Is This a House for a Corrie Johns?

It's hard to believe that we've only been in Charlottesville for a couple of months now. Sure seems like a lot longer than that! However, in a lot of ways, Front Royal still feels like home. I know that it will just take a little time for us to settle in, but Corrie has been having a harder time than I thought she would with the change. 

Sometimes she will cry and say, "Mommy, I just weawy, weawy, weawy want to go home." Three "weawys" means she is pretty serious, and I know she is trying to tell me that she wants to go back to our house in Front Royal. And that sure is heart-breaking to hear with that sweet little voice of hers. 

A few weeks ago I got a book for Mac from the library titled, Is This a House for a Hermit Crab? As I read it to Mac, I got an idea for an activity to do with Corrie that I thought might help her get a little more used to our house in Charlottesville.

The book talks about a hermit crab that needs a new shell, and he tries on different "houses" that just don't seem to fit for various reasons. Finally, at the end, he finds a new home that fits just right for him.

So I thought I would help Mac and Corrie make their own books: 

I printed out pictures of various animal "houses" from the internet, and we put them on the pages together. I would ask, (looking at a spider web), "is this a house for a Corrie Johns?" She would say, "No!," and I would write down what she said on the page below the picture: 

For Mac, I simplified the content so that he could try and write his own responses:

On the last page, I put a picture of our house. I asked Corrie, "Is this a house for a Corrie Johns?!" 

She decided it was :)

Mac thought so too :)

But as I was preparing the materials for the kids to make their books, I knew in my heart that the story did not end there. 

So we added one last page. I helped the kids put a Bible verse in order and tape it onto the page: 

"Oh Lord of our hearts, home is not home without You."

-Charles Spurgeon