whenever he can, and since his muzzle is almost at the same height as the counters, he can grab things rather easily if we aren’t around. (He once ate an entire box of beautiful, delicious cookies that we’d just brought home from a friend’s wedding!)

Life in Lape Haven: Walking Closely: How Doggie-Doo & My 3-Yr-Old Point to God. Walking a child through a yard littered with dog leavings is tricky, especially when your child won't stay close.

With the spring thaw, another frustration has come back into play: Vinny’s…umm…”doggie-doo” – all over the yard where my boys are very excited to play. Of course, we understand that this is all part of having a dog, and even the Bible says “where no oxen (or dogs, in our case) are, the trough is clean…” (Proverbs 14:4).

But have you ever tried to direct a clumsy nearly-3-year-old, who INSISTS on running full speed AND in a zig-zag, across a yard littered with dog leavings?

The odds are generally NOT in your favor, but thankfully, I beat the odds the other day.

On the return from the mailbox, though, Josiah was excited to be carrying a flyer into the house for me, so getting him to pay attention to me or his steps sounded more like this:

“Come here, Josiah. Walk over here by Mommy. No, this way. Stay with Mommy. No. Watch where you’re stepping. Don’t go over there. Josiah, come here. Careful! Grab my hand.” All the way to the back door.

*Sigh*

Life in Lape Haven: Walking Closely: How Doggie-Doo & My 3-Yr-Old Point to God. Walking a child through a yard littered with dog leavings is tricky, especially when your child won't stay close.

Technically, he was walking with me, but he wasn’t walking as “with me” as he could. He was determined to prove his independence (being almost 3, he’s been showing his “threeness” early, but thoroughly), while all I wanted to do was keep him safe from potential disaster. He would wander a bit closer to me, but then dart off again, just out of reach. I saw all the near-misses he somehow managed to pull-off even though he was completely oblivious to them.

Kids, huh?

And yet…we can do the same thing to God that Josiah did (does) to me.

We want to do things our way. We want to make the decisions. We want to be walking with God, but maybe not as “with Him” as we could be. That would mean giving up some of our independence. At times we’ll draw closer, but do we STAY close? And how many near-misses does God see that we are completely oblivious to?

Just like my heart toward Josiah, God doesn’t want us close so He can just dictate to us or prove He’s in charge.

He wants us close so He can lead our steps, direct us, and protect us from things we aren’t even aware of.

He wants us close so He can hold our hand, and we can share the adventure together.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” ~ Psalm 37:23


My Kids’ New Favorite Fun App

Life in Lape Haven: My Kids' New Favorite Fun App. While we limit our boys' screen time, we do like it when we find good, educational children's apps that they love to play. There are some they enjoy a lot and a new one that is their favorite.

(Shhh! It’s Educational!)

By the way, this post contains affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase through the links.

This Christmas my hubby really, really wanted to get our boys a tablet so they could play their ABCMouse.com and other learning apps and games without risking Daddy’s Surface or draining Mommy’s phone. When he found a good deal on a Kindle Fire, I acquiesced, even though I didn’t think my boys’ needed access to yet another screen.

However, with parental controls for when they can play, what they can play, and how long they can play, the tablet has actually been a very good tool for our boys. (Yes, Brad was right.) My favorite parental control setting is the one that requires the boys to spend at least a certain amount of time playing the educational apps before they can even see the icons for the “fun only” games.

This meant, though, that we needed to find some really good educational app options for them. We definitely included ABCMouse, but we wanted them to have more to choose from. I also preferred they be inexpensive, or better yet, FREE. Some of the good ones we found are totally free, while others are free but have more with the paid upgrade, and still others are, at most, a few dollars.

Since the boys each have their own profile, we can customize who gets what apps, so Josiah’s educational apps are the counting, colors, shapes, and ABC ones. Ones that he seems to really enjoy are Toddler Counting 123, Phonics Island by 2 2Learn (we upgraded from the free), and Monkey Preschool Fix It! (I really like that one)

For Elijah, some of the apps we included were Phonics Island (even though he’s reading well), Sight Words & Flash Cards Volume 1 by 2 2Learn (also upgraded), and Monkey Word School Adventure, plus some free Kindle books that he can read.

They have been doing well with using their learning apps, and I can definitely tell that the boys are learning, especially Josiah, who has been counting things and trying to identify letter sounds.

Life in Lape Haven: My Kids' New Favorite Fun App. While we limit our boys' screen time, we do like it when we find good, educational children's apps that they love to play. There are some they enjoy a lot and a new one that is their favorite.

However, the other day, Elijah asked if we could find him a new game or app for the tablet and offered to pay for it with his own money from his piggy bank.

We did a quick search on Amazon for apps for kids, and I sorted the results by the highest customer rating. That’s how we found ThinkRolls 2. This app had a 5-star rating from 97-percent of the reviewers, with the remaining 3-percent giving it 4 stars.

If you’ve never heard of the app (we hadn’t), here is some of the game description:

“Thinkrolls 2 is an enlightening logic puzzler for kids 3-9…Children must use all their wits to navigate 28 spunky characters through 235 levels of increasingly complex mazes (117 for ages 3-5 and 118 for ages 5-9)… This clever game of logic keeps kids on their toes as they use properties of matter and basic physics to make their Thinkrolls not only roll, but float, glide, and teleport through a series of themed chapters. Each gradually introduces a new scientific concept in an accessible, easy to understand way. As kids explore and master, through trial and error, how to navigate the twists, turns and many pitfalls, they gain confidence in their deductive reasoning and ability to problem solve.”

It intrigued me, so I looked for reviews outside of Amazon and found this YouTube video, which shows you how the app is played.

Elijah watched along with me, and just a little way into it, he was saying, “Yes, I want that one.”

Not only does Elijah LOVE it, but so does Josiah, and I have been very surprised and impressed to watch them figure out how to move their character through the maze and the obstacles. They are learning how to think through steps to solve a problem, and when they make a mistake, the character doesn’t die. They just hit the do-over button at the top corner, and they can try again. Plus, the game lets them keep trying and trying until they get it. It isn’t timed, there’s no limit on do-overs, and no help prompts, unless you, as the parent, give them a nudge.

Life in Lape Haven: My Kids' New Favorite Fun App. While we limit our boys' screen time, we do like it when we find good, educational children's apps that they love to play. There are some they enjoy a lot and a new one that is their favorite.

Each time they finish a level, they unlock a new little character, which Elijah said is his favorite part. Once he completes the “easy” levels, we can bump him up to the harder levels and see how he does, so the game can kind of grow with them. You can also have up to 6 player profiles on the game with different difficulty settings, so you can have your preschooler and elementary kids playing at their own levels. The game automatically starts wherever you leave off.

By the way, this game isn’t only for kids. When I had Brad play it the other night, I later had to suggest that he quit playing and get ready for bed. Haha. It IS really fun.

It is a purchased app, but the few dollars have already been more than worth it for my boys…all three of them. 🙂

God Knows My Name

Life in Lape Haven: God Knows My Name. Sometimes as parents we call our children by their siblings' names or even other family members' names, but God knows each of us, even as we try to become more and more like Jesus.

For a good part of my growing up years, my family didn’t live close to our extended family. We would make hour-long, 3-hour-long, and 13-hour-long trips to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of the family at least a couple of times a year (more when we lived closer, of course), but we weren’t around our relatives all that often.

Because of this, it was always funny and odd when my mom would call me “Ruth,” meaning her sister. I expected the cliché of our parents trying to call out to one of us and going through all our other siblings’ names first, but Mom calling me by HER sister’s name was always more entertaining and somehow cooler.

I thought it was just a quirky thing with her, where I resembled my aunt just enough to make Mom think of Ruth.

Until I started doing the exact same thing with my boys… However, instead of calling my children by my siblings’ names, I’m calling my sibling by my child’s name, calling my brother Caleb, “Elijah.”

They don’t look alike at all, and their personalities aren’t really similar. Nevertheless, I’ll be either talking to my brother or mentioning him, and out comes “Elijah.” And I just laugh.

It’s so weird. It’s happened several different times, and it’s always him and always Elijah.

Maybe I’m just used to having to say, “Elijah,” all the time. I probably say his name more than any other all day long. (When it’s just Josiah with me during the day, I don’t really have to say Josiah’s name unless he’s in trouble. Haha.)

Or maybe it’s because Caleb is my younger brother, and I always tried to help take care of him. Maybe the protective tenderness of a big sister translates well into mothering, and that makes me think of Elijah.

I know for my mom it makes more sense because I, at least, resemble her sister a little bit. Something about Elijah reminds me of Caleb (or vice versa). But no matter why we do it, we both do it.



When I did it the other day – again! – I had a funny thought: I wondered if God ever does this with His children.

(Okay, yes, He is God and perfect, so, no, He won’t REALLY make a mistake. It is just a playful thought. Humor me and go with it!)

According to Galatians 3:26 & 27, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Does God ever look at me and see so much of Jesus’s character in me that He has to pause and make sure He says the right name?

Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch because, like I said, God’s not going to make THAT mistake. I may be “clothed with Christ,” but He still knows it’s me, Kishona, and not Christ. He knows my name, (Isaiah 43:1) knows the number of hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30), and He’s known since before I was born (Psalm 139:13-16). God always gets my name right.

But still – becoming so much like Jesus that even God does a double take – it’s a good goal to aim for.  😉

Why Our Child Goes to Public School

Why Our Child Goes to Public School, Life in Lape Haven. When we prayed for direction about our child's education, God's answer was public school and trusting Him.

Toward the end of Elijah’s kindergarten year, as I dropped him off at school, I noticed the message on the school marquee sign for the next year’s kindergarten registration. I could hardly believe that it had been almost a year since that same announcement had made my heart sad.

The previous year at that time, Brad and I were still debating somewhat about what God wanted us to do about Elijah and school. Should we home school him, look into the cost of private schools, or enroll him in public school? Elijah was more than ready to start school, so waiting another year wasn’t an option.

Life in Lape Haven: Why Our Child Goes to Public School. When we prayed for direction about our child's education, God's answer was public school and trusting Him.

Public school really wasn’t my first choice, even though I received most of my education in public schools. My time in school was several years ago, though, and with all the changes in our culture and our world, I wasn’t sure about registering my 4-year-old little boy to attend public school.

Of course, sending him anywhere else, even a private Christian school, would have been hard for me. I loved having him home with me every day, and he did well on ABCMouse.com and learned easily, so I did consider homeschooling him. I would have enjoyed it, at least most of the time, I think. I just wasn’t ready to send my child out into the world.

However, my husband and I prayed about it and waited for God’s leading.

God’s answer? “Nope,” to both homeschooling and private school.

When that March came around, I walked into our local elementary school and registered our little boy for kindergarten. And while registration was the first step, the hardest was going to be his first day.

However, God was already ready to prove to me that He was in control. (He is gracious enough to remind us of what we should already know).

A few days before Elijah’s first day was the school open house where Elijah and I got to go through the school, explore his classroom, and most importantly, meet his teacher. Elijah was a bit shy since he was both nervous and excited, but all it took was a short conversation about her room theme of bees. Elijah found out that his teacher was a beekeeper just like my dad. Then they talked about all kinds of bugs, and Elijah was sold. His teacher was ready for Elijah’s curiosity and energy, and I knew that it was going to be a good year for my little boy.

Life in Lape Haven: Why Our Child Goes to Public School. When we prayed for direction about our child's education, God's answer was public school and trusting Him.

It was like God just put His arm around me, giving me peace.

In prepping Elijah for his first day, I felt compelled to share with him about how Brad and I had prayed for God’s direction. I told him, “Since this is where God wants you to go, then God has a plan and purpose for you here in this specific school, in this particular class, and with this exact teacher.”

I reminded myself of that a few days later as my hubby and I watched our little boy follow his teacher down the hall to his classroom on his very first day of school. Then I went home and cried and wrote about it.

My baby was out in the world without me for the first time. I couldn’t filter what others would say or do, couldn’t protect him, or comfort him. He was completely out of my hands, and I was placing him in God’s.

Even though I can trust God to be with me in difficult times, it’s harder to trust Him with my children, which seems silly. Either I trust Him with everything, even my children, or I don’t.

It’s important that I do.

Life in Lape Haven: Why Our Child Goes to Public School. When we prayed for direction about our child's education, God's answer was public school and trusting Him.

How is Elijah going to learn to put his trust in God in every situation if he never has to? 

Slowly the days passed, and it got easier to walk away from the school gate every morning. Elijah loved school, and he was thriving.

Confirmation of God’s design in it all started to trickle in.

First and foremost was Elijah’s teacher. She was the exact teacher that he needed. She loved science (including bugs), appreciated Elijah’s thought processes, and enjoyed hearing how he thinks things through. She encouraged his curiosity and challenged him to do his best and learn more. Elijah is a very bright boy, and thankfully his teacher kept him interested and engaged. She applauded his creativity, allowed him to read “books” he’d written (mostly pictures) to the class, and enthusiastically accepted all the drawing and “creations” he took to her almost daily.

Elijah was always excited about his day and anxious to learn.

However, the other big thing that reiterated God’s plan was seeing how confidently Elijah lived out his faith on his own and the witness he was to those around him in school. He had some issues earlier that year with a little girl who was being mean to others and acting like a bully. Despite that, Elijah showed such compassion and patience for her over the months of school, trying to help her, sharing pencils when she needed them, being her friend as much as he could, and praying for her.

He also peppered his schoolwork with Bible story references and Jesus, and he wrote several journal entries that talked about God.

 

He invited his teacher to his Christmas program, and sure enough, she attended and sat with my family that Sunday at our church.

Then there was the day he came home from school and nonchalantly told me about how he’d spent his recess PRAYING ON THE PLAYGROUND, kneeling down off to the side of the slides, and just talking to God.

None of those things are things we had told him to do, besides being nice to everyone and praying for others. It was his own light shining from his own love for God, not in a noisy, flaunting way, but naturally and gently and authentically.

Those moments wouldn’t have happened if he’d been homeschooled, and it might not have seemed as genuine had he been in a Christian school setting.

Because we trusted God and allowed our child a chance to trust Him, Elijah had (and continues to have) the opportunity to make an impact right where God wanted him to.

Trusting God and sharing His love with others – that’s one of the most important lessons any of us can ever learn.

 

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