Yesterday was Safari Day for the girls at school.  It was all the rage and they were beyond excited!

They were allowed to bring stuffed animals, blankets, books and even a tent!  And of course safari attire was required.

Early in the week, the girls started planning what things they were going to bring … which included lugging in two over-sized stuffed animals … as big as the girls!

I found these cute costumes around the web.  And given that I’m not a procrastinator, I didn’t even have to use overnight shipping.  Yeah.  ;)

Okay, here’s the thing.  As excited as the girls were, Piper had a bit of a diva moment meltdown when it came time to get ready.  I couldn’t find outfits that were the same for all 3 girls, in each of their sizes.  So Hunter got something different than what Wynter and Piper got.  Her’s was actually a cute little skirt with a monkey that velcroed around her body.

But the other girls got these super cool sunglasses!  Didn’t matter.  She wasn’t happy.  She put some other outfit on … leggings with a plaid shirt and had all kinds of drama going on.

Admittedly, I did a bit of huffing and even gave a godly talk on appreciation and a thankful heart.  Then examined my own.

I realized she was struggling and a hot mess of fashion vs. sensibility.  So we worked through it.  I explained that tomorrow was going to be casual day, so she could wear the beloved outfit then.  We worked together and found a different pair of shorts.  And despite the sad Piper eyes {behind the knock-off RayBans}, she had a great day!

OH! until a girl in her class told her ever-so-matter-of-factly, “No offense, but you have weird legs and your shorts are weird too.”  Yeah.  But that’s a whole different post … so don’t even get me going!

AND! do you remember this post?  I talked about the joy I found in listening to the girls singing worship songs … well … I got it on video yesterday!  It warms my heart over and over and over and over and over and … :)

The video might have been better if the baby wasn’t trying to sing through eating bugles for breakfast!

I am so in love with awe of my new blog friend, Katherine!  She’s like a super hero to me … what with all her creativity, photography and love of the Lord … I’d say that’s what friends are made of!  ;)

Anyway.  So she has this over-achieving little thing she does … theme of the week … please let it be known that I think it’s “all that” and more!  I’ve pretty much told her so, when she ever so innocently suggested “I try one and hey! maybe I could even guest post on her site.”  No offense, but that’s just some sort of crazy talk as far as I’m concerned!

I kind of get the prickly sweats of anxiety {and don’t go pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about!} looking through her themes and photographs!  Nevertheless, she patiently encouraged me and gave me some great suggestions.

I figured I should get a couple of “themes” under my belt before I go thinking I’m guest post worthy! ;)

So!  What to theme?  Well … when I decided to try something, we were smack dab in the middle of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.  Perfect!

Bonus that there was lots of inspiration around the web that I could draw on.  And as you’ll see … there was one particular team we were supporting!

Color sorting and cake making with Hunter

Learning Fun: sorting; spelling; and patterns

We also learned the meaning behind the Olympic flag & it’s rings {pretty cool stuff!}

Snack time:  food the color of the Olympic rings; cake with M&M colored rings; bagels with cream cheese
colored rings; star-shaped cutout cookies; oreo cookies {disguised as silver medals}

{note to self: disclose to kids if something that looks like frosting, isn’t frosting … especially if it’s cream cheese}

Crafts & Activities:  bracelets; baking; torch & medals

Activities: torch relay; medal ceremony

Games: balloon races; cracker whistling contest

Book: tacky & the winter games

Ideas & Inspiration:
Food crafts :: Taste of Home
Olympic flag lesson :: A to Z Kids Stuff
Torch & Medals :: Alpha Mom
Bracelets :: No Time for Flashcards

Who needs gold?

Takeaway Thoughts: I’ve seen Katherine’s themes for a few months now and would sort of stress myself out
wanting to do it “just like her.”  Kind of that whole bloggie pressure thing.  Why oh why do we do that to ourselves?

It almost seemed like such an overwhelming thing to do, that I didn’t even want to give it a try.  I didn’t want to “fail”
so I didn’t even try.  Not cool.

Thanks to Katherine’s gentle encouraging … I’m so incredibly happy I gave it a go!  I gotta be honest, I’m not happy
with my photos and of course the crafts could’ve been better and on and on I go.

But wait a minute … even as I’m writing this post, I’m smiling looking back on this time we spent together.
And remembering how excited the girls were each night coming home and wondering what the days “theme” would bring.
How we laughed and laughed at them trying to waddle with a balloon between their legs.  And how Wynter just came up and saw
these photos and starting smiling and talking about the things we did together.

And that’s what it’s all about.  Family time.  Fun time.  Building memories.

We’re definitely going to be doing this again.

{images via twistband}

We were traveling a few months ago and I found these awesome hairbands in the hotel gift store.  I love, love, love them!  They’re super stretchy and comfy.  The headbands don’t squeeze your head so tight that you get a headache {feel me?}.

Sadly, I’ve lost two of the three I bought and had no idea where I could find them again.  “Losing” things tends to happen when you live with four other girls.  Especially when the youngest of them has a tendency to “shop” in your bathroom and closet.  Yeah.

Anyway, I’ve actually been contemplating calling the hotel we stayed in, to see if I could order more from the gift store.

Hold up!  Yet one more reason I love the blog world … I totally can’t remember where I saw them {sorry!}, I was just too excited and immediately ordered more!

So yeah … if you’re looking for a totally-awesome-looking and comfy-to-boot headband … look no further … Twistband has it all!

Today I’m joining Emily at chatting at the sky to unwrap one simple word.  Aware.

Awareness.

What does it mean to be aware or have awareness?  It means you educate yourself.

How many of you really know what Multiple Sclerosis is?  I sure didn’t.  And why is it, we don’t feel the need to educate ourselves on something until it affects us or hits close to home?

So sad really.  And trust me … I’m not pointing any fingers here.  I’m as ignorant much to blame as the next guy.

But what a gift we have in all of the tools available to us … instantly, at our fingertips … to make us aware.  To help educate us.

The National MS Society is hosting an MS Awareness Week {March 8-14} with ways to “move it toward a world free of MS.”  I urge you to follow the awareness link to find ways you can make a difference {MS Walk, MS Bike, volunteering, donating}.

Other ways to raise MS awareness?  Consider:

1. Using one of the MS badges as your Facebook, MySpace or Twitter profile pic.
2. Using a Twibbon on your current profile pic.
3. Using one of these downloads as your email signature.
4. Putting a banner, button, or badge on your blog or website and forward information to everyone you know to do the same.  Heck, you could even post about it! ;)
5. “Donating” your Facebook status and profile pic during MS Awareness week with the following status:  {your name} is donating {his or her} status to MS Awareness Week: www.nationalmssociety.org/msawarenessweek

If you’d like to do any one of these things, but have questions or can’t work the download, etc.  Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, or drop me a note.  I’m more than willing to help out!

One last thing … I’ve put together an MS Walk team … {stier}ing For A Cure … do you love it? ;)  We’re walking on April 18.  My beautiful friend wrote a post about it here.  You can use her link to donate or join the team.  Or you can go to my personal page to donate or join the team.

And … I realize not everyone can donate funds … but the very least we can and should do … is raise awareness.  And quite honestly … I don’t mean just for my cause, but for every cause.  Now that would be a gift we could unwrap for someone everyday.

I posted this video last August.  Reading over that post … I feel like I’ve come so far.  Minus the fact that, in that post I say that I haven’t cried that much about my diagnosis {while watching video}. since my diagnosis.  Quite honestly, I just watched it again … and I don’t think I’ve cried as much as I just did {about my diagnosis}, since the last time I watched it.

I’m not sure what it is … but it just gets me.  I really hope you’ll take the time to watch this very important video.  And I especially hope that you’ll take the time to educate yourself and raise awareness on a cause that is new to you {whether that’s MS, a disease, the environment, the global water crisis, or even the local food shelter down your street}.

“Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that
something is real even if we do not see it.”  Hebrews 11:1

Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good.  It is a choice to believe that the one who made it all hasn’t left it all and that he still sends light into the shadows and responds to gestures of faith.

Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.

God says that the more hopeless your circumstances, the more likely, your salvation.  The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers.  The darker the room, the greater the need for light.

God’s help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it.

{via max lucado, grace for the moment, volume 1}