Tour [Kindergarten Create Expedition]

We had our Spring Expedition Night over a month ago.

I still haven't gotten around to posting about it,

so here I am

posting about it :)

Our expedition was titled,

"I can create!"

It has been called "Inventions" in the past,

but as I looked over the outline

I decided "Create" fit very nicely.  

We built our background knowledge [BBK] 

by exploring building blocks, play dough, and the word "create".  

God's creation story was the first thing we wanted to explore.

Miss Hannah did a GREAT job leading us 

through our Creators work.

We did some field work at a brick factory.

We found out that Mr. Lauri and his friends 

create bricks and beautiful pottery!

We listened to an expert named Miss Balentine who 

created a filter that cleans dirty water.  

After we listened we had the chance to go out into 

the community and give two filters away!

We created paper!

[using paper… that's confusing…]

We researched a man named Rube Goldberg who created 

really fun machines.  

Using our creativity we tried over and over again to

make our own Rube Goldberg machine.

And with the help of some high school boys we did it!

It was so fun to make our very own crayons.

They are shaped like hearts and turned out 

surprisingly beautiful.  

One of our class sponsors, Miss Lisa, 

came with her friends from Minnesota.

They wanted to help us create something we decided we needed,

an easel!

They fundraised the money to buy everything we needed

and when they arrived to the DR we got started!

Patricio helped us measure, cut, and drill the wood.

We even got to learn how to stain wood!

We are so blessed!

Mr. Lauri, from the brick factory, 

 gave us some clay as a gift!

We created pinch pots

that we took home to our families.  

Expedition Night was full of 

prayer, song, sharing our creations, pictures, and tears.

[maybe I'll explain the tears in another post…]

All said and done, "I can create" is an expedition I love.

Not only have the kids grown, I definitely have.  

Have you created anything lately?  

Brave [lean in]

[thank you Snapchat for being an 

awesome tool for my friends and I]

A year ago today I wrote my first blog post.

53 posts later and a lot has gone down…

Gratitude, smiles, new discoveries, books read, and projects…

Good things have run wild.

[to quote a friend]

A year ago I read a children's book in my bed.

A book that made its way across an ocean with me.  

A book about bravery.  

Little did I know how much bravery I would need

for the year to come.

Little did I know how much bravery 

the Lord would give me.  

It has been a year full of

beautiful chances to lean in.  

Casa Del Play

More house happenings…

************************************

My wonderful Sister Amy [sister-in-law]

sent me this beautiful garland that I framed my mirror with.

The other side of my closest is a memorabilia wall.

***************************************

Little termites decided to make their home in my bed frame.

I made it clear they were not welcome with a nice

extermination by Jesus.  

They have not been sighted since :)

*********************************************

I bought a beautiful map of the world over a year ago

when Kaia and I went on our 

coffee shop/church tour of Nashville.

I had my mom cut and send it to me this Spring.

I had a frame store custom make two canvas's to fit the map.

I thought about making my own modge-podge, 

but I read that doesn't last as long, so my mom sent that too.

[Thanks mom!]

After sticking this project together I felt like a big old failure.

It looked VERY bumpy and homemade.

BUT after a day or two of drying 

it flattened out and now I love it :)

********************************************

My room is finally coming together.

It feels more and more cozy all the time.

After a few more projects it will be ready for next year.  

[I also put up new curtains… another thanks to you mama!]

What Spring projects have been going down at your place??

Discoveries [5 year old style]

How often do you discover new things?

In this new season of my life

I feel like I'm discovering new things all.the.time.

I'm almost always surrounded by 21 really curious 5 year olds,

and they are discovering new things constantly.

It's inspiring, to say the least :)  

Lately they have been discovering...

When Miss Kerrie and Miss Morgan mix water with paint,

kindergarten becomes even more fun!

And I can combine colors to create different colors!  

There are these little white boxes on the wall of our new bathroom, 

and if you put your hands right under it

warm air will SHOOT out of it!  

This is the funniest thing ever.  

Orange stuff tastes the best.

If Miss Morgan says I can go and pick a plant and its roots,

I should pick the biggest plant I can possibly find.  

The bigger the plant… the stronger the roots.  

When we string a bunch of letters together we can 

create sentences!

Each letter makes a sound,

but it's different in Spanish and English.  

If we are very very quiet we will get to help Miss Morgan

open her package from Miss Valerie and Mr. Garth!

After school Miss Morgan will let me play with play dough, 

read, and build with blocks in her classroom…

…as long as I don't get too crazy!

We can run 5 Kilometers!  

If we complete our 5k, we will get to shoot people with water!

Plants have roots that keep them strong.

Ephesians 3 talks about people having roots.

I have strong roots in God's love that keep ME strong!

Have you discovered anything today?

Yesterday?

I have discovered that in the DR it rains 

every.single.day

during the month of May.

That is really great and not so great

at the same time.  

Gracias a Dios

One year ago today I said "I will go."

I was sitting at my desk at Hayward Elementary School,

it was lunchtime and the room was empty and dark.

I was on the phone with a woman named Krista.

I had never met her.

I had never been to her school

or her country.  

I had, of course, talked to

my parents,

my brother & sister,

my closest friends,

and most importantly

the Lord.

I said "I will go" and I am glad I did.

Not because it's been easy or fun or perfect.

Not because it's been warm all year or because

21 kiddos learned to speak English.

I'm glad I did because

I believe this is an opportunity the Lord put in front of me

and He gave me enough bravery to say

"I will go".  

I've been thankful for a lot this year.  

He is some of my gratitude lately...

I'm thankful for crazy, wild, and loud birthday parties in my classroom.  

for a wee-little neighbor who does my hair for free :)

I'm grateful for a bible study that 

cooks, eats, laughs, cries, reads, and learns together.  

for boys who are goofy, risky, and very smart.  

Thank you God for wiggly baby teeth and Kindergarten selfies.

[who gave this girl my password?…]

for a mama that I can be honest with [and a blog for that matter]

and for situations that stretch me.

I'm thankful for friends that steal my camera 

and for a blog to post embarrassing pictures on ;)

for nights spent with family and for my spanish that,

although is not as great as I wish,

IS improving.  

I'm oh-so-grateful for sweet and innocent dreams.

Here I am.

A teacher and Young Life leader 

at Doulos Discovery School

in the Dominican Republic.

I'm so glad the Lord got me here,

and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me.

I really hope it involves being a barista…

What do you want to be when you grow up?!