Sometimes You Have to Walk Away

There are times in life when you just have to walk away. It may seem hard and those on the outside may judge you as harsh and unfeeling. Those on the inside might too. But there truly are times when it’s okay and actually healthy to walk away.

I’ve been through it. And while I don’t feel like I can share all the details on the internet, I can share some things I’ve learned. While I had to walk away, it wasn’t because I’m heartless or cruel, nor is it because I didn’t like someone. I think those things have been thrown around and they just aren’t true.

Walking away from a situation, group, or person isn’t something I take lightly. It’s not something I do facetiously. It took three years to get to the point where I had to say, enough. I did it to protect myself, my family, and my time. That may sound selfish but there have been times when I’ve given so much of myself and my time to something else that there’s nothing left to give to what matters most. For me that’s my family.

Through this I’ve learned there are people in this world who are very mentally unwell. They don’t have the emotional maturity to own up to their wrongdoings, take any responsibility for their part in things, or recognize when they’ve hurt someone. I’m not talking about your average two year old either. These are grown adults who have can’t take responsibility.

I’ve learned these people usually have a very hard past with abuse, abandonment, or trauma that they refuse to heal from or believe they can’t be healed from. They are walking around with all that baggage and it leaks like battery acid on all their relationships. I could live in that yuck – believe me, I have it. But I’ve chosen to say, that doesn’t define me. I can still choose to love those around me and be thoughtful, kind, and repentant.

I’ve also learned these people are master manipulators. I got hoodwinked for quite awhile before starting to see the lies and things that just didn’t add up. It look a long time to see all the ‘victim stories’ were really just excuses to not take ownership of their problems and find solutions. It allows them to sit in the yuck and get everyone around them to feel sorry for them and take action for them.

There’s so much more and I’ll possibly share more as time goes on.

But for now, lastly, I had to learn that it wasn’t me. These people are so so good at getting you to believe you are the crazy one, that you are the horrible friend, and that you are cruel and unkind. Their manipulation doesn’t stop at making you pity them. It continues until you feel like you must be a terrible friend because what you do is never enough for them so you try to do more and it’s still not enough. They get you to question everything because the story always changes and they try to triangulate all your other friends to ostracize you.

The blessing in all of it is this: I found out who my true friends were. The ones who came to me and said, just so you know, this is being said about you and I know it’s not true. Friends who told the manipulator, just go talk to her, she’ll listen and want to resolve whatever you think is wrong. Friends who stood up for me when I wasn’t in the room.

Unfortunately, I also found out who chose to believe all the narratives spewed about me. I won’t lie, that hurts. A lot. And I’m still trying to heal from that. When friends you’ve known and loved for most of your adult life choose to believe lies about you, it cuts deep.

I am not perfect. I’ve had to apologize to my friends. I’ve screwed up in my relationships. But I try to own it and repent. Please know, I don’t ever walk away lightly.

My walking away meant a lot of hurt for me. And probably for others as well. I’m a fixer and my desire is always to stay and make it right, probably to my own detriment sometimes. But I do have a limit. And that limit was reached after a lot of attempted conversation, prayer, attempts to make amends, and even apologize for things I hadn’t done.

It got to the point where I realized, this person isn’t healthy enough to actually fix this. No matter what I do, it’ll never be enough. So, to protect myself and my family along with other relationships, I had to say my boundary is now here and it won’t be moved.

It hasn’t been a light road. I’ve frequently contemplated if I’m just a horrible friend and don’t know how to love well. I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer, specifically asking God to reveal to me what I need to repent of. I’ve asked a couple of godly mentors to help me see the truth and to ask me the hard questions. Every time I’ve poured it all out to the Lord, he has vindicated me. He has told me clearly time and again that I’m free from fault. He has shown me in innumerable ways at just the perfect times what’s truly going on. I know that He has it all in His hands and He protects my reputation.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge[b]—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent. Psalm 91:9-10

A Little Dottie for your Day

I used to frequently post a photo of Dottie with this tagline. There’s just something about her bright, intelligent eyes, her sweet smile, and joyful demeanor that captivated people. She’s been a joy since she was born and we love her so much. These last couple months, we’ve had a lot of Dottie each day but in a very different way.

This last week I was reading the book of Joshua in my Bible plan. Over and over in that book, God says don’t be afraid, have courage, do not fear.

At one point He says “Only be very courageous!”

It was fitting, as God’s word always is. Yet, it never ceases to amaze me that it always perfectly aligns with my situation. It’s like God intimately knows!

On Wednesday, I had to face some real fear. And I praise God for these verses leading up to and even on that day.

For a couple months now our sweet Dottie has been dealing with chronic headaches. It had seemed to progress from occasionally to daily. She complained multiple times a day and became sluggish. She went back to napping daily after having not napped for a year.

I’m not one to rush to the doctor, but after two months of trying every home remedy and craniosacral work with no lasting results, I knew something was wrong.

After a couple appointments and lab work that showed she was reacting to dairy and gluten, we also scheduled an MRI. Before our appointment as I prayed and thought about it all, I knew I wanted labs and imaging. I’m thankful the pediatrician felt the same way and got things moving.

Last Friday, she had her MRI.

This last Wednesday I got a call from the pediatrician’s office. They left a message saying he wanted to meet with me that day and to call back. When I did, the assistant said that the doctor would really like both mom and dad on the video call. Nothing unnerves you quite like that comment. We had been told Friday there was nothing alarming but the results would go to our pediatrician and he’d reach out so I honestly put it at the back of my mind and didn’t think more about it.

But when they said “today” and “both mom and dad”, my heart started racing and my mind felt foggy like I couldn’t think straight. I was honestly terrified of what they were going to tell me.

And I had to fight that fear all morning as I waited for our appointment.

I had to run to the store and Ortho, which was a blessing because it kept me busy. And it was a double blessing because while at Aldi, I ran into some amazing, godly, friends. The Lord said to me in that moment, “I put them here for you”.

So I told them what was going on and how scared I felt. They prayed right there in the store with me. I felt the fear and anxiety lift and my mind clear. Thank you, Jesus!

Andrew and I figured out how to both get on the video call with some frustration and could finally talk to the doctor.

Dottie has been diagnosed with Chiari Malformation Type 1. The brain tissue is down over her brain stem too far, causing pressure. Because of the pressure the spinal fluid can’t flow freely, causing headaches.

Many have said I’m so sorry and diagnoses are so heartbreaking. But, honestly, I was just relieved to know something specific. And relieved it wasn’t a brain tumor. At least with a diagnosis, we can face it head on and research what can be done.

Right now, we’re in the gathering information stage. We don’t feel rushed to make a hurried decision because since we’ve taken dairy and gluten out of her diet, her energy level is back up and she rarely complains of headaches now. We can see how much better she feels in her face with those changes so we’re thankful the Lord has given her that relief and all of us the extra time.

The neurologist’s solution is a deconstruction surgery where they take a portion of the skull out to make more room. I recently met someone who had this surgery and found so much relief from it. I’m so thankful the Lord is placing people in our lives at just the right time to help us on this journey.

We’re talking to a lot of people right now, praying, and watching Dottie closely. She is her regular, happy, joyful, energetic self and has handled the diet change like a champ, for which we’re thankful as well.

God knows exactly what the next steps are, even if we don’t. We’re trusting His perfect plan and asking for His guidance in everything. We’re thanking Him for already answering so many prayers and giving us tangible support and reminders that He’s right here with us.

Joshua 1:5-6 Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous
Joshua 1:7 Only be very strong and courageous
Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 3:7 As I was with Moses, so I will be with you

Digging Out

After three weeks of serious illness in our house, we’re finally healthy. Now it’s time to dig ourselves out!

Three weeks of illness in a large family doesn’t mean you get three weeks behind. It multiplies exponentially and quickly! If I cancelled three weeks worth of activities, playdates, appointments, and school, it’s not like I have three free weeks in which to fit it all after we’re better. Oh no, it just piles on top.

Guaranteed some things are just gone, fallen by the wayside never to be retrieved. It just happens. I got to the point where I was just happy there weren’t kids puking, piles of laundry ready to topple on me, and fresh food in the fridge again. The rest didn’t matter.

One thing that unfortunately happens is stuff gets set places, random places. Things get piled to be dealt with later and things get lost. I just found an envelope that was supposed to go in the mail a month ago…oops.

The worst of the worst is always our school room/ office space. It’s like a magnet for attracting all the things and then effectively losing all the things! So, needless to say, it got pretty bad. Okay, REALLY bad!

Before I show you photos, I need to tell you that minimalism is really, really beneficial in times like these. Though my office was a nightmare, it only took about 2 hours to put it to rights again. Before I learned how to pare down, it would have taken days. Truly.

Here’s how it started this morning. I cringed just walking into this room. The kids had to walk on rice and beans (from busy bins) and climb over stuff to find their school books. I felt so claustrophobic in here.

You can totally tell kids’ personalities by their cubbies. It cracks me up every time. I have some really neat children and some, well, not so neat by nature. But once the floor was clean they all came in and tidied their shelves.

After a couple hours, I’d say it’s passable again. I would love to have less stuff in this room but we really do use the majority frequently. The books on the shelves aren’t all used every year, but I have a lot of homeschooling years left so I’m not willing to part with it all yet. But, every spring I do go through each item and decide if it’s still worth keeping. And now, at least we can walk in here and find our school stuff!

Nice, clean shelves for school. Now that everyone is feeling better, it’s back to the books. At least for the morning hours. We’re all feeling the spring fever in a big way and are loving these warm afternoons.

Nature is calling and we must go! But, when we do hit the books at least we can FIND the books!

Mamas, this is your encouragement. Just do something. Pick a room, grab a garbage bag, broom, and a donate box. Clean it out and make it usable. And if, like me, you are feeling buried because of circumstances, take heart. You can get there a bit at a time! It feels so good in our office again!

God, our friend

Friend: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.

So often as mothers we can feel lonely. It can be isolating to stay home and care for little ones, even when it’s what we want to do! It can be hard to have little adult interaction.

I believe God doesn’t want us to go it alone! He’s a God of relationships. In fact everything he did to sanctify us was so we could have a relationship with him. He willingly sacrificed his only son so we could be a friend of his and have a bond of mutual affection!

These last two weeks have been hard at our house. I’m on laundry load number 30 already (I usually do 15 a week). I’ve disinfected my house with bleach numerous times, washed all the bedding, scrubbed the bathrooms countless times, opened windows, washed children, and scrubbed my hands until they are raw. In the midst of it all we haven’t left the house.

While battling this nasty crud, I have a couple friends who have faithfully checked in on me daily. They have told me they are praying for us. They’ve offered to drop groceries on my doorstep. They’ve Poloed so I can see their smiling faces. They’ve asked, “how are you”, knowing full well the answer will be long and ugly. Ultimately, they have let me know they love me and care.

I’m so thankful to the Lord for good friends. Friends who want the real answer when they ask. Friends who love us and truly lift us up to our good good Father. God is so good to make sure we never truly have to go it alone, even when we’re stuck in our house.

This guy’s smile is so welcome after days of illness!

And when I can’t see my friends, I’m reminded that God is my friend, a better one than any other, and he’s near to me. I have felt as I’ve prayed for healing this week that he hasn’t heard, but I know that feeling isn’t truth. His Word tells me He hears me and answers me. And I can be thankful even in the hard that He is my closest friend.

Psalm 34:17 ESV
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Psalm 116:1 ESV
I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.

Cold Cellar Reset

Spring fever has hit! I’ve been reading gardening magazines and flower books. As the sun shines more brightly through the windows, I see the dust and grime that has accumulated over winter and I want to scrub everything. The snow is melting just a bit and the chickens are venturing outside.

Now, I know there will be more cold days and probably more snow, but for these few warm days I’ll pretend spring has sprung.

Today I tackled my cold cellar.

It needed a serious reset. While we did get some produce to store over winter, I think I was kind of scarred from the growing season and I just left it. And, well, you know what happens when you leave produce. It tends to rot.

Judge all you want, it is what it is. And so I needed to do a good deep clean. And the chickens scored big time!

My kids did a great job scooping out old carrots and throwing squash to the chickens.

Then I scrubbed shelves and reorganized! Just like that, it’s ready for another growing and canning season!

Prayerfully, this next gardening season will be more fruitful than the last! And for now, I’ll just remember it’s ok to fail, it’s ok when things don’t go the way we hoped or plan. God is always faithful, and he promises to always bring about the seasons.

Genesis 8:22 ESV
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”


Hard and Good

Hard days. We all have them. Often, I think as mamas we don’t like to admit them. We don’t want to appear weak, overwhelmed, tired, done. We don’t want to hear, well you choose this, you wanted kids.

Yep, I did choose this. And I’d choose it over and over and over. But, let’s be ok with saying today was hard, this week has been hard, this season has been hard. It’s ok for things to be hard and still be good. Hard doesn’t mean I don’t want this. It doesn’t mean I’d choose something else. It just means we’re human, we have physical, mental, and emotional limits. It means we need some space to recharge so we can keep going.

How has it been hard? Let me count the ways.

Andrew is three weeks into his new job and is loving it, but it’s been a big transition. The schedule is very different than we’re used to, he’s driving 100 miles a day, and he’s tired when he comes home.

We’ve been sick for 1000 years. Ok, not really, but as a mama it feels like eternity when it slowly rolls through the entire family and then a new illness takes its place.

All the cars have broken down in the last week and there is now a pile of car parts in the garage waiting to be changed out.

And to top it off, our sweet 4 year old has been suffering chronic headaches for a couple months now. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t bring my kids to the doctor. But after exhausting all my knowledge and other’s knowledge and getting no results, we went to the doctor.

Turns out she has some severe food sensitivities to gluten and dairy, so let’s just add completely changing her diet to the mix.

She’s also going to have an MRI to rule out anything worse.

It’s just a lot.

I love being a mama, running our home, homeschooling, and homesteading. But it isn’t an easy path. It isn’t a glamorous life.

If you don’t have kids, just remember this image…

I was changing bed sheets, starting laundry, and mopping floors.

Doesn’t sound too abnormal for a mom?

It was 2am.

There is a song out right now called Worship Through It by Tasha Layton and, boy does it speak to my heart. Here’s the lyrics…


This looks impossible
But You’re the God of impossible
And I’ve seen your faithfulness all over my life
I need a miracle
And You’re the God of miracles
Some way, somehow You come through every time
I know my God can do it
So, I’m gonna worship through it
Before I see my breakthrough
I’m gonna choose to praise You
I will sing hallelujah to the one
Who can do what the world says can’t be done
I know my God can do it
So, I’m gonna worship through it
In the middle of my no way out
In the middle of my don’t know how
I hear You whisper to me peace be still
This is why I believe
You will deliver me
You always have and you always will
You always have and you always will
I won’t wait til the rocks cry out
I’m gonna praise You
I won’t wait till the walls come down
I’m gonna praise You
(Gonna) Lift my hands right here, right now
I’m gonna praise You
Oh God I praise You!


Source: LyricFind

Today, I choose to be thankful and worship the God of impossible. I choose to worship Him who brings me peace and miracles and deliverance. As a friend of mine always says, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.”

The Last Hour

The last six months have been an interesting ride. We’ve lost and gained and through it all God has shown up.

Just today a friend posted how her car broke down today, right before she was headed on a trip and how amazing it was that God protected her and took care of her. Her car could have broken down on the road, away from family to help her, but instead it happened right where she could get help.

That’s the kind of God we have. Sometimes it doesn’t look like help and protection and provision. She could have looked at that as a total negative; what if her trip had to be moved or cancelled.

We have to have the right perspective about the things that happen in our life. And when we look for God’s provision, we see it!

We can see the darkness, or we can choose to see the light.

From the moment Andrew lost his job another company began pursuing him. They offered him a good salary and he knew the industry. But we knew it wasn’t the right fit. It was so tempting though because he would have been getting double paid and we wouldn’t have had to worry about finding a job. But we just knew.

In September Andrew’s Rolodex of business cards fell. It scattered cards everywhere. In all the mess, one card was face up. Just one.

Andrew picked it up and thought, hmm, maybe I should reach out. So he did. He had a great meeting with the gentleman who was, in fact, going to be needing someone. He just wasn’t sure when.

So Andrew pursued anything and everything, applying to many, many places. He had a few interviews, a lot of “no thanks” emails. It’s hard to see those over and over again. I kept trying to reassure him that he was amazing and the right job was out there and God knew where it was. But it’s hard to face rejection repeatedly.

In November, we heard a speaker talk about God’s timing. He said something like this, “God is the slowest person I know. He likes to create a little drama, ramp things up a bit before he comes through. But He always comes through, usually at the last hour.”

My Spirit reacted to that. The Last Hour. On the way home, I told Andrew, I think God just told me today He’s working and we have to keep waiting and trusting. He’s going to come in at the last hour.

Now for us impatient folks, that’s not what we want to hear. But God. More than desiring to give a job, He desired us to learn to wait on Him, to trust Him more deeply, and to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that He’ll keep His promise to take care of us.

In early December Andrew made it to the third round of interviews at a really great company close to home. We were excited and it seemed like a good fit. Then he got the “sorry but we went with someone else email”. We felt very defeated and sad.

Yet, I heard that quiet whisper again…it’s not the last hour.

There’s nothing quite like going through Christmas unemployed, knowing severance is going to run out soon, with no prospects on the horizon.

Then, Andrew got a text, hey I posted a job, you should apply. It was from the person whose business card had landed face up. So he applied. He told them plainly what he’d need to make and how important our family time is. He laid out all his parameters up front, just feeling like he needed to.

They interviewed him and then it was quiet for quite a while. Andrew kept sending out his resume, grasping at suggestions from friends and anything he found online. It’s truly a testament to Andrew’s diligence and perseverance. To see him up early every morning, scouring the internet, filling out applications, writing cover letters tailored to each job, answering emails. He really put in his all.

But there’s only so much you can do when job hunting. A lot lies in the employers and their willingness to say yes. And, of course, as we know, most of it lies with God and His workings.

Fast forward to the new year and Andrew finally got a call for a second interview. He felt both interviews went well and he really enjoyed getting to know everyone he talked to. Still, they hadn’t said anything about pay which made us a bit nervous.

Another couple weeks went by and Andrew got a text from this same gentleman. He wanted to come down and meet with Andrew. We thought, surely he’s not going to travel all the way down here to say “no thanks”.

But he didn’t offer the job. He asked a lot more questions. Andrew got the feeling he really liked Andrew but had reservations. After the meeting he told Andrew they were going to make a decision in a week.

Four days later, Andrew received an offer letter! And, well, let’s just say, God knew exactly what He was doing all along. I’m still standing in awe of how he has orchestrated every detail.

He gave Andrew all his requests, even ones we hadn’t prayed for!

And He came in at the very last hour. You see his severance runs out three days before he starts his new job! If that isn’t the last hour, I don’t know what is!

Andrew is now the store manager at Heartland Outlet in Shakopee, a place that marries business with ministry. There literally isn’t a better fit for Andrew! He loves sales and he loves Jesus and He gets to combine them everyday now at work!

We are excited and hopeful and praising Jesus for this. We also recognize it’s a long commute, so please pray for safety over him as he drives 2 hours everyday. And please pray for a better all-wheel drive vehicle he can commute in. We know God gave him this job and we know He’ll provide for all the details too, including a car. The one he drives now has almost 300,000 miles on it!

I want to say, truly and from my heart, if you’ve been praying for our family, thank you. We serve a listening Father, who comes through, even if He does wait until the last hour!

Weeping into Rejoicing

January. It’s kind of the worst month. Christmas is over, it’s cold, gloomy, and gray. Often there isn’t much snow and if there is snow it’s so cold outside you can’t go out anyway.

Add to it for me the fact that my mom died in this month and it’s a recipe for a downright crappy month.

I’ve tried hard over the years to find ways to enjoy this month. And things have worked some.

My fireplace, focusing on my sister’s birthday and my daughter-in-law’s birthday, finding good books to read, lighting candles, crocheting, browsing my seed catalogs. They have all helped me get through it.

But I’ve learned, too, over the years to let myself be sad. It’s ok to feel that and think about what I’m missing. It’s ok to acknowledge it sucks and hurts, even 23 years later.

And then, like I’ve said so many times before, I need to reframe my thoughts and look at the positive. Don’t say, well I’m not an optimist, so that’s not how I think. I wasn’t either, but guess what. You can retrain your brain! I did it. It’s possible. You can choose how you look at situations.

Does it still feel unfair that she was taken so young and just when I was starting to have babies? Absolutely.

But I know she’s in a beautiful place, fully healed, worshipping her Savior.

One thing I’ve learned over the past couple years, is that if you haven’t healed from your hurts and trauma from the past, it’s going to eek out sideways at those around you. I’ve been the recipient of it for a couple years and it isn’t an easy thing to watch or to deal with.

Every one of us has things in our past that hurt and affected us deeply. We can choose to sit in the yuck. But there are consequences of that. Usually you push others away with horrible behavior in some fashion or another. It’s worth going through the hard and hurt and fear and crud to come out on the other side healed.

It’s worth it for you and for those you love. So feel the sadness and grieve the loss of how you thought life should look. Feel those hard feelings and then process them, give them to the Lord, and ask Him to fill those hurt places. Get a counselor, a good godly one, if you feel you need one.

Whatever it takes, get healthy. It’s hard, but it’s much harder to carry the burden for the rest of your life, swinging it around at unsuspecting people and hurting them too.

I remember being so angry at God for a long time after my mom died. And I could have stayed there. But I saw what it was doing to me and to my family and it wasn’t worth keeping.

Now, I can spend a day sad that my mom isn’t here. And then I can rejoice the next day that I am and that the Lord gave me an awesome husband, 12 amazing kids, a terrific daughter-in-law, 2 grandkids, family and friends, and so many more blessings. I can smile knowing my mom is fully healed and restored.

Not So Hidden Blessings

Andrew and I were reminiscing about 2024 on the 31st.

We’ve been seeing all these memes about 2024 ending and 2025 coming. Things like

2024 says, “But did you die?”

No one claim 2025 as your year. We’re all going to walk in nice and slow like.

We’ve been laughing at them because, honestly, we can relate. But as we talked over the year, we were blown away by God’s faithfulness and constant presence.

We were devastated when our garden flooded and we lost everything, but God gave us rest we hadn’t had in a long time.

We were shocked when Andrew was let go from his job, but God gave Andrew restoration and healing after being so burned out. God gave release and freedom where there seemed to be none. God has provided each and every day since July 22nd.

We were blessed with three visits with Isaiah.

Because Andrew was off work, we were able to help Samuel and Liv fix up their new house.

God added to our family by sending sweet Eli.

God brought new friends into our life whom we desperately needed.

God forged other friendships deeper and purer.

He showed us who truly had our back.

There are always going to be hard times, difficult seasons, and trying circumstances. We live in a broken and fallen world.

But God.

He is ever present and working. He loves us and desires to bless us abundantly. Sometimes we just have to look at a situation differently.

So whatever 2024 looked like for you, ask God where is the blessing in this? Guaranteed they are there and he’ll show you!

Busy Bins

We’ve had yucky illnesses running through out house, like the rest of Minnesota. I don’t know many who are fully healthy right now. But we’ve been very cooped up and the kids are getting bored.

Sometimes desperation leads to creativity!

I wandered the Dollar Tree the other day and found so many great things to make busy bins!

First, I found muffin tins for $1.25 each, glued some colored construction paper in the bottom of the cups and created a color sorting toy! The pom poms were from Target as they didn’t have any at the Dollar Tree. Even the 9 year old loves it!

Next, a couple bags of cheap rice, a bin, and some mini jingle bells and Christmas themed erasers, all from the dollar store! I also found some bright colored measuring cups they can use to dig. The items can easily be changed out when it isn’t Christmas break. This one gets messy with the one year old, but my new stick vacuum (thank you, friend) makes it easy to clean up!

This one is black beans with fairy houses, a little dog toy that included 2 dogs, a dog bed, house, dish, and brush. Then the fake succulents were in little plastic cups for a decoration but I just ripped the succulent out (it was literally just stuck into foam) and now they are bushes! The little blocks were in the craft aisle!

This one is super fun! They had all these super hero and movie characters in the toy aisle. I added some mini blocks and mini storage containers from the kitchen section and the kids love building, stacking, and imagining with the figures.

Hopefully this spurs on some creativity in your house for these cold winter days! The clear bins were at the Dollar store too! All in all, I didn’t spend more than $30 to keep the little ones busy as the older ones do school and the temps drop.