Family Dinner

Busy.

Busy is a word I try so hard not to use to describe my life right now. However, most of the time it seems like there is no way around it. I have four children, three of them are in three different schools, and one is home with me. The oldest two are involved in sports. My twelve year old daughter has soccer 3-5 times a week and my six year old son has baseball 2-3 times a week, with daddy as his coach that leaves me with the three year old and the 21-month old during those times. So, busy my be a good adjective to describe the season my family may be in for a while. However, my hope is that it will never become an excuse to change my priorities. "I'm too busy" is frankly said too much, especially in the world of "Netflix and chill", which I am guilty of.

My husband and I both were so fortunate to grow up in homes where our mothers made it a priority to set a table, make a dinner, and sit us all down without distraction. Naturally then, as we had our own children it just seemed like something you were supposed to do and not a task. We understand now what a blessing it was to have that foundation. As time passes and each kid gets a little older, those dinners seem to slip away and become harder to come by, but it is a priority I am not willing to change due to busyness.

Having our children stuck in a seat for even an hour or less is time to connect and communicate with them. I am just dipping my toes into parenting a teenager and I can already see that it is a priceless commodity. Even when she doesn't want to talk, my husband and I are able to. We are able to share what is going on in our home, things that affect the whole family, maybe the financial miracle we are waiting for or the healing we are believing in. If we do not share those things with our children they miss out on that miracle when it comes. With younger children that may not carry on a conversation fluidly, dinner is also a time of prayer. Many times when Jesus was teaching his disciples and others it would be while breaking bread, whether by sea with a crowd of thousands or at the table with twelve. I think it is safe to say that Jesus was a pretty busy guy, but He seemed to have plenty of time to share a meal with those He loved. He wants us to invite Him to our dinner table, to be part of our conversations and listen to our stories.

First, we have to make some food to eat in our spare time and in between the craziness. In the Batey house we don't often eat at any particular time. We eat when the largest amount of us can get to the table. Sometimes that's as early as 4:15 p.m. and as late as 8 p.m. My husband Josh and I have also sat at the table more than one time in a night with different groups of our children. That, among a lot of other reasons is why the Crock-Pot is my right hand man.

There are thousands of Crock-Pot recipes out there to choose from that fit your families needs and tastes. I am going to share a recipe that my family loves. It is extremely simple and inexpensive. While I share the recipe with you, I am also going to walk you though a typical day in the Batey home and how we make it the table.

They wake up too early, the sun never beats my kids to greet the morning. One of the toddlers rise and shine around 6 a.m. and their big brother follows shortly after. I'm sure its the normal routine that occurs in most homes in the morning, there is teeth brushing, changing for school and collecting backpacks. We get out the door by 8 a.m. and it takes about half an hour to drop all three off at their respective schools. Not bad so far, I even joined a gym for the first time in years. I have made that a priority, but mostly to be able to keep up with my kids. So, I head there next. I normally arrive back home around 10 a.m. and that's when I start the Crock-Pot.

Today I am making BBQ chicken sliders on Hawaiian rolls with pineapple, it's as good as it sounds. For this recipe I make double the chicken, that way after it cooks I can shred and save half for another recipe later in the week. I put six chicken breasts into the pot with one cup of water and turn the pot to high. After getting ready for the day and while the chicken is cooking I run errands. I may go to the grocery, to a doctor appointment and to the car wash of course. Lately, I have been using some of that time to sit down and type up a blog. I try my best to get as much checked of my to do list while I am entertaining and caring for my toddler, Anderson.

Between 11 a.m.- noon the little one is ready for a nap and nap time is cleaning time for this mama. It feels like that is the only time that I can clean and it will stay clean for any real amount of time. So, on to wiping off sticky fingerprints, cleaning bathrooms, picking up toys and mopping up spilled milk.

About 1:30 p.m. Anderson is rested and ready to take on the rest of the day. Snack first, then back in the van by 2:00 p.m. for after school pick up.

Between driving, traffic and the infamous car riders line we get home at 3:30 p.m. each day. My six year old has just enough time to write his spelling words, read a few pages and throw on his baseball uniform. My three year old runs upstairs to play dress up or with her Shopkins as long as she can, her little sister always following close behind. All while I set the table and finish the remaining steps to the recipe.

Shred the chicken, taking out half for later in the week if you chose to do so.

Add a half a cup of BBQ sauce to the chicken and stir.

Take the Hawaiian rolls out of the package and open them in half, fill them with the chicken and place one piece of pineapple on top. If you are a fan of cilantro its great on here too, but if its green my son isn't going to touch it, all beige it is for the Batey's tonight.

Close and serve with whatever side is a favorite to your family.

At 4:30 p.m. my daughter walks in the door from middle school. We are fortunate to live close enough to her school where she is able to walk home, that saves me a full half hour. At that time, everyone gets called to the table. Yes, on nights like tonight we eat at 4:30 p.m. If my husband isn't home yet he isn't too far behind.

We pray first, eat, talk and share as fast as we can. Quickly soaking in every minute while simultaneously fussing at them to focus on eating. Without any exaggeration, we are out the door and on to the next part of the day between 4:45-5 p.m. It may have been only 15-30 minutes of our day, but it was spent together. We reflected Christ by breaking bread together, by being intentional with those few minutes we had as a complete family, by praying together and thanking Him that we have each person around the table and the food in front of us.

Off to either baseball, soccer or both. The toddler girls are troopers and do their best to watch their big brother and sister enjoy their time in the spotlight. They will have their time sooner than they know. Time goes by too fast to get caught up in the busy, that you start to miss the moments that matter. It has taken some time to understand that it is okay for the little ones to be bored or even sick of going to these things. They are learning patience, honor, sacrifice and how to put other's wants and needs ahead of their own.

Home at 7 p.m., showers, reading and bed.

Avery walks in the door at 8 p.m. to get her homework done, shower and get ready for another day, tomorrow.

By 9 p.m. my husband and I have our time together, sometimes on our porch sharing dreams and others on the couch sharing ice cream. But, that is another priority for another blog post.

I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it, but more than that, I pray that you find encouragement to sit down with your family each night, and that no matter how busy life gets, its the priorities that make the difference.

Shell Cross - Ladies Craft Night

 Welcome to Wrinkles and Grace's Ladies Craft Night. 

Tonight we will be making shell crosses.

Shell Cross by Rachel Batey 

The ladies started arriving to Connecting Pieces Studio around 6:00. I welcomed everyone at the door and asked them to come to the back of the and studio where our friend Julie had so graciously set out a table full of beautiful hors d'oeuvres, wine, lemonade, water and sweets. What more could a lady ask for after a long day, thank you Julie.

It didn't take long before everyone started to unwind and relax. I love when multi-generational women come together to talk and share. We can learn so much from one another when we take the time to listen.

While everyone was enjoying a little refreshment I showed them a shell cross I had made earlier and talked to them about how they would be making their crosses tonight.

The ladies made their way into the front of the studio. They picked their spots at the table where they found an organizing box and a glue gun with glue sticks placed front of them. In the middle of the table there was a huge box of mixed-up shells to pick from as well as smaller boxes of separated shells. Before turning on the glue guns, as they where picking out their shells, I asked them to think about how they might like to arrange them. To help guide them I asked, "which shells would you like on the sides of your cross?" If your cross is going to be hanging or laying flat on a table then you want to make sure that the shells you are placing on the side of your cross will lay flat when glued down.

"What shell would you like as your focal shell?" I think that shell should stand out. Maybe it's a little larger than the rest or maybe you want a piece of coral as your focal shell. Be creative, enjoy exploring your shells and their placement. We are not gluing yet, we are just trying things out. Think about which shells that you will use on the top, bottom and sides of you cross.

Remember the center of your cross is your focal point. You might not want the bottom of your cross to get too visually heavy. Sometimes I like to glue a large shell or piece of coral onto the top of my cross for more height and depth.

Shell Cross by Felicia Taylor

Don't be afraid to use a broken shell or discolored shell on your cross. That shell may be what makes your cross stand out. Shells have been tossed and turned throughout the years. Some show scars, yet they are still beautiful. They just show a little more character or even tell a story. Shells remind me that some of us carry our scars on the inside that no one may ever see. While others may have visual scars that everyone sees. They are a reminder to me, that I have no idea what anyone else is going through. I only know that if I can give even just one person a couple of hours of joy or solace making these crosses and encouraging you to spend sometime with women then I am grateful for that and I thank you for giving me your time. My prayer is that we will all be kinder and gentler to one another. It seems we too often judge on our knowledge of things. I have told myself many times that I am not in any way another person. Therefore, I have no knowledge of how they feel or what they are going through unless they tell me, and even then I have not had that exact experience. I try very hard to live by this scripture, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" Matthew 7:1.  I fall short more times than I would like to admit. Perhaps that is why the simple visual aid of a shell awakens my heart. Your cross will tell a story. What do you want it to say?

Shell Cross by Glenda Keen

Once you have a good idea of the base shells that you will be putting on your cross then go ahead and turn on your glue gun. Give your cross one more look as the glue gun is heating up. Once you are satisfied then go ahead and start gluing the shells onto the side of your cross first.

Now that your cross has a good foundation, it is time to start gluing the shells onto the top of your cross.

This is done by layering the medium shells, small shells and then the tiny shells.

I sometimes put a tiny shell in or on top of another shell. I find it adds dimension and visual interest. I also like to use long spiral shells for accents and to fill those tiny spaces.

Shell Cross by Carol Alderman, Rachel Keener and Julie Beddows

You will notice that Julie and Carol chose to add sea glass to their crosses. I love how different each cross comes out, no two are alike. Just as you are creating a one of a kind masterpiece. God took great care in creating each of us perfectly in His eyes. No two of us are alike, not even one other person shares your fingerprints. I hope these crosses will be a reminder of that as you pass by them in your home.

Rachel and Gail showed their creativity by making their crosses standing up. In this case, they started at the bottom of the cross and worked their way up. They made sure that their crosses had a strong foundation by using a large piece of coral or shells.

Once you have glued on all of your shells, and you love the way your cross looks. Smile! You have just created a one of a kind piece of art. 

Shell Cross by Gail Travis

Thank you for taking part in our ladies craft night. It has been a wonderful time of women doing fellowship together.

Rachel and I have put together Shell Cross Kits for those of you who would like to have your own ladies night out. You can purchase them in our Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/WrinklesandGrace . One kit is able to make three shell crosses that includes 3 wood crosses, 3 organizer boxes full of shells and 3 sets of 4 glue sticks. There was still a little room in the box so we put in an extra bag of mixed shells for your group to share. Shipping and handling is on us.

Rachel and I had so much fun making these crosses and in fellowship with other women we wanted to share the joy. 

We hope to inspire other women to create and share their knowledge and gifts with each other.

Happy crafting, Ginny

Sunday's Inspiration

Restoration

Restoration.
"Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."- Isaiah 43:19
Judah was called upon to forget she struggled to be a nation among nations (1 Sam. 8:5,20). God had a new destiny. A new thing, this people group where being built through the historical process of captivity and return.
I believe that God works in coincidences, maybe they aren't coincidences at all but that is what we so often call it when God moves. God is moving always and right now He is moving in restoration. We have a whole "fixer upper" movement, there are countless T.V. shows dedicated to restoration. There are stores, businesses and incomes that fully rely on restoration. 

God is the author of restoration and we crave it. As flesh here on earth we rely on restoration. We want to be made new and once we are, we long to see everyone else find that same beauty. The beauty of captivity and return, of lost to found, dirty to clean and thirsty to satisfied. We long to see the world and all who live in it as Christ sees us, his children. " Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1. God wants to do a new thing in us through restoration. 

(Before)

(After)

Is your paint chipped?

So often as women we have many insecurities about our appearances. We also tend to have some insecurities of our quirky personality traits. I know that I catch myself far to often worried about whether someone thought I was weird or not. I also catch myself staring into the mirror for a few extra minutes just to wrongfully judge myself, wondering if others see all the same flaws in me. I asked if you paint was chipped, is it? Is the way God created you holding you back? God gave you that nose and the snort sound it makes when you laugh too hard. Whatever the flaw is that you perceive in yourself, your perspective needs a new coat of paint.

Why is it so easy for us to paint a dresser and see it as a completely new piece of furniture but it can take us years to see ourselves differently? Sure there are many medical and psychological reasons, I do understand that. But, y'all, GOD MADE YOU. He doesn't make mistakes. The bible tells us how He see us and that is the only truth about ourselves. Others opinions and the way we see ourselves are muddled by our flesh. God says... I breathed into your nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). I created you in my own image (Genesis 1:27). My eyes saw your unformed substance (Psalm 139:16). I knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). I know the number of hairs on your head, and before a word is on your tongue I know it (Matthew 10:30; Psalm 139:4). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). He, God, our Restorer knows and loves every inch of you. So, get out the paint brush of Gods word and start painting yourselves in a new perspective of who you truly are.

Do you have "good bones"?

"oh dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!: "surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord."" Ezekiel 37:4-6.

As Christians we have the foundation of  the restoration story. The confidence that we were once dead and now we are alive, our hope comes from the Lord. But, how sturdy are your bones? Will they become dry in the valley?

I was given a family heirloom, a bed, my Great grandmother (Isla), my grandfather, father, me and now my daughter have been tucked snuggly into it over generations. The story goes that it even arrived in Florida via covered wagon and as much as this bed has moved over its many years, I have seen it taken apart and put back together many times without falter. It has "good bones". 

The bones that are referred to in Ezekiel are dry, there are no muscles, no skin. The bones, the foundation of the body were lying in that valley becoming hopeless and thirsty. The bones were dry, yes, but there waiting, becoming dryer and dryer in the sun of that valley, waiting. I have been in that valley too many times to count, unfortunately, I let my bones become dry there. Sometimes I got to that valley through busyness, sometimes through health, even through worry and fear. But, the valley is no place for me, for you, for us. When we find ourselves in that valley, hopeless, thirsty, waiting for change. Our good bones of the foundation of our restoration story are waiting for our flesh to return. With power of the Spirit of the Lord listen to what He did in verse 7 " there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone, Indeed, as I looked the sinews and the flesh came upon them and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them." 
These bones were put together perfectly by God, therefor we can confidently know that they are "good bones". Often on our journey out of the valley we are just happy that our bones are back together, that our foundation was strong enough to be put back together and make it out.  However, "good bones" even covered by their flesh don't move.

The Heirloom bed, the bed that has been so special to my family for generations, the good bones aren't and never will be what makes the this piece of furniture so special. The breath of each child that prayed their goodnight prayers and woke up with hope of their future, that is what makes it so special and unique. "So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet". (vs. 14)

Stand up on your feet! You have the breath of God in you. When you are in the valley seasons of life stand up, be confident in your foundation, be confident that you have been restored, you have the good bones of the resurrection story. But, don't stop there, take a deep breath. Life is going to beat us up, it maybe doing it to you now. Let your dry bones come alive with the breath of your Savior. The valley is not for you and no place to live. I may have let health, busyness and fear take my hope, dry me up and leave me in the valley, but my Father tells me that He is my healer, my shepherd who guides me through the valley and I shall not fear. Now, move.

DIY, Costume's for Mary Poppins and Bert

"Wind in the east, there's a mist coming in, like something is brewing about to begin."

Mary Poppins and Bert arrived at 17 Cherry Tree Lane just in time for
Miss Isla Jayne's 3rd Birthday party.

People have been asking Rachel and I where we got the decor and costumes or how we made this or that for Isla Jayne's party. I must say Rachel did just about everything. Wow, she's amazing! Oh sorry, I may be bias as her mom but she is very talented. I only helped make a hat stand and put together Bert and Mary Poppins costumes, which was a lot of fun for me. I would like to show you how the costumes were made and a little about there impact at the party as well.

Mary Poppins knocked on the door with carpet big and umbrella in hand. Isla Jayne opened the door shy and surprised. I believe she thought Mary Poppins and Bert had truly come to her house for a visit. It did not take to long however before she realized who we were. She looked at me (Bert) and said," Gigi, What are you doing!" We all laughed and I gave her a big hug. Rachel had Mary Poppins music playing in the back ground, so Bert asked Miss Isla Jayne if she would like to dance. We had a wonderful time dancing and singing around the room. Then Isla went up to her Aunt Felicia (Mary Poppins) and gave her a big hug. Felicia then asked Isla Jayne if she would like to talk to her parrot. That was the cutest thing ever!

For Mary's costume I took the easy way out. Yes, I ordered it on Amazon. It came pretty much complete. All I needed was, black boots, a large bag for Mary Poppins's carpet bag ( I had both of these things in my closet) and a straight handled umbrella. The costume came with Mary Poppins parrot head which I just slipped over the  handle of the umbrella. The costume also came with a hat, that I embellished a bit. To do this.......

I gathered a few flowers that I had previously purchased from the dollar store and some cherries that I bought from Amazon. Using my hot glue gun I glued the flowers and cherries onto the hat.
When I finished crafting the hat it made me giggle. I could not believe how simple it was to turn a plain black hat into a whimsical and such a perfectly Mary Poppins hat.

Bert's costume was so much fun to put together. It did not cost much at all and I got to challenge myself by figuring out how to make Bert's chimney sweep broom.
I stated by watching the original Mary Poppins movie and studying Bert. I watched how he moved and what he wore.
Bert needed a black blazer, a black pair of pants and a dark color shirt. I had the pants and shoes in my closet. For the shirt and blazer I made a quit trip goodwill. About $5.00 later I had what I needed. The dark colored briery I had but if you need one there is a good chance you could find one at goodwill or a consignment shop, if not there is always Amazon, Lol.
For Bert's red tie, I took an old tie that I had apart. I split the seems, opened the hole tie and separated the white backing from the red silk fabric. That way I had a thin yet tie shaped piece of fabric. If you do not want to do that, a red scarf would work or a simple piece of red fabric cut into a long rectangle would work great. I noticed that Bert had been very busy cleaning chimneys and he looked quit dirty. To accomplish this look I used artist charcoal. I rubbed the charcoal onto a piece of paper and then onto my skin. If you do not feel comfortable doing that, dark eye shadow would work just as well.
I always like a challenge and to try to make things out of what I already have. The chimney sweeps broom gave me that opportunity. I was able to make the chimney sweeps broom in less than an hour and I did not need to buy anything.
You could make this broom too. Here's how....

You will need a grass broom (I used an old one that I had on hand ), a can of black paint and a good pair of snips.

Start by cutting all the rope or fiber from the broom being careful not to cut the grass on the broom. That will come later.

Once you have all of the fibers cut, remove them from the grass part of the broom. I raked them away using my clippers.

Now it is time to start bending back the broom grass.

Place the broom handle side down. Taking a small section at a time begin pushing the grass down.

Cut away the grass in a circle so that it will look like a chimney sweeps broom.

Spray the handle of your broom first. Then let it dry.

Once your broom handle is dry, stand your broom on end. Pull the 1st layer of grass down. Spray paint it, let it dry. Repeat this process until all of the grass on the broom is black.

When your paint is dry turn your broom over and give the top side of your broom another coat of paint.

There she is! You did it! Bravo!

A simple photograph can speak volumes.
At first the little girls were shy about Mary Poppins and Bert. By the end of the party little Macey was standing like she had seen Bert stand and Isla Jayne was holding Mary Poppins's Parrot. Each child wanted to talk to Mary and her Parrot and Bert's broom was a big hit too. The little girls seemed to enjoy holding the chimney sweep broom and pretending they were Bert just like me.
This was such a special time with so many heart warming and special moments.
I wish I could put into words what it meant to me to stand back and watch as each of the Mom's interacted with their daughters. To see the joy on both the mothers and daughters faces as the little girls experienced new things. As I think back on the party it is still bringing a smile to my face as my heart sings.

"To give is to receive,

 not because you wished to receive 

but because it came back to you

 without expecting it."

Gigi