Cookie Baking Night Nov 30 2015

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance: Alli and Rylar. The bummer here was that it was supposed to be Emily's birthday choice but we had a snowstorm today and neither Emily or Ethan and Carissa made it because of the road conditions. So, for supper we had Emily's requested lasagna choice, but we saved her cookie choice (Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies) for another time and made Nut Goodie Bars instead. 

Alli and Rylar loved being the only two cookie bakers in the house tonight and enjoyed every minute of it. 

We read lesson 18 from "Leading Little Ones to God" by Marian Schoolland, titled "God Always Does What Is Best" We read how God preserved the life of Moses when he was a baby and how he used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt when he was a grown man. We talked about how God can always be trusted. 

It was a smaller crowd than usual tonight and not quite the night we originally had planned but even so, as usual, a fun time was had by all. 

A Day With the Nieces (Birthdays 2015)

Today I spent the day with my nieces, Kylie and Emily, for their birthdays. Next week, Kylie will turn 16 and Emily will turn 15 years old (their actual birthdays are a day apart). For the last several years now, we've spent a day together doing various things in celbration of their birthdays. I usually keep the agenda a surprise until we're in the middle of the activities. Today was no exception.

This year we started our day out at a pizza place in Robbinsdale called "Pig Ate My Pizza" It was one of those chef-driven restaurants with fancy pizza and a fun atmosphere, maybe not quite the speed of picky teenage eaters, but they humored me. 

Next, it was off to get our nails done.

The girls chose fancy polish that turned colors with the temperature of your hands. 

Our final destination was my favorite local chocolate shop (now also their favorite), The Droolin Moose. 

It was a fun day together. I am so grateful to God for the opportunity to share in the lives of these young ladies. 

Cookie Baking Night 11/02/15

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evening: Carissa, Alli, and Rylar. (Ethan had basketball practice, Emily had play practice--and so it begins). Since we are now in the month of November, we decided to make the famous turkey cookie.

This cookie takes a lot of prep work and assembly, and the kids love every minute of it. 

Even my mom got in on the act.

Tonight we read lesson 17 from Leading Little Ones to God by Marian Schoolland. This lesson was titled "God Mad All Things for His Praise". We talked about all the different ways the creation praises God 

and all the different ways we can praise God. 

Carissa read Psalm 150 from the Bible for us. 

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens!

Praise him for his mighty deeds; 

praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound; 

praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance;

praise him with sounding cymbals;

praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

Yep. You guessed it. When the kids go home, my parents have retired to their room, and the house is quiet once again, Greg and I sneak off to the kitchen and decorate cookies. 

Another Cookie Baking Night has come and gone, and tonight we can truly say, a fun time was had by all!