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HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman

 

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7/14/05 CHORES FOR KIDS, HOME DECORATING BEDROOMS, POTTER

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IN THIS ISSUE:

CHORES: YOU ARE NOT DOING THEM ALL BY YOURSELF, ARE YOU?

A SOLUTION FOR WHEN YOUR CHILD OUTGROWS NAPTIME!  A PIECE OF QUIET!

MISCELLANEOUS  HOME DECORATING TIPS FOR BEDROOMS      

5 TIPS FOR PRESCHOOLERS' BEDROOMS ON A BUDGET

FANTASY ROOMS FOR KIDS UNDER $50 
TEEN ROOMS ON THE CHEAP!

PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND HARRY POTTER
LEGACY OF AN ADOPTED CHILD

TWO ADOPTED GRANDSONS!

 

 

There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot from that situation, create something that is surpassingly good. He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross.  He is doing it today.

-- Handley C. G. Moule (Contributed by Barb Campbell on Mississippi)

 

 

CHORES: YOU ARE NOT DOING THEM ALL BY YOURSELF, ARE YOU?
by Lori Seaborg ~ Used by permission

 

When I was a kid, I remember telling my mom once, "You just had us so you'd have servants!" Now that I'm a mother of four, I think ... well, yep, that sounds about right. Those kids make great servants! Plus, they're cute to look at while they work.

 

But the biggest reason to teach them while they are little is not so you can get out of the work yourself, but because if you don't teach them, adulthood will be that much harder.

 

I have a friend who was pampered as a child and not taught to do any cleaning or cooking. She is now the mother of four preschoolers and has the hardest time keeping her home. My friend recently found a bag of flour in her cupboard. Her mother had left it after visiting one day. My friend didn't know what to do with flour; she had recipes, but didn't know how to follow one! So she called her mom to ask what to do with the flour. Guess what her mom said?

 

"I am so sorry I never taught you those things you need to know."

 

Don't you wait until your child is an adult to teach him or her! Teaching can begin today.

 

The kids don't need to add to our burden. They can be little helpers! Don't dustpan the floor after you sweep, get your 5yo to do it. Don't wind the vacuum cord after you vacuum! Call him in, tell him it's a race track and he gets to drive the cord around the track, winding it up.

 

Think of yourself as a manager. You are delegating the small stuff so you can work on the big stuff. You will enjoy the little breaks that you receive and you will be less stressed. Your children will be filled with pride. But their real reward is later.

 

When they grow into adults they will know how to take care of themselves.

 

(Sometimes we just don't realize what chores our children are capable of. In the below posts, you will see my lists of chores that my children can do at ages 2, 5, 7, and 9.)

 

WHAT 1-2-YEAR-OLD WALKERS CAN DO...

 

1-2 year-old walkers can...

 

• Load the clothes' dryer as you hand over the items one by one. Say the names of the colors of the clothes as you hand them to her, so she'll learn her colors at the same time.

 

• Empty the silverware container from the dishwasher. My 2-year-old dumps the silverware into the drawer, so we have to straighten it, but at least it is in there!

 

• Take the silverware to the table for setting it

 

• Sit on the counter as you make cookies and dump the cups of ingredients into the mixer as you hand them to her

 

• Clear her items off the table after she eats

 

• Fill the dog or cat dish with the food that you give her

 

• Pick up her own toys (if she can pull them out of the basket or drawer, she can put them back in!)

 

WHAT A 3-5-YEAR-OLD CAN DO...

 

3-5 year-olds can...

 

• Pick up an assigned floor (our little guy is in charge of making sure the living room and the library room floors are clear all day long)

 

• Dust low areas

 

• Sort socks (call it the "Matching Game")

 

• Wind up the vacuum cleaner cord after you vacuum

 

• Use the mini-broom and dustpan after you sweep the floors into a pile

 

• Clear the table after meals

 

• Empty the clothes' dryer into a basket

 

• Get the mail (if your mailbox is in a safe area, of course!)

 

• And he can do all of the 1-2 year old's list, in the above post

 

WHAT ELEMENTARY-AGED KIDS CAN DO...

 

Elementary kids can…

 

• Drill the preschoolers on numbers, colors, and letters. We keep flashcards, chalk, a Leap Pad, and dry-erase boards for this reason.

 

• Fold clothes from the dryer (Start them out with just towels, then shirts, socks, and finally Daddy's looooong pants. Nobody folds anyone's underwear! Those just get :::eww!::: tossed into the owner's pile)

 

• Clear and wipe the table after meals (our 9yo Brenden does this at supper; 7yo Brittany does this for lunch)

 

• Sweep the kitchen floor after meals (9yo's job at lunch; 7yo's job at supper)

 

• Vacuum a room or two

 

• Be in charge of keeping the floors of two rooms clear all day long (9yo does the boys' room, foyer, and hallway; 7yo does the girls' room and kitchen)

 

• Window clean

 

• Give the baby her bath (I'd wait until she is well old enough to sit, and your elementary-age child has to be trustworthy enough to do this!)

 

• Clean the bathtub after the younger ones use it

 

• Make a basic recipe (our 7yo can make French toast if I assemble the ingredients first. She also makes cinnamon toast; our 9yo can follow the directions on a box)

 

• Fill the cereal bowls of the younger children in the morning

 

• Fill the baby's sippy cups or bottles, or the preschooler's cups, as needed (our 9yo doesn't always want to do this for his 5yo brother, but I always say, " I was filling your cup when you were his age, so you're going to do it for someone else now!"

 

• Open and close the window blinds/curtains each day.

 

• Do everything on the lists above, for 1-2-year-olds and preschoolers.

 

Lori Seaborg is a wife and a homeschooling mom of four.  She enjoys writing and homemaking in the countryside of the Florida-Alabama Gulf Coast.  You may subscribe to her monthly newsletter, Keeping the Home, by sending an email to:  [email protected] . You may also read her blog at:  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/KeepingtheHome .

 

 

A SOLUTION FOR WHEN YOUR CHILD OUTGROWS NAPTIME!  A PIECE OF QUIET!

by Lois Breneman, © 2005, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected] 

 

When a child is about ready to give up his naptime, Mom still needs some quiet time. Agreed?  Well, so does your child still need some quiet time, as much as he might fight it.  I smile when I remember my young son saying, "Give me a piece of quiet!"  He meant "peace and quiet," and it's interesting that his name also means "God's peace."

 

So when your child is ready to give up his nap, transition his "Naptime" to about one hour of "Quiet Time."  Let your child know that he does not have to go to sleep, but that he does need to stay in his room for about an hour (until you tell him time's up) and rest or play very quietly.  If your child is impatient and keeps asking when the time is up, hang a clock on the wall and tell him which number the big hand will point to when the time is up.  This time of quietness is good for your child to be able to unwind - and it is certainly good for his mom!  Do I hear a loud "Amen" from all you worn out moms?

 

A "Reading Area" is very useful for even a small child's room.  A small table and chair would serve a function for working puzzles and coloring.  A beanbag chair would also be fun to curl up in with some good books.   Why, you child might even fall asleep in it!  If you are short on good books, scout out yard sales, Goodwill and dollar stores.  Since I saved all of our three children's books to pass on to the grandchildren, there's certainly no shortage here!  You might want to do the same for that time when you are blessed with grandchildren.

 

Your child can spend that "peace of quiet" looking at books, playing with dolls or trucks, coloring, but being quiet is a must.  Playing children's music quietly in your child's room works very well during this time.  In fact, there are many tapes and CD's which teach scripture verses simply by quoting or through songs.  Children can listen to Bible stories on tape and have your Christian teaching reinforced during this time.  Here's where a CD player that holds several CD's at a time would come in handy, otherwise your child will have to settle for just one album per "Quiet Time." 

 

See if this "Quiet Time" doesn't make for happier, more content children and a more rested mom!

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS HOME DECORATING TIPS FOR BEDROOMS

by Lois Breneman, © 2005, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected] 

 

Summer is a time when you might want to get your children's input and help in sprucing up or redecorating their bedrooms.  Even if you decide not to change the whole bedroom, you may want to incorporate at least one of these ideas into your children's bedrooms.   Below are a few tips to consider.   A good starting point is to discuss some ideas with your children and if they are old enough, let them be part of the planning and decorating.

 

A Beanbag Chair is extremely easy to make, with only three different pattern pieces. They make great gifts for kids - from toddlers up to and including college kids and married kids!  Years ago I traced the three different pattern pieces from a large beanbag chair by simply laying newspaper (taped together) over it.   It consists of 6 identical panels with a long heavy duty zipper, and 2 round ends.  After sewing together, fill it with foam peanuts used for packing. 

 

Room Darkening Shades will make it so much easier to sleep during daylight hours.

 

Pretty Fabric Glued onto Shades will brighten up and add so much color to a bedroom.

 

Decorator Fabrics Can Be Glued to Walls, using liquid starch.  It's easily removed and it doesn't damage the walls. Allow time to wash the walls when it's time to move out. The fabric can be reused as well.  You can do just a panel for decoration or do a whole wall as if it was wallpaper.  Solid or printed vinyls can also be held on the wall with push pins, though I wouldn't advise push pins be used if you have very young children who might pull one out and put into their mouths. 

 

Paint Odor - A small paint bucket of water in room will help to dissipate the paint odor.  Never use a large bucket of water, in case a small child might fall into it.

 

A High Built-in Shelf around part of or all four bedroom walls, about a foot below the ceiling, is great to hold special dolls, trucks, stuffed animals, pictures, trophies, etc., and show a display your child's personality. 

 

Tie the Theme Together with a Quilt and Painted Pictures to Frame - Paint pictures by copying simple pictures from coloring books or the wall border you are using.  Recently my daughter painted and framed pictures of a train, car, airplane and tractor, copied from the border in her two year old son's new bedroom to help tie the theme together.  My grandson loves anything with a motor and last month he was so thrilled to sit on his Uncle Paul's green John Deere tractor - with the engine running!  He's still talking about his Great Uncle Paul!   Soon I will be making him a bed quilt, using one or more of those favorite little boy power machines in the design, to help emphasize the theme of his room.

 

Favorite Story Books - Decorate your child's room using illustrations from children's books. Combine them in a collage, then mat and frame them.  If you don't want to cut up books for this project, have color copies made.  Front covers of several of your child's favorite books, such as "The Poky Little Puppy" make a great display on the wall. 

 

Baby Cards - When our daughter was a baby, I made a collage from cutouts using many of her baby cards, arranging them onto a large posterboard, and gluing pink lace around the edge.  It hung on her wall for quite a few years, as a reminder of those who were very glad she was born.  You could do the same with your older child's birthday cards.  For a boy, use a wide grosgrain ribbon, rather than lace.

 

Custom Borders - Postcards can be used to emphasize a specific theme!   Soak the postcards first in plain water to remove the pictures from the backing, since they are too heavy to remain on the wall with wallpaper paste.  Cut out and position your postcards to make an exciting and customized border.  Wallpaper paste will finish the job!

 

 

Enjoy these three home decorating articles by the Budget Decorator, Kathleen Wilson! 

 

5 TIPS FOR PRESCHOOLERS' BEDROOMS ON A BUDGET
by Kathleen Wilson - The Budget Decorator - Used by permission
 
Decorating on a budget can always be a challenge, but nowhere do our hearts yearn to provide a beautiful room as much as when it comes to our little ones. There are some great ideas you can do today, to punch up your preschooler's room, and keep the costs as little as they are!
 
1. Paint the room a wonderful, dreamy color. Soothing pool blues, apple greens, and soft yellows are great for a young one's restful spot. Make the colors too bright, and you will affect their ability to rest well as the colors will be too stimulating. Make them too pale pastel, and young ones have a hard time even registering them as colors!  You can pick up a gallon of quality paint from your discount store for less than $10, which should cover the average bedroom, and make a quick and dramatic change in just a couple of hours.  I recommend Dutch Boy paints for kids' rooms, as they are almost odorless.
 
2. Get craft foam from the craft store in varying colors, and cut out shapes according to your room's theme. The foam comes in sheets kind of like thick paper, cuts quite easily with scissors, and is brightly colored like a box of crayons! For instance, if your child loves trains and planes, cut out trains and planes! Learning to read? The alphabet! Trace from simple coloring books if you like. Now glue these shapes on the walls in a border or all over pattern. Quick, dramatic, cheap … and they will love it! (Can't glue? Use double sided tape!)
 
3. Pick up some cheap frames from the dollar shop, remove the glass for safety, and place pictures of your family, beloved pet, or even their own drawings right in their special place! It provides them with comfort when they are alone, and teaches them to value those close to them.
 
4. Keep an eye out for a low coffee table at yard sales. (Or maybe you have one in the garage?) Pick one up and paint it to match the room. This makes a great art table for kids …you would be surprised at how much time kids will spend being creative if only they had the materials available to them when the creative urge strikes! Cover empty wipe containers with contact paper, and keep full of washable crayons and chalk. Lay out paper for them each morning, and be ready for the masterpieces! 

5. Finally, make a little book corner for your little one. Even if they aren't reading yet, every small child should have the opportunity to spend time with books, and reliving the stories you read to them over and over! Place plastic crates on their side as bookshelves they can easily reach, and give them a soft spot to cuddle up, either with pillows on their bed, or a little beanbag chair in the corner. Yard sales are great places to pick up colorful books for just few pennies. And above all, find time to read to them each day in their special spot!
 
Just a few quick projects can enliven your kids imagination for years to come!
 
Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For hundreds of free budget decorating ideas, and to sign up for her free online newsletter and free ebook, visit her at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com.

 

 

FANTASY ROOMS FOR KIDS UNDER $50
By Kathleen Wilson - Making memories for your kids - Used by permission
 
Decorating kids rooms on a budget can be challenging, to say the least. However, there are plenty of ways to create that dream domain for your little (or big) one, without sacrificing
the college fund.
 
My first suggestion when decorating for children is don't do it without them. So many parents decorate for the way they envision the perfect room, only to have it backfire on them during the unveiling. Let the child become part of the process, and they will not only love the room they helped to create, but also they will have learned some valuable life tools as a bonus.
 
The next step is to organize. Kids are much more likely to keep their rooms picked up if there is a little bit of order. Cardboard boxes covered with contact paper, fabric drawstring bags made from scrap fabric, and zipper style bags (not with babies or toddlers) can all go a long way toward keeping things in their place. It's also not a bad idea to label drawers and storage areas for the little ones. It helps them to remember what goes where. If they are too young for reading, draw pictures. 

To start the decorating process, the first thing to do is to come up with a theme. Even if it is just a color scheme (although with kids, it seldom is), it gives you a blueprint.  Remember to ask for your children's ideas here. Give them your guidelines, and then let their imaginations flow. You can then narrow it down to two selections, and help them decide which is best. Some great themes for kids' rooms include garden, jungle, space, cowboy, trucks and trains, fairies,  teddies, favorite animal, letters and numbers, cityscape, farmyard. Okay, I could be here all day. You get the idea, try to use your child's natural personality to direct you.
 
How to do this all on a budget? Apply your chosen theme, then try these ideas:
 
1. Paint. If you can't afford to or don't want to paint the whole room, add a colorful painted border, use foam stamps to stamp a theme design, or stencil around windows and doorways. Painted murals are the way to a fantasy room on a budget. Huge impact, and they are much easier than you think! You can buy stencils or patterns online, or use a coloring book to copy designs onto the wall with pencil, then paint with craft paint. Think kid here. It doesn't have to be Divinci!
 
2. Add depth to your wall design. This gives a fantasy feel to the room. Use contact paper or craft foam cutouts, paint a simple mural over the wall, tack felt flowers in your "garden," decoupage computer cutouts onto the wall. Cut out a fairy castle out of plywood (or cardboard or foam core), paint, and create a headboard. Use ribbon and glue or tacks to create a chair rail. Glue hot wheels to the wall end to end all the way around the room. Just use your  imagination! Use chalkboard paint and a box of colored chalk to inspire their artistic side. Use magnetic paint and create "game boards" around the room, pick up magnetic alphabets to play hangman, or glue magnetic strips to checkers to make game pieces. You get the idea.
 
3. If you can't afford to buy new bedding for the whole room, consider using sheets to make some pretty easy changes. Flat sheets can be purchased at discount stores for just a few dollars in several great colors, and can be used to easily create duvets for existing comforters, simple curtains, and custom pillowcases. If you don't sew, you can use iron on fusible tape. Purchase the heavy-duty variety. Leave one end open to insert the old comforter, then secure with Velcro, or sew ribbon to each side and tie closed. Forget paying $20 a piece for pillow shams, they are easy to make for just $1 or $2.
 
4. Finally, add some personal touches. Make a simple throw pillow with their name in fabric marker, create a sign for them to hang on their door, or simply pick up some dollar shop frames and let them hold family memories close to their heart.
 
A word about teen rooms. This is one of the most common questions I hear from parents, "How do I decorate a teen's room?" The answer is simple. However they want within reason.  I still feel parents should place conditions on how a room is decorated. It is your house, after all. For instance, my rule was no black walls. (And no permanent anything without approval!) But the fact of the matter is that teens either want a very adult room or a room that is totally not what any adult would want. And they won't be happy with anything less. So, within reason, let them call the shots. Just make sure you can close the door when company arrives.
 
5. Organize. You don't have to buy expensive storage cubes for your kids' rooms. Covered boxes, sewn drawstring bags from extra material, even an old suitcase under the bed make good storage. A wall of simple metal-strip utility shelving (they sell it in white, as well) can accommodate a large amount of stuff, especially for the older kids, and is relatively cheap at home improvement stores. I save old baby-wipe containers to store crayons, hot wheels, and that endless supply of useless toys from the fast food joints! You can cover them with contact paper. Try labeling what goes where, even for the older kids, so there is no arguing about what "putting it away" really means! Sturdy cardboard boxes covered with contact paper, fabric, or giftwrap from the dollar shop can be set on their sides, stacked and even attached together to make cubbies.
 
Finally, remember that you are making memories for your kids, not the neighbors. Bedrooms should be very personal affairs, so let your child feel his/her hearts desire in their special place, and not have to worry about what people will say if it's not the Barbie or Hot Wheels room like the kid down the street. Enjoy yourself, and give them the fantasy room of their dreams with your heart, not your wallet.

_______________________________________________________ 
Kathleen Wilson is an author, national columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For more free decorating ideas on a budget, visit her at www.TheBudgetDecorator.com. Don't forget
to sign up for her free email newsletter while you're there!
 

 

TEEN ROOMS ON THE CHEAP!
by Kathy Wilson - The Budget Decorator ~ Used by permission
 
How to decorate a teen's bedroom is one of the most common questions I receive. Especially for those on a budget, this can seem like a daunting task! Never fear, The Budget Decorator is here!
 
Teen rooms are different for kids' rooms in that they should be treated more like an adult space, but with a fun flair. Involve your child and come up with a theme that helps to express who they are. (NOT what you want for them!) Be sure to give the theme a name, even if it's something like "Modern Plush in Blue", or "Country Princess!" Whatever will give it life!
 
Let your teen choose their colors, but give them some guidance. Buy a decorating magazine, and have them choose a color theme out of the pages, or surf decorating sites on the Internet. That way, they feel they have chosen themselves, but you are assured you two have chosen a proven color scheme. 

Now, use these quick ideas for transforming your teen's room, on the cheap!
 
1. PAINT!!! Perhaps a teen's room is the most important room you could consider painting. Teens are very sensitive to color, and they are much more free with their sense of adventure. Use a bolder color on the wall behind the bed, and you have instant drama and a great focal point! (Teens LOVE instant gratification, the paint will be one of their favorite parts of the decorating project!) Cost of paint: around $12.
 
2.  Bedding. The bed is usually the focal point of the room, and a favorite hangout spot for teens to read, do their fingernails, talk on the phone.  So it definitely deserves some attention. An easy way to update bedding on a budget is to create covers for the old comforters. You can do this quite easily with two flat sheets the same bedding size as the comforter. Flat sheets are cheap, you can pick up twin size at your local discount store for less than $5! Sew the sheets wrong sides together on three sides, leaving one short side open. Turn right side out, then add Velcro, ribbons, or snaps to the inside of the short end. Insert the old comforter, and close! Easy, quick, and cheap! Throw pillows can easily be made out of flat sheets as well. Try using bright, funky colors on the bedding to make a real statement. Cost of four twin sheets for comforter cover and pillow? $20.
 
3. Windows. Light control and privacy can best be met in a teen's room with vinyl mini blinds. They are cheap, and easily replaceable. If an extra boost of color or softness is desired, add simple curtain panels over the blinds. Keep it simple here, fussiness is rarely a quality teens are looking for in their rooms. Remember those cheap sheets? These are great for sewing curtains because of their large size.  No piecing panels of fabric together. You also don't need to worry about quality of fabric as much as color. After all, the blinds are really providing the light control. Cost of sheets or blinds? Less than $10.
 
4. Accessories. Punch up a teen's room with some funky details to add drama and style. Pick up some cool (and maybe a little tacky) fringe or beading from the clearance table at the craft store, and glue around the bottom edge of the lampshade, the hems of the curtains, even onto shelf edging. Save all those free CD's from Aol and the like, and then turn them over to the clean side and glue to the frame of a mirror, or to cover a closet door. Glue together in an overlapping fashion to make faux frames for all your kids' inevitable posters. Pick up wooden letters from the craft store in their initials, or to create a significant word or phrase.  Then paint them one of the brighter accent colors of the room and hang over the bed, window, or doorway. Use old sports equipment picked up at a yard sale as curtain rods, hat racks, or magazine holders. Even hung on the wall as an art grouping, sports memorabilia can be meaningful for a sports buff. Total cost? Can be done for less than $15. 

5. Finally, personality. Inject your child's own special personality into his special place. Hang those ribbons and certificates, frame a few personal photos of family vacations, or find a shelf for those special stuffed animals they aren't quite ready to part with just yet. Use this opportunity to recognize your child's individual gifts, and celebrate them. Cost? Not a thing. As the 

commercial goes; Memories? Priceless.  

______________________________________________________________________

Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For hundreds of free budget decorating ideas, and to sign up for her free online newsletter and free ebook, visit her
at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com.

 

 

PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND HARRY POTTER

        Public libraries are full of good information, but you are probably aware that we all need to be on the lookout for vast array of activities and books on topics found there that are not honoring to the Lord.  Even 32 years ago when I took our first child to the library, there were countless books on witchcraft, and it is far worse today! 

        Satan, our enemy, is using his clever tactics to subtly lure our children into his world.  He is using his wiles to trick children from Christian homes and draw them away from the faith!                 Remember, Satan comes to lie, kill and destroy!  He is stealing children from Christian homes, by destroying their faith in Jesus Christ, using his divisive schemes. 

        Public libraries today are just filled with books on witchcraft, good and bad witches, "meditation," and Harry Potter books, which we all know is the rage of children right now, with another new book coming out later this week.  Many parents are thrilled that their children, especially boys, are reading these books, because they are finally interested in reading.  But the enemy is at work!  Children are being swayed by these books.  Please take a second look. 

        Here's an exerpt from a summary of one of the Harry Potter books:  "After a long summer with the horrid Dursleys, Harry is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts."  --Harry Potter web site

        Hopefully any parent who believes that the Harry Potter series is innocent will have an open mind and read the book, Harry Potter and the Bible.  It will open your eyes about the subtle dangers of this series!  Put on the whole armor of God and be discerning of the enemy's schemes and tricks, because he shows himself as an angel of light. 

        There are good alternatives to Harry Potter!  Biographies of missionaries or people in history are one idea.  The Red Rock Mysteries, written by Jerry Jenkins and Chris Fabery, is a combination of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series.  Four books  are already published, but it will be a series of twenty.  Jerry Jenkins' captivating books have already sold well - over 58 million books.  You'll remember that Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye wrote the Left Behind series.   

        The Red Rock Mysteries is available through Focus on the Family. Go to www.family.org or call 1-800-A FAMILY.  The web site has a wealth of information for families with children of all ages. 

        Focus on Your Child is a wonderful complimentary resource of Focus on the Family, geared to the specific age of your child.  Check it out.

LEGACY OF AN ADOPTED CHILD

Author unknown ~ Contributed by Donna Kauffman, Editor of "Treasures from My Heart to Yours"~ To subscribe: [email protected]    http://treasuresbooks.blogspot.com/

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age-old question unanswered through the years.

Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.

 

TWO ADOPTED GRANDSONS!

 

Jaydon Robert Santello Zehr, (Haitian) born on May 26, 2005 and Jackson Milo Tyqan Zehr, (African American) born June 28, 2005, have been adopted into the family of Rachel and Glen Zehr and their two big sisters in Virginia.  The proud grandparents are Bob and Donna Kauffman in Ohio, who now have eight grandchildren to love.  "Not flesh of our flesh, nor bone of our bone, Yet still miraculously one of our own..."

 

 

(¨`·.·´¨)                         God bless you and your family!

 `·.¸(¨`·.·´¨)                       Your Heart to Heart friend,

       `·.¸.·´                                           Lois                    

 

The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to bring godly and practical encouragement to women through creative ideas for the Christian family – regarding homemaking, marriage, children and much more.  You may receive this bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, country and the name of the person who referred you to Lois Breneman at [email protected].

 

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