so old school

I love having technology available to enhance the kid's learning experience. We use iPads for school, and there's some really amazing apps out there (sometime I'll have to show you our favorites). However, there are times when it's appropriate to give technology the boot.

Last week, I gave Joshua his spelling and vocabulary words for the week and told him that he must look each word up in the dictionary. He protested. "Can't I just google it?" Doesn't he know that google isn't even in the dictionary? No, of course not. He's a child of the technology age, and in his mind, "google it" equals dictionary. I do like the ease of google but there's something beautiful about opening a book full of words and actually looking up the meaning.

During his assignment he said, "This is so old school." Yes, maybe it is, my son, but old school isn't a bad thing. I rather like embracing old school every once in a while.

When was the last time you used a real dictionary (as opposed to an online one)?

the monkeys are invading

Anyone out there think that monkeys are cute, cuddly animals? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but they most certainly are not. I'm not a fan of monkeys. That was quickly realized when we moved to Africa.

It seems in the jungle of trees by our property that there's been some monkey breeding going on. They are everywhere! The other day there had to have been 20 on our drive. They must think we sleep too much because in the early morning hours, I sometimes hear them on the roof of our house!

These monkeys are getting braver. They've started venturing further onto our grounds. They've already destroyed one of my papaya trees, and the other day they starting ripping branches off of another. They've found the fruit trees and also ripped up some onions in the ground. I'm ready for these unwelcomed guests to leave, but I'm afraid that as long as they're finding food, they are going to want to stay. I know I'm on a rant here, but they're invading! (For anyone interested, these are vervet monkeys...educational moment of the day.)

Anyone know how to get rid of monkeys?

in the studio :: artist kenneth

Welcome to In The Studio, a place to show off your studio and meet some great artists! Last week I started featuring our artists from The Village Store. It truly is such a privilege to be able to feature some amazing talent.

Today I introduce you to Kenneth. Kenneth first met some of our Ten Thousand Homes crew in 2010. He grew up with his mom and siblings. About two months ago, he moved onto University Village to do our work scholarship program for the discipleship school we run. He works on our grounds Monday through Friday, but he's not just good with a lawnmower. No, there's a creative side underneath there, too.

I'm quite fascinated with bead and wire art. It's an intricate process of shaping each piece and then wrapping it in beads. Kenneth is quite the master of it. Isn't his work beautiful? This is only a sampling of what he can do. My favorites are the African animals. :)

Kenneth loves working with his hands, but when I asked him his dreams, his answer was quick. He loves music and dreams of one day having a recording studio where young people can come and record music. I believe it can happen, Kenneth!

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.  
C.S. Lewis

Now it's your turn! Remember your "studio" can be anywhere. Let's celebrate each other's creativity by linking up and visiting as many as the other studios as you can. Check out the about post for more info and don't forget to grab the In The Studio button!

crockpot zuppa toscana

Winter is on the horizon here in the Southern Hemisphere. You know what that means? Soups and stews, lots of them. I love making soup but only in Winter (soup in Summer is no bueno). By the way, did you know that it gets cold in S. Africa? It's easy to think Africa is hot but man, concrete buildings in the Winter are just plain cold. I think the other night it got down to 3 degrees Celsius. Cold, I tell you.

So, naturally, soups are on the menu multiple times a week. The other night I made Crockpot Zuppa Toscana from Key Ingredient. I didn't have Italian sausage (actually I don't know if you can get that here), so I used a S. African beef farmer's sausage. I've also never seen kale here (unfortunately), so I used swiss chard. I also skipped the bacon. This soup was so good. In fact, Joshua asked me to make it again sometime. Score!

With my busy life lately, I haven't cooked as much and definitely haven't tried many new recipes. It felt good to try something new that was a hit!

Any great recipes you've tried lately?

hope you had a happy mother's day

I hope all of you Mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day. We were going to celebrate on Saturday, but a rainy morning changed our plans a bit. Still breakfast in bed on Saturday and a wonderful dinner prepared by my love on Sunday night made for a great weekend.

How did you celebrate Mother's Day?

simple ideas to show love and appreciation

I like putting thought into gifts I give...especially ones to important people in my life and my kid’s lives. Why? Because people are valuable. Jesus says so, and I believe Him. 

May is a perfect month to show others value through gift giving. As the school year comes to a close, it’s a great time to say, “Thank you,” to the teachers who have invested into our kids lives. Then there’s Mother’s Day! Those very important mamas and grandmothers deserve to know just how much we love them.

Read about some of my tips and ideas to show appreciation over at Tommy Nelson!

in the studio :: artist gloria

Welcome to In The Studio! Last Friday I revealed a big project that I've been working on...The Village Store. I was so encouraged by the comments. Thanks for sharing in my excitement, friends! Without our amazing artists, The Village Store wouldn't exist. I'm super excited to take the next several weeks to introduce my friends and show you their studios!

Today I want to introduce you to Gloria. I first met Gloria 4 or 5 years ago when she started cleaning house for one of our staff families. House cleaning for an African woman is so very common. Little did we know that there was some creativity bubbling under the surface. My sister-in-law recognized Gloria's interest and began to teach her how to sew.

In just a few years, her talent has grown so much! She makes purses, baby shoes, baby bibs, coin purses, and baby clothes! Her dream is to one day become a fashion designer and open her own boutique. When I told her recently that I believe that could happen, she laughed. Dreaming is not something that happens often here. Pursuing a career in a creative field is even less likely.

I'm so excited that The Village Store is not just an outlet to sell Gloria's items, but it's also there to encourage her dream. It's so life giving to earn a living doing what you love. I love encouraging creativity! I also love that it provides a good income for Gloria and her 4 children. Isn't her stuff lovely?




Now it's your turn! Remember your "studio" can be anywhere. Let's celebrate each other's creativity by linking up and visiting as many as the other studios as you can. Check out the about post for more info and don't forget to grab the In The Studio button!

i heart faces :: play

You might remember this photo from Emma G's 8 year old photo shoot. I haven't submitted a photo to the I Heart Faces photo challenge in a while, but when I read this week's prompt, "Play," this photo immediately came to mind. It's one of my favorites of her.

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." -Henri Nouwen

why i love photography

Little Menzi here totally sums up a huge reason why I love photography. Late Friday afternoon, I drove to little Menzi's house to bring his family a gift for their new HOME that was just completed last Thursday. I had taken their family photo one day in the midst of building going on, so I framed it as a gift for them. Most days that I see Menzi, his smiles are few. As I was talking to his Mama, I looked over and he was resting his head on the table just admiring the portrait. My heart melted as I tried to hold back tears.

I have the privilege of taking lots of photos of my kids and hanging them all over my house. One of the things I've found heartbreaking living in Africa and working with orphans is that some of them have little or no family photos. Can you imagine losing your parents as a child and not having a photo to remember them by? I've decided that every HOME Ten Thousand Homes builds that my gift to the family is going to be a framed portrait. Thank you, Menzi, for the reminder of the power of photos. I pray it brings a smile to your face every time you see it.

painting time

This was my weekend...knee deep in paint. We're working on a little bedroom makeover which has turned into a family project. Hoping to finish it up today. You'd think we could get one room painted in a weekend. However, concrete porous walls are hard to paint! One more coat on two walls and we're done!

How was your weekend?