Card Table Playhouse

It is so fun to have the girls come to play. Some days they like to "iron".

Or make the sofa into a boat. Hannah called this cargo ship her "quite contrary" boat that would take you to Africa. ??
It is fun to put blankets over a card table to make a little house.

And put pillows on the inside and snuggle in! That got me to thinking -

How fun it would be to make a cardtable house.

Someone I knew used to have one.

So I "googled" card table play house. There were quite a few sites.

I could buy one - but wouldn't it be better to make one myself?

So I got my creative juices flowing.

Put together ideas from one site and another, made up some ideas and began sewing.

A cooking chopstick makes a great tool to push stuffing down a "pole".

I have to tell you that I am NOT a great sewer. Did not take home ec and learn how. My mother tried to teach me. She is SOOOOOO good at sewing!! She wanted to make my wedding dress. That was too stressful for me to think about. She did make my prom dress back in '73.

She was making quilts by the time she was 12.

I know my mom was patient with me while I learned to sew in highschool.

I made that smock top. Infact, looking at my old photo album, I realized I made a lot of my smock tops that were so popular back in the '70's. And stitched flowers on my geans.

I got my sewing machine when I graduated from highschool.

It was my graduation present.

Usually when I sew, I get into jams like this.

I won't let anyone don't look at the "house" too closely!!

Uneven stitches and all.

In spite of my lack of perfectionism with sewing skills, I think the playhouse turned out ok.

The girls loved it!!

Hannah spent about an hour making letters to put in

the green mail box.



When Elijah grows big enough, I will have to sew a card table fire house!

Children's Ministry Council

Three years ago, Kris Reed was hired as the Children's Ministry Director at our church. She has done marvelously!! What an encourager she has been and the children's ministry has grown and flourished under her direction.

God is leading Kris in a new direction; to work alongside her husband with the Awana ministries. Last night she invited the Children Ministry Council over to her house for one last meeting. And she fixed a delicious meal for us - china and all!

Roasted pork tenderloin, spinach salad, wild rice casserole...

and this delicious dessert - Cherry Berries on a Cloud.

Becky Khosravipour said it was her new favorite dessert. "Light - doesn't feel like you sinned too much."

Kris shared the recipe:

Cherry Berries on a Cloud (Taste of Home 1998)

6 egg whites
½ tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
1-3/4 c. sugar
FILLING:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
2 cups miniature marshmallows
TOPPING:
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
1 tsp. lemon juice

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form (do not underbeat). Spread evenly in a greased 13 X 9 X 2 baking pan. Bake at 275 for 1 hr.; turn off (do not open door). Let cool in oven overnight or for at least 12 hours. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; gently fold in cream and marshmallows. Spread over meringue. Chill for 4 hours. Cut into 16 pieces. Combine topping ingredients; spoon ¼ cup over each serving. Yield: 16 svgs.

We will dearly miss you, Kris. God has provided Becca Adamson as the new director and we look forward to her leadership. (Incidently, she was our children's favorite babysitter when she was a teenager! And our daughter, Mindy, was a flower girl at her wedding!)

My parents, Mindy, Jill and family came over yesterday for an Easter dinner. It was a beautiful day for the Easter egg hunt! Some years we have to wear jackets and it is freezing. This was just perfect!

Counting the eggs. Gotta make sure they are all found!

Having just come back from my brother's funeral in Pennsylvania, we just weren't into doing a big traditional Easter dinner with ham and all. We grilled brats and hotdogs and had beet eggs (a traditional Swiss thing - LOVE them!).

After eating, Hannah brought out the basket of resurrection eggs. Hannah opened the numbered eggs that told the story about Christ's sacrifice.

Missed having our son and his family with us!