30 Days of Thankful -- Day 3

30 Days of Thankful

Day 3 already!  I hope you are as encouraged as I am.  Yesterday, I began to feel sorry for myself, worrying about a situation out of my control.  God reminded me of my goal of being thankful in all circumstances.  And once I started thanking God for the items on my list, reminding myself that God blessed me with them, I felt peace that I could indeed trust Him with the circumstance that was causing me to worry.  And the most amazing thing:  God is now moving in that situation!!  I won't give specifics, just be assured that this is a situation that can only be resolved with God's intervention....and that's what He is doing!  I am so blessed, excited, awed and encouraged!

Here goes day 3!

1. Personal

I am thankful for my education.  I have dual degrees in English and Secondary Education.  I taught for a couple years in North Carolina after I got married, but since having children, I have chosen to stay at home with them.  My only son, my oldest child, is almost 6 and in Kindergarten; my oldest daughter is 4 and in pre-school; my youngest, the baby, is 10 months old.  Lately I've been giving some thought to going back to work, but I struggle with the idea of not being there for my kids.  I don't have to go back to work, I just sometimes miss adult interaction.  Then yesterday, while speaking to my son's teacher, I mentioned that I used to be a teacher and she got so excited!  She wanted to know when, or if, I'd be interested in subbing at the Christian school my kids attend.  Truthfully, I'd never thought of it.  But now I am because I could choose how many days a week I would work, and because the school is K-12, plus they also have a preschool/daycare on site, I would have a place for my kids.  A place I know, love and trust!  I'm going to keep praying about it, but I'm thankful for my education that gives me these kinds of options.

2. Work/School (wherever you spend the majority of your day)

Today is cold here in North Central PA, so I am thankful for the warmth of my house!  My husband reminded me to wear my coat this morning, but me, being stubborn, insisted that I didn't need it.  Let me tell you, I was so glad to get back in my car after dropping the kids off at school!  I was even more glad to get back into my nice, warm house!

3. Church

I'm thankful that God put Children's Ministry in my heart around 18 months ago.  In 2010, I became a co-leader of this ministry at our church.  I've been so blessed since that time!  It's hard work, and I do miss a lot of services, but seeing the kids in the church growing spiritually and knowing that they are learning more about what following Christ looks like make all the hard work and sacrifices worth it.  I never saw myself in children's ministry....ever.  I did it once, a long time ago, and I got burned out.  But God gave me a love for these kids.  I can't even begin to describe it; all I can say is I feel like these are my kids, and it's my privilege to be one of their teachers.

4. Family
My baby is sick today.  She's running at 102+ fever.  Plus she has a very stuffy nose and major congestion.  I feel so bad for her.  Today, I am thankful for her, my Miss Alexa Kim.  I never thought I'd have a 3rd baby, especially after suffering a miscarriage a year before.  It wasn't that I didn't want another baby, I was just scared.  What if it happened again?  I also get really sick during my pregnancies, and I was worried about taking care of Evan and Ally.  So we had decided that we were happy with 2 kids.  But God had other plans...thank goodness!  I was so surprised when I found out I was pregnant again.  And I was terrified!  I didn't want to spend my entire pregnancy a nervous wreck.  But God was gracious, and really took away my fears.  And He blessed me with the most amazing, beautiful, smart, funny baby I could have imagined.  She's my miracle baby!

Pictures of my miracle baby!

Have a great day!  And remember, God loves you so much!  Choose Him today!

30 Days of Thankful -- Day 2

Good Morning!!  How did day 1 go?  It was the first day, so I was pretty excited to get started.  This morning....well, let's just say I might have to think a little bit harder this morning.  The baby was up 4 times last night -- she's developed a cold or something the past couple days so she's stuffy and coughing and I think she has a sore throat.  So...I'm tired.  But tired or not, I still have so much to be thankful for!  My goal for today is to think about this list more often today.  I want thankfullness to become second nature to me.  I really hope you want that too!  

So here goes!  DAY 2!

30 Days of Thankful

1. Personal

I'm thankful I'm a good cook!   You might laugh, but when we got married, my husband was really scared.  He knew my Mom was a good cook, but I had a hard time boiling water.  And it did take a couple....or 6.....months, but I eventually got the hang of it.  And now I really enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes.  So I'm thankful that God helped me be persistent and not give up after the undercooked chicken incident, or all the thick, lumpy gravy fiascos!

       2. Work/School (wherever you spend the majority of your day)
I'm thankful for more than 1 bathroom in my house.  I have 2 sisters, and growing up we had 1 bathroom in our house.  You can imagine the number of times when that was a problem!  So now that we have 3 kids, I am so grateful to have more than 1 bathroom.  Now, the only bathroom fighting comes from the kids arguing over who gets to use the downstairs bathroom.

3. Church

I am so thankful for my pastor, who isn't afraid to preach on the topics others might steer clear of.  He is led by the Holy Spirit, and his sermon this past Sunday was something I really needed to hear, and learn from.

4. Family

My husband is my best friend, and today (and everyday!) I'm thankful for him.  We've been dealing with some issues the past few weeks, not between us, but with someone who seems intent on dragging us down.  I'll admit, I've been really angry.  But my husband has remained calm, often talking me down when I'm ready for an ugly confrontation with this person.  He has done his best to help me understand my need to forgive this person, and to understand how sad the situation is, and how this person needs our prayers, love and pity, not our wrath.  He is the voice of reason; he isn't afraid to tell me (usually lovingly :)) when he thinks I'm making a mistake.  And while that isn't always easy to hear, I respect him for that.  He is the spiritual leader in our home, and works long hours to provide for us.  He is following God's calling for his life, even when it's difficult for him.  He is also a wonderful father who would do anything for his kids.  He helps around the house and is an elder at our church, as well as part of the worship team, and he even helps out with children's ministry when I  need him to.  I love him so much!

As always, I'd love to hear from you.  What are you thankful for today?

Have a wonderful day in the Lord

~Heather

Confessions From a Worrier

I'm laughing as I remember that last night I told my husband that he married a basket case, but the truth is, it's not so funny.  I am a classic worrier -- I try to plan in my head exactly how things are going to happen, what the outcome will be, and then spend the rest of the time worrying about that outcome.  I worry that my son will get bullied in school; I worry that I'm hurting people's feelings; I worry I'm not doing a good enough job at.....everything.  I WORRY.  Does that sound familiar?  I don't want to worry -- it's stressful.  It's tiring.  It's time consuming.  But lately, there are circumstances in my life that are really uncertain and out of my control, and I seem to be incapable of controlling the worrying. 

As Christ followers, we are not to worry.  The Bible tells us not to worry.  Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Supplication is a humble prayer, entreaty or petition, so supplication with thanksgiving is a humble prayer with acknowledgement to God for His blessings.  Instead of worrying, we should be on our knees petitioning God to intervene in our situation, and thanking Him for the times He's already worked in our lives.  We also have another example of why we shouldn't worry.  Jesus talks about worry, and commands us to not do so, in Matthew 6:25-34.  Verse 34 reminds to not worry about tomorrow because it will take care of itself.  Jesus is telling us that He's working out the details for tomorrow, so we can just concentrate on today.  The previous verses are a perfect illustration of our lack of faith.  God takes care of the birds, who do nothing to plant or harvest their food, yet God still provides for them.  God created the lilies that grow in the grass and fields and they are beautiful!  Yet grass is something that gets cut and discarded on a regular basis, and still, God chose to decorate, or 'clothe' it with these breathtakingly beautiful flowers!  So if God takes care of the grass and birds, who are incapable of doing anything to increase His kingdom, why do we think He's not taking care of us?  Duh!!  This is the moment where I smack myself in the forehead and say, "I shoulda had a V-8!"  It's so clear.  In light of these verses, I've been feeling convicted because of my worrying tendencies, and I want to change.  I want to trust God!  But it's easy to say "I trust God."  It's a whole other story to live it.

Truth: When we worry, we limit God.  We might as well be saying, "God, I don't believe that you can handle this.  I don't believe you are who you say you are.  I don't believe that you are omniscient -- all powerful.  You must not love me.  And if You can't handle this, then I have to, and not only do I not know what to do, this situation is out of my control.  So now I NEED to worry about it."

That's UGLY, isn't it?  I might as well just end it with a, "thanks for nothing, God."  Not only is in incredibly disrespectful to a God we should be fearful of, it negates what Jesus stood for when He sacrificed Himself on the cross, because that was the MOST AMAZING act of love imaginable.  Yet isn't that what I've been doing almost unceasingly the past 2 weeks?  The truth is, I'm scared.  I can't see an end, or a positive resolution to my situation and that terrifies me, and makes me really, really sad. 

So what are some steps I can take to decrease, and eventually eliminate the worry in my life? 

1. "Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart."  Psalm 37:4.  I listed this verse as the first step, because this is God's promise to you.  For me, at this moment, the desire of my heart is to cease worrying.  If I am truly desiring a change of heart, or to take a step of faith, and stop worrying, I'm going to need some supernatural help from above.  If I delight myself in Him (by following the steps below) then God promises to help me with what my heart desires. 
2. Prayer --  The first verse I used at the beginning (Philippians 4:6) really needs to be memorized.  I think I'm going to print it out and post it in my bathroom and refrigerator and dashboard.  This way, when I pray, I can remind myself of God's commands and his promises.  I need to REMEMBER to pray every time I find myself starting to worry.  It will need to be a new habit. Prayer > Worry
3. Reading the Bible --  By getting into God's word on a daily basis, we can look at scripture specifically related to our problems.  But let's be honest, the Bible can be intimidating as a whole.  Where do I look?  What's a concordance?  How does the verse apply to me if it talks about not worrying about food or clothing, and my worry is something else?  Every word of the Bible is God breathed, or God inspired, and is still just as relatable today as it was when it was written.  Sometimes we just need to pray that God will reveal what He wants us to get out of the scripture.
4. Realize that you are not God.  It's not our job to know what God's going to do or how He's going to work things out.  It is our job to believe He can and is doing it.  And since I can't know, why should I worry about it?  Again, this is a habit you're going to have to get into. You'll need to remind yourself about it time and time again.  Also, if you haven't used the site Bible Gateway, I would highly recommend it. What's great about it is you can type in a topic and it will bring up verses relating to that topic. There are also many different translations of the Bible if you're like me and like to look at the wording in different versions. There are also references, devotionals and reading plans available at Bible Gateway. Check it out if you haven't already.
5. Recognize and Rebuke the devil.  You need to be able to recognize what comes from God and what doesn't.  Being in the Word will help.  When you feel or believe something that contradicts what the Bible says, it's not from God.  You need to be on guard all the time so you don't believe the lies and attacks from satan.  Rebuking the devil is super powerful -- I have personal experience with it that I'd like to share. 

When I was pregnant with my 2nd child, I suffered from terrible morning sickness.  I had a 13 month old to take care of, and was really  tired, sick and discouraged.  I remember being in bed one day crying, and I felt like I couldn't deal with it anymore, and I thought to myself, "I just wish I wasn't pregnant anymore."  I was shocked that I could even think something that would bring harm to my child.  And that made mad!  This baby was loved, and wanted, and planned!  So I started praying, and I told God that He was going to have to give me the words because I was so defeated I didn't know what to say.  Immediately I was praying out loud with words that were not my own.  I said, "Satan, if the name of Jesus, I rebuke you and these thoughts.  They are not from God and He doesn't want me to think that way.  So you can just go back to Hell where you belong."  I felt such peace that I hadn't felt in a long time.  5 minutes later, I felt completely fine; I took care of my son, I made dinner; I felt like my normal self.  And I wasn't sick the rest of the pregnancy.  That was a miracle because I had faith that Got was in control and recognized the lies for what they were.  Rebuking satan lets him know you recognize his lies and won't believe them. 

It will take some hard work and reminding yourself of your goal.  But God is faithful to His promises.  He only wants the best for you, and worrying is not the best, and doesn't bring out the best in you.  I pray that God will be real in your life and show you the plans He has for you.  Plans for a future and hope....plans that don't include worrying.  God's got this one, ladies.  He really doesn't need our help...or our worries. 

Please feel free to share your experiences with worry, and how God is working in your life or how He's delivered you from worrying.

<3 Heather <3

30 Days of Thankful -- Day 1

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17


Today is the big day!  Today we start our 30 Day Thankfulness Challenge, and I'm so excited!  I believe that God is going to do something great in each of our lives as we strive to keep our focus on Him and His blessings.  And that's really what being thankful is all about -- recognizing blessing for what they are -- gifts from the Almighty God.  Personally, I want to use this month as a constant reminder that God has blessed my life immensely and not take it for granted. 

If this is your first visit to Confessions From a Christian Mom, click here to check out the original challenge post.

Here goes!

 

1.     Personal

 I'm thankful for my health.  I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, but I am on a weekly injection and feel no pain!  Praise the Lord!

2.     Work/School (wherever you spend the majority of your day)

 I'm thankful that God has provided a roof over my head.  So many people are not as fortunate.  My house might not be fancy, I have pink carpet throughout alot of it (it came with the house..lol) and it's not anywhere near as clean as it should be (but probably as clean as it can be with 5 year-old, 4 year-old and 10 month-old tornados living in it!).  But the mortgage payment is made each month, and God provided it when we were house hunting 6 years ago, and for that, I am grateful.

3.     Church

It may sound vague and simple, but today I'm thankful for the church building.  Because we have a building, we have a place to hold ministries, specifically the amazing Bible study I am involved in now.  Because we have a place to meet, I'm getting to know some amazing women a little bit better each week!  They are truly a blessing and encouragement to me.  (Check out The Life Ready Woman, by Shaunti Feldhan if you have a few minutes...I feel like this study has the potential to be life changing!)

4.     Family

Today especially, I'm thankful for my father.  His birthday is this week, and I wonder sometimes if he knows how very much I love him.  Now that I'm a parent, I recognize the sacrifices he made to provide for his family.  I see the things he went without so that we had food, clothes and a roof over our heads.  We did not grow up with alot of money, but he made sure we had what we needed and I never really realized the struggle it must have been for my parents at times.  Now that I have 3 kids of my own, I see how expensive my 2 sisters and I  must have been!  He is one of the hardest working, honorable men I have the privilege to know.  He's a great Dad and a great Poppy to his grandchildren (all 6 of them!)  I love you dad!


Now, I hope you'll do what I've chosen to do: take a few minutes to pray and thank God for these specific blessings.  Think about the verse above, James 1:17, and about how everything good in your life, every blessing, is from God.

Have a blessed day!

Heather

February's 30 Days of Thankful

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1Thess. 5:18

Have you ever noticed how smoothly your day tends to go when you have a good attitude?  Or, maybe I should rephrase that and ask, have you ever noticed how everything seems to go wrong on the days when you are grouchy or in a bad mood?  I certainly have.  And lately, I'm finding those days are coming a little too often than I am comfortable with.  I've been convicted lately that GRATITUDE AFFECTS YOUR ATTITUDE.   I think this is so true.  I have alot to be thankful for.  I'm alive!  I have a loving Savior who died for me and now I'm forgiven; I have an amazing husband who I love more now than I did when I married him almost 8 years ago; God has blessed us with 3 incredible kids (plus 1 I'll get to meet when I get to Heaven); we have a house to live in; we are able to pay our bills each month; the list goes on and on.  I'm not bragging -- sometimes it helps to have a list as a reminder on the days when we're feeling less than thankful.  So I got to thinking: how can I be in a bad mood when I am spending my time focusing on being thankful instead of looking at what's wrong in my life?  Things would look alot different if we focus on what's right in our lives instead of what's wrong.

So here's my challenge.  I hope you'll join me:

Starting on Monday, February 6, 2012, I will be spending the following 30 days being thankful.  I heard about a local church doing this last year, and thought it was such a great idea! 

First, I want you to make a list of everything in your life that you have to be thankful for.  Take your time -- I bet the list will be lengthier than you think.  Next, I want you to hang your list up somewhere you can easily see it, the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, your desk or wall at work.  You will be looking at, and reading, this list everyday for the next 30 days.  I would suggest reading it every morning before you start your day.  Think of it like Wheaties for the soul.  And don't hesitate to look at your list throughout the day when you start to feel down or negative, or if things just don't seem to be going your way.  Remember, our goal is to be thankful when we feel like complaining.  You may even find that you need to add to your thankful list as the month progresses.  It's amazing how God can open our eyes to things we never even consider.

       

Next, beginning Monday, February 6, 2012, we will use the following catergories to create a list of things we are thankful for.  List one item in each category each day. 

1. Personal -- this should revolve around your own talents, gifts, personality qualities, physical characteristics, or anything that helps you be a better person.
2. Work/School - this is wherever you spend the majority of your day.
3. Church - this could be a person in ministry, a specific ministry, an aspect of worship, or anything at all that would reflect the ministry of the church.
4. Family - this covers all the aspects of your family life.  It could be something regarding your parents, spouse, children, siblings, ect. 

Unfortunately, I don't know that name of the church that did this challenge last year.  I wish I did.  All I know is that the church is located in Central Pennsylvania.  But I think this was a Holy Spirit inspired idea and I would love to hear how lives where changed!

I'll be sharing my list each day (leaving out specific names where applicable) and I'd love you to share yours too!  I'll also be posting updates on how my life is affected by my new attitude.  I'd also love to hear how your life is affected by being thankful too!

The Knot Prayer -- A Lesson Relearned

Wow!  I came across a great prayer today.  It's just what I needed after the especially emotional and challenging week I had last week.  It was such an encouragement after a particular low point.  

Dear God,

Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart, and my life.

Remove the have nots, cannots, and do nots.

Erase the will nots, may nots, might nots that may find a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots, would nots, should nots that obstruct my life..

And most of all, Dear God, I ask that you remove from my mind,

my heart, and my life all of the “am nots” that I have allowed to hold me back.

Especially the thought that I am not good enough.

Amen

- Unknown

I'd like to share with you what I've been re-learning lately.  Many of you may already know this, but I think we all need a reminder every once in awhile.

At this point in my life, my faith is growing, and being stretched each day.  I find myself in the Word much more often, wanting confirmation on a subject, or needing to know what the Bible says about certain issues or types of people.  And because of this, the devil is fighting even harder for me.  He doesn't want me to grow in my faith; and he especially doesn't want me to want to be closer to God.  So he's been whispering these doubts to me.  The words "I'm not good enough" are ones that scream in my head most.  I know I'm not the only one who hears these words. But ladies, we need to recognize those words for what they are -- lies.  Those words are not from God -- they are lies the devil whispers, or sometimes screams, at us.  We can't listen to these lies anymore!  The Bible says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)  Jesus himself said these words!  And one way the devil destroys is by whispering these lies to us.  And we believe him so easily!  I believe this is why:

I was watching a really sad episode of the tv show Intervention last night.  The woman featured, a wife and mother, went into a downward, drug induced spiral, when her husband admitted he had feelings for another woman.  This woman had judged her self-worth and happiness by her marriage, and when her husband failed her, the devil stepped right in, confirming that she wasn't good enough to even make her husband happy.  She met someone else, someone who was heavily into drugs, and once again put her happiness and self-worth in him.  Now she's addicted to drugs, her marriage is over and the court has taken her kids away.  Is this the kind of life God has for us?  I think not.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has plans for us that include plans for 'welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'  I couldn't even watch the rest of the program, because all I could think about was that she put her happiness and joy in the wrong place..  This is just one example, but there are so many.  But like John 10:10 says, Jesus came so we could have an abundant life in Him!  He doesn't want us to face the challenges this woman is now facing.  But her self-worth plummeted when her husband let her down.  Here's the thing, though: When we put our trust and faith in something other than Jesus, we're going to be let down.  Always.  The gauge of how happy or successful our life is can't be based on someone other than Jesus.  Think of it like a compass.  A compass always points North, so you know which direction to head in.  Jesus should always be our North, not anyone or anything else.  When Jesus is our North, we'll know which direction to take and always find our way.  Jesus will NEVER let us down.  He is truly all we need.  And know this: Jesus' love is unconditional.  He's never going to love you less because of something you've done.  So when the devil starts to whispers those ugly words again, we can be ready with the assurances that God has good things planned for our lives.  And He wouldn't do that if He didn't know we were worthwhile.  We are worth so worthwhile, that "He sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) 

Let's take this idea of value a step further.  Ladies, I want you to know, and believe, right now, that God loves you.  And when Jesus gave His life on the cross, He was doing it for you.  And I highly doubt that God, the creater of the universe, would send His son to die a slow, painful, humilitating death on the cross, for someone who had no value.  Colossians 1:16 says, "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him."  So we already know that we were created by God.  But have you ever thought about the fact that you were created for Him?  Think about it -- If we were created for God, what is our purpose?

We were created with a specific purpose - to glorify God.  1 Peter 4:11 says, "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."  AMEN!  In addition, Colassians 3:17 says, " Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."  God should get the glory for everything we say and do.  People should know that we aren't maneuvering through this life on our own strength!  The glory belongs to the Lord.  (Also check out 1 Corinthians 10:31 for another scripture on this subject.)

You have value in the eyes of God.  He loves you no matter what.  He created you with a purpose, and has equipped you, or will equip you, with the knowledge and talents to do His will.  Keep your life compass on Jesus, and see the amazing things that He will do in your life.  So don't listen to the lies the devil tells you --  he wants to keep you from the full life God has planned for you!

Before I go for the night, I found this chart on Facebook a couple weeks ago.  I thought it was a great reminder about how God views you when your view of yourself isn't as pretty.  I hope they are an encouragement to you!

**All verses taken from the New American Standard Bible.

Tinkerbell Party Favors: Part 2

 This is the almost finished Fairy Jar I was working on for my daughter's 4th birthday party.  She loves fairies, especially Tinkerbell.  In fact, there are many days where she spends her time 'flying' around the house and I have to help her attach her 'fairy wings' (that are invisible) so she can fly.  If you missed my first post with the instructions to make these fairy jars, click here.

I'll be honest, they didn't turn out exactly the way I had hoped.  I had to do some quick rearranging because the jars turned out so cute, my hubby and I couldn't stand the thought of putting anything in them besides the lights!  Thankfully, I had purchased some sets of Tinkerbell favors that came with bags.  So, I just put all the favors candies into the Tinkerbell bags. 

*Note to self*  The favors jars would have been plenty to send home with the kids.   They absolutely loved them...even the boys!  They were a definite hit! 

I estimated that I made these favors for around $2.00 a piece, probably a little bit less.

 I ordered battery operated, color changing tea light candles from Amazon.  I got free shipping, and the price wasn't bad.  I probably could have gotten them at Walmart cheaper, but they wouldn't have changed color, and with 3 young kids, going anywhere with them has the potential to be a nightmare.

 Next, I bought a strip of pre-taped velcro at Walmart for next to nothing.  I cut it into small squares (I only needed to use about half the velcro) and stuck one square in the bottom of each jar.  My hand was too big to reach all the way down, so I used a pair of tongs to put them in place, and a wooden chopstick to push it down.  (Yay me for marrying a Korean man!)



 Then I put the sqares from the other side of the vecro onto the back of the candle.

 These are the candies and Tinkerbell things I bought to put inside the favor jars....which I ended up not putting in the favor jars.

All of the jars lighting up beautifully!

Close up of how pretty the jars turned out!

 At the last minute, I decided to put a Tinkerbell sticker on the front of each jar.  That way, there was no mistake that this was a Tinkerbell party and these were fairy jars.  It looks like the lights weren't very bright in this picture, but the lighting at the gym was really strange.  Hardly and of my pictures from there turned out -- it was very discouraging.  The jars lit up really well at home.

This pretty lady is my daughter!  She had a great time at her gymnastics party.

Tinkerbell and friends cupcakes



Close up of Tinkerbell cake

Tinkerbell cake



Overall, this was a really fun party to plan.  The favors were super fun to design and make.  And I absolutely love making my kids birthday cakes.  I really happy with how everything turned out :)  I hope you enjoyed the process as well!