I did this post around last year. It has some great Christmas crafts. One comes straight from family tradition. Maybe later I’ll get my hubby to show you how to make a wreathe out of Kudzu. I’m sure we’ll be doing all of these again this year. God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
PS: if the reblog doesn’t show up in email then please click the title to go directly to my blog. It always shows up there :).
Well, this is a month overdue but I’ll repost this next year so you can actually use these ideas. Here are some cheap and easy ideas for Christmas gifts 🙂
#1 card holder/ decorative center piece~ This was passed down to me by my Grandma.
Materials: tall can (I’m using a coffee can but to make a card holder you need something taller)
Thread (red & green)
styrofoam
fake flowers & decorative items
Step 1: use a can opener to take off the bottom and top of the can
step 2: wrap a piece of thread thru the inside of the can and then back to the outside of it. Once you’ve made a loop, tie a knot and pull the knot to the inside of the can so it won’t show.
Step 3: wrap the thread through several times. If you want to change colors just take…
For some reason the two Thanksgiving videos did not go through to email. I’m going to post them below but if they don’t show up this time then you may have to go to my site to see the videos. I hope you do because Michael looks so cute as a Native American ;).
Hello dear ones! I hope you’re gearing up for a lovely holiday :). And if you’re not stateside then I pray you will still enjoy a spirit of thankfulness. Last year, I had the privilege of cooking most everything on my own for Thanksgiving. It was fun but this year it’ll be nice to relax and eat my Mom in law’s food. So far it looks like my father in law will be coming home for Thanksgiving. Keep praying. Lord willing, then that’ll be a great reason to celebrate thankfulness. I nearly promised you Thanksgiving videos so here they are :). Recipes if you scroll down 😉
A Dover Thanksgiving
~ here is our amateur play. We found the script online. It’s on my fall Pinterest. This is the same one we did with Mom the other year. The bloopers from that one were the best. Sorry I can’t show them ;).
Chris- the narrator and Massasoit
Amber- all the Pilgrims
Michael- Squanto and the other Native Americans
Michael reading Thanksgiving poems
We did not write these. I can’t remember where we found them. We had them last year too.
Water Gate Salad Recipe
This is one of my favorite desserts that my Mom taught me. Don’t let the greenness fool you. Even Michael agrees that this dessert tastes awesome despite it’s color. When I was a kid I wouldn’t try it because it was green. One day someone dared me to taste it and then it became my favorite dessert.
Ingredients:
1 large bowl of cool whip
1 package of instant pistachio pudding
mix 3 oz
1 can med crushed pineapple (not drained)
1 1/2 cups small marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped nuts (we use pecans)
optional: whole red maraschino cherries (cut in half and drain juice)
Directions:
Mix cool whip and dry pudding mix
stir well
add pineapples
add marshmallows
add nuts
mix (add cherries for Christmas usually. I like them every time though)
cool in fridge for 2 hours
Green Bean Casserole
This is usually what I take to family dinners but it’s great for an at home meal too.
Ingredients:
Double recipe if having a big Thanksgiving. I always have to.
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp pepper
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
Two 14.5 oz cans of cut green beans
1 1/3 cups french fried onions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In 1 1/2 qt. casserole, mix all ingredients except 2/3 cup french fried onions
Bake 30 minutes
Stir
Top with 2/3 cup onions
Bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden.
I plan on taking the week and some of next week off. I’ve got a lot of writing to do. So here are some pics of our week. Michael only had two days of school. It’ll be nice to vacation.
We did some Angry Bird Math.
Printables on math section of my Pinterest.
I made this sorting game, using Angry Bird candy.
Angry Bird Fractions and Michael’s chapter book “Peanut Butter Pilgrims”.
We learned a bit about manners with this book and we made a pumpkin pie spinner that shows what Michael’s thankful for.
We made these thankful turkeys into thank you cards to give out at Thanksgiving. Chris and I made some too.
Money Games- how many to make a dollar and how many to make a quarter
Michael finished his big thankful turkey
And we started putting up Christmas decorations. I wanted the house to be ready when we got back. I’m hearing Christmas music everywhere so I’m ready for the transition!
Christmas magnets on the fridge (Nativity and snow people)
The kitchen is done…
Time to light up the Carousel
Michael’s bedroom is ready
Btw, it snows everywhere in this house. Michael’s homeschool room/ Chris’ office is ready.
The living room is almost ready. I’m still adding to the Christmas village on the piano. So I’ll show that at a later time.
Christmas books including The Nutcracker and The Christmas Box. My own Christmas box/ Memorial box is in the center. It has some of Dad’s things and a lock of his hair.
The corner is lonely. The ornaments are waiting for a tree. The question is will it be fake or real?
So now it’s time to leave you and enjoy my holiday. I pray I get a lot of writing done. God bless and remember the High King lives…and He loves you!
Hello dear ones! Thank you for your prayers. Michael and I still have the crud :(. I’m praying it’ll go away real quick. Last Monday, I showed you our Native American crafts and other Thanksgiving crafts. Please check it out :). Today I have our Pilgrim crafts from last week. Also, we’ve been doing a lot of hands on math and games. Michael finished his second 2nd grade math book. I said second twice on purpose. So we’re spending the holiday months reviewing and if I feel he’s ready then we will start third grade math in January. We shall see.
Hands on has been fun but it takes even more prep. So my house is a mess…..which I know they say that makes happier kids….truly it makes a stressed out Mom. And the hubby is so busy with his own school work that things just kind of don’t happen. The good thing is that Michael has less work until January and once November is over (and NaNoWriMo) then maybe we can all relax and enjoy the holidays. Hubby will be out of school for most of December. That’ll be nice :). Okay, on to crafts and pictures!
We made a Thankful Turkey. You can tell Michael was all doctored up in the living room. Poor kid.
Each day Michael would write on a feather
We learned about the Pilgrims with Charlie Brown & Michael finished reading his chapter book about Squanto. I really loved how Charlie Brown showed life on the Mayflower.
Mayflower Handprint
Mayflower Suitcase
Not all of the printables worked at the site I found this. So I just posted coloring pictures on each side and a secret Mayflower code inside.
Here is our toilet paper roll pilgrim
Indian Corn
Our Bible Craft went along with the story of Tabitha (a.k.a. Dorcus)
We made Biblical clothes for peg dolls
We also did a few pilgramy things 🙂 like…..
Writing with a homemade Quill (feather and ink)
and Candle making
I had to make my own double boiler
Michael was sick so we watched a couple of movies. We watched a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
Hot cocoa and Thanksgiving cookies
Paper Plate Pilgrim Girl
You can see her on the bulletin board. She kind of reminds me of the melting wax figures on Willy Wonka. lol
Lots of Hands on Math
Tens Rainbow– so as you can see, I did not have colored dry erase markers. I really didn’t do much with this visual but maybe I’ll get to it later.
Fraction Pizza- don’t forget to check out my pinterest for these great ideas. The blogs I got these from are on there.
Pizza Fraction game
So naturally we had a pizza lunchable 🙂
Place Value Marshmallows – I love this idea. We used Marshmallows and fruit loops to go over place value.
I spent the beginning of the week making ornaments for gifts. I made several nativity peg dolls (clothes pins) and a few snow family sets.
This bride and groom ornament is made out of a regular clothespin. My nephew is getting married in December.
My father-in-law is in ICU but we hope he will be home by Thanksgiving. Please keep him in your prayers. If he’s not home then we will spend Thanksgiving in a hotel. BUT…our church had Thanksgiving early. We had a concert before too.
There were three long dessert tables!
Michael wants to do a Thanksgiving play so maybe I’ll have that tomorrow. Hopefully I won’t cough and sneeze on everything. I am more aware of my nose lol…..but on a Thankful note, I am thankful I have a nose…and a throat…and tissues to sneeze on. Thank the Lord I have access to medicine and that he eased my suffering so I could sleep last night. I’m thankful I have a kid,who can get sick.
Well, God bless & remember the High King lives!~Amber Dover
Hello friends :). I hope you are well. Little man is feeling better. I’ve got a sore throat but let’s pray it goes away quickly. Please keep my father in law in your prayers. He’s in the hospital with pneumonia. Thank you :).
Well, we are back to the Virtual world of Second Life. Last time, I had to decorate for fall. This time I got home to see snow everywhere. Second Life is the prettiest in the winter. I just love it. So to keep up with my neighbors I put up Christmas decorations. Why does everyone skip Thanksgiving? Remember you can click on the pictures to enlarge them. I really hope you do because I have some beautiful pics from Cadenza.
Then I visited Cadenza. This sim has no purpose but an artistic one. It’s great for pictures and if you need cheering up!
Hello dear ones! Wow, I am tired. Who’d think that sitting at a computer for hours each day would wear someone out? I’m at about 11,000 words. I am behind yes :(. I was busy with a sick kiddo (who is doing better today! Yaaa!) and I spent most of last night painting ornaments. I’ve got to have some presents ready by Thanksgiving, since we see family at different times.
I was getting worried today but praise God, I wrote over 2,000 words in record time. If I keep my word count this high then I can catch up. I actually wrote more today than Saturday at the all day write-in at the library. First off, I felt bad and got to the library late. Secondly, I spent a good bit of time in the library bathroom but I still wrote. The lady’s room is a great place to think lol. Thirdly, the library closed hours earlier than I thought it would and all of my local spots were busy. So I went home to write and I didn’t get much done after that point. It’s very hard to lock myself up away from everyone.
Tonight I did so and I am worn out.
I’m not a member of the undead. The sun is just shining directly on my face.
Look, I made my own NaNoWriMo pin. Seriously, I just wrote NaNoWriMo with marker.
Why am I tired? Well, let me tell you what I’ve been doing.
I have gotten sea sick several times while swabbing the deck. I just survived a major storm and I’m soaked to the bone. Not to mention that it’s almost Winter. Then I spent a good bit of time learning survival skills so I can travel through mountain and desert. Oh by the way, I’m about half way through the mountain tunnels tonight. The stalactites keep dripping on me and everything smells like bat dung. Also, I’m tired of deer jerky! I don’t even like deer!
Yes, this is what I’ve been doing with my characters who are completely ungrateful. They should give me better dialogue. Seriously! I have two journeys weaving together, so no…one character didn’t do all that by himself. I left one of them in the sea and the other two in the caves. I am SICK of the sea and that dank cave! My back hurts and I just want to get somewhere dry already! I really need some french fries…but McDonalds is closed :(.
So I can’t just pull this stuff out of my bottom and write. I have to research everything and make sure I can suspend your disbelief. So how exactly does a ship run? How do you light a torch in a cave? Tell me, what wood are a bow and arrows made of? How do guys talk? Now, that last one was hard. I want to slap myself for making my main character a boy. Thankfully I have my husband to assist me in my writing endeavor. He taught me what my torch needs to be made of tonight. I’m grateful that my forest has birch trees. The pitch lights quicker.
So I know I’m writing a rough draft but I have to have something decent. I wonder what genre others are writing in. How are they typing so much? Maybe they don’t have kids… Also, I met a fantasy writer in chat. She said she doesn’t do any research. Is everyone just smarter than me? Don’t answer that ;). So maybe when you read my book you will learn how to survive in any environment! Or maybe you will learn several useless facts and big words. Who knows…
They say this is the time writers get their second wind. It still seems impossible but I am trucking on. The fact that I’ve written so much makes me smile. I can’t settle though. I can’t relax or I’ll have to play catch up again. Meanwhile, it is weird living in two worlds. Pilgrim crafts, cooking, and grocery shopping don’t mix well with sea water and caves. Man, and I still have to go through a blizzard and cross a desert. I better get a blanket and some cider. Help! Save me! I’m a writer!
God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
Note: I mean’t to post this earlier but I’ve been busy with a sick kiddo & crafting Christmas gifts.
In this Post:Native American crafts, U.K. crafts, Thanksgiving crafts from the past, Fisher’s of Men Bible Craft, and Mini Pumpkin cakes.
Hello friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. We had a busy week with Native American crafts and our homeschool group did a U.K. Country Study that was a lot of fun. We’re already gearing up for Thanksgiving over here at the Dover’s. This week we will be looking at the Pilgrims but you’ll have to wait til next Monday to see the crafts ;).
Two years ago, Michael and I painted a Thanksgiving scene. We used it as a backdrop for our “Thanksgiving” play. Nana (my mom) came over and played a Native American with Michael. I was a pilgrim. It’s kind of funny and NO ONE watched it but it was still fun to put on. We’ve put on other family plays before just for the heck of it. Chris usually narrates or films.
We read several books about Squanto and the Mayflower etc. Did Michael retain them? Not at all…so maybe this year he will finally soak up this knowledge. He’s reading a chapter book on Squanto and I got every Thanksgiving book I could find at the library for story time. We will see….
Michael added this to his Native American play set and felt garden.
Bead Necklace
Medicine Bag
I bought this kit at Michael’s Craft Store.
I love Michael’s faces while sewing :).
Michael at Plymouth
Mini Pumpkin Cakes
These are simply spice cakes with cream cheese frosting and caramels for stems. Michael and his buddies Olivia and Liam added the orange sprinkles.
I found these money magnets at the Dollar Tree.
U.K. Country Study
Our homeschool group had a lovely country study. All the moms brought British food. We had tea sandwiches by Hannah, Bangers and Mash (Rachel), tarts, and the British flag (Rachel). We had hot tea with milk, the way I like it :).
Hannah read books about being a knight. Rachel showed us how to make a coat of arms shield and a “tea” card.
Each section on the shield represents something. The left top corner is Michael as an astronaut, top right is a cross for our Faith, bottom left is a Zebra to represent E.D.S. the hereditary “zebra” disease that runs in our family, and bottom right is our family. The Zebra is for awareness and remembrance of my Dad.
Our Bible craft for the week is about being Fishers of Men, meaning reaching people for Christ.
I leave you with the videos we watched on Native American tribes.
God bless & remember the High King lives!~ Amber Dover
My Vet and I are on the civilian side of things now but we remember what it was like. War forever changes people. Thank you for your bravery and sacrifice! Family members too because we fight the battles at home!
Thank you Chris for your service. I love you!
God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
“I Cry”
by Leeland
Fear is far from love And I feel scared enough To think You’ve given up on me But I can’t hide my shame You know my deepest pain You are well acquainted with my grief Oh great God of power I have lost my strength This is my desperate hour I’m calling out Your name I cry Are You out there tonight Or am I all alone This time it’s the fight of my life So I cry I can’t do this on my own I can’t do this on my own I am giving You control
If weakness is a crown Then I kneel before You now And lay it at Your feet as an offering And if You hold everything Then don’t let go of me Hide me in the shadow of Your wings Oh great God of power I have lost my strength This is my desperate hour I’m calling out Your name
Are You out there tonight Are You out there tonight Are You out there tonight So I cry
Are You out there tonight (You said You’d never leave me) Are You out there tonight (You said You’d never leave me) Are You out there tonight (You said You’d never leave me) So I cry
I can’t do this on my own I can’t do this on my own I can’t do this on my own I can’t do this alone I can’t do this
I’m holding on to You I’m holding on to You I’m holding on I’m holding on to You God, I’m holding on to You Lord, I’m holding on
Note:I’m still in a fog over my friend’s passing. I’m still trying to write though. I looked on Sheri’s blog and saw that she finished NaNoWriMo in 2010. I’m gonna try to finish for her. I’ve been having a hard time with motivation lately. I’ve felt crummy and having issues with low sodium making me go out of it. I found out that others deal with the same thing. Maybe I can get it checked. Then Sheri passing…..it’s just hard to think about fantasy characters. I’m going to try though. Saturday we have an all day write in. Maybe I can make up for it then.
Hello friends, I wanted to share with you this pep talk that was in my NaNoWriMo inbox last week. It’s from Kate DiCamillo, the author of The Tale of Despereaux. I really love that story. This letter was truly inspiring.
God bless & remember the High King lives!~Amber Dover
Dear Writer,
When I was 30 years old, I moved to Minneapolis and got a job in a book warehouse. My official job title was “Picker.” This meant that I went around the third floor of the warehouse holding a computerized print order in one hand and pulling books off the shelf with the other hand. I put all the books into a grocery cart and I took the grocery cart and wheeled it into an ancient, crabby freight elevator and went downstairs to deliver the order to the shipping department. Then I took the stairs back up to the third floor and started over again.
It wasn’t a challenging job. It didn’t pay much. I was on my feet all day long. My back hurt. My hands hurt. But I was happy. I was surrounded by books and by people who loved to read them. Also, for the first time in my life, I was writing.
I got up every morning before work (the alarm was set for 4:30) and wrote two pages before I went into the warehouse. And then, when I arrived at work at 7:00 to punch the time clock, I received my daily so-you-want-to-be-a-writer pep talk from a coworker.
Let’s call him Bob. (Even though his real name is Gary).
Bob wanted to be a writer, too. But he wasn’t writing. Every morning we had the same exchange.
Bob: “How did the writing go?”
Me: “Fine.”
Bob: “How many pages did you write?”
Me: “Two.”
Bob: “Do you think Dickens wrote two pages a day?”
Me: “I don’t know how many pages Dickens wrote a day.”
Bob: “Yeah, well let me tell you something, you’re no Dickens. So what’s Plan B, babe? What’s Plan B for when the writing doesn’t work out?”
For this question, I had no answer.
I turned my back on Bob, pulse pounding, fists clenched, and climbed the stairs to the third floor and started picking books.
When the alarm went off at 4:30 the next morning, I thought about Bob and that is part of the reason I got out of bed.
It is a truly excellent to have someone to believe in you and your ability to write.
But I think it is just as helpful to have people who don’t believe in you, people who mock you, people who doubt you, people who enrage you. Fortunately, there is never a shortage of this type of person in the world.
So as you enter this month of writing, write for yourself. Write for the story. And write, also, for all of the people who doubt you. Write for all of those people who are not brave enough to try to do this grand and wondrous thing themselves. Let them motivate you.
Welcome! My name is Amber Dover. I am a homeschooling mom, happy wife, and a devout follower of Jesus Christ. I am also a writer. I am currently working on "The Truth Seeker's Chronicles" (an inspirational fantasy/allegory). You will find everything from craft ideas to writing tips on my blog. So please pull up a chair and hang out :)
amberdover 