Craft Week-Day Four {$1 Team Draw-String Backpack}

If you know me in real life at all, you probably know that I love to buy things for as teeny a pricetag as possible.  So, when my amazing friend, Lisa {love you, girl!} picked up two Wal-Mart bargains: $1 Carl Junction t-shirts, my mind quickly wondered what I could make with them. 

Now, maybe you're thinking "Um, how about wearing them like a normal person?!"  I have a good answer for that:  between education and careers for Trevor and I, we have 29 years in the Carl Junction school system.  To say we have more than enough CJ shirts is the understatement of the year!!

Anyway, after allowing the wheels in my head to have an uninhibited whirl, the Team Draw-String Backpack was born:

The best part was it took about 20 minutes for both backpacks!

Off to Nana and Papa's for a slumber party... 

Craft Week-Day Three {Custom T-shirts}

Happy Crafty Wednesday!

In our most recent auction, I sold several custom t-shirts {another big thanks for everyone's support!}.  I also had a few others to get done from before my cricut broke.  So, when my refurbished cricut came in, I got to work!! :)

Two little cuties will be sporting these precious custom b-day shirts for each of their fourth birthdays:

{Bereket and Brynlee, I hope you love them!}

This shirt {in my new deep purple color} was sent to Kelly in Virginia. 

This Adoption Rocks shirt sports a heart over the Congo for an adoptive mama, Kathleen, in Oklahoma. 

The front of this shirt was done pre-cricut-crash... 

so I FINALLY got to finish the back!  I love this one for a mama in our church who has children from three different countries! 

These shirts are for brothers who were each adopted from Seoul, South Korea.  I love the simplicity of these for two precious boys! 

I have a few more on my "to-do" list, so if you're waiting on one from me, no worries...it will be on its way shortly!

Want to know how to make freezer paper stencil shirts?!  The very best tutorial is found here or, of course, you can order one from me! :)

Happy Crafting!

Craft Week-Day Two {Embellished Hats}

It was well past time for a craft night, so last Thursday, my friend Amanda {the craftiest person I know, btw}, organized a craft night for a bunch of ladies at my house.  Our theme was Embellished Military Hats, which are my favorite summer accessory {aside from my Sseko sandals}.

I set up this little display using rhinestones, fabric paint, fabric glue, and an inspiration...my Africa love hat from Puree Away!

And we had at it {after all the yummy snacks everyone brought!}...

Amanda's hat with "snap" flower to accommodate changing it up to match her outfit of choice 

Melissa Tomko's way cute flower embellished hat {and even cuter baby:)}

Sarah Polley's girls wanted "Hope for Joplin" hats and mama delivered!

A close-up

My simple cross hat...love a cute way to show my faith!! :)

And the hat I made for Melia :)

P.S. There were several other friends there and somehow I missed snapping a picture of their hats! :(  If you were there and can send me a pic of your creation, I'd be more than happy to post it!

Craft Week-Day One {Give, Save, Spend Banks}

I have been pretty sketchy in posting on my lil blog lately, but there's a good reason...we have been BUSY!  But, it's been the good kind of busy...hanging out, swimming, playing countless hours worth of Melia's favorite game {SKIP-BO!}, watching movies, reading books, and...

CRAFTING!! 

So, I thought I'd take some time this week to share some of my summer projects.  Today, I'm sharing one of my favorites: the Give, Save, and Spend Banks for my kids.

We started with these materials:

Then took the two cutest kids in our house down to the basement, covered the cement floor with newspaper, and let them have at it {with supervision and help, of course!;)}: 

And, here's how they turned out: 

Can you guess whose is whose?! ;)

The Chase children are officially Dave-Ramsified!  Now to get a chore chart organized....

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Hope it's full of...

sparkles

smoke 

safety

 

food

family

 

and friends! 

P.S.  These pictures were taken at our homegroup's Fourth of July shindig at the Marshes...love you friends!  So blessed to have all of you in our lives! :)  

Half a Year

Exactly

months and one day ago, we were placed on the waiting list to adopt a child {or two children} from Ethiopia.  Although the journey has been much longer than that {6 months waiting to be able to apply to adopt from Taiwan and 5 months of paperwork before being placed on the wait list} it is difficult to believe we have been an official waiting family for over half a year!

I was struggling with it a little the last couple of days and had an opportunity to talk to my friend, Emily {who God placed in my life at exactly the right time}.  We discussed how this little pattern we are in of two weeks with no referrals and then two referrals in one day has been sending us into mini-tailspins of highs and lows and that we were ready for another high.

Well, today was the high...2 referrals were given today, putting Team Chase at number...

Woohoo!!  We are getting so close!  As far as we can tell, we are at number 7 for siblings {not super likely as there have been very few siblings referred in a LONG time} and number 9 for one child.  We know that at least two of the eight above us are girls only, so we are at least number 7 for a boy.  So, technically, we are in the single digits!  This is beyond exciting!

It is so awesome to see how God is working this whole thing out.  This morning I was just crying out to Him saying "Lord, you know the desires of my heart.  I am longing to see my little one's face, but I know it's not time yet.  I sure would love to see some referrals today."  And, BAM, He just went and did it!

So thankful.

God's Resort VBS

On Sunday, June 12th, I received a phone call from our Middle School minister at our church requesting my help with Vacation Bible School at one of our community outreach buildings called God's Resort.  Now, let me first say that I have never directed a VBS nor did I even know much about God's Resort, but, you know me...I was excited about the opportunity and that they had even thought of me to help.  So, I quickly agreed, having NO IDEA how much this project would bless my heart.

The next day we met at the newly acquired Community Center and I got the full story.  God's Resort is a block of 33 apartments located in Northwest Joplin {exactly 5 blocks from the tornado damage for those of you whose best reference to Joplin is the tornado} that was purchased several years ago in an attempt to "clean up" the area of the crime for which it had become known.  {Before it was God's Resort, it was known as "The Last Resort" as it was ridden with crime, drugs, and 80+ police reports per month!}  Since the acquisition, police reports have been reduced to an average of 4 per month and GR is now self-sufficient.  The residents must abide by strict {research-based} requirements which help to maintain the high standards of the Resort.  Recently, the GR board desired to purchase a Performing Arts Center {which is an old church} just half a block from the apartments.   They prayed fervently for the Center and the day they decided to purchase it, the owners had dropped the price by $40,000!  A total God thing!!

Anyway, in an effort to reach out to the kids in the neighborhood, College Heights {our church} ran a three day VBS.  A team from Nebraska came to bless the neighborhood through their work at the Community Center and through helping to run VBS.  They worked tirelessly for three straight days and were such a blessing to this ministry!

The Nebraska Team

Each day, we had craft time, Bible story time, game time, and music time 

On the last day, Camden and Melia came to join the fun

After VBS on the third day, we had a carnival! 

This hot guy showed up to grill burgers. :)

It was super fun and such a blessing to the kids and the workers!