pinterest-dd591.htm Oak Creek Academy: July 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

What do you do?

when exhausted and having a head cold BUT your brain is wide awake and ready to go?

Personally, at this moment, beyond the obvious blogging, I'm sitting with one of favorite cookbooks to figure out some new recipes to try.  Here's my favorite, go to, cookbook (at least one of very few):

This is the cookbook where I found a good fried chicken recipe; the same one that while watching the show one Saturday our youngest cried because they were demonstrating the recipe and I didn't have time to make it for dinner.  That one recipe, is worth the cost of the book.  I've made one or two other things, but want to get to making more.

So I'll sit for awhile and find a few other recipes to try in the near future.  May start with looking for bread recipes as I've been asked to bake some soon.  They have some tasty looking desserts too.

Now off to some like reading, then maybe internet surfing for craft projects I want to copy.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Finding joy!

Finding joy in a yucky day can be difficult.  That has been today, in a nutshell.  The joy though, things to be greatful for, what can I count?
  • children being thankful for a trip to the pool (whoops, we forgot to use sunscreen)
  • a child not complaining, much, about forgetting to use the sunscreen (wow is he red)
  • finally feeling like I can sit
  • groceries mostly put away
  • two thankful pets as I bought treats for both of them
  • a clean dog
  • a partial clean rug
  • a dog that takes large pills like a champ
Now, time to read to a young boy, while we wait on brother and dad to get home from Scouts!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

End of Main St. VBS

It's Saturday morning after VBS week.  A long week of teaching the kids gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, grace, and faithfulness along with Heidi St. Clair.

Our family photo shot.  Where the younger kids had their
photo's taken in their groups.

Stage decorated for skits.

The result of service projects.  Kids donated back packs
and school supplies to be given to a group in Parsons, WV.
BCC has a team that has been going there for years to help
fix up yards, buildings, homes, etc. and provide VBS for the
elementary school kids.  132 back packs filled.

Thing Two, in orange and center, with his favorite teen helper.
He also played Chef Pierre.

Thing One and his favorite leader, also known as Dad!

Thing One and his best friend!

Pastor TJ (Children's Pastor) teaching the 5th and 6th graders.

TJ's first event at our church, 5 years ago, was VBS.

He was presented with a photo of Quest VBS and the cake!
His lovely wife, Deb, is to the left of him in this photo.

Closing ceremony on Friday.  Right half of crowd from sound booth.

Left half of the group from sound booth.

Not only did VBS Quest fill a bunch of backpacks as a service project, during the week they also worked at two local elementary schools, fixed 24 casseroles for families in need, grocery shop for Lorton Community Action Center (a local food bank), deliver the meals and deliver food to LCAC.  All this with temperatures in the 100's and a high heat index.

The cool thing, I thought, was that Pastor TJ mentioned $1,254.00 was donated to cover costs for groceries for LCAC; a student walked up and handed him $5.00, so the total jumped to $1,259.00; then another child brought a dollar in change and the total was $1,260.00.  In total, the 5th and 6th graders bought 508 pounds of groceries for LCAC which is a huge blessing as their shelves were bare.

Later this morning, we'll head back to church to help with the final clean up.  Hard to believe that in one week, the church is transformed, VBS held, and transformed back to "normal".  Many lives forever touched.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Homemade ~ anything

Making anything homemade has it's advantages and disadvantages.  For awhile, making things at home, saved you money.  If you had the talent to do something ~ anything ~ you'd save $$$'s by doing it yourself.  Prices seem to be getting a lot more expensive, lately, and it's almost not worth it.  Now, to make something at home, it's for the shear joy of creating something, from something else.

Personally, I love going through thrift stores, yard sales, craft stores, (and even trash day) and wondering what I can make out of the items I see.

Here are a few things I've made and posted on the blog:
Most of the above has been out of things we've bought; I have picked up a couple things on trash days!  I have a beautiful (now) wash stand that was thrown out.  A new door made by my dad, a new towel bar, and  I refinished it.  I also found a mini terrarium on trash day that just needed a bit of sanding and paint touch up.  I've passed up on a few things that, now, I wish I'd picked up.  Oh well!

What do you like to make new?  What do you like to make, at home, even if it would be more economical to buy new?  Do you keep a blog and want to share a link?  Would love to see some of your recreations!  Please share and maybe we'll all get a bit more inspired!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Is it scool or is it summer?

I've seen a number of folks talking about school on facebook or through their blogs.  There are the school supplies starting to appear at Wal-mart and Staples.  Although we've done a couple weeks already, we not quite ready to start full schedule.  For us, it's been a time to gear up for Vacation Bible School (VBS).  Our church is doing "Main St." this year.

Monday is the big day.  The day that 500 kids flood our church from Pre-K through 6th grade.  Once again I'll be working with our Quest Kids (5th and 6th grade) as admin aid. 

So, after I crash and burn next weekend, I'll pull our school schedule together the week after.  After an order at Timberdoodle later today, we should be good to go for the 2011/2011 year.

Enjoy what's left of summer!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Boy Scout Camp

We picked up Thing One from camp today.  They had a family time/BBQ and bonfire Friday evening and we'd gone up to check things out.  When leaving Camp Tuckahoe, we gave him the option of riding with the Troop or us.  He choose us.  Still made him help clean up though.  LOL!

He seems to have had a good time, not to many details shared; seems like he has to take some time to decompress after a very BUSY week.  We did hear that he'd been working hard all week and was able to complete the four merit badges he started there ~ Golf, Swimming, First Aid, and Canoeing.  It was also kind of nice to hear that the Scout Masters there had to remind him of the some things we've been doing for awhile.  It kind of felt good to look him in the eyes and say "See, your dad and I aren't to far off on what we expect out of you!"

It was kind of nice at the bonfire!  They started out with some of the instructors playing leap frog (I know a kids game, but keep reading).  Turns out their version turns into a competition.  After each round the guys get a bit higher, and higher, and higher.  If you can't make it over with a clean landing, you are out.  It got down to two guys left and they were asking for guys, from the audience, that were over 6'4" to come be jumped over.  This guy ended up raising his hands and arms to make a higher obstacle.  Also during the course of the evening, they gave away awards for various things (leadership by Scout Masters, camp entry way, belly flop award, and others I don't remember).  Think Troop 2215 came away with 5 or more.  Nice evening to see what our son had been doing all week.

Now back to the reality of life.  All the guys in the household are up at church and I'm home doing post camp laundry!  Suppose I'll take the laundry because it means I have a fairly quiet house with the only noises being a sleeping dog and a fan running (can't even hear the washer!).  Not such a bad bargain.  So I'm off to knit, wash, and have a quiet time.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Puppy Love

here is our dog, Charlotte.  She loved the smells coming from the table.  There is no effort, now, for her snout to be above the table to get a good whiff of our meals.

Here is today's smells that made her crazy, or at least what was left of today's smells:
YUMMY chocolate donuts!
Happy Saturday morning to you blog world!