It's Official

I finally finished making Mercy a pillow case dress! For me to finish something is wonderful and pretty rare, since that seems to be a challenge of mine; example the two closets I have never finished cleaning out or the four sewing projects left to be finished.


I had some trouble with the arm holes not wanting to lay right, but otherwise it was a breeze to make. Instead of putting ribbons that tie, I simply put shoulder straps because for the life of me I can't tie a bow (even though my husband can). She was absolutely thrilled to have it and began "modeling" it.


Mercy just had to wear it to church the next day, but since it was a bit cooler, I put a long sleeve shirt on her underneath it that happened to be the same color as the embroidery trim.



This pillowcase is an orginal and came from my maternal grandmother's house when she passed away about fourteen years ago. I have been saving it for something special, and I think my little M&M is pretty special. However, I did make it a little big so that maybe she can get two seasons wear out of it (M&M has already grown two inches and four pounds since I made this three weeks ago). Since making this one, I made another dress without a pattern and it turned out alright. I will get pictures of her in it and post that one soon. Thanks for looking!

What a Wonderful Snow!

I know so many of you had wonderful snow today, too! I can say it was wonderful because it doesn't happen that often here and we didn't have to deal with the nasty side of it at all. That being said, I thought I would share what our family did today.
Mercy was spending the night with Grandma because of the marriage conference, but got temporarily snowed in there. We got her back this evening, but we missed all the snow with her. Hear she spent about four hours out in it, though.
Anyway, here is John trying to walk in the snow. His poor little shoes were completely covered. He had been in snow a year ago, but he couldn't walk then and of course he doesn't remember so it was new all over again.

In this picture John was mad that the snow was cold! It was hysterical to hear him saying "Ow! Mommy, cold! Ow!" it was a really cute face, too.

I am learning to take self portraits of me and the kids, otherwise I would never get any of me in them! Especially on days like this, because even though my husband was home, he hates the snow and calls it "evil" so I was on my own! John sure was having fun, I love that grin!

This is the view of half our driveway. If you are wondering what the little snow covered balls are, they are sweetgum balls. Cute, huh?

I love this view, no matter how many times I look at it! I thank God for His glory and the beauty He surrounds us with. If you are ever going over the mountain on Hwy 280 and you see the mountain on the left, we live almost at the top of that. This is the view from our backyard, looking up the remainder of the mountain. Ahhh, gorgeous!


This is my windchime. I don't know if you can tell, but it is encased in snow. Still sounded pretty, though!

A few of my songs...

Okay this is purely for my benefit...no one feel they have to actually like any of these or even understand them. I have been writing songs for a few years now and thought I might put some of them on here.

January 28, 2006
Who I am
You came to me this evening
in the silence of my reflections
You said I had kept too much too long
What I hold in my heart is not my own
but mine to give, give all to you
How can I, O Lord, How when
this is who I am

Chorus
This is the person I've become
I don't know how to be any other
I know I should lay it down at Your feet
O Lord, show me how
to become what You
would have me be

Can't I keep a little part
The part I count my own
and no others
Why do you ask me to give my all
What of me would you want
It is nothing to You, but all to me
I know that is my answer
The reason You want it all
is to give me all of You
Why do you love me so
I've done nothing for you
but You died for me
Just to give me a life
I don't know how to live
Repeat Chorus twice
...what you would have me be

February 09, 2006
Where Are You?

Where are you in my heart
It seems I can't find you here
In what I have become
You said you would never leave
So you must be somewhere
Hidden in the midst of me
You were once everything
I could ever dream to be
When did I begin to become
Someone I never meant to be

There was a place in time
You consumed all of me
Nothing of what I had been
remained, only who you are
Then little by little everyday
I took a step to walk away
turning from everything
You were to me

Lord show me the way home
What roads must I travel
To return to what I was
Somewhere along the way
I lost sight of how to find you
I didn't mean to turn away
form where you are in me
Help me find the place in my heart
You are now

May 1, 2006
Fill Me

Sing to me a love song, Lord
Hold me in your prescence
I am nothing without you
My very soul calls out your name

Chorus
Saying, Fill me Lord
Fill me with your Spirit
Fill me as I kneel before you
Fill me while I dance for you
Fill me till I can bear no more

Please come consume me
Take me in your arms
Give me all that you are
Wrap your cleaning fire
around me never letting go
I want to be nothing that I am
and everything You are
Drown me in your love song

Chorus Repeat

Let me overflow with you
leaving nothing of this man
Make me new again
Only white as snow
Stained with Holy blood
Marked by your great Lamb
Oh Lord sing to me
Sing to me a love song

Chorus Repeat
Drown me in your love song

My newest scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Some fun I had!

I recently made this for my cousin-in-law's baby shower. It was so much fun to make! Sure I am the crafty sort of person and like working with this kind of thing. I love to create and I am the type person that if I see something my brain automatically disassembles it and figures out how it is made. This can be quite irritating at times, I don't actually care how the sinks in the church bathroom are put together, but for the most part it is quite neat when making things like this.
I saw one of these diaper cakes at the Shrimp Festival in Orange Beach last October and wanted to do one for both of my cousin-in-laws who are having girls. The thing I like about it is the ribbon is actually scrapbook ribbon and every decoration can be used in a scrapbook or photo album. In the inside of the top layer are three outfits rolled up, or you can just put more diapers in there. I used all kinds of samples and travel size things and a mini photo album, too. The teddy bear blanket had a little girl's hairbow on it, too.

The only bad thing is that the picture doesn't do it justice, it actually kind of looks like a blob. I should have taken the picture before I put the wrapper on it.
There were two packages of size 2 diapers
two rolls of scrapbooks ribbon
two lengths of regular ribbon
two pair of ruffled socks
one pair of cute girl shoes
one travel pack of Johnson and Johnson products
one teddy bear snugly blanket
three complete outfits
three lotion/wipes packs
two girly pacifiers
one mini photo album
various scrapbook accessories
one pooh bear bottle to hold up the teddy bear
one package of scrapbooking dots
glue I already had
paper clips to hold the inner section together tighter
rubber bands
cardboard circle
one jumbo wrapper from Michael's
So much fun, I have decided I will offer to sell them for other people for baby showers! For cost, and a two tiered cake like the one pictured, it would be $35. A one tier cake I could probably do for about $20. A three tier would be $50.

In the Moment

It has been one of those days where I have seen God in so many moments. Hearing from friends I don't get to talk to very often, to making plans with new ones, to witnessing His beauty in new ways. Even in seeing one wonderful woman fight to live with every fiber of her being. She said a couple of years ago that death for her would be victory, but living is victory. There is no devil inbetween for a Christian. Being reminded of her saying that today, became a moment for me. What if we lived our lives by that? What if we lived like we had the victory?
There are so many simple ways for us to see God. The money He helps us to save at the grocery store, to our daughter being so excited to have brownies for dessert tonight that she at 4 and half, declared " They're all mine" in this cute little, unsarcastic voice that made us laugh. For me, I feel the appreciation for those moments God gives us by beauty around me and music. That is one reason why I am so in awe that God has been teaching me to write music, cause Lord knows I couldn't sing it. But I love music and I love to see the lay of the land. When I am driving I constantly look around me to see beautiful buildings or landscape. So in saying that I wanted to share a picture of something M&M and I saw last week. Took my breath away, literally since it was frickin' cold!





This way not five minutes from our house and covered this huge expanse of cliff face that you can't even see in the pictures. The height of the icicles in the first picture would have still been taller than me if I had stood on top of my SUV. There was water running underneath the icicles and they were cracking and splitting with me just standing there. The sound of Your voice, to be more beautiful than the sound of what I heard that day...
Oh, I am fearfully and wonderfully made!

My wonderful Life

My mother who loves life no matter how tough it is to live


My crazy father, pretending to be an Indian


Me at the beginning of my road to learn the guitar. I know a whole four chords!


The Love of my life, Tim


J-J and his sock monkey


My Christmas Reindeer J-J


My Christmas Reindeer M&M


M&M showing her dress twirl on Christmas Day


Little M&M at Christmas, except she is not so little anymore