Christmas ideas from 2010~

Here are some pics of our Christmas in 2010.  Enjoy and hopefully you can get a few ideas of your own. Most of these ideas can be done here in Turkey without needing something from the States!

Egg Carton Advent Calender.
This project was funny..it was called the last minute 11 day late advent calender.  Tissue paper, red paint and large egg carton. Little pices of paper were placed inside each egg hole.

Annual individual no-bake Ginger Bread (Biskuvi) houses.

Hanging Cardboard Christmas Tree.

This hung in our kitchen and the kids helped paint it green and decorate.

Homemade Clothes Pin Ornaments

They were a gift for my sweet friend Alyssa.

Cutting, painting and hanging Snowflakes.

Check here for our DIY racetrack we made 

last Christmas for our son. 

Ok that was 2010... 

This year I have a different last minute Advent Calendar...however I was a week ahead this year. ;) Maybe I will post it before next year. ;)

Enjoying the Simplicity and joy of Christmas.

In our west corner.

Becky

The Napkin Snowman ~investing in the neighborhood school # 4

Hey, meet the Napkin Snowman 

He is a close cousin of the Orange Napkin Pumpkin (found here)

Last Friday I went to Autty's class and did the Napkin Snowman with the kids.This is my 5th time going to Autty's school and spending an hour or so with them doing a craft I have prepared. However this time was

my first time this year.  The kids were chanting my name when I arrived and were VERY eager to create something. I love going and giving these kids this creative outlet.  

Supplies I used:

I cut the contact paper in advance into a long rectangle

String for the scarf

Foam for the nose

Black paper for the hat 

Napkins for the the snow part of the body

Marker for the eyes, mouth and buttons.

*This project for 25 children cost me 10 lira (6 dollars).

Snowman body how too:

Have the kids take their contact piece and crease it half way 

then have them open only one half  of the contact paper (up to the crease) 

then place the cut up pieces of napkins on the sticky contact paper, 

then have them open the second half of the contact paer and press both sides together. 

Outline a snowmen in marker and let them cut it out and decorate their snowman.

I took my camera but forgot the battery. :) oops. 

So these pics will have to do.

Three of Autty's friends came over after the Friday craft and here are there creation's and

 cute little faces and uniforms. 

Here are the girls and Isaac playing with the fresh play-dough the kids I had made the day before. 

 There is something to be said about fresh soft play-dough....hours of fun, literally!

In my west corner of the world,

Becky

( For anyone who was interested in my post on the orphanage part #1 (here), I will be waiting to post part #2 for a bit I am wanting to find a way to write out my experience without being too negative to the country I now live in. ~ Thanks for your patience.)

Our pumpkin girl, cake and applique

For our little Pumpkin:

Happy 8 year old Birthday sweet Autumn.

She is such a delight to our life. She fills our lives with colors from the rainbow. She has her own unique style and confidence. She loves the outdoors. She is generous and a dreamer. She is honest and loves to share her passion for Jesus. She values her family and traditions (espaically Saturday morning family breakfast ).~

Ever since she was a little baby we (me) have called her pumpkin. This year I wanted to remind her that she is our little pumpkin, deeply loved and cherished for who she is.

A pumpkin shaped birthday cake. 

I made her a pumpkin place mat with the clear contact paper I have found these days for her birthday dinner. David and I then wrote out a bunch of things we enjoy about her.

This year we had a simple family celebration with our dear little friends 

Lindsey and Maddie over for dinner and an intimate party. 

Here is the little pumpkin applique shirt I made for her :) 

it has a few cute little fabric yo yos on the shirt too.  

This girl has a winning smile and a way to make you feel like you are the coolest. She is ridiculously creative and loves things that I make for her. She received ALOT of gifts this year, including two little turtles..Doodle and Toodle. 

My constant prayer for her is that she would be convinced of Gods love. No matter life's circumstances or even our failure at times as parents that Gods truth and word would be rooted deep in her heart and she would know not only our love but the love of her Heavenly Father.

~will post again soon... 

Oh yeah and tomorrow I will be starting up my "investing in my neighborhood schools" again by doing a craft project for Autty's class.  Every time I do one of these projects in the local school I am reminded how I should still be studying my Turkish! 25 students and a ten lira budget. :)

In my little west corner of Turkey to all of you in your corners of the world,

Becky

I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF BEING CONTENT IN ANY AND EVERY SITUATION, WHETHER WELL FED OR HUNGRY, WHETHER LIVING IN PLENTY OR IN WANT. I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." PHIL. 4:12,13

Orphanage part #1

I went to the orphanage again today to drop off items I had and that I had collected from others. I drove in the gate and the guard was much friendlier this time. My friend Dilek and I got out of the van and gave our IDs and then unloaded the van and left.

I have been on a slow search to find this orphanage that I knew was in our town somewhere. Finally my friend and I went together and she helped me find it one day about a 2 weeks ago.  The place is large and the areas we saw were clean and the whole place smelled fresh.  There was a nice park in the garden area and the people I did see were dressed nice and seemed to each have a purpose and position. We were able to talk to one of the managers, not quite sure her title.  There are 100 children in the orphanage. The children attend public schools for their education and the largest group they have right now is 17 year old girls. We were not offered a tour and didn't press it, however did ask how we could help. I really want to get my foot in the door here. I want to see the living conditions of the children. I want to see the children interact and see where I can possibly use whatever giftings God has given me to reach out and be a hand of love. Praying for an open door.

~

11 years ago I visited Turkey and we visited an orphanage while we were in country. I want to share my story ~ it is heartrending and one that I will never forget.  However it is just past 11:00 pm and it is my bedtime and it is an emotional draining story for me especially when I am already tired, so I will try and finish tomorrow...until then, goodnight.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27


In my west corner,
Becky

I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF BEING CONTENT IN ANY AND EVERY SITUATION, WHETHER WELL FED OR HUNGRY, WHETHER LIVING IN PLENTY OR IN WANT. I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." PHIL. 4:12,13

Our Thanksgiving ideas, crafts and SHOW

Our Turkey Veggie Tray! (or is it a Dog ??)

We had a few Turkish friends over during the Thanksgiving dinner, we asked one of them what he thought this was.  He thought for a bit and then said a DOG! Ha ha ~ I laughed pretty hard because of course all the Americans said a Turkey because they knew that is what it is suppose to be. So really what does this veggie try look like?(lol)

If you remember our little tp tube pumpkins, they became our napkin and name tag holders!!! This was a great way to reuse our craft for the Thanksgiving table. :)

In order to teach my kids about Thanksgiving and the history  I decided to do a few crafts to help as aids. It helps me to tell the story, I am not the best teacher but I can do much better when I have a craft to point to. So here is what we did..

Thanksgiving Crafts 

Pilgrim paper bonnets and pilgrim paper hat.

Water bottle boats to represent the Mayflower.

Our fun corn craft. Popcorn corn of plenty.

This is a PERFECT craft for little boys. My little guy doesn't love crafts so much right now but he loves to EAT and sooooo this worked out perfect, half in the mouth half on the craft.

Cardboard tube pilgrims and Indians.

We used one long thin tube and turned it into the pilgrims and Indians.

My oldest daughter came to me a day before we celebrated Thanksgiving and asked if she could do a show. She incorporated all the crafts we had made and came up with a show all on her own, that she preformed at our friends house on Thanksgiving day. We were really proud of her. It was fun for her to be excited about her own cultures history and watch her talents come out.

She used the corn to show a great harvest had finally come to the Pilgrims. 

Here she is at the beginning of her little 'show'.

Off I go to start thinking and planning for her 8 year old Birthday and Birthday cake that is in 3 days. ~ 

In our west corner of Turkey having enjoyed a weekend of our American traditions.

Becky

My tea cup of love ~

This little tea cup is mine, giving to me by my hero (husband), it has a lid for the top to keep my tea hot and has a sweet story of romantic love attached to it.  I am thankful for my tea cup and that my husband knows me well. It also came in the sweetest little tin. 

 I like to fill it with green tea these days. :) 

~ Thanksgiving in the little things breeds thanksgiving for life. 

Becky

I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF BEING CONTENT IN ANY AND EVERY SITUATION, WHETHER WELL FED OR HUNGRY, WHETHER LIVING IN PLENTY OR IN WANT. I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." PHIL. 4:12,13

Thanksgiving Mail opened!

Thanksgiving morning (or rather Friday morning when we celebrated our Thanksgiving) the kids ran to get our Thanksgiving Mailbox, it was mail time!

Over breakfast of homemade scones and tea/coffee, everyone received an envelope with notes inside from each of us about the things in that person we were grateful for.  The  two older girls LOVED it and just shined when they read or we read to them all the encouraging notes. 

 We also read all the things we had written over the two weeks that we were grateful for. The kids enjoyed it more than I thought and it was a fun way to celebrate Thanksgiving morning.

With a heart full of gratitude. 

In our west corner enjoying our mail,

Becky

I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF BEING CONTENT IN ANY AND EVERY SITUATION, WHETHER WELL FED OR HUNGRY, WHETHER LIVING IN PLENTY OR IN WANT. I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." PHIL. 4:12,13