I Believe In Love

so old school

2013-05-22T00:56:00.001-05:00

I love having technology available to enhance the kid's learning experience. We use iPads for school, and there's some really amazing apps out there (sometime I'll have to show you our favorites). However, there are times when it's appropriate to give technology the boot.

Last week, I gave Joshua his spelling and vocabulary words for the week and told him that he must look each word up in the dictionary. He protested. "Can't I just google it?" Doesn't he know that google isn't even in the dictionary? No, of course not. He's a child of the technology age, and in his mind, "google it" equals dictionary. I do like the ease of google but there's something beautiful about opening a book full of words and actually looking up the meaning.

During his assignment he said, "This is so old school." Yes, maybe it is, my son, but old school isn't a bad thing. I rather like embracing old school every once in a while.

When was the last time you used a real dictionary (as opposed to an online one)?

the monkeys are invading

2013-05-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there think that monkeys are cute, cuddly animals? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but they most certainly are not. I'm not a fan of monkeys. That was quickly realized when we moved to Africa.

It seems in the jungle of trees by our property that there's been some monkey breeding going on. They are everywhere! The other day there had to have been 20 on our drive. They must think we sleep too much because in the early morning hours, I sometimes hear them on the roof of our house!

These monkeys are getting braver. They've started venturing further onto our grounds. They've already destroyed one of my papaya trees, and the other day they starting ripping branches off of another. They've found the fruit trees and also ripped up some onions in the ground. I'm ready for these unwelcomed guests to leave, but I'm afraid that as long as they're finding food, they are going to want to stay. I know I'm on a rant here, but they're invading! (For anyone interested, these are vervet monkeys...educational moment of the day.)

Anyone know how to get rid of monkeys?

in the studio :: artist kenneth

2013-05-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to In The Studio, a place to show off your studio and meet some great artists! Last week I started featuring our artists from The Village Store. It truly is such a privilege to be able to feature some amazing talent.

Today I introduce you to Kenneth. Kenneth first met some of our Ten Thousand Homes crew in 2010. He grew up with his mom and siblings. About two months ago, he moved onto University Village to do our work scholarship program for the discipleship school we run. He works on our grounds Monday through Friday, but he's not just good with a lawnmower. No, there's a creative side underneath there, too.

I'm quite fascinated with bead and wire art. It's an intricate process of shaping each piece and then wrapping it in beads. Kenneth is quite the master of it. Isn't his work beautiful? This is only a sampling of what he can do. My favorites are the African animals. :)

Kenneth loves working with his hands, but when I asked him his dreams, his answer was quick. He loves music and dreams of one day having a recording studio where young people can come and record music. I believe it can happen, Kenneth!

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
C.S. Lewis

Now it's your turn! Remember your "studio" can be anywhere. Let's celebrate each other's creativity by linking up and visiting as many as the other studios as you can. Check out the about post for more info and don't forget to grab the In The Studio button!

crockpot zuppa toscana

2013-05-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Winter is on the horizon here in the Southern Hemisphere. You know what that means? Soups and stews, lots of them. I love making soup but only in Winter (soup in Summer is no bueno). By the way, did you know that it gets cold in S. Africa? It's easy to think Africa is hot but man, concrete buildings in the Winter are just plain cold. I think the other night it got down to 3 degrees Celsius. Cold, I tell you.

So, naturally, soups are on the menu multiple times a week. The other night I made Crockpot Zuppa Toscana from Key Ingredient. I didn't have Italian sausage (actually I don't know if you can get that here), so I used a S. African beef farmer's sausage. I've also never seen kale here (unfortunately), so I used swiss chard. I also skipped the bacon. This soup was so good. In fact, Joshua asked me to make it again sometime. Score!

With my busy life lately, I haven't cooked as much and definitely haven't tried many new recipes. It felt good to try something new that was a hit!

Any great recipes you've tried lately?

hope you had a happy mother's day

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

I hope all of you Mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day. We were going to celebrate on Saturday, but a rainy morning changed our plans a bit. Still breakfast in bed on Saturday and a wonderful dinner prepared by my love on Sunday night made for a great weekend.

How did you celebrate Mother's Day?

simple ideas to show love and appreciation

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I like putting thought into gifts I give...especially ones to important people in my life and my kid’s lives. Why? Because people are valuable. Jesus says so, and I believe Him.

May is a perfect month to show others value through gift giving. As the school year comes to a close, it’s a great time to say, “Thank you,” to the teachers who have invested into our kids lives. Then there’s Mother’s Day! Those very important mamas and grandmothers deserve to know just how much we love them.

Read about some of my tips and ideas to show appreciation over at Tommy Nelson!

in the studio :: artist gloria

2013-05-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to In The Studio! Last Friday I revealed a big project that I've been working on...The Village Store. I was so encouraged by the comments. Thanks for sharing in my excitement, friends! Without our amazing artists, The Village Store wouldn't exist. I'm super excited to take the next several weeks to introduce my friends and show you their studios!

Today I want to introduce you to Gloria. I first met Gloria 4 or 5 years ago when she started cleaning house for one of our staff families. House cleaning for an African woman is so very common. Little did we know that there was some creativity bubbling under the surface. My sister-in-law recognized Gloria's interest and began to teach her how to sew.

In just a few years, her talent has grown so much! She makes purses, baby shoes, baby bibs, coin purses, and baby clothes! Her dream is to one day become a fashion designer and open her own boutique. When I told her recently that I believe that could happen, she laughed. Dreaming is not something that happens often here. Pursuing a career in a creative field is even less likely.

I'm so excited that The Village Store is not just an outlet to sell Gloria's items, but it's also there to encourage her dream. It's so life giving to earn a living doing what you love. I love encouraging creativity! I also love that it provides a good income for Gloria and her 4 children. Isn't her stuff lovely?

Now it's your turn! Remember your "studio" can be anywhere. Let's celebrate each other's creativity by linking up and visiting as many as the other studios as you can. Check out the about post for more info and don't forget to grab the In The Studio button!

i heart faces :: play

2013-05-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

You might remember this photo from Emma G's 8 year old photo shoot. I haven't submitted a photo to the I Heart Faces photo challenge in a while, but when I read this week's prompt, "Play," this photo immediately came to mind. It's one of my favorites of her.

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." -Henri Nouwen

why i love photography

2013-05-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

Little Menzi here totally sums up a huge reason why I love photography. Late Friday afternoon, I drove to little Menzi's house to bring his family a gift for their new HOME that was just completed last Thursday. I had taken their family photo one day in the midst of building going on, so I framed it as a gift for them. Most days that I see Menzi, his smiles are few. As I was talking to his Mama, I looked over and he was resting his head on the table just admiring the portrait. My heart melted as I tried to hold back tears.

I have the privilege of taking lots of photos of my kids and hanging them all over my house. One of the things I've found heartbreaking living in Africa and working with orphans is that some of them have little or no family photos. Can you imagine losing your parents as a child and not having a photo to remember them by? I've decided that every HOME Ten Thousand Homes builds that my gift to the family is going to be a framed portrait. Thank you, Menzi, for the reminder of the power of photos. I pray it brings a smile to your face every time you see it.

painting time

2013-05-06T00:45:00.000-05:00

This was my weekend...knee deep in paint. We're working on a little bedroom makeover which has turned into a family project. Hoping to finish it up today. You'd think we could get one room painted in a weekend. However, concrete porous walls are hard to paint! One more coat on two walls and we're done!

How was your weekend?

in the studio :: the village store

2013-05-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to In The Studio, friends! As my first official hosting, I decided to reveal a big project I've been working on. It's been super fun, super life giving, and just what I needed in the midst of all the numbers rolling around in my head from accounting. Let me just give a little history before I dive in.

For any newbies, we work in S. Africa bringing HOPE and HOME to orphans and vulnerable children. In the midst of running feeding programs and building physical homes, we saw a huge need to reach out to the older kids graduating high school. You see, once a child turns 18 or graduates high school, any government programs available to them suddenly stop. It's as if those kids are orphaned all over again. We purchased University Village to have a campus to train and disciple young people so that they could find HOPE.

Teaching skills to earn a living started happening, but we needed an outlet to sell all the beautiful items that were being produced. Thus, my project...The Village Store. I believe somewhere around the beginning of February, I really started getting it going. The structure was there, but that was it. Inspiration came from Pinterest, my husband, and my brain, and I just went for it. To say that I'm happy with the results would be an understatement. My goal was to make an inviting place but try to re-purpose as much as we could. I think we succeeded! Tin from an old roof is now the ceiling, an old ladder became a bookshelf, wooden lads from the woods adorns the front of the counter.

Even more awesome than the way it looks, I'm super proud to have a store to sell these amazing handmade items. I love encouraging creativity and seeing LIFE coming from creating. I'm hoping in the coming weeks, I can introduce you to our amazing artists but until then, here's THE VILLAGE STORE!

Please come to S. Africa so you can check it out! :)

Now it's your turn! Remember your "studio" can be anywhere. Let's celebrate each other's creativity by linking up and visiting as many as the other studios as you can. Check out the about post for more info and don't forget to grab the In The Studio button!

in the studio

2013-05-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

So I mentioned last Friday that the In The Studio linkup that Jennifer @ Studio JRU has been hosting is moving to this blog! Jennifer has decided to end her blog (sadly) in order to focus on some other things (exciting). When she asked me if I was interested in hosting In The Studio, I was super excited. Expressing creativity has become such a passion for me and to invite others to come to this space and share their creativity...well, that's even more exciting!

Creativity doesn't have limits nor is it something that is centered around one medium. It could involve paint, photography, cooking, writing, music, dancing, anything! Your "studio" is up to you with your unique passions God has put in you.

A few details...

When you linkup, be sure to add the specific URL of your In The Studio post after you have posted it on your site, not the main page of your blog.
The linkup will go live Friday mornings at 6 am Central Standard Time and stay open until Monday at 11:59 pm.
Please try to visit the other posts as this is meant to be an encouraging community!
Please add the In The Studio button to your post. It helps us find it easier!

This creative community is meant to be fun, encouraging, and inspiring as we share what we've been up to In The Studio! It starts right here tomorrow!

daddy's home!

2013-05-01T04:21:00.000-05:00

Jeremy came home this past weekend, and we couldn't be happier. He was gone a full 2 1/2 weeks. Of course I felt the single parenting pains, but I think I also recognized that when a parent is gone, then you tend to spend time adjusting and then almost develop a slightly different rhythm. Then when the parent comes back, there's another adjustment period and the rhythm starts to return to normal. Does that make sense?

We stayed up late the night before his arrival making lemon squares, a welcome banner, and cards. I wish I could've gotten a photo of the loot he brought home for the kids. The floor was littered with goodies from the grandparents. So fun!

Happy 1st day of May, friends!

cocka doodle doo the right thing {giveaway}

2013-04-30T05:28:00.000-05:00

It's National Honesty Day and to celebrate the importance of being honest, I'm giving away DVD's to help teach our kids this very important virtue! Today's giveaway is Cocka Doodle Doo The Right Thing featuring the voice talents of Amy Grant and Vince Gill. This DVD is intended for children aged 4-7 so it was a little young for my kiddos, but it still kept them entertained. Through the animation and silliness, the message they got was that it's important to help out and to be honest. You see, when Farmer Bob invites a special guest for dinner, Hercules the Rooster doesn't pitch in to help with the cleaning, and Sam the Ram treats the special guest like a nobody. They quickly learn that that's not the right way to act!

This DVD also has some great educational features with a music video and mini cartoon that teaches the letter "C!" There's also a read along storybook bonus feature.

Giveaway

Want a chance to win Cocka Doodle Doo The Right Thing? Tommy Nelson is giving away one copy to a U.S. reader. Giveaway ends this Friday, May 3rd at 1 PM CST when random number generator will choose one winner.

Entries

1st Entry Answer the following question, "How do you teach your kids to pitch in and help clean?"

2nd Entry Tweet and/or share on Facebook the following...

Enter to #win Cocka Doodle Doo The Right Thing, a DVD from @TommyNelson! @jenprice77 http://bit.ly/14N8Q95

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Also, be sure I have a way to contact you should you win.

Head over to yesterday's post to enter to win a great Hermie & Friends DVD!

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Cocka Doodle Doo The Right Thing from Tommy Nelson in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Comments are now closed. The winner is Messy Mom!

i will tell the truth {giveaway}

2013-04-29T05:19:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, April 30th, is National Honesty Day. We've been talking all about honesty all month over at Tommy Nelson. There's been some amazing tips on how to come against lying and teach our kids to be more honest. Definitely worth checking out!

To celebrate National Honesty Day here on I Believe In Love, I've got a couple of giveaways! If you've gone through a lying phase with your kids, then you know how hard it can be. When I was going through it with my son, I was looking for advice and tips anywhere I could find them. Well, I've got some great Tommy Nelson DVD's up for giveaway that teach the importance of telling the truth. First up today is from Hermie & Friends. I Will Tell The Truth and Be Careful What I Say may be geared for ages 4-7 but it's message is universal...tell the truth and say sorry when needed.

I sat three kids (well above intended age range) down to watch this DVD. They all agree that it was a good video to teach the importance of lying. Their two takeaways were 1. don't tell lies because people can't trust you if you do, and 2. if you hurt someone, say you're sorry. Great takeaways, I would say.

Giveaway

Want a chance to win Hermie & Friends I Will Tell The Truth? This DVD features two episodes starring Flo that will keep you laughing while delivering a serious message! It's great to have in your DVD library! I have one copy to give away courtesy of Tommy Nelson. Giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only and ends this Friday, May 3rd at 1 PM CST when random number generator will choose one winner.

Entries

1st Entry Answer this question, "Do you have a harder time teaching your kids honesty or how to hold their tongues?"

2nd Entry Tweet and/or share on Facebook the following...

Enter to #win a Hermie & Friends DVD to teach the importance of honesty! @TommyNelson @jenprice77 http://bit.ly/1553Jle

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Also, be sure I have a way to contact you should you win.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Hermie & Friends I Will Tell The Truth and Be Careful What I Say from Tommy Nelson in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Comments are now closed. The winner is Amy!

my reminder to dream

2013-04-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you've been a faithful blog reader for the past few years, then you know how much my life has been impacted by learning to dream with God. I have found so much freedom in dreaming. When I felt my "one word" for 2011 was dream, I had no idea what that would mean. I was completely overwhelmed by seeing dreams come true and am still overwhelmed when dreams unfold before my eyes.

All of that to say, dream is a five letter word that is dear to my heart. I now find I'm in a place where I have to carve out time to dream. In the busyness, it doesn't just happen. To remind myself to dream, I made a sign to hang in my bedroom.

Do you remember that terrible storm we had back in February? Well, I salvaged some great pieces of eucalyptus to use for signs. After weeks of putting them under heavy surfaces so they would dry flat, they were finally ready. Isn't it such a fabulous shape?

I wiped any dirt off and adhered stickers to it. I used the Main Street Wall Creations Jumbo Stickers found on Amazon. Then I applied white acrylic paint. I had no latex paint and the idea was to use things I had on hand. It feels more fun that way. I was going for more of a whitewashed look, so I dipped the brush in paint and then in water before applying to the wood. I am extremely happy with the end result.

There's a bedroom redo in the near future, and this piece is going to be perfect for it. I might have to put a sealer around it, though. It seems Jeremy may be allergic to eucalyptus.

I am linking up with Jennifer @ Studio JRU for today's In The Studio. It's a bittersweet thing. Jennifer is ending her blog the end of this month. However, the weekly In The Studio linkup is going to continue right here on this blog! Friends, I would really, really love to see you all link up each week sharing your creative heart. I'll explain more about it this next week, but consider it, ok? It's a very encouraging place!

my photographers in action

2013-04-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

I think it was just as fun capturing my little photographers in action as it was photographing nature. I was surprised at how much they positioned themselves so that they could get the "perfect shot." Climbing trees, laying down, steadying themselves on a rock, they were really into it! It made me wonder how much they've seen me do that. I must look ridiculous at times.

Do you have some budding photographers in your house?

earth day photography {kid edition}

2013-04-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

As promised, today I bring to you the brilliant work of Joshua and Emma Grace. After much deliberation, the top three of each has been chosen. Joshua captured our growing papaya tree, the sky through the leaves, and the drive that leads to the main road.

Emma Grace captured the view from what the kids call the monkey tree. It's a huge rock with a fantastic view, as you can see. She also got creative with a charred piece of wood and wrote "The Earth," totally appropriate since that was the photography prompt (my hand, her legs in the photo, in case you were confused). Last but not least, the beautiful and wonderful smelling plumeria, or as they say here, frangipani. I think I could smell those all day long.

Although young in age, their talent is blossoming. I've debated on selling my Nikon D40. I don't use it, except as a backup if something is wrong with the D90. I'm really glad I've held onto it, though. Joshua uses that while Emma G uses an old Sony Cybershot that we have. Since all three of us love photography, it's perfect to have cameras around so we can have fun capturing!

earth day photography

2013-04-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the kids and I did a little Earth Day photography. How fun is an afternoon capturing nature's beauty with my kiddos? Very fun for this photographer mama's heart!

Now my plan was to showcase each of our top three picks from the plethora of photos we took. However, one child is still undecided on their top three which means you'll have a real treat tomorrow as I show off my two budding photographer's work.

Since it's just me today, I decided to pick more than three. I can do that since it's my blog. :) We discovered a guava tree on our property today. How fun is that! I can't eat too many at once, but I do enjoy one every now and then. It was also fun to see a line of caterpillars inching up a spider web. It looked as though they were headed to the sky. I'm guessing they were going to stop off at the leaves first.

I find it completely refreshing to admire God's amazing beauty in nature. Can't wait to show you the kid's photos tomorrow!

happy earth day

2013-04-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, today is Earth Day. It's really not even talked about here in S. Africa. At least I haven't heard anything. I do value recycling and repurposing, though. I think it's the good steward in me.

In honor of Earth Day, the kids and I made Earths last week for Science. They were so easy and so fun. They were also quick which meant it was easy to turn out lots to make an Earth Day banner! To make your own super easy Earths, here's what you'll need...

Supplies

round coffee filters
paintbrushes
blue and green food coloring
water

Method

1. Drop several drops of food coloring into cups of water and stir.

2. Take your coffee filter, dip your paintbrush into the food coloring mixture, and paint away!

Idea inspired by No Time For Flash Cards.

eleven year old photo shoot

2013-04-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Long gone are the days when my boy gets excited about a photo shoot, but at least he doesn't protest anymore either. It's more like, "Ok, but will you pick out something for me to wear?" Gladly, but I know the key for him is to keep it super simple. Purple shirt (his current favorite color) and black jeans are pretty simple, I'd say. For me, it's not necessarily about having fancy clothes but about documenting a new year, a growing boy, and the current likes and dislikes.

I can't believe how fast this boy is growing right before my eyes. He still melts my heart the same as the day he was born. Love you, my Joshua!

Linking up with Jennifer @ Studio JRU for In The Studio. Love it when my studio involves photography!

pigs

2013-04-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Honestly, I'm not a fan of pigs. Sure their meat is tasty, but there's something about pork that just grosses me out. We do eat bacon every now and then, but if I could find it here in S. Africa, I would buy turkey bacon instead of pork bacon. A few weeks ago, the ministry bought some pigs to eat the food scraps. All the pigs escaped in the beginning. The male even lived in the woods for a while before he was caught and put back in the pen.

I think the pigs are warming up to us. They don't run and hide when humans come around but rather greet us with their oinks. I'm assuming that's hello in pig language? As welcoming as they've become, I'm still not a fan.

How do you feel about pork? Are you a fan? No judgements if you are. Just curious!

baseball cards, magical fish, and arabic?

2013-04-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we all made it through home schooling yesterday after a long break. I purposed in my heart to extend grace and exercise lots of patience. I think it helped. Actually I know it did. Joshua breezed through everything but swore that making baseball cards after reading Casey At Bat was just too hard. He gets it in his mind that anything having to do with language arts is too hard, but I persisted. Wouldn't you know it that he had a blast making them and was super proud of his creativity? I was, too.

Meanwhile, Emma G read about a magical fish and what happens when we get greedy. You can ask her. It's not pretty, but her drawing sure is!

We are nearing the end of our home schooling year for these two. At the kind advice of a friend, I'm trying to get the kid's input on what they think they need more study on as well as what topics they are interested in. Emma G is undecided, but Joshua wants to learn Arabic. He has a list of languages that he wants to learn NOW, because kids learn so much faster than adults (it's true and that's seriously his reason). He decided to tackle Arabic first because that's the hardest language. I swear this kid is like me in so many ways. By the end of the day, after some lessons on the iPad, he's undecided on Arabic. Hard? Of course, but I'm cheering him on to not give up because it's too hard!

instagram weekend

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, the hubs is in the states for a couple of weeks which means some single parenting going on. It seems, whenever he's gone, that I feel the need to tackle projects and get them done. Then he gets back, and I'm exhausted. I'm trying to balance that this time. I do have some projects I'm working on, but when I'm not feeling it, I'm trying to listen to my body and just chill. Not easy for this busy body, but I'm working on it. Here's a peek at our weekend, both tackling projects and not, thanks to Instagram...

movie night with the kiddos where I introduced them to a childhood favorite...Fraggle Rock!

pancakes for dinner for the second time since Jeremy's been gone...used this recipe.

working on a little project that I hope to reveal soon...hint, it involves letters. :)

it has to get worse before it gets better, right? another project that i'm working on.

we ended this lovely weekend with a sunday night peasant dinner with all of our staff and volunteers.

Hope you enjoyed a lovely weekend yourself!

doll sweaters

2013-04-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I took a knitting hiatus from July of last year to just a few weeks ago. Well, when I recently found myself alone for 24 hours, I was in the mood to make something. I don't have a lot of supplies here at the moment, so I had to figure out what I could make with what I had. I settled on a doll sweater, small enough that I could finish it quickly, and it wouldn't matter if I messed up being that it was for a doll.

I didn't mess up, and I love how it turned out. I love the Little Leaves pattern (found on Ravelry). I have no idea what kind of yarn I used. It was unmarked in one of my boxes that was left here in storage. The sweater is the perfect size for Emma G's dolls.

I was so encouraged by my progress that I started another doll sweater. Seriously, quick satisfaction was on my brain. This time I didn't do buttons, and I changed the pattern a bit. Instead of little leaves, I just did a garter stitch. I have plans to make an outfit to accompany the sweater.

Not only did I break my knitting hiatus, but I learned a new technique. The Magic Loop method never made sense to me. It felt awkward. After watching the Knit Pick video on YouTube, I decided to tackle it. This was out of necessity being that I currently have no double pointed needles. I tackled it, and love this method now!

Any creative venture that's been on hiatus for you? No time like the present to get back into it, right?

Linking up with Jennifer @ Studio JRU for In The Studio.