Goodbye Jenny!

It was a crafty kind of day around here on Thursday...

Kinda in a good way,

Kinda in a REALLY HARD way too!

I made this simple and fun card.

Loved making the card, hated having to write it!

You see, we are in the final stages of transitioning the agency staff we have had in our house for the last year out, and completely to our own staff. I am super excited about our own staff (even though it is TONS more work for me!) but we all ADORE the staff we are loosing.* So it was very hard to write the words in this card to this sweet and wonderful young lady, who's last night was Thursday. She will be greatly missed in our home.

Jenny and I also worked together to come up with a craft to do with the kids on their final night together. We wanted something that they could work on together to create a lasting piece that each would have to remember the other. We decided on decorating picture frames, and then framing a picture of them all together. I am REALLY HAPPY with how well this project came out!

(don't forget, you can click on the picture to see them bigger if you would like)

This is the frame Audrey made. I am not surprised that she did such a great job, she is my little artist! Audrey painted and decorated the frame. Jenny wrote on the mating special words to Audrey, and I took, edited and printed the picture. Team effort!

This is Nathaniel's project, and the one that really surprised me! Nat is not usually so into art projects, but he REALLY concentrated on painting his frame so nicely, and he planned out where all the stickers went instead of just putting them on top of each other (his usual mode). Nathaniel did a GREAT job of making a very nice frame, Jenny again wrote words of encouragement and memories to Nat on the mat, and I added the picture. Another team effort!

And Jenny... oh Jenny cracked me up! I learned something new about her that night.... when it come to crafts she is a PERFECTIONIST!!! It was so cute. So Jenny created the PERFECT frame, the kids had written words on her mat earlier in the day (and did a great job of NICE handwriting too!) as a surprise to her, and again I added the picture. Team effort number 3.

All of the frames came out so cute and are reflective of the one who made them. The kids have them right by their beds to have in the coming days when they miss Jenny. (Nat actually slept WITH his the first night, crying for HOURS after she left.... it was so sad, but I am glad he has something to hold onto when he misses her!)

This is the super cute picture of the kids and Jenny that we used.

I am glad that this project came out so cute. And I am glad that we have that good bye behind us, because it was HARD. But I am NOT glad that we have one more to go tonight! I wonder what we should do with Mr. Reb tonight....... any ideas???

*Little explanation from above.... we were using staff from an agency, who was in our home for a finite period of time. We LOVE our In Home Workers, but they must stay with the agency that they work for, and we have new workers that are taking over all of the shifts. It's just one of those life things, but we do have to play by the agency rules, which say no contact after said workers are out of our home. Boo Hiss....