one blessed girl

2012-01-27T15:58:00.001-08:00

beautiful beginnings- rolling into 2012

2012-01-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been on here in forever and to tell you the truth it's been WONDERFUL! So we shall see how much I post in the year to come. We have just been enjoying time together around here and that is as it should be. I am still trying to decide if I will get on here and recap the end of last year. I can't seem to make up my mind. It was a wonderful end of the year and really full. Maybe that's why I hesitate. The thought of trying to include everything is overwhelming. But we shall see. Our fun did include Karina's first trip to Disney and great times with family. So peek back and see.

Today we met up with some friends for a fun time skating.

On our way home I decided to fulfill a desire that I have had for weeks now.

I just wanted to go and sit on the sand and hear the waves and feel the warm sun.

So we did and my little lady loved it as much as I did.

So happy to be here!

Giving Daddy a quick call to tell him where we were.

Praising the Lord and trying to catch a ray of that beautiful sun.

Buried treasure so I'm told.

It was a seriously beautiful beginning to this year ahead. The Lord has already blessed it in so many ways and I can't begin to thank Him enough. His love and mercy make every day like a day at the beach even when it's not. So happy January ya'll and remember to praise Him for the little things even a ray of sunshine. Oh and I did catch one and bring it home. She's in the last picture there. :)

tea

2011-11-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

Karina and I enjoyed a yummy cup of tea this morning and it was a lovely way to start a Monday. Where did she get that fabulous hat and tea cup and plate? Well her sweet little cousin Caroline had a precious little tea party birthday yesterday and her crafty momma found the idea for the hats and even hit the jack pot on these ADORABLE cups and plates at Goodwill!!

I just love them and Karina does too! The delicious scone you see was made by a friend of mine and they are sooooooo good. They are full of pumpkin and spices. YUM!

So now that we have a had our tea I really should get moving around here. It is the last thing I want to do on this pretty morning. I would much rather take a walk or read a book. But the laundry is calling and my house needs a little love.

We did just go on a wonderful vacation to Disney World and it was Karina's first time. We all really enjoyed it and even after a week of being home I still don't feel like I am back in the swing of things. But I'll get there. And I am really looking forward to having my guy home for a really long weekend. SO that should motivate me right? :)

We are having his family over for Thanksgiving and I am excited to set a pretty table and enjoy their company. I am going to try an not stress over having the house look perfect but you know how that goes. Hope you all have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. I hope to be on here again soon so check back to see what we're up to!

a taste of fall

2011-10-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

We were out and about one day last week and stopped by this great fresh produce market. I just loved all the different shapes and colors of the pumpkins.

I am seeing a trip back over there for some of these lovely butternut squash to make a yummy pot of soup with! Oh and Karina made a new little friend, but not the human kind. :) Meet Elvis....

For some it might be a little strange to jump from iguana's to coffee and sweets, but I'll take that risk. They do have something in common though. Can you guess? Well one makes my little girl happy and the other makes me happy. :) So there you go!

A precious friend of mine came over for a little girl night last week and she brought me a little taste of Christmas. We watched an old movie, had a yummy dinner and with our dessert had some sweet fellowship!

Yes I know I need to ease up on the sweets. But these awesome apples just scream fall! Oh and I shared so don't you worry about me. :)

Another little bit of fall fun we've had is in our home schooling lately. There are some (most) days that I don't go out of my way to do a craft as part of school, but this one just fit. I pulled out the paper for us to practice triangles and hexagon's and before I knew it we had made something that looked kinda like a pumpkin. So we added the face and stem, leaves and vine and there he was. Hexy the hexagon pumpkin. My little pumpkin thought it would be so funny to put his eyes on this way. I love it when she is silly.

We are very excited about going to a farm next week. So I will be on here to share that with you. Well it's a lovely rainy day and we need to start school here soon. So hope you all have a great week!!

a lovely weekend......

2011-10-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

Can you guess where we went last Friday? The weather was gorgeous and my sis in law and I thought it was a great day to head to the beach. It had been a while since our last visit and we were both itching to get out there and enjoy the sun and sand. So that is just what we did. It was perfect!

We nearly had it all to ourselves. So our kids could run up and down the beach while we sat happily in our chairs and had a clear view of them either way. Lovely!

I love it when I capture this sweet girl taking it all in. Reminds me to slow down and treasure these moments and know that she won't be little forever. We had fun watching the divers go exploring. And the kids made plenty of sand cakes to go around.

They also took on the task of clearing our section of beach of all jellyfish they saw.

I love watching the pelicans all lined up and perched so nicely on the rocks.

And these two little ladies just melt me everytime I see them together sweetly at play.

More melting......

They are only three months apart and I was just telling my sis in law that I hope they are best friends as they grow up together.

Our time at the beach was sweet and although I was beat after all that fun in the sun I had a little more fun planned. Not too long ago Jeff and Karina camped out in the back yard. And ever since then she and I have been talking about doing another little campout just us. So we pulled out the tent and got it all comfy cozy. After a nice grilled dinner outside with Jeff's parents we said goodnight and crawled in to settle down for the night.

She was so excited and I loved that time with her even though mommy didn't last that long. I also didn't sleep as hard as she did. It's amazing the noises some kids can sleep through. But we woke up feeling rested and took the short walk to the showers and kitchen for coffee. :)

Poor Jazz wanted to camp too. Oh well maybe next time.

After we got it together and were ready for the day we went out to pick up breakfast and make a special delivery.

Yum!!

Our Saturday was full of things around the house. But we waited for daddy to get home and went out for a nice dinner and some fun too. I loved making that memory with my sweet girl and pray we can make many more. As the weather cools off and we enjoy all the sweetness of fall I hope to get on here more and be better about sharing our precious moments together.

Hope you are enjoying some precious moments of your own and that you can soak in all this beauty that surrounds us praising the Lord for all His great blessings!

favorite things

2011-10-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

surprising my mom with a cookie cake on her birthday

seeing a house being built for people we love, and my little construction worker taking notes

having a really great craft night with women i love and seeing lovely fabrics everywhere

as well as yummy things to drink and eat

making some fun flowers for the shop that i hope people will love

and of course doing fun fall crafts with my sweet girl.

loving that look she gets when concentrating. :)

hope everyone is having a wonderful week and that you have a great weekend!!

favorite things.....

2011-09-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

fresh picked pears from our neighbor's tree

and with a few simple ingredients making them into something delicious

celebrating a dear friend's birthday even if it's a little late and using cloth napkins for lunch

rearranging two rooms in our house and seeing the "stuff" disappear in the pictures and then celebrating our efforts with something bubbly

homemade chicken soup

watching my little girl get excited about school

seeing her explore

and be a goof

the woodsyness (i know that's not a word) in our side yard

doing crafts

but a big one is reading the bible stories to my daughter and knowing this is going to make a lasting impact in her life and heart as we learn together

more favorites to come.......

jeff's 30th birthday

2011-09-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

August was a busy month for us but full of fun too. We celebrate some special birthdays in the family and Jeff's is one of them. This was a big one being that he turned the big 3-0! I really would've liked to throw a huge party but with his being so close to Karina's I just didn't have it in me. So maybe next year. :) Shhhhhhh don't tell him. ;)

We did celebrate though just not on a grand scale. We had his friends from work over for lunch that day and then had a lovely night out together while our little lady had some fun staying the night with her grandparents. It might as well have been my birthday too considering how much I enjoyed it all. So here are some pictures to let you in on the fun we had.

I had to do a little decorating.

We love the Hershey pie for a go to birthday cake!

That afternoon Karina and I gave him a couple gifts and then we were off to drop her with Nana.

Can you guess where we went to eat?

I love this place and had a little fun taking some pictures while Jeff went in to give them our name.

Yeah I'm wierd. I like their bricks.

It is always so hard for me to pick what to eat here.

Love their bread with olive oil!

And their peach sangria's and calamari!!

But most of all I love this man!!!! SO MUCH!

After our yummy dinner we walk some shops. That is after we stopped for some coffee. :)

We both came home with some good stuff. I found this fun bracelet in a little shop I love. And Jeff got some great deals on these dress clothes. I think he is secretly enjoying whenever he has a reason to dress up now. After all he does have to wear polos and khakis to work every day. So I'm sure it is nice to wear something else.

Below was my breakfast that I enjoyed in the quiet of my home the next morning. Jeff had gone to ride his motorcycle. And Karina was still at Nana's.

And this is what I found when I got to Nana's. Yes that is Karina's pappy in a kayak in a pool!

And yes he is pretending to fish. What a nut! Karina enjoyed a little kayaking too.

And I just sat back and watched the fun with my chair in the shade. It was a great day and great weekend for that matter. I have thoroughly enjoyed every little bit of summer but I must say I am so very ready for fall.

Soon to come a few of my favorite things......

karina's birthday party (part 2) / the sleepover

2011-08-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Well I couldn't just leave you hanging and not post about "the rest of the party". So here is a peek into our fun after everyone else left that night. We thought a little card game would be fun and so I pulled out a really cute Fancy Nancy game I found at the store. Each card has adorable dress up items on it and you have to get one of each kind to win. It ended up being a great game to play with little girls their age because it didn't take too long. I am all for teaching kids patience, but this one didn't try mine and that was a good thing. Ok I guess I really need the lesson in patience. :)

Karina's not-so-slick poker face. Even though she did win!

She moved on to other things. As you can see we need to work on sharing too. This looks like she was saying "mine!" But that secretly made me happy since this was our gift to her. Don't get me wrong. I made her share. :)

Now I would say Caroline gets the prize for poker face. She's the smooth gal in the nightgown.

Other toys were played with for a bit and then it was time to get the girlies all cozy and put on a movie. So we filled the living room with sleeping bags and they were happy as could be.

The next morning I pulled out some cinnamon rolls (already made) for the girls. And of course we milked the birthday for all it's worth around here and sang to Karina again. :)

Not sure what's up with that face she made. She can be a real nut! After they ate it was time for the real breakfast I was looking forward to. :)

Once those little ladies were fed they were ready to head out into the pool. It was a beautiful morning and it was fun watching them have a good time.

A couple of Karina's girl cousins weren't able to make it to the party because of being sick. But we had something very special to send home for them. Karina and I had a blast packing up these sweet gift baskets for all the girls. They had little handmade stuffed teddy bears, stickers, glow bracelets, handmade sleeping masks and a bunch of other fun things.

It really was a blast and I even got in some sweet time with my sister and sister in law too. I think it went really well for our first big sleepover and I will say I am not afraid to do it again. :) But we'll probably wait a little while.

I wanted to include some pics I took the morning of her actual birthday too. We had a fun time just spending the day together. She recieved a bunch of really sweet birthday phone calls. This was the first one of the day. It was such a blessing to see her being so loved!

My big 5 year old!!

That morning I told her we could go to the store and she could have $5 to get anything she wanted. This dollar store is just down the street from us and so that was an easy choice with not too many isles of toys to choose from. At this age I am noticing that she has a really hard time making up her mind. Oh boy what am I in for?! And then we decided on McDonalds for lunch. Well her lunch at least. Mommy just got something to hold me over. :)

As we were leaving a worker there walked up and handed Karina this little ice cream cone so she was quite spoiled. Once we got home I really enjoyed playing with her. Something I don't do near enough. We read this sweet little book about a birthday party and as you can see her barbies were all quite attentive. I should take a lesson from them in posture!

It was a very sweet day with our precious girl and the fun didn't end there. Once we woke up from naps it was time to go out to eat with Nana and Pappy. Karina picked IHOP. That is another whole post, but not sure I wanna devote more time to that when I have lots of other post in my head.

Jeff's birthday is nine days after Karina's and this was his 30th. I feel kinda bad that I didn't throw him a big bash. But in truth he's not the big bash kinda guy. I mean he could be and maybe would have like it as a suprise. But this mommy wasn't up for it. So he was content to go on a romantic date with me while Karina had another slumber party at her grandparents house. So that is next. We had a wonderful time out and I am so thankful for the two of them and still can't believe God has seen fit to bless me this much. Being Jeff's wife and Karina's mommy is truly a dream come true!!

Karina's birthday party (part 1)

2011-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

I really had a lot of fun getting ready for my little lady's birthday this year. And hearing all her ooooh's and aaaaah's while I set up made it even more wonderful. She really is at an age where she appreciate's things so much more. This to me was kinda a big birthday for her. I don't know what it is about 5 that just sounds so much older. It's like she is graduating into little girlhood instead of seeming like a toddler so much. And though I know I will miss all the littleness we leave behind I can't begin to tell you how VERY excited I am for all that lies ahead.

But I will quit my going on and on and get to the party! I am loving these pompom's lately. It is such a simple and easy decoration. Oh and they are cheap too! But they pack a big punch of color.

I love decorating with jelly beans too. Such a great instant touch of color as well. And here is the cake. What? You can't see the cake you say? Well that's because I put a ton of stuff on top. :) I know it's not your normal practice to make a cake and then cover it with material. But this was a little more simple to do then try and make THE cake a sleeping bag. After all her party was a sleep over. So the cake was created to look like a shag rug in a room. And funny enough the material I used for the reusable sleeping bag and curtains in the back drop is the same fabric as Karina's curtians in her room!

We all enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner before pulling out the cake. I like looking at this next picture because I didn't realize how shiny and clean the floor was before. Is that a reflection I see? It's not always like that. :)

This game is something I found on Martha Stewarts site and I thought it was too cute. The kids had a great time playing it and I would include all those pictures but there are many. The dress Karina is wearing is a sweet little pillow case dress. Pillow/ sleep over. You see the connection. :)

I bought it on etsy and was tickled it had a little doll dress too for her to use on her dolls.

After playing the game I told the kids that they all played so well that everyone was getting a prize. They loved that idea. And my mom gave me the idea of buying different colored pencils and erasers to pass out since I didn't want candy or junky little toys. I was suprised they all thought that was cool and it was perfect with school starting.

Karina's room always takes a good beating when we have everyone over and I am so ok with that since they have a great time. It's not that big of a room so it's easy to make what looks like a huge mess. No it wasn't all this sweet little guy. :)

It was really sweet seeing her face in these shots afterwards and to know that she really had a great time. What a blessing she is to her daddy and me.

YUM!!

And then it was on to presents. Like I said before she was so appreciative of all her gifts and we thought it was pretty funny that almost every thing she opened she would say," Is this what I've always ever wanted?"

This little man was so stinkin' excited too! It was fun watching him get so tickled.

Ok so all the cousins were excited to see the gifts. You can see my little lady is starting to get tired here. Love this next shot that Aunt Em captured of her sweet little feet. A BIG FAT thank you to Aunt Em again for taking most of the pictures this night!!!

Ok so if I am going to be perfectly honest I was hoping for a really excited face when she opened our gift. After all I had bought it months and months before and was really proud of myself for waiting to give it to her. And I guess she had run out of her suprised look even though she did have a excited reaction to the p.j.'s i picked up for her the day before.

But she really put on the fake smile for this one. It's amazing how you still love their smile even if it's fake. But I will tell you that after the party was over this is something she played with A LOT. I knew she would. But there were a lot of other really cool things keeping her attention that night.

And for the grand finale (now that's a real smile!) she got a printed out note from Nana and Pappy that can remind her that she will be taking a trip to Disney in the near future and she couldn't be more excited. A bunch of her cousin's have been and she has heard so much about how fun it is. So we are really excited for her to have that experience with her precious grandparents. Thanks again Mom and Dad for wanting to do that for her!

It was a lovely night with all our family and we couldn't ask for more. Our precious little lady is growing up and we trust the Lord with all the wonderful blessings and fun times that are ahead and spending them with her!!

Next up "the rest of the night" sleep over part of the party!

sneak peek

2011-08-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak peek into Karina's 5th birthday party. We had lots of fun and I am so ready to blog about it. But it will have to wait. I am pretty tired right now and I know I would leave something out. Also soon to come some posts on our really fun vacation this summer. So check back and see what we've been up to 'round here. :)

for real?

2011-08-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the day five years ago when this little lovely came into our lives and stole our hearts forever. Well actually the heart part came way before when we knew she was growing inside me as it has with all our sweet babies. I really am asking myself "for real?" (One of Karina's favorite things to say now when she is trying hard to convince me of something. Only she says it with an ! after it.) :) Can it really be that it has been five years?

Part of me can't believe it and then again part of me can. It has been so much fun to love her and watch her grow into the amazing little lady that she is today. I know it is all because of God's amazing grace too. After all she really belongs to Him and He has given us the great honor, though we are so undeserving of it, of raising her and caring for her and pointing her to Him. I can't begin to tell you how many times I fall short of doing those things and yet He continues to allow us this precious joy of being her parents and learning as we go along.

So we will praise Him tomorrow as we sing her birthday song. And we will give Him the glory as we hug her tight. And we will try harder and harder to be the parents He wants us to be as we look to Him to lead us in the way we should go.

meeting her daddy for the first time

her first day at church

"are you ready for this fun ride?"

"let's go on an adventure!"

Oh our precious Karina how blessed we are to have you in our lives!!! Happy Birthday sweet little lady and may you grow in the love of the Lord and all He has for you!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

my cousin maddy

2011-07-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

This last week we had the great blessing of having my wonderful cousin Madison come for a visit. She was able to spend about two weeks here and we enjoyed our time with her so much. She even graced us with her sweet company a few nights in a row at our house. The rest she spent at my mom's.

I can't say enough good things about this beautiful gal. She has a grace about her even at thirteen years old. We celebrated her birthday while she was here with a really fun girl night at my mom's. She is so creative, has a great sense of humor and she loves the Lord. We loved talking about a little bit of everything and even got to spend a little time out just us! She and I went to a fun movie while Karina played at my mom's with her cousins. Thanks again mom!

And of course we went to the beach. A couple times actually and loved it. God blessed us with some beautiful weather too. I am so blessed to know her and have her as family and I hope we get to spend more great times together in the future. Love you Maddy! Thanks for wanting to hang out with us. I loved the movie nights, flower making, beach trips and just being with you! And Karina did too!!

Yes, I still think it's fun to build sand castles. Everything captures my attention at the beach. The waves rolling up on the sand...

If you look closely at the picture above you'll see a little dark speck in the left top that was a dolphin fin. A momma and her baby swam by a few times giving us a little show as they jumped through the water.

I love watching the birds too. Yes, I know they can be annoying especially when they are being fed by beach goers. But they also look pretty neat too.

I love the sky....

I love the bright colors...

I love the shells that no matter how many times we go to the beach always seem like a treasure to collect and admire....

And I LOVE watching these little people admire and explore to their hearts content. We also enjoyed seeing the parasailors go up up and away.

It was a busy day there but not too busy. I feel so blessed that we can come to a place like this and enjoy God's amazing creation. It puts me in awe everytime.

And then I am quickly taken to a state of silliness as my little lady does this....

So there you have it another amazing day at the beach! And that's all folks!

stars and stripes

2011-07-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! Ours was lovely. We started that morning off by driving a few minutes up the road to watch the parade our city does. It was fun watching Karina and how into she was this year. We enjoyed the company of sweet friends too. Flags were everywhere, on peoples shirts, decorating the cars, held high by the color guard, being waved by our little one and even the horses were all dressed up in red, white and blue. It was a wonderful time though by the end of it we were beginning to melt a little with the heat from the day. But we headed on home and jumped in the pool. After that we ate a yummy lunch in the shade on the patio and then we all took naps so that we had plenty of energy for the fireworks that night.

SO here is a little glimpse of the parade through my camera lense.....

Later that night we headed down to a marina not too far away to get settled into our spot along with all our family and friends for the great fireworks display. We decided to go a little early to avoid tons of traffic and it was really really nice to sit and visit with everyone before the show started. I was able to snap a few shots of the setting sun while we waited too. It's always so much fun and we even had the blessing of one of my sweet cousins who was visiting from out of town. You will see she is one of Karina's favorite people now as is shown in the pictures of them. :)

Maddy (my cousin) and Karina sitting on the back of my dad's old 66 Chevy truck ready to watch the fireworks! And some of Karina's precious cousins in the pictures below taking there seats.

The guys enjoyed a drink or two, but we ladies had our drinks as well. :) Keep scrolling...

Oh but I can't forget the sparklers! The kids were so ready for these and my dad was ready for the kids. He even had a great little set up with a torch to light them with. He really is always prepared! Man I love my dad. And the kids loved him too. He must have had at least 100 sparklers!

This bottle of tea cracked me up. My dad brought these too of course. :)

And the show begins!

The little girls loved dancing to the music over the radio. So sweet!

While Karina enjoyed sitting with Nana, Ethan had a great seat with Pappy. Yeah Ethan had his own ear protection.

It was an awesome show and I am so blessed to be an American and live in this great country. It is not perfect by any means. And there is so much we need to work on. I know we might not always have the freedoms we know now, but I pray that even then we will look to God and the freedom He gives, for only that freedom will last. So when we think of the stars and stripes lets not only recall our lovely flag that stands for so much. Let us be drawn to the One who made the STARS and the One who bore our STRIPES so that we can be called sons and daughters of HIS!

slumber party

2011-06-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

These sweet little cousins of Karina's had a fun little slumber party with us this last month. They thought it was so great especially Karina who had not had a slumber party until now. We had decided that she could have one for her 5th birthday which is coming up soon. But as I thought about it I figured it might be fun to get her even more excited and have a mini one before the big day. So we did and they were so cute!

They did all the things that are fun at slumber partys. They played games, ate yummy food, watched a movie, read books with flashlights and just really enjoyed each other. They even slept great which was a miracle! I was kinda expecting them not to. :) But was really glad when they did.

They looked too cute in their sleeping bags all bunched up together. And I am not lying when I say there was NO walking room left in Karina's little room when I finished blowing up the mattresses they were sleeping on. Why is it SO MUCH FUN to sleep on the floor at that age? I remember begging to sleep on the floor some nights when I was that age.

Anyway, I definately think of this as a rite of passage for my girl. She just seemed so grown up doing all these things like older girls do. And I am excited for her that it is only the beginning of many more fun and fabulous things to come. We are really looking forward to her birthday party and I am trying to plan some really great things for the girls to enjoy while they're here that night. I got some great ideas from a Martha Stewart show all about slumber party's! It is going to only be her cousins this time. Maybe next time we'll branch out and have some friends stay. But I am playing it safe and asking the mom's to stay too. Just in case. :)

The next day was beautiful and so after a yummy breakfast and a little playing inside they decided to go swimming. They are all a great size for this pool. They can all touch the bottom but they still have a wonderful time in it. I love that it is right out the kitchen window so that I can keep a close eye on them. And I can be out there in a second if they need me. Love it that our house is set up that way.

I know before I know it they will be teenagers and think back to when a pool like this seemed big to them. And instead they will tell me they are driving out to the beach for the day. And I will have to trust that they will be safe and smart even though I am not right there to tell them whether they are being safe or smart. But I know that is just part of being a mom and putting my trust in the Lord. :)

SO now that we've had a trial run I think we are ready for the big party to come. Next I'll be sharing a little snippet of all the great parties we've been blessed to go to this summer. That's if I can fit them all in one post. :) Come back soon!

jammin!

2011-06-28T17:07:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago now my brother and his sweet family came to visit. It was really a blessing to see them and meet their newest little member of the family, baby Layna. She was too cute and we enjoyed squeezing and hugging on her. More pictures of that to come. Their little boy had grown so much and he was a lot of fun as well. It was just a good time all round.

One night while they were here we had them and my folks over for a nice grilled dinner and it all started with some great music that Danny and Karina had the honor of performing. These two were too cute together and there is something about seeing my daughter take such joy in my siblings and the other way around. It's kinda crazy to me sometimes to think back on all the fun we had growing up and to see us now all with our own kids having a blast today. What a gift from God it is!!

They sang all kinds of songs that night. And when Karina woke up in the morning and they weren't there she told me that Uncle Danny needed to come back so that they could play more music. So Dan your on come Christmas when you guys are here again. We loved having you and now Jeff needs to pull out his guitar so that his little lady can get plenty of practice in before the next show. :)

On with the show!!!

can't believe it

2011-06-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's really hard for me to believe that this little lady's 5th birthday is a little more then a month away. This picture was taken at her first time seeing fireworks. She is almost two here and she loved them. She still loves them and we need to figure out where we are going to go to watch them this year. We were just talking about it tonight and she got really excited. So we will figure that out.

We just enjoyed a nice night out to eat with family. My sister's youngest little guy had his first birthday today. So we celebrated with a little cake she made. It was fun and he is the sweetest little thing. This summer has been FULL and I mean full of birthdays in our family. What a blessing to celebrate them all. It can make things pretty busy but it's wonderful at the same time.

This weekend we are celebrating another one of my sweet nephews who is turning 6. Karina can't wait to go to his party and enjoy all her cousins some more. She is the last cousin in the line up for the summer month birthdays. So when her's finally gets here she is going to be so ready. I will say she is getting better and better about being happy for the birthday boy or girl that we are celebrating at any given birthday instead of saying how much she wants this or that they have just received. I am proud of her and the giving heart God is growing in her. I know we will still have our struggles along the way. I've tried to let her know at times that mommy struggles too with that. But that we can encourage each other to be content.

Today was one of those content kind of days. We just enjoyed each other and our home. And our things. God has really given us so very much and on those days when we are just happy with what we have and with each other it is so sweet. We cleaned, we played, we swam, we watched a movie, we napped and we just were. And as much as I love looking back at all her precious baby and toddler pictures I loved that my little girl is growing up. I love that it will mean we can do new and fun things with each other. And I get really excited.

So I say bring on the birthdays and fireworks. Let's celebrate life and make a big deal. Cause really it is a big deal. God has given us life and an abundant one at that. So I will praise him and make everyday a celebration. Go on and celebrate too!

father's day

2011-06-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day weekend celebrating Jeff and the amazing dad he is to our little Karina. I can't imagine a more perfect father for our little girl. God knew who she needed and gave her just that. I am often in awe of the beautiful picture I see of the Lord's relationship with us in their relationship with each other. They love each other so much and she adores him. We are also so very blessed with incredible dad's of our own and couldn't thank God more for all they mean to us.

So here is our weekend in pictures. We enjoyed a really nice time out on Saturday night for dinner and ice cream. Then on Sunday after a great church service we headed home with some yummy take out lunch and had a very relaxing day. It was perfect! Jeff loved the gifts we gave him and we loved spending time with him.......

Hope everyone had a great one and that your summer is turning out mighty fun. Ours has been quite busy, but loads of fun none the less. Some sadness has been mixed in too though. We said goodbye to Jeff's grandmommy last week who went to be with the Lord. And though we will miss her dearly we look forward to the great reunion we will have once in our heavenly home. As I said in the last post we had just gone to visit her and the rest of the family so we were blessed to have that time to share. I am thankful to have captured some precious pictures too. So I will share those soon.

a precious gift

2011-06-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

Just pondering how much this sweet lady has been such a precious part of my life in the last six years now. She hasn't been doing well lately and thinking about not having her here makes me sad. She is my husbands grandmother and she became mine when I married him. Both of my grandmothers have been out of my life for quite a while now and when I was welcomed into this little ladies wonderful family, well, I knew God had given me a great gift in having grandparents again.

She has done an amazing job raising her children, loving her husband and being a blessing to all around her. And I am excited about spending eternity with her. Still for now she is heavy on my heart and mind and I love her dearly. We were able to go and see her at the end of last month and it broke my heart to hear and see her as I had seen my own grandmother struggle. And yet how could I be sad when she wears this beautiful smile that gleams and reassures me that there is always joy to be had in every circumstance when God is our father.

So I will praise Him for all the wonderful times we have had together and all the rejoicing that is yet to come as we live each day to serve our Lord whether in this life or the next. Knowing that we are here to bring Him glory and love one another.

camping with daddy

2011-05-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago now Jeff came home after work and talked about wanting to take Karina camping in the back yard. My heart melted that he would think about doing something like that and I immediately started thinking about how I could help make it be a really fun night for them. But he didn't need my help. As we talked he had it all planned out in his head. From dinner being grilled out to what books he'd like to read to her in the tent later that night.

So I let him plan and do it all and it was wonderful! He started by letting her put up the tent with him. Oh and I will insert here that the night they camped it was a beautiful 50 degrees outside. Yeah don't think the idea would have been that exciting to him had it been any warmer.

She was so excited she couldn't see straight

She also had to test the comfort of the sleeping bag out and notice how she already had put something in the little netted pouch on the side there.

After getting the fire pit all ready for our campfire Jeff grilled a fabulous dinner and we ate outside as the sun began to set.

Daddy and daughter enjoying a beer while grilling. J/K it was cream soda, but she knew it was still special!

Enjoying all the yummy food!!

Oh and after dinner she had to show me her pocket knife. She had no doubt seen daddy's and wanted to be like him. So she found her little plastic one and went right on pretending. Here she is explaining how sharp it is. :) I love it!

Then we enjoyed a beautiful bike ride in the cool of the day. And while we rode Karina could not stop thinking about the s'mores we were going to roast up once we got home. So it wasn't a very long ride.

I had a few sparklers left over from new years I think and so she had some fun with those. And then it was time for desert!!!

Karina and mommy couldn't wait to eat a piece of chocolate so we snacked while the fire died down a bit.

Jeff even got the crazy idea to take little bit on a wheel barrel ride around the yard to help her be patient. It was pretty funny. I thought it was cute that he said it was like a hayride. Only he didn't have hay or a wagon. But they both have great imaginations!

Then the roasting began!

And if you have never tried making s'mores with Reese's cups you don't know what you're missing! I had never had one or even thought of it before some of my friends said to try it and so we did. AMAZING!

Once we were all filled up with those delicious treats Karina and her daddy headed inside to change into p.j.'s and brush teeth. The day before we had been to the library and checked out this book. So that worked out perfectly for them to read on this night. The book is a funny story about a guy and his dog that go camping and everything goes wrong. So they end up back at home in the back yard camping there and having a great time. :)

After saying goodnight to my two sweeties I headed inside and had a little getaway of my own. I grabbed some snacks and my knitting and got cozy on the couch to watch a movie. I stayed up way too late and paid for it the next day. But I think we all enjoyed ourselves and will surely try it again. Maybe I will even camp with them next time. But I am so very blessed that Karina has a daddy that thinks of wonderful things like that to do with her. She is One Blessed Girl indeed!

furniture makeover

2011-05-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago now we picked up this funky looking piece of furniture in hopes that it would serve a very useful purpose. It not only is serving it's purpose, and quite nicely I must say(I am really enjoying the extra storage), but it is also quite a statement in it's own right.

It is really different to say the least and I think that is why we were both drawn to it. All we needed was a simple dresser to act as a buffet. Our style or styles I should say are a little bit of everything. Of course if CHEAP could be a style that would be the first. :) But I think if I had to describe the kinds of things that I like it would be: traditional, vintage and a little bit modern. So bringing this piece into our home was a fun way to add to our mix/matched collection.

We found it on Craigslist with the help of my sister and sis in law. And paid only $75 for it which to me was a steal being that it was solid wood. I also found another just like it only painted a different color selling on some collectors site for $900 as a set with another dresser and mirror.

It wasn't really the color wood I was looking for and had thought I might go ahead and paint whatever we found anyway to tie it into where it was going. So I got right to work sanding, priming and painting it. It was a job, but not too big. I actually was able to sand it in a few hours. Prime it the same day and paint it the next.

I really like the detail on the drawers. I think it adds a lot to the charm and character. And you'll notice in the following pictures that I had my little helper outside with me giving her expert painting advice while I worked. Of course she needed to have something to paint too. So we pulled out some of her little wooden projects she made at Lowe's and she was good to go.

I was really hoping to have it done in time for our Easter lunch we were hosting for our family. And it was. We had actually moved our dining room table into another room better suited for it. And this filled the space that was left and also added the storage I was wanting. SO it all worked out rather nice.

As you can see it ties in with our big black fridge (to the right of the dresser) which is visible as soon as you come into our home. But with the dresser there now your eye has something else to catch it. So we are happy and thankful that it didn't take long to find or a ton of money.

I am still trying to decide if we will ever change out the leaf like handles. And maybe one day we will. But for now I like how it sets it apart from any other piece of furniture I've seen. And with them being black too they don't really stand out too much in the natural light. So I will take the funky over the common and enjoy it's differences.

I know it's not a piece for everyone and some will love it and some won't. But it makes me smile and think about how we are all so different in our own way. How God must love making us all so wonderfully unique. He is the true artist and designer!

oh my!

2011-05-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Oh my is right! Not sure what we are in for here. Hope you are all having a great week and that you have an even more wonderful weekend. We have had lots of fun this week that I will share later. But soon to come a little furniture makeover. So come back soon!

Oh and this little girl couldn't be more proud of her big cousin Natalie. She really liked the trophy too as you can see. I'm sure she is dreaming of the day when she can earn one of those for her very own.

a very happy mother's day weekend

2011-05-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our Mother's Day weekend was a lovely one. We started it out with a great day at home on Saturday swimming in the pool. Ending that day with a beautiful bike ride before dinner. The weather was perfect. And we enjoyed every minute. We even found some fish to feed in a little creek close by. Karina is still taking the easy road in the bike seat, but soon will have to do it on her own little two wheeler. Needing to work on her riding without training wheels first. I know if we just practice she'll pick it up pretty quick.

Then it was time to head home and fix a quick and easy but oh so yummy dinner of baked fish and corn on the cob. Can I just say I LOVE FRESH CORN!!!

Oh and if you've never had fish with fresh mango and cilantro salsa you don't know what you're missing. I mean to tell ya! It kicks it up more then a notch. BAM!! BAM!

On Sunday after church we cruised on over to my mom and dad's house for some good ol' relaxin' with the fam and a delicious grilled meal. My dad is a true grill master and mom is the epitome of hospitality. The two of them truly are amazing!! Thank you Lord for such awesome parents!

It's also nice to see my man kicking back and enjoying himself. I adore this guy.

The kids had a little fun too. They played while food was cooking. Took a break to eat. And then played some more. Lunch was really really good and you would think if you knew me well that I would've taken a picture of my plate. But I didn't. Guess I was hungry enough to forget all about that.

Oh how my mom's little garden inspires me. I promise myself that one day I will grow a little garden of my own.

Can you tell this little man enjoyed his lunch?

Oh did the kids have fun with this!

The mom's sat in the shade on the porch taking in the beautiful day and watching the kids have a blast. What is better then that!?

It was such a wonderful time and I can't even begin to thank God enough for my mom and the beauty she brings to my life as well as my precious mother in law. They are an amazing example to me of what a godly mother should be and so much more. SO thank you again mom and mom for all you are and all you do. And to all my sweet mommy friends and my precious sister and sister in laws thank you for your love and encouragement as fellow mother's trying our best to be all God wants us to be. I love you!

And thank you Lord for the beautiful gift of my little girl. She is all I ever wanted and more. And though being a mommy is REALLY hard work sometimes I love it and praise you for the joy it brings.

sweet!

2011-05-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

enjoying this mother's day weekend with some of these.

a little bit of this.

and a little bit of that! hope yours is wonderful too!

flower power

2011-04-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying making these right now. They seem to be doing well in the shop and it doesn't take long to make up a bunch and replenish what's been sold. Not so true with the knitted hats. :) It really is fun to go and pick out new patterned or solid fabric too. Though I really should get into more of my stash before I hit the store again to buy.

I really love having all my sweet lady friends over to learn a fun craft and will be planning a night very soon for just that. We have great snacks and fun fellowship and always end up making some really lovely things. I really need to get a date on the calender for that. It was hard to think of a time for it before Easter and now Mother's Day is right around the corner and I don't know if I can make it happen before then. So we will see but I will be sure to share all the fun we have on here. So keep a look out for more fun flowers!

by the bay.....

2011-04-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a fun little outing with my sister and her sweet kids. We actually started our time out with a trip to see something I was looking at on Craigslist. She came along with me to give me her expert opinion and I am so glad she did. A day later I bought something else that was so much better. It pays to wait! But it was a wonderful day to spend with her anyway. We picked up lunch and drove over to the marina and had a great time. Thanks again Tam!!

easter sunday

2011-04-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

Our Easter Sunday was full of blessings. First we had a lovely and meaningful service at church. That was followed by a delicious lunch at our home with our extended family. Then we all enjoyed a lovely afternoon relaxing outdoors and in. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day and I hope yours was the same.

This year it was really special to me to use Jeff's grandmother's china that she gifted me with a couple years ago now. I really love the floral pattern on it. It just says spring to me and the touch of brown in it is so beautifully vintage. I also used some cloth napkins for the centerpiece that she gave to me as well as a wonderful glass pitcher that belonged to her. I think she was blessed to see all her wonderful things being put to good use. She is such a gift to me and it fills me with joy to have these tokens of her love to enjoy. Not having my own grandmother's in my life any longer makes my relationship with her even more precious. And I thank the Lord for giving me such a kindred spirit in her.

Oh and desert was pretty darn good too. How can you lose with all these amazing choices of pie? I ask you!

He Is Risen!

2011-04-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

I am so looking forward to celebrating my Lord's resurrection tomorrow. But right now I am just plain tired. How pitiful does that sound? We've been busy all day long with good things. And yet part of me thinks it would've been nice to enjoy the day sitting outside quietly reading my bible and really trying to picture what it must have been like to wake up that morning and find Jesus not in the tomb!

I mean really can you imagine? I don't think my tiny mind can completely get wrapped around it. And as much as I want to celebrate that HE IS RISEN! tomorrow. I also want to start each and every day rejoicing in that. That because HE lives I can face tomorrow, because HE lives all fear is gone, because I know, I know who holds the future and life is worth the living just because HE lives.

May I learn to die to myself and know that the things that seem important to me here and now are no match for the glory that is to come!

Happy Easter everyone!!

pretty patterns

2011-04-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

I love using patterned material to make these flowers! I had some fun last night putting these together so that I can drop them off at the shop today. I also made Karina one of each and just love putting them in her hair. They really do say SPRING to me. I am trying to plan a girl/craft night here very soon so that I can show my sweet lady friends how very easy these are to make. I think it's so much fun to clip one of these on a plain t-shirt to spruce it up a bit or even on a gift bag intended for a girlfriend or baby gift.

Well I better scoot-a-loo if I'm gonna get things done today. Hope you all have a bloomin' good day!

our days lately...

2011-04-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Thanking God for this beautiful week and rejoicing in Him for whom we live!

yum!

2011-04-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have been loving me some bean salads lately. I don't know what it is about this one but I could eat it everyday. Maybe it's the cilantro. Maybe it's the salsa and fresh onion. Maybe it's that I really love chick peas! Ok so it's all of those. And on a warm spring day all I want to do is make one of these salads, sit on my patio in the shade and watch my little girl swim. So that is what I've been doing this week and it's been lovely.

This week feels like it's gone by quickly but has been great. We enjoyed fun times with friends. Got things done around here and I even dropped off some of my flower fabric headbands to sell in the shop. Yesterday was especially fun when I dropped off my little lady at her Yia Yia's house to play for the day and had coffee with a good friend, did some running around and cleaning.

It feels so good to get things done and I can't wait to see if the flowers do well in the shop. I am hoping to get a bunch more in there next week. I bought some more clips, elastic(for headbands) and glue as well as fabric I can't wait to use. Oh and I even picked up a couple things I will recycle for the fabric. So many ideas so little time.

I also look forward to showing some pics of our recent redecorating adventures. We've had some fun around here moving things around. It really changed the feel of the house. And to top it all off we had a fun little dinner party here last night and really enjoyed the company. So I am praising God for another week and hope you are enjoying your weekend too. Happy Saturday night everyone!

day trip

2011-04-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago now I took a beautiful day trip with three of my favorite ladies. One is my very own little Karina who blesses me beyond words every single day(yes she can make me carzy too). The other two are my awesome mother in law and her mom. These precious gals have made such an incredible difference in my life and I thank God so much for them.

So we all climbed into the car and headed out on one of those blue sky days that make you just want to hop in the car and drive until you decide to stop and look at things. And we did just that. Although we did have a destination in mind. It was an adorable little fishing town that I had been to before with my man on a weekend anniversary trip. This town is so quiant and just plain lovely.

Our time there was wonderful. Full of popping in cute little shops finding little treasures here and there to take home with us. Eating a DELICIOUS lunch at a waterside cafe and ice cream. Karina was pretty excited about that last little detail. :) So sit back and enjoy my little photo journal of our great girl day out....

Maybe I'll get on here soon and show some of the great treasures I brought home with me. Thanks for stopping by!

funky friends

2011-04-11T21:19:00.001-07:00

We had a sweet girly day here recently and I let these two sweeties pick out what they wanted to make some fun flower/feather headbands. I will say they were creative. :) A little funky but that's just how they are. Most of the time they get along and play so sweetly. And then there are times where they are in a bit of a funk. That's when I have to remind them how much they love each other and what a gift it is for them to have each other to spend time with. Their funks don't usually last very long and then they are playing once again. I melt when I see them having fun and thank God that they have each other.

May we all see the beauty of such sweet friendships and know that each and every one is a beautiful gift of God to be cherished every day. I know the Lord has gifted me with so many kind and loving friends through the years and I can look back, and in the present, and see how He is molding me and making me just who He wants me to be through all of them. And I thank Him for that. But of all the friendships that I have or could ever have I pray that my relationship with the Lord would be the strongest of them all. Only then will the others be what they ought to be. Oh Lord help me be the friend you want me to be.

pillow talk

2011-04-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

I was thinking recently that the pillows on my couch could use a little sprucing up. They have all been striped for a while now and I just love the look of mixing patterns but staying in the same color group. So I headed to JoAnn's one day and found a few pretty prints that I thought might work nicely with the stripes I already had. I felt silly getting new pillows altogether because it was so much cheaper to just cover the ones that I had. And so I did for only $5 a piece! I am really liking the floral and paisley, but I don't think it makes it too frilly at all. I have tried to not frilly up our house for my husbands sake and just enjoy putting girly touches here and there. So far he has liked what I've done. We'll see as the years go by. :)

I so could jump right into this pile of cushiness (a word?)!

bloom

2011-03-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

I have been a bad blogger lately. I just haven't wanted to sit here and type anything and I am still in that funk. So I will share a few pictures of things I've had fun making and hope to be back soon with more of a desire to write and give you a better peek at what's been happening around here. Nothing huge or exciting, but simple joys of the everyday.

The hats above are some I made for a special order as a gift for twins. The flowers below are some I've really enjoyed making and am so ready to sit one night and make many more. I would love to get a whole bunch done to sell in the shop and maybe that will happen this next week. We'll see. Hope you're having lovely weather like we are and that you're able to get out and about to enjoy the beauty of it all. Nothing can top God's designs that's for sure!!

love

2011-03-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

We are celebrating our 6 year anniversary today!! We went out on a wonderful date last night and stayed out pretty late. Nana and Pappy had our little lady over for the night and we took advantage of that. :) It was great! And sleeping in this morning was part of that being great too!

I could sit and write a REALLY long post here about how amazing my guy is and how blessed I am to have him in my life. I could write about how much he completes me and all the Lord has taught and continues to teach me through him. But I am going to keep it short. Cause I am ready to enjoy this day with him. So maybe that post will come later.

Hope you all are enjoying this gorgeous day we've been given. And that no matter the occasion you can celebrate all the blessings God gives us every day!

spring

2011-03-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

Just a few things we've been enjoying as we look forward to Spring! More spring lovelies to come...

Hope you are enjoying some lovely Spring like weather too!

contrast

2011-03-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

What a contrast today is from this gorgeous beach day we had last week. As I type the rain is coming down in sheets outside my window. I do love days like this too when I can snuggle up in my big bed with my little girl and take a nice long nap. Waking just a little before her to lay there and stare at her. Taking in all the loveliness of her littleness and relish the perfect contented look on her face. All of this while she is not whining and asking for things of course. :)

So I do love these days, but man, when these beach days draw near and my sis in law and I get in our heads that it's about time to head to the sand and sea I can say there is nothing better than digging my toes into the soft white sand and just being near the water. God knew how peaceful and relaxing great bodies of water would be to us. Even if you live near a beautiful lake it can still give you that sense of awe and reverence. No wonder Jesus spent so much time by the water. But of course He is the creator of it all! And because of that I think He enjoys when we enjoy it. And so we will!

How cute is this little thing in her new PINK beach chair!

This one knows how to enjoy the beach all right. Though I think I need to gradually work up to our last summer routine of staying for hours at a time. She was pretty worn out after only an hour or so on this day. It was quite windy though and the water was too cold to get in and swim. So I'm sure when that changes she will be begging me to stay.

Karina sure loves playing with her cousins. These two are only a few months apart and are so sweet to watch together. I love that Karina has some girl cousins so close in age to her that they almost seem like sisters.

I had a good time with the castle bucket Em brought back from Disney for us. While I was at it I made quite a few with Em's help so that we could sit back and relax while these little people went to work. :)

Then it was off to hunt for treasure! The treasure was pretty easy to find since it looked like someone had conveniently dumped their bucket of shells right here for us. I'm guessing that is a one-of-a-kind shell cake?

And then the real treasure of the day, at least you would have thought it was with how excited the kids got. PUSH POPS!! And they even came in a golden wrapper. Ok so it was yellow. And for being the ice cream that seems the logical choice when you don't want to wear what you are eating I will say they are still quite messy. Never the less they enjoyed them and I had one too.

This picture makes me laugh if you will notice the way Karina is using her legs as a bookshelf when there is a table right behind her and a bench beside. Oh the things kids do. Anyway, it was a really nice day, not only to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings but also the sweet friendship of cousins and my lovely sis in law. We are so blessed and I pray for many more beautiful beach days ahead.

gettin' out

2011-03-02T05:14:00.000-08:00

Ever have those days where you just wanna get out? You're not sure where and you don't really have a reason why. You just do! Well last weekend I had one of those days. So we went. And not really with any firm plan but it ended up being a wonderful time out together and we even got a little unexpected beach time in.

We took the dog. Now that could really be fun or a BIG mistake. On this day it was really fun. We enjoyed a beautiful little nature walk, had our picnic lunch on a beach that allowed dogs and then I even got to enjoy a little alone time shopping a bit. So here it is in pictures and I''ll just let you enjoy....

Today I headed back to the beach with my sis in law and we had relaxing time visiting while the kids enjoyed playing. The water was still a little cold for swimming, but we had a nice time none the less. I will be ready to go back soon.

my baby brother

2011-03-02T04:39:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we had a blast celebrating my baby brother's 29th birthday. He is truly one of a kind and I have learned a lot through Him and all the Lord has done in His life. And I praise God for that! God knew I needed him these 29 years now. Our lives have had there ups and downs but through it all God has given us each other and our other amazing siblings to help us through whether crying or rejoicing and for that I am grateful. As well as two terrific parents!

Well something Jon loves is getting out into the great outdoors and so it was only fitting that he treat himself and his sweet kids to a weekend camping trip. And why shouldn't he? We only grew up camping what seemed like every other weekend and all loved it! He invited the rest of the family out to the campsite to enjoy a yummy grilled dinner and of course a HUGE birthday cookie too!

There was some lounging around a lovely campfire.

A lovely Yia Yia loving on a certain precious cousin named Noah.

Karina loved playing with the cousins in the camper. Really hoping we can own a small camper some day so she can experience all I did growing up.

Sweet Aunt Tammy and Sensi digging into that great food.

Can't you tell he is right where he wants to be!?

We enjoyed watching the fog roll in over the water behind those rocks there and then it rolled back out giving a beautiful clear view of the lights on the water.

Joseph, who I guess is searching for that one lost ship that can't find it's way through the fog.

Then it was on to singing and eating some more!!

Who wants cake? MEEEEEEEEE! Of course Karina was holding out for the s'mores. Shame on us for not using our fire pit at home more this winter. Though these mild nights we're having seem a lot better for enjoying a fire outside.

She was quite focused as she watched that little marshmallow cook and I must say she is totally in her element too while outside and with her dear cousins. It blesses me so much to see her enjoy them and be able to grow up with them so close by.

Family is such a blessing that I never want to take for granted. We don't always get along or say the right thing to each other, as in every family, but we do love each other like crazy. And I know it's through the Lord and His working in and through us that we will only grow closer as the years go by.

shop news

2011-02-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

Just made up these tiny hats a couple weeks ago and put them in the shop. I really enjoy making hats this small. They are finished so quickly! It also is really nice to use up little bits of yarn. I am really working on using up what I already have whether that means food, craft stuff or home decorating. I am going to try to make some new covers for the pillows on my couch here soon. Right now they all match and I love the look of coordinating the colors but having different patterns. SO I will reuse the pillows, but refresh the cases.

I just made a trip to our local Goodwill store and man does it feel good to get rid of stuff that is just sitting around. I also found some really great deals on a few tops for me, some things for little bit, and even a couple shirts for Jeff. It was their half off sale day so they were REALLY good deals.

Anyway, maybe I will make a little money on these sweet hats and be able to refresh some other things around the house with that money. We'll see. I will try to do a post soon with my new/old pillows and maybe a peek at my goodies from Goodwill. But for now it's hats 'round here.

I'm also wanting to make a bunch more of these. Gotta get busy on some more roses. I feel a girl night soon with my mom coming on. We love hanging out making roses and watching movies together. Can't wait!!

belated or prolonged?

2011-02-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

Let's just say that we have been celebrating this month of love for the last couple weeks now. Can't seem to get enough of it. And when thinking about all the amazing gifts of love I've been given I can't help but think of my precious family. I am still in awe after these last six years that the Lord would see fit to bless me so greatly.

We have been a bit under the weather for a few weeks now, but I think we are looking up from here. And our family's health is one of the other great gifts that I can't thank the Lord enough for. We are not really sick that much and for that I am so very grateful. Some of the other sweet gifts we have had of late...

a beautiful full moon the other night....

a sweet little four year old so excited to get new rain boots....

a wonderful Nana to take cookies too....

for a nice new watch from my hubby on our date....

for all these things that my God so graciously gives....

a little bookworm that so enjoys her library books....

heart shaped pan cakes requested by my little one.....

a beautiful evening bike ride requested by me....

and a bouquet of thanks sent to my door. I am truly one blessed girl and I hope you are too as you look for joy in the simple things all around. And I vote for celebrating Valentine's Day all year long!

rain

2011-02-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

This week has been sooooooo beautiful. SO why would I post about rain? Well I took these a few weeks ago and when I did I was so ready for the sun to shine again and for us to be able to play outside in jeans and a t-shirt. And today I can post them with such a happy heart having been outside all week in the sun! I figured they also go along with the Valentine theme of the week with the pink umbrella and all. Yes, I decided along with my sister that we too would celebrate the "love"ly holiday all week long.

Hope you are enjoying some sunny days too! I think we might even go on a family bike ride later. It's been too long. :)

our valentine's day

2011-02-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

"What? Valentine's Day is already over?"

"Oh man! I didn't even figure out who will be my valentine."

"What did you say? You will be mine? YAY!"

Here is a little peek at the fun we had celebrating!

Karina was so much in the loving mood she even hugged a tree!

I just loved pulling out some beach toys to enjoy this day even more. Made me realize we need to stock up again this summer. The weather was gorgeous and felt like God's sweet valentine gift to us. After a wonderful time out at the park we headed home to decorate some heart shaped sugar cookies.

When Jeff got home we sat and opened cards from him and what a precious time it was. He took special care to get something extra special for his girls. Thank you again hunny!!

I REALLY love these two sweethearts and it was so nice to end the day with a good dinner and a relaxing night. But it doesn't end there. Tomorrow I get really spoiled with a date and another gift on the way. Wonder what it could be?

my valentine

2011-02-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love this man!!

making things

2011-02-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

What do you do with a little girl that's bored, some rhinestones and card stock? You make one of these! She thought it was pretty cool to transform that card stock into something oh-so-girly and sparkly and I did too for that matter. I love to craft and that sometimes gets in the way of my wanting to play with toys as much as I should.

I know one day I am going to wake up to a house full of only grown up girly things and wish I had played more baby dolls and doll house with this precious girl. So I will work on that while you have fun scrolling through these silly pictures we had fun taking!

Where'd she go?

Oh there you are!

What a goof!

And so happy with her pretty fan. Then it was onto baking. Another thing I love to do and I must say this little girl loves it too. So we worked up some yummy cupcakes for a girl night I was having here and I couldn't get over how sweet she looked in her bakers hat that she went and put on with her apron!

OK so I don't know how much she actually likes the baking part, but she will do a job on that mixer once it's all good and chocolaty.

Oh no! What will I do now? Maybe make another cake?

it's cold

2011-02-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a little something I'm trying to keep warm with. I saw a bunch of these to buy online and almost bought one. But then I decided that was just me being lazy and that I should at least try to attempt it. So I did and it really does the trick. I realized if my ears are warm I really don't need a hat! Might even wear it out today.

1st birthday

2011-01-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yes I am still reminiscing. This is also a picture I put in her baby book. I only included pictures from her first year up to her birthday. Looking at this I am finding it so hard to believe she will be five this year!!

my baby

2011-01-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

I've been having a really good time working on a little baby book for my sweet girl. This is one of the pictures I had to include. That little toothy grin just kills me. She can always make me smile and I love her so!

snowballs

2011-01-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

We haven't been getting any snow 'round here, but that doesn't mean we can't pretend right? I love these cookies and they were always a favorite at my Nana's house. So when Christmas passed us by and I still hadn't made them something was missing. So Karina and I pulled out the stuff we needed and got to work. Did you know you need a princess dress on to make these? That's my little snow queen! But she did a quick change into her tutu. Guess she didn't want to mess up her queenly garb. :)

taste testing

ready to pop in the oven. see my makeshift snowflakes in the window?

sing with me! frosty the snowman.....

lovin' that girl in the tutu!

mommy and her girl having us a sweet time!

organizing

2011-01-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

In an effort to organize everything a little better in our house Jeff went out one night and brought back just a few more bins for storing things. Ok so it was more then a few and I kinda thought it was funny that now we need storage space for the bins themselves. HA! But I'm sure they will get used at some point. He did kinda remind me of my dad for a second who always buys 10-20 more of the same thing then he actually needs just in case.

Well as you can see Karina found a way better use for them then just boring ol' storage. It made the perfect little/big house for her to play in. That only lasted a night because mommy wanted her living room back the next day. Karina was a little disappointed when she woke up but I know what to do now on a rainy day when she gets bored. :)

gift cards

2011-01-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

I've been loving me some gift cards lately. Jeff's mom and dad were so sweet to bless me with one for Starbucks and another for Kohl's. So I had some fun out one day and just browsed by myself and turned up with some great finds! And that peppermint frappuccino couldn't have been yummier!

arranging

2011-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

After getting our new TV on good ol' black Friday last year I decided that my collage of small frames wasn't gonna cut it anymore behind the TV. So I grabbed some inexpensive 8 by 10 frames to add in and then went about trying to arrange them (on the floor first) in a fun but not symmetrical design. It took a little while but once I was happy with it I took some paper and cut a piece the same size as each frame and marked them with a small hole where each nail would need to be . Then taped them up on the wall just to make sure that is what I wanted before committing to it with holes in the wall. :) Once that was done I went ahead and hammered in the nails where the holes in the paper were, tore down the paper and hung the frames.

It really did make such a big difference and was pretty easy too. I was one of those wives that was all worried when the size TV in my husbands ideas got bigger and bigger then what I wanted for our living room. But it all worked out when he settled for a little smaller and I for a little bigger. Any bigger would have been too big but I think the frames above it now take your eyes off the big black screen.

We have lots of fun taking pictures and both enjoy getting out into nature and bringing some of God's beauty through pictures indoors to enjoy. So if you are nervous about hanging a bunch of frames up at once try this method. I saw it somewhere but don't remember where exactly. You might have already seen it and if so I'm glad. It really works!

I was reading a blog the other day about how it's nice to rearrange things after Christmas while still in the cold months. It refreshes things just enough and can even warm things up a bit. I am the kind of person who can have the same things around for quite a while and it not bother me one bit. But lately I have enjoyed moving things around and giving them a little face lift here and there. The gals blog that I was reading even said go shopping in your own house. I thought that was a clever idea! Happy snuggling in your own cozy home on these chilly winter days!

under $10

2011-01-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

Don't ya just love getting a great deal?! I went to a great little thrift store the other day and picked up all these things for a total that was under $10!! If you've ever been thrift shopping you know that you can sometimes find so much and sometimes there is nothing.

Karina just loves this ice cream playdough set and has been playing with it a lot since we brought it home. We have the cake set too and I know we will have fun with both together especially when friends are over.

While I was there I didn't feel like I was getting much but once I got it home. And looked at it again I realized I hadn't done too bad. I had no idea how these shorts would fit but it turned out they were perfect. And the wallet will replace mine that is getting kinda shabby and also matches a purse I use a lot.

This cute dress and handbag I love. I will probably wear the dress as a bathing suit cover or with a tank and some fun sandals. I'm thinking pink maybe. :)

And this other stuff is going as gifts to some precious little girls I know. We also found a fun little game and it had all the pieces too!

It is so much fun to find things like this for around $1 each as apposed to what they could have been. SO I will keep on hunting and hoping to find some treasures here and there. :)

january

2011-01-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying some gorgeous weather in January and we made good use of it today. We all headed to the park including the dog and had a lovely time. I feel like we have been way too sun deprived lately and our skin tones are showing it. I might just have to make a trip to the beach this month for some play time in the sand. That's all my little lady wanted to do today and kept asking for a shovel that I didn't have.

Soon though we will be keeping sand toys in our car all the time for those regular beach trips. But I guess I need to bring one now for times like this. She would have been content in that sand for a mighty long time if I would have let her. And I could have planted myself there for the day just watching her.

I just love the way the sun looks coming through the branches of a tree. And just looky hear someone stamped this bench just for me. K is for Kristie right?

And there she is my happy little beach babe!

Isn't it so much fun seeing your kids have a great time!

The water was so peaceful and this shot of the sand served as a reminder to me of how my Lord's thoughts toward me are as many as the sand by the sea. Psalm 139:17,18. He gave us this lovely day and to Him I am truly grateful!

new year's eve

2011-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

We were some of the crazy people that went out on New Year's Eve. We enjoyed a nice dinner out with Jeff's family at a fun burger place and then let the kids have some fun on some great rides that aren't too far from where we live in a really nice shopping area. It was crazy! But fun too and knowing that would go home to coffee and snacks made it even more enjoyable. We weren't out there for too long, but when I asked the kids who wanted to go home and have ice cream and do sparklers they all said MEEEEEE and jumped up and down.

SO here is some of our fun that night out and about....

The girls going up up and away!

They even had fireworks early for the kiddos.

Ethan got his plane ride in too and Amelia loved riding that carousel and waving to us when she and her mommy went by.

I love this shot of Nana, Pappy and the grandkids! So glad we could share that night with them.

Oh and this ball that Karina is pointing at was supposed to drop early too to go along with the early fireworks for the kids. It never did while we were there and we weren't waiting around for it.

So we headed home and on the way Nana decided that we could all do with some yummy donuts. So we stopped there really quick and went home to make some coffee to go with them.

The kids enjoyed some ice cream while we ate the donuts and then it was outside to have fun with the sparklers! It was really nice to go out into sixty-seventy degree temps for that too!

You can see my sad attempt at making some cute hats for the kids to wear. When we got home I printed out a quick pattern for party hats and wrote Happy New Year on them. Better then nothing!

Amelia wasn't so sure about the sparklers this year but I bet by the 4th of July she'll want her own to hold.

After the kids had their fun we got them all cozy in their pj's and tucked them into bed. Then it was time to kick back and relax while watching the crazy people out in times square. That is one place I would NOT want to be on New Year's Eve. The guys had some fun with the Wii and it was just nice to enjoy that time together.

As we were trying to capture a picture of us all together this one came out kinda funny. I know what I will be getting Jeff for his birthday this year. A camera remote!

Hope ya'll had a wonderful New Year's too and that this year is full of great blessing for you and yours!!

kute knits

2011-01-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

Just a little hat I made up for a special order. Looks so cute and wintery to me. I've been working on a little something special for me lately that I will share soon. But I do need to get busy on some other special orders too. Be back with more to share in a bit. But might post about our fun New Years Eve first. Stay tuned.....

winter

2011-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

I really do love our winters here. They are mild but plenty cold for me. This was the view out my window the other day. I am enjoying the cooler weather but will be ready for the spring and summer months when they arrive. Until then I will love wearing all my sweaters and making yummy soups and baking yummy things too!

more soup

2011-01-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying a lot of soup around here. A friend of mine tried her hand at Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana soup when I was over the other night and it tasted soooo good. So I came home, went out and bought all I needed and made a huge double batch. I really really enjoyed it but don't think the man of the house likes kale like I do. :) So it will last me a long time. I don't mind that at all.

I love being able to call my mom or friends up and ask them to join me for lunch here. And it's always nice to have something already made up. So I will be making some soup lunch dates. :) Oh and Karina loves soup too, but might have the same feelings as her dad when it comes to this one. So more for me!!

I think I will be making a big batch of my favorite chili today! You can find the recipe and pictures here: http://http://kristiemd-oneblessedgirl.blogspot.com/2009/11/best-chili-ever.html I hope you love it as much as I do and that you are staying warm and cozy on this lovely winter day.

joy

2010-12-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

If I had to sum up what this year has brought me in one word it would be JOY. Not because everything has been perfect. There were some times in there that were far from it. But in God's mercy and goodness He brought us through the happy and sad times with a constant joy. Joy in His perfect providence, His unfailing love, and His undeserved grace.

I can't imagine going through life without His fatherly hand upon me and my family guiding every step of the way. And I know I never have to. I could jump out of my chair and dance all around right now with the joy that is bubbling up inside me just knowing He cares for me! I pray you can know this great joy too and if you do not know God personally that He would make Himself known to you. That you would find salvation through His perfect Son Jesus Christ and that you too would be over flowing with a love for Him that you've never known before!

So as we enJOY a little bubbly in our hearts around here we are also enJOYing some sweet comforts of home in this winter time. Karina loves her some hot chocolate. Oh and is also very happy with her little braids. :)

I tried my hand at some home made minestrone soup this week and I'm so glad I did. It made the house smell amazing and it tasted even better! I knew my sweet mom would enjoy a nice hot bowl of this so we called her up and invited her to lunch.

I even picked up a lovely red table cloth especially for it. J/K I found this on clearance the night before. :) But we did have a lovely lunch with her and enjoyed our soup again that night for dinner with Jeff but with grilled cheese that time.

I have also been enJOYing some cozy time by the fire working on some knitting for the shop. And yes I leave up my decorations well into January. I also need a little something sweet when I sit and knit. :)

Here Karina is having a good time with a gift she received from her Nana. It is the cutest little cupcake decorating set. The little/big icing markers are made to draw on the cupcakes and wipe right off when you're done. So cute!

We have also been busy writing thank you cards around here. Karina added a little art work to this one.

Our Christmas Day was filled with much JOY spending time with our family. Here is a little recap of our time with them. These aren't even close to all pictures that I took, but I don't think you need an overload of us all opening every gift either. I was so blessed that even after a night of not feeling so great Jeff was able to come out and have some precious family time with us.

Before the whole family arrived we read the Christmas story out of the bible and talked a little bit about it. It is so important to us for Karina to know the reason for this special day and that Jesus' birth, life and death was the greatest gift ever given. Our gifts are but a tiny, almost meaningless, glimpse of the love He has shown to us.

She looks soooooo grown up to me in this picture!

Before touching the big gifts this girl was ready to eat. We had fun singing and celebrating Jesus birthday with a candle and all.

After we had our own little family time and got ready for the day the whole gang showed up and with them all of these. Jeff's mom bought all new stockings this year and they are so cute! I really love Karina's with the puppy on it. It even looks like our dog Jazz.

The kids were just a little excited about these too and all the goodies inside.

Then the gift giving began. I was very impressed with how patient the kids were. You can tell they have grown in that in the last year.

Here are the knitted gifts I gave this year for all you knitters out there.

It really was a blessing to have all of Jeff's family in our home this year. The day was rainy and wet outside but we had a great time just relaxing and Jeff was also able to get a good nap in while we ate our big meal. I think it worked out well that we were in our own home so that he could get that rest in his own bed.

He also decided to surprise me and Karina with a gift that I wasn't expecting. In his sneaky little way, while out buying our new TV a month ago, he decided to get a great deal on a Wii. So he tucked it away and with some new games to go with it wrapped and stuck them under the tree. I had no idea and so it was fun to find that.

I have only played it a couple times, but he and Karina are really getting some use out of it. It also made for some fun on that wet cold day with everyone over.

Lunch was cooking while we were busy doing all of that and what a yummy feast it was. With the table all set in my new linens and looking very Christmassy we were ready to feast feast feast!

Of course we had to have the music playing softly in the background. :)

I was so happy to fill this table with those I love!

All set and ready! The kids wasted no time digging in and using their new candy cane curly straws Nana tucked in their stockings.

And a toast to God's goodness and mercy! JOY written all over this!

Pappy and Ethan enjoying some home made sweet potato pie!

It was a really great day though not perfect with my sick hubby. But there was JOY just being together!

The day after I snapped the picture of Karina that I thought I had missed out on. I love to take a picture of her in front of the tree each year and look back on how much she's grown. And I hadn't done it yet. But was so glad when she was so willing to give me a sweet smile.

She sure is growing up and into such a precious big girl too. I take such JOY in teaching her the ways of the Lord and showing His love to her. Though I may not always do it quite like I should I pray He will shine His great light in her heart and she too will grow up to know the JOY He brings!

staying cozy!

2010-12-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas

2010-12-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

"For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time forth and forever.

The zeal of the LORD almighty

will accomplish this."

Isaiah 9:6,7

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!! This is a little peek at our Christmas play last night. :)

caroling and cookies

2010-12-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

Last night we did one of my favorite Christmas traditions. We met at my sister's house and all hopped in the back of my dad's old 66 Chevy truck and went caroling. I think this has become a lost art. But we sure brought it back to a pretty little neighborhood in our town. We would stop at certain houses of people we knew and say a quick hello. And then we would shout out a hearty "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" to those we didn't know. What a wonderful and fun way to proclaim Christ birth with a song sung loudly for all to hear. :) The kids were great singers and really had a great time!

I had to snap a few pictures along the way of houses that were lit up so pretty.

My little lady got into it more this year then last and it was a joy to watch her sing her little heart out!

I love how this house did their trees. Might have to do this next year in our side yard with all our trees! My dad does such a good job of decorating his truck too!

Then it was on to mom and dad's house to enjoy some snacks and decorated some delicious gingerbread cookies!

This precious little guy had a fun night too and found a cozy spot by the fire to hang out. Loving my little nephew Noah!!

I love all my mom's lovely decorations. These houses are some she bought while we lived in Germany and it takes me back to the little towns there.

The kids were so cute to watch as they all took time to make their cookies look just right.

This is such a wonderful night to catch up with the family even in the business of it all. I just love hanging out with my mom and sister. And I think the guys enjoy each others company just the same.

Today is filled with a lot of baking, cooking and some cleaning so I better go and get started. Hope you all are having sweet times with those close to you and have a wonderful Christmas!!

coming home

2010-12-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

Coming home from a trip is always sweet to the soul. Even though our little lady wasn't feeling so well she enjoyed the little gifts we brought home to her. She had never playing dominoes and she loved it. And after eating chinese out over the weekend we thought it would be fun to bring her home some training chop sticks. It was so sweet to hold her close and hear her say over and over again that she missed me. Then we just had a nice slow day at home snuggling to watch some movies and I was able to do some sewing for the table linens I want to use on Christmas day for our big lunch.

Oh and I had to include this sweet little house Karina decorated at a little friends birthday party a couple weeks ago now. Couldn't ya just move in to that little cottage of goodies!

While I sewed Karina got busy with some play dough. She even made me a wonderful little salad for lunch. Wasn't that so sweet of her?!

So I was going to use stitch witchery to make up this table runner and napkins. But after spending too long and not getting very far I decided just ironing and sewing them would be much easier and faster. So I pulled out my Nana's good ol' machine and got to work! I love using her old machine and can only imagine all the wonderful things she made with it. The fabric is some Jeff's grandmother gave to me and that makes it precious too. I love the red and white for Christmas time.

I went out and bought some nice plates and bowls for our nice dinner too. We are so blessed to be hosting Jeff's family this year and I didn't have enough matching plates and bowls for the table. So I was really excited when I found these at Bed Bath and Beyond for a great price. I can hardly wait to set the table and I have a cute little idea for place cards too. I'll be back next week to share some pictures and fun from our Christmas day, but next up is our night out caroling and cookie decorating.