Show Me The Way

Cousins

2011-09-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Craft-tastic: Easy table-runner and centerpiece for SUMMER

2011-07-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

My first tutorial----a table runner in 50 easy steps....

You need:

(true story: I was buying some fabric at a local thrift store, the lady said that the fabric would be perfect once it was ironed, then looked back at me and said--I quote "you probably don't know what that is honey, an iron--" REALLY?? so this is proof--I've got one and I know how to mis-treat it!!)

Nothing better than a good pair of scissors--I keep mine hidden, sometimes from myself-- :)

Burlap--

Just had to take a pic for proof that I really got for a quarter--can you say AWESOME thrifting :)

Fabric in Bright colors---These were 2 for a quarter---GIDDY!!

or you could just go to the bucket of fabric already ready to be ironed on--

Oh wait--you don't have that bucket in your Craft Closet???

Then you'll need some no-sew iron on magic :)

(Unless you sew, in which case---this tutorial is not for you)

Now--have you got everything??

Is the iron hot??

Did you put a towel under the burlap so the table doesn't get burnt?

Ok--ready--

Iron the burlap--

Cut some leaves---no---there is no template--I'm sure you could google, bing, or yahoo one, but I just cut a leaf out--Remember-The NESTER says"It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" and I LOVE embracing that---it's just a leaf-they're not perfect---So just cut out a bunch--

If you have a random stash of pre-prepped fabric that is just itchy to be ironed on, then skip this step other wise you've got to cut small pieces of fabric fusing to use to attach the leaves

Then randomly arrange your leaves

Oh-wait, hurry move that one, one more time...
And then iron away...

Not sure if you can see this , but I frayed both of the long edges, because I like a "messy" look--please don't feel obligated to follow suite

And then you have to have something just a fun and full of "whimsy" to go in the middle

So just go the craft closet, get out a letter and smack some fabric leaves on it with some spray adhesive!! I followed with some matte-clear spray paint for good measure--and popped it in here:

This is my $2 pedastal bowl--painted the bowl and funky wooden thing, and glued them together:

Oh wait----just add a few more leaves----

Gotta love a fun, easy, thrifty craft :)

ENJOY!!

PS---Started with this as a centerpiece, worked and worked, but it was tooo FUSSY and Not FULL of WHIMSY--so it found another home-because it is a little fun--

I Linked up with: Paisley's Passions and SomeDay Crafts and HandyMan, CraftyWoman and YesterdayonTuesday

Road Trip!

2011-07-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

In February I was Thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the SCIRA conference in Myrtle Beach, SC with our school leaders. While we didn't bring home the award we were hoping for, we did receive runner-up and are already gearing up for next year.

We borrowed Benson Bear from Mrs. Brock's K5 class-he was eager for adventure, however, I think he got a little bit more than he bargained for!!

A cotton field full of cats, an emergency brake, a few spilled drinks...

a cage fighter...

I met a REAL-LIVE Cage fighter!! How exciting is that??

It's the little things in life folks...like meeting cage fighters-who don't mind crazy bear-toting-picture taking teachers!! Benson and I were very happy for the photo-op!
(Even though Jenny and Erika wouldn't let Benson and I go to a fight)

And a trip to the beach!

I am so thankful to work with women who love God, their families, and their jobs! We had great fun and made lots of memories :)

Photo Fun from Vacation :)

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Fun in Hendersonville

2011-06-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

We Are Family!

2011-06-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

Photos by Vassey Photography

Disclaimer: No children were harmed or killed in the taking of this picture-FYI-he did this silly fall on the ground pose when we told him we were finish and they caught in on camera and added the body line-too funny!

Nothing's better...

2011-06-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Than the Beacon

On Your Birthday!

Russell's Granny wanted a "Chili-Cheese-A-Plenty" for her Birthday this year, she didn't count on the giant Banana Split they brought to her when they sang!

Papa was pretty excited about his Ham-a-plenty too!

By the way, at the beacon, an a plenty, means PLENTY of fries and onion rings-the best onion rings on the planet!!

BUGZ-The end of a great year :)

2011-06-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Graduation

Birthday Present

2011-05-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

I may just be the luckiest girl in the world :)

My birthday falls in the middle of all the end of school craziness, but my sweet family took me to the lake to rest, relax, eat, and enjoy ourselves. We had tons of fun AND of course there was CAKE and PRESENTS! I'm like a kid when it comes to birthdays-I LOVE birthdays!! My plan for my birthday money was to save and have enough to buy a used DSLR camera---so I was very excited when I opened that very thing from my parents and husband!!!

And---

what better place to be than the lake to try it out!!

Isn't it awful that I don't have anyone to take pictures of ???

Dacie

2011-04-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

I thought you might want to-

Meet

Dacie

She made her appearance in January when I was still on a blogging hiatus(still not sure abt that)

Her cousin Isaac really wanted her to be a boy(he prayed for her to have boy parts that they just missed)doesn't he look like he wants her to be a boy(NOT!!) Sweet Cousins The 1st girl in our family in 11 years :) My first niece :) My brother's first child :) Isaac's first "girl cousin" :)

Welcome to the World!

2011-04-04T18:23:00.001-07:00

Ever have those days that you know you'll remember all the parts of-not just what happened-but the smells, the sights, the emotions??

Today was one of those days.

After years of prayers Lana welcomed baby Lydia to their family today-

she is a beautiful blessing.

Mackaylan became a big sister-

I think everyone involved could say that their

"heart(s) grew three sizes that day".

Lana was tired-but glowing

her eyes were weak-but full of the spark that new life and love create

Mickey was exhausted-nervous and proud-

and Mackaylan of course-all grins when she left

even cousin Eli, couldn't get enough snuggling with the perfect birthday girl

and Lydia-

with her sweet chunky legs, perfectly round head, rosy cheeks, and precious feet-

was the picture of love-of answered prayers, and God's most precious gift of life.

And so-

I came home...

with a full heart,

a renewed sense of God's love, His creation & His timing,

and a reminder of how special each of God's precious gifts are...

Happy Birth-day Lydia!

What we've been up to...

2011-01-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

A little of this...

A little of that....

And lots of things in between!

The theme at our house has been "Eat, Sleep, and Play"!

2010-09-21T17:50:00.001-07:00

It's Fall!! Well as least in my house it is! Pumpkins & leaves are all arounnd & the fall candles are lit -& even better-gasp-my house is clean-woohoo for fall

The Big K5

2010-08-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well-we made it through the first week of K5 without too many tears-I promise I've tried to be a big girl!!

Fishing-It's what we do!

2010-08-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Bait

The Merry Fishermen

The Reminder for Mom-"shhhhh"

The Victim

Insanity

2010-08-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

What can I say?
I am a girl smack dab in the middle of a boys world!

Between my "boys club" of a class @ school and my boys @ home---some days it's INSANE!

What-??

You don't believe me?

No--Really, it's INSANE--

I have proof. . .

Seeeeeeeeeee-

Told ya-

Totally Insane!

Oh-I see-

you thought this was what we usually looked like--

Sorry-that's one of those optical illusions!

Vacation

2010-08-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

Proof that I really was on vacation-because I'm always behind the camera!!

Soooo-we went to the beach-almost 2 months ago-crazy!

It was an amazing time-Isaac enjoyed the ocean more than he ever has

and he had fun in all the different pools!

So Blessed!

2010-07-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

They may be firefighting, fish catching, turtle chasing, water squirting, mud-slinging, 4-wheel riding, crazy boys-

but they're mine

I LOVE 'EM!

A Boy and a Barn

2010-07-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

Still playing with posting directly from Picassa-can't seem to do more than 4 pics per post if I do it that way!

Thought I would try a collage-if you click it, it enlarges!

Shot these about 2 weeks ago on one of the boys fishing adventures.

Faces

2010-07-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

One day this sweet little face will be all grown up-until then, I'm ploying all my mommy tactics to make sure I have plenty of fun photos to go with our memories :O

Jones Gap State Park

2010-07-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

We had a fun family adventure several weeks ago! We visited Jones Gap State Park-which is only about a 25 minute drive from our house-for the very first time! Not only was it @ least 15 degrees cooler there, it was gorgeous! Nestled right in the mountains, with the river flowing through it was an awesome choice for a quick family getaway. This was our first shot at hike in camping-and we didn't do too shabby-considering we had a 5 year old in tow and Russell was the only one with a "real" pack. I have to say that I enjoyed it even better than our other camping trips, because we were out far enough to be away from lots of other people and the normal hustle and bustle that goes along with a campground. I can't wait to try it again-soon!!

Our Little Soccer Player

2010-07-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

We were VERY excited that Isaac had the opportunity to try soccer in the spring! We are just a little bias, as hubby and I both were soccer players, and both our families are really partial to the sport! Isaac played basketball this year for the first time to, we are eager to let him find what he likes best--but he really enjoyed soccer even though it was a super short season-sooo we are ALL looking forward to the real thing beginning in August or September :0

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

Looking Back

2010-07-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, its easier to just live life and not look back. Not think about yesterday or the woulda, coulda, shoulda's! As I grow though, I find that it's where I've been and what God has gotten me through that make me who I am. So yes, maybe life would have been easier without some of the yesterdays, but then I wouldn't be who I am today-and while I know God's not finished with me yet, He has brought me so far in the last few years and for that I am so grateful!

I found these pictures I never posted from my sweet baby brother's wedding and it just made me think of how far we've come! We were so happy on this day, oblivious to the twists and turns ahead. We never know what is going to come our way in life, only God knows, because it's His perfect plan-designed just for us!

And so after this happy day God carried us through and delivered us from what could have been even more life changing than it was! When the doctor's confirmed that there was a mass on my liver to say I was afraid would not be accurate, I was terrified. BUT--I was immediately filled with peace-knowing that the fact that the mass had been found was a gift from God during an ultrasound to check my gall-bladder. After zillions of tests, several doctors, and two surgeries-I have 1/2 a liver, no gallbladder-but here I am! God allowed me to go through this storm, He carried me through it, with my family, my friends, and my church family.

I am healthier now than I have been in years, and so thankful for what feels like a 2nd chance at life. God has blessed me in so many ways and I'm so thankful that He has more for me to do and He isn't finished with me yet!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-07-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

I turned 30 back in May-and survived-lol!!

If you've been reading-(when I've posted, which I know has not been often lately) you know that I've been on a weight-loss journey. My mantra has been Thin and Thirty. I haven't made my goal weight yet-but I've lost about 45 lbs, so birthday time seemed like the perfect time for a reward!

So---- I drug Lana along kicking and screaming (sense the sarcasm) to a day at the spa in our of our weight loss and my birthday!

Lana was the perfect accomplice making sure I had the appropriate new clothes to wear--she insisted that I needed not just 1 new outfit for the "big reveal" but also something to wear to church Sunday and then of course School on Monday!
We had a great time shopping and it was amazing what I was able to find now that I have lost some weight!

If you know me "In Real Life" then you know that ALL my life I've had long hair to some degree. I liked it, but was tired of the lack of style-it just laid there. So when we decided on a spa day, I decided on a drastict new-do! I researched choices, printed pictures, even played with styles online that you could crop onto a picture of yourself.

Even with all the anticipation-I was a wreck when the stylist pulled my hair back and CHOPPED my ponytail off-it was sooo short. The hair was enough to be donated, which was awesome, and after some work my hair turned out amazing!

Before leaving for our spa adventure

Pretty nails

Saying goodbye to blah!

Drumroll Please....

TA-DA

After :)

My hubby and our friends from church surpised me-I was convinced we were going out to eat-but this was so much better! The funniest part was my mom trying to mentally prepare herself for what my hair was going to look like. It seems the conversation centered around how they would all react if it was awful-knowing that I know them all well it was going to be a struggle. So it was funny to look and see the "relief" on their faces that there didn't seem to be anything too crazy going on on top of my head!

Children's Tylenol and Motrin Recall

2010-05-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Throw it away!!!

Go here for a complete listing of the specific Tylenol and Motrin products that are effected.
From the looks of it, it includes all of their children's and infant's products.
I've been using store brands this week so I'm hoping they are still safe!!!

IEP's according to Dr. Seuss

2010-04-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Do you like these IEPs?

I do not like these IEPs I do not like them,

Jeeze Louise

We test, we check we plan,

we meet but nothing ever seems complete.

Would you, could you like the form?

I do not like the form I see.

Not page 1, not 2, not 3.

Another change, a brand new box, I think we all Have lost our rocks.

Could you all meet here or there?

We could not all meet here or there.

We cannot all fit anywhere.

Not in a room Not in a hall

There seems to be no space at all.

Would you, could you meet again?

I cannot meet again next week

No lunch, no prep Please here me speak.

No, not at dusk and not at dawn

At 4 p.m. I should be gone.

Could you hear while all speak out?

Would you write the words they spout?

I could not hear, I would not write

This does not need to be a fight.

Sign here, date there, Mark this, check that, Beware the student’s ad-vo-cat(e).

You do not like them so you say

Try it again! Try it again! and then you may.

If you let me be, I’ll try again and you will see.

Say!

I almost like these IEPs

I think I’ll write 6,003.

And I will practice day and night

Until they say "You’ve got it right."

author unknown

2010-04-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

It seems my little man has a new obsession-

4-wheelers.

What is it with little boys and things that go fast??

-thankfully-

He is cautious

He get's that from his Mama!

He has enjoyed riding his 4-wheeler around the yard---

-but after going to the 4-wheeler races @ Big Buck last weekend, he was hooked even more!

The Belly Fat Cure

2010-04-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing I know that applies to any part of life, it's that you have to choose what works for you and stick with it! Whether it's disciplining your children, cleaning your house, or trying to be healthy, if it doesn't work with your lifestyle it's not going to work for you.
I could easily moonlight as a weight-loss expert of a new kind-the what-not-to-do hotline!! Over the years I've eaten cabbage soup, cleansed my colon, taken vitamins, taken prescription diet pills, over the counter diet pills, eaten only meat & cheese, choked down tuna & grapefruit, painfully limited my calories, I mean the list could go on and on and on---seriously ridiculous~!
After having Isaac my struggle became worse than ever as we begin to try to conceive once again and I faced spinal meningitis, persistent miagraines, gallbladder surgery, and liver surgery. In the midst of all the other craziness going on I wasdiagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome and found that one of the struggles that goes hand in hand with PCOS is the struggle with abdominal weight-Imagine That!! So, even when I tried-the scale never did anything but go up.
I'll be honest at this point and admit that I was always pretty easily frustrated and expected instant results-If the scale didn't move within a few days I was done!!
Then we found an article in First for Women, by some MAN who thought he had the Cure for Belly Fat. My immediate thought was that if I had a penny for every time I had read an article that claimed that, that I would be a rich woman! But, I did take the time to read it, thought, well maybe, and then got to the food list--And then I thought-okay so maybe we really could do this!
The basic principal of Jorge Cruise's The Belly Fat Cure is that sugar turns to fat, increases cortisol levels in our bodies, causing fat to be stored right in the belly (that's in a nut shell!). It was refreshing that the overarching goal was good health-not filling your body with fake chemical sweeteners, not eating only from certain food groups, not leaving out healthy vitamin rich foods, but really eating healthy balanced meals that were only missing one thing-SUGAR. What Jorge said made sense, was based on healthy nutrition, and had scientific research to back it up.

Check out the before and in-progress here

I'm definitely not a poster child, and I'm not "cured" for sure-but my belly is shrinking, I'm feeling better, and I don't crave sugar all the time.
So, if like every woman I know-you struggle with your weight and what to do-you may want to go to Amazon and check out The Belly Fat Cure .

2010-04-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Carla's recent post here about their new pet, made me realize that in my blogging absence I had failed to share about our new pet!

Hunter is 2 1/2 and is a Dalmation.

I know you are shocked to hear that we got a fire dog---lol!

I think my firefighters are in dog heaven.

And just so you know-Hunter is not dumb, deaf, or overly aggressive. All traits that can be present in Dalmations. We spent time with him before deciding to adopt him and he is a great fit for our family :)

Barbie Birthday Cake

2010-04-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

I'm an amateur cake baker-I do it for fun and usually just for Isaac's birthday-but when Mackaylan requested I make her Barbie cake-I knew I had to try it!

She insisted that it be purple, even though she was having an "Ariel" party-so I obliged, even though I love adhering to theme parties!

Barbie was a hit-and I think pretty yummy :)

Happy Easter

2010-04-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have most of our family very close-so the holiday's give us a great opportunity to gather and enjoy each other even more! This year my grandparents were able to join us from Charleston for the first time in a while. Everyone always come to our house-we cook and enjoy lots of egg hiding and playing :)

Seasons

2010-04-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

As I lay in the grass the other day, looking at the sky and pondering the shade of blue that encompassed every inch of visible space, my mind wandered to how comfortable I was just stretched out laying in the grass. I couldn't help but think, how in just a few months it would be entirely too hot to lay anywhere without water. And then just a few months ago it was entirely too cold to lay anywhere without fire and a roof!! But now, and that day laying in the grass it's comfortable-it feels good and I love it! I feel that way about fall too. The light is perfect for pictures, the breeze keeps things just right, and the sun warms me to the soul. But I wonder if I would appreciate these changes in fall and spring as much, if we didn't have the bitter cold winter and the blazing hot and humid summer to contend with-If I were comfortable all the time I would wish for snow and hot summers, I wouldn't know how lucky I am.I couldn't help but turn my thoughts to life. Much like seasons of the year we have seasons in our lives. Sometimes things are cold, sometimes we are in the fire, and then other times everything is just right and we are comfortable. Sometimes the comfortable is short lived and other times we bump just right along. God guides through the seasons of our life-whether through comfort or through fire-and each season has its purpose-rest, renewal, molding, shaping-but the fact remains through it all that God is the Captain, the Chief, He is and will always be in control. It's easy to question the reasoning at times and even easy to resist His will at times, but even when we think we are at the reigns, we are very, very wrong. I am thankful that through every season and every trial the Lord is my guide and that I have nothing else to fear.So enjoy spring, if it every really comes to stay, and let it be our reminder of God's presence all around us.

Lake Bowen Park

2010-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Even though he has a great swing set @ home-nothing is more fun to Isaac than a trip to the park!

We were close to Lake Bowen this weekend and took the opportunity to let him get out and enjoy the great weather-and of course my camera was close by!!

Photo Fun with Mackaylan

2010-04-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

I love my boys---

and I love taking photo's of them! They don't always cooperate, however, we almost always have fun-sometimes I have to bribe them, pay them off, or threaten them--but I get the memories!!

And sometimes it's fun to have a change of pace-and I had a blast shooting some fun shots of Mackaylan

this weekend! She is so much fun and such a ham-don't know where she get's it from???

Big Buck

2010-04-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to spend a great day with our friends last weekend!

It was a beautiful, sunny day-perfect weather for a 4-wheeler race!

Mickey finished 10th-and while we did end up covered in dirt and dust-none of us were quite as dirty as he was!

We can't wait to get to see him race again! Isaac had such a good time that he dreamed about 4-wheelers and was talking about in his sleep lastnight :)

Oh My Goodness!

2010-04-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

That's all I can say-
Oh My Goodness!
And that's what I thought when I saw this picture.
I was so thrilled that I actually thought to get my Dad to snap a quick pic-but later when I looked it was a very unwelcome reality check!

The Good news is. . . . .
That's not what I look like any more!!
Thanks to the support and encouragement from Lana, I am now over 1/2 way to my goal of losing 55 lbs by 5/20/2010!
I've lost 32 lbs since 1/1/2010-gone down 2 pants sizes-and don't have 2 chins or a pregnant looking belly anymore!
Now--Only 25 more to go!

A Boy and His Daddy

2010-02-06T05:10:00.000-08:00

Kitchen Before and After

2010-01-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

Cabinet doors with original hardware from 1962!

View of empty cabinets and countertop

Over stovetop-the range was our last original appliance!

Vintage rub-on that was on cabinet wall beside stove-:)

Cabinet doors as they were sanded and puttied-notice the lovely shades of gold on the far doors-I did that a year and a half ago-thinking I would paint them a warm gold-so glad I waited---

Russell made the frame for this and I made the message board section

-a very easy $20 project!

We opened the cabinet over the oven, painted the inside,

built a shelf for the microwave, and I of course added some jars for a touch of color!

(Got the oven @ Habitat about a year ago for $40!)

What a find! Brand new Kenmore Elite Range Hood that retails for

around $400-got for $142 @ Sears!

(Got the stove top @ Habitat about a year ago for $20)

Window over sink with new pendant light!

(Can't see the dishwasher, but I get it off of Craigslist about a year and a half ago for $75)

Art Glass pendant light-Kit and shade $30 @ Lowes

My baking corner! The pic is of Russell's Great, Great, Great Grandmother!
She is my cooking inspiration-love this pic!

This is the formerly forgotten about cabinet above our refridgerator!

I never remember what was up there, it all went unused!

So we opened up, and now my depression glass has a beautiful spot!

Some Notes:

Let me start by saying how much I love my house! We are so blessed to have our house, for it to have so much room for us, to be able to afford-it is wonderful. Just like any house, there have been things in the 6 1/2 years we have lived in it that we have longed to change. Some were easy to do along the way-pull up bushes, add flowers, add color to rooms, take up carpet, refinish floors, replace light fixtures, and on and on. Others have been more daunting like windows, bathrooms, the kitchen, the basement. We tackled the windows and it was so worth it-we still have 2 rooms to do on the back of the house, but still, so worth it.
In the meantime I have longed for a cozy kitchen. A kitchen I could enjoy spending time in, that was up-to-date, where everything worked and maybe even went together :)
So, bit by bit, things have been accomplished-the floor was replace, several appliances were replaced out of necessity, and there remained the cabinets-a mind boggling task to undertake, one that we put off FOREVER!~

Being the bargain shopper that I am, I begin to look for cabinet hardware on EBAY
So I bought these:
28 pewter cabinet pulls- $35.00 (including shipping)
28 sets cabinet hinges- $38.00 (including shipping)

And then got a giftcard for Christmas to use for this:
1 Gallon Valspar Paint- $25.49
1 top of the line brush- $13.99
And this:
1 pendant light kit-$15.99
1 Art Glass Shade-$14.99

Of course there were other insignificant things along the way that added up, but I have to say we really worked hard to keep this as in-expensive as possible-and I LOVE the results!
The only thing left to do is paint the legs of the butcher block table I use as an island-still working on finding feet to add to make it about 6-inches higher!

I got lots of gasps when I told that I was painting the cabinets black-but I am tickled with the results and would do it again in a heartbeat!
So thankful for my dear hubby and our dear friend Tommy for the job they did, I wasn't allowed to touch a paintbrush, for reasons that can be seen throughout the house!

Save the Date!

2010-01-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

What's Old is New Again
A Household Swap Meet
January 23, 2010
4:00 pm
@ the home of

Dawn Greene
Bring things you are tired of looking at in your home and find something new and exciting from someone else!

What you need to do to participate:

1. Email me @ dawnman139@aol.com to RSVP.

2. Choose 5-10 things from your home that you are "over". (if you have more than that GREAT!)Example-a lamp you can't use anymore, a bolt of fabric from a redo, curtains, nick-nacks,small-medium furniture items, picture frames, mirrors, pillows, plates. . . .
I could go on and on!!!(The picture on the wall that you can't look at anymore, or the pillows that don't match your new colors)---I keep thinking of other things!
(No clothes, toys, etc-this is a strictly household swap!)

3. Choose a yummy finger food to bring and share.

4. Feel free to invite friends, but they will need to email me, or have you let me know so that I can have them on the list!!!

What you need to know:
1. I would love to have your stuff before 1/23, if at all possible! You can bring it by, I will meet you, or if you see me you can give it to me!

2. Once everyone arrives the day of the Swap Meet, we will draw numbers and take turns "shopping". I will give further instructions the day of!

3.Please know that if you bring 10,20 or even 30 things, we are not going to make you shop until you find that many to take with you!
You may just find a few things, or you may just come to enjoy the fun!

Note: This a free, for fun event with no strings attached! Just a great way to be out with the old and in with new at no cost to you!

If you have any questions, let me know!

Looking forward to some great fun with you all!!!

Dawn

2010-01-01T15:48:00.001-08:00

We've been busy-be on the lookout for some shots of our latest project! A kitchen makeover on a budget-!! We've used lots of paint!!
dawn g

It's a Swap Meet!

2009-12-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

Ever since The Nester blogged about her really cool swap meet with friends and fellow bloggers I have been longing to join the ranks! September, October, and November, were a blurr of wedding fun for my family and I, as my best friend from college and then my sweet cousin who is like a sister both got married! (I find my self wanting to go on and on about both these events, since I never blogged about them, but I digress)

SO-----Now the holidays are over, and it is time to un-decorate, and begin to make your home sing once again!
As you do that, what better time to weed out what you are sick of looking at!

The current plan is to hold a swap meet the middle-end of January. I was originally thinking of holding it in my home, but the location could change to our church, if we have a good response!

What's Old is New Again

A Swap and Shop Meet

Bring things you are tired of looking at in your home and find something new and exciting from someone else!

What you need to do to participate:

1. Email me @ dawnman139@aol.com or leave a comment on this post to "register".
I need to keep track of who is coming! I need your email address too :)

2. Choose 5 things from your home that you are "over".
Example-a lamp you can't use anymore, a bolt of fabric from a redo, curtains, nick-nacks,
small-medium furniture items, picture frames, mirrors, bases, pillows, plates, I
could go on and on!!!

3. Choose a yummy finger food to bring and share.

4. Feel free to invite friends, but they will need to email/comment so that I can have them on the list!!! THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT!!

What you need to know:

1. I will give between 1-2 weeks for people to register before choosing a date/location.
2. Invitations will be emailed with an RSVP to get a final count
3. You will leave the swapmeet with the number of things you bring-only different and better things that are new to you!
4. Further instructions and details will be emailed once plans are finalized!

2009-12-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for another great giveaway from MckMama

Give Away

2009-12-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to check out an amazing give-away for a really awesome computer from MckMama-and BlogHer!!! Love It!

This side of the miracle……

2009-11-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

In talking to a dear friend this week she shared something with me her husband had said, as they too struggle to get pregnant and it really got my mind rolling. So I did something I’ve missed, something I haven’t done in way too long-I just sat down at my computer and wrote and wrote.

Maybe the miracle already happened; maybe this was the miracle….

Excited, elated, scared, nervous-the emotions at the time we found that we were expecting ran the gamete! I stopped taking birth control and we were waiting for my body to start a new cycle and it never happened. I kept track of the days and finally on day 58, before beginning a new medicine for IBS, I took a pregnancy test. Russell was at a track meet out of town. As I was peeing on the stick, the phone was ringing-I swear my mom has a 6th sense!!!! The line came up on the stick as soon as the pee hit-I did another one, same thing. My mom said, and I quote “We can’t get excited yet, you have to go to the doctor”. My doc later told me that there is more likely hood of a false negative than a false positive.

And that was that. I ate, and ate, and ate. Got toxemia, put on bed rest, then admitted to the hospital. We prayed for my health, for Isaac’s health, they induced, it didn’t work-then rushed a c-section after a day of labor. He was a miracle in so many ways-

Isaac was sick a gillion times, but we still wanted to grow as a family so we begin trying again.

I knew Isaac was a miracle for many reasons, I viewed him as a gift, but never till now considered that the true miracle might have been in his conception.

Getting pregnant is a miracle, an amazing gift from God. But sometimes it’s an even bigger miracle, it was never suppose to happen in the first place for some people-according to conventional doctors and, yet it happens anyway.

We didn’t struggle to conceive Isaac-never even really had to try-and now on the other side of it all, and 5 years since his birth-I see that that was the miracle-the lack of struggle, the ease, it just was. It wasn’t debated, discussed, picked apart, or timed to the minute-it just was.

And now we live in a world of wondering if my poor ovaries will ever make eggs, and what we can do to them to make them work. And I live in a body that is bucking nature-not ovulating, not producing the right hormones-a body that is in turmoil, with no easy fix-that is rearing its ugly head in soo many ways on the outside and don’t forget the muffin top I not so proudly sport these days.

And in the wake of this infertility battle are dozens of negative pregnancy tests, hormone pills, hormone creams, fertility drugs, bad moods, disappointed attempts, and sad outlooks.
If only we would just look back and see the miracle we already have right here with us.

Struggling with secondary infertility will never be something that I completely come to terms with. I certainly have my moments that I handle it better than others. I long for contentment with our situation-for it to be or not to be and then just be OVER with it ALL!! And so some days I block it out, and I can bump right on along-and then the inevitable happens: someone asks the dreaded “When are you going to have another child” question or better yet, my body begins to play tricks on my and I begin to wonder “could I be pregnant, what If I am this time” and so I take a pregnancy test and am disappointed once again.

I know how blessed I am to have had a child at all, to not have had a struggle, for us both to lived through the awful pregnancy, and to still have him to watch him grow and love one him. I need to look at it like the miracle it really is-

There is a miracle right in front of us and we are so dead set on the miracle we are praying for that we miss the one we have already received.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Happy Birthday Isaac!

2009-11-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Isaac,

I can't believe that you are 5!! My how the time has flown, but what fun we have had!

You are:

-Loving school

-Learning to read

-Speaking in the Christmas play @ Church

-Making new friends

-Going to sleep by yourself.

-Sleeping in your own bed!

-Becoming more and more a Daddy's boy!

-Learning to ride your bike with no training wheels!

-Playing well by yourself

-Using your imagination all the time!

Happy Birthday!

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah

2009-09-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

In a world that is constantly changing in the blink of an eye, what does one do to maintain that calm cool outlook on life that once was so easy to attain? In David Jeremiah’s Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, the chaos of the world is examined as David gives the readers biblical, sound advice and guidance, on living in the chaos we are now surrounded by.
It’s fairly easy to see and know that chaos is everywhere these days. All it takes is a flip of the channels on TV, or to pick up a newspaper, or even scan the internet. Wars are raged daily, marriages are failing, people are losing their lives, homes, and everything they have known. And sometimes it seems it would be easier to be an ostrich and stick our heads in the sand, however that is not our call from God. Jeremiah breaks down these instructions and their biblical base in a long list of things we should do to live with confidence. It’s all about staying calm; compassionate. . .the list goes on. I finished this book feeling empowered and uplifted. It was a great reminder of God’s will for our lives and His instructions for us during these challenging and chaotic times. Whether you are searching for answers or struggling with your own chaos like me, this is a great read at any point in your life.

Called To Worship

2009-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Vernon Whaley’s Called to Worship should be studied and used by anyone considering the current state of their worship. This book was a refreshing call back to the scriptures, taking the reader from beginning to end and reliving worship in its different forms. I was prepared, upon first glance, for a textbook reading and I was not looking forward to it-but I was very wrong. This book was an easy flowing read, which kept me questioning, thinking, and pondering everything I do regarding worship. I was drawn in immediately by Whaley’s dissection of what we call worship. Whaley’s references and biblical examples seek to remind us that worship isn’t merely a place or a time, or even a certain chain of events. Worship isn’t hymns or praise medleys.

In so many hearts today worship has turned more to a thing-an event, something we do, often half-heartedly and with the wrong attitude. We expect to go someplace and have our needs be met and when we don’t like it, we expect it to be changed-because that’s what we want. This book shares valuable insight, to worship at the beginning and the many forms it has taken biblically. We have to come back to worship and make it God centered-just as it is from Genesis to Revelations. Whaley takes worship and its biblical foundation and reminds us that we have to do more than go or be.

And the Winner is . . .

2009-08-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Autumn Christopher

Autumn-just get in touch with me and we'll figure out the best way to get you your prize!

Thanks to all who participated :)

Once A Month Cooking

2009-08-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today I jumped feet first into bulk cooking, or monthly cooking. Often I will make large batches and divide things up to freeze, but I've never done it in this quantity even though I've thought about it. Lana did this a few weeks ago and filled her freezer and I was inspired. So I set off. My comfort zone was bulk spaghetti sauce divided to use for different recipes, so I began there with my list and then moved on. I brainstormed with things I know and love, things friends have fixed, and a few things I had found on recipe blogs. I am pretty excited to have a full freezer, but Idon't want to eat it-I just want to look at it-and cook more so I don't run out :)

I spent $98.60, but subtract $12.60 for things that didn't involve what I cooked-so that makes it $86.00. I built my meals around chicken with bone in for $.99 a lb and the ground beef I bought was not the lowest fat, but the better meat, and was $1.99 a lb. The meals divide out to $4.30 per meal-I even purchased noodles, tortilla shells, etc. I will need to add a vegetable, fruit, salad, etc. but the biggie for me is not having to decide what to fix for a main course, or go spend a zillion dollars at the store to fix it. And I have a freezer full of veggies like squash, zuchinni, green beans, and corn, that were Russell's grandparents are always so gracious to share with us. I have decided that I will go get a few packs of chicken while it is still on sale and have some in the freezer for if I decide to cook "fresh" or have company-both of which happen occassionally. I also want to get some cheese-I don't usually buy pre-grated, but got it for $1.39 today :)

Beef round 1:
-Beef strogonaf
-Taco Casserole
-Tacos
-Shepherds Pie
-Sloppy Joes
-Taco Soup (x2)

Beef round 2:
-Spaghetti
-Baked Spaghetti
-Calzones
-Baked Ziti
-Lasagna

Chicken:
-Chicken and Dressing Casserole
-Chicken and Wild Rice w/ veggies
-Chicken and Broccoli
-King Ranch Chicken
-Chicken Tetrazini
-Angel Chicken
-Italian Chicken (think chicken spaghetti)
-Chicken and rice

200th Post and a Give Away

2009-08-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's my 200th post!

Woot-Woot!!!!

And so in honor of it you have a chance to win this basket full of cool stuff :)

Ways to enter:

1. Comment with where you are from (I'm curious who's reading)

2. Comment with how you found my blog (again, curious!)

3. Post on your blog about the give away and link back with McLinky

Bonus: If you are a lurker and have never commented b/f-you get 2 extra entries if you comment!

Do you know. . . ??

2009-08-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

How rude people that get PAID to help can be???? In the current economy one would think the objective would be to do everything within one's power to maintain and keep said job-but after my experiences today I would think NOT. In an attempt to get as much done b/f school starts, my assistant and I began donating our time to the great state of SC today. We got furniture in place in the classroom and headed out to purchase our long list of needed items. Store 1-Sam's-no issues-in and out-no big deal. Store-2-walmart-sometimes I wonder why I even go!!!! I wanted to look @ slipcovers, but we @ the Walmart in Spartanburg and I could find NOTHING. attempt 1-So I saw a lady working in the household dept-

me: "Mam, we can't seem to find the slipcovers, can you help us"

walmart employee: "Nope, don't know where they are" as she turns and walks away

me (to her back): "Well, thanks so much for your help"

attempt 2-I find a younger lady, same dept-

me: Can you tell me where I could find the slipcovers?

walmart employee: They are right by the clocks

me: the clocks???

walmart employee: Yes, mam-right beside the alarm clocks.

me: Ok-thanks????

In my head I was saying"If I had known where the clocks were-I would have seen the slipcovers and we would not be having this conversation!!" But I kept my mouth closed and moved on.

I never found more than 1 or 2 and it wasn't what I was looking for and at that point I was so done with the entire thing it wouldn't have mattered anyway!!! I wanted a bright futon cover for my futon at school and a slipcover for the loveseat, think I'll try Big Lots-saw a few neat ones there a while back-and I know right where to look, all by myself :)

Discovery Island Waterpark

2009-08-02T03:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with our Mommy Group @ the Discovery Island Waterpark!!! It is a lot of fun and has great stuff for kids of all ages. Isaac has started doing so well in the water-I see him do better everytime he gets in :)

Lake Lure, NC

2009-08-01T03:02:00.000-07:00

We had a fun family day with the O'shields family last Sunday. We met and went to Lake Lure, NC and enjoyed the beach and water fun there! The bottom of the lake was sandy-a must for me-can't do icky poofy mud. There were sprinklers and water fun for the kids, water slides, and several other fun things to do-can't wait to go again soon!

2009-07-31T14:08:00.001-07:00

Trying out a post via my cellphone! what a fun option that i have been missing out on!!

A visit to the Carl Sandburg Home

2009-07-31T03:54:00.000-07:00

First off let me start by saying-the Girl Scout motto always be prepared should still be followed when planning activities with Lana, b/c you never know where you might end up. Having been to the Carl Sandburg home before I knew that you didn't really have to "hike" so I didn't do an all out search and rescue for my tennis shoes when I couldn't find them. Instead I wore my oh so cute and comfy wedge crocs-Lana wears wedges and high shoes everywhere we go, so I knew I would be fine. Well, Lana wore tennis shoes!!! And the main entrance/path was closed-so we hiked to the top of the MOUNTAIN with all our babes and one in a stroller!!! But I survived, without any really damage. You see I am super clutzy and me and the mountain paths disagree anyway-so when you add those shoes to it-it could have been BAAAAD!! Anyway-it was fun-the kids were great-and of course the goats were tooo :)

Come on in ya'll. . .

2009-07-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, it seems that some room in the house always gets neglected. Often its more than one room-just depends on how life is going. At our house it tends to be the back of the house, because I have gotten to the point that I can run around and get the entire house clean and just dump everything somewhere and close the doors. So this week I worked on our guest room, which led me to work on the entire house-but I digress. I moved things around, added window treatments and tried a few different things in different spots. See what you think!! View from the door

Love these boxes-a steal at Burkes while back!

This is one of the few rooms we haven't replaced windows in-so ignore the yucky metal ones!! I repurposed this desk I've had since I was a teenager-thinking of painting it-and paired it with this chair. Got the vase @ an auction and moved it from someplace else.

Window mistreaments a la the nester-just got fabric and upholstery tacks!

I have a rocker/chair "thing"-I love them. This is the rocker Russell and his brother were rocked in-and that is one of my favorite quilts :)

I refinished this bed all by myself about 3 years ago-It was black/brown and gross! Mom picked it up at an auction for me for a great deal and look how it turned out!!!

@ the foot of the bed-thought this looked cute-but need to work on cute stuff to put on it!
Gotta love some antique linens. Most of what I have are either my family or Russells and I love that.
Improvising in a pinch-think I'm going to switch the fabric for a quilt-See the lamp-cobalt blue glass my fave!!! It is a handblown lamp from FENTON. It was a family run company in the US for about 100 years b/f they sold it and moved the factory to Japan a few years ago. I have a thing for colored glass to-old, fenton, new, etc. This is one of four Fenton lamps I have, need I remind you that most were gifts-my mom is a FENTON dealer :) How convenient!!
And guess what-this is the dresser that I refinished 4 years ago and never replaced the mirror-stay tuned-working on that project tomorrow!!! See that lamp-it's fenton as well, but very special b/c they made 500 of them and broke the mold-they are all handpainted, numbered, and signed-it was a college graduation gift from my Mom.

Doesn't that make you want to come curl up in the bed here? Come on, we love guests, and the house is clean-hurry quick-because it usually doesn't last long!!

Chances are . . . .

2009-07-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

-The entire house may not get clean today.
-If you see Isaac he may or may not be fully dressed.
-Somewhere our cat is hiding in wait to begin being chased by Isaac again
-Some projects may never get finished.
-I may never be ready for summer to end
-I won't put on shoes today-don't tell The Fly Lady!!!
-My firefighter will come home for lunch-and expect food
-I will waste way too much time on the computer today
-if you here sighs, its because all I'm doing is shifting piles-it gets old
-my whole house may never be clean at once
-if Isaac gets quiet its because he is on a kitten search

Check out other Chances are... posts here

Give Away

2009-07-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Check out an Island Life for a really cool SureFit futon cover give-away :)

Give it a shot

2009-07-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Playing around with signatures-it may be a while before I pick one to stick with, but it is fun to play!

Urgent Prayer Request

2009-07-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Tamara and Jay Jones, their daughters Meredith and Emily, and 30 or more dogs that they raise.Tuesday while they were out of town delivering a dog there house caught on fire. They basically lost everything. As they search for answers, and strive to keep their faith during this tragedy, please lift them up in prayer. Tamara and Jay live in Green Creek, the fire department there worked very hard to help save what they could and find the puppies that were inside.

IKEA

2009-07-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

I have lurked around on IKEA's website for years. I've never bought anything, just dreamed. A lot of the items they show in their online catalog are only available in the store and the closest IKEA had been in ATLANTA. I've been begging my DH to take me to Charlotte for some time now and he felt so inclined to do so yesterday for our Anniversary. I mean what better way to celebrate 7 years together then to have him trudge around behind me all day while I salivated over all the cool stuff???

I have to say, if you haven't gone-go. But go with a list of things you could use and a budget-otherwise it could be overwhelming and harmful to your bank account!!! IKEA is like the Disney company has taken over Peir 1, put it on steriods, and added their Disney touch to-it's a playland for grown ups who love to shop, decorate, and find good deals. We were greated at the door, given a map and instructions and got on our way. There are 3 sections-a showroom of sorts where room after room is setup using all the products. Everything is labeled and tagged. You keep track of what you want using the list, pencil, and measuring tape they provide you. After you finish upstairs you can stop in the restaurant and eat, visit the family room and feed the babies, go check on the little one's that you dropped off in the really cool playroom, or head down stairs! Downstairs you will go through household departments one by one. Here you can find things on your list and extras. I got a fun vase for 79 cents and a set of wooden spoons for 59 cents, while Russell got some new knifes. AFter you venture through kitchen, linens, bathroom, frames and pictures, candles, decorations, etc. you end up in the warehouse. Here you use your list of furniture pieces that is labeled with locations to pull your boxes. As you exit the warehouse you conveniently stop by the As IS section, and check out the good deals before using the self-check out and heading on your way! I got things for 59 Cents, cool things. You could truly decorate, furnish, redecorate, or remodel your entire house at this store-thus the overwhelming!! I didn't buy much, b/c I didn't want to buy too haphazardly and wanted to wait and have more of a plan. I bought several small things for myself and a few fun things for my classroom. The children's section was amazing!!!

So if you've never been, or maybe never even heard of IKEA, you must check out their website and plan a trip!!!

T-shirts

2009-07-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Isaac and I enjoyed some special time together on July 4th! We had a fun day doing a lot of different things-one was tie-dying t-shirts!! Isaac had a blast helping me fold them and squirting the dye on in different patterns. He ended up making 3 different ones and then one for me and Russell. I was a little worried about the messiness of this activity, but it wasn't bad at all! We let the shirts soak overnight, washed them in one load in the washer the next day and wore them on vacation :)-Sorry no pictures of me in my shirt b/c I'm always taking them!!!

This picture is bad, but just wanted to show off the boys shirts! Isaac's in this pic is the bullseye fold and Russell's is the spiral

Scratch That

2009-07-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

I started the summer with a mental to-do list of all the things I wanted to do/accomplish during my time off. During my first years as a teacher before I was also a mommy, I remember those days being endless, stretching on forever. But these days it seems summer is an unending race to fit things in and I am so weary of that! I enjoy the opportunities to be with friends, travel, help @ church, lunch, be crafty, explore with Isaac, etc. but I have come to find this year that I just enjoy being. Being at home to just play and be together has been so much better than trying to fight going anywhere. Maybe it's the age, or maybe it's me, but Isaac can play for hours with me or without me-usually it's a mix of both. We pretend, we read, sometimes we cook, we craft, snuggle-and we're still making memories. And for me they will be better than ones that involve hot cars, temper tantrums, and long lines.
I'm not one that likes to just be @ home, I tend to like to go and do. But if we keep "going and doing" and never slow down, where have we really gotten?
For now I'm content to spend the next month enjoying my boys fishing, turtling, and playing escapades and to squeeze in a little snuggling, fun-loving together time in between :)

Overall Fun

2009-07-10T06:53:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Vacation Slideshow

2009-07-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The one that didn't get away!!!

2009-07-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

6 lbs

21 inches long

Largemouth Bass

Caught by Isaac

My boys have really been enjoying some fishing this summer! At least several times a week they have been going together or with friends to local ponds. Right at the first of June Isaac started the summer by catching his first bass, a small one, but one that will be eaten very soon! He was thrilled! Several days later I got a panicked phone call from my DH and was thinking the worse, only to be fussed at for not checking my text messages!! The above fish pics were sent and I hadn't seen the message.

Let me just say that my Isaac takes after me, and gets excited about lots of stuff-but boy this took the prize. My DH has never caught anything this big!! Isaac caught the monster on a "critter crawl" bait on his new "Zebco" fishing pole. He makes his own casts and reeled the monster in himself.

And he hasn't stopped talking about it since! Mrs. Fishy is currently residing at the taxidermist in Lake Bowen. When she arrives home on driftwood-I promise to post more pictures, or maybe you could come visit our newest member of the family!

Give Away

2009-06-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Check out this blog and enter a nifty give-away!! She is having her 1st Blogiversary and is giving away a package of her favorite things. She has 3 beautiful children and always has funny stories to share :)

1 day down and 50 pounds to go

2009-06-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

I took a picture of my scale tonight. For the challenge Lana and I are doing you are suppose to post the picture on your blog, but as much as I love all my readers and lurkers, I'm just not there yet. So will email it off and enter myself in this challenge and hope for the best. I'm not in it for the prizes, although those would be fun-I just want to feel better. We walked today on the path at the park. If you live near Landrum and haven't tried it, we love it!!! I want to start adding in some of the fitness equipment and some other things, but for today by the time we finished my lower back and hip were killing me. I am soooo out of shape. But I refuse to let this be another sit around and add to the pounds summer so we kicked it off with a bang. Tomorrow is our last day with students. Today after the 5th grade celebration I only had 3, so who knows if I will have any for our 1/2 day tomorrow.

Tomorrow's goal-drink my water :)

PS-

My rewards to myself:
10 pounds-pedicure
20 pounds-massage
30 pounds-new outfit
40 pounds-girls night
50 pounds-weekend away

And we're off . . .

2009-06-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

If you scroll down a little you can see the picture I posted a few weeks ago of the startling reality I am facing with my weight. Since then I have done nothing, but be stressed and eat lousy. So as I face summer, time off and time to rest, I am joining my friend lana for a challenge here To be fit and fabulous by the fall. Lana has a great post about her goals here and I should probably follow her lead and make a list and post it up, but I'm not going to. I am ready to feel good and to feel better about being me and to be comfortable in my own skin again. I want to shop some place other than "the fat store" and to not have to go up another size.

What better time than now, not next monday or next week, but right now. I have the entire summer off and can rotate relaxing and exercising and be ready to face a new year :)

Care to join us?
I plan on walking and exercising lots and am counting on Lana as my chief motivator and cheerleader :)

What I really want to REMEMBER is . .

2009-06-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

no matter what:

that I am doing and seeking God's will.

that I am trying to do the best I can as a Mom

that I am trying to be a Godly Wife

that I am the friend my friends need me to be

Sharks

2009-04-23T19:54:00.001-07:00

Some days I think I need to carry a pocket recorder around to catch all the hilarious things my child says-he keeps us hopping. You just have to hear this or at least read it and pretend I'm telling it:

Isaac has been asking lots of questions about Heaven and Jesus and all sorts of things, but has made it very clear he does not want to go to Heaven right now, pretty funny to hear him tell it! But, the other day he was in the car on the way with Nana and this is what transpired-

Isaac-Nana, you know how my mama reads that Jesus book every night before she goes to bed

Nana-Yes, you mean the Bible??

Isaac-Yeah Nana, Mama reads her Bible before she goes to be everynight so she has Jesus in her heart, but I haven't read that whole Bible yet, so I don't have Jesus in my heart

Nana-? ? ? ? ?

Isaac-BUT, I have a really cool shark book, and I've read all of it-so I have sharks in my heart.

Sharks in his heart my friends, sharks in his heart! Needless to say we've tried to clear up confusion about reading the entire Bible being the key to heaven! But I still can't help but smile at how wise my sweet boy is in his own way.

What sharks do we have in our hearts? What things are we putting before our time with God? Even as I type this I am convicted of putting so many other things first.

Impact Weekend

2009-04-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Impact Weekend was last weekend at our church. We had a great time hosting a group of high school girls for the weekend!

Thought you might enjoy some laughs from their scavenger hunt adventures! I was their official photographer, Russell was their driver, and Isaac spent the entire afternoon looking for roadkill-he was really hoping for a dead polar bear, but we settled for this!

REALLY????

2009-04-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

As I flipped through pictures of my class and our recent gardening adventures I was unfortunate enough to come upon this. And all I could think of was---REALLY????? This is not what I see when I have on the appropriate undergarments, the figure flattering cuts of clothing and hold everything in just right-but this is what is really there-and that is SC-ARY!! I am so super frustrated with myself, with my lack of self-control and my overall attitude! Yick-that's all I can think. Not only have I not lost baby weight from 4 1/2 years ago-but now I've added to it and not added another baby. Yes, I've been busy-Yes, I've had numerous health issues-but holy canoli- at some point this has to be taken care of or my health is going to be even worse. Don't get me wrong-I've known for a while that I needed to get back on the band wagon! It seems something always shoves me off when I am doing well-ie-mass on liver-2 surgeries, etc. etc. I can't even believe I am putting this picture up-but maybe if I plaster it here for the world to see I'll be a little more motivated to make sure that there's less of me to see :)

Seasons

2009-04-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

As I lay in the grass the other day, looking at the sky and pondering the shade of blue that encompassed every inch of visible space, my mind wandered to how comfortable I was just stretched out laying in the grass. I couldn't help but think, how in just a few months it would be entirely too hot to lay anywhere without water. And then just a few months ago it was entirely too cold to lay anywhere without fire and a roof!! But now, and that day laying in the grass it's comfortable-it feels good and I love it! I feel that way about fall too. The light is perfect for pictures, the breeze keeps things just right, and the sun warms me to the soul. But I wonder if I would appreciate these changes in fall and spring as much, if we didn't have the bitter cold winter and the blazing hot and humid summer to contend with-If I were comfortable all the time I would wish for snow and hot summers, I wouldn't know how lucky I am.
I couldn't help but turn my thoughts to life. Much like seasons of the year we have seasons in our lives. Sometimes things are cold, sometimes we are in the fire, and then other times everything is just right and we are comfortable. Sometimes the comfortable is short lived and other times we bump just right along. God guides through the seasons of our life-whether through comfort or through fire-and each season has its purpose-rest, renewal, molding, shaping-but the fact remains through it all that God is the Captain, the Chief, He is and will always be in control. It's easy to question the reasoning at times and even easy to resist His will at times, but even when we think we are at the reigns, we are very, very wrong. I am thankful that through every season and every trial the Lord is my guide and that I have nothing else to fear.
So enjoy spring, if it every really comes to stay, and let it be our reminder of God's presence all around us.

Extraordinary

2009-04-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

I had the great opportunity to kick my spring break off with a girls trip to Greenville for the Extraordinary Women's Conference at the Bilo Center. We spent the evening listening to amazing music, singing praises and laughing our socks off!! We ended it eating breakfast at Stack's and snuggling up in an amazing room at the Courtyard-we did eventually sleep-after several hours of girl talk. Can I just say that I am not 18 any more!!! Holy Mackrel!!! Four hours of sleep is tough to survive on for this almost 30 mom. By the end of the day I was all but snoring in my seat at the Bilo Center-of course I had some company :)

I have never gotten to go to this event before and I can't wait to go back again. I came home energized and refreshed-despite the lack of sleep. I was able to spend some great time of worship and fellowship and time just seeking GOD. It was so motivating to me to hear these women speak about being REAL and the real struggles they had.

Extraordinary

2009-03-27T03:50:00.001-07:00

I am headed to the Extraordinary Women Conference @ the Bilo Center in Greenville, SC today. I am super excited to have this opportunity to spend time being refreshed with Godly women! What a way to start Spring Break :) We have a good group going and we even get to spend the night tonight-fun!! The only bummer is that my sweet friend Lana is recovering from back surgery and so had to give up her ticket :( Not fun!! But we are praying for healing and quick recovery so she can be back on her feet and out and about!! Sooo expect an update and fun pictures sometime this weekend!!

Lana

2009-03-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

Lana is out of surgery and doing well! Woooohooo-Praise the Lord-!! The doctor said that it was no wonder she was hurting as big as the disk was.

What a month!

2009-03-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

Well, it's funny the difference a month can make. On 2/24 I did a check up on my goals and I was doing great. Now it's 3/24 and it is so bad I'm not even going to write it all down. I'll just tell you that my house is a wreck and I just don't feel like cleaning it up. I have really tried to figure out what has changed but I can't come up with anything. I'm not taking any medicine, nothing has been going on medically, nothing different with home, family, work, etc. BUT I am exhausted, draggy and just yicky. This is super frustrating because I felt soooo GOOD in January and February. I am trying to dig out-but ahhhhhh I am just very aggravated with myself that I let this happen. So what do you do when you hit that point that you go to bed tired and spend all day being more than tired?

New Look :)

2009-03-19T14:38:00.001-07:00

I have finally figured out how to play around with fun headers!!! I helped Elaine spice up her blog here and had to work on mine a little too. I found some cute headers to match on the cutest blog on the block and then I added to them using picnik You can do a lot of things to a picture here and create things. My last header was made at picnik using one their scrapbook layouts. You can use your own pictures or just about anything! They have some great fonts-and so far I have been able to just use the free stuff and still make cute things!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T04:13:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Praying for Friends

2009-03-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Lana is enduring some horrendous back pain this week. She went for an MRI and they found 2 herniated disks. It is so tough to lay back and let go even when you are in pain! I am lifting her up as she struggles to find a comfy position in her bed and waits to here the doctor's plan :) You can go here to give her some encouraging words!

I have another sweet family that we are friends with that are enduring a layoff. This family has been through this several times now and I know they are growing weary! Pray for their strength and that God will continue to lead the way for them.

A sweet little boy in my class lost his grandmother this week. Praying for his family as they mourn this loss, but celebrate knowing she is with the LORD.

What a blessing-

2009-03-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

to have another day home to pretend that I'm a stay-at-home mom and to enjoy my sweet boy who is growing up way to quickly. 2 snow days in March-wow-we will pay later-with late work days and such, but for now we will enjoy the blessing-God new that Spring Break is still a long way away and this was his answer, a winter break, with snow this time, and warmth, and fun family time :)

It is so easy for me to get caught up in what I need to get done, instead of just slowing down. I slow down just about as easy as I quiet down-ha! I have 2 speeds full speed ahead-and at a dead stand still- and likewise 2 volumes-loud or silent. Soooo yesterdayday we played outside in intervals, Isaac painted and then dusted some of the furniture, and I did straighten up a little, but I tried tnot to get super involved in anything.
Not sure what today holds, I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to leave the house :)

Playing Together

2009-03-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Some fun shots from our many trips outside today :)

Nothing Like a Snowman

2009-03-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like working together to make a snowman in the freezing cold :) We were lucky to have Mimi to help us out today.

Snow much fun!

2009-03-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

It's Really Happening-

2009-03-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

To snow or not to snow?

2009-03-01T10:50:00.001-08:00

Well what do you think? Will it happen or will we be disappointed again? I think our chances are looking pretty darn good-but who knows :) All the weather stations I have checked, even the National Weather Service are predicting accumulations from 1-3 or 2-6 inches so my pinto beans are in the crock pot, i've made mac and cheese and I've got the stuff for a great big pot of chicken noodle soup-that's what we do around here when it snows-we eat :)

Letting Go

2009-02-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Ever heard this:

Isn't it about time for another baby?
Aren't you about ready to give little ______a brother or sister?
Don't you think you'd better have another baby, you don't want to wait too long, do you?

I really grow quite weary of dodging this questions(and now regret any time I have EVER asked it)-but I have an answer-
Yes I'm ready, I have never stopped being ready, but it's not about me or Russell, or Isaac or what we THINK we need or what we WANT or what society thinks is right, because it is not in our hands-its in the hands of our AMAZING LORD-and for that I am so thankful. God's timing is perfect whether WE realize it at the time or not. I look back on my life the last few years and I see the way God has worked, and how he knew my body wouldn't be able to handle a baby and meningitis in 2007 or a baby and 2 surgeries in 2008. We had no idea-but GOD did.

I know that our God has amazing things in store for us, and I am really, really working on being able to have a consistent peace about the fact that it may not include a baby. I've struggled with this for a while, like here then there's now when I know, that I'm in his hands but I don't know what HE wants me to do.
So, I'm not questioning-I'm just trying to wait-and know what HE has planned and not make my own plans-which is soooooo hard for me, because when I was 18 I thought I had it all figured out too, and boy I did not, but by being still and listening HE got me on the right track and I don't want to look back and see where I veered from HIS plan, I want to look back and see that I was walking in it.

I love the beat and tune of the song "I'm Letting Go", the whole thing speaks to me but look at this part:

I'm letting go Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control Of my destiny
Feels like I'm falling and that's what it's like to believe
So I'm letting go

So as we travel this road together, whether it is a struggle to know God's path for our career, our family, or building a family-it helps to lean on each other-and to remember that we have to let go-so that's what I'm doing-I'm Letting Go, letting go of all of it and knowing that God has control of my destiny. And praying for all the people I love who are struggling too, trying to Let go and Be Still.

The deep drawer abyss

2009-02-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

I really hate drawers! They are so big and hard to manage that at our house they just end up full of crud, really full. Just take a gander. Can you believe how much stuff 3 drawers and one hole can hold??? Honestly it is unbelievable. So I set loose with the labler and some baskets and a trusty garbage bag and began to sort and pile. It's amazing what a difference baskets make. I'm currently addicted to baskets of all shapes and sizes. The best selection I've found was at Dollar Tree in Hendersonville. That's where I got the cool orange baskets for Isaac's closet, the neato green baskets I used in the linen closet and the really awesome see-through baskets I used with the computer desk.

I will have to add after pics later, can't seem to find them now :)

Goal check up

2009-02-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

So-we say we're gonna and we do for a little while and then we fall off the wagon. My goal this year is to stay on and in the wagon soooo here is a goal check up:

1. To have an organized home. -This is going well! I have decluttered and organized almost all of our spaces and we are doing a fairly good job keeping things together :) Except as I sit here I see the clutter from the computer desk-got to get back to this :)
2. To have a clean home. -Isaac is still struggling with his room and this hasn't been a good few weeks for me, but overall we are doing better with this as well. Need to be better at doing my daily chores!
3. To be healthier for my family and as a family. -well, I'm not cooking much-got to work on this!
4. To be better stewards of our money. -this is coming a step at a time
5.To deepen our walk with God. -We are working on having a quiet time together which is nice, but need to find something other than the Newleywed book we have had since we were newlywed and would also like to find something to use as a family with Isaac.

How about you? What goals did you set and how are you doing? Are there other things you want to do now that you have started?

2009-02-24T16:32:00.001-08:00

For those of you that have been wondering-I was not swallowed by a whale, nor did I fall into a pit, well, not a real pit anyway. I've been lacking inspiration, lacking drive and still feeling a little pewny. My whole system is just out of whack and I am very done with it all. That, by the way is my favorite saying if you don't know me well-"I'm done"
In fact, my lovely assistant had a t-shirt made with that emblazoned several times on the front "I'm done, I'm done, I'm done". And that in fact is also how I've felt lately. My emotions are in an uproar and everything has been chaos, but we are passing through-a day at a time.

Updates to come

2009-02-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

I PROMISE updates are in the near future!! Stay tuned :)

Auto-Pilot

2009-01-28T10:39:00.001-08:00

Do you ever let your life slip into auto-pilot and just continue to go and go and go and........

I'm really good at going, and going, a lot like the energizer bunny, but I'm not very good at stopping. Past experience has taught me that it takes something big to stop me, but when it does, I am stopped dead in my tracks and forced to slow down, regroup, rest, re-evaluate, etc.
I told myself, "Self, I am going to take better care of you".
I have praised God for the way he has revealed himself to me lately and for the opportunity to grow closer to him. But boy, I am a work in progress!!

SO I started with a scratchy throat Friday night, Saturday night felt awful, Sunday ok, but by Tuesday I was MISERABLE. Turns out I had tonsillitis, sinusitis, and strep throatitis!! (i know it doesn't have itis on it, but doesn't it make it funnier!) I got a shot Wednesday afternoon, got antibiotics, the saline nose wash thing(watch for a post about this), and several other things to promote comfort. I came home, got in the shower, and as I was thinking over my little moment of self-pity on the way home where I was driving and blubbering tears, I could hear God saying-

"Attention Dawn, this is your pilot speaking, the pilot of your life, and I have shutdown your controls because you keep trying to do this thing called life by yourself and you can't!!"

It amazes me how easily we can try to take control, when we are in such better hands when GOD is our pilot.

The Decluttering Lion and The Linen Closet

2009-01-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

My mom is "shocked and slightly embarassed at the sight of" my clutter and disarray being displayed for the world to see. I, on the other hand, think that you're like me and need to see that no matter how hard we try, we're not perfect and don't have to time for everything. Rome wasn't built in a day, and a clean and organized home comes from constant work and upkeep. My current process has been to methodically room by room, closet by closet, purge and declutter. If you are a packrat, just skip on to the pictures, close your ears and your eyes because you are not going to like what I am going to say.

Are all the packrats gone??

For YEARS, I mean since I was in high school, I have saved things. Special things, not special things, things I thought could be repurposed, broken things, ridiculous things, things for art projects, useful or not it got saved. I thought I "couldn't part with it". I linked memories, money, happiness, and lots of other things to all this STUFF.

THE RESULT-

A mess that I could not keep up with. When we bought our house, we bought a fixer-upper, because it had more character, and more square footage. That was 6 years ago. I couldn't believe all the closets, cabinets, and space, after living in my apartment and then dorm room before that. Then one day I woke up and the house was full. The attic, the closets, the basements, drawers, cabinets, every space full of STUFF!! For a long time I and those who loved me couldn't understand why I couldn't keep my house clean, why I couldn't just pick up as I went, why I let it get so bad, and why it didn't bother me unless company was coming.

I read books about it, I read blogs about it, searched for tips, tried little things like baskets for my medicine, it helped a little, but was not the cure.

They say necessity is the mother of all invention, and that's what happened with me. I got tired of not being comfortable in my home, of not being able to find what I needed, and not having a place to put things. (Being hospitalized for the 2nd year in a row helped this just a little)

I am by NO means finished. This is going to be a process, a long one. But I've accomplished a lot and gotten rid of a lot!! I think my current count is 6 bags of trash and about 8 bags/boxes of things for Goodwill, thrift, etc.

You saw my bedroom earlier in the week, but I forgot to tell you that I also tackled my linen closet-the dark abyss of forgotten linens. It is amazing what we accumulate, way to much of stuff that is used WAY to little. I got rid of icky sheets and towels, scratchy ones, and just kept the good stuff. I, in fact, did a little research about stocking a linen closet and how much of what you needed. This helped guide me a little in how much of what to keep. So check out the stuff I pulled out and the end result.

Before:

After:

Swagbucks

2009-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Have you heard? Have you tried it??? I've gotten 20 swagbucks, just by doing my normal searches, how fun is that!!! Swagbucks are the greenbax stamps of our time. Just for doing what we normally do, searching, online shopping etc., we can win swagbucks and spend them in the swag store!!! If you get people to join you earn bucks too-so click here and come join the fun SWAG

Tackle it Tuesday

2009-01-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

TACKLE IT TUESDAY
It was pretty convenient to be off for tackle it Tuesday-I was able to tackle several things that I've left unfinished :)

Our Master Bedroom Before:

And 3 black garbage bags full of stuff for the thrift store and 1 black garbage bag full of garbage later-

I especially love the unfinished dry wall-where my hubby remodeled the closet 2 years ago-we have had high hopes of doing the bathroom too, so never painted, needless to say neither is done now :) But, the new shelf and the propping of the picture mask most of the unpainted wall-it makes me feel better any way!

Snow Day- What????

2009-01-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

It seems that our town is the town Snow forgot!!! I think maybe that would be the perfect children's book, I'll have to add it to my ever growing list of ideas. But, all kidding aside, it seems that the other end of our county is covered and here we are at home with clear ground. Isaac is watching anxiously, encouraging the few sad flakes that are floating to the ground and hoping for enough to at least go out and try to catch some.
Normally, I would be tickled for a snow day, but this was going to be our second 4 day week in a row, and our next break would be a teacher work day in Feb. Now, we will have to work that day and therfore, won't have another day off until at least March-yick. But, because of our trip to Charleston and crazy schedule I am a little behind with a few of my chores, so while Isaac enjoys some PBS specials, I am going to catch up on some chores, so that maybe later I can light a few candles and catch up on some reading :) And who knows, maybe today will be the day that I upload some pictures for your veiwing pleasure-stay tuned-you never know what a full day home might bring :)

Coupons

2009-01-19T15:09:00.001-08:00

I have never been good at using coupons-I cut them out and lose them. So in an effort to be more organized at this too-I bought an accordion organizer that fits in my purse and has slots for my coupons. I also bought a small notebook with 3 tabbed sections where I keep a running inventory/grocery list, keep track of what I want to get where, and my current to-d0's. Yesterday I took the paper mom passed on to us and sat down cutting out and sorting the coupons. Then I took the CVS and Ingles ad to figure out the best deals and what coupons I needed to use. I tried to combine sale things, good deals, etc. So heres what I did:

CVSing today-and it was super exciting. I had my bonus bucks, as well as just my ECB's from my last purchase-and I had perused the add carefully. I got 4 2-liters, 4 12-packs, 2 bags of tostitoes, 3 V-day cards, 8 cans of soup, 6 pack of hershey's bars and nose spray. I completed 2 transactions and ended up with about $3.75 in OOP expense-wooooooohooooo!!! Russell said he was glad that I had the patience to figure it out, because he would not fool with it, but it was fun to get a deal, I am always up for a deal :)

This evening I ran to Ingles to try some triple-couponing. They are tripling coupons all week :) I used about 6-to see if it ended up being worth it and it did. I had several coupons that ended up meaning I got $1.5o off of an item. I ended up saving $10.00 on the 6 things I used coupons for and that would have translated to only spending about $10-if I hadn't needed the required bread, milk, and peanutbutter-which unfortunately totaled $10.00
I will probably end up going back and trying a few more before the week is out :)

THIS JUST RELEASED

2009-01-16T13:22:00.000-08:00

I've been released!

My surgeon said "Have a nice life" and I said-OOOOOOH I most certainly will-Praise the Lord :)

My scars looked great, the biggest still red and a little sore, but otherwise fine. Everything else was great, great, great. Nothing to worry about, nothing to fret over-

ISN'T GOD AMAZING!!

I feel soooo good. My friend Lana's husband commented a few nights ago that I seemed like a different person-"you're just so bubbly and happy" AND I AM-and IT FEELS GOOD. I feel better than I have felt since before I had menigitis in 2007-and it is not anything that a doctor can explain or that man can accomplish-I give GOD all the glory :)