Weekend Happenings, Made-from-Scratch Chicken Corn Chowder, Pinterest Stuff (Best Gifts for Kids AND Date Night Questions), Mobile Area Itinerary, Restaurant Review (Urban Pops) AND Blog Linkage

Good Friday morning!

ONE... MORE... TIME...

FUTURE BUSINESS ENDEAVORS - I am going to share this every now and again as I get NANA-FOR-HIRE up and running. I've had several calls so far, and I am looking forward to meeting (and helping) young families in the area.

Here are the details...

I will stay with your kiddos for one to three hours. (Not over three.)

I will come to your home. (No judgment about messy, lived-in homes. Been there, done that, know how it feels.)

My NANA-FOR-HIRE services are available Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

I am available for Moms in the Fultondale, Morris, Mount Olive and Gardendale areas.

Reasons you may need a NANA-FOR-HIRE:

1. Your regular babysitter cancels at the last minute.

2. You have a doctor’s appointment for you OR one of your kiddos, and you would rather not take the whole crew to the doctor’s office.

3. You have a haircut/manicure/pedicure scheduled, and you need uninterrupted time.

4. You need to run quick errands alone.

5. You need an uninterrupted lunch date with husband or a friend.

The list goes on and on and on.

Rates:

1 - 3 Kiddos - $10 First Hour; $10 Second Hour; $5 Third Hour - Total $25 for Three Hours

4 - 6 Kiddos - $10 First Hour; $10 Second Hour; $10 Third Hour - Total $30 for Three Hours

Contact information:

You can private message me on Facebook.
You can e-mail me at mfaulkner1306@charter.net.

All about me:

My name is Belinda Faulkner.
I am a Christian.
I am a 54 year-old wife of one and mother of three grown children.
I am a recent Empty Nester striving to fill my time in a useful, productive, Christ-honoring way.
I have a very old Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Development.
I love working with children. Always have, always will.

So there you have it. A new business venture for me at the ripe ol' age of 54.

I look forward to hearing from y'all.

RANDOMNESS #1 - I haven't gone to The Great Pumpkin Patch this year. I've been told it is not an age appropriate activity for just me...

All by myself.

Heavy, heavy sigh.

However, Roxie and Company went and had a grand ol' time.


Roxie is very photogenic, but not ALWAYS photogenic.


Sometimes it takes a couple of tries...


To get the perfect Pumpkin Patch pic!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Restaurant Review (Urban Pops) - Bev and I visited a little coffee/ice cream pop/pastry shop this week in the Riverchase area. (That is code for "I FOLLOWED BEVERLY AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET BACK TO THIS PLACE.")

It was all the things a really good coffee/ice cream pop/pastry shop should be, and if I'm ever fortunate enough to find it again, I will stop by and partake of all of the said goodness.


Bev enjoying a nice hot cup of joe in a comfy leather seat...


Cute oval wooden plates...


Me, The Enchanting Belinda, gulping down a hazelnut ice coffee...


And the American Flag.

I'm telling you, we need to support this place!

Cheerfully and often!

RANDOMNESS #3 - I told you I would go over our Mobile itinerary today...

And I will!

Here is the list for Thursday...

Church Street Graveyard - This is a VERY old cemetery in the middle of Mobile. I knew Mikie would like it, and that made me happy so we started off the day that way.

So cheerful!

Public Library - The library was beside the graveyard, and since it was pretty hot, we wandered through the rows and rows of books to cool off. I will tell you, if Mikie has another meeting in this area, I will curl up in a comfy leather chair and read while I wait. The Reading Room is outstanding.

Historic District - The Historic District is well-marked and beautiful. Lots of interesting things to see as you drive slowly up and down the streets.

The Lighthouse Restaurant - Our next stop (other than lunch) was Bayou La Batre which is a small shrimping town. As I mentioned last week, part of Forrest Gump was filmed there. We stopped on the way at this small nondescript restaurant and had one of the best fresh seafood meals we've ever eaten.

Nothing fancy.

Nothing pretentious.

Just really good food.

We will go back again.

Sugar Rush - We kept hearing about this doughnut shop, so when we left The Lighthouse it was just a few minutes away.

Do not get me wrong.

This shop had some very good doughnuts, and depending on the day, they have some unique offerings (strawberry shortcake, German chocolate, etc.), but I think Krispy Kreme has totally spoiled me and Mikie when it comes to trying, "the best doughnut you will ever put in your mouth" claims.

We've already had the best doughnut, and while there are other perfectly acceptable doughnuts out there...

Well, in the end, I always just feel sorry for them.

Bayou La Batre - This is a very small town with a very small bridge. Going over the very small bridge, you can see shrimp boat after shrimp boat after shrimp boat.

It is picturesque, and I love it there.

However, 15 to 30 minutes in this place is plenty.

Dauphin Island - We weren't that far from Dauphin Island, so we drove all the way to the tip of Alabama. There is a fort AND a smallish aquarium in this area, so it would be a great place to take the kids and a picnic if you've never been.

Loved it.

And now, the list for Friday afternoon...

Fairhope - Mike's meeting was over around 1:00, so we immediately drove to Fairhope.

I have never been to Fairhope.

I am so glad that mistake has been corrected.

This is one of the prettiest little towns I have ever visited.

Mike and I walked up and down the streets...

And then we drove up and down the streets...

And we found a VRBO cottage in the middle of the town where we plan to stay "next time."

I LOVE Fairhope.

Fairhope Pier - The pier is very long and there is a pretty big restaurant called Shux overlooking the water.

We weren't there during a meal time, but next time, we will be dining at Shux.

Grand Hotel - Before heading home, we drove to The Grand Hotel on Point Clear.

Absolutely gorgeous.

We walked around the grounds for about 30 minutes and decided it was a place we wanted to stay one day.

One day soon.

Like next month.

The following is a list of the things we wanted to see and/or do, but we just ran out of time:

Carnival Museum
Fort Conde
Delta Safari Cruise
Gulf Quest National Maritime Museum
Felix's Fish Camp
The Boiling Pot

And we would also like to stay in the Malaga Inn in the Historic District of Mobile one day.

That will be after we stay in the cottage in Fairhope...

And at The Grand Hotel.

So much to do...

So little time!

Blog Linkage - Please click on Nesting Place (see sidebar) and read The Nester's post entitled, "The Secret to a Charming Grocery Store Centerpiece." So pretty...

And she makes it look so easy.

Pinterest Stuff

Best Gifts for Kids

1. Punch Latex Balloons - No matter how expensive the other gifts my kids have received, they’ve never failed to enjoy punch balloons. Make sure you have extras for the popping that invariably occurs!

2. Blink Card Game - This game of perceptual speed is just as much fun for adults.

3. Sleeping Queens Card Game - I’m not sure what it is about this game, but it’s what they pull out time after time to play with friends and even older siblings.

4. Experiences - My children have treasured the opportunity to see a play with a grandparent, go to lunch with an aunt or go to the driving range with Dad.

5. Fisher Price GeoTrax Train Set - We’ve had a lot of train sets over the years, but for the money, this is my favorite. Very durable and EASY for kids to put together themselves.

6. Fisher Price Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle - While this isn’t the same model we bought years ago, it appears to have the same features that had dozens of kids playing with it for hours. I still have this play set and will probably keep it for my grandchildren.

7. Marble Run - These things are so fun for kids to put together. You may want them to play on a blanket so you don’t miss any of the marbles!

8. Domino Race - Yes, the excitement of knocking down your dominoes lasts just a moment, but the great thing is that setting up the race can take them hours!

9. Jenga - Jenga was in a condo we rented for a few days and the kids played with it constantly. They continue to play Jenga frequently now that we own it.

10. Nerf Guns - I’ve come a long way from a mother who wasn’t going to let her sons play with toy guns to a mom whose boys have an entire arsenal of them. My teenagers will still play with these, and when it’s time to declutter toys, these never go into the giveaway box.

11. Hop Ball - I’ve kept two of these in my basement for years and they are used, even when I don’t want them to be! There’s just something irresistible about them.

12. Step 2 Roller Coaster - I wondered if I was wasting my money buying this toddler toy. I couldn’t have been more wrong. We kept this outside and it was played with by our kids until they were in late elementary school. It was a very popular attraction with guests and it stood up to tons of abuse.

13. Epson MovieMate - We bought a previous version of this movie projector and have gotten years’ worth of use out of it. We enjoy watching movies together outside using our garage door as a screen, projecting family video games on our basement wall so even Grandma can play, and projecting workout DVDs so we can all get fit together.

Date Night Questions

1. If you had a yacht and you had to name it after me, what would you name it?

2. What's your favorite place we've visited?

3. Who are the heroes or people you admire?

4. Are there any predictable things about me you really like?

5. What's the best marriage you've ever seen modeled? What made it so great?

6. What outrages you most about the world?

7. What things do I do for you that refresh you the most?

8. What is one thing God has taught you this week?

9. How are we different?

10. What is one aspect of your parents’ relationship you want to replicate in our marriage?

11. What's one movie you want to see?

12. What do I do that makes you feel most loved?

13. If you won the lottery, what would you do?

14. Name your least favorite household chore.

15. What's your biggest regret in life?

16. How have I succeeded this week in our relationship? How can I improve?

Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder

This is the SECOND Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder recipe I've tried AND posted. Both are delicious, so just pick one!

You will need the following:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded (3 cups)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup butter, diced into 1 tablespoon pieces
1 large red bell pepper, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/4 cups)
1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded for less heat if desired, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced slightly less than 1/2-inch thick (3 cups)
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 cups half and half

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.

2. While stirring, slowly add in chicken broth and whisk until well blended.

3. Add potatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil stirring frequently, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Add in cooked chicken, corn and half and half and simmer, uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Serve warm topped bacon, green onions and optional jalapeno peppers.

Weekend Happenings

There are some very exciting things happening this weekend.

1. Roxie, Josh and Mike are headed to Arkansas as I type this for the Auburn v. Arkansas game Saturday.

As I've told you on numerous occasions, Mike and Josh are visiting a different SEC Stadium every year. I think they have four more to go. Anyway, this year they are going to Arkansas and since they had an extra ticket, they invited Roxie...

Which is unprecedented...

Because...

Well, she's a Chick.

But they are all excited, and I've baked cookies and packed some other goodies to enhance their SEC Stadium Visiting Experience.


It is always easy to take a hand-holdin' pic when everyone is actually happy.


It is never easy to get everyone on board with a jumping picture...

EVER.

2. Lest you are afraid Austin and Melia are feeling left out, I want to put your mind at ease.

Believe it or not, they are celebrating their one-year anniversary this weekend.

I am still in shock, because no way has an entire 365 days passed since they said, "I do," in front of family and friends.

No way.



3. Now I know you are probably worrying about little ol' me.

I will be fine.

I promise.

I went to the library today and picked up a new book to read.

On Saturday, I am meeting a very dear friend for breakfast. The last time I saw her face-to-face was at Austin and Melia's wedding a year ago. (I am really looking forward to that meeting.)

After our breakfast, I am heading over to Grandmother's to spend some autumnal time with her. We may or may not go for a nice Fall drive. It depends on our collective moods.

4. Sunday Mike, Josh and Roxie will be heading home, so after church, I will be doing things around the house counting down the minutes until my guys come home.

Of course, Josh will almost immediately head back to Hartselle, and Roxie will almost immediately head back to Auburn.

Mike will almost immediately head to his chair.

Thank goodness for that chair! There's no telling where he would be "heading" if it wasn't in our den!

And that, my Friends, is the plan for this upcoming beautiful Fall weekend.

Have a tremendous weekend with you and yours. I'll be back next Friday with Auburn v. Arkansas pics (I hope) and all of our Halloween plans!

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

P.S. There is an awful, old, falling down type building a short drive from our house, and I have always, always wanted to get a picture of Roxie in front of it before it is completely and totally gone.

She didn't want to, but I whined and begged and bribed her after church this past Sunday and I got a few shots.

This is unfiltered, but I think it is really going to be pretty after I play with it a little.


I'll show you all of them after I fix them up next week. Promise.

Weekend Happenings, Day Trip - Columbus, Georgia AND Blog Linkage

Good Friday morning!

I have some BIG news...

RANDOMNESS #1 - Josh and his girlfriend, Courtney, celebrated their one-year anniversary Sunday evening...

And then they got engaged.

Josh planned the whole thing.

A late lunch/early dinner...

A movie...

And a drive to Clarkson Covered Bridge in Cullman for some "proposing."

Courtney agreed.

Mike, Austin, Melia and I drove to Josh's apartment to set up some festive snacks (Baby Bites from Pastry Arts, nuts and Sparkling Apple Cider) and waited for them to arrive and share their news with us face-to-face.







Judith didn't really "get" what was going on...



Face time with Roxie.


Still not getting it.






I will provide details (the when, the where, etc.) as I find out.

Promise.

RANDOMNESS #2 - As most of you probably know by now, Roxie went through Rush her first week at Auburn and pledged Chi O.

I know literally nothing about sororities, so I've been learning with Roxie during the process.

Mike, Hunter and I drove down for Bid Day...

The day all the girls find out which sorority they will be joining.

It was just a tad overwhelming, and I'm still trying to figure it all out, one week later.






The following is ALL I know about Bid Day:

1. Over 1,500 girls stand in small groups in front of the Auburn Arena. Parents and loved ones stand around and wait.

2. When the Arena doors open, over 1,500 girls start screaming and RUN inside. Parents and loved ones stand around and wait.

3. You can hear screaming every few seconds from the Arena.

4. You tell your Mikie he has time to go to the bathroom. "The girls will probably be in there for hours because they will all be handed Bid Envelopes to open telling them which sorority they will be joining," you say knowingly.

5. You obviously know nothing. A mere 15 minutes AFTER the girls run in, the girls run out...

Still screaming.

6. Roxie ran to us, showed us her sorority and told us to follow her.

7. We then headed to The Village and found the red and yellow balloon arch leading into the Chi O Chapter Room.

8. Every sorority has different colors so once you spot your colors, all you have to do is push through the crowd until you arrive at the door.

Pushing through the crowd is not an easy task.

9. Roxie rushed inside to get her t-shirt, bag and instructions.

10. When Roxie came back a few moments later wearing her new t-shirt, we all moved into the Chapter Room and the new pledges were introduced.

11. Group pictures were taken outside.

12. Mike, Hunter and I took Roxie to Niffers, and we sat under an air conditioning vent and tried to figure out what had just happened.

Very exciting. Very overwhelming. Very GOOD hamburgers.

That's Bid Day in a nutshell.

If you have never been before, you now know everything as seen through the eyes of The Enchanting Belinda.

RANDOMNESS #3 - Mike and I participated in the Royal Casino Breakout at Breakout Birmingham with friends Sunday evening.

Without giving too much away, we were all put in a smallish room with gambling equipment, lots of hidden clues and a huge time clock which counted backward from 60 minutes.

Our group was successful in breaking out of the room with FOUR SECONDS TO SPARE...

And a little help from our Game Master.

I don't want to give you any more details because it could ruin your own experience if you decide to go.

And you should.

You should definitely decide to go.

Look up Breakout Birmingham on the Internet, round up a group of eight or less and schedule your "escape."

And try to beat our record.

I dare you!

DAY TRIP - COLUMBUS, GEORGIA - Itinerary

The following are the things I planned for me and Mike during our little stay in Columbus, Georgia:

Columbus Riverwalk
Whitewater Express
Front Porch of the South (GIANT Flea Market)
Kadie the Cow (GIANT plastic cow)
Minnie's Uptown (Soul Food Restaurant)
Burt's Butcher Shoppe (Steakhouse)
The Black Cow (Fancy Restaurant)

Here's a review of the above:

Columbus Riverwalk AND Whitewater Express - It was like 1,000,000 degrees and we didn't feel like rafting, paddle boarding or kayaking the day after we dropped our baby off at college. What can I say? We felt a little old. It was very pretty though, and we will go back.

NOTE - Whitewater Express is ON the Riverwalk. It is a twofer.

Front Porch of the South - We couldn't find it.

Kadie the Cow - We couldn't find HER.

Minnie's Uptown - Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Burt's Butcher Shoppe - We didn't feel like a big meal for lunch in 1,000,000 degree weather.

The Black Cow - We found it. It was lovely. We didn't eat there. We put it on the list for next time.

These are the activities we actually did complete:

Cafe Amiche (Authentic Italian Restaurant)
Uptown Columbus (GIANT Pepper Place)
The Historic District
The Columbus Museum (Art Exhibit)
Country's BBQ
Planet Pops

And the review:

Cafe Amiche - Very good Italian fare, and as we all know, Columbus is known for Italian cuisine. They didn't offer cheese ravioli on the menu, but I ordered and ate something equally pleasing. We will definitely go back.

Uptown Columbus - Since Mike and I love Pepper Place, we also love Uptown Columbus on a Saturday morning. Lots to see and enjoy.

The Historic District - I guess since we are so old, riding through Historic Districts has become our new favorite past time whenever we are in a new city or town. Love.

The Columbus Museum - We enjoyed an hour of browsing in this beautiful, air conditioned, quiet place. Very serene.

Country's BBQ on Broadway - What a fun place to eat. The restaurant is in a renovated bus station with a big bus attached to the side as an extra dining room. If you ever go, order the grilled corn on the cob...

And not the barbecue onions.

Planet Pops - Columbus, Georgia's version of Steel City Pops. I had a Banana Peanut Butter Cream Pop made with ALL natural ingredients. Mike had an Orange Cream Pop that tasted like fresh orange juice.

I'm a hardcore Steel City Pops girl, but Planet Pops was pretty good, too.

There is so much left to do in Columbus, but Mike and I both agreed, the Fall or Spring seasons would suit us better.

The following activities are found on the Fall Itinerary:

Walk the Riverwalk
Bird Watching Zip-Line Tour
Uptown Columbus - AGAIN!
Kadie the Cow - WE MUST FIND HER!
The Black Cow - It was too pretty not to eat there at least once!

Blog Linkage - Please go to www.kellehampton.com and read today's post about kids going to college...

And watch the video provided...

Multiple times.

Weekend Happenings

1. As soon as I post this, I am headed to Auburn for lunch with The Chick. I am going to deliver some jewelry frames I made for her room AND take her out to lunch.

I'm going to take in everything she has to say and just BE with her for a little bit in the middle of the day Friday.

And for any of you who may be shaking their heads and mumbling the term "helicopter mom" under their breath...

Well, I can't hear you.

What with the chopper being so loud and all.

Upon my return to the Dale in the afternoon, Mikie is taking me to see San Andreas at The Dollar Movie because some stuff happened last week and we didn't get to go.

2. Mike and I are doing The Fish Market thing with some friends Saturday night.

I would say we were going to Pepper Place, but unless something miraculous happens and all the humidity in the Birmingham area is sucked out by some cosmic force, it ain't gonna happen.

I am officially DONE with humidity this year.

Done, I say.

3. Sunday will be a day of rest after church and Sunday lunch. It will also be a good day to kick-start a couple of projects I've been thinking about the last couple of weeks.

But definitely the rest thing.

Have a tremendous weekend. I will be back next Friday with who knows what!

Take care.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Weekend Happenings, Columbus, Georgia - Day Trip, Quotable Quotes and Pinterest Stuff (Lego Prayer Object Lesson)

Good Friday evening!

MISCELLANEOUS #1 - I guess you could say Roxie's move went off without a hitch.

Last Friday, we arrived, moved in, cleaned, made the bed, hung the curtains and organized the desk.

We ate lunch, went back to the dorm and did just a few more little, nit-picky things.

And then it was time to go.

Hugs were given.

No tears were shed.

And before Mike and I knew it, we were in the car driving 45 minutes to Columbus, Georgia where we had planned on spending the night and exploring the city on Saturday.

It felt pretty surreal.

I guess in my heart of hearts, I assumed we would drive back through Auburn late Saturday afternoon, load up The Chick and head back to The Dale.

We would say something like, "Well, we tried, but college just didn't work out for us."

And everyone would be happy.

Roxie would work and travel for a year...

And the next year, we would try "the college thing" again.

It didn't quite work out the way I had planned in my head.


Ragan came over Thursday before we moved to offer support AND give a few last minute hugs.


Roxie's roommate, Hannah, had already set up the ever-so-cute Coffee Station.


And Roxie added her super comfy chair to the mix...


As well as her super comfy home-away-from-home bed.

As of today, Mike and I are headed to The Plains for Bid Day. We will see The Chick for a little while before she goes in one direction and we head home.

Again, not the way I had originally envisioned it 18 years, 11 months and 13 days ago.

Not even a little bit.

But she is happy and excited to be starting this next Chapter in her life. (More on that below.)

MISCELLANEOUS #2 - Day Trip - Columbus, Georgia - Columbus has a lot of fun things to do, but since Mike and I are in our 50s and the temperature AND humidity were in the 100s, I made a Summer To-Do List AND a Fall To-Do List.

Just between you and me, I think the Fall List is going to be a lot more fun, and I will share that with you in its entirety NEXT FRIDAY!


First of all, we drove around the Historic District. Mike and I both enjoy doing this whenever we find ourselves in a new town.


Their version of Pepper Place Farmer's Market takes place in Uptown Columbus. There are a lot of funky little shops, tons of sculptures, street music, fountains, dressed-up dogs, fresh produce, etc., etc.





This wasn't our first choice, but because of the hot, HOT temps, we picked The Columbus Museum to browse, and believe it or not, it did not disappoint.


Mike and I are very much alike in that we do not "get" a lot of art.


We are also very much alike in that we like to make fun of art we do not "get."


We stayed an hour... but we could have stayed so much longer!


Usually, Mike and I stay away from chain restaurants when we visit new places, but Country's Barbecue was an exception. Mike remembered eating there when he was younger...

I had never heard of it...

And it was listed as a Top Five restaurant choice on every list we looked at regarding Columbus, Georgia eateries.

There were two Country's in Columbus, and I was so glad we chose this one. Originally, it had been the bus station. In fact, there was an old bus built onto the side of the building. It was part of the diner, but we had already sat down and ordered our food before I discovered we could have actually eaten on the bus.

Hindsight.

That's the story of my life, Baby.


Mike remembered the grilled corn on the cob, so we both ordered that item.

I also ordered the barbecue onions.

That was probably my only mistake on this whole trip.

"Just say NO," to barbecue onions.

That would be my advice to you.

You are welcome.


And this is the picture of me and Mike sitting ON the bus AFTER we had finished our lunch.

Such a cute place to dine.

I spotted this guy on the way to Auburn on Friday, and I made a mental note to find him on the way home.

Yes, these are the types of things I make mental notes about in my head.

Strange, but true.


Right before you get to Harpersville, you will see this giant frog on the left.


He isn't listed as the largest frog in the United States, but I have a feeling this may be an oversight.

Anyway, he is well worth a visit!

Again, we'll be talking about Columbus, Georgia a little more next week, too.

ROXIE - THE COLLEGE CHAPTER - Roxie has been gone for exactly one week today. She has been participating in Rush. Rush is a new thing to me, so instead of guiding her and giving her much-needed advice, I have been asking a lot of questions and trying to be very supportive.

As far as I can tell, Rush involves a great deal of "people" time. She has constantly been going and coming from events this past week, AND TODAY WAS BID DAY.

That means Mike, Hunter and I left for Auburn early this morning to participate in Bid Day.

Roxie and about 1,499 other girls ran into the Auburn Arena and within just a few minutes they all ran back out.












It is with great pleasure I introduce to you, Roxie... Chi O!

I think that's right.

I am not entirely sure.

Anyway, next week classes start, so I'll be able to tell you a little more about this transition we call "growing up, up and away."

Pinterest Stuff

I have found a lot of Object Lessons for kids on Pinterest in the last month or so.

Back in the day, I loved a good Object Lesson...

And just because my kids are all adults now doesn't seem to matter.

I still love them.

Object Lesson - Lego (or Duplo) Prayers

This prayer activity is suitable for groups of children or even a whole congregation as long as you have enough bricks! Have an adult or child lead the prayers for each group, however big...

You will need one Lego or Duplo brick per person

Hold your brick.

Pray for yourself. Thank God for the things he has given you. Ask Him to bless you and help you bless others.

Count the bumps on your brick.

For each bump on your brick, pray for a different person, friend or family member. Ask God to bless them this week.

Find someone who has a different color brick than you.

Thank God for making each person special.

Find someone with the same number of bumps on their brick.

Thank God for families and friends and all who care for us. Pray He will help us be friends to those who are lonely.

Swap your brick with someone.

Thank God for the person you swapped with, and ask God to bless them this week.

Put all of the bricks together and build a structure or tower with them.

Thank God for the church and the communities where we live. Pray He will help us include others and tell them they are loved by God.

Quotable Quotes

"A moment of patience during a moment of anger will save you a hundred moments of regret."

Weekend Happenings

1. As mentioned above, Mike, Hunter and I went to Auburn today, and we are just returning. (Thus, the late, late post.) Tonight, we are eating cereal AND watching Netflix.

2. We are hoping we get to see Josh Saturday around the lunch hour, and Saturday afternoon will be spent in a "crafty" manner, I think.

If the crafts turn out okay, I will share them with you next week.

If not, please pretend you never heard me speak of it.

Thank you.

3. On Sunday, we will go to Sunday School, church, have Sunday lunch...

And then rest up for Breakout Birmingham! I'll have all of those details for you next Friday, too, but until then, feel free to Google it...

And you will know as much as I do about this new entertainment venue.

Have a great weekend with you and yours. I'll be back next Friday with a little bit of leftover Summer stuff and much news about something!

Take care.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda