Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt Costumes

Making a Thomas the Tank Engine and a Sir Topham Hatt

My boys love Thomas and Friends... so what better than a costumes than have in my older son as a Thomas and the youngest as Sir Topham Hatt since he is still a little bit of chunky I was thinking if something cute for him. So I had a large box and decided to make a fun costume. I started it pretty early on becaus I knew it would take a with for me to complete this. 

We had purchased some red and blue spray paint for the this project and we alway have a large amount of boxes and we also a black from a previous project. I took a knife and cut of all of the flaps except one that the smoke stack and bell were going to be on.  Next was to spray paint the out side of the box blue and of course that was done out doors.

I took both of the wider side flaps of the box and thought about making some wheels out of them. I then traced around a circular (flower pot) shape and started to cur them out. Their was enough room for three on each side, so that meant there we six all together there were six. Three on each side. From there used what ever I could with to make red duct tap, a black painted smoke stack a toilet paper roll with smoke out of the stack aka cotton balls, and a bronze bell. We also had copied a Thomas head and then glued on the lid to the coffee can.  Someone had given a pair of engineer overalls and for MJ's birthday he got a sweet little Thomas hat and then he had some suspenders with another little outfit. There are several other details that only some who watches a whole lot of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Next was Sir Topham Hatt! I used a old coffee can and I then got a paper plate and cut out the center and then hot glue gunned them together and then spray painted them black. The only other thing that I had to do was to saftey pin some yellow felt  to a white shirt and then then I turn one of Siah's suit coat inside out. The pants for that went along with the suit coat were grey and he has lots of ties for Sundays. His custom was fairly simple!

Our town does a parade for the Halloween and there our are age groups for the custom judging and then give out bags candy and hot chocolate.

We set up a little studio at hime and had some fun taking some photos of our sweet boys!!!! Thanks for all of your help Keith couldn't have done it with out you.

Missions Trip Day 2

Mission Trip

Reynosa, MX

1 Peter 5

Day 2

After sweating so much yesterday, I wasn’t sure that I could handle the heat in Mexico. God is GOOD! In the forecast it was suppose to be very hot all week but in San Antonio it RAINED!!!!!!!! I have never been so happy to be loading up the van in pouring down rain.  I was even a little chilly because of the rain.

Group praying before we leave for San Antonio to Reynosa, Mexico

We had about a four hours to the Mexico border.

For lunch we had Subway sandwiches and there was a Dairy Queen across the street. Alania and I shared a 12 inch sandwich and it had wonderful gucamole. Sara had mad the saying of you never pass up a bathroom or guacamole on road trips or just in general… that became our saying every time someone would go to the bathroom or had guacamole. We were about two hours away from getting to me Betsy and who ever else was going to transport or luggage over.

Meeting Betsy and Randall were super excited to see us. The Texas office of Children’s Haven International, is where the thrift store, fundraising, and offices are located.

The first place that we went was the room with all the children pictures.  I was super excited to see all of them and was surprised that there wasn’t anyone who really stuck out at me. Even though I was expecting some of them to stick out at me.  Instead their where faces on a wall and at that point the nerves started to kick in and begin to fill my mind. What was I doing? I have spoken Spanish since 2004 in my not so awesome Spanish class. At that point I had to start to pray.

“Lord please let there be someone that I can impact or will have an impact on me. There are 53 children on this wall, please help me to be patient and be able to communicate with one or two of them.”
Once we had crossed the border we travel about 10-20 minutes and we were at the 15 acre compound of Children's Haven International, CHI. 

We made it! No issues with customs and we traveled over to CHI in less than thirty minutes. What a relief to finally get to the spot were I have been preparing in my heart to go for about a year. We had a quick tour of the campus and here the women's side of the dormitory.

The dormitory were the only rooms that were air condition.... and I slept excellent every night. That poor little air unit was working to keep the room at 68 degrees. It sure was a huge answer to prayer when the temperature was not as hot as it was expected to to be. Now don't get me wrong, it was still hot but not he 110 degrees that is was supposed to be. 

We were able to meet all the children, the house parents who they called Tio (Uncle) and Tia (Aunt), other staff at CHI. During the summer there are two interns, Stephanie from Tx and Josh from KS joined us this summer. We were able to attend one of there weekly chapels and then hang out at afterwards and play some soccer and start to get to know the kiddos.

I was so ready to go to bed and get up and work early in the morning.

1 Peter 5:5-7

5In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.