Albus Dumbledore - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Wisdom
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."
Albus Dumbledore - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Albus Dumbledore - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Katie Beckett (Deeming Waiver) Checklist
**The following post is documentation of a personal experience with applying for the Katie Beckett Deeming Waiver in the State of Georgia, Barrow County. This information is given only as an example and is in no way a guarantee of like experience. The author is not a representative of the State of GA, Barrow County, or DFCS. The forms and procedures listed can (and probably will) go out of date without any note on this blog.**
**Updated 3/17/2012**
I wanted to take a minute and reach out to those parents (in Georgia specifically) that are starting to navigate the process of seeking government aid for their child with Autism (or other disability). I am by no means finished with the road I'm on but, knowing the work it took even to get to this point, I want to help others on their way.
The Deeming Waiver is a type of Medicaid that helps to cover the costs of medical treatment and therapeutic services for children with physical or developmental disabilities. Before the Deeming Waiver, the government would subsidize care for a disabled child ONLY if the child was placed in a state institution. In 1981, the parents of Katie Beckett fought to get financial assistance while caring for their child at home. Now, the Deeming Waiver is helpful to families who make “too much ” to receive financially based Medicaid, but who need expensive services for their special needs children.
The following checklist can be found online at http://dhr.state.ga.us by searching for "Katie Beckett Cover Letter." The cover letter itself is a .doc file that will instantly download when you click on it (at least that's what it did for me). Here's that instant download link: Georgia Department of Human Services: Katie Beckett Cover Letter. All of the forms listed in the checklist can be found by visiting http://dhr.state.ga.us and searching for them by name/number. I've also linked each form name to its appropriate instant download page.
(Don't click the links in the checklists if you don't want the forms to download right away.)
Other required forms/items (from the Verification Checklist):
□ Psychological (this is the report you got/will get from the specialist who gave/will give your child his/her diagnosis of Autism) **updated**
□ Health Insurance Information Questionnaire, DMA 285 (I was unable to find a link for DMA 285: see tips below)
□ GA Dept of Human Services - Notice of Privacy Practices (one for each household member over age 18)
Other required/helpful documents:
□ Copy of Child's Birth Certificate
□ Copy of Insurance Card - Front and Back
□ SSI Rejection Letter (see tips below for more info)
□ Copy of Child's IEP/IFSP (if applicable)
□ Therapy Notes?
Our case worker asked for Alexander's therapy notes to be sent with the new forms. He's in the Special Needs Public Preschool Program and he gets speech therapy there but he doesn't go to private therapy yet. So I just made copies of his school and ST progress reports and put those in as the notes. (I'm actually not quite sure if this is what they're looking for but it's all I have so we'll see.)
□ Social History?
I additionally completed and submitted a Social History for Alexander because it was listed on the CHOA Deeming Waiver Info Checklist with instructions on how to write it. I don't actually know if this was necessary because it's not mentioned anywhere on the paperwork I got back from DFCS. (I'll try to find out from my caseworker if I did that work for nothing and update this post when I know.)
A few more tips:
- **update** I don't think I made this clear before, although you may already know and if not you'll find out quickly: Your regular pediatrician will not be able to give you a diagnosis of Autism. Find yourself a Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician, Developmental Pediatrician, or Developmental Psychologist. These are the people who CAN make that call. (There may be other specialties that also have that "power" but I don't know what they are.)
- Swing by your local DFCS office to pick up the Medicaid application (they were in a rack by the door when I went). I included the link above in order to give you options but getting one from an office is really easier in the end. The application I got from the Barrow County DFCS office also contained the Health Insurance Information Questionaire, DMA 285 and the Notice of Privacy. You will need a Notice of Privacy signed by each household member over the age of 18 (so get extras if you need them). You also might want to try asking the rep at the desk if there is a "Katie Beckett Packet." The girl I asked didn't have a clue but maybe you'll get lucky and find all the paperwork I've listed laid out for you.
- Once you have your copy of the Medicaid application, write Katie Beckett/TEFRA at the top.
- To date or not to date? I've read in a couple of places online that you shouldn't date any of this paperwork before you turn it in. I then proceeded to forget and dated all my signatures. I haven't heard from my case worker if this will be a problem yet. I'll let you know what I find out. **update** Ok, what I found out: Didn't matter in my case. The caseworker never came back and said I needed to start over because I dated everything wrong, and we now officially have our APPROVAL (w00t!).
- The Verification Checklist (item #2 above) isn't really for you! It's part of the contact letter you'll receive from DFCS if you're missing things from your application. Not all the lines apply to all applicants. Here's an actual scan (with personal info cropped out) of the checklist they sent me after my initial application:
- The instructions pages (for forms 706 and 6A) aren't for turning in, they're for instruction! Make sure you look them over carefully and use them to double check your work. It's just always good to read the instructions!
- (Taken and paraphrased from CHOA Deeming Waiver Information.) The Katie Beckett Waiver is not based on your family's income (it's based on the assets of the child only). So, you first must prove that you do not qualify for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability - Medicaid program which is based on your family’s income. The first step is to apply for SSI through your nearest Social Security Office. You may call them at 1-800-772-1213 to begin the application. If your child receives SSI, and, thus, Medicaid, you are finished at this point, as Medicaid provides the same benefits as the Deeming Waiver). If your child does not receive SSI and Medicaid through this program, SSI will send you a denial letter. This denial letter becomes a part of your Deeming Waiver Application (see my scanned Verification Checklist above). Make sure you do not lose it! - - - My case worker also said that if I hadn't applied for SSI yet that he would have to do a budget to find out if I was eligible for SSI. So it's my understanding that you can do the needed work through DFCS without calling SSI first. But, that's not how I did it so I can't recommend that way. The SSI application process was all over the phone; and I got my rejection letter fairly quickly.
- If you have an appointment coming up with your child's Developmental Pediatrician (or whatever specialist gave/will give you the diagnosis) take your Katie Beckett paperwork with you. Maybe your doc won't be quite this helpful but ours took the papers out of my hands and filled out most of the physcian's parts. I still had to take them to be signed by Alexander's pediatrician (PCP) but it doesn't really matter who fills them out. And let me tell you, the pediatrician was about to burst with relief when I presented the DMA-6(A) already filled out, with his signature lines highlighted. He said most regular pediatricians don't really know what to write on those forms (which is exactly what the Dev. Ped. said while she was filling them out).
- Related ^^^ If you didn't already know this (cuz I sure as heck didn't) you can schedule an appointment with your child's doctor just for paperwork. Our pediatrician's office calls it a consultation. I much preferred doing this and leaving my boys with a babysitter rather than trying to finagle signatures out of the doctor during a well-check or something. I assume most doctors prefer this as well.
- **updated** Lastly, and yeah, probably leastly, It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a friend look over all the paperwork before you send it in to make sure you signed everywhere it says "Parent or Guardian," "Primary Care Giver," etc. I discovered it wasn't a big deal in the end but I did receive a letter from the Katie Beckett Review Nurse with a copy of a form I'd forgotten to sign. Which I promptly signed and put back in the mail.
- **updated** See my Katie Beckett Continued post
Good luck!
**Updated 3/17/2012**
I wanted to take a minute and reach out to those parents (in Georgia specifically) that are starting to navigate the process of seeking government aid for their child with Autism (or other disability). I am by no means finished with the road I'm on but, knowing the work it took even to get to this point, I want to help others on their way.
***
Brief History (taken from CHOA Deeming Waiver Information)The Deeming Waiver is a type of Medicaid that helps to cover the costs of medical treatment and therapeutic services for children with physical or developmental disabilities. Before the Deeming Waiver, the government would subsidize care for a disabled child ONLY if the child was placed in a state institution. In 1981, the parents of Katie Beckett fought to get financial assistance while caring for their child at home. Now, the Deeming Waiver is helpful to families who make “too much ” to receive financially based Medicaid, but who need expensive services for their special needs children.
***
Back at the beginning of January, I shared this post on my family blog about my son Alexander's diagnosis of Autism and some of the resources we were looking into. I included a link to the CHOA Deeming Waiver Checklist I was using (in addition to some other links). While that checklist has a lot of good information (you'll see it peppered through this whole post), it is also sorely out of date (which I had a suspicion it might be). I ended up turning in one form that wasn't even needed and leaving out 2 forms that were needed in Alexander's application. So, after all of that, our new case worker (who wasn't assigned to us until I made the initial application) sent me a new checklist and the forms I was missing.The following checklist can be found online at http://dhr.state.ga.us by searching for "Katie Beckett Cover Letter." The cover letter itself is a .doc file that will instantly download when you click on it (at least that's what it did for me). Here's that instant download link: Georgia Department of Human Services: Katie Beckett Cover Letter. All of the forms listed in the checklist can be found by visiting http://dhr.state.ga.us and searching for them by name/number. I've also linked each form name to its appropriate instant download page.
(Don't click the links in the checklists if you don't want the forms to download right away.)
***
□ Psychological (this is the report you got/will get from the specialist who gave/will give your child his/her diagnosis of Autism) **updated**
□ Health Insurance Information Questionnaire, DMA 285 (I was unable to find a link for DMA 285: see tips below)
□ GA Dept of Human Services - Notice of Privacy Practices (one for each household member over age 18)
□ Copy of Child's Birth Certificate
□ Copy of Insurance Card - Front and Back
□ SSI Rejection Letter (see tips below for more info)
□ Copy of Child's IEP/IFSP (if applicable)
□ Therapy Notes?
Our case worker asked for Alexander's therapy notes to be sent with the new forms. He's in the Special Needs Public Preschool Program and he gets speech therapy there but he doesn't go to private therapy yet. So I just made copies of his school and ST progress reports and put those in as the notes. (I'm actually not quite sure if this is what they're looking for but it's all I have so we'll see.)
□ Social History?
I additionally completed and submitted a Social History for Alexander because it was listed on the CHOA Deeming Waiver Info Checklist with instructions on how to write it. I don't actually know if this was necessary because it's not mentioned anywhere on the paperwork I got back from DFCS. (I'll try to find out from my caseworker if I did that work for nothing and update this post when I know.)
A few more tips:
- **update** I don't think I made this clear before, although you may already know and if not you'll find out quickly: Your regular pediatrician will not be able to give you a diagnosis of Autism. Find yourself a Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician, Developmental Pediatrician, or Developmental Psychologist. These are the people who CAN make that call. (There may be other specialties that also have that "power" but I don't know what they are.)
- Swing by your local DFCS office to pick up the Medicaid application (they were in a rack by the door when I went). I included the link above in order to give you options but getting one from an office is really easier in the end. The application I got from the Barrow County DFCS office also contained the Health Insurance Information Questionaire, DMA 285 and the Notice of Privacy. You will need a Notice of Privacy signed by each household member over the age of 18 (so get extras if you need them). You also might want to try asking the rep at the desk if there is a "Katie Beckett Packet." The girl I asked didn't have a clue but maybe you'll get lucky and find all the paperwork I've listed laid out for you.
- Once you have your copy of the Medicaid application, write Katie Beckett/TEFRA at the top.
- To date or not to date? I've read in a couple of places online that you shouldn't date any of this paperwork before you turn it in. I then proceeded to forget and dated all my signatures. I haven't heard from my case worker if this will be a problem yet. I'll let you know what I find out. **update** Ok, what I found out: Didn't matter in my case. The caseworker never came back and said I needed to start over because I dated everything wrong, and we now officially have our APPROVAL (w00t!).
- The Verification Checklist (item #2 above) isn't really for you! It's part of the contact letter you'll receive from DFCS if you're missing things from your application. Not all the lines apply to all applicants. Here's an actual scan (with personal info cropped out) of the checklist they sent me after my initial application:
As you can see, I wasn't required to submit most of the things on that list.
- (Taken and paraphrased from CHOA Deeming Waiver Information.) The Katie Beckett Waiver is not based on your family's income (it's based on the assets of the child only). So, you first must prove that you do not qualify for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability - Medicaid program which is based on your family’s income. The first step is to apply for SSI through your nearest Social Security Office. You may call them at 1-800-772-1213 to begin the application. If your child receives SSI, and, thus, Medicaid, you are finished at this point, as Medicaid provides the same benefits as the Deeming Waiver). If your child does not receive SSI and Medicaid through this program, SSI will send you a denial letter. This denial letter becomes a part of your Deeming Waiver Application (see my scanned Verification Checklist above). Make sure you do not lose it! - - - My case worker also said that if I hadn't applied for SSI yet that he would have to do a budget to find out if I was eligible for SSI. So it's my understanding that you can do the needed work through DFCS without calling SSI first. But, that's not how I did it so I can't recommend that way. The SSI application process was all over the phone; and I got my rejection letter fairly quickly.
- If you have an appointment coming up with your child's Developmental Pediatrician (or whatever specialist gave/will give you the diagnosis) take your Katie Beckett paperwork with you. Maybe your doc won't be quite this helpful but ours took the papers out of my hands and filled out most of the physcian's parts. I still had to take them to be signed by Alexander's pediatrician (PCP) but it doesn't really matter who fills them out. And let me tell you, the pediatrician was about to burst with relief when I presented the DMA-6(A) already filled out, with his signature lines highlighted. He said most regular pediatricians don't really know what to write on those forms (which is exactly what the Dev. Ped. said while she was filling them out).
- Related ^^^ If you didn't already know this (cuz I sure as heck didn't) you can schedule an appointment with your child's doctor just for paperwork. Our pediatrician's office calls it a consultation. I much preferred doing this and leaving my boys with a babysitter rather than trying to finagle signatures out of the doctor during a well-check or something. I assume most doctors prefer this as well.
- **updated** Lastly, and yeah, probably leastly, It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a friend look over all the paperwork before you send it in to make sure you signed everywhere it says "Parent or Guardian," "Primary Care Giver," etc. I discovered it wasn't a big deal in the end but I did receive a letter from the Katie Beckett Review Nurse with a copy of a form I'd forgotten to sign. Which I promptly signed and put back in the mail.
- **updated** See my Katie Beckett Continued post
***
I really hope this post will help someone out there who's trying to work through this process. Please remember that I'm not an expert and your experience may be quite different from mine. I don't even know if we're going to get approved based on what I've sent in and we might have to try again. (**updated** We got our approval!) I'm going to work at keeping a record going on this blog so that people can benefit from our example (both what to do and what not to do) as much as possible.Good luck!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Pencil Sketch - Part II
I did go back and try to work out some of the kinks in my sketch from the other day. I think this is the best I can do without obsessing about it and ripping the page up with my eraser.
I really need to keep up my practicing and get better at this!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Drawing Talent
I was "tooling around" Pinterest yesterday and found a pin for free online drawing lessons. One link led to another and I found myself at fivepencilmethod.com. I signed up for the free email tutorials and started watching a few of the videos. So far I really like the format and I think I could definitely get something out of this. I think the teacher used to be a drafter and I like how thorough and systematic he is (like, he starts with the proper way to remove a sheet of paper from your tablet). I like having things broken down into finite steps, I'm all OCD like that.
Drawing is one of those things at which I "used to" have some talent. I say this about drawing (and painting, singing, playing the piano...) because when I was about 10 I was considered talented at these things but then I eventually stopped practicing and my talent stayed where it was.
Anyway, after getting a little inspiration from Mr. Darrel Tank (he is SO from Idaho) I pulled out my old sketch pad and a picture of Jacob as a little baby (he's a toddler now) and put pencil to paper for the first time in years.
Drawing is one of those things at which I "used to" have some talent. I say this about drawing (and painting, singing, playing the piano...) because when I was about 10 I was considered talented at these things but then I eventually stopped practicing and my talent stayed where it was.
Anyway, after getting a little inspiration from Mr. Darrel Tank (he is SO from Idaho) I pulled out my old sketch pad and a picture of Jacob as a little baby (he's a toddler now) and put pencil to paper for the first time in years.
Results
Both of the sketches are from the same picture. The one in the middle-left of the page was my first try, but I wasn't satisfied at all so I drew the one below it.
Definitely not a spitting image but I was happy to see that my second try really was better. Looking at it on the computer like this is actually helping me see where some of the problems are (I'm so going to have to go back and fix his left eye now). And of course, this was just sketch paper and a #2 pencil. I've told myself that if I'm good and practice with what I have, I can save my pennies and justify spending money on nice pencils and other supplies. We'll see how that goes.
I guess I should probably go practice the piano while the little man from the picture is napping... Either that or fold laundry. Why is it that laundry is always more pressing? I know, I'll put on Pandora and clean while I also practice my singing. :-) That should do it.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
"How High?"
For those of you who may not know, our 3 year old son was diagnosed with Autism at the beginning of January. You can read more about him and his development on our family blog.
A few days after Alexander's appointment at Marcus Autism Center I found and joined a website called MyAutismTeam.com. Everything is still pretty new but I'm really glad I found that site. Alexander is an anomaly in many ways but it's so nice to connect with other parents who can mostly relate to my current circumstances, whether emotionally or in the technical aspects. Right now I'm more focused on the practical parts. Because in fact, I find that my biggest anxiety-causer isn't Alexander at all; it's the red-tape. We want to get our little man all the help and services we can, and that requires paperwork.
And it requires cold-calls, and doctors' consultations, and IEP meetings, and waiting on hold with the insurance company (again). And being rerouted to yet another person at the insurance company who has no idea what I'm talking about or "no authority to make that call," (again). It means waiting in line at DFCS and "willingly" handing the state information that I, frankly, wish they didn't have. It requires, over time, filling out 57 different forms for 11 different offices, some private and some tax-funded, all with that same information! (Those numbers are guesses but I promise I'm not trying to exaggerate.)
Bureaucracy is the bane of my existence and has been most of my adult life. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Alexander's pediatrician at least seemed to agree with me. I commented to him the other day that I'm working toward a gold medal in "Hoop Jumping" for the 2012 Olympics. He paused briefly in his scribbling under yet another "To Be Filled Out Only By Child's Primary Care Physician" heading. He glanced at the mountain of case files on his desk. (Alexander is his 4th patient to be diagnosed with Autism this month.) Then he gave an exhausted attempt at a chuckle and said, "That's actually a good joke."
A few days after Alexander's appointment at Marcus Autism Center I found and joined a website called MyAutismTeam.com. Everything is still pretty new but I'm really glad I found that site. Alexander is an anomaly in many ways but it's so nice to connect with other parents who can mostly relate to my current circumstances, whether emotionally or in the technical aspects. Right now I'm more focused on the practical parts. Because in fact, I find that my biggest anxiety-causer isn't Alexander at all; it's the red-tape. We want to get our little man all the help and services we can, and that requires paperwork.
And it requires cold-calls, and doctors' consultations, and IEP meetings, and waiting on hold with the insurance company (again). And being rerouted to yet another person at the insurance company who has no idea what I'm talking about or "no authority to make that call," (again). It means waiting in line at DFCS and "willingly" handing the state information that I, frankly, wish they didn't have. It requires, over time, filling out 57 different forms for 11 different offices, some private and some tax-funded, all with that same information! (Those numbers are guesses but I promise I'm not trying to exaggerate.)
Bureaucracy is the bane of my existence and has been most of my adult life. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Alexander's pediatrician at least seemed to agree with me. I commented to him the other day that I'm working toward a gold medal in "Hoop Jumping" for the 2012 Olympics. He paused briefly in his scribbling under yet another "To Be Filled Out Only By Child's Primary Care Physician" heading. He glanced at the mountain of case files on his desk. (Alexander is his 4th patient to be diagnosed with Autism this month.) Then he gave an exhausted attempt at a chuckle and said, "That's actually a good joke."
Friday, January 13, 2012
Pass me the snow shovel
I saw this saying hanging on someone's wall when I was a kid. I remember being amused but now I really get it. I actually think a snow shovel would be a handy piece of equipment to have when picking up around my house. So here's a printable, free as always. You can edit the frame part out if you don't like it and put it your own frame.
Click. Save.
Share.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Homemade Peppermint Brown Sugar Scrub
Here we have another great Pinterest find:
I pinned that honey of a link all the way back in October when I first started getting ready for Christmas. I knew it would make a great "neighbor gift." We recently picked up about six or seven #10 (60 oz) cans of brown sugar from my husband's parents when they were cleaning out their old food storage. The sugar is 'expired' and quite possibly not as good for eating anymore but when I found these recipes I knew they'd be perfect for a scrub. I ended up making sugar scrubs for Alexander's teachers (teacher, parapro, and speech therapist) and for all the ladies at church that I visit-teach (and one or two that I don't).
All the recipes are essentially the same (sugar, oil, some kind of extract for scent) so I knew I could get away with tweaking and making my own. Corrie's Brown Sugar Body Scrub from Paula Deen's website seemed the nicest, I thought, and I even already had a bottle of Vitamin E to use. My first batch was actually for a bridal shower gift for our brand new sister-in-law and my ever-self-sacrificing hubby braved Hobby Lobby on his way home from work to pick up lavender and peppermint extracts so I could indulge in my homemade gifting plans.
 |
| Indulgence for the bride |
As you can see, I did one lavender and one vanilla scrub for my bridal shower gift. Then for the rest (I wanted to go more Christmas-y) I went with peppermint. Since I was making so many, I played around with doubling, tripling and quadrupling the recipe and made a few batches over several days. Here's the general gist of my final "mass production" recipe.
4 cups brown sugar
2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon vitamin E oil (I used Spring Valley Vitamin E Skin Oil from Walmart)
15-30 drops essential oil (I used Crafty Bubbles Peppermint Essential Oil from Hobby Lobby)
2 tablespoons honey
Combine wet ingredients first (I kept forgetting to do that, but with a little extra mixing they turned out fine). Then add brown sugar and mix well. (When I encountered stubborn lumps of sugar, I just reached in which my hands and smushed 'em good.) Portion into containers and seal tops on tightly. Tie on tags with cutesy ribbon and distribute. :-)
I used 16oz (2 cups) containers and this recipe only filled two of them. 2 cups is pretty big though so you could definitely go down to 8 oz (1 cup) containers and have a great little gift.
I don't seem to have any pictures of the final Peppermint Scrub product but here are some free printables of the tags I tied on them.
Click. Save. Print.
Click. Save. Print.
These scrubs would be great gifts any time of year. We've got Valentines day coming up, then Easter, Mother's day, and then it's practically Christmas again right? Just change out the peppermint oil for your recipient's favorite scent and you're golden. :-)
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
I've noticed in my life that there is something about the turning of a new year that somehow puts the kibosh on Christmas messages. Not that it's necessarily a conscious decision people make, just that the new year lends itself to 'life' starting again full tilt. The decorations come down, we go back to work and school, we make New Years' resolutions, our insurance deductibles reset - things like that. There's paper work to do and we have to do it (at least in my house). Also, I do think that for some people it IS a conscious decision because they are bored with Christmas music and other assorted aspects of the season. So I wanted to take a second to remember that Christmas was only a couple of weeks ago and we don't have to forget about it through the year: in fact, it's best that we don't forget.
I absolutely loved the First Presidency Christmas Devotional that the LDS Church broadcast about a month ago. The most memorable part for me was when they shared clips from the new Life of Jesus Christ: Bible Videos the church has commissioned. The videos and accompanying pictures are a free gift from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the world. You can download and share them as you see fit. (Which of course I looooove.) Anyway, my favorite shot from the clips was this one...
It's kind of hard to see it the picture, they show it better in the video, but Mary is sleeping next to the Baby on the straw. This touched me deeply when I saw the clip. Since I've had children I've always wondered a little when I look at Nativity scenes that Mary seems so fresh and is generally kneeling or even standing. I wonder because in my heart of hearts, I hope that the Mother of our Lord got rest soon after the Birth. (I also hope she was one of those people who have reeeally quick easy labors, not like myself.) I know after the birth of both of my sons, people told me over and over, "You sleep when the baby sleeps," and I've come to recognize that axiom as wisdom of the highest order. Of course I'm sure the Baby Jesus was the Perfect Baby, but He still had physical needs that His Mama would have to meet.
So that's why I love this video so much. It's a little thing, and maybe only I noticed it (although I very much doubt that). It shows the very real nature of the people involved. Mother and Child zonked out cold while Joseph guards them closely, a watchman for his brand-new family. I see so much more of my own family in this version and I treasure it dearly. So, if you haven't already, and even if you have, please watch and enjoy...
I absolutely loved the First Presidency Christmas Devotional that the LDS Church broadcast about a month ago. The most memorable part for me was when they shared clips from the new Life of Jesus Christ: Bible Videos the church has commissioned. The videos and accompanying pictures are a free gift from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the world. You can download and share them as you see fit. (Which of course I looooove.) Anyway, my favorite shot from the clips was this one...
It's kind of hard to see it the picture, they show it better in the video, but Mary is sleeping next to the Baby on the straw. This touched me deeply when I saw the clip. Since I've had children I've always wondered a little when I look at Nativity scenes that Mary seems so fresh and is generally kneeling or even standing. I wonder because in my heart of hearts, I hope that the Mother of our Lord got rest soon after the Birth. (I also hope she was one of those people who have reeeally quick easy labors, not like myself.) I know after the birth of both of my sons, people told me over and over, "You sleep when the baby sleeps," and I've come to recognize that axiom as wisdom of the highest order. Of course I'm sure the Baby Jesus was the Perfect Baby, but He still had physical needs that His Mama would have to meet.
So that's why I love this video so much. It's a little thing, and maybe only I noticed it (although I very much doubt that). It shows the very real nature of the people involved. Mother and Child zonked out cold while Joseph guards them closely, a watchman for his brand-new family. I see so much more of my own family in this version and I treasure it dearly. So, if you haven't already, and even if you have, please watch and enjoy...
Monday, January 2, 2012
Mamas' gifts
This is the post where I got the idea for my mom's and mother-in-law's Christmas gifts. I liked the idea of the plaques and the book page backgrounds. Scrapbook paper ended up being the way to go for the backgrounds though because I couldn't decide on which book pages to use (words are a big deal for me)! The silhouettes themselves I cut out in vinyl with my Silhouette machine after using Photoshop to outline the people's faces. I did all of my mom's 6 kids and my mother-in-law's 6 kids. Would've done the grand-kids but there are just too many of those (and more on the way)! I forgot to take a picture of my mom's finished plaques but here are the ones we gave Kevin's mom Christmas day.
Both moms seemed to really like their gifts so of course I'm pretty proud of my little project. Stay tuned for more post-Christmas-surprise insights!
Both moms seemed to really like their gifts so of course I'm pretty proud of my little project. Stay tuned for more post-Christmas-surprise insights!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Pinterest 'wins' from Christmas!
Now that Christmas is over I can post about the stuff I wanted to keep a surprise! I went a little nuts this year on projects (what year don't I go nuts?) but I really enjoyed making the gifts for my family and friends. I think this Christmas may have been my favorite so far since I put so much focus on the giving part. Of course, the receiving part was great, too, and I'm going to post about that on our family blog sometime in the next few days for journaling purposes.
So, here's the beginning of a run down on the projects you missed while I was keeping secrets...
First: the T-Shirts
I found the ideas for almost all my projects on Pinterest. I did a whole bunch of shirts for people based on designs from there, but using iron-on transfers instead of the fancier methods. Iron-ons don't always look as nice but since I was doing so many, I wanted to use a method I'd done before. I completely forgot to take pictures of my actual finished T's so here are the inspiration photos (some from Pinterest, some from elsewhere) and some exported jpegs of the files I used.
These two were for a couple of good friends of ours who we refer to as the boys' "Godfather"
The shirts were just the beginning of our gifting endeavors this year. Stay tuned for more this week!
So, here's the beginning of a run down on the projects you missed while I was keeping secrets...
First: the T-Shirts
I found the ideas for almost all my projects on Pinterest. I did a whole bunch of shirts for people based on designs from there, but using iron-on transfers instead of the fancier methods. Iron-ons don't always look as nice but since I was doing so many, I wanted to use a method I'd done before. I completely forgot to take pictures of my actual finished T's so here are the inspiration photos (some from Pinterest, some from elsewhere) and some exported jpegs of the files I used.
For soon-to-be-born and new babies of family and friends:
For our nieces:
For my brother in law:
For my siblings and our nephews:
Another nephew:
These two were for a couple of good friends of ours who we refer to as the boys' "Godfather"
and "Fairy Godmother."
I'm particularly proud of this last one because I came up with the concept and the phrase for the back of the shirt all by myself.
I bought the shirts at Hobby Lobby (link) and Walmart (couldn't find a link to the actual pack I got, but just go to the mens underwear section and they have good prices for undershirts that work well for doing iron-ons).
The shirts were just the beginning of our gifting endeavors this year. Stay tuned for more this week!
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