letter to a teacher



the surprise gift basket

Dear Sunday School teacher,
Thanks for being a friend to our family.
Thank-you for all your hard work.
Thanks for going out of your way to do sweet things for us, being our family in the Lord.

You are a real friend.

We liked the surprise basket you brought us,filled with peanut butter eggs,that must have been hard work!

We are so happy to know you!
                                  ~pilgrimama

Ps. Thanks for not sending the children home from class with a lot of junk crafts! That is so nice!

cute bread pictures for you!

orange bread shapes made for Easter breakfast by my lovely neighbor,who invited my tribe to help her...





see this cute bread nest



baby shower details



Up close...


Last night I hosted a baby shower at my house. A friend helped with planning and executing and we made a good team.

I had a good time getting ready for the shower,even if it was teeny compared to some! It was a good reason to do some cleaning projects that are difficult to get motivated with...
I've read, I believe, that homes that frequently host stay cleaner and I would say that it has been true in our home,since we have people over and coming through fairly often it helps keep us motivated.

I strung fishing line through my dining room and hung bows of pink ribbon from it. I hung a couple strands of  sparkly silver stars etc. around as well.
Then besides some other little touches, I had my new banner pictued above.

The banner is made of clothes that were unuseable due to various factors. I saved up until I had enough to make the banner. Then I borrowed a friend's pinking shears and made the above no-sew version.(I think I'll make a sewn version next..)

Anyway, we had a lovely time and played funny games and it was a meaningful time!

I got a real high from the fact that the decorations cost so very little and turned out quite well!
The fishing line and sparkly stars were gotten for very little at the sale of a wedding coordinator going out of biz.
The clothes were headed nowhere good before they ended up in the banner.
And so on and so forth.
I adore taking what most people think is junk and turning it into lovely and having meaningful times without a huge expenditure!

I think my bed is caaaaalling my name!

What has your weekend been full of?
                                        ~pilgrimama

redeemed jeans and rain dancing

my sewing kit

Today I created some new summer shorts for Alex. For some reason I am so happy about that. Lee's coworker gave us a gift certificate to Michael's,that crafty wonderland o' goodies. And so I invested in a good sewing scissors for the first time in my  life.
Well, I felt like it paid off a little today!
My sons always seem to be wearing ratty old pants by the end of the winter,and I have no desire to buy new pants since shorts season is right around the corner.
Usually some shorts still fit from last summer's clothes.
But we usually are low in the shorts department at the beginning of the warm season.
Enter sewing scissors.
Enter ratty jeans.
Aaaaaand.....new shorts.
Cut-offs! Yeah.
I know what you may be thinking." Not too neat and tidy of her."
But my backyard is like a miniature woods with a creek some of the time.
Who wants to have the newer clothes all beat up climbing trees, playing soccer, etc. etc.?
Not so much.
So, yes,I'm excited about being able to cut thick denim jeans and turn them into playclothes.
Next up: girl shorts!
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We went to a birthday celebration last night.
We picniced outside!
Many of us danced in the rain.
It was very simple and really beautiful.
Oh, and there was a GORGEOUS sunset.
The birthday boy said it was "tragic".

Over and out!
                                                                                   ~pilgrimama

resting and grateful



my couch

This past week has had many wonderful moments.
I once again got to experience the amazingness that is the sunrise service on a hilltop!
I made hotcross buns again!
Curry was prepared for the annual Easter lunch for one and all at church....
Bread animals were shaped, eggs of different types made their way into the house.
Lots of unleavened bread was eaten and glasses of grape juice drunk!
Singing, silence, washing of feet.
So much illustration of The Great Story.
We rejoice that our Jesus is not Dead but Alive.
And that is beyond words wonderful.
But, can this mama say that all this remembering and illustrating and celebrating also involves a lot of energy?
So, today the above picture shows another thing I am grateful for in this time.
A soft place to rest!

Soon  I will show you pictures of things that were made,Lord willing!

Happy Monday!
                                                                :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~pilgrimama:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

a low-cost date night

Date night -fun and easy:

1. One good film from the library,
2. One candle,

Personal size pizzas, 2 for a dollar.

Put children to bed. (There can even be a guest sleeping in your house,which just goes to show how do-able this is.)
And you have a very low-cost,date night without babysitter fees or any of that miserable bizness!

Date nights or even date hour is possible with a bit of thinking out of the box!
                  ~pilgrimama
          

a rainy saturday in the sage house

We awoke to pouring rain this morning.
Unfortunately some of my laundry was wet!
Well,well....

Lee made us his specialty fish for breakfast this morning. The children were less than excited. The fish is not my favorite but I am not one to complain when my husband makes breakfast without being asked to.

Alex and I hung our new black and white art piece we purchased at an educational talk we attended the other night.

I started the fire to take the chill off of things. It's pretty cozy around here in our big, sage green fixer upper house.
Praise God for family, adequate food, warmth, a dry place when the rain comes down.

We have a new neighbor and by the looks of it, another good one. He is newly widowed and we are looking forward to sharing some homecooked food sometimes.
 Which means I should soon compile a shopping list so we can make a carry-in spaghetti dinner.....
12:21- I should heat up some of the good soup a friend sweetly gifted us yesterday. (One of my favorites,chicken,veggies,barley!)
Happy Saturday!
                                                                           ~pilgrimama