Hello Dolly!

This weekend was Hallie's performance in, "Hello Dolly!" She's Dolly and she is amazing! I'm not just saying that because she's my step-daughter, but because she's got some pipes and some fabulous talent. Last night was the opening night and the high school theater was packed and she got a standing ovation. Of course, I was brought to tears along with Jay and Hallie's mom and everyone else that was there supporting her. She has worked so hard; not just for the singing, but for the choreography and the speaking part. She was phenomenal. I'm convinced she's going to be on Broadway! I don't know how she could avoid it. The costumes were amazing; much better than what we had in our old costume wardrobe at my high school and the set and everything was so professional and well done. I couldn't be more proud of Hallie than I am right now. She's amazing and I'm so glad that she allows me to be part of her life. And, if any of you are interested there's one more show Sunday from 2-4 at the David Lipscomb high school theater; you will not be disappointed!

Love your neighbor

I have to share what I watched out my window this morning. Sophie now goes to the bus stop on her own, but I continue to watch her out my window until the bus comes and picks her up. This morning was a little chilly, so she wore her heavier sweatshirt with a long sleeve tshirt underneath. Chloe came to the bus stop without a coat and I saw Sophie try to crowd around her to warm her up. And, it was just a few moments later that Sophie took her coat off and put it on Chloe. Sophie looked back at our house; I'm sure she was waiting to see the door open and me to tell her to put her coat back on and that was my initial reaction, but then I thought "no." God tells us in Luke10:27 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. Sophie was demonstrating what God wants all of us to do and I wasn't going to take away from that. Initially, I wanted to keep her from getting sick or being cold herself, but what she did was far more important than catching a cold.

I'm feeling CREATIVE

bonus room- ALL this in my little craft room

craft room -painted, clean and still cluttered; but manageable!

I am soooo excited! Many of you know we've been living in our house about a year and a half and I have a craft room that is under the eaves of the house. I collect and start a lot of crafts, so I have a ton of stuff! I love fabric and I have books & a steamer and a clothes rack and an iron body form; it's a lot. Unfortunately, when we moved in this room had not been used by the previous owners except for storage and the walls were builder white and dirty. I moved in and piled my stuff. Well, since my sewing machine has been out of commision this week I decided to paint my craft room and tidy things up a bit. I painted two walls apple green and two walls blue and then the small ceiling strip is yellow. It turned out so cute and now I'm feeling really creative; watch out! I had to move everything out of my room to paint it and I realized how much stuff I really have. I could supply crafts for my entire brownie troop for years! I hate to throw anything away because I never know when I might need it and I might want to do a new craft and I'd hate to go back out and buy the stuff again. So, I keep it. Anyway, I moved everything out of my craft room and into our bonus room and it totally filled it up. I never knew I could get so much stuff in such a little space! My craft room looks great; it's still cluttered, but I can't get rid of anything else. My walls are clean and I feel very creative; I need my sewing machine! I've got 4 orders to complete for next week and am going a little crazy waiting for my sewing machine. Here are the pics of my bonus room with all my stuff and my craft room after it's done.

the store is finally open!

Well, if any of you have gone on to my store I'm sure you noticed that it was a little bare and that was totally my fault! You see, because I've been busy sewing shirts & purses, making necklaces & earrings for the store that are carrying my things I haven't been keeping up with my online store. It's always on my list to do, but my list is longer than my week! And, this week was going to be no different than all my other weeks of things to do, but I was forced to get MOST of the things on my list done other than sewing. MY MACHINE BROKE and is in the sewing machine garage somewhere?! It's really been an adjustment not to be able to sew, but I've been able to exercise this week (went for a walk and tae kwon do), got some patterns cut for when I can sew and most importantly added some things to my online store! I'm even thinking of going to Silo Studios Thursday - to get more inspiration! My friend, Ondrea, gave me a great idea of hair clips and I've been making those a couple weeks (just to add to the purses, shirts, earrings, & necklaces) and then she gave me another great idea that I've been working on, too. I need to find somewhere that I can get inexpensive sheet metal in small sizes! Ondrea is turning into my marketing manager.

I am definitely going to do a better job of posting my things for sale on my online store. I met with someone last week who is going to help me out and sew for me in her spare time. I'm really excited about this; hope it works out!

thanks!

cat in the hat

This week was Dr. Seuss week and our school celebrated daily. Sophie chose to dress as Cat in the Hat. She looks so cute and I love what I'm able to do with my new editing software!

Today starts my journey

I have been on the fence for a couple months on going to Malawi on a mission trip. I wanted to go last year and then didn't and I wanted to go this year, but fear almost kept me from going. But, just as Peter got out of the boat and walked on water to Jesus, I too, need to get out of the boat. I feel His calling, but fear was talking a little louder. Not anymore.

I'm going to Malawi and my step-daughter Hallie is going with me. I've been saying that our mission trip begins June 19, but what I realized is that it is beginning for me today. Physically, our trip happens June 19, but today I am mentally preparing myself to go. THere is something so humbling, at least for me the person who needs help from no one, to send out letters to family and friends asking for prayer and financial support if the Lord has enabled them. My journey begins today.

So, I'm sending out letters this week. I'm ordering my shots from world outreach and I need a lot! I need Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus, polio booster and then I need malaria pills! April 13 is shot day, so I'll probably be a little overwhelmed! We are also starting to break out into small groups to plan vacation bible school for the children. I am most excited because I get to be on the activity group. We will be planning all the crafts - & I love crafts! We are all following and working out of the Youth Life Journal which gives us daily readings from the bible. We will begin sharing at our monthly meetings what God is doing in these readings. I feel so honored to be able to go on this journey with such a great group of kids; I have a feeling that they will teach me much more than I will teach them!

things are changing

Last night was a milestone in my house. Christian had to shave. His mustache has been growing thicker and darker for a couple months, but this week it became noticeable to EVERYONE. You could see it across the room. So, much to Christian's dismay; I told him he would need to shave. He was afraid of cutting his face, but Jay had him practice with shaving cream and no razor. And, then we went live with the razor and we had no nicks! Things happen so quick. Today, I held my friends 9 month old son and it seems like yesterday I was holding Christian. I look at Christian today and I want to hold him so tight that he will never grow up and do the same for Sophie. I want Hallie to live at home and go to college. I want to protect them forever, but I am reminded that that is not my job that God has given me. My job is to prepare my kids for life and teach them to be followers of Christ to love others as they love themselves. They need to know that being a Christian does not protect them from hard times, but it will give them hope. Our job is to raise our kids with Christian values and then let them spread their wings and fly.