when dandelions dance

An Up! Themed Invitation

2011-11-30T16:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted because we've finally got babies! I've had my handful with 2 little ones in the house, but I'm loving it!

We have a first birthday coming up, so I thought an Up! party would be fitting, since he's growing up, up, up. The sky is the limit for this little guy!

I finally finished my invitations today during naptime and will be working on decorations and party favors from here on out, in between Christmas decorating. Our big day is December 11!

I finally took some time to stamp, and although I spent a couple of hours on just a few invitations, I am pleased with how they turned out. I finally broke out my never-been-used SU! set, Good Neighbors (the house & cloud) and used the balloons from Amuse's Simple Wishes set. The sentiments are both from an old SU! set, It's a Party.

Happy stamping to you!

Afternoon at the Park

2011-08-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to keep Canaan again last Saturday and Molly & Andrea joined us for a fun afternoon at the park. We swang, rode the marry-go-round, and climbed the jungle gym equipment. It was a beautiful afternoon!

Little Miss Independent didn't want to sit in Molly's lap!

Look at those cute little tippy-toes!

I love that girl!

Rattlesnake Ridge Hike

2011-08-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing Sunday afternoon with friends. We spent the sunny afternoon hiking Rattlesnake Ridge and then tried out the inflatable boat for the first time on Rattlesnake Lake. It was such an enjoyable day!

The view eastward from Rattlesnake Ridge

The hike was actually more of a walk & chat than a strong physical exertion; Erin and I took our time and mosied on up.There were actually a lot of people when we got to the top, including these two sweet lovebirds. I'm thinking they had no idea I captured them!

We then enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon cooling off in the lake before splurging on brick-fire pizza.

Another beautiful day in the great Northwest!

I'm linking up to Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Bellevue Festival of the Arts

2011-08-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday afternoon was a fun one with Molly & Andrea at the Bellevue Festival of the Arts. I was busy admiring so many artist's work that I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. There were metal-workers, glass makers, seamstresses, woodworkers, some amazing photographers, and many other artists.

It was such a fun day!

Celebrating 13 years

2011-07-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Mountain Man & I recently celebrated 13 wonderful years of marriage! I'm so blessed to be married to my best friend and can't imagine life without him!

Because we wanted a mini vacation, we decided to take a little road trip to Coeur d'Alene Idaho. We have been wanting to revisit that cute little town since driving through during our move to Washington five years ago. We had a fabulous time hiking, swimming, laying out in the sun, walking the beach, and getting massages!

{Click on photos to enlarge.}

View from the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park (road trip stop)

A beautiful sunset from the Highlands Day Spa

We're looking forward to many more years together!

Metering & Focal Points

2011-02-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Willette, I've finally figured out how to change my focal points on my camera and correctly meter my photos. I played with my 50mm too, and I really like its crispness! Bex is always a willing participant of my photography practice, when enticed by a stick! Love this photo of my happy boy!

{It's not too late to sign up for Willette's free Joy of Love class. Read the deets here.}

Happy shooting (your camera, that is)!

Multitudes on Monday (& Tuesday)

2011-02-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

This week has been so stressful for me with school deadlines. I had an report to revise and a new report to write for Managerial Economics and a Business Management midterm exam to study for Monday. I had to pull an all-nighter on Sunday to get everything done, but I did it. However, in the midst of my stress, I rarely gave thanks and I completely forgot to post my Multitudes on Monday. I hope that being thankful will soon become a regular part of who I am. So today, I'm taking time to smell the roses and share the blessings He's given me this last week.

Taking time to smell the roses

{18} my Canon Rebel
{19} warm showers
{20} hot tub time with hubby
{21} water, clean and prolific
{22} effecient firewood stove
{23} stacked firewood
{24} snapshots of those I love
{25} life in death
{26} creative outlets
{27} the transforming power of spray paint
{28} melodic song birds
{29} sleep, restful sleep
{30} books

{31} phone calls from Dad

Willette Photography

2011-02-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

This is a shout-out for Willette Photography and her free joy of love class through the month of February. The class is free; all you do is sign up with your email on her website. You'll receive an email a day that includes photo prompts, her example, tips, and a link to a Flickr photo gallery for uploading your photo. She is also offering an album template so you can save your photo journey of your loved one.

This is a great way to improve your photography skills! Enjoy!

Scrubbing Day

2011-02-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

Do I have to?

Cleaning out the sin in our lives is not fun, but it's necessary and good. Just like my sweet dog, I sometimes put up resistance. Confronting my sin and acknowledging it isn't easy; it's a downright filthy job! I love David's psalm after he's confronted by the prophet Nathan regarding his adultery with Bathsheba:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Psalm 51:1-3

However, our Father is faithful to forgive us when we turn from our sin. Be encouraged!

Close of Day

2011-02-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

Our God is the ultimate artist!

Valentine's Banners

2011-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Friends. I don't have too many close friends, as I once so naively believed, but the ones I do have are amazing! I'm so thankful for these Godly women and the time they invest in our friendships! We had so much fun today crafting and playing games.

The gals sewed felt Valentine banners

Rochelle & Megs made a great team

Holly got creative with fabric & felt

Anne's was LONG and had amazing details!

Molly was last to arrive and first one done!

My tiny birdie banner

The guys played Runebound

The girls were creative with their own games

And Elam was a joy!

Bexar also loved being included.

I felt so very blessed to share this day with them!

I'm delighted to join Ann Voskamp and many others in giving thanks to the Giver of all things.
{1} every breath
{2} furry friends that always love
{3} a reminder of what love really is
{4} the holy Scriptures: our daily mana
{5} encouraging friends
{6} professors willing to teach "outside the box"
{7} ability to sweat
{8} the telephone: a connection to those loved, only separated by distance
{9} fiery sunsets midst gray, drizzly winters
{10} crafting time with girl friends
{11} coffee & gab session with Tammie
{12} the twang on the other end of the line, the voice of my sweet Liessa
{13} wounded hearts opening in trust
{14} bubbly tubbies
{15} Nicole, our sweet and diligent foster care licensor
{16} Little girl giggles
{17} Craft & game day with friends

Linking to

Valentine's Subway Art

2011-01-30T00:23:00.000-08:00

Subway art seems to be a hot trend lately, so I got crafty today and created my own! A quick Google search reveals some very cute and free Valentine's subway art downloads. One of my favorites is found on eighteen25. I thought I would take a different take on Valentine's and focus on what God says is love in 1 Corinthians 13.

Our world is filled with lust and Hollywood seems to always confuse lust for love! I thought I would add a reminder for what love really is.

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

All of the following creations are the same version but different colors. They all fit a 5x7 frame.

Blue & Green Version:

Purple Version (This one was made special for my friend, Wendy, who is quite fond of purple!):

Red & Brown Version:

Red Version:

I like how it turned out and maybe one of you will be inspired to create one of your own!

15 Minutes

2011-01-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

It works for me! What can I say? I set the timer and go as fast as I can to accomplish simple cleaning tasks. I can clean the kitchen (usually dishes and scrubbing counter tops with bleach), vacuum most of the house, clean the stairs, fold and put away a load of laundry (and maybe 2), pick up the bathroom, etc. You get the picture. I confess that I have a difficult time staying on task - whether cleaning, studying, writing or even talking! My friends and family can attest to my random ramblings! If you have a similar problem, why not try focusing for just 15 minutes? It's made all the difference in the world for me!

God's provision to HeartCry Missionary Society

2011-01-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

God's Extraordinary Provision for HeartCry - Paul Washer from HeartCry Missionary Society on Vimeo.

What an encouraging testimony of God's provision for His saints. His love and faithfulness are everlasting. To Him be glory, honor and praise! My faith is strengthened and I hope yours is too.

If you have a minute, please explore HeartCry Missionary Society. Paul is an excellent preacher and God has used him to renew my mind and correct, guide, and encourage me in my walk. His sermons are great for listening to while folding laundry, washing dishes, painting, or any other household chore.

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4: 19-20

Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp will impact the way you approach life and how you live every moment.

See my side bar for a link to the book on Amazon.

{I'll write a full review when I'm done with the book.}
Enjoy!

2011 Family Theme

2011-01-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

2011

The Year of the DO

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." James 1:22-24, Holy Bible

Inspired by Ann Voskamp at Holy Experience to choose a theme for our family for 2011, Mountain Man and I agreed on "The Year of the Do." We talk so much about goals, but we're tired of talking. We just want to do it - to live it, to act it, to become it. Isn't that what true belief is? Beth Moore says, belief is a present active participle, and she's right. It's time to put our beliefs into action; we've been glancing in the mirror for far too long!

This application is two-fold for us. We want to do everything for His glory- not for our boasting. This includes goals in several areas of our lives including Scripture memorization, fellowship, hospitality, giving to others, physical fitness, education, and adoption/foster care. We're excited to see what God has in store for us in 2011.

Apple Sauce

2011-01-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

Winter Banana apples

I was SO excited when Holly called and asked if I was the one that wanted to make apple sauce with her the next time she made it. Of course it was me - and any canned items (i.e. jams, jellies, preserves). Her family has a farm in the Tri-Cities area of Washington and last time they went they picked a bunch of winter banana apples. The winter banana apples aren't so great for munching on raw, but perfect for making homemade apple sauce!

This was my first experience with making homemade apple sauce, and Holly was an excellent teacher!
Here was our recipe:

1. Pick apples (Go to the effort to find an orchard near you - you won't regret it.)

2. Wash apples. (We were blessed to have a great quality control manager!)

Quality Control

Aren't they beauties?

3. Fill up a huge pot with canning jars and water and heat until jars are sterilized.

4. Halve each apple, and slice each half into quarters. (There's no need to be a perfectionist about this, but believe me, I tried!

5. Add about 1/2" - 1" of water and cook on medium heat.

They picked A LOT of apples!

6. Once they cook down, pour into food mill and crank away. This removes all of the skin, seeds, stems, etc and only allows the delicious sauce to escape.

Holly demonstrating how the food mill works

Making apple sauce

7. Add some vanilla, cinnamon & butter and grab a spoon!

Seriously, it was delicious.

Quality control said so!

A Living Sacrifice

2011-01-20T15:56:00.000-08:00

My expectations of my own performance in all things are high. Expectations vary because we're all different, but I've realized that my expectations in my pursuit of a higher education may not be realistic for me at this point in my life. Since I transferred into the University of Washington as a Junior at the beginning of January, I've had difficulty balancing my duties at home and my duty to school. I want to be the best I can be, and I want that to reflect in my grades. I'm enjoying studying because I'm finally interested in these topics! I love managerial economics! At the same time, my home life is suffering. My house is a disaster - dishes are piled up in the kitchen, a mountain of clothes lies in our bedroom, the toilet is disgusting, homemade meals are sporadic, Bexar needs exercise and Mountain Man needs some attention! Slowly, I'm figuring out a system that works for me, but none of those is the real problem.

The problem is my heart. I'm so focused on me and achieving good grades that I've shut everyone else out. I don't have time for anyone - not Bex, not Mountain Man, and not even God. Wow. That's difficult to type. The absence of my communication with God - reading, praying, clinging to His words, thanking Him - is evident in my selfish actions.

What woke me up? God, of course! Oh, His grace is truly amazing! How can He be so faithful when I am not? I don't deserve His love, His grace, His mercy, His redemption.

Sanctification.
It's Him in me.

It's a slow, continual, necessary death. Mine. Dying to myself so that Christ may live in me. Death begets life. There are no words, Father, for my thankfulness.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is i your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2

Granite Hills Inn

2011-01-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 21st, 11:30am

Phone rings

Mountain Man: "Why don't we look into going to Leavenworth and spending the night on Thursday."

I don't think I heard anything else.

Tuesday, December 21st, 2:38pm

My Email

"We are booked for a romantic stay at the lovely Granite Hills Inn in Leavenworth for this Thursday evening, December 23rd. We will be staying in the cozy Willow suite."

Thursday, December 23rd, about 5:30pm

Granite Hills Inn

Cozy welcome

Front door welcome

Coffee/Tea bar (with hot homemade cc cookies)

Festive living area

Kitchen (and Paula's salon through the far door)

The three bedrooms are upstairs and Bill & Paula, the owners and fabulous hosts, have a room over the garage.

That evening, we night-skied at Ski Hill and then headed to town for a lovely dinner at Pav's, highly recommended by Bill & Paula.

Pav's

Coming straight from the trails, I felt a little under-dressed, but quickly forgot about it. Their recommendation did not disappoint! We shared Osso Buco and then had a delicious crepe dessert.

Banana, Hazelnut & Nutella crepe

We were so full, but I convinced MM to take a stroll around town with me. I love Leavenworth!

Sledders in downtown Leavenworth

Nutcracker shop

Pretzel shop

Toy shop

When we got back to Granite Hills, I wanted to get some photos of the B&B.

As I was photographing some ornaments, I heard a scratching noise. What was that?

Sumo playing with ribbon

It was SUMO, the cat! He was playing with the ribbon of a gift underneath the tree. He was so cute! So we meowed and he agreed to a photo shoot.

Once he was tired of that, he wrapped himself up in my purse. I think he was trying to crawl in so I could take him home!

Playing with Sumo

Then we played. I reached out and put my finger on top of his paw, then he put his paw over my hand...and said that I was his. Maybe we weren't playing, but pledging. I have a feeling Bexar may have something to say about this...and it starts with a W and ends with an OOF!

I retired to the bedroom and quickly heard the answer to my thoughts...Mountain Man was sawing some BIG logs! What's a girl to do? I ran a hot tubby in their extra-large tub, added some bath salts, and snuggled up to my iPhone!

After a cozy night in the Willow Suite, with the toasty fire, comfy mattress and with lots of pillows - just like I like it - we sauntered downstairs for breakfast. Who wouldn't get out of bed knowing that this was waiting for them?

Breakfast (It was better than it sounds, if that's possible!)

Breakfast was the bomb! (I was too busy eating to take any pictures!) Their homemade apricot, strawberry, black raspberry jellies and blackberry wine was the star of breakfast! We enjoyed chatting with Bill & Pauala and some other guests, originally from Israel, who were also headed out to do some Nordic skiing. It was a great start to a great day!

It was also the beginning of a memorial day for Bill and Paula, our incredible hosts. They were picking up their nephew, who was coming to live with them indefinitely. They were very excited and we were excited for them.

Bill & Paula, Hosts/Owners

Bill & Paula grew up in the Leavenworth area and Bill helped his parents run a B&B while he was growing up. They are both extremely knowledgable about the area and its history. Bill has a green thumb and Paula has a salon (in the B&B). I was sad to not have the time to take advantage of her services (massage, mani, pedi)! They were wonderful hosts - personable and friendly, yet not intrusive. They answered all of our questions, and opened not only their home but their lives. Surprisingly enough, Bill & Paula had attended the introductory class at Antioch Adoptions (different location than we did) a while back. Isn't it a small world? They decided to take a different route, serving others with a bed and breakfast, and they indeed offer service with a smile! The love of Christ shines through them as they serve others with kindness and love. We had a wonderful stay at Granite Hills Inn and I would love to return one day!

Nordic Skiing

2011-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

We had big plans for Thanksgiving - plans to freeze our booties off and go snow camping, as we did last year. Well, we wound up sleeping through the alarm, and Mountain Man didn't think we had time to drive out, backpack in to find a spot, and set up before dark. SO...we stayed home and did some projects around the house. We still wanted to get out in the snow, so he formed a plan and surprised me by suggesting we get up early to shop! I'm not really a shopper, and secretly, I thought he was nuts to want to get up early only to stand in long lines outside in the cold rain! However, I went along with the plan. We hit Starbucks, Home Depot, and then REI (the intended destination)! We waited in line for only 30 minutes at REI and wound up both getting $20 gift cards that they were handing out to the first 150 people. We bee-lined for the cross-country skis, hunted our bargain, snagged it, bagged it, and hauled it home! (This is how Mountain Man shops - as a hunter gathering his food!) Had we been Nordic skiing before? Did we know that we would enjoy it? No, no, no. But Mountain Man knew that we would.

We hit the snow that morning on our favorite forest road. We had no clue what we were doing, but we had fun!

Fischer Classic Nordic Skis

Mountain Man loving every minute!

Bex unsure of what to make of this!

Bexar ran beside us, barking and frolicking in the snow. His herding instincts kicked in and he tried to herd us, which always makes us giggle! What a fun new sport!

Be-Rhymed

2011-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

We love to play games and recently we got a couple of new games. Be-Rhymed is a new favorite and the good news - I only payed $4 for it at Half Price Books! I highly recommend the game - they answers are all rhyming words (well mostly) and all of the clues are conveyed in three ways: speaking, acting, or drawing. We've really had fun with it!

Mindy's "Snail Mail"

Mindy & I are great teammates at this game. This is one game that we can actually win; maybe that's why we enjoy it so much! {Smiles}

Life on the Ranch (part 2)

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Day 7 (12.8)

Photographed the ranch

I didn't feel great, so I relaxed in the trailer and watched a couple of movies.

Day 8 (12.9)

More relaxing.

My step sister and her kids showed up later in the afternoon. Mountain Man, Brannon & Noah walked down to the creek and played on the rope swing while I chatted with Kim & Tay. That evening, we went to the house in town where there were more beds, but before leaving, we were blessed by another beautiful sunset. I experienced a horrible evening of sickness that night; and retired to bed early (around 7:30).

Day 9 (12.10)

Me feeding a calf

Tay loving on Sassy

The calves become obsessed with licking our shoes

What's next?

If you won't come on your own, I'll make you.

Morrisons sans Dad Morrison

The Morrisons left that afternoon and we took the small trailer into the shop. Dad ended up staying in town with us and we watched a movie together.

Day 10 (12.11)

Homeward bound, but not before another bite of Juan-in-a-Million's delicious enchiladas and refried beans, which were just like I remembered them! We enjoyed our time with Dad, Kathymom, family & friends, but we were also glad to return home. The sun and warmer temperatures were wonderful and I can't spend enough time with my family and friends. I love them. Thank you to Codie, Jennifer & Brian, and Kim and the kids for taking the time to come hang out. I'm so sorry I missed Wendy (and the new little Elizabeth) and BA (and sweet Ivan). I hope to get together with them soon!

Home Sweet Home!

Meet Gloria

2011-01-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

Day 6 (12.7)

We toodled around the ranch all day, then went to Gloria's and Ed's for dinner. In Southern speech, Gloria is something else. Simply put, she is glorious! She is vivacious, energetic, generous, and loves to share her life stories! We had a delicious dinner of homemade Mexican food and learned how to eat fajitas Mexican-style. Then she took us for the grand tour. Gloria's Victorian house is no ordinary house; it's one you've got to see to believe.

However, before I begin the house tour, I've got to tell you about Gloria and her heart for a special little girl, Madeleine Frady. Madeleine is a silly & spunky 9-year-old who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. In an effort to raise money to cover the costs of Madeleine's care, Gloria & Ed hosted an open house, complete with hot chocolate, cookies, and Christmas carolers from Vanderveer Street Church of Christ. Located just two blocks from Burnet's popular Main Street Bethlehem, they hoped to attract large crowds and large donations for little Madeleine. I think the total was somewhere just under $500. Please feel free to visit her website if you'd like to contribute.

Meet Gloria

and her husband Ed

Welcome to Gloria's Dream Cottage

The front porch is only a glimpse of what's to come

Parlor

Dining

Not only is she an incredible decorator, but she's made her cottage cozy by painting some of the walls and floors. You can see in her dining room that she has painted the floors as cobblestones on grass. She is incredibly talented, to say the least.

Gloria's & Ed's bedroom

Ladies, you read that correctly - it's Ed's bedroom too! Yes, the walls and just about everything in there is pink! It's Gloria's favorite color; why shouldn't it be pink?!

Bathroom

One of my favorite rooms was the bathroom! So cute, quaint & girly! Don't you just want to climb in that claw-foot tub and fill it to the brim with bubbles?

Stockings

Guest bedroom

Memories

Every inch of her house is filled with memories. Gloria has a story for everything.

And moving to the back yard:

Storage

One of my other favorite places was the back yard, but specifically the tree house! I couldn't get a decent picture of the front because it was very dark, but here's the inside:

My favorite painting

Back to the porch.

I don't think she knows it, but Gloria's material possessions and her grand stories of each displayed item are not what makes Gloria's place fabulous.GLORIA is what makes being there so wonderful!

Life on The Ranch (the first 5 days)

2011-01-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Day 1 (12.2 )

Left the mountains

for the prarie.

Day 2 (12.3)

Mountain man mowed,

Dad & I stripped cedar (to be used for fence posts),

and we got the calves.

Mountain Man and I had dinner with some dear friends at Papasito's. Unfortunately, there is no photo. I took my camera, but as usual, I got to talking and completely forgot to take a picture. In fact, I forgot my camera was in the seat beside me! When Codie dropped us off at The Ranch, we realized we didn't have it. Thankfully the waitress had turned it into the manager to lock it up in the safe.

Day 3 (12.4)

Retrieved the camera from Papasito's and trekked down to East Austin for our Juan's fix. He didn't disappoint!

Some cute neighbors visited

My cousin Matt surprised us and was waiting in the driveway when we got back from running errands. It was great to see him! (Once again, I didn't get a picture of him.)

Another beautiful sunset that night

Day 4 (12.5)

Sunday, we went to church and came home for tallygarina (a family favorite) and garlic bread. Matt came back over Sunday and ate lunch with us.

Charlie & Nancy

That afternoon, Charlie & Nancy surprised us with a visit. They were close friends with our family when I was growing up and are still good friends with my dad & Kathymom. They feel like family to me, so it was wonderful to see them, catch up, and give some hugs!

On Sunday afternoon, we visited the assisted living for a devotional and then took communion to the sweeties in the nursing home. It was nice meeting some of the people that D&K really like.

Day 5 (12.6)

Morning chores of feeding, watering & taking care of the donkeys, cows, chickens & dogs.

Choco

Sassy

Dad & Cricket

Lunch at Crazy Gal's Cafe in Bertram

A walk along Hamilton Creek

Pounded my first fence post (without help)

Another brilliant sunset

The Ranch

2010-12-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

I recently returned to my Southern homeland earlier this month. Unfortunately, I was sick the entire time and got Mountain Man sick too, but we made the most of it.

Dad & Kathymom

It was great to see my dad & Kathymom and spend some time with them. Two and a half years is just too long for a daddy's girl not to see her daddy!

Home on the range (for now)

In the last 2 1/2 years, they have bought a small ranch,

The Ranch

added some egg-layers and a rooster (that incessantly peck at you),

added some miniature donkeys (who are very sweet),

and even bought some calves (10 months old) while we were visiting.

I'm such an animal lover, so I enjoyed every minute of it!

I'll post about some of our activities a little later, but for now I'll leave you with a glimpse of what we saw every evening, right outside our little RV door!

Reformation Day / Halloween

2010-11-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Technically we celebrated both!

Reformation Day celebration included a soup dinner, singing, Scriptures, and stories (about reformers). We also played pin-the-theses-on-the-door and had & pumpkin piñata. The fair maidens had a fun time and we enjoyed giggling with them!

We ended the day at the M's, where we happened upon the cutest little ladybug that I've ever laid my eyes upon! (Okay, maybe I'm a little biased.)

Super Bex enjoyed playing with Max while we handed out candy, snacked, and played foosball & Settlers of Catan. It was a fun day!

Enjoying Fall

2010-10-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

The rain is falling,

the leaves are changing,

the harvest is ready,

the flowers are gorgeous,

And the coffee cup is staying full!

Life is good.

Conversing with Father

2010-10-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of painting is the opportunity to listen to wonderful sermons! It's the one time that I'd rather listen and think than jam out to tunes. While painting the living room, I went through Beth Moore's "Believing God" series. While painting the dining room, I was a pleasure to listen to sermons on the Gospel by Paul Washer .

Today, while painting the bathroom, I listened to Paul Washer's "Importunity in Prayer." I was very convicted on my lack of prayer. Most of my prayer is interceding for others, but I was really convicted today of how I should just praise God for who He is and all of the small things that I take for granted each day. One of the interesting tidbits I came away with was that God doesn't say "no" to prayers. In His sovereignty, He may answer differently than requested; however, He always rewards the faith. I encourage you to take some time and blast this from your speakers while you fold or iron clothes, wash the dishes, or paint a room!

This really made me question how much time I take to converse with the Father. How often do you pray? Do you only bring petitions before Him? Do you pray deliberately and come before Him humbly? Going now to converse with the Father!

Psalm 8

2010-09-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen-even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Anticipation

2010-09-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

2010-09-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Isn't she the cutest tiger you've ever seen?!

G is ever bit as fun as she looks! She is one of my favorite people and is just as pretty on the inside as she is outside. She's encouraging, giggly, fun, and sweet as pie!

Defend the fatherless

2010-09-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow." Isaiah 1:16-17

The Lord stirred in our hearts and developed a passion for missions and kids. Together, that makes caring for His orphans! We have complete our adoption training and are beginning our foster care training. We look forward to serving the Lord in this way.

What can you do for the orphans? Pray that families who love the Lord will step up and take care of them, financially support an organization(s) you believe to truly be helping, encourage those who have adopted and/or foster parent, provide items (i.e. clothing, furniture, etc.), provide babysitting (or respite) services so parents can rejuvenate, provide a meal when parents feel overwhelmed, communicate with families and most importantly with the Father. There are so many ways people can help; this is not an exhaustive list!

The local agencies we're working with are Antioch Adoptions (adoption) and Olive Crest (foster/adopt). Please join with me in praying for them, the sustenance of their ministries, the social workers who tirelessly and selflessly give of themselves, and that they would not lose sight of their missions.

Thank you to our friends and family who have prayed for us, sent kind words of support, consistently ask of our status, and just love on us. We love you and appreciate your friendship!

The way

2010-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

I'm broken.
I've been touched by His grace.
I have been on a journey. A heart journey. With Ann and Jesus.
Conviction.
It's painful yet necessary.
I am not the same.
I hope to remember this moment.
My heart is broken.
The dam has flooded.
Now for action.
Sacrifice and service.
Walking in the way.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

Book worm

2010-09-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

I never imagined myself as a book worm, but sometimes I just can't get my nose out of one! I LOVE reading! There aren't many {indoor} places that are better than a library or book store! Walking into one gives me such a happy feeling. Maybe it's the anticipation of the places I'll go or the new things I'll learn.

I didn't love it so much as a child, as I was always outdoors and on the move. In reality, my love for reading didn't come until I was an adult and had been married for 3 years. We didn't have a television set in the house and my interest in computer games had waned. Mountain Man was my cattle prod, and once I discovered Christian fiction, I didn't look back! Since about 2001, I have read more books than I read in the previous 26 years of my life! Some of my favorite authors are Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury and Nancy Moser. I also enjoy books on specific topics, such as: Bible studies (especially Beth Moore), parenting (in preparation), photography, weight loss (too numerous to count), and DIY. Oh, and I can't forget my large cookbook collection, of which I've been forbidden to increase!

Mountain Man and I feel the necessity of teaching our children the joy and love of reading.

We recently had the opportunity for a little practice with this little cutie the other night when we offered to babysit for some friends. I have started collecting a few children's books, but it dawned on me that I need some help!

Anybody have any favorite children's books (titles/authors)? Any favorite adult books (fiction or non)? Thank you for any suggestions!

Crack a book open today....Oh, the places we'll go!

Encouragement

2010-09-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 NIV

en·cour·age/enˈkərij/Verb

1. Give support, confidence, or hope to (someone)

2. Give support and advice to (someone) to do or continue something

Part of being a good friend is encouraging one another. In fact, the scripture in Hebrews commands us to encourage. We all need some sweet encouragement and a reminder of our hope in the Lord. It's also nice to know that we've got a friend when we feel distant and down, cold and abandoned. So, when presented with an opportunity for some free DaySpring greeting cards through (in)courage, I jumped on it! I personally LOVE happy mail and enjoy sending it, too!

Meet Rochelle

She is truly an incredible lady and she's my dearest girlfriend. She's full of grace and love. She's thoughtful and selfless, optimistic and uplifting. She's wise and fears the Lord. She's makes me want to be a better friend, wife, and disciple. She leads by example, and that's easier said than done! Recently, her first-born went to college and she's really feeling his absence. I thought she could use some encouragement, so this card went to her.

It reads:
Thank you for sharing God's love, not only with your words but also with your life.
In today's world, that's not always easy to do - but you do it with kindness and consistency.
That's what makes you different, and it's the reason you make a difference.

Inside:
Thanks for being who you are and doing what you do - you're appreciated more than you know.

Scripture:
God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings. 1 Peter 4:10 TLB

Meet Jan

Jan is my mother-in-law. She is sweet, loving, and an encourager. She loves her grandbabies and is a giver. She has been through a lot, especially this past year, and has experienced a roller coaster of emotions. I know she could use some encouragement. I sent this card to her.

It reads:

I wish I had a big yellow umbrella that would keep away all the rain in your life. I would hold it over your head, and the drops would splash, and you would never even feel it.

Inside:

But I don't have a big yellow umbrella- so I'll walk through the rain with you.

Scripture:

Love one another. John 13:34 The Message

Many thanks to DaySpring for sending me some of their newest cards made specifically for encouraging girlfriends! I was blown away by the messages in the cards and hope the friends that I sent them to will be encouraged!

Happy Encouragement Day!

Happy Mail from Wendy

2010-09-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Wendy!

My sweet friend recently surprised me with some happy mail. I was so excited to find a large envelope from her in the mail! She shocked the pants off of me when I discovered it was full of pre-cut cardstock and instructions for making some cards. This was just the little kick-in-the-pants I needed to create something! Thank you, sweet friend.

I messed this one up and forgot to round the left-most corners of the sentiment panel before attaching it with dimensionals. :(

Wendy is a fabulous Stampin' Up Demonstrator! If you're looking for a demonstrator to purchase supplies or have a party, she's your gal. She's wonderful at demonstrating SU! products, thinking creatively, hosting parties, and making sure you have a ball in the process! Thank you, kind friend!

A dream

2010-09-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

Freed Farm is an oasis! Although we were on only a few acres and completely surrounded by the hustle and bustle of city life, I drifted off into dreamland and didn't want to wake up.

As I was galloping through the meadows on my adventurous steed, I happened upon the quaintest little gazebo near a pond. I couldn't physically pass it. It was as if it was beckoning me. My horse grazed on the soft lush grass as its blades tickled my body. My skin warmed as the sun smiled down upon me and my eyelids curtsied as I searched for recognizable shapes in the clouds.

And then I woke up and I was standing there with digital camera in hand, wishing I was in a different century.

Olive Crest

2010-09-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been paperwork days, but today begins an entirely new set of paperwork. Our foster care application came in the mail today! For the next couple of months we'll be treading through licensing paperwork and making our house safe and kid-friendly. Please pray for us during this process; we're both to love on some children!

Alki Beach

2010-08-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Alki Beach in West Seattle is one my favorite places here! My niece and nephew and I went with some of my friends for a fun day on the beach. It turned out that this day was the hottest day we have had this year and I got the sunburn to prove it!

Alki Beach, July 2010

Jumping rope with bull kelp

Puget Sound is freezing!

Lily the dolphin

That was a fun day at the beach! The water was freezing, but B stayed in it most of the 4 hours we were there. I'm convinced he's a polar bear! The girls played on the beach most of the time; apparently they don't have any polar bear DNA.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Work, not just a 4-letter word

2010-08-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

What's a camp without chores? In most vocabularies, "work" is a bad, 4-letter word, but not at the Bell house!

Work is good and it has nice rewards!

Like getting to go on the roof...

Gathering nails and trash

Or finding a baby slug (that you just studied about)!

With the adoption paperwork complete, Mountain Man and I have been reading a few parenting books. One of my favorites has been Created for Work: Practical Insights for Young Men by Bob Schultz. It's not just for young men; in fact, it has impacted my life! I've always had a very negative view of work, which has resulted in laziness! This book has changed my perception of work, which has given me a new attitude and hopefully a brand new work ethic. Parenting is more about modeling than speaking, so it's important that I change now! I've really been convicted of this sin in my life, and praise God He has been kind to show it to me so I can repent and change. Bookworms: add this to your book list - you won't regret it!

Now, I'm off to work! {Smile}

Forts

2010-08-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

Construction of a fort
dining room chairs + blankets + sofa pillows + books = a large, comfy indoor fort

Purpose of a fort

What's a fort without friends?

Camp NW

2010-08-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Our 10-year-old niece and 8-year-old nephew spent a month with us this summer. We entitled this great adventure "Camp Northwest." My MIL flew out here with the kids and stayed for the first few days. We had countless adventures during their month here, so I'll attempt to highlight them for the next few days.

We wanted this to be a time of learning and growth as well as pure fun! The first week, we began reading 100 Cupboards by ND Wilson. We enjoyed as much as (or possibly more than) the kids. We intended to make this a nightly routine, but Rock Band and Apples to Apples prevailed and we still haven't finished it.

Science experiments by the Mythbusters team was also a well-intentioned expectation but we only did one from the entire box! I'm thinking Amanda will have to come over and do the rest with me. This experiment taught us what hot water vs. cold water and hot air vs. cold air. It was a little messy and the kids got a little wet, but it was fun!

A favorite activity was working on the fort and whittling sticks into defense weapons. They spent hours doing this and preparing for battle!

Fort BMBX

Never without their trusty 4-pawed warrior

Their imaginations are fantastic! Madison is very creative and likes to be the leader and in charge. Braydon is a hard worker and great protector of his sister. It was neat to see their character and get to know who they are and what they enjoy doing.

Crazy Summer in Seattle

2010-08-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

Seattle - it's the place to be!

It's been a fast, fun-filled summer, but I'm glad there's finally some downtime. Our house has been like a busy little bee hive lately. We had Mountain Man's mom for a few days at the end of June and our niece and nephew for the month of July. Their family joined them on the 5th week. The day our family left, my sweet friend (and college roomy), Molly, came over with her family for a fun evening.

At the same time that the kids came, our good friend, Matthew, from Colorado got a job here in Seattle and moved in with us. He's been here since July 4th weekend. His wife (Mindy) and baby came up the day after Molly & her family left and they stayed for a week to look for a place to rent. Then, they went back home to pack up their belongings for the big move. Two days after Mindy and baby left, my long-time friends, Codie & Jennifer came in for a girls' vacation. They left yesterday. Mountain Man and I now have four full days to ourselves until Matthew, Mindy and baby return on Thursday to live with us for about a month, or until they find a place to rent.

CRAZINESS, I say, but it's been A LOT of fun. I've loved all of the energy buzzing around, but I'm not gonna lie; I love this normal workday at home! I'll be posting quite a few pictures of all of our summer activities soon.

Spiders

2010-06-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

Cloudy, drizzly days are still here, with sunshine and blue skies occasionally peeking through. Add in the 50-60 degree weather and it still feels like Spring, although the calendar says it should be Summer already! Apparently, the animals and insects also feel that Spring is in the air.

Just the other evening, Mountain Man spotted these baby garden spiders on the lid of our chiminea. Doesn't that rain drop hanging in the web look big compared to the baby spiders? I don't think I've seen that many spiders in one place before.

How about you? Any signs of summer yet?

Colorado Springs

2010-05-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

I just got home from visiting friends in Colorado Springs last week. It was such a fun week and I loved my time there. We went hiking, went to the zoo, celebrated Canaan's first birthday, played games, and went to Pike's Peak. I also ended up getting to see a friend that I hadn't seen since high school. We had a wonderful time catching up. All in all, a fantastic trip!

Colorado Springs Trip

Enjoy!

Bridal Veil Falls

2010-04-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

I met some friends for a hike at Bridal Veil Falls over the weekend while Mountain Man worked at home. He hiked with some coworkers on Friday, so he needed to catch up. We only ended going about half a mile up because some little legs gave out, but after a picnic lunch back at the trail head, I decided to go all the way. The hike is only 2 miles and it was rainy on & off throughout the afternoon. I was surprised that it was actually a fairly easy hike until I got to the 101 steps going up to the base of the falls! Let's just say I got a pretty good aerobic workout in that last leg! Bridal Veil Falls was amazing, even though it was a cold, wet, gray day. The force of the water is unbelievable and I was freezing while admiring the massive falls. There was a constant spray of water and I was worried that the camera would be ruined, but so far it's okay. I actually saw a little wildlife that day (emphasis on LITTLE), too. We saw a gorgeous burnt-orange-backed hummer while having our picnic in the parking lot, and then I saw a cute little plump mouse, scurrying around the falls. The rain cleared up a little on my way back and I actually saw the sun and a glimpse of blue sky. It was a wonderful day!

From Bridal Veil Falls

Follow the link for more fun pictures of our day!

A little trip through Blogland

2010-04-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

Fasten your safety harness, grab your snacks and a steaming cup of coffee and enjoy the ride (through Blogland, that is).

Some of my favorite sites recently (that have been added to my Google Reader):

Knock-off Wood - If you've ever had the desire to build something from scratch, you've GOT to see Anna's site! She's got knock-off plans for all kinds of high-end furniture. I really want to attempt a few things, but I'm so nervous to even try. I don't even understand her easy-to-understand lingo, nor do I have the tools. However, this hasn't stopped me before, so who knows - I might jump right in!

Remodelaholic - Cassity has some awesome tutorials and beautiful inspiration!

Funky Junk Interiors - Donna gives a whole new meaning to "from trash to treasure!" I'm truly blown away by her creativity! I think her stairs are my favorite thing in her awesome house! {I'm really not sure how I can have just one favorite thing in her house...}

Alchemy Junk - Stephanie features some neat techniques (of which rusting is on my list to try), gorgeous creations, and of course, tons of inspiration. She was certainly blessed with some major creative genes!

So You Think You Can Decorate - 10 decorators, 10 challenges, 10 weeks - SO FUN to see their creations each week!

There are more, but I don't want to overwhelm you all at once!

I'm working on my mud room right now and I'll have before and after pics, hopefully by the beginning of next week! Now go get a refill of coffee and get to creating!

Coffee Filter Wreath

2010-04-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

I found this simple, frugal coffee filter wreath on The Little Brown House, and headed to The Dollar Store that same day! I absolutely love it on my teal wall!

Now that I'm looking back at her post, I realize that my wreath is lacking in cuteness. I didn't "scrunch" it at all. Hmmm. Just a minute...Scrunching and fluffing.

There we go, that's got a little more character.

So, Miss Brown House, where is your wreath-making school? I need some skills! LOL She has detailed instructions on her blog, just follow the link above. I used the same wreath base, brown coffee filters, and safety pins that she did. I'm going to try another one with white filters, but this time I'm going to use the u-shaped floral pins she refers to. If I mess with it too much, the safety pins start to come out. I'm not sure what I did wrong or how to correct this problem, but as long as it just hangs there looking pretty on the wall, I think it will be fine.

Total Cost: <$5 ($1 wreath form, $1 safety pins, $2-something for the coffee filters and I had the ribbon

I'd love to see one if you make it!

Now we're cool

2010-04-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

We're not just becoming cool because we're finally getting hip - we all know that will never happen! We're cool because we finally got new ceiling fans! The old 1980's white/gold fans have now been replaced with new bronze/walnut fans from Hunter. It really makes such a difference, especially since they work! :)

Before/After Pics Here

I've been really into doing some home improvements lately, so there are more posts to come on this topic!

Playful Orcas

2010-03-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend, Molly and her daughter Andrea have been here all week and we've been busy! We've been busy touring Seattle with some of her family who will be moving here this summer. We've been to the zoo, market, aquarium, and Whidbey Island. I took a day to study and they went to the Needle and did the duck boat tour. Today is the Science Center and who knows what else?! Tomorrow we're spending all day at the Northwest Trek and then they leave late tomorrow night. I've got many pictures from our adventures, but today I want to share a shot of an Orca that I got yesterday.

Yesterday, we took the ferry over to Whidbey Island, and just as we were coming into Clinton on the ferry, Eileen spotted some fins in the water! We hopped out of our car and I snapped a multitude of shots! This one is my favorite, as the whale is spraying water through his blowhole! It was so fun to watch them playing with each other. There was even a baby! This is the closest I've ever been to the whales (even after being on a whale watching expedition)! It was truly a blessing and made my whole day yesterday!

Orca (For whatever reason, Blogger won't upload the photo, so please follow the link!)

More photos to follow after this weekend!

Hope you had a fun St. Patty's day! Did you get pinched?

Back in the Stamp Studio

2010-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

I have actually made quite a few cards lately, but just haven't blogged about them.

In December, I made 20 baby thank-you cards for my friend Anne who had a Sci-Fi themed baby shower. She requested them as her baby gift, so I made 10 of each of the following. These took a long time to make, as they included a lot of detailed hand work. I used my Cuttlebug for the cut-outs and stars.

The spaceships were made by tracing the circles and hand-cutting 30 of them - 20 yellow and 10 striped that were cut in half. I drew around the outsides of the spaceships and the hole-punched wheels to give it a more polished look. They're all popped up on dimensionals. The aliens were a circle punch that I trimmed down with scissors to give them some body, and include hole-punched ears and drawn-on details. I sponged around them and added a googly eye to really make these guys pop. The stars were embossed with the Cuttlebug and then hand-cut.

I didn't have enough of that cute outer space paper to make 10 more cards, so I came up with a second layout. The blue base was stamped with stars & Versamark and the red layer was CB do give it a little more texture. I used some coordinating papers and adhered 3 strips together to make the striped strip.

Although they took quite a bit of time, I thought they turned out pretty cute and were well-worth the effort.

Supplies:

Stamps: Stars from America the Beautiful (Kim Hughes-CHF) set, Sentiment from Baby wishes (A Muse) set

Paper: SU Real Red, Light Blue CS, and I'll try to find the brand of all of the coordinating striped and outer space

Ink: Black Versafine & Versamark, SU Green Galore for sponging

Accessories: Cuttlebug, scissors, hole punch, Black pen, white gel pen, orange marker, red twine, googly eyes

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Polka Dots

2010-01-27T00:17:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010! I guess it has been a little while since I posted! WOW! November? Well, that's just crazy. I've been busy this new year with fixing up our house and trying to develop a consistent exercise routine and healthy eating plan. It takes a lot of work! I'm also trying to get into a cleaning routine, so I can bang out the regular cleaning in no time and work on projects each day. My dear friend, Rochelle, made the cutest dish gloves for me and I just LOVE them! They're so much more fun and help with motivation to get into the kitchen. You may not know this about me, but one reason I despise doing dishes is that I don't like to get my hands in anything greasy. It just grosses me out! So, I've always got a pair of gloves on when cleaning pots and pans - and really any dish now that I can sport these cute gloves! I find myself washing them with hand soap after I wash the dishes! I want them to stay sparkly white! LOL I know...I'm crazy.

And see that cute little polka-dot baster? Isn't it just adorable? I can't wait to do some grilling this spring/ summer!

Tomorrow, I'll try to post some cards I made.

For now, I'm off to clean my paintbrush and head to bed. Tomorrow I'm finishing up painting the living room. The stark off-white walls are now a nice creamy tan and it really warms the living room up. Then comes the fun part - decorating! I've got some fun ideas that I'd like to make. We'll see if I can pull it off!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T15:07:00.000-08:00

I'm so thankful for God's mercy and grace, for the blessings of a wonderful husband, sweet and supportive parents, loving family, wise friends, and my adorable fur baby! This time of year is usually very difficult for me when we're not with family or close friends, and this year is no different. I miss my parents and close friends that I can't see everyday. However, if you're reading this, you can know that I love you dearly and miss you so much. The holidays aren't the same when I'm not with you.

This year, we spent a couple of days snow camping near Cle Elum Lake on the east side of the Cascades. We had a difficult time finding a place, as every campground was closed, but we scored an open outhouse at Cayuse Horse Camp, and by 3pm on Tuesday afternoon, we were home tent home at site number 11.

It was quite chilly, but hauling our bins to and from the truck and snowshoeing helped us build up some warmth. Also keeping us warm, was Mountain Man's fires. Thankfully, he was able to build a fire in the rain and keep it going long enough for us to cook our hobo dinners the first night. It got dark around 4:30, and poor Bexar was wet and shivering, so we turned in early. This made it a long night in our small tent! After a restless night, the first words out of Mountain Man's mouth on Wednesday morning were, "Happy Birthday," and indeed it was. We made oatmeal for breakfast, washed dishes, and then set out for a short snowshoe. When we got back to camp, we enjoyed a nice cup of hot cocoa by the river then headed back to camp for a fire. It was an overcast night but thankfully the rain held off until early Thursday morning. When we woke up to a steady rain on Thursday, we decided to pack up but spend the day snowshoeing. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and came home in time to cook our planned hot dogs and baked beans! Go to our album to see more photos.

Trip highlights:

snowshoeing, sipping hot cocoa by the river, tent snuggling, Starbucks instant coffee, watching Bexar bounce in the snow, scoring an open outhouse, playing "Would you rather" in the tent

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Coming, Mom!

2009-11-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

The sun played peek-a-boo today, so we got out and played, too.

I can just hear Bexar yelling, "I'm coming, Mom!"

After play time, we went on a 3-mile walk. Happy fur baby, happy mom.

Invitations

2009-11-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was Antioch Adoption's Silent & Live Auction, their annual fall fundraiser. I contributed to a party planning package, donated up to 30 invitations with coordinating thank-you cards. This was combined with a donation from Trophy Cupcakes and a catering service. These are the sample invitations/thank-you sets I made to display. I tried to keep these pretty simple for mass production.

This first set was a sample bridal party. I made up all of the names and used Antioch's contact information for both invitations. I printed the wording from my computer and used an old Stampin' Up set, Heartfelt Thanks. The invitations has an "R" charm dangling from the bow that was difficult to photograph on this rainy Monday. The gorgeous paper is Wisteria Dahlia & Stone Wall by Basic Grey.

I wanted to give guests other ideas for dinner parties (other than the usual birthday, bridal, baby shower), and what was more appropriate at this time of year than a Thanksgiving dinner part? I printed the invitation and thank-you on off-white vellum. I have no names for the paper; I will try to get those. I picked them up at my local Ben Franklin I believe they had no name on either one. The bulk ribbon was also from BF. Both include some small gold metal stickers by Mark Richards. I used Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge for my thank-you card.

If you haven't signed up yet, this is the last day to sign up for the free Jessica Sprague "Holidays in Hand" class. It's her last freebie of the year!

Happy creating!

For the Love of Roots

2009-11-05T23:28:00.001-08:00

TURNYPES

Creamed Turnip and Parsnip Soup

Ingredients

1 cup peeled, fresh turnips, diced

1/2 cup scraped, fresh parsnips, diced

2 1/2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup coarsely ground almonds

1 cup heavy cream

3 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Method

1. Gently boil turnips and parsnips in broth until vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes.

2. Stir in almonds and heat for 3 minutes.

3. Mix the yolks and salt with the cream; add the lemon juice; pour 1/2 cup hot soup into egg mixture, stirring well. Slowly pour this mixture into the soup. Stir well.

4. Heat 2 or 3 minutes, stirring, and serve warm.

My Modifications

1. I used sliced almonds and diced them up a bit.

2. The first time I made this for the big group, it sat on the stove on love for about 20-30 minutes. The second time I followed the directions. I think it seemed to taste better the first go-round.

Source: I'll get this from Holly and edit it when I receive it.

Let me know what you think when you try it. :)

Reformation Party

2009-11-05T01:13:00.000-08:00

10.31 represents a different celebration to us, a celebration of the protestant reformation. So, in celebrating our heritage, we had a reformation party at our house last Saturday. Holly and Anne were the masterminds behind this large-scaled event, but graciously included me in the planning. I think we had 25 people show up, some in 16th century period costumes and some not. We had a 9-course meal (a traditional feast of the 1500's), with each family bringing a dish to share. Jeff made beautiful programs that included the order of events as well as words to songs. Each family served their course in the order given, with Jordan leading us in song in between each course, during the service. With 9 courses, you can imagine one might get full, but we only had a few bites of each dish. Think of it more as a sampling. The dishes were authentic to the 1500's, with a few exceptions. We changed the tripe (entrails) for one recipe to beef. I think that was for the humble pie. Everything was delicious, and much tastier than I expected it to be! I made turnip and parsnip soup and it was so delicious that I made another double batch this week just for us. That was the first time I had ever even cooked with turnips or parsnips, and possibly the first time I had ever eaten either root! I also had currants for the first time, and I enjoyed them.

I must confess to not knowing much church history, but this has certainly piqued my interest. My reading list will begin to include books to help me learn some of this rich history.

One more confession: I didn't take many photos. I was busy playing hostess, and it was fun! Nathan and I both took photos, but our house lighting is really terrible and so many were blurry, even with using the monopod. A few turned out nice, but I posted more than I normally would have because I wanted to share the "feeling" of the entire party. For all photos, see the Reformation Party Album.

A Defensive Lineman's Birthday

2009-11-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

Stamps: MVP clear set by We R Memory Keepers, Long Grass by A Muse

Paper: Black, green, Football by The Paper Company

Ink: Black Staz-On

Accessories: White gel pen, white twill ribbon

My nephew Braydon, the mighty defensive lineman, is having a birthday soon. He plays on his pee-wee team and just loves it. I thought this was quite fitting for him and it was the perfect time to showcase the fabulous football paper that I've been saving!

I've been terrible about making and sending cards lately, but I was inspired by the Clean and Simple challenge on SCS today. He'll actually get this on time if I get it in the mail this week!

Hope you have a wonderful week! Happy November!

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-29T00:07:00.001-07:00

Bob's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch is just right down the road from our house. I had such a fun time walking around the farm today, and even came home with some honey crisp apples and pretty gourds. I'm still such a country girl at heart. I really miss our donkey and goats and big garden that we had in Elgin. Maybe we'll have that again someday. For now, sit back with a nice warm cup of cider and enjoy the pumpkin patch!

Happy Fall, y'all!

The Burning Bush

2009-10-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

So, this isn't actually on fire, but doesn't it look like it? I absolutely love this time of year. This is my favorite tree in our yard. The sun snuck out a couple of days ago and I couldn't resist taking another shot of this tree. (This time, I shot it in RAW, but had to convert to jpeg for the blog.)

I can't help but think of God talking to Moses through the burning bush (in Exodus 3). God instructed Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. What a humbling experience. And I believe Moses was humbled, because he hid his face from God (or tried to); he was afraid to look at God.

May my burning bush be a reminder to me of God's holiness. Lord, make me holy, for you are holy.

Strolling

2009-10-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

We had a nice evening strolling through Marymoor, our large off-leash dog park. Despite Bexar's behavior (I think he had some pride issues tonight), the weather was nice. We felt like cloud walkers, strolling through this hazy layer of fog. Isn't it cool?

After playing some hide-and-seek with Bex, I was in the middle of a field and looked up at the moon. Snap. Memory made.

I hope you can take time to stroll with your loved ones, be it on a sidewalk, in the woods, or in a dog park.

Banana Bundt Bread Treats

2009-10-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

I had a surprise friend come over today and we had so much fun together! She decided at the last minute that she didn't want to go to the dentist with her mom, so she came to see me! We made banana bundt bread treats. She was such a big helper, smushing the nanners all by herself.

And here she is now, chopping the walnuts with my chopper. She couldn't get enough of the chopper!

And here are the little bundt beauties.

Aren't they cute?! Next time I'll put walnuts down on the bottom of the pan so they'll come out on top. :) I've been using the Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread recipe for a few weeks now and Mountain Man and I both love it. (And with the mini bundts, I think I ended up baking mine for about 40 minutes.)

Enjoy with a nice big cup of coffee!

Backboard Verse Revisited

2009-10-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

So...in my last post, I went on somewhat of a rant about Jeremiah 29:11. I have taken a few days to read the surrounding text, specifically, Jeremiah 28-29 in the NIV, The Message, and The Reformation Study Bible, as well as Matthew Henry's commentary on Jeremiah 29:10-11.

In context, Jeremiah 29 is a letter from Jeremiah to the captives taken from Jerusalem to Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, who would reign for 70 years. In this letter, God tells the captives (through Jeremiah) to go ahead and build houses, marry, and plant gardens, and basically live as you would normally live, but don't be deceived by false prophets. At the end of 70 years, God will return to perform his good deeds, because...vs. 11. He knows how he feels toward the captives (and only He knows His own thoughts), and He has thoughts of peace and not of evil, plans to give them a future and a hope.

I can see how they may be tempted to lose hope after years and years in captivity. They may grow weary and forget the faithfulness of God. I sometimes feel that way and I have no reason for it!

Anyway, I'm over my rant. I'm done and done. What can I say? I think that sometimes a particular verse speaks to someone when they're in a particular place and they can't help but speak it. I'm sure I've done it. This is a good verse. It is good to place our hope in a faithful God, one that will deliver on His promises. He goes on to tell the captives in the following verses,

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity..." Yes! He is a faithful God and we can place our hope in Him and not be disappointed. He can be trusted to fulfill what He says.

Thank you, Lord for Your word, that applies to us today just as much as it did then, to the captives in Babylon. Help us to put our hope in you.

Backboard Verse

2009-10-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

I (tried to) play tennis in high school, and there was a guy, Keith Walker, who was what I called the "human backboard." It didn't matter where I hit the ball, he returned it. It was as if I was hitting the ball against a backboard, as it continuously came back to me.

Well, there's this Bible verse that I've heard so many times that it's as if my brain shuts off when it sees it. I don't even think about it anymore. I have heard it so many times, that I'm actually beginning to dislike it. It's like Keith Walker; it just keeps coming back to me. (Although I didn't dislike him. He was a very nice guy.)

I began thinking about how terrible it was that I was beginning to not like a Bible verse just because of its popularity. It's not a bad verse. If any of you read Karen Kingsbury (who is one of my favorites), you KNOW this verse!

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

¹¹ 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.

Jeremiah 29:11 (Amplified Bible)

¹¹For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)

^10-11This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Jeremías 29:11 (La Biblia de las Américas)

¹¹"Porque yo sé los planes que tengo para vosotros"--declara el SEÑOR--"planes de bienestar y no de calamidad, para daros un futuro y una esperanza.

Feeling like a backboard yet?

I found Kelligirl's blog just yesterday through Holy Experience and was reading some of her older posts, when I ran across this one with none other than backboard verse (BBV)! Later, I scooted on over to Biblegateway, where the verse of the day was...you guessed it, BBV! I had just read it last night in a Biblical parenting book that I'm reading. I just feel bombarded by this verse. I don't know what the Lord wants me to know from it. SO...I'm going to read through a couple of chapters around it, do some research, and try to be back with some more insight. Maybe He wants me to stop ignoring it. I know He doesn't want me to dislike any of His word, because His word is truth!

Lord, give me Your eyes as I study. Give me a new perspective, a new attitude, and a receptive heart.

What do I want to be known for when I die?

2009-10-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

I just returned home from a fabulous workshop, "Discovering Your Life Purpose." They mentioned our universal life purpose (as Christians), but this entire workshop focused on discovering our unique life purposes as invidividuals. What do I want to be known for by God and others when I die? Wow. Ummmmm.

I had actually forgotten about the invitation to this workshop until a friend called an hour before it started to tell me about something else, and I remembered that she had invited me and I never RSVPed with a final answer. I quickly decided to shirk my sanding and painting responsibilities and go. And I’m SO glad did! I met some sweet, wise women and was so encouraged!

I guess I have pondered this in the past as “I wonder what I’m supposed to be doing,” as if there’s a specific job that I’m supposed to do. I don’t believe that there’s a specific job (i.e. nursing, teaching, etc.) that I’m supposed to do, but now that the word “purpose” is inserted, it makes more sense. I could be doing a number of different activities or jobs and still accomplish the same purpose.

Lately, I’ve struggled with being productive around the house. Oh shoot, who am I kidding?! I’ve always struggled with laziness at home. I have never enjoyed keeping the house clean. I like the house clean, I just don’t enjoy the act of doing it! I guess that just lately I’ve felt more guilty when I’m not productive. I’ve realized that I spend way too much time on the computer (am I really typing this?) and not enough time taking care of business around here! I want to be a good wife, a Proverbs 31 woman, glorifying God in all things, but I don’t think that means sitting at the computer for 80% of the day (since I’m a homemaker).

The workshop today really reinforced the fact that I’m wasting too much of my day on meaningless tasks. It made me want to dive into Scriptures, searching for a life verse, something to keep me going day after day, pressing on and fighting the good fight. It made me want to learn how I can most effectively live for Jesus.

So now begins the journey...

“For my determined purpose is that I may know Him; that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly; and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness even to His death.” Philippians 3:10 (Amplified version)

Mini Apple Pielets

2009-10-04T00:14:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday night was a night for the record books. I actually baked. And baked. And baked. These things took me forever to make (because I'm so incredibly slow), but they were fun and I really enjoyed my time in the kitchen.

Our church had a potluck lunch on Sunday and we were assigned to bring a dessert. We don't attend the potlucks regularly, so this was a big thing for me...to cook for an army of sorts. My definition of an army is more than 2. So...the big question was what to bake. I could have done cookies and brownies but that's my usual "baking from a box" and I didn't want to do that since I was actually preparing ahead of time.

That's when I went to Bakerella, my favorite baking site. She had done some mini pies on a stick back in August, and I was inspired by the mini pies, only I didn't want to include the sticks. I was also inspired by this gorgeous, chilly fall weather we're having and wanted to do something with apples, so there it was. The only thing I needed was a recipe. All of the apple pie recipes I found were for a full-sized pie and included large slices of the apple, but I knew my little pies couldn't handle that, so...here's what I did.

I started out with Braeburn apples. Here they are, lined up and ready to perform.

I cored, sliced, and peeled the apples.

Here they are naked, in all their glory. You can see that some are already starting to turn brown. This took me some time to do because as I said before, I'm extremely slow but detailed. Next time, I will keep the apple slices in a pot of water with some lemon juice to keep them fresher, but it really didn't matter since they were being covered and going directly to the oven.

Then, I used my chopper (my Pampered Chef one that I don't ever want to live without) to make quick work of them so they would fit into my tiny little pielets. I added butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt to the apples and it was quite tasty! I could have feasted on this mixture alone. (In fact, I had so much left over that Mountain Man consumed some while I finished baking.)

I put the mixture aside and began preparing my pie-lets. I could have made my own dough, but I was lazy and went to Safeway. I found this darling little apple cookie-cutter at Ben Franklin and what could be better for mini apple pielets than a mini apple cookie-cutter?!

I rolled the store-bought generic brand dough out a little to make more pies and I got 48 pielets (that's tops & bottoms) out of 2 packages (of two 9-inch pie rounds each).

I added the apple mixture to the middle, topped it with another apple, pinched the sides together and forked the edges.

I then brushed the tops with egg white to give them that pretty, rustic "Martha Stewart" finish.

And now, without further adieu, I present the pielet masterpieces....

Well, okay...so they're not masterpieces yet, but they turned out pretty and rustic and intended. There's still some perfecting to do, as the ratio of dough to apple mixture ratio was still a little much for me. I'm going to try something else tomorrow. (Errr....now, officially "today.")

Off to bed. We have a long day of working around the house tomorrow.

Tata!

Weekend of Renewal

2009-09-19T21:52:00.001-07:00

Asparagus mini quiches for breakfast – check. Sandwiches made – check. Food into cooler – check. Bedding and pillows packed – check. Bexar’s necessities boxed – check. Four hours later, Mountain Man, the Engineer and Mountain Dog are finally loaded up in the truck and off for the weekend to their great camping and hiking adventure. A weekend of renewal they say. I like that; I want that; I NEED that! The idea quickly dissipates, as I have a long list of stuff I want to do while they’re gone and not much time to check them off!

Shortly after they have hit the road, I’m up at the computer, facebooking, blog surfing, and e-mailing. It’s overcast and raining and I just want to relax. Production comes to a stand-still as I plop onto the sofa and fire up the X-Box. Uh-oh. This is trouble…hours of trouble! Sure enough, 5pm rolls around and I’m still slouched on the sofa, my sweatshirt littered with white-cheddar popcorn kernels and an empty bowl of what was Bryer’s chocolate ice cream leaning beside my leg. It’s a hard day’s work to eat junk food and slouch around on the couch all day! I finally get up, not because I know I should clean or prepare the walls to receive some much-needed paint, but because I’m hungry! The desire to eat is so strong that it replaces the desire to slouch, so I throw some clothes on and hop in the car. A couple of hours later, after a nice long chat with Tatas, some Ben Franklin browsing, and a run through the oh-so-healthy McFatty’s, I arrive home, satiated and ready for some more chillaxin’. I resume the slouched position on the sofa and the X-Box addiction continues until I realize that I’m really cold. A nice hot tubby should do the trick, with a fragrant candle and a good book! Ahh, yes. Amy Carmichael certainly has a way with words. This book, I Come Quietly to Meet You, sounds relaxing. An old bookmark catches my attention and I turn to it, resisting the temptation to flip to page 1 because it’s been so long since I’ve read it. After turning just two pages, I realize that this certainly was no accident that I picked this book up. Now, I’m the type of person to believe there are no accidents, so this was no surprise, but sometimes I’m shocked that God cares about me and loves me on a personal, individual level. I know I should be, but I am.

“Come Forth as Gold” was the title of that tiny three-page chapter. And you can probably guess what Amy was discussing – yep, purification! She asked the Eastern goldsmith of their village how he knows when the metal is purified and he replied, “When I can see my face in it.”

Job 23:10 “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

I’m so thankful that God, my Refiner, is faithful to sit by my side and purify me until He sees His face in me. What a humbling thought! It seems that this shall also be my time of renewal. For these next few days, I will focus on repentance and purification, renewing my mind in Him and His Word. It doesn’t matter what the outside looks like if the inside is in disrepair. The house painting, hair coloring, and cooking and cleaning can wait. This, too, shall be my weekend of renewal.

RSCC #16

2009-09-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

I finally made some time to stamp today and was inspired by Dawn's raspberry suite color challenge .

The frayed paper technique was inspired directly from my sweet mom, who used to make gorgeous coats called "fancy rags." She would cut fabric for hours, just like this and sew them onto a lined coat/jacket that she made. Then, after it was all sewn all, she'd throw it in the washer and out would come some beautiful rag jackets. I tried to replicate this technique with paper. I've actually made a couple of other cards using this technique, which I'll post soon.

Card deets:

Stamps: Flower from Inkadinkadoo's Garden Delight set, sentiment from CDstamps' Sept 2008 Stamp of the Month

Paper: Kraft, SU Chocolate Chip, SU orange/gold

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: cream twill, brown button, cream hemp thread, dimensionals

Happy stamping!

Ajijic, Jalisco Mexico

2009-08-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a fantastic visit to Mom's & Eddie's in Ajijic, Jalisco Mexico, which is down near Guadalajara. I enjoyed visiting with Mom & Eddie and meeting the lovely people of Ajijic. They are all so generous and polite. I also learned quite a bit of Spanish while I was there...now I just need to remember it! The town of Ajijic is mostly Americanized because of the many American and Canadian retirees, so it's very easy to communicate with the locals, as most of

them know English. They all say their English is bad, but they definitely spoke more English than I did Spanish - and with better grammar, too!

The beautiful village of Ajijic, Jalisco Mexico from the mountains to the north.

Looking straight down Colon street (I think)

Sipping a delicious pina colada at the Chapala tienge

My sweet, beautiful mom

Mi Papa' Mexicana

Beautiful, sweet Marta

Hibiscus

Unopened hibiscus

Loved this combo meal from Viva Mexico in San Juan Cosala

I'll be back tomorrow with some more photos. Adios!

RAW shooting

2009-08-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally began shooting in RAW format yesterday. I thought that I had been shooting in it for a long time, but discovered yesterday that this was not the case! LOL Obviously, I'm a noob photographer! I wondered why they were always uploading as jpgs from my camera...DOH!

I took these photos yesterday - my first ones in RAW (.cr2) format. I lost some crispness when I had to save it as a jpg for adding it to the web, but what a difference it makes! I LOVE it!

Our pond

White flower

Japanese Maple leaves

I have a ton of stuff to do today, so I had better get going! Tata!

Julie & Julia

2009-08-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

While I loved the movie, I found a site - Christian Spotlight on Entertainment - with a review of "Julie & Julia." This is definitely worth a read before you go.

Everything they say is correct, but I think that when I watch movies and read books, I replace worldly things with Christian perspectives in my mind. For example, Julie says of Julia several times that she saved her, of which I thought, "That's sad." I immediately thought of Christ and all that He has saved me from. Through the rest of the movie, I was thinking of how I could be a better wife and what my gifts are that I can glorify Christ with. So when the movie was over, I was all ramped up and excited to be the best wife I can, to cook more meals at home and not waste time.

With that said, I loved it and went home completely inspired.

What did you think?

Edited: I found another review website, Plugged In. I like the formatting of their reviews better, so here's another reivew of "Julie & Julia" from them.

Japanese Gardens

2009-07-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I took the photog group (three fabulous teens) that I'm teaching to the Japanese Gardens to practice our skills. They took some fantastic shots and we all had so much fun!

From Japanese Gardens

Photo Editing: Vintage, Hand-Tinted Look

2009-07-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's lesson from Jessica Sprague was on creating a vintage, hant-tinted look. I chose to edit a photo I took on Sunday at the Berry's house. She's beautiful!

Before

After

And for the super-duper double points, we added a frame & some stars:

I love learning about Photoshop!

I'm not looking forward to this afternoon - off to the dentist! :( Hope your day is fantastic!

11 years ago today...

2009-07-07T12:33:00.001-07:00

...and I still do!

I love you, honey, and can't imagine life without you!

Adobe Class

2009-07-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

Our first free Adobe class through JessicaSprague.com was posted today. We learned how to add frames and word art to photos. The frames and word art were provided through the class. I'm really enjoying learning how to use this amazing software that I have (Adobe)!

Mountain Man took this photo on the PCT - a rejuvenating sunrise!

Pun Family & new polarization filter

2009-07-05T21:24:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of fun at today at the *Pun Family's house, bbq-ing, playing card games, and chit-chatting. We met this fun couple in our Antioch Adoptions classes and they instantly felt like old friends. They're full of energy and a lot of fun to be around. My favorite quote of the day was from one of their girls who said, "I can't wait to be full!"

And in other news...

Mountain Man bought me a brand-spankin' new fancy schmancy polarization filter. It makes such a difference in my photos! Here are a couple that I took today. I had so much fun talking that I forgot to take pictures! This happens more often than I'd like to admit...Anyway, I'm off to plan some fun stuff for our anniversary week!

*I have renamed them to keep their identity confidential.

Hope your week is full of sunshine!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T23:57:00.001-07:00

Well, it's midnight here and it's still booming all around us! Our neighbors put on a magnificent fireworks display and I enjoyed playing with my camera. I just read how to photograph fireworks using my manual settings in my new favorite photography book, The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby. This was the perfect time to try it, so I kept the camera in manual, mostly on f/11.0, ISO 1600, and a shutter speed of 4 or "Bulb." I think some of them turned out pretty well, considering the distance of the fireworks were difficult to predict and my tripod isn't the easiest to adjust.

Please see my Friendly Fireworks album for more photos.

It's easy to get wrapped up in the festivities...bbq, fireworks, friends, family, fun, but I would like to take this time to list a few people that I know who have contributed to our FREEDOM! Many thanks to the late Charles McCoy (my Pappaw), the late Donald Crafton (my Grandad), Billie Crafton (my Grannie B), Tina (Grannie's friend), Tom Bristol, and Adam Ray. A special thank you to you for your sacrifices.

May God continue to bless the USA!

Blanca Lake, Take 2

2009-07-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

This was our second attempt at hiking to Blanca Lake and we made it...just barely! This fat, out-of-shape, middle-aged stamper woman isn't ready for a 4-star difficulty hike! We really didn't think it was going to be that difficult, but 8 miles, 9 hours, and 2700 feet of elevation change later, this lady could barely walk! We wound up using our head lamps and getting back to the truck at 10:40pm. It was a long day, but it felt good to complete it, especially when my body was constantly telling me to go back!

Blanca Lake, still mostly iced over

Sun-lit mountains surrounding the lake

We spent the entire day recovering and good news - I can walk! :) For more photos, visit my Blanca Lake Hike on 07-03 album.

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Twilight Challenge

2009-07-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun with the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenges - and we haven't even begun yet! This week, we were to be inspired by Twilight. Last weekend, I went to the A Muse shop just to get this cute little vampire set that someone said we would want for some upcoming challenges. Of course, I came away with some extra goodies, but it turns out that I love him!

So...in honor of Twilight (which I have yet to read), here's my card: My Type.

I used a white gel pen to write in different blood types on the DP on the bottom of the card. This is for my sweet hubby, affectionately known as "Mountain Man," so I didn't froof it up! A simple card with some simple stamps. :)

In this photo, you can see Eddie's pin-striped slacks, glittered vest, the dimension of his cape and the shiny effect of Crystal Effects. After I had shined his shoes, I decided to do the cape...don't ask me why! :)

Card Details

Stamps: Vampire from A Muse, Sentiment from MFT's Digital Girl set

Paper: Black, 2-sided Halloween cardstock by Scenic Route (Salem Scrap Strip SR882)

Ink: Versafine Black, Copic EEO, Green & Black Sharpies, Silver pen (for pin stripes) and white gel pen

Accessories: ribbon, dimensionals, green glitter glue

Thanks for coming by! Happy stamping!

Honoring the Llama Mama!

2009-06-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Wow! I actually got two cards made today! This week's featured stamper is Dawn. I love her creativity with stamping and coloring scenes. She's a scene queen! She also loves her llamas and is creative with their wool as well, making beautiful hats, gloves and scarves from home-spun llama yarn! Did I mention she enjoys making jam, too?! I tell ya...she is one talented lady!

So, in honor of Dawn, the llama mama, I made this card, cased from her card. I don't have any llama stamps, but I found a cute one at Kritters in the Mailbox to look at while I hand-drew the llama. (They're currently out of stock.) I'm hoping to send this to her soon. :)

Happy stamping! Hope your week is festive & fun!

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Ribbon Challenge

2009-06-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA's Challenge No. 2 is to be inspired by ribbon. I'm cutting the deadline pretty close tonight, but my mojo has been needing a jump-start today! I finally settled on this green "puffy" ribbon as my Mountain Man calls it! The soft, puffy rectangles reminded me of peas AND I just happened to make it over to the A Muse store this Saturday (despite a car show that closed off the street) and picked up a few little things including the Baby Wishes set (which includes the pea and sentiment) that was on clearance. Whew, if you made it through that last sentence, you deserve a cookie!

Stamps: A Muse Baby Wishes set

Paper: SU Always Artichoke, Cosmo Cricket DP (Honey Pie: Ella) - used front & back

Ink: Black Staz-On, E00 Copic (for face), Pretty in Pink (for cheeks), Always Artichoke

Accessories: Ribbon (I had it cut at Ben Franklin - should have written down the name!), A Muse Creative Candy, Making Memories Sticky Squares (for dimension)

Card details: I had a difficult time (to say the least) getting a decent photograph of this card. It's possible I spent more time photographing it than actually making it! I gave the pea some dimension with foam tape squares (just on the left side) to give it that snap-pea look. I also made a tendril by cutting a very thin piece of cardstock and wrapping it around my paper-piercing tool.

Enough chit-chat. Thanks for visiting and I hope you can join in the next challenge!

Lime Kiln State Park

2009-06-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, Sharon & David Ziegler celebrated their 40th Anniversary while they were visiting Seattle (from Nashville). Liessa and I went with them for a fun day of whale watching over onSan Juan Island. See our gallery in the San Juan Island album.

We took the ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor and drove over to Lime Kiln State Park, which is the best land spot for viewing the whales. We saw some porpoises and a seal, but no whales. :(

A heron fishing for lunch

Porpoises as seen from Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse

Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse

Mt. Baker and Cascades from ferry

It's all about the bling!

2009-06-21T14:30:00.001-07:00

What can I say?! Liessa's boot needed a little bling!

Front: I hand-sewed the pink polka dots onto the inside liner (in case she needed to wash it).

Outside: Pink rhinestones were added to the shell and velcro tabs with hot glue.

Inside: Nothing really on the inside except the butterfly on the top. Butterflies were iron-on transfers that I taped on with ultra-sticky tape.

Back: Found some cute crown brads with pink rhinestones and tied on some ribbon through the holes in the back.

All in all, we loved it and thought it turned out pretty cute...much cuter than the plain-ol' black!

Rock Beans A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA

2009-06-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Stamps: A Muse Coffee Break Set (coffee beans

Whipped this quick little number up last night. I made the coffee bean trio into a rock band because "with caffeine anything is possible!"

Inside reads: "It's bean lonely here without our lead singer."

Here's our sad little story:

While Princess (Liessa) was laid up on the couch with her broken ankle, Mountain Man bought an X-Box and surprised me with Rock Band World Tour (which I've wanted for a long time). We created a band called "Princess Rock," lovingly named for our lead singer, Princess. Mountain Man found his calling on the guitar, but is also a fabulous back-up singer. I got stuck with the drums, but I love them! Well...Princess left for Tennessee on Friday, so "Princess Rock" has officially disbanded until she returns. {Fingers crossed, breaths held, and praying without ceasing!} Now we're just a sad little two-some, so this card is for her.

Come see what A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA is all about on the A Muse Blog. You can also click the badge on the left side.

Happy stamping!

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA

2009-06-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Our nest feels so empty right now with Papa & Liessa gone. It's just too quiet around here! However, quiet time means personal time and that means stamping! A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA is starting up and the challenges have already begun over at the Amuse Blog. The first challenge is to use "SQUARE" as your inspiration. I didn't get very creative with the square part, but I turned little birdie into a chicken to make some chicken soup!

Stamps: A Muse birdie from Animal Wishes set, and A Muse cup, spoon & sentiment from Coffee Break set

Hope you're having a happy summer!

Memorial Day Road Trip

2009-06-14T01:09:00.000-07:00

I finally uploaded our photos from our Memorial Day Excursion. Liessa and I went on a girls' only road trip around the Olympic Peninsula. We had such a wonderful time together and had plenty of time to catch up on our 650-mile journey. They were three wonderful days full of fun and photos! I'm looking forward to the next road trip, whenever that might be! Here are a few photos to whet your appetite:

Dungeness Spit, Washington

Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

Sunset in La Push, Washington

A Busy May

2009-06-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it continues to stay busy around here and May seemed a little more hectic than the other 4 previous months. After our PRIDE training weekend, we've still been busy with the following:

Papa came for 2 weeks, and arrived Saturday, May 23rd. He was SO helpful around here and really worked hard to help us around the house. He weeded all of the flower beds, completely revamped the pond with Mountain Man, installed my new dishwasher, replaced the kitchen faucet, replaced the front door handle and lock, cleaned up the garage, washed dishes, ran errands, and helped nurse Liessa when we were gone. I'm sure I left out some things - he was wonderful! We are so thankful for his visit and glad we had the time with him.
We finally broke down and bought a hammock for Mountain Man. It looks more like a cocoon! :)

We began our Post-PRIDE classes on May 26th and have had them every Tuesday and Thursday evening since then. Our last one was last night!

Early Thursday morning, May 28th, at 3am, I received a call from Liessa's phone. It was her nurse friend, Lara, saying that Liessa had broken her ankle and they were in the ER. She said that Liessa wouldn't stop asking for me, so she wanted to know if I could come. Of course, I said yes. Thus began the broken ankle saga. I could just about write a book about this, but she's been at our house ever since the 28th and I've loved it! She had surgery on Friday, June 5th, and is healing nicely. She's one tough cookie and has been pretty easy to take care of. She does not like depending on other people for everything, so she's had to learn that! Of course, she is "The Princess", so I think that she may start getting used to being waited on hand & foot. :) She really is pleasant to be around. There's never a dull moment around here!
June 6th was Antioch Adoption's fundraising banquet and our friends - Holly & Jeff, Rochelle & Jim, Anne & Josh, and Papa - joined us at our table. I spent very little time at the table, as Mountain Man and I ended up being the unofficial photographers at the banquet.For a few weeks prior to the banquet, I was very busy organizing a special event that took place during the banquet, honoring Pastor Hutcherson, who had the vision for taking care of widows and orphans through an adoption ministry. As a result, we now have Antioch Adoptions, who ministers to birth moms and places children in Christian families - completely financed by donations!
I've had my Accounting class every Tuesday and Thursday evening, also, but finished last night with a 3.8 average. I'm happy with that considering everything that has been going on!
In between all of these events has been doctor appointments, moving Liessa out of her apartment, and trying to cook and clean!

Funny thing about all of this is that I've loved it all! I've enjoyed being busy - seems I've been more productive! I hope to get our Memorial Day road trip photos uploaded soon!

Happy Friday!

PRIDE Training....Check!

2009-05-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

We survived the mandatory PRIDE (Parent Resource for Information Development Education) adoption training required by the State of Washington. We were in class for 34 hours spread over 3 days! It was grueling at times, but oh so worth it. We learned lots, were inspired by families that shared their stories, and bonded with others going through the same process.

We serve such an awesome God. This weekend was such an encouragement to us! We're getting excited and look forward to having babies, raising boys and girls that strive to glorify God in all that they do.

Our next step on this wonderful journey: Post-PRIDE training classes. These are a series of 6 more classes that we'll take on upcoming Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We'll also need to get re-certified in CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens, take a Baby Basics Class from a local hospital, and tour the PICC. In addition to all of this is another mountain of paperwork! Yay! {Okay...maybe a little sarcastic, but we're getting used to it. They can't place these kids with just anybody!}

As always, we covet your prayers for us and the spiritual warfare we face, as well as our baby! God may be knitting him/her together in the womb right now!

{No time for stamping lately, but I hope to do some soon.}
Much love,
Whoop!

Sicky

2009-05-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been sick since Monday and saw the doctor yesterday. She thinks I'm finishing up with a bad cold. I still have a lot of congestion and I have orders to sleep all weekend. My new friend: cough syrup with codeine. This morning Mountain Man woke up with a sore throat and congestion - just like all of this started for me! It appears he's going down for the count and he cannot afford to be sick this week! We've finally got our adoption PRIDE training this weekend and we can't miss! Please pray for us to be well!

It's a bright sunny weekend and we're stuck inside with colds. :( So sad! It's beautiful hiking weather. Hope your weekend is fun! We wish we were with our moms.

Poo Poo Point Trail

2009-05-05T13:00:00.001-07:00

Click photo for album.

On Sunday, we hiked up Poo Poo Point Trail on Tiger Mountain with Jordan & Liessa. It was tougher than I had remembered, but I made it. The view was beautiful at the top, but we only saw a couple of paragliders because the winds were too crazy. On the way down, my left knee started giving me grief, but Mountain Man fixed up a makeshift brace for me and Liessa kept us laughing, occassionally yelling, "Mexican food, Mexican food, Mexican food." All in all, it was a fun day and we had some delicious Mexican food in Issaquah!

A Muse Lounge Challenge 04

2009-05-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

I don't make many cards with large white spaces, so this was my goal for this card. I made this for A Muse Lounge's simplicity challenge:
-use A Muse and/or Saltbox Studio stamps
-use minimal embellishments (one or none!!)
-use minimal layers (no more than 3!!)

This is my first time to play along with this group. I've been having mojo problems lately, and I've found that pulling the A Muse stamps out is the easiest way to break out of that mojo black hole! :)

I spruced up that cute little paper toled duck with yellow fun flock on his body & crystal effects on his beak.

Stamps: A Muse Animal Wishes

Paper: White, Blue

Ink: Versafine Black, Craft white, yellow & orange markers

Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, Lemonade Yellow Fun Flock, Crystal Effects, dimensionals

Techniques: paper tole

Happy Tuesday to you!

LV is here!

2009-04-30T23:42:00.001-07:00

LV (Liessa) is here! We were suite-mates at Freed-Hardeman University and hadn't seen in each other in 13 years until last week! She's a traveling nurse and got a job in Kirkland (of all places) for 3 months. I'm so excited that she's here - I've loved catching up with her! She's a ball of energy and so fun to be around! Maybe she'll rub off on me while she's here. :)

Liessa rolled into town on the same Friday Ivan did (April 17th), so I didn't see her that weekend, but we have since spent some fun times together. Last Sunday afternoon, we decided to go to downtown Seattle. We walked the market, saw the fish tossing, went to the first Starbucks, walked the boardwalk, and had a nice dinner at Daniel's - my favorite place! It's delicioso and pricey, but oh so worth it! I snapped these while we were down there.

This is LV. Isn't she beautiful?

The flowers are so inexpensive, fresh & gorgeous!

Bear hugs!

We've become workout partners and enjoy working out with Jillian, Bob, Carmen, and yoga gal. It's fantastic starting our days together with coffee and sweat. I've taught her the simple joys of a french press and she's given me some energy and a new outlook on life! She's here for a reason, and that reason could just be to give me a lift and snap me out of this funk!

Review of The Shack

2009-04-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

Book: The Shack
Author: William P. Young

The Shack is stirring quite a controversy, which I hadn't paid any attention to until my mom asked me to write a little more on it. While I will not spend much time on it, according to James B. DeYoung's review, author William P. Young used a fictional book to serve his universalism theology.

I originally said that this book changed my life, and it did. Although I do not agree with the theology of Universalism , I was challenged to look at my own life and confront a sin that I did not realize I had. No matter how many times I've read, memorized, or heard Matthew 7:3-5, I did not realize that I judge people so harshly and unjustly. This is one of my many sins, but the Holy Spirit revealed this to me as I read it.

(Matthew 7:3-5 NIV)
(3) "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (4) How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? (5) You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Although many disagree, I found this a positive read and because God used this to reveal my sin to me, I see it in a positive light. I viewed this book as fictional, just as it was marketed.

If you read it for yourself, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

With love,
Bellawhoop!

A Fun Weekend with Ivan

2009-04-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

Click on the photo for the gallery.

We've had absolutely gorgeous weather this weekend, so we trekked on over to Whidbey Island via the Mukilteo ferry, and visited Fort Casey State Park and Deception Pass. We hiked to the summit above Deception Pass for some great photos of the area. On our way back home, the guys spied some "long yellow plastic things" which I had to prove to them was actually fields of flowers! They didn't believe me until we got right up to them! :) It was a fun, long day!

2009-04-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

This just makes me smile!

Bald Eagle Nest - Live webcam

The Shack

2009-04-07T11:14:00.001-07:00

Wow. This book has changed my life.

Doodled Inspiration Challenge

2009-04-04T22:46:00.000-07:00

This certainly isn't the most fabulous thing I've done, but it's certainly different! I was inspired by this apron from French Bull.
(I didn't realize that this photo was NOT completely focused, so I'll have to redo it tomorrow.)

Stamps: Can Ya Dig It? from MFT

Paper: Real Red, Whisper White

Ink: Versafine Black, various markers

Accessories: American Crafts Elements Ribbon (Popsicle collection)

My thoughtul Mountain Man

2009-03-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

My sweet Mountain Man brought home two surprises for me yesterday - a crafting book & a cookbook! I LOVE these kinds of surprises! I'm excited about trying these new super simple recipes.

Love is in the air - breathe it in!

Blog Construction

2009-03-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the blog...It's under construction!

Inspired Northern Lights

2009-03-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

I finally dirtied up my Stampin' Studio this weekend. Saturday's SCS inspiration challenge was Glenda Mosher's art. Glenda is an incredible artist! I was inspired by her Northern Lights painting (located on the front page of her blog, on the right side). I hope to one day see this in person!

Stamps: Beautiful Scriptures (5546) by Clear Dollar Stamps

Paper: Watercolor, black, blue

Ink: Versafine black, various greens and blues for sponging

Accessories: Used sponges, ink pads, and torn/cut post-its

Techniques: sponging