Mark Schultz is an amazing singer/songwriter/musician. If you've never listened to his music, his Stories and Songs is fabulous. He has a gift for telling stories that captivate the heart and stir the emotions. As I was listening to the album today this song popped up on my Nano and I don't think I've really paid attention to the lyrics ... read more
Project Life February 2012
I've talked about Project Life here and the way I scrapbook here. This is a layout from February. I ended up cutting the page protector to fit a portrait picture in. I have since ordered these page protectors to use with both portrait and landscape oriented pics. I printed journaling off my blog and some photos from our 25th anniversary weekend ... read more
Theater Wall Made of Vinyl Albums
When I came home from one of my four weekends away earlier this year (read about them here, here and here) my husband had a surprise waiting for me. We have carried around show albums (remember vinyl?) with us for our entire 25 years of marriage. (They've been stored under beds, in the workshop and for a short while ... read more
Our Adoption Story Part 1
Reading this poem by Beth Moore has taken me on a journey I wasn't expecting at this moment in my life. Beth Moore (Living Proof Ministries) has always ministered to me through her Bible studies, tapes and videos, but especially through the story of her son Michael. She was instrumental in our adoption story even though she could ... read more
Kisses Make You Stronger
Yes, indeed they do :-) ... read more
Circle of Moms: Expressing Your Opinion
What happened to the Circle of Moms contest I talked about here? This is the explanation on their website:UPDATE: After serious consideration, we have decided to cancel our Adoption Blogs by Moms – 2012 contest. Our Top 25 program is meant to celebrate, connect, and support mom bloggers. Following some feedback from participants in our 2011 ... read more
The Life I Planned
The Life I Planned Please take the time to read the poem below by Beth Moore. It reaches all of us exactly where we are, in our struggles, our questions and often our discontent. Has someone seen the life I planned? It seems it's been misplaced. I've looked in every corner; It's lost without a trace.I've found one ... read more
52 Lists in 52 Weeks #15
List #15: What's on your declutter list? We have decided to have a yard sale this Saturday because the weather looks amazing. We held one two years ago, the first in a decade. It was iffy weather and by 10:30 AM the bottom fell out. And didn't stop for HOURS. It was awful. We took everything we could to Goodwill and threw away the rest. ... read more
Project Life February 2012
I've talked a little bit about my scrapbook organization and actual ways I scrapbook purposefully yet simply. For the last four years I have done Project Life is the perfect plan for those who don't think they have enough time, money, creativity or desire to be a scrapbooker yet want to document their family's life. I won't go into much detail but ... read more
Transitioning to College (or the Adult World ) – For the Parents!
Tim and I had a wonderful conversation with our son a few nights ago and I reflected on how these past two years have been a transition into adulthood for us. I wanted to share them here in hopes they would help someone walking that parenting road from childhood to adulthood. Tim and I are normally very in sync with our ideas about raising the kids ... read more
Rustic Repurposed Wood Coffee Table from Fence Boards
Create a rustic repurposed wood coffee table from fence boards with these DIY instructions and step by step photographs. Perfect for a warm, inviting natural home! Rustic Repurposed Wood Coffee Table Written by my husband Tim: So, in the process of a couple remodeling projects and the replacement of various pieces of junk ... read more
Birthday Redo
Below are pictures from a scrapbook layout I did several years ago for my S. I was thinking about this today on her 14th birthday and wanted to share the thoughts I expressed many years ago. Journaling from February 4, 2003: Dear Princess S, Words cannot express the feelings you invoked in me just now. You and I were lying in my bed ... read more
Happy Birthday but not so much
After all our pre-Easter frivolity last night we all got up early to get ready for church this morning. Today is S's 14th birthday and our tradition is Krispy Kreme donuts in honor of the occasion. We love celebrating each other's birthdays!When S said she couldn't eat a donut I found out that she was feeling a "little" nauseous and didn't sleep ... read more
Family Photos or What Our Family Is Really Like
The instructions, given ahead of time so no one complained: family picture time. Nice dinner, some laughs and playing with the kids. Then pictures. And this, my friends, is the result:Nice looking family. Not color coordinated but not too bad. Everyone is looking at the camera. Quite a success.No, don't leave yet. The fun is about to begin.Still ... read more
Circle of Moms
Voting has begun for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Adoptive and Foster Mom Blogs. I would love for you to vote for me if you enjoy my writing and sharing from the heart. Go here to vote. You can vote once a day until April 26 and can also vote for more than one blog. Thanks! ... read more
52 Lists in 52 Weeks #13 and #14
Discovered this linky list site here so I'm going to join in. 7 Questions (List #13) 1. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Probably the ability to know what is true. Deciphering the truth would save a lot of wasted time spent wondering who is lying and what is truth in media. 2. If you could hold the ... read more
Simple as That: March 31, 2012
Earlier this year we bought a Canon Rebel T3 and I have loved getting to know the camera. It's my first nice camera and, although I haven't watched the DVD (my bad), I still enjoy playing with it. For my birthday I got a 75-300mm lens and turned Joshua loose playing with it. All the pictures below are his, photoshopped by me. My kids have such a ... read more
Birthday Triggers and Thoughts on Turning 50
How do YOU handle birthdays? Especially ones with a zero at the end? I think I must have some trigger related to birthdays from my childhood. I have never liked celebrating my birthday because it somehow never measured up. Not sure what I was comparing it to, but I know this about myself and was determined to face the big 5-0 with grace and ... read more
The Reasons I Blog and Scrapbook
When I started scrapbooking I wanted to make sure I recorded our family memories. As I've continued through the years I have realized how important it is to leave my family something of myself. My dreams and goals, successes and failures. Lessons learned and passed down. When I am gone I want my family to have a record of our lives and memories to ... read more
Continue On: Encouragement for Mothers
As I was looking through some older scrapbook pages (yes, I've been through many hairstyles and no, these pages aren't that great) I came across this writing that touched me many years ago. I was in the middle of the frantic years of raising wounded kids and homeschooling and cooking and cleaning and teaching and ministering and doing. Years with ... read more
