"Homemade" Photo Canvas!

Recently I have gotten on this big kick of making things myself - Pinterest has, I'm sure, contributed!  :)  One of my BIGGEST hobbies is saving money.  I mean seriously. big. hobby!  Just ask my husband... It's a good thing, and he likes it, but sometimes I get a little obsessive. Ha!  I've made homemade laundry soap, and some other cleaning supplies.

But that's all "work stuff."  And while it's great, (and I'll share some of those recipes soon - in case you haven't yet seen them on Pinterest...lol) THIS post is like a triple-favorite.  I love pictures, I love decorating, and I love saving money.  And this has all three!!

Needed Items:

Photo (my 11x14 was $5.84 at Wal-Mart)
Canvas (got two 11x14 canvases for $3.60 @ Hobby Lobby)
Mod Podge
Foam brush
Black craft paint
Small paint brush

Before I got started though, I had to drag Timothy to the park for a snapshot...

First, I brushed a layer of Mod Podge on the canvas.  Then placed the picture on, centered it, and smoothed out all bubbles.  I let it dry....

Next I brushed a layer of Mod Podge over the picture and sealed the edges.  (Be careful...if you let a "glop" set too long, it will slightly bubble your picture.  Do very thin, even coats.)  I did about 3 layers, I think, letting them dry thoroughly in between.

Next (and here's where I goofed) I painted the edges black.  Next time, I'm going to paint the edges black FIRST.  I had a very hard time keeping a straight line, and not getting paint on my pic!  

After the paint dried, I did a final coat of Mod Podge over the WHOLE thing - including the sides.  Let it dry....

And, wah-lah!  I now have an 11x14 photo canvas in our bathroom!  I think it cost me $10.00-$12.00, and the Mod Podge and black paint will last for many more pics!

Oh...and I kinda like this guy!!!  ;)

Modest swimwear

This is a different post...but one I'm very excited to share!  :)  Most of you probably have already found this site, but it's new to me.  And since this is my blog, I get to be excited and "share" it with ya'll who know all about it!  :)

I love the water, but I don't love the clothing options for being IN the water.  There's the obvious modesty issue with pretty much every bathing suit out there.  (You just don't see a modest bikini very often...)  And then there's the option of swimming in your denim skirt... yep, full or straight, that one's just not gonna go well!

Timothy and I were talking about modest swimwear just a few days ago. And, one morning when he left at a very ungodly hour for work, I went to my trusty search engine, and here's what I found!

Drum roll please... :)

simply-modest.com

Check it out!  Very cute, streamlined dresses made out of the same material as regular swimsuits with knee-length leggings underneath!  Now, they are a little pricey...especially to think about my daughter needing a different size every year.  But, after looking a little farther on the website, I found that they have made their patterns available!  You can buy fabric on their site, but I'm looking on ebay.  Ebay has a lot of the same quality nylon/lycra materials for MUCH cheaper!  Hadlee already has hers picked out!  :)  Now if I can just talk my mom into making them - since I conveniently don't have a sewing machine.  (And it wouldn't do me any good if I did!!)

Modesty (I believe) should not be something that our kids have to "suffer through".  I want to show my daughter that you can be modest and participate in fun activities while wearing clothes in which you feel confident AND covered.   ("confident and covered"...what a concept, huh?  Very opposite of what our world says...)

P.S. When you check out the website, make sure you click the "Why Modesty?" tab and read the owner's message.  I want to buy her stuff, just to support her stand!  :)

Hadlee's artwork & misc. stuff

Hadlee has just recently taken an interest in coloring and (more recently) painting.  She has been hard at work the last couple days.  :)  Her "masterpieces" are much improved from just a few weeks ago, and she was only too happy for me to take some pics.  :)

 Tanner wanted it to be "my turn!" :)

 And here's some other random pics on my memory chip...

She loves being a cowgirl!

 domino towers...

Baby Kendra came for a visit a few days ago.  This caused a lot of squabbling over who got to hold her, play with her, etc.  And Tanner was very offended that he couldn't carry her!  He said, "Hold her for jut a minute? Pwease?  Can I?" 

Tanner's "debut" :)

Tanner loves to sing, and we have tried SEVERAL times to get him on camera.  He always wants to be on the back side of the camera, not in front of it!  Finally last night he discovered if he gets in front of it, he can watch himself afterwards.  (You'll notice he dives off my lap as soon as he's done!)  :)  Nothing like a little vanity for motivation! 

Oh, and you'll also notice his favorite part is "the Bible tells me so"  He is always rather eager to get there!

Contentment

"But godliness with contentment is great gain" - 1 Timothy 6:6

This is one of the things God has been instilling in me lately.  I've heard this verse hundreds of times, but the "head knowledge" of a Bible verse is being transferred to my heart and my everyday life.  And, wow, is this ever a ride for a perfectionist!! 

Contentment flies in the face of almost everything about our culture.  We are to always be pursuing more - more money, more position, more status, more stuff, etc.  We must at all costs experience to the fullest what has been affectionately dubbed "The American Dream".  Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?  Downright patriotic!! 


And we're probably not that different from the average American family - planning to buy a house soon, thinking about vehicle upgrades in the future, enjoying "life" and "stuff"...  And yet in the midst of this, God is reminding me, chiding me, encouraging me that there is not a "plateau" where I arrive and can/should be content.  Contentment is NOW, with what I have and where I live this very minute.  Also, contentment is not just "the absence of discontent"; it is truly enjoying life - as is, right now.  And let's face it, we see examples all the time that simply the addition of "stuff" does nothing for happiness or contentment!

I love schedules, organization, a clean house, an empty laundry basket, and so on.  These things definitely make me feel "content."  While I think these are all very important, I'm trying to learn to enjoy the ride.  Not just enjoy the fulfilled schedule, the clean house, the empty laundry basket, and the organized closets, but enjoy the journey TO these things. I repeat, I'm trying!

A big thing for me recently...
We are wanting to get in a house with a backyard...SOON.  :)  I felt a few months ago that it was just a "necessity" for this spring/summer, but we decided we needed a little while longer to be comfortably ready to buy.  Yet we are finding ways to let the kids play outside where. we. are!  (Imagine that!)  Actually, they are both working on farmer's tans!  :)

And again, I remind myself - contentment is not based on my circumstances or surroundings.  It is a choice I make to enjoy who I have, what I have, and where I am - right now!

Of "food flops" and drama queens...

This is a brief, picture-less post.  But, I'm TRYING here!  :)) 

No, I just thought I'd share a little snippet of my fun and intelligent, but oh. so. dramatic. daughter!

Last night I was fixing supper and realized I was out of a key ingredient.  Now while I'm not a horrible cook, I'm not Paula Deen...or Alicia Goins!  :)  (yes, Alicia, you have me WAY beat!)  So I thought I could fix it - and it kinda flopped.  Apparently this seriously scarred my daughter! 

Tonight I was kinda maxed out, and did something I almost never do!  I texted Timothy and asked if we could just go out.  He was only too happy to oblige (remember last night??) :))  Hadlee came in and said "We haven't gone ANYwhere today!"  (I know...I'm a horrible mother!)  I told her that we were going out to eat.  She looked at me and said "What? We're going to go get something to eat??"  Me: "Yes"  "Are you serious? You mean we're going to go get something to eat, and you're not going to cook??"  Me: "Yes"  "Oh, thank goodness!!  I thought you were going to fix something here!" 

And I say...Why do I bother with home-cooked meals??? 

And Dave Ramsey says....THE BUDGET!!!!!!!!!!!  :))

Catching Up...

I tried to grab some random, recent snapshots for those of you who are not on facebook.  I have lots that I could "blog" about, but it's very late (okay...early!)  Therefore, this will be brief!  We are all doing well - and LOVING the gorgeous Oklahoma weather!!  We have had an extremely mild winter, and the last two days have been in the 80's.  The kids are thoroughly enjoying the fresh air - and we are counting the weeks/months until we can get in a real house with a "real backyard"!! (you'll be hearing more about that soon, I'm sure!) 

Hadlee is 4 1/2 going on 13!  Just when I think she can't pack any more personality, drama, and attitude in her little body, she proves me wrong yet again.  :)  She is sooo fun! And I can't imagine a better big sister!  Sometimes she's too good - Tanner has no lack of loving and mothering.  But I don't know how I'd keep up with him without her.  She is also boy-CRAZY!  I can't imagine where she gets it, but she loves to hang out with them - and she gives me the most smug little smiles as she stands beside them.  All I can say is her daddy has his work cut out for him!!

Tanner is 110% boy.  I think that about sums it up!  (except for the pics you'll see somewhere in this post.  I apologize - I'm not even attempting to worry about this post's layout!  He LOVES his sister's dress-up shoes. He about kills himself trying to walk in them, and he looks hilarious!)  He is getting very into trucks, tractors, and animals.  And his little vocabulary is exploding.  He didn't really say anything until a couple months ago, but now there is no end!  He adores his daddy, but right now, he is a mommy's boy.  And I'm loving every minute of it!  :)  There's nothing quite like him running at me saying "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"  and the feel of his little arms AND legs as they wrap around me.  I lose my heart a little more every day! ;)

Timothy and I are doing well.  God has been beyond amazing, especially in the last 6 months!  (Not that He isn't always!  It probably has more to do with us allowing Him to be amazing in our lives.)  A lot has changed in our home - for the good!  We feel Him working in every aspect of our lives - I'll probably be sharing some of our stories soon.  But for now, I have to call it a night....er...morning.  :) 

Back to Blogging?

Okay....no one kill over on me! I know it's been close to a year since I blogged. I'm still trying to decide if I want to put the effort out or not. ;) But, I get rather disgusted with facebook quite frequently, and at those times, blogging sounds so much more enjoyable! So, here goes a trial run at blogging again...

~~ Weddin' Bells ~~

Things have been crazy busy around here! Hoping things might slow down after next weekend... (fingers crossed) :)

Anyway, I do have a quick little announcement...
My "little" brother proposed yesterday - and she said yes!

So excited - truly couldn't have picked a more amazing woman for him! Congrats Ryan and Tracie!

An Afternoon in Bricktown...

I took the kids to Bricktown today for some pictures. I confirmed that Hadlee is still in her funky smile stage. (as well as smiling off into space instead of at the camera!) I also discovered that Tanner is scared of everything. Grass, dirt, concrete - he didn't want to sit on ANY of it; and he was terrified of the fountain! :) All in all, it was an eventful day, but not very productive.

Here's a few pictures that I got around the chaos...

A Short, "Mommy break time" post...

If the title doesn't make sense, then you're probably not a mommy - at least not of small ones. :)

Have several things to do today, but we're waiting on Tanner to get up from his nap. Hadlee's finishing lunch, and I thought I'd set down for a quick update!

I'm still working on the "Couch to 5K" - actually a good friend, Stephanie Calderon, has come over the last two times to run with me. That's nice - although we can't exactly talk; too busy trying to breathe! ;P

My goal for today is to take the kids to get some pictures... I'm horrible about this. (any fellow perfectionists will understand!) I love having pics of them, but I usually want to wait until Hadlee's hair is perfect, we have nicely coordinating outfits and accessories, etc. (That's why I don't get 'em done very often! HA!) BUT...I decided that's ridiculous! (right??? Excuse me while I try to convince myself....) The weather is going to be scorching if I wait much longer - and outfits and hair won't matter. We'll have hot, grumpy, sweaty kids!! IF I'm successful, I'll be posting some pictures next time!

We're also trying to get ready for Easter! We've got outreach events happening at the church, and we're wanting to do some in our park as well. Tanner's birthday is the day before Easter, also. The week of Easter is shaping up to be very busy! Trying to get the house very clean this week - hoping that will be one less thing to worry about next week.

Trust everyone is having a great Wednesday, and maybe (fingers crossed) I'll have a picture post next time!

Exercise!

There are a few things that I have been wanting to post - but since I just started back to some morning exercise this morning, that topic won out. :)

I think I might have mentioned working out before Christmas (or perhaps that was just on facebook), but those days have been long lost in the craziness of housework and mommy stuff. With my almost completely melancholy personality, I tend toward depression occasionally. Nothing serious enough for medication, but sometimes it can be bad enough to affect my profitability. I admit to having a few days where just staying up and going took effort. I really don't like this (I know, nobody does!), and I'm determined to rise above this as much as is in my power. (also if there is anything I am not, it is a morning person!! Seriously.)

Working out really helped - I was doing anaerobic exercises in the morning. I was feeling better physically and emotionally. However, I'd about die before I'd let Timothy watch me work out. See...his version of crunches, push-ups, weight-lifting, etc. is all fine-tuned. He can do it all and look great while he's doing it. Me?? Yeah, well let's just say I'm not one of those girls with six-pack abs. I was waiting until he'd leave for work, and there just wasn't enough time between that and the kids getting up. So...it fell apart.

I decided a few days ago to start running (I know, I know...I can't do a push-up but I think I can run a mile...). But seriously a friend shared on facebook last night about the "Couch to 5K" running program. Now THAT sounded like something I could do - I CAN sit on the couch! ;) Timothy (bless his heart) agreed to get up early with me, in order for me to have time to run, have my devotions, and get a shower. (he even emptied the dishwasher!) And, I made it! I LOVE having a plan, and I thrive on schedules. Really liking that there is a schedule to tell me exactly what to do, how long to do it, and how to do it! And I feel really great right now! It's by far the best morning I've had in a loooong time.

Anyway, my kids are waking up....gotta get moving. I promise not to blog my daily walk/run, but I don't like to "fail" - hoping blogging this will keep me motivated!

Have a good day everyone - and if you'd like to join me in this little effort, check out http://bit.ly/Couchto5kPlan. (Sorry, can't get it to post a link - you'll have to copy 'n' paste)

Under Construction

So, I started messing around with my blog today....but my parents are coming in this evening. I didn't have the time to be tweaking it today! :) (but of course i started anyway!) So...my blog is "Under Construction - please excuse the mess!" I'll be back next week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Psalm 37:25

Hey, everyone! I'm having an extremely unusual moment here at home - both kids are in their rooms resting! :) Tanner is napping, and Hadlee wanted to rest also. So I'm sitting here with a piece of cake and an icy mug of milk. lol Now, on to my post...

I'm a normal mom I think... Current events, world news, Middle East rioting, terrible natural disasters - all of this is all over the news. Then there's also the U.S. issues (which is what my current story is about!) - the financial gurus who say that the dollar is going to collapse, our whole financial system is going down, and honestly, it looks like it's very possible. These people make a lot of sense! Our government has spent and is continuing to spend itself into oblivion. This house of cards has to fall soon, right?? (I promise the point of this is not to add my voice to the million other depressing voices you've heard this week....keep reading!)

Okay, but really, it's still not too "personal" to think about the economic collapse of our nation...but my mommy brain takes it to the personal level. If/when all this happens, how are we going to feed our children? How are we going to survive?? These are the questions I was totally worrying about the other night. (Yes, I said worrying...I admit it!) Literally, I'm not a freak-out person normally, but this was keeping me awake! I wasn't sure how I was going to sleep that night. My dear husband wasn't being much help either. :) I told him I was worried, he said I wasn't the only one (indicating he was worried too), but soon I was listening to his even breathing - yep, he went to sleep on me! lol (sorry, but he doesn't know what real "worry" is when he can just crash like that....;))

Now, is where the title to this post comes in. I haven't heard that verse recently, and I haven't read it recently. But these words started going through my head: "I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging for bread" I was so struck by the words, I had to get up and look it up. Here is the whole verse: "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." Now, I realize that there are Christians around the world who struggle with daily survival, and I'm definitely not claiming to be above them. But this mommy is standing on Psalm 37:25. My mind continued to review other Bible passages - Elijah: yep, God could even feed us by the birds if needed! And if he knows every time a sparrow falls (umm...even the ones that guys in my family have probably brought down...lol), why can't I trust Him with these two beautiful children that He created and gave to us?? I'm sure the worry will try to resurface, but I now have ammunition - after all, isn't that the right response to Satan - the Bible?

Hope everyone's having a good week - we're having gorgeous weather here in OKC! 82* currently, and Tanner's getting better. Maybe we'll be able to take advantage of the weather this weekend. Enjoy yours!!

Crawling...

Tanner's been crawling for a while now, but Grandma hasn't got to see him yet. :) So here it is....

Little Laughs...

Tanner has an infectious laugh - and occasionally Hadlee will get him going. He laughs at her, she laughs at him laughing, etc. This time Hadlee sneezed, and he got extremely tickled. She continued fake sneezing to make him keep laughing. I got out the video camera for the last part.

It was extra nice to hear him laugh so much, because the poor little guy has been rather sick - I'm thinking Rotavirus. He's still having diarrhea, but thankfully the vomiting seems to have stopped. We're on day 10 of sickness, and I'm hoping it will go away soon! :)

I'm back! :) Timothy has had some unexpected time off work over the last few weeks, and when he's home, other things get done, but blogging doesn't. :)

Anyway, in explanation of my previous post, we are trying - make that God is trying - to change the whole focus of our lives. We are both reading "Radical" for the second time, and it is just as gripping and convicting as the first time. Not to elevate the book too much, but the content of the book is very biblical. Unfortunately, sometimes I think it's easy for us to assume that God has changed his overall purpose for the Christian life since he called the disciples to "leave everything" and "follow Him". After all, we're in America, and a certain lifestyle, income level, house, vehicle, etc. is to be expected - basically a "necessity"...right?? We're supposed to plan for the future...thus our 401(k) must be full...right? We need "our time" and "our space"...right?? (Umm...if you're a mommy you do!! lol) So....how do we balance all of this with Christ's commands to "give up everything, take up our cross, and follow Him"? That's what we're trying to establish in our lives right now. It's SOOO easy to get caught up - extremely caught up! - in the "American Dream".

And it's so much more than money! Our time, for instance. Wow...we are extremely selfish with that!! I totally don't even realize how much until I go through my day thinking about how I use it! And then I think about eternity, and the literally billions of people who don't know Christ - not to mention those who haven't even heard of Him! How exactly are we going to get around His commands to take care of the widowed and the fatherless, the poor, the sick, etc.? I'm afraid the truth is - we aren't!

And this is only a brief summary of what's going on in our heads and hearts right now. For more, read the book!! ;) So, what are we going to do about it?? Not totally sure - but one thing we have established, we don't want to "hear and walk away" without changing. Our lives - not to mention our children's! - depends on what we do with this. I don't think there's another option. We can settle for "nominal Christianity" (ya know, where we go to church three times a week, put 10% in the offering plate, and live the rest of our lives and spend the rest of our money for "us".) and risk losing our own spiritual lives, plus the hearts of our precious children. Or we can get serious about this.

Not much has been left out. We've talked about where God wants us - is that here or maybe in another country? We've talked about what God wants us to do - short mission trips? foster care? adoption? international adoption? etc. etc. We've talked about what we can do right now while we wait... all of which frankly scares me a little, and excites me a lot. :)

Now, Satan has also apparently been made aware of our plans. Not to give him ANY credit, but he has fought super hard - especially the last few weeks. Our marriage, our finances, our focus - he's not going to let this go without a fight. But with God's help, we want to find and follow what a "radical life of Christian discipleship" looks like for our family!

Changes...

Our home is in the middle of a lot of changing...all good! (and no, we're NOT pregnant!!) God is using His Word, along with some messages we've watched and a book we've read, to seriously change our direction as a family - or maybe simply CREATE a direction! I've changed the mechanics of my blog, but soon the content will probably be changing some as well. I'll still definitely be posting pics and giving family updates, but I'm hoping to let you in on what's happening on a deeper level in our home. Stay tuned! Gotta get ready for church now. Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

Anticipating Spring!

So, I didn't step foot out of the house until the snow was beginning to melt. :) We finally got out Friday - Taco Bell and Wal-mart never looked so good! lol Here's some snow pile pictures... and a few of the kids.

Snow out our window...




















Horrible roads...




Snow piles...





Bundled up...















Hadlee & Tanner watching a DVD...







































Yes, we're ready for SPRING!!! Tired of snow, tired of being stuck in the house, tired of having to bundle up... :)

In other news, Tanner has decided he loves food! :) He can put away 5+ "Gerber 2nd foods" packs a day! But he also thinks he should be able to feed himself, as is aptly illustrated below.




Have a good Monday, everyone!

Update soon...

I know, I know! I said I'd be back soon with "snow pics". But Timothy didn't work at all this week, and when Daddy's home, it just tends to throw the whole schedule off. I think with the extra help, I just relax TOO much. :) Anyway, he's working today, but I've got catch-up to do! WILL be back soon with some pics!! Later...