My ABC Bible Verse

If you are looking for an easy and fun way to memorize scripture with your young child, I highly recommend Susan Hunt's My ABC Bible Verse. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by a bible verse and devotional. The lessons do an excellent job of teaching grace and gospel truth even in verses that could be easily distorted into works righteousness. My only annoyance with it is that the kids are always filled with God's Holy Spirit to do what's right in Every. Single. Situation. So glad you are already so sanctified Billy and Missy.

I typed up all the bible verses on a master list for us to review each day so I don't have to pull out the book each time to review the past verses. It is available via Google docs to download at the link below.

What resources are you using with your children to hide God's word in their hearts?

My ABC Bible Verse master list

By God's Grace Printable

I created a printable of Gloria Furman's quote. There are two different version available for download.

By God's Grace

God's Grace in blue and gray

Playroom Reveal

I have yet to post pictures of our new house because I feel like everything is a work in progress. I still want to paint the hideous kitchen cabinets, hang a few more things in the living room and re-do the kitchen table amongst many other projects. One room I feel like is essentially complete is the kids playroom.

This house had one of the garage bays converted into another room. We are using the front half as a playroom and the back half, which is basically a separate room with a step down into, as a storage room. When we first moved in it was a soul sucking, dark hunter green. Because it is a conversion, there are no windows and I absolutely hated to be in this room, especially with the door shut. The ceiling is popcorn and looked like it had twenty years of dust stuck to it, the ceiling fan was just as filthy. The crowning glory of the room was a circa 1980 wallpaper border of a world map.

The homeowners left behind an entire gallon of paint plus primer but this dark color was so paint sucking I had to go buy two more gallons to finish this room and paint two walls of Daniel's room. I only need about a pint of the third gallon but it is the same color as the hallway and parts of Laura's room as well so I'm sure I will use it down the road. On another note, who buys flat paint? Ugh, but that's what I'm stuck with throughout this entire house!

I took the primary colors from the IKEA tent as my color palate for their playroom. I made the bunting for Daniel's 2nd birthday with the intention of repurposing it afterwards for the playroom. Costco was carrying several fun kids rugs for only $15. By the time I convinced myself it wasn't a waste of money they only had two rugs left so I was happy to snag one.

I had my eye on the U.S. map print for months at Hobby Lobby so when the kids got money for Christmas, I justified decorating their playroom as something to spend it on. Besides, it's educational right? I love that this room has built in shelving too. Behind the bifold closet doors are a few more shelves of toys and some random other storage items. To the right of the tent is the opening to the back storage room. I hung a curtain there to cover up the doorway and keep the cold air out as we closed the vents to that back room.

Over six months of slowly buying items here and there I spent around than $75 total including the paint for this room and a few more clear storage containers that are on the shelves. Now, if I only the kids would keep it this picked up!

Pinterest Project completed at last!

Declutter 500 things Challenge

Please excuse any math errors in advance! 

Day 1- 100 items of paper trash 
Yesterday 

100 items of paper! That was embarassingly easy. I had a "to shred pile" that had built up plus I went through a few old files. I don't really need the health insurance payout from three years ago.

1 large box the kids were playing in 

7 old removable bra straps - since I wear wear so many strapless dresses to fancy parties these days

1 Holly Hobby vintage plate 

2 our old set of sheets that I just replaced last week

Day 1 total= 111

Day 2- 25 items from your Bedroom

Today from our bedroom

I haven't even tackled out closets but I made great strides going through my jewelry boxes. I had Laura help me clean out my jewelry.

5 earrings with no mates

1 hook (what was that doing in my jewelry box?) 

8 bracelets (I honestly cannot stand wearing bracelets) 

10 pairs of earrings I couldn’t remember the last time I wore 

2 necklaces

1 large box from Christmas that was in the backyard (classy I know)

= 27 items

Total = 138 

2016 Reading List

2016 Reading List 

I read 20 books last year which was 9 more than I read in 2014! Ok so I cheated a little and finished one of these the first week in January but hey, I started it in 2015 so that counts right?

27 books, my goal is to get to 20 of these 27 on the list. This might be overly ambitious since I'm having a baby in May and starting to homeschool Laura for kindergarten come September. Last year I ended up reading other books not on my list and bumping a few to this years list. I'm sure the same will happen as I come across a new book recommendations.

Fiction
Eight cousins Alcott
GA Henty (historical fiction, we own several different ones.)
Anne of Green Gables 
Safely Home Randy Alcorn
Dear Mr. Knightley 
Lizzy and Jane 

Biography/History/Current Events
Popular Economics -John Tamny
7 Women - Eric Metaxas
The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom
Fierce Convictions - 
Evidence Not Seen 
A Chance to Die 
1776 

Christian/Personal Growth
Stepping Heavenward (make this an annual read)
Putting Amazing Back into Grace
How Should We Then Live? Francis Schaeffer 
Prayer- Tim Keller
Holding onto Hope- Nancy Guthrie
Pilgrim's Progress
Unglued- Terkurst
Essentital Truths of the Christian Faith  RC Sproul - I bought this for a bible study that was canceled for I figured I should just read it on my own


Homeschool/Family/Marriage/Homemaking 
The Well Trained Mind 
Give Them Grace
The Core
Bringing Up Boys - Dobson
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Putting Amazing Back into Grace 
The Nesting Place  

2015 Reading Wish List

Books without a strike through didn't get read but I may try to read them in 2016.

Parenting, Marriage and Family

Meaning of Marriage – Tim Keller 

Shepherding a child’s heart 

Give them Grace (own on kindle) bumped to 2016 

Don’t make me count to three

Nonfiction- History and Biography, Current Events, Health 

1776 -I may or not may not try and tackle this one in 2016. I have been enjoying the audio book of John Adams in the car however. 

One Nation Ben Carson 

A Chance to die – Elliot still working on this one! 

America, Imagine a world without her D’Souza 

Grain Brain 
The Wahl's Protocol

Fiction

The Warden and the Wolf King 

Little Men 

Command Authority Clancy

Whose Body Sayers 

The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency – 

At Home in Mitford

All the Light We Cannot See 

Christian/Personal Growth 

Pilgrims Progress 
I love Mormons 

Stepping Heavenward 

Undone
Money, Possessions and Eternity

The Hardest Peace 

Unglued  bumped to 2016 
Just Show Up - Kara Tippets 

Barefoot Contessa's Chocolate Cake Recipe

My friend Cheree sent me this recipe that I used for Daniel's birthday cake and it was one of the best cakes I have ever eaten let alone make. I did it without chocolate frosting for his birthday and made a Swiss Meringue Buttercream  but I would love to try it again with the chocolate frosting. This recipe is originally from The Barefoot Contessa and makes two 8 inch round cakes or 24 cupcakes. 

• INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• Optional- extra chocolate chips or chunks 

Frosting 

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 
  

MAKE THE CAKE Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment; butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess. 

1. 
   
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt at low speed. In a bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the oil, eggs and vanilla. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated. This will be a very runny batter, don't worry it will be delicious! 
   
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool. Peel off the parchment. 
   
4. MAKE THE FROSTING In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate at high power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until most of the chocolate is melted. Stir until completely melted, then set aside to cool. 
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the side of the bowl. 
   At low speed, slowly beat in the confectioners’ sugar, about 1 minute. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in 2 teaspoons of hot water. Slowly beat the coffee and the cooled chocolate into the butter mixture until just combined. 
   
6. Set a cake layer on a plate with the flat side facing up. Evenly spread one-third of the frosting over the cake to the edge. Top with the second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

A Daniel Tiger Themed Party

We celebrated Daniel's second birthday yesterday with a Daniel Tiger party! My parents were so sweet and flew in from Austin to help celebrate. I just realized I didn't get a picture of them with the birthday boy but I will have to get one on Daniel's actual birthday in a few days. I kept the food simple and put way too much effort on the decorations and the cake. Thanks Chere for all the cake guidance and recipes. I will post a rewritten recipe of her chocolate cake soon.  I often cheat on birthday cakes and either order cupcakes from the grocery store or do a box cake but I decided to go for a fancier style this time and made from scratch cake. It was (mostly) fun and a learning experience. 

Daniel Tiger Trolley directions from PBS Kids

Simple Bunting that will go in the playroom 

Note the totally crooked cake! 

Daniel Tiger Five Layer Cake. Figurines from Amazon

Laura's Daniel Tiger doll from her 3rd Birthday 

Handsome little 2 year old! 

The heat of the kitchen started melting my icing right before the party 

Grandpa holding Buddy during "Happy Birthday"

Playing with his new favorite trucks for the Castleberrys. He didn't want to open anything else. 

Sissy "helping" open gifts 

Silly Kids 

Daniel Tiger printable from Child at Heart Blog edited on PicMonkey

Playing with new car garage from the Grandparents

How could I not put this on the bathroom door?