Friends 4 Life

Lilli's mom gave the girls pennies to throw into the fountain. Shannon said Lilli wished that she could be a princess when she grows up. Mary Ashley wished that she could be a princess starting now.

Basket Cake

I made this basket cake to say welcome to visitors at our congregation's Friends Day this past Sunday. Several people asked me about it, so I'm sharing directions here. I hope this easy design will inspire you to celebrate the loveliness of spring.

To make a basket cake, bake a cake in two round baking pans. Allow the cakes to cool completely. Carefully remove the first layer, and position it on your serving platter. Frost the first layer with a crumb coat, and refrigerate until the icing has set. Frost it again to get a clean covering of icing. A good tip is to keep a cup of hot water nearby when icing a cake. Dip your icing spatula or knife into the water as needed, and the heat from the water will help your utensil glide smoothly across the cake.

Remove the second cake layer, and cut it in half. Place it on top of the cake to make the body of the basket. Cut a small half-circle from the remaining half-layer, and reserve for another use. The remaining arc of cake will serve as the handle. Position the handle on the top of the cake, and secure it to the basket with a little icing if needed. Frost the top and sides of the cake and inside of the handle and basket. Use a large star-shaped decorating tip to decorate the handle. Begin by piping icing onto the inside of the handle and basket. Start at the bottom, and pipe icing up and down as you work around the inside area of the cake. Next, pipe icing in similar fashion around the outside of the cake to cover the handle. Then pipe icing onto the top of the handle, careful to cover any open spots from inside or outside the handle.

The basket weave design is a lovely way to cover a cake, and the technique is easy to master. Use decorating tip 47, ridged side up, and work from left to right across the cake. Start with the top of the basket. Pipe a straight line from the brim of the basket to the bottom of the basket. Next, pipe short, evenly spaced perpendicular lines over this first line. Then pipe the next line from brim to edge, overlapping the ends of the short perpendicular lines. Now pipe short perpendicular lines between the last ones, beginning at your first parallel line and crossing over the second. Continue this process across the top of the basket, then around the side of the basket. Use the star tip to outline the edges of the basket with shell borders.

To complete the cake, fill the basket. You can pipe icing flowers onto the cake, or use real or silk flowers. If you use real flowers, choose an organically-grown, edible variety or simply gather blooms from your garden. Just cover the stems with plastic wrap before inserting them into the cake. Add a bow to complete the look. You could fill this versatile basket cake with other things as well. A chocolate cake filled with chocolate-dipped strawberries would be delicious for adults, and a holiday cake filled with seasonal candies would delight children. Think patriotic star cookies to light the Fourth, colorful silk leaves for Thanksgiving, candy canes and greenery for Christmas, and marshmallow peeps for Easter. However you fill the basket, what a great way to celebrate the bounty of blessings that fill our lives!

Make a May Basket

Some of you may remember the arrangements that dangled from my dining room chandelier for Mary Ashley's fourth birthday party. Lovely and pink, those posies have added a touch of spring to a neglected light fixture. I'm sharing directions for this easy craft here, hoping you'll consider making one to use as a May basket to celebrate the beauty of spring. Wouldn't these arrangements add a sweet touch hanging from branches at a garden party or outdoor wedding?

To get started, you will need a plastic foam cone, fabric, scissors, straight pins, rick rack, fabric glue, silk flowers, wire cutters, wire-edged ribbon and a floral pick. First choose fabric for your pretty posy. For Mary Ashley's party decorations, I used polka dotted fabrics, ribbon and rick rack in shades of pale pink, dark pink and lime green.

Press the fabric first, then place the cone on a straight edge of the fabric. Align this straight edge with the seam that runs lengthwise down the cone, and secure the fabric along this seam with straight pins. Then roll the cone to wrap the fabric around the cone, and overlap the pinned edge of fabric. Cut the excess fabric away, leaving enough to turn under the loose fabric edge to make a seam along the length of the cone. Before securing this seam with straight pins, trim excess length from the bottom of the cone. Leave only about an inch of fabric dangling, then fold this up and pin it to the side of the cone. Now wrap the fabric taut around the cone. Fold the rough edge under and pin it to the cone, careful to keep this line straight. Trim fabric from the top of the cone, leaving about an inch extending over the cone's edge. Pin this fabric to the top of the cone.

Next, cut two pieces of rick rack a little more than twice the length of the cone. Fold the first piece in half, and pin the center point to the bottom of the cone. Pull the rick rack to the top of each side of the cone, and secure with straight pins. Repeat with the other piece of rick rack, making sure you cover the cone's fabric seam with one of the pieces. Secure the rick rack to the fabric with a couple of dots of fabric glue to keep it in place.

Next, use wire cutters to cut silk floral stems, leaving enough length to insert the flowers into the foam. You might want to tentatively arrange your bouquet before poking stems into the foam. Generally, it is easiest to plan your arrangement working from largest to smallest flowers. And an odd number of flowers is usually most pleasing to the eye. Insert the flowers into the foam, then fill in with greenery as needed. When you are satisfied with the arrangement, finish it off with a ribbon bow attached to a floral pick and inserted into the foam. Pin a length of ribbon to the sides of the cone, and you are ready to greet spring with a little loveliness all your own!

A petite posy welcomes little ones who visit our playhouse this spring.

Playhouse photo by Nathan Prichard

Potty Talk

When I voted on my friend Allison's recent blog poll that I don't enjoy bathroom humor, I didn't think about my little princess on the throne. Two-year-old Emma was in and out of the bath last night trying to go potty for the first time. She is so close! I got this clip of her looking at books, excited to realize that princesses go potty too. So, Allison, I guess I would have to admit that I do, in fact, enjoy a little potty talk after all.

Time to Pray

God's Day

by Melissa Lester

All night long I watched you sleep, snuggled in your bed.
I whispered softly my love for you and stroked your weary head.
I cradled you till the sun came up and you rose to meet the day.
I was eager to hear your waking thoughts, but you didn't take time to pray.
I knew what the day would hold for you -- a new struggle in every task.
I knew that you would need my strength, but you didn't take time to ask.
With arms outstretched I walked with you as you faced a trying day.
I was ready and willing to carry your burdens, but you never glanced my way.
I showered you with blessings, and you accepted them all with glee.
I waited patiently for your thanks, but you had not a word for Me.
The day is coming to a close; the end is drawing near.
I walked beside you all the way, but you forgot that I was here.
You faced your troubles on your own, and now worry fills your head.
How different your day could have been if you had leaned on Me instead.
Tomorrow is a new day, and I will walk with you again.
I hope that you will turn to me -- your Savior, Father, Friend.

Mary Ashley's Preschool Program

Mary Ashley poses outside the church building, a P3 graduate.

Sunday afternoon we attended Mary Ashley's end-of-the-year preschool program. It was such a joy to watch all the P2 and P3 classes standing on the stage, so big and confident after a year of school. The children recited memory verses and sang songs for the adoring crowd. Mary Ashley had a speaking part, and my heart was in my throat as she took her spot on the risers for the "Humpty-Dumpty" song. Only in recent weeks has she overcome her shyness to recite a memory verse in Bible class, so I wondered how she would react to a packed crowd of parents and grandparents. In rehearsal, teachers said she gripped the microphone so tightly that her fingers started to change color, so they took the microphone into the classroom and let her practice saying her line in that more intimate setting.

When she stepped into place Sunday, I could feel my heart beating as the song began. Please, Lord, give her the confidence to say her line, I prayed. The children began singing, "Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall./ Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall./ All the king's horses and all the king's men/ Couldn't put Humpty together again ... ." I held my breath as the song played on, every note bringing us closer to her speaking part. Finally, the first soloist took the microphone. "Listen up!" he called. "Up! Up! Up!" His exuberance drew laughter and cheers. As the second soloist took the microphone, I could see Mary Ashley looking wide-eyed into the crowd. "They tried to push him up," the pretty little girl sang out. More cheers, and now the microphone passed to Mary Ashley. Would she do it? Would she say it? She bowed her head, paused-- you can do it, Sweet Girl -- then sang, "Patch him up. Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch." She said her line, complete with the sound effects and hand motions! Then she raised her head, clasped her hands and flashed a bashful smile to the cheering crowd before jumping back into the song.

And in that moment, my sweet little girl grew just a little bit taller right before my eyes.

Hearing the children sing "I'm a Little Teapot" was just my cup of tea!

Mary Ashley singing her heart out.

Crossing the stage to hug her teacher and accept her certificate for completing Preschool 3.

The Girls, Grandparents and Good Times

My parents kept the girls overnight this past weekend so I could do the ladies day in Cedartown, Ga. I knew Mary Ashley would be excited to have some uninterrupted time with Meme and D-Dad, but I was a little worried that Emma might have some separation anxiety when I left for Georgia. Especially since Joe's recent hospital stay, Emma has been worried to let me out of her sight. She wanted to be held a lot Friday, so I was a little worried as the time of my departure neared. But when Mary Ashley mentioned that she was hungry, my mom put out snacks for the girls. Emma lit up when she saw food, toddled into the kitchen and sang out, "Bye-bye, Mommy!" Who knew all it took to replace me was a handful of Goldfish?

I don't think either of the girls slowed down long enough over the weekend to realize I was gone. Mary Ashley and Emma had a wonderful time playing outside at Meme and D-Dad's house Friday, eating pizza and watching a movie. And Saturday was packed with fun. After meeting a celebrity at a local store, the girls were treated to lunch out and afternoon play at Oxford Lake. The girls made lots of special memories during their visit and can't wait to spend time with Meme and D-Dad again soon. I am so thankful for the special relationships our children enjoy with their grandparents -- and also for the beautiful images my dad captured of their time together!

Mary Ashley loved picking flowers for Mother and me at Oxford Lake. She was adept at handling all the playground equipment with a bouquet in hand. She caught the eye of a little boy a couple of years older than her, and he followed her around the park picking flowers for her and trying to make her laugh with silly tricks.

Enjoying the view from the top.

Ready to go down the big slide!

My parents took the girls to meet Dora at a local store Saturday, and Mary Ashley was eager to sit with her. Christian was a little jealous when he saw this photo on our computer Saturday night. "Hey!" he said. "Did Mary Ashley go to Disney World yesterday?" I assured him that no, she did not go to Disney World, just to Meme and D-Dad's. In his mind, though, I think this was worse because the children love to spend time with their grandparents!

Photos by Bob Prichard

Emma at Play

Wistful Thinking

Emma takes a break on Meme and D-Dad's new outdoor playset.

At Oxford Lake, Emma loved going down the slide head first.

Profile of a cutie.

Sisters make great playmates!

Photos by Bob Prichard

Journey to Cedartown

This weekend holds many special memories. I travelled to Cedartown, Ga., to speak for the annual ladies day at the Cedartown Church of Christ. This was my first visit to this gracious Southern town, and what a blessing it was! I arrived Friday night and drove to the church building, were I met several ladies from the congregation who were hard at work making final preparations for the big event. Immediately I was welcomed into the warm embrace of this gracious group of Christian women. After corresponding with ladies day organizer Dot McCoy for nearly a year, meeting her face-to-face was like reconnecting with an old friend. I enjoyed dinner out with several ladies from church and thoroughly enjoyed visiting with everyone. It is such a blessing to visit a new place and discover that I have family waiting for me there! Our ladies day on the theme "Giving for All It's Worth" was such a blessing to me, and I am still feeling the glow from our special time together. Here are a few images from my journey to Cedartown.

The view from Highway 27 heading toward Cedartown was breathtaking.

This cheery spring wreath said welcome. The joyful sounds of laughter and conversation met me when I opened this door Friday afternoon.

The ladies provided a delicious lunch of southern favorites: barbecue, baked beans, coleslaw, celery, potato chips, pound cake and lemon pie.

Time for a book signing! The Cedartown Church generously gave copies of my book to the more than 100 ladies who attended the event.

Art Under the Stars

Last night we attended my favorite annual event at the elementary school: Art Under the Stars. In the weeks leading up to the event, each grade studies a different artist and creates artwork in that artist's style. For Art Under the Stars, all the halls are completely made over and each student's artwork is displayed gallery-style on the walls. Families stroll the halls to view the art while lights twinkle overhead and live music plays in the background. When parents make a donation to their child's classroom, "sold" signs are placed on their child's art. This year we also purchased a professionally-framed piece of art to support the PTO. This is the first year the school has used this framing company, and one teacher told me the company rep was so impressed with the event that he is flying colleagues down from New Jersey to see it! Here are a few images of our Starry Night at Art Under the Stars.

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." -- Michelangelo

Carson shows us his framed artwork in the style of Van Gogh.

Carson's recreation of Starry Night.

A boy and his self-portrait.

Carson's Van Gogh-style sunflower.

Art Under the Stars

Kindergarteners created artwork in the style of Picasso.

Christian and Emma pause in front of classmates' framed artwork. Christian's piece is on the bottom.

A close-up view of Christian's framed piece.

Christian's wall display of Picasso-style art. His teacher took pictures of all the children painting.

The Kingdom Celebrates

Today is Carson's birthday! I can't believe he is 9 years old; where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday the doctor placed him in my arms, and now he is nearly as tall as me. It is such a joy to watch him grow and become. He is such a smart, funny, energetic, athletic and creative boy. He is such a blessing to our family, and I can't wait to see what this next year brings.

We celebrated Carson's birthday earlier this week with a trip to Pump It Up. Carson really wanted a destination party this year, and this turned out to be a tremendous blessing with Joe's recent hospital stay and surgery. Several friends from church and school joined us, and everyone had a great time running, bouncing and sliding. Joe and I treasured seeing all four of our children, ages 2 to 8, jumping for joy. It was a great night of family fun.

Happy birthday, my sweet Carson! I love you so much, and I am so proud of you!

Carson was king with a castle cake formed from two square layers of chocolate cake. I cut each layer in half and stacked three halves to make the back of the castle. I cut the final half-layer into pieces to fashion the front of the castle and used ice cream cones to make the turrets. Buttercream icing held everything together. Brave knights, a fierce dragon and a "Happy Birthday Carson" flag added the finishing touches.

The knights of the birthday table, pausing for a photo after an hour-and-a-half of jumping.

The birthday king, happy to get some gold bars from his grandparents, perfect for a royal caravan into the village to visit Toys 'Art' Us!

A Virtuous Woman, Who Can Find?

The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 gives a portrait of the Christian woman most of us desire to be. She is described as industrious, loving and generous. She exercises strength, self-control and wisdom. The imagery of verses 19 and 20 is particularly beautiful. This passage tells us the virtuous woman’s hands are never idle: “She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor; and she stretches out her hands to the needy” (NASB).

The Proverbs 31 woman gives us a level of godliness and selflessness to aspire to, but her accomplishments may intimidate us. Our musings may reveal our insecurities. We may wonder if the virtuous woman ever felt worn out from her service. Did she sometimes become discouraged, overwhelmed or cranky? And did she ever feel loneliness? Although verse 28 tells us her children blessed her and her husband praised her, did anyone understand her?

When I think about the virtuous woman, I wonder if she had at least one godly friend. A sister with whom she could share her joys and frustrations. Someone ready to offer a listening ear, a word of encouragement or a helping hand. An honest confindante who could encourage her to be her best self, and when needed gently urge her to rest, reflect or release.

I am blessed with many sisters in Christ, but today I am thinking of my best girlfriend, Vonda. Vonda and I met at church when my husband, Joe, began law school in Lexington, Ky. We became fast friends, as we spent time together learning new crafts, visiting tea rooms and touring historic homes. Vonda and I have shared prayer and Bible study, and enjoyed ladies days and retreats together. Vonda’s sweet spirit and easygoing nature encourage me to be more loving. Keeping in touch is difficult now that we have children and live in different states, but she is still such a special encouragement to me. Today is Vonda's birthday, and I hope that she will smile when these pretty pink tulips are delivered to her door.

As we strive to emulate the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31, may we find joy seeking virtue together. And may God bless each of us with the gift of a Christian friend. Because sometimes, when a virtuous woman stretches out her hand, she is blessed to find the hand of another Christian sister extended in friendship. And what a blessing it is to share the Christian walk, hand in hand, with a godly friend.

The Daily News

Christian's kindergarten teacher invites the children to share something about their day with her as part of their morning routine. It is always such an honor for the student whose announcement is deemed the daily news and shared with the class. So Monday morning before the children left for school, I told Christian he might want to tell his teacher that his dad is in the hospital and will probably have his gall bladder removed. "Oh, yeah," Christian said. "That's what it is. I knew it was something that began with 'dog,' but I couldn't remember the last part. Yeah, Dad's having his dog bladder removed." That would be newsworthy, for sure!

I do have an update on Joe that I can report. His gall bladder was removed Tuesday. He had gall stones, acute infection and gangrene, so it was an agonizing experience. The doctor was able to accomplish the surgery with laparascopy, so this should help his recovery dramatically. The infection was treated in the hospital, and he was able to return home late last night. He is very sore today but said he slept better last night than he has in a week. Thank you so much for all your support. We have appreciated so much all the calls, visits and prayers. Your acts of kindness mean so much!

We are all so relieved to have Joe back home. I think 2-year-old Emma summed it up best. For the past few days she has been repeating in hushed tones, "Daddy sick," but last night she threw her hands over her head and exclaimed, "Daddy home!" And we are so thankful.

Prayer Request

Joe has been admitted to the hospital after his third trip to the emergency room within the week. He will have tests tomorrow and will probably need to have his gall bladder removed, although we don't know when and where. He is in a lot of pain, but is still managing to crack jokes even feeling his worst. Joe's mother has come into town and friends have the children for now, so we are managing well. I know that you are all so faithful to pray, though, and just in asking you I feel comfort because I know that you will.

Even in the worst of situations, there is always something to make us smile. The girls had taken off their Sunday best when we got home from morning worship, so I hurriedly dressed them so we could take Joe back to the emergency room. Mary Ashley always wants to wear dresses, so I chose one that didn't need to be ironed: a cute turquoise and white seersucker sleeveless dress with round collar. Matching shoes and hair bow were nearby, so this was easy. Confident I would get no complaints, I said, "You do want to wear a dress, right?"

I know that I shouldn't have opened this up for discussion, but didn't think about it until she replied, "Um, no, I think this time I want to wear pants and a shirt." Realizing I shouldn't have asked her opinion, I slipped it over her head anyway and told her that we really didn't have a moment to spend choosing something else.

Immediately her eyes filled with tears, and I could tell she was trying not to cry. "But, Mommy," she began, voice breaking, as she looked down at the dress. "It doesn't even have a monogram!"

"Well, Mary Ashley, sometimes in an emergency, we just don't have time to worry about monograms." So, you see, we are all pulling together and making sacrifices for the sake of the family -- even the princesses among us. Thank you for your prayers!

The Latest Sty

The boys must be making slow progress picking up their room. When 4-year-old Mary Ashley looked in on them this afternoon, she said, "It looks like a pig style in here!"

Backyard Bible Adventures, Anyone?

For the past two summers I have headed up a series of Backyard Bible Adventures for preschool and early-elementary age children from my church. On select Fridays, we would go to someone's home for a morning of outside play, a devotional and lunch. Our first year we did a craft each week, and our second year we skipped the craft but sent home party favors. Each time I make a sweet snack in keeping with our theme. And you know how I love to plan a party!

The purpose of Backyard Bible Adventures was four-fold. First, I want to make learning the Bible fun for children. I wanted each get-together to have the excitement of a birthday party, complete with games and activities. Second, I want to integrate faith into daily life. I want my children to move from "playin' to prayin' " with ease, feeling comfortable to talk about spiritual matters and share their faith with others. Third, I want to promote fellowship. Spending time together forges friendship and encourages both the moms and children. And finally, I want to reach out to others. Our backyard parties offer a fun, low-key way to share our faith with friends and neighbors.

Our first summer, enthusiasm was high throughout our season of Backyard Bible Adventures. Last summer excitement seemed to wane a little, though. I feel like the main challenge we face is our oppressive Alabama heat. When temperatures soar, spending time outside becomes difficult and sometimes even unsafe. Most of our BBAs have been water parties, so this helps a little. We could possibly plan some indoor activities, but that could increase costs to participate. Second, last summer I felt the children became resistant to stopping their play even for a brief devotional. Again, this may have been because of the heat, but I don't know what to do to increase their zeal. And third, BBAs put quite a strain on the hostesses. With little ones in the house, getting ready to host company -- not to mention 50 to 60 people -- can be really stressful during this stage of life. I don't want moms to feel overwhelmed by opening their homes.

I really want some honest feedback about Backyard Bible Adventures, so I hope this blog will provide a forum for that. I ask you to search your heart, talk to your children, and pray about our summer. Please register your vote in my poll to let me know if you want to do Backyard Bible Adventures again this summer. And I would really appreciate your suggestions, if you would like to leave me a comment. Whatever you decide, I know we will have a great summer!

Water party fun at Lisa's, Summer 2006

Taking time out to cuddle, Summer 2006.

Playing in the jump house at Sharon's, Summer 2007