Gingerbread House Fun!

This is a tradition we started when Rose was two and the girls love to create and then nibble on their houses.

Violet didn't participate in making Gingerbread houses but we dressed her like a little Gingerbread baby and she is sweet enough to just gobble right up!

Merry Christmas from the Lendas!

NO News is GOOD News!

Five years ago this month we moved away from Nashville, TN. Rose was just 2 months old.
We left behind many great friends not to mention yummy restaurants and beautiful scenery. As we drove away I cried for the many friends I would miss.

Three years ago this month we moved away from Hollywood, FL. Pearl was just 2 months old, Rose was 2 years old. We left behind great friends, yummy Cuban food, sunshine and sand. As we flew over "our beach" I cried knowing I would miss living so close to the beach.

I told Mike that if we ever had another baby I just wanted to have lots of time to hold and rock my baby and not have to pack and unpack.

He kept his promise for the first four months of Violet's life. I had the luxury of holding my baby and not having to worry about packing.

Until now...
Once again we find ourselves with a new baby and moving during her first Christmas. The good news is that we are moving back to Nashville where we have lots of wonderful friends, the winter is a little milder and going out to eat includes at least a half a dozen different Mexican restaurant options. Mike has a wonderful job opportunity partnering with a Christian organization called Blood:Water Mission, working to relieve the HIV/Aids and water crisis in Africa.

We would appreciate your prayers for us during this transition time. This week my mom and I are packing like crazy, while caring for my crazy girls. Mike will be flying home tomorrow to help finish up the packing. He will drive the girls and I to TN this weekend. Please pray that our house sells quickly.

Please join me in praying for sweet, one year old, Stellan. He is having major heart surgery right now. You can read updates on MckMama's Blog and her twitter page.

Birthday Party!

I made this big Hello Kitty to play pin the nose on Hello Kitty. It was so cute I decided to make several more to hang up for decorations.

My FIVE year old.

We sang Happy Birthday separately for each girl.
(I got the idea from John and Kate plus Eight. At least something good came out of that show.)

What a sweet three year old!

Sisters, Best friends forever!

Violet hanging our with our neighbor Cara.

The kids made a Hello Kitty craft. I had the materials cut out ahead of time.

The girls enjoyed having their friends over.

Rose's birthday is a few days before Pearl's birthday and she got a card in the mail with Five dollars. Rose was so excited that she had money to buy a present for her sister. Here she is giving Pearl the present she picked out for her.

Happy Halloween

Pearl was not supposed to be a scary pumpkin but the combination of a wiggly three year old and a daddy who is (thankfully) not an expert at applying make-up and this is what we ended up with.

All of their costumes show a little of their personalities. Rose, always the princess, Pearl my little joker, and Violet our snuggle bunny.

Rose and Pearl with the neighbor girls.

Checking out the loot. I got my cute Pearl back!

Pumpkin Carving Party

Last Saturday we were invited to a pumpkin carving party. The evening was complete with Chili, mac-n-cheese, plenty of pumpkin desserts and prizes. It was so fun Mike and I decided it was something we would like to steal the idea, until we remembered that we already have two October Birthdays. Perhaps we can find a way to combine the parties.

Hope you have fun this evening welcoming in the fall season.

Pumpkin Carving Prayers and Stories

Just wanted to share these fun ideas to bring make your Pumpkin carving an object lesson. I wish I had found these before we carved our pumpkin this year but will use them next year.

Lord, Open my mind so I can learn about You;
(Cut the top of the pumpkin)

Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do.
(Clean out the inside)

Open my eyes so Your love I will see;
(Cut the eyes out in heart shapes)

I'm so sorry for turning up my nose to all you've given me.
(Cut a nose in the shape of a cross)

Open my ears so your word I will hear.
(Cut the ears shaped like the Bible)

Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near
(cut the mouth in the shape of a fish)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.
(Place a candle inside and light it)

THE PETER PUMPKIN STORY

Theme:
When the light of Jesus, shining through us flickers and goes out because of sin in our life, Jesus’ death can restore that light.

Materials:
One pumpkin, ready to carve, sharp knife, candle for inside of pumpkin, matches

Procedure:
Have children offer their suggestions on how to carve a face in the pumpkin. Proceed to carve a mouth, nose, and two eyes. Insert the candle and light.

Story:
"Now let’s pretend that this pumpkin is one of our friends. Let’s name him Peter Pumpkin. Pete Pumpkin is in (pick a grade or class that matches your group) like us."

Peter woke up one morning bright and happy and ready for the day. His light was shining and he felt good. Let’s see what happens Peter’s day.

"Oh, Peter!" cried his mother, "Did you remember to brush your teeth this morning?" "Yes, Mother," Peter lied. He really hadn’t brushed his teeth, but if he stopped
to do it now, he’d be late for school! So Peter lied. Peter’s mouth wasn’t shining quite so brightly any more. (Put the mouth piece from the pumpkin back in the mouth hole)

So Peter went on his way to school. He felt kind of bad lying to his mother, but he wasn’t going to let it spoil his day. When he got to school, some of his friends were
playing with the toys already. Peter went over, too, but they had already started using the ones he wanted. (you can adapt this to be art supplies or whatever matches
your group) Peter wanted the toys too. When one of the boys left, to go talk to his teacher, Peter took the toy. Oops, there goes part of Peter’s happy face. (insert eye piece)

Continue with similar stories for the remaining parts of the pumpkin face, each time, inserting another piece until the whole face is back in place. Watch what happens to
the light.

"Peter’s light has gone out. His face is all dark and sad now."
(Relate this to sin in our lives.)

"There is a way for Peter’s face to get bright and happy again. It’s the same way that our sin can get taken care of. Do you know who helps our sin?"

With the answer of "Jesus" --carve a cross into the other side of the pumpkin. Pop out the face pieces again, and light the candle.

"With Jesus in your life, your light will never go out. The Bible tells us that Jesus is our light and that when He shines through us, our sins are forgiven and His love shines through instead!"

Relate how we may still sin (at this point put the pieces back into the face, except the cross) but with Jesus, the light will not go out--He is with us always!

Use your "Christian Jack-O-Lantern" at home and shine the cross out the window on October 31st. A witness for all the passers-by!

(originally from *Karen Schuster, Redeemer Lutheran--Flint, MI)

Jack O’ Lantern Poem

I am a Jack O’ Lantern
My lights will shine so bright
For I’m a Christian pumpkin
My symbols tell what’s right

My nose is like the cross
On which our Savior died
To set us free from sin
We need no longer hide

My mouth is like a fish
The whole wide world to show
That Christians live in this house
And love their Savior so!

The story starts at Christmas
My eyes are like the star
That shone on Baby Jesus
And wise men saw from far

My color, it is orange
Just like the big bright sun
That rose on Easter Day
Along with God’s own Son

And so on Halloween
Let’s set our pumpkins out
And tell the trick or treaters
What God’s love is all about!

Violet is Four Months

I love this dress my friend Suzie gave me for Pearl. We love getting lots of use out of all our cute baby girl clothes! If you gave us an outfit for Rose or Pearl, we are still enjoying it now!

This little Chunka weighed in at 16 lbs 14oz and is 25 1/2 inches. She has officially doubled her birth weight of 8 lbs 4 oz.

Baby Doll!

These girls were both awake and in a good mood so I started to take their picture, after this one photo Violet spit up all over the place.

Wish I could keep her this size forever.

Violet hates tummy time. You can see the little strawberry birthmark on her lip.

This sweet monogrammed diaper cover was a gift from my friend Debra.
Look at those yummy rolls.

Birthday Week!

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Happy Birthday to both to both of my big girls! Rose turned Five last Sunday, and the cousins were here to celebrate. Pearl turned three on Saturday and we had a birthday party for both girls. I have tons of pictures to post and want to write about each of the girls at this age but have been too busy to get to it. Hopefully in the next few days I can get to that. Tomorrow I will be posting some sweet pictures of Violet who turned four months old last week. She goes to doctor tomorrow and we can't wait to see how big our chunky monkey is getting. I am guessing close to 16 pounds.
PS the cute Hello Kitty Cake was made by Mike. I love to make the girls cakes each year, but he decided he wanted to get in on the fun and I reluctantly handed over the task to him. Hopefully I get to make Violet's first birthday cake. (Don't tell her big sisters that Violet does not have to share her birthday, for now they have not figured it out and since there birthdays are only 6 days apart well they just have to share a party and cake for now, although we do sing to each one and let them blow out their own candles and then relight them for the other sister.)

THE APPLE BUTTER FROLIC

This weekend we attended the Apple Butter Frolic. It is an old fashioned "fair" of sorts sponsored by the Mennonite Churches in the area. I attended this several times as a child and was excited to take Mike and the girls to it. My mom is also visiting so she enjoyed the beautiful (warm) fall day with us.

Rose playing in the corn bin.

The girl's loved watching the man make apple cider with an old fashioned press.

Violet all tuckered out!

Pearl and Rose got to "help" make the cider.

Violet hanging out with Mimere!

Mike and Pearl on the Hayride. The farmer, Mr. Mack, giving hayrides happened to be an old friend of ours when my family lived in Pennsylvania. We hadn't seen him in twenty years.

Rachel, Rose and Violet on the hayride. I often tell Rose stories of when I was a little girl and would help collect eggs at Mr. Mack's farm. After the hayride Mr. Mack invited us up to his farm and we are looking forward to going on Sunday, Rose's birthday, while my brother is in town.

The girls practicing their handwriting in an old fashioned school. Pearl is getting pretty good at writing the letter "P".

Isn't this quilt beautiful. I wish I could quilt like that.

Making corn husk dolls.

The hay maze, was one of my favorite childhood memories of the Apple Butter Frolic.

Another failed attempt to get a good picture of my three cuties together.

The food was delicious, well most of it. On the left is Scrapple (think scraps/sausage). It was served wet (not fried up) on bread over apple butter with horseradish on top. Mike said it was an interesting array of flavors but did not eat to much. I stuck with the yummy pork sandwich. I wish I had taken a picture of the desserts, Shoe-fly Pie, Gooseberry Pie, Pitted Cherry pie, Rhubarb Pie, Appledumplings and homemade blackberry ice cream.