dear friends.

Dear blog reading friends.
I felt the need to clear up a few things.
First, you may notice that occasionally your comments do not appear. Most likely this is totally due to my fat little fingers. You see, usually I check my email on our iPod touch and well...the distance between the reject button and the publish button is not that far...and quite often the reject button gets pushed when it was the publish button I was aiming for...sending your comments into internet space forever. Sadly, there is no way for me to get them back once this has occurred. This recently happened with a comment that was disagreeing with my MJ post...it was totally accidental...if it makes you feel any better, I accidentally rejected a comment stating how great I looked for just having a baby. :)
There are few reasons that I would purposely reject a comment...if they are vulgar, profane, harassing or threatening or if they are spam.
It is OK for you to disagree with me if you can do it in a peaceful way. :)

Secondly, I was not stating that we shouldn't celebrate people who do great things. I just wish our society felt the need to celebrate the every day just as much...without elevating certain people above the every day. Let's hear as many hoorays for dads who work every day to provide for their families...or soldiers fighting the war...or moms who stay at home with their kids...or for kids who get great report cards. All of these things and more are just as important as writing great music or entertaining us on TV. Obviously I love music and am happy for it's existence...but I also love a hot shower, email, hot coffee and my dishwasher and think that those things are just as worthy to be excited for. :) Make sense?
I try REALLY hard to "love others as myself"...you don't have to be just like me on ANY level for me to do that...I try to see the love worthiness of anyone. :)

Third...picnik.com is responsible for all the cute words that ever appear on my photos. :)

Any more comments or thoughts? I would truly LOVE to hear them and will do my best to hit "publish" and not "reject". :)

xo

eek!

I did it! and I LOVE it!
I took a break from my custom orders and got this made today...I think it turned out great!It's fresh and fun and screams summer!
I even added some sassy trim. :)
And the best part...I have enough to make another one JUST like it! :)
The only problem is that I only know enough at this point to make another that fits me...so if you are in the size 8ish/medium range and need one...just email me for details. :)
They will be $25 plus shipping.

I didn't completely abandon my customs....one down. :) Many more in progress. :)
xo

ugh...seriously?

Ok...just to warn you...this is not a happy fuzzy post.

But there are some things I just don't get.
Like...Why people go swimming with sharks. Why anyone would get a tattoo with someones name in it. Why taxes are so high...why Al Gore thinks he invented the internet...why the shower curtain billows in...why my kids can't nap at the same time every day.
Among others.

I also don't get that when a celebrity dies...regardless of what they have done in their lives...they are suddenly martyred. Like if you accomplish enough fame in your life, you are excused from being a good human being. If you are a good enough athlete you can get away with rape...or murder even. Right? That's what society tells us. If enough people like you, you don't have to follow the rules.

Today I am saddened that people are SO fixated on the death of ONE human being that they are not paying attention to the fact that North Korea threatened on Wednesday to "wipe out" the United States if we dared to intercept the transport of illicit weapons.

Today I am saddened that people celebrate someone accused of being a pedophile among other things. Even if he was a great musician. That doesn't make him worthy of a pardon.
If the una bomber was a great musician would we have pardoned him?

I am REALLY saddened by celebrity fanfare.
I hate to break it to the world but...being an actor or musician does not make you special or more important than the checkout girl at Target. Especially if you look at how little it takes to be a "celebrity" these days...people will do anything to be a "celebrity"...lie,cheat, steal and more...just look at all those smutty reality shows...because our society tries to tell us that celebrities are more important than that your average person.

It makes me sad that people will go to a concert or baseball game and raise their hands to celebrate but they won't lift a finger let, alone raise their hands to celebrate the One who put them on the planet in the first place.

I get really concerned when anyone but Jesus is put on a pedestal.
Even if (especially if?) it is an evangelist of some sort. Kind of creeps me out how obsessed I have seen some get with a certain evangelist or author even. There is a fine line between inspiration and false idols. In my opinion.

And I even get saddened by the fact that it seems that everyone and everything is to be tolerated...
...except Christians...it seems.

I am finding that I have to purpose myself to find the good in the world...because it really feels like a whirlpool...where things are getting worse and worse. The world is really so messy. I am homesick for Heaven more than ever in my life.

I look inward a lot to find the happy things...like my kids, my husband...my family and friends.

It may have taken me until near 30 to figure it out but I think I know the purpose of life.

Love God, Love others. It's as simple as that.

Everything else is a waste. Especially worshiping false idols.

It's not that celebrities aren't worthy of love...just no more so than you...or me...or anyone else you know. It's just when you have to angle your eyes to look up to anyone but Jesus that there is a problem.

Make sense?

xo

I really can't believe that he is big enough for this already...

This time around...is going WAY too fast...

I try to remember in the crazy moments to slow down and take it all in...

Because before I know it...he won't be a baby anymore.

I am trying to memorize his wonderful scent...

And hold him as much as my arms can take...

Kiss him every chance I get...

And just love on him as much as possible...

Sometimes it is not so well received. :)

xo

4 months!

Baby boy is four months old today....crazy!

Crazy cute!

And here is proof that you don't need a big holiday to tell your friends you are thinking of them...can you guess what occasion this gift may be for? ;)

Hint: a male friend is having a certain procedure done. :)

xo

boys are fun.

This photo brings me to tears with laughter...

Boys are so fun. And so perfect for me.

I am so glad that I will never have to deal with Hanna Montana...or Barbie...or dolls...or revealing clothing...or dating boys!

Boys are all the fun and none of the frills. They are silly, and sweet...and rough and tumble.

And they are even sometimes practical...Moses insisted on wearing this particular hat on our walk to keep the bugs out of his face.

Then, after a gnat flew into his eye and completely freaked him out...he insisted that "Bugs don't eat eyes"...more to reassure himself than to inform me.

:) xo

we heart nj. part 2.

While in NJ we headed off to Lancaster, PA to celebrate Doug's Aunt and Uncle's 40th wedding anniversary...Moses got to play with cousins we hardly get to see.

There was lots of sidewalk chalk to be had for the kids...Moses left covered with it.

We shared a hotel suite, in the area, with Doug's brother, his wife and two kids. It's amazing how fast two (almost) three year olds can wreck a hotel room. It was lots of fun though...we even got to see Doug's sister, who we never seem to get to see. It was all worth the trip.

This was Aaron's part of the suite...we made a canopy with the sheet...it worked like a charm when Moses was a baby too. :)

While there...we tried to take Moses to the Crayola factory...ummm...can you say over stimulation? It was a DISASTER. Way too unorganized and crazy for all of us. We left after an hour.

:) Off to start the day...Mose has some sort of virus. Fun. Hoping to get some real work done on orders today...

And SO SO sad about Jon and Kate...such a tragedy...such a sign of the times...I hope Jesus comes back real soon!

Hope your Tuesday is great!
xo

we heart nj. part 1.

We had a lot of fun in NJ. :) I think Aaron got cuter while we were there...

This may have been the only quiet time between these two cousins...

Moses went on his first boat ride...

And swam his heart out in Great Ma's pool.

We compared cousins...Aaron and Blake here are exactly 2 weeks apart...and exactly the same weight...though Aaron has an inch or two on Blake in length.

We tried to get a photo of all of them together...this was the best I got.

We celebrated Great Ma's birthday...

And had lots of smiles...

Lots of low key hanging out...which is really just our style.

Did I mention this was our first time meeting Blake? He is a cute chunk of baby.

And this one will for sure be a heart breaker when she grows up.

I'm still trying to get my Virginia self back together...hang in there for a few more days until I get back in the swing of things. :)

xo

10 things.

1. My wonderful husband who is a GREAT father!
2. Two very healthy kids!
3. Provision.
4. The sun!
5. My honey's great job!
6. Summer stretched out ahead of us!
7. Great friends!
8. Forgiveness...undeserved from Him.
9. My great little family.
10. Coffee!

Let's see your ten things you are thankful for this AM.

xo

while we get settled...

We are back and rapidly getting settled into our routine...while we do that...here is some food for thought...my brother in law sent me this in an email and I can't stop thinking about it...or how right on it is...so I posted it here to remind me...

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Country
(edited to add...I was made aware that this is not originally by Billy Graham...however...the sentiments still ring true. :) )

'Heavenly Father,

We come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your

direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call

evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our

spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor

and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it

welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have

shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to

discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused

power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions

and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and

pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the

time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search

us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us

free. Amen!'



Commentator

Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and

received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and

wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation

under God.'

Feel free to leave your two cents. :)

xo

cupcakes.

I made cupcakes the other day for no reason...too bad that look better than they taste. I used new recipes for the icing and cake...box cake makes me gag a little, no offense and they turned out...ok...not great...neither is a recipe I plan to use again.

So I am wondering...do you have a favorite from scratch recipe for cake and icing?

Leave me a link or a recipe in the comments, please. :)

xo

10 things.

1. Awesome in-laws.
2. A nice place to be able to get away to.
3. Baby swans.
4. Seeing Moses and Aaron with family who love them.
5. Home cooked meals.
6. Quality time.
7. Quiet times.
8. Enjoying the Lake!
9. Five more days!
10. A great life to go home to.

Let's see your ten things you are thankful for...

xo

color.

In case you need some.

Bright.

Beautiful.

Simple.

Fun.

Sweet.

Happy Friday!
xo