This is Beca

Announcing...Beca Reads!

2010-11-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you to anyone who stops by here to read my every other month posts! :) I have been so busy home schooling my daughter and packaging up items from my etsy shop, I've barely had time to breathe. Thanks to my amazing friend, I found the motivation to finally open a 2nd shop...yes, another shop! I can hardly believe how well my first shop has done so far and I'm just thrilled to finally let go of piles of children's books that I have found over the years. I would buy any type of children's book that caught my eye at rummage sales, library sales, etc. I just love the old illustrations, sweet stories about gay children (when gay actually meant being happy), and having good behavior. I have decided that I am keeping my prices fair and low because I think that makes it more fun. I want people to feel excited to buy these just as much as I was when I bought them. They are great for nursery room decor, building up a new baby's library, and even (if you dare) using the pages for collage, scrapbooking etc. So give it a look and let me know what you think! Thank you for stopping by and hopefully I'll be posting some more before the holidays are over...geez time flies, doesn't it?

It's Been A While

2010-09-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been a while since Beca Blythe joined our family, but she is still being treasured each and every day! :) I have even found her some boots, had a lovely friend buy me a pattern for some clothes to make her...because let's be honest here...she's been in the same outfit for 38 years and I'm thinking she might be a bit sick of the dress she's in. :) I cannot wait to pick out a wig for her...I've been searching ebay, etsy, etc trying to find the perfect one. I'm sure in time I will have several for her, but the first one has to be extra special. :) I'm not into the whole goth/punk look, but I do like some of the unnatural colors (i.e - pink, yellow, etc.). Let's see....I guess my favorite find since Beca Blythe has got to be this light fixture I found this weekend on the last day of an estate sale...the final hour too!! I almost didn't go because I thought there was no way there would be anything, but there always is, isn't there? :) The sun was already going down when we got home, so the pictures are a bit off...sorry! But, you'll get the point...I LOVE it...orange and yellow metal sculpted flowers! Husband wants me to sell it...I want to keep keep keep it!! Help me out?!?! How do you convince your significant other it's worth keeping??? :)

My Amazing $1.00 Find

2010-09-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

All my life I have been fascinated with old-fashioned things, vintage items, etc. I suppose it all began with my fascination with Anne of Green Gables as a child and grew from there. I have found a few special items over the years, but nothing compared to what I found with my dear friend this weekend. We try to arrive at least an hour early for any good rummage or estate sale, but this sale we were running a bit behind. We eagerly parked, grabbed our bags and off we went to wherever our eyes led. I immediately rummaged through some gift wrap and doilies and then over to some dolls lying in an old suitcase. An older gentleman was already there going through each doll, turning them over and reading their markings. I decided to let him have at it as I am not so familiar with old dolls. My friend and I decided to go through the inside of the house and we left the driveway for about 20 minutes or so. As we walked back through the garage and driveway I picked up an Irmi mobile that my lovely friend found for me and some other things I can't even remember now. :) As we stood in line to purchase I thought I'd look through the dolls one more time since there were other toys in that area too and nobody else was over there now. I went over, saw a doll that had something hanging out of the back of her head as if it contained a talking mechanism. I turned her over saw these gorgeous eyes with long eyelashes and thought she looked like a Blythe. I turned her over, opened her original dress and there were the words Blythe, 1972 Kenner. I decided to purchase her and was a bit thrilled since although I have a love for all things shabby chic I had also decided months ago that I definitely thought Blythe dolls were super cool and was going to ask my husband for one for Christmas this year (I had not done much research on them and only knew they were definitely over $100.00). OK...back to my story...I took her back in line, showed my friend who also gave me a thumbs up and said it was a super cool find. I was a bit thrilled to think that I was probably holding a doll worth about $100-$200. Little did I know at the time how much she is really worth. I asked the darling girl behind the table how much she wanted for her and she shrugged and said in a questioning tone, "I don't know, a dollar?" I said, "sure." We walked to the car very excited and when we got inside we admired her a bit as I started to tell her that I thought there was something wrong with her because the string in the back was hanging out of the back of her head. As I pulled on the string the doll's face was facing my friend and we heard a click and then my friend gasped. Her eyes were changing colors!! We were so excited. I pulled the string again...another color..and another...and another....and another! We screamed about a million times. It was so exciting. Still not knowing her exact worth, we were more and more enamored with her by the minute. I have to say...she also has red hair like me! I couldn't believe that man left her there in that suitcase! I was meant to have her! I can't believe I thought she was broken! So...as you have probably guessed, we have no fancy equipment, no scanners, no iphones, etc. I had to wait until I got home to look up her worth and yes, I now know I got the deal of my life! There are some on ebay right now for $1800.00. Her hair needs some slight help, but since my research this weekend I've learned that the red heads had the coarsest hair and their hair in general was coarse so that it would hold hairstyles. She is gorgeous nonetheless and I will adore her forever! I've given her the name Beca Blythe. $1.00 for doll, priceless love. Presenting Beca Blythe:

Something I Love...And a Little Something Else

2010-08-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

I need to do more homeschooling posts. Here's something I love about homeschooling....sharpening the colored pencils while she works on her math...I love it!! Don't ask me why...maybe the mix of colors against the background of the plain wood shavings?? Whatever it is it is very soothing to me and makes me happy to look at when I'm done. :) Of course I also love to hear her doing her adding and counting and so forth too....but it's not quite as colorful. :) Oh yeah...totally different subject, but if you love Target and amazing stamped jewlery...you have to do go here! I'll be back soon! Good weekend to you all!

Old Things, New Things

2010-08-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

Using something old...I love watching this!

Doing something new...first soccer practice...is she really this old already?!?!

I Have To Keep It

2010-08-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ok...I know I have a lot to learn in taking pictures, but you probably get the point...this was a quilt I found at a recent estate sale that I just love! I also love the fact that I got it for $15...a lot more than I ever spend on any one item, but it was all the cash I had left and they also let me have a huge bag of buttons with the quilt! I asked an old man how much it was and he started at $25...come to find out as I was leaving that his wife had told another lady $35! I came home, treated the whole quilt with a dose of oxy clean (although I've heard that a product called Orvus is much safer when treating old quilts) and voila...it was even more beautiful and bright! I decided then and there...it was mine...not for resale! :) Whoever made it took bits and pieces of sheets, pillowcases, etc and made this wonderfully colorful quilt! My 5 yr old has even been begging for it on her bed! I love love love it! Do you ever find stuff you can't possibly resell? Tell me! Have a happy Monday!

New Friends

2010-08-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

Etsy has been such a blessing to me lately! I have been working hard and not only am I having fun, but I have made a wonderful new friend! She is the inspiration behind taking more pictures for this blog of mine. :) I can't wait until her shop reopens today! She even shared the news of a huge rummage sale here even though I could have been considered "competition." :) It was a fun time and I found something that made me very happy. I found an entire set of very old bingo cards in their original basket with the original wooden bingo sign! So, for my picture today, here's a glimpse of it...these are in my shop right now and I've listed them super cheap! Tomorrow I'm going to show you a picture of something I got a few weeks ago at an estate sale and I just can't bear to resell it....I told my husband, "it just makes me too happy." Stay tuned!

I Love This Girl....And Free Happiness

2010-07-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is in response to this lovely lady's request for a photo-a-day challenge. Unlike her, I do have small children, but I am aiming for a photo-a-week. :) If I do more than that, great, if not, then at least I've done one, right? So, this is my lovely Kennedy roller skating on free (yes...found on the side of the road, free!) old-school roller skates! I love her energy, her enthusiasm for new things and most of all the memories it brought back for me about my roller skating days! These are still a size big on her, but it didn't stop her! She has been on them all week since we found them. Now I'm keeping an eye out for some in my size...what are the chances on that I wonder? :) Maybe on one of my many thrifting excursions I'll get lucky. (By the way...when is spell check going to get with the program and realize that "thrifting" is a real word!) So without further ado...here she is and here they are...and yes, those are butterfly wings on the side of the skates! Can you remember holding onto the wall at the roller skating rink when you were first getting the hang of it?? I sure can!

Magic Carpet Rides

2010-06-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was just me, but when I was little I had quite the imagination. I would sit in front of our humble townhouse with the only other girl in the neighborhood (on the days I wasn't playing legos or gi-joe with all the boys in the neighborhood) and we would sit our stuffed animals and whatever else on this rug with tassels on each end and pretend we were flying over the world. It was quite a ride! Well, the apple surely does not fall far from the tree as my precious, sweet 5 yr old comes into my room last week with this.

She had taken some fabric scraps (got a huge bag for FREE off of craigslist) and sewn them together on her own little sewing machine! She proceeded to tell me that it was a little magic carpet for her baby bunny and she wanted me to display him on the tip top of my dresser mirror so that everyone (little does she realize nobody goes in our room except our own family) can see him flying through the air. I LOVE IT!! Don't you?? I mean can it get any cuter than that? And speaking of sewing...she's on a rampage. She'll be way better than me by the end of the summer! I had never told her about my magic carpet rides as a kid and she stood in amazement as I retold her something about my childhood. Try it sometime...it never fails...kids love to hear about when you were a kid. It's especially intriguing for them to hear about a time you got in trouble...not sure why. :) Maybe they just like to know we all make mistakes at one time or another. Anyways...this magic carpet will for sure be a handmade treasure of mine for years to come! Maybe one day I can show it to my grandkids. :) And yes....he's displayed at the tippy top of my dresser mirror....funny...my husband hasn't asked about it. :)

I've missed this place

2010-06-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a month!!! I can't believe I stayed away for so long! Here's what has been happening in a nut shell:

1. went to visit my parents in South Carolina with the 2 little ones...so fun!!!

2. husband went to kansas for flight refresher course for USMC...not fun

3. I had over 30 sales in my etsy shop!!! woo hoo!!! (we desperately need the 2nd income...even if it's a little...i figure if I love it AND can make a bit extra then it's a win-win, right??) :)

4. my daughter is doing "real" math in our home school curriculum!!

5. my son used the potty more times than he ever has (he's 2 yrs 10mos old)

6. I turned 32...yep...I'll still give out my age...probably only until I'm 35 though :)

7. my husband actually made plans for my birthday!! (got a babysitter, made reservations, AND took me to one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego's gas lamp district) he got major points for that!

8. I finally own a Bunn coffee maker (if you love coffee and you don't like to wait, this coffee brewer is AMAZING!!)

9. I had coffee with an amazing lady from Etsy who lives in my neck of the woods! (She is seriously the main reason I started having sales in my shop)

10. We set off rockets with the kids (see pics) :)

I promise the next post will not be in list form!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

2010-05-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Mine was just ok. Husband is gone for training (military) and I will be flying to see my mom and dad on Thursday with the 2 little ones. We will celebrate mother's day once I'm there. I have to say flying from San Diego to South Carolina alone with my kids is not something I'm looking forward to, but it will all be worth it once we all get some of Nana and Papa's love. :) Anyways...I thought I'd give you a peek at what I worked on this weekend while my kids were making messes all over the house and putting up with my intense urge to sew something and complete it with no pattern!! Yep...I'm not a pattern girl at all. I can't say I completely dislike them as I've only tried 2, but I'd rather just figure it out....at least for now. And hey...it's not like I'm making something complicated...we're talking pajama pants, skirts, pillows, etc. - the EASY stuff! Well, here's what I started and finished this weekend! I'll take finished photos tomorrow and post them. This was almost done. :)

One last thing...check out my special sale this week in my Etsy shop! Buy whatever you fancy!

Friday thrifting goodies

2010-05-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that I read all these blogs and see all these other people's fun vintage finds and I swoon over them without realizing I have pretty good luck myself most of the time. So, I think that I will document my finds from now on - if anything just to remind myself that I can find cool vintage stuff too. :) Today was a little more difficult because I had the 2 kiddos with me, but I have to say bribery works every time! :) They love 99 cent treasures and Starbucks chocolate milk! :) The chocolate milk buys me about 10 extra minutes in each store if I promise it's the next place we go. Anyways...I found some cool stuff and some of it is already listed in my Etsy shop. Here's a glimpse of my goodies. I think my favorite was the zippered pillow case covers (i love the retro floral pattern) and the yellow Tupperware alphabet lunch box. I wish I had a whole warehouse to store this stuff! It's just too fun...nevermind the people watching you can do while thrifting! Have a great weekend wherever you are!

SALT GLITTER

2010-05-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

We made salt glitter today! So fun!! Ok...here's the ingredients...are you ready??? It's really tricky (NOT...wait do people still say that??...hmmm...I'm totally dating myself right now)...anyways...here goes:

SALT (any kind..kosher or regular..plain..or iodized) :)
FOOD COLORING

That's it!! Take 1/4 cup salt or adjust to however much you want and add a few drops of food coloring (at least 4 drops if it's 1/4 cup or more of salt). Stir it up and put it on a plate to spread it out in a thinner layer and then pop it in the microwave for 1 minute. Put a cup of water in the microwave with it to protect your microwave...not sure why, but my recipe said that so I'm repeating it here. :) Then you can put it in empty spice containers or condiment shakers (which I found at the 99 cent store for 99 cents..duh!). Then have your little ones go outside if you can't take a huge mess like me. :) Give 'em some glue sticks and paper and have them sprinkle the salt glitter to their hearts content! Make some pretty designs!

A BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY

2010-05-02T23:36:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing event in our living room tonight! It was a live banjo concert from one of our dearest friends and our children didn't wait long to get in on the festivities! I rarely show pics from our house because in the past I've been too embarrassed of how little our house might look and how bad I am at decorating, and what horrible picture taking skills I have (yes, I had to use a flash on the 2nd picture...it was too dark without it and I had to capture the moment), but forget it! Due in large part to Beth Moore and her new book (yes, I attended the simulcast), I've been living my life much differently! I have a home and we have lovely friends and I adore my children, so I'm gonna share more from my home. :) An older couple that befriended us when we first moved to San Diego and have been mentors to us for over 5 years now came over for dinner. First of all let me say that they didn't just come over for dinner...they brought all the food with them!! It doesn't get much better than that!! They really are like surrogate grandparents for my kids since my parents and my husband's parents live so far away. Anyways, the man is a born musician...can literally pick up any instrument and not only play it, but play it extremely well and play anything by ear!! I can play some instruments but only with music and because of many years of lessons. Anyways...this past week someone gifted him with a banjo and although he claims he hadn't played one since college, it was like we had just entered backstage to a live banjo concert when he opened up the case tonight and started to play. My daughter ran to her room to get her ukulele (more for decoration than it can really be played) and my son grabbed his plastic drum! It was beautiful music in my living room and I do not believe there is anyone who can hear a banjo without smiling. My heart sang for joy to listen and watch the live entertainment. We are so blessed! I'm so thankful to God tonight for amazing friends, yummy food, my children, and banjos! :) (Oh yes...and if anyone wants to know who made that bright and cheery dress my daughter is wearing...it's this girl! Isn't she talented?!?!)

A TOTALLY RANDOM POST

2010-04-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is Toby, my son. He is 2 1/2 yrs old and he is the source of much joy and much frustration (he's 2 AND he's a boy...need I say more?). :) That being said, he's my son and I love the sound of that.

I have a friend who told me prior to having my little boy that when she first held her boy for the first time, she said, "my son." I often think of that as I spend time with him throughout the day. He is so different from my daughter and so different from me, but I am constantly in awe of him. I can't believe I was ever afraid that I wouldn't be able to love a boy as much as I do my daughter. He is so precious to me and is constantly teaching me not to be such a worry wart - although yes, he does get hurt (A LOT), he never cries longer than a minute or two (even when he needed stitches). I LOVE him...and just felt overwhelmed with love for him yesterday as he sat with on his car outside eating a cookie (recipe here), talking to the birds and doing boy stunts (he eventually moved to a standing position on the car (that's when I had to put the camera down and become a worry wart). :) So...I thought I'd give my son a proper introduction...that's all. Have a lovely lovely weekend! Don't forget to go here and put in a comment to win a free bird cage.

FREE AS A BIRD....A GIVEAWAY!

2010-04-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

Ok...here's your chance for a birdcage for free! Go here and check it out. She's an amazingly talented gal who's graciously agreed to host this giveaway for me! You can improve your chances by visiting my shop too! The question is how bad do you want it? :) I'm thrilled to give one of these out and I'm sure this bird will find a happy home!

YOU CAN WIN THIS...STAY TUNED!

2010-04-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

Yep...see this little beauty....you can get her for free...just stay tuned! Filled with aqua and red and screaming cute...she might be sitting in your house soon. :) Hope you all had a beautiful weekend!

LAME EXCUSE

2010-04-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ok...not that I think anyone is reading this, but I have been away....for way too long. Not away in the physical sense, but in the blogging sense. I felt that I had nobody who cared enough if I wrote or not and I was writing for people, not for me. Well, my friend (even if I'm just saying this to myself), I am writing now for me - me, myself, and I. Same thing goes for my Etsy shop. I was literally depressed looking at all the cute things in other people's shops and not seeing results in my own shop. Well, I'm sprucing it up and doing just because I want to. I am going to give it 100% for the next 6 months and see what that does. :) I'm also doing it out of necessity. You see, we are not loaded. Financially we made some HUGE mistakes along the way and now we are paying for it. I'll spare you the details, but I am trusting God will pull us through this mess and I'm gonna do my part too...and have some fun while I'm at it....because who doesn't love Etsy and all it's amazingness! (yes, that's a word...at least it is here). I have been creating and buying cool vintage stuff just for my shop. Now...all I need is a cool new avatar for my Etsy shop...how DO all of you cool people do it?? Am I just really dumb...I can't figure out how to do it and I can't afford to pay someone either...I guess I'll be doing some research on that. :) Now...just in case anyone is reading this, please visit me again next week for an exciting bird cage giveaway at a very cool blog - no, not my blog silly, someone else's blog of course! Have a great weekend!

LAST DAY FOR 12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS!

2009-12-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

Final day for giveaways at April's blog. There are some adorable clip arts to choose from and some cute stamps. I can always use stamps...yeah, right! I just got them out the other day and found some I didn't even know I had! oops! Crafting can easily become collecting, can't it? :) Have a good weekend...I'll be back with some pics (hopefully) next week!

SHE'S OUTDONE HERSELF!

2009-12-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the cute shops April has had on her 12 days of giveaways this week! Another great shop was featured later this afternoon! It has the cutest little inspiration packs, etc. Go take a look and try to win yet ANOTHER great giveaway from her! Just when I think my favorites on Etsy is going to explode or reach a "limit", I find more talented people! Does this happen to you too??

DO YOU LOVE FABRIC?

2009-12-10T08:59:00.001-08:00

Even if you don't sew, you have to admit there are some fabrics that just beg to come home with you or your mouse seems to come alive and all of a sudden it's grabbing that bundle or that yard and adding it to your "cart." All of a sudden your checking out, (whether online or in the store) and you've discovered you'll be adding a new set of colors to your fabric stash. Well, today my friends there is a wonderful place here where you can win a bundle!!! Go now and try to claim it!! Maybe this will be your first stack of fabric or maybe it'll just add some new colors to your stash, but either way, I promise it won't be your last! :)

I LOVE MACS, BUT...

2009-12-10T00:35:00.000-08:00

Check, this, this and this out!! That's all I have to say about that! So many chances to win an amazing computer! Technology just blows me away sometimes!

WARNING TO ALL...AND ANOTHER GIVEAWAY TO MENTION!

2009-12-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Ok...sorry for a boring post with no pictures, but guess what?? My hard drive is on the fritz!!! This means all the pics I've taken in the past year and haven't printed are on very shaky ground right now. I'm in the process of backing everything up. So...if you don't back up your pictures, documents, etc...here's my warning...PLEASE DO IT NOW!! When I walked into the Apple store last night and the guy told me what was happening I almost started to cry! I started to think of the pics of my daughter's first haircut, the pics of all my son's firsts while my husband was deployed, etc. So...consider this a friendly reminder to please back up your pics somewhere, and anything else that is important to you. On a lighter note...I have mentioned April's 12 days of giveaways a few times already this week, but the shop featured this morning is amazing and the talented owner of the shop is here in San Diego...yay!! If you love vintage and Christmas and goodies of all sorts, please head over there right now for this amazing giveaway! Thanks and hopefully I'll be back later this week with a perfect-working hard drive.

BIRDCAGE SALE

2009-12-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

I personally love my birdcages...they are so cute and whimsical. Yes, I realize that's tooting my own horn a bit, but I really do LOVE them!! Anyways...I'm making up some new ones and put the 2 that are left in my Etsy shop on sale for 1/2 off!!! Please go see them and if they suit you, I'll send them along with a free thrifted vintage ornament!!

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

2009-12-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh...the twinkling Christmas lights, the tree, and the home decor came out this weekend. It is simply magical to watch. I love twinkling lights! Something about them makes everything feel cozy, magical, even emotional. As I watched my 2 yr old son put on ornaments this year and pull out ornaments that were created by his big-big-sister (my step daughter), I couldn't help but get teary eyed. December 12th will mark a year since the decision was made by a family court judge to allow her to move to her mother's after living with her father for 8 years (and with me for 6 years). In some ways I am so happy to have made it through this year, but on some days I can hardly believe that our family has become so incomplete without her here. I put an ornament on the tree that she had made during December of last year at her school. She was smiling a silly 8-yr-old smile that just hit me so hard. I had to go in her room and "let it out." She was so happy here and as I looked at that picture I thought how sad it was that at that moment in time she had no idea how much her life was going to change in the next month. Ok...so I'm getting sappy instead of excited about my tree and our lights, etc. Anyways...she'll be here the day after Christmas this year and hopefully it will be a week of joy and laughter and togetherness. So...to end...it was a wonderful feeling to put up the tree and remind the children of Jesus' birthday, but also a small, sad reminder that our family is minus one until she returns. I pray that although she is far away and in a home so different from ours that she will remember what Christmas is all about and be filled with excitement for her next visit. Thanks for reading my sappiness! :) Oops...pictures are out of order! Oh....and remember I take horrible pictures, so yes...these are the best ones I captured! Pretty horrible, huh? Oh, well...maybe that can be a New Year's resolution! :)

A SHORT BLURB

2009-12-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

Ok...I have to tell you about this giveaway! And yes...I'm mainly doing it because I want this one, but hey...I've already mentioned that she's doing 12 days (yes, you read that right) of giveaways and many days have more than 1 giveaway!! The one for today is so cute...where do people come up with all these great ideas...and do them so well!! I'll be back later with our Christmas tree post...it's up!! Yay!!

I ALMOST FORGOT!!

2009-12-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

This girl is doing something spectacular this holiday season and I'm determined to be in on it. Go here. Some cool things are gonna be up for grabs (I'll be donating some items)...but this is NOT a normal giveaway...no, no, no. This requires more than a comment, but you will be providing something for others that we take for granted everyday. Go take a look, please? You'll be happy you did.

First Step Photo Vinyl Wall Art $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY

2009-12-03T22:23:00.000-08:00

First Step Photo Vinyl Wall Art $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!

2009-12-03T21:40:00.001-08:00

Ok...I might overload you with some giveaways now...I just found a bunch! Go here! Such cute stuff to be won!!

GREAT GIVEAWAY TIME FOR BLOGS!

2009-12-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year when all the crafty blogs start doing giveaways! It was this time of year when I originally started following blogs regularly just because it was so much fun to think I might just win some amazing item (or possibly even two!). I have won some things here and there, but never from the infamous Pioneer Woman (the chances with her are like playing the lottery!)...nor have I won anything from this creative girl (who by the way has one of the cutest Etsy shops ever!)....nor have I won anything from this creative girl (who has another Etsy shop that I frequent a lot!). I decided that all my luck is going to change this season because I'm going to try even harder to win whatever is being offered....especially if I love it. Well...there's an great 12 day giveaway over at her blog and the most current offer is from such a cute Etsy shop...you have to go check it out! I'm gonna win this giveaway...but if not...I'd be happy if one of you won it too! :) I'm actually ruining my chances of winning by telling you about it, aren't I?? Oh, well. Go head over there and check 'em out everyday! This girl has great taste! I'll keep you posted on other fabulous giveaways I find! Have a great Friday!

CONTENT AND GRATEFUL

2009-12-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to be honest. I stopped posting for a while because....well....I didn't feel very thankful. There, I said it. It was so hard to go to Facebook and read everyone's "thankful posts". I just wasn't feeling it. I thought to myself, "here I am the week before Thanksgiving with my step daughter visiting, hardly any money because we had to pay so much to fly her here, and my husband and I have been fighting over everything." Yes, I was having a major pity party and being totally selfish. If I could only find the words to share with you on how wrong I was to feel so ungrateful! God has done some AMAZING things in my life and our family that I shouldn't let a day go by without thanking him for the life I have. You see, there was a time a few years back when I made a choice that almost made me lose my ability to raise my own children. It was a time when I didn't know if my new husband (very new) was going to stay married to me. Everything was up for grabs. Thank you Jesus for pulling me out of the pits last week and waking me from my ungratefulness! I went to church on Sunday feeling desperate to hear from God and grasp onto to anything and did he ever give me something to go on! Sometimes I think God is so funny how he works. I actually didn't even decide to go to church until the very last minute. My husband had plans to go to a football game and wasn't going to be able to go to church and make the game on time, so I thought I might as well stay home with him, but like I said I went. The whole way there I was speeding because I had left so late and I didn't want to miss more worship songs than I had to...that's my favorite part of course. When I got there I only got about a song and a half and then it was time to sit. I was pouting on the inside. Then the youth pastor gets up to preach (I had forgotten the pastor would be out of town for his daughter's wedding.) I pouted some more. Some more brutal honesty here...I thought there was no way God was going to teach me anything using the youth pastor's sermon....I mean, come on - his sermons are geared towards kids, right? :) Yeah, right. He had the most amazing sermon and at one point he made a side note about the lies that can get in our heads and directly affect how we treat the people around us and how we feel. We know where those lies come from...NOT from God. Then he said this..."You know, the lies that say, "I can't believe you're still dealing with that", "You are the worst person ever", "You'll never be like her/him/them, etc". This may mean nothing to you as a reader of this post/blog, but this hit me like a complete ton of bricks. This was and is me A LOT of the time! But, like he said, these are lies! How dare I let those lies cover up the joy and happiness that Jesus has brought into my life. Those lies are sent to destroy the contentment I should be feeling on a daily basis because my life has been restored! Thank you God for using the youth pastor to reveal this truth to me! Needless to say, I feel more content and thankful this week than I have in a long, long, time. God has totally changed my life and I would be happy to share about it in depth if you are curious about the details. If not, I will continue to post more regularly about my life, my kids, my crafts, etc. Be thankful every day!

TODAY I'M THANKFUL FOR...

2009-11-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

This beautiful place we call home for now....San Diego. It is unreal how breathtaking the ocean is and how practically everyday there is just the right amount of sunshine mixed with the right amount of breeze. Being in the military we don't have much of a say of where we get to live, but this has been the best by far. We'd hate to leave here, but we may only have a couple of months left in this place. I'm not going to take it for granted anymore...I'm going to soak it up. Here's some pics I took of the sunset in August...isn't it just surreal?? This surfer dude came out of the water just to sit and watch the sunset. As soon as the sun went down, he got back in. I thought that was so cool....I know, I'm a little sappy sometimes. :)

TODAY I'M THANKFUL FOR...

2009-11-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

My beautiful children God has blessed me with! They provide so much joy and energy in this house. I am constantly amazed at what they say, create, and are able to do! Thank you God for allowing me to raise these beautiful children, they truly are a gift from you!

IT HAS BEEN WAY TOO LONG...AGAIN

2009-11-16T08:03:00.001-08:00

Has it really been almost a month since my last post???!!! AGHHHH!!! Time really does fly. Over the past month, we went camping for the first time as a family (with our Basset Hound), my oldest turned 5, and she got her first hair cut. :( I have a few photos of each of these things. I'm no photographer, but you'll get the point. I put an amazing Christmas bird cage in my Etsy shop last night! It is so cute! I wish I had a better camera or captured it better, but even my husband was amazed! It's almost Thanksgiving and I thought I'd do a "thankful post" each day until then....so, today I'm thankful for an amazing husband who stuck with me through one of the worst times in my life. Thank you God!!!

I'M BACK TO BLOGGING...FOR REAL

2009-10-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I've pretty much fell off the face of the earth, but I'm back now. I could make up some amazing story of how my husband whisked me away on some amazing European vacation, but alas I was just here...feeling unmotivated to do anything. Yes, I deal with depression and have two little ones at home, but I really have no excuse! So, I'm back and ready to load up my Etsy shop with some fun vintage finds and some Christmas handmade birdcages that in my personal opinion are TDF!!! (yes, that's To Die For in "texting" terms...right?...sometimes I think I'm up on the times, but I could be wrong) Anyways...I'm hoping to get some regular readers here and hopefully you'll stick around to find out more about me! Well, thanks for stopping in and just to include a fun seasonal pic...here are my two blessings!

I'M BACK!

2009-08-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I've actually been back for a while now, but so much going on here that it's been almost impossible to be on my computer for any significant length of time. All is good. Husband is back...yay!! Step daughter is visiting....yay....and baby turned 2!!! Well, my Etsy shop has been a little ignored and that will all change in the next 2 weeks as I add more items and "clean" it up a bit. Oh yeah...so, maybe you're wondering how Hawaii was??? It was everything I'd dreamed it would be!! My husband met me at the airport with a fresh lei (fresh plumeria flowers smell incredible!!) and from there we went to a real luau....beautiful, exotic, intoxicating!! The water there truly is sea-green/aqua/clear, whatever you want to call it, it is beautiful!! We couldn't believe how many people were there with children...we wouldn't recommend it, but then again we were in our own dreamy romantic world! We had a wonderful few days...did some kayaking, hiked up to the top of Diamond Head, and played tourists. :) We got several gifts for our kids and parents and just really enjoyed each other. Now that we are home things are settling down and all of our visitors are gone. My step daughter is here for only 2 more weeks and then back to her mother's home. It will definitely be quiet with her gone, but good for the little ones to start a routine again. I can' t wait to get back to crafting and my Etsy shop!! Thanks to anyone who purchased during my sale and don't worry...there will be more to come!

I'M GOING....I'M REALLY GOING!!!

2009-07-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

This will be my view in just 6 short days!! Yay!!! Sorry to leave you hangin, but it was so up and down for a few days that for a few hours I thought it was all over, then it was back on, then it was half on, well anyways...ends up he'll be in Hawaii 5 days early and wait for me to get there and we'll still have our romantic getaway! :) I am beyond excited. I'm at that point where nothing I have to do here at home is even remotely important to me anymore...I'm just trying to get the days to go by as quickly as possible....is there any way to do that?!? So, needless to say my Etsy shop is now 50% off!!! On Friday it will go to 60% off and return to full price the following week. So...what have I been doing to pass the time? Well, I've been getting my step daughter's room ready for her arrival. Lots of Etsy shopping and crafting! I'll show some pics when it's all done (hey....that should take up another day, right?). She will be coming for her summer visit the day after my husband and I return. It will be so nice to have our family back together again....even if it's only for a short while. This will be my view in just 6 short days!!

HOW DO YOU HANDLE DISAPPOINTMENT?

2009-07-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

The most disappointing thing I can imagine has happened and my son's expression in this picture is exactly how I feel. I found out last night that I might not be going to Hawaii after all to be reunited with my husband. This was the worst news imaginable to me at this point in the deployment. The vision of being in Hawaii alone with my husband was all that got me through the last half of this 7 month deployment and now it's all up for grabs due to the possibility of the swine flu on his ship. I got this news via email right before putting my kids to bed...note to self - don't check email before they go to bed. It immediately put me in a very "downer" mood, not to mention extremely irritable mood. The kids seemed to know exactly what buttons to push and boy did they! It was an awful night of me yelling (yes, I do that sometimes unfortunately) and them seeming to be VERY disobedient. After finally getting to the living room without them following me, I sat down and after crying and praying and just feeling so unmotivated to do anything but curl up and die, I realized what an awful example I had been for them in dealing with disappointment. Although they knew little about what I was upset about, my 4 yr old knew that I might not be going to Hawaii to pick up daddy anymore. This was good news to her as she has been very intent on letting me know she's "big enough to go with me to get daddy", but she could also sense that it was sad for me because she mentioned that I should pray about it. I'm sad to say that today wasn't much better for me, but I am convinced that sometimes things happen to us as adults that don't seem to come as often as they did in our childhood, i.e - disappointment. When you're a child disappointment is an everyday occurrence - learning you have to share your brand new favorite toy, realizing that you can't have candy first thing in the morning, and having a babysitter put you to bed when all you want is your parent(s). These are all disappointments that we have to deal with as children, but slowly we become adults and disappointments seem to show up a lot less often and as they do they almost become more difficult to deal with because they're no longer a daily occurrence. So...what do I do now?? I wait. I pray. I ask God for patience and believe that whatever his plans are will be perfect for me. Is this easy? NO!!!! If I find myself getting impatient and easily irritated with my children tomorrow I will take a break and realize that I'm only 31 and Hawaii can still happen at some point in my future. I am also going to remind myself that I live in San Diego - it is beautiful here...all year long! I also know that even though I perceive Hawaii to be a paradise that I long to see, my eternal paradise will be so much more!

ANOTHER WEEK CLOSER!!

2009-07-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well, if any of you have been following my blog or checking out my Etsy shop, you know I'm having an "anticipation" sale to celebrate my upcoming reunion with my husband after his 7 month deployment! :) So...this week all items in my shop will now be 40% off!! That's a huge discount and I'll be adding some more things later this week, so take advantage of it while it lasts! In case you're wondering...only 17 more days until I leave!! I hope everyone enjoyed this glorious weekend! We are fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood with other military families who really look out for each other and I've never felt "alone" on a holiday while my husband has been gone. We spent the afternoon with neighbors and friends and watched beautiful San Diego fireworks! I have to constantly remind myself to truly enjoy this place because we probably won't be here forever. It is so nice not to have humidity and be swatting at our legs/arms/etc. because of annoying bugs! I've lived in the south too...so I feel for ya'll. :) Oh yeah...the cake pictured here is one I've made a few times from The Pioneer Woman's website from Barefoot Contessa. It is amazing! I substituted strawberries simply because raspberries weren't on sale this week. :) Hey...I'm trying to watch my budget...remember? Oh...and yes...I forgot to put the "stars" of frosting in between the blueberries! Oops...I don't think anyone noticed or cared. :) Enjoy the last couple of hours of the weekend and please take advantage of my sale!

PLEASE SAY HELLO!!

2009-06-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

Ok...I know there are some people coming to see what my "Anticipation Sale" in my Etsy shop is all about, so please at least say "hi" while you're here....you might get some freebies if you comment and make a purchase! Needless to say another week (or so) has gone by and the sale is now up to 30% off any purchase in my shop! Yep...only 3 weeks until I see my husband in Hawaii!!! Come on...there's some good stuff in there!! I'm adding more stuff tonight too. I have to save some more for my trip and unfortunately I'm trying to pay off debt. It's bad and I've finally decided to be honest with myself and get rid of it for good! I've been reading all these frugal blogs and books and I'm ready!! It'll be rough, but it's gonna be so worth it! I'll keep you involved and let you know how I'm progressing. I already feel a sense of relief just telling all you blog readers/visitors out there! But, first and foremost is my trip...and no, we really can't afford the trip, but I've already bought the tickets and my husband and I haven't seen each other in 7 months!! Yes...I believe we deserve it...we certainly won't be going on another trip for quite a while. Oh...and no, I didn't have my kids pose just for this post, but it fit so perfectly...she was off to her first day of Vacation Bible School and little brother had to copy her, so they both stood there and waved at me. I know I'm no photographer, but pictures make blogs so much better, right? Ok..now go take a look around my shop...please?? :)

Another week has gone by....better sale for you!!

2009-06-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Ok...so on with my "anticipation sale" in my Etsy shop. You can now save 20% on every order. I will send a refund via paypal or you can wait for a revised invoice from paypal. This week went by faster than last. I can't believe in just over a month I will see him.....my husband. I am more nervous, excited, giddy by the day! Ok...that's enough of that. Let's see...what else?? This weekend includes a birthday party, preparing my step daughter's room for her summer visit, baking dessert for a neighborhood pizza party, and church. Father's day will be spent with an older couple at church that are almost like surrogate grandparents for my kids. I encourage everyone out there to find an older couple that can serve as mentors, grandparents, shoulders to lean on in times of crisis, etc. They are so important to us as a military family. We have no family near us, so to have found people like them is a literally a "God-send". Have a blessed weekend!!

He still has it worse

2009-06-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

Ok...so, today was one of those horrible, rotten, no-good days. It started that way and ended that way with hardly anything in between. The kids were just awful. They were disobedient, mischievous, mean, etc. So...what did the day end like? We ate dinner outside because I didn't want to clean up any more messes and they were given baths at 630pm. At 730pm they were out cold. On these types of days when my husband is deployed and I think I have it way worse than he does....I have to think again. I still get to go to sleep in my own bed and I get to use a real bathroom. I can sit outside in the wonderful southern CA weather and enjoy the sunset. I can wear whatever I want and I can eat whatever I want. I can still enjoy all these things and more on my worst days. He can not. So....I leave you with a request. Take a moment to enjoy your freedoms...especially on your bad days and please remember to pray often for what these men and women are giving up so that we can have an abundant life. I also leave you with what I call my "Top Gun" photo of my husband and a photo of my daughter learning to read. My main reason for the picture of my daughter is to remind me that there are highlights of a week even if there are bad days throughout it. :)

Anticipation

2009-06-12T22:07:00.001-07:00

Wow...2 posts in a week....this might be a new record....or rather a new beginning. :) So, my husband has been deployed now for close to 6 months and in a short time (sometime in July) we will be reunited in Hawaii!!! Yes, Hawaii....aghhhhh the epitome of tropical paradise....right? I'm just guessing because I've never actually been there!! My first time in Hawaii will be with my husband of almost 6 years and WITHOUT kids!!! Yikes...it's almost too exciting to think about. It has been consuming my every thought. We try to have a date night every month when he's here, but this will be 4 nights in a row without children and post-deployment. I don't think I've been this giddy since high school about an upcoming event. So...in honor of my fast approaching trip and my endless thoughts of walking on amazing beaches and just being with my man I am going to have a progressive sale in my Etsy shop. Starting tonight, Friday, June 12th and continuing with each Friday until I leave on my trip, I will be discounting my entire shop by 10%. This will be like an exciting count down for me and hopefully fun for my customers as well. Whatever I add to my shop between now and then will be included in the sale at whatever the current discount is. Don't worry...I will let you know when it's the final week. All prices will return to normal after I return from my trip! Oh yeah...don't forget my shop name is Becaruns.

FRESH START

2009-06-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

Ok...since my last post, my husband left for deployment, my step daughter has been gone from our house longer than I've ever experienced before, I've started to home school my daughter, I've planted my first flowers in the garden, and I've finally opened my Etsy shop! Whew! Where has the time gone?? Oh yeah...and I turned 31 yesterday!!! Yikes!! For some reason 31 really seems to emphasize that I'm in my 30's now. I can't say I like it yet, but every woman in their 30's say it's way better than their 40's. I'm waiting for that. :) So...my husband is now almost home...yay!!! I'm going to meet him in Hawaii and spend a few days alone before flying back together. We haven't spent a single night alone since before my 4 yr old daughter was born!! Too long, huh? Please give my Etsy shop a visit. Shop name is Becaruns. Yes...tacky, but if I had known I was going to open a shop when I registered with Etsy I would have picked a better name. Oh, well. I'm going to work on putting some new stuff in there. I know my photos aren't great...working on that too. :) Well, here's to a fresh start on my blog and daily posts...I hope. :) Thanks for stopping by! Oh yeah...just a pic of my little ones first thing in the morning admiring their garden outside....and each other...sweet, huh? They're not always like that with each other....keep in mind this was the very beginning of the day.

WE LOST

2008-12-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

Ok...this is officially the hardest day of my life. I question my faith, my purpose, my entire life. We went to court this morning with a renewed hope in our argument to keep custody of my step-daughter. We fought all day yesterday in court and argued our point the best we could (well, our attorney did). At the end of the day, the judge couldn't make a decision and he thought it best to return this morning for his decision. Because of that we thought we had a 50/50 chance even though the psychiatrists' report had been in her (my husband's ex-wife) favor. I wonder if you ever can prepare yourself enough for the worst. I don't think if I had expected the worst possible scenario this morning that it would have been enough to handle what was dealt to me/us. The judge had us wait until 1045am in order to start his ruling. He said things about me that characterized a person that I am not familiar with. Some of it was complete lies and other parts were a description of who I used to be. At what point do we consider someone to be "rehabilitated" or better than their former self? At what point does society say, "ok...that is enough to show that this person has changed?" If we continue to shove people's faces into their past mistakes and/or shortcomings, how will they ever feel confident enough to move on and/or believe in themselves enough to work on their character flaws? If I've learned one thing out of all of this it is not to judge someone for who or what they did an hour ago, a day ago, a week ago, or years ago. It serves no purpose. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES - some more extreme than others, but nevertheless mistakes. It is impossible to live a life free from judgement? Probably not, but the way I was judged today gives me a new perspective. The sadness that I feel is great, the remorse I feel for my actions in my youth are great, but I must trudge on. I have two other beautiful children that depend on me everyday. There is only one being that matters that will hold me accountable some day and that is God. He knows I am a good mother to my children and he knows how much I love my step-daughter. I don't know why this happened. I don't have the answer to why bad things happen, but I know that somehow God will use this. I know I began this post saying I question my faith - and I do...but not enough to let go of it. I know there has to be a higher purpose to all of this - I just couldn't go on without that hope. Proverbs 23:18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

AWESOME GIVEAWAY...and a short update.

2008-12-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

Ok...I have found the coolest site...there are giveaways all the time and this one in particular caught my eye and I really want it!! Go check it out at kiddio.org.

I also wanted to let people know what is going on with our court stuff. Tomorrow morning at 9am we will know what the judge will decide about custody of my step daughter. We had court today and it wasn't pretty. Both sides got attacked by the judge and I had to hear all about the sins of my youth as if I am still that person. We had the support of a few close friends that stayed all day with us in court and if it weren't for them I don't know if I could have handled the words that were being spoken. At the end of the day the judge was unable to come to a decision so we were told to return tomorrow morning. If you happen to read this tonight or in the morning, please keep us in your prayers as this has been emotionally exhausting and we are trying to be open to whatever God's will is.

VISIT THIS GIVEAWAY - ENDS TODAY!!

2008-12-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Please visit Kiddio.org...she has some great giveaways!! I especially love the one ending tonight for the rocker...so cool!! Check it out at kiddio.org.

Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-12-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-12-04T01:02:00.000-08:00

There's been so much going on in our family and we've been trying to keep up with the holiday spirit despite the fact that my stepdaughter will most likely be leaving to live with her mother by the end of the month. So, here are some pictures of something we did today and we got the idea from http://flipflopsandapplesauce.blogspot.com/. She has a pretty cool blog and I didn't know until today that she is Lisa Leonard's sister!! She has some amazing jewelry and I want some! :) So...here's the pics...no snow here in San Diego, so we have to make our own! My younger daughter obviously stuck to a much simpler (is that a word?) design than my stepdaughter. :) Oh...and my son...he just thought the glitter and glue was cool for about 2 minutes and then he was so over it. :) Such a boy! Happy Holidays! Oh yeah...and if anyone reads this...please go vote for my card (LETTER "S") at http://mylilyeden.blogspot.com

I know my card is not the best by far, but at least I'm being honest...I want that Target gift card! :)

Recital Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-12-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

Recital Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

SIMPLE MOM GIVEAWAY!

2008-11-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ok...I know I need to catch up on what has happened with our family, but it is so long I need to sit and really think before I write, but in the meantime there's some happy news from an AMAZING blog that I read....simplemom.net. Please go there and enter her Inkubook giveaway...AND start reading her blog!! Thanks! I'll be back later tonight with an update on the not-so-happy stuff. Thanks!

TIME WILL TELL

2008-10-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'd thought I'd write in orange to honor the fall season and all the beautiful pumpkins! :) Have you ever been at a point in your life where there was a possibility that things might change forever? Maybe you are thinking of the night before you got married, or when you took your first pregnancy test, or the night day before your first "due date". Well, my life is at one of those crossroads. Sometime either tomorrow or on Monday I will find out whether or not my step-daughter will continue to live here with her dad and I. A court psychiatrist was assigned to evaluate everyone involved in this and make a recommendation to the judge as to where would be best for her - here or there. My husband has had custody of her since she was 11 months old. She is now 8, soon to be 9. I have been fortunate enough to raise her for the majority of her life so far. She had just turned 3 when we got married. Her mother has fought for custody since losing her in the very beginning. Yes, for almost 8 years my husband has had to defend his right to raise his daughter. Because he is in the USMC, we have moved several times and each time she re-tries the custody case because it is a new state and therefore a new jurisdiction to hear her crap/lies. Our justice system has a lot of corrections to be made...this being one of them. We have spent over $200,000 on this and it seems to never have an end in sight...until my step-daughter is old enough to choose (12 yrs old). There is much much more to this story (including a MONUMENTAL mistake I made early in our marriage that gave her mother even more to attack us with), but basically by this time on Tuesday (at the latest) my whole world might change. I had to blog about this because it is eating up every single second I am not doing something. My 4 yr old and my 15 month old would miss her terribly. She is an incredible child....difficult, but incredible. This is NOT to say that it has been a piece of cake to raise her and love her....it has not, but now that I am forced to think that there's a 50% chance she could be gone after the holidays I realize the gift I have been given the past couple of years. Although I often think of the "alone times" most people have when they first get married that we did not have and the times where I just wanted to go back to being "child-less" (this was very early in our marriage), I wouldn't change any of the time I've had with her. She has made me more patient, more understanding, more care-free, and changed my perspective in so many ways. God - please hear our prayers....don't take her away from us.

MEET MY MIDDLE CHILD AND SOME GOOD NEWS!

2008-10-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

I am writing today b/c I'm so excited someone found my blog and it's a super-talented girl from The Lemon Tree Studio shop over at Etsy.

Her blog, mylilyeden.blogspot.com, is so cute too! So, I'm staying true to my word and sending her that gift certificate!!

I am also writing to share a picture of my little girl. She is my middle child and she just turned 4 two weeks ago. I love her and she is my angel...although she rarely acts like that these days. I am constantly frustrated by her lack of listening skills, but at the end of each day I am still amazed by her beauty and sincere heart. I have a friend who is a photographer and took this picture of her and I feel like it really captures the light in her eyes. I am starting to fear she will make the same mistakes I did just because she is starting to look like me. Isn't that silly?? She looked so much like my husband when she was born, but now not so much. I am hoping she keeps her goals in line and really works to please her heavenly father first and foremost and nobody else on this earth. I wish I had done that all along. Hopefully I will have some more regular readers by the end of the month and I'm hoping to host a give away or two. My first one!! I hope I learn more about this blogging adventure by then. :)

Oh yeah...one more thing....I haven't been doing too great with the sugar thing, but I vow to work harder and I did clean out my computer cabinet/desk after blogging about it last time. I'll have to share a pic sometime...it really looks neat. :) So many little projects in my house to get done. I'm hoping to get a lot done while my husband is gone. He deploys for 7 months in January. :(

Who am I These Days?

2008-10-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a runner, a wanna-be organized mom, a too-much-sugar-eating mom, a trying-to-pay-off-debt mom, a learning-to-blog mom, a learning-to-be-frugal mom, appreciating my children more, trying to be more patient, etc, etc. There seems to be a running list in my head of who I want to be every morning and who I end up being at the end of every day. I suppose my children have a little bit to do with my unaccomplished list of wanna-be traits, but mostly it's just a lack of discipline. I love being a runner and that takes a lot of discipline, but why can't I have that same discipline in every other area? Hmmmm....this gets me thinking. Maybe I'll start writing my progress down - along with each specific trait I want to obtain and/or change. How's that for honesty?? I still have a lot to reveal about myself along the way and my first order of business is to be more consistent in these posts!! I also realize that right now I'm basically talking to myself since nobody has discovered my wonderful blog yet - that's sarcasm since I don't have a clue what I'm doing on here really. So, my journey begins as an open and honest blogger with consistent posts and hopefully some motivation to continue to try to be those things we all wish we could do/be better. :) Whoever finds this blog and posts a comment on it first will win a $20 SUPER GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM GIFT CERTIFICATES.COM!!!
BTW - Besides another new post tomorrow, I will also attempt to eat less sugar by writing down everything I eat (something I've wanted to try for a long time) AND I will attempt to organize my computer desk/cabinet...wait until you see the mess!! God Bless!!

2008-08-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

I wanted to explain my very first post. I don't know why I felt so led to write that letter, but a lot of people who know me think I'm this amazing stepmother for having to raise someone else's child, but I really haven't been....at least not to the best of my ability. I guess I wanted to put something out there for everyone to see how I've really felt most of the time in the last 5 years since I first married my husband. Anyways, I'm excited to start this blogging journey and see where it leads. God has done some absolutely amazing things in my life and I pray that some people will be blessed by hearing these things. I also pray that no one will be offended by some things that I will reveal along the way. Please stay tuned as I seek guidance from God as to what and how I should reveal these things in a way that would glorify the work He has done...because it was ALL HIM. On another note, I hope to add some normal day to day thoughts, activities, events about myself, my craftiness, my kids, etc. Thanks for stopping by and please continue to do so!!!

FOR HER

2008-08-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

You are gone tonight. You left for the weekend at 6pm. I don’t know why I think of you so much more when you’re gone than when you are here, but I do. Your sister cried for you twice tonight. I wonder what you’re doing and what you’re saying. I wonder how you act with her. I wonder what you talk about. I wonder if you EVER miss me. I wonder. I wonder who you’ll be. I wonder if you’ll love me when you’re 18. I wonder if you’ll hate me when you’re 18. I don’t treat you the way I should a lot of the time. It is hard, but that is no excuse. I have wanted to write you something for a long time. You amaze me. I bet you didn’t know that, but you do. You are so forgiving. I can completely cut you down and the next minute you’re right there holding the door for me. Do you know how that makes me feel? I can’t thank you enough for being the big sister that you are to your little sister and brother. I never could have imagined that you would be so close. I know there is a lot of bickering, but I also see the love between the two of you. I can’t imagine that one day you could be living in separate homes. It makes me cry. I would miss you so much. I have to tell you that there are times when I enjoy the little ones and the quieter house when you leave, but to think of it as a permanent situation makes my insides hurt. I admire you. I never tell you that but I do. I wish that I didn’t care what other people thought of me. You could care less and that is hard to come by these days. I imagine that might change as you reach your teenage years, but I pray it doesn’t. It will help you so much as an adult. I pray that you will hold the values that your daddy and I have taught you. I pray that Jesus will be important to you then like he is to you now. I want you to know everything that your daddy did to keep you where he thought it would be safest for you. He NEVER wanted you to hate your mother, although there were times when he had to explain things she did because you were so confused at times. I’m sorry for the times I couldn’t hold my tongue and said some things about her that I shouldn’t have. Unfortunately I can’t promise that that won’t happen again, but it is a daily struggle not to say anything sometimes. Will you forgive me? I can tell you this: she loves you and that is all I know as a truth about her. You are my stepdaughter because God chose you to be my stepdaughter and because I chose your daddy and you were part of a “package deal”. I will be more loving to you because I want you to know that you’re loved not only by your mommy and daddy, but also specifically by me. I will learn things from you and hopefully you will learn good things from me. I will try to be a better example. I will no longer hold regrets in my heart of things I have said or done to you that I know were wrong. OUR God has forgiven me for that. I will look ahead at our future together as something that God has designed for our lives and how can that be a bad thing? I have hope that we will be close. I will enjoy time spent with you and treasure you. I hold a special place for you in my heart. I wanted you to know these things. I dream about a day when you might be proud to call me your stepmother, for you are my ONE and ONLY stepdaughter.