Note on Book...
  I was all excited to read my book this weekend, "Sleepwalking in Daylight" but ended up suffering book disappointment number two for the week!  I wasn't crazy about her writing style... very rambling... but was trying to chalk it up to "It's the character and her life."  But then when the first page of the second chapter was full of vulgar language and unacceptable behavior for a child... raunchy... that was enough.  So just a mere 30 something pages into the book... it was tossed onto the floor.  It will be going back to the library today and I'll try again.

Happy Saturday Dear Friends

It is such a good thing that I don't have this bed... I'd never get out of it!  Our church is having a Harvest Festival today.  It's gloomy outside.  Oh, how I hope it doesn't rain on us.  Abby and I are doing a "crazy hair" booth where we give girls silly hair!  It's fun.  She's excited.  I'm excited.  We get crazy hair too!

My Fly Boy comes home today after a long 5 day trip.  Oh, how I have missed him.  That first hug when he comes home is the very best ever!

This is the book I am starting today/tonight.  I love to read.  Be blessed today.  I love you all so much!

For Her... and For You!

And I am so excited to kick off my fundraising efforts to bring Brenda here to spend four to five weeks with us!  I love making things and several people have been asking to purchase my flower pins and so I am kicking off with three wonderful fabric/felt flower pins! 

Brenda is in an orphange in Latvia.  She was chosen by the "New Horizons For Children" program to come and spend Christmas in America with a Christian family!  Members of the program travel to orphanges in Eastern Europe and interview children to find the ones that fit into the program.  It is such an amazing story!  All of the women who work in the program have adopted 5+ children!

Don and I have been so moved by this program and how it ends up giving a new life to 80% of the children they bring over through them being adopted!  God is so amazing and I am so humbled at how he teaches people to walk in his will for his kingdom!

This year, over 200 children will be coming!  Please check out the website for New Horizons at http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/ to find out more information on this program.

Thank you for all the emails and phone calls of support for us and for Brenda.  On the first day I posted this, a dear friend from VA emailed and asked to send us a check directly!  What an encouragement and sweet gift!

So here are three of my pins.  I just love making these and I love wearing them as well!  They can be pinned to curtains, a tote bag, jeans, sweaters, shirts, t-shirts, a pillow, and so much more!  They make wonderful gifts for teachers, bus drivers, mail ladies, friends, sisters, moms, secret pals, of course daughters!

     

This one is "Pinkalicious"!  I made it to go on one of Abby's pink sweaters.

It of course would also look great on brown, green, gray, black, and purple! There are two of these available.  SOLD OUT as of 3:06 p.m.!  WOOO HOOOOO... THANK YOU Heather!!!!!!!!

This pin is "Soaring Hope".  I made it with Brenda in mind.  It will look great on pink, black, white, brown, and yellow!  There are three of these available.

Then there is this vibrant, colorful, and simply inspiring pin named, "Inspiration".  I am inspired by "New Horizons"!  The cord fabric is just yummy!  I put it on an orange sweater I have and it really pops!  It would also look great on olive green, dark brown, gray, and hot pink!  There are two of these available.

All these pins are $12 each and that includes shipping.  They are larger than the ones I have made before... like almost four inches wide... making them pretty cool!

Just email me at allfromhim@bellsouth.net and I will give you my address to mail a check.  Once it arrives, I'll mail you the pin!  100% of the money from these sales will go to the money we are raising to host Brenda.

Please also feel free, PLEASE, to give your friends this link or post this on your blog!  The more awareness we get, the more chance other children may be hosted and then eventually adopted!

PLEASE also remember... just because you host a child does not mean you will adopt them!  Someone may meet them just by you having them here and want them to become part of their family.  You may just be a piece of the "FABRIC" that God has woven for this child's life!    

POST EDIT:  I made this little guy this afternoon and HAD to add him today... since Halloween is just a week away!  He is "Pumpkin of Promise" and I just adore him.  He is $7 and smaller than the larger ones.
There are 5 available and I can mail them ASAP!  *Note: He will not say, "One Beautiful Life"... that is for blog photo purposes!

Never Ending Search For Balance

Will I ever feel like my life is in proper balance?  Why is this so very hard for me?  I need about ten of me!  I need one who can craft and create all day... and I do mean all day and into the wee hours of the night!  Trying to keep myself from this to do dishes, floors, and toilets is VERY HARD!

And since we are speaking of toilets... I need a second one to CLEAN AND ORGANIZE ALL DAY and I do mean ALL DAY and into the wee hours of the night.  I will not expand on this one... self explanatory!

And I need a third me to nurture my friendships ALL DAY AND YES... into the wee hours of the night!  One to write a long letter to Karen in VA, another long letter to Shelley in Montana, another long letter to my sister in Vegas, some sweet "thinking of you cards" to about ten of my friends, emailing about ten more, having lunch with another and then coffee with another, and then a girls night dinner with about 6 others and then coming home and chatting on facebook with about 5 others!  Notice there aren't any phone calls listed... I HATE the phone... except with my mother!

And I need a fourth one to be there and active with my kids all day.. and into the NOT SO WEE hours of the night.  One to go for a walk each morning with Marc, volunteer twice a week at Abby's school, have lunch with Abby once a week at school, take them to the park at least several times a week, have play dates for them at least once a week, play Barbies with Abby at least three times a week, read to each of them daily, help Abby with homework daily, play outside with them daily, and the other 50 things that go along with all of that!

And I need a fifth one to run errands all day.  That's all I will say about that one!

I need a sixth one to do all the activities I want to do: Book Club, Bible Study, Small Group, Praise Practice, Mom 2 Mom, Prayer Group, Volunteer Work, Craft Shows, Pilates Class, Piano Lessons, and Knitting Class!

I need a seventh one to just stay in God's presence all day and into the wee hours of the night by being in his word, singing praises, serving him, and praying!

I need an eigth one to be with my husband all day and yes, into the wee hours of the night!

And I need a ninth one to just take care of me: reading, doing my nails, working out, watching movies, going for long walks, soaking in long baths, BLOGGING, getting inspired, and SLEEPING!

So I guess that is just NINE... not TEN.  BUT I am SURE I forgot something!

My Daily Thankfuls!  Are you keeping track of yours?

1. The AMAZING, STUNNING, and ELECTRIC pink sunrise this morning that took my breath away numerous times!

2. The sweet friendships God continues to bless me with and the way he loves me through them!

3. Abby communicating better than she has in a long time.

4. Abby going about two weeks without a seizure- PRAISE THE LORD for his mercy and goodness!

5. The amazing response I have already gotten about Brenda's hosting from several precious and dear friends!

6. The fact I feel rested today after just 6 hours of sleep... I usually need a good nine!

7. My husband's sweet love.

8. A comfy bed to sleep and wake up in!

9. The chill of fall this morning that JUST MAKES ME HAPPY!

10. The sweet gifts God showers me with each day!

photo by http://www.emporium51.etsy.com

Brenda

This is the precious child we will be hosting this Christmas.  Her name is Brenda and she is from an orphanage in Latvia.

She is ten years old, sings in a choir, loves to play outside with dogs, wants to be in a family with other children, likes to cook, likes gym, and loves Hannah Montanna.  We are thrilled to share our home, our Christmas, our love, God's love, and this time with her!  

Anya was hosted by another family and I have such peace that God has chosen the child he wanted us to love on... knowing this is her... I can't stop looking at her!  When I look at her eyes, it's like she is saying, "Hello."

"How precious is your loving kindness, O God!  Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings."  Psalm 36: 7~

I will be working on our fundraising letter today as well as an informational brochure to hand out at church!  If you would like to receive either, please feel free to email me with your address and I'd love to let you be apart of this adventure with us!    My email address is allfromhim@bellsouth.net

The other thing you can do, huge thing, is pray!  Prayer is such a wonderful blessing!  Here is a prayer request list.  Please know I do not take your prayers for granted!  It is such a gift to know you are before the Father on our behalf... and now on Brenda's behalf! 

Prayer Requests for Hosting Brenda:

1. That her visa and all her paperwork is in order and that her trip here will be safe.

2. That her heart will be prepared to see and receive God's love that we will pour upon her!

3. That any fears she may have of traveling and being here will be calmed by the Father's hand.

4. That she and Abby will get along and enjoy each other's company!

5. That Abby's health will stay maintained so we are not having to be in the hospital while Brenda is here!

6. That God will work mightily in her life while she is here and she will carry that with her forever.

7. That God will speak to our hearts and guide us in his plan for her.

8. That I will find a GREAT Latvian dictionary with phonetics so I can learn some language before she comes... she doesn't speak english!

9. That God will be glorified in how audacious he is in her life!

10. That other children without host families are hosted soon and ALL of them are able to come!

THANK YOU precious friends... thank you so much!

A Little Gift and A Little Prayer

My handsome fly boy and I have decided to host an orphan for a month in December again this year.  We have prayed about it and are both filled with excitement and hope. 

We did this before, in December of 2007 into January 2008, if you want to go into my archives and read about it.  It came about very unexpectantly and was such a "God Thing".  We found out that her orginal host family fell through the day before she was supposed to arrive.  We were meeting with our social worker about our adoption paperwork when she mentioned it.  She was a 5 year old Russian orphan, Karina, with cerebral palsey.  Both of us felt instantly that we were supposed to step up and take her. She arrived the next day.

We had many questions in our hearts.  What was God doing?  Did he intend for us to adopt her?  We were already so far into the process.  But we decided to step forward in faith!  We took it a day at a time and let God show us what he wanted... and he did.  She was not the right fit for our family, but another family met her while we had her here and brought her home just earlier this year... she is now with her forever family!  We were just PART of the plan and we were SO HAPPY we took that leap!

So... there is a precious little Russian girl, her name is Anya, and we are so hoping to host her.  BUT... it is in question whether she can come.  So PLEASE pray that if it is God's plan for this precious little one to spend a month with our family, that He will open doors and light the path for her to come!  And we are also in prayer that God will guide us and give us wisdom through this process.

We are also presenting the program to our church this Sunday!  Our prayer is that a couple more families will be moved to open their hearts and home to love on these kids!  So PLEASE pray that the Lord will prepare hearts and several more children will find host families!

If you would like information on this very unique and wonderful opportunity to BE GOD'S LOVE and LIGHT to a special child, please check out New Horizons for Children at http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/.

THANK YOU for your prayers!!!!!!  I love you so much.

photo by penelopeandpip at http://www.etsy.com

Sunday

I will tell of the kindness of the Lord,

the deeds for which he is to be praised,

according to all the Lord has done for us---

Isaiah 63: 7~

Sssppppttt... I am in love

I am in love.  It feels so good... makes me feel happy down in my toes.  It makes me want to smile just thinking about it.  It makes me wonder how and why I can't feel like this all the time.  Hmmmm.  Why... you ask and with whom?

I am in love with my husband.  My husband of almost ten years.  We've been together for 17 years.  So why the sudden gushiness?  Because we communicated... really communicated.

I have been struggling with respect for years.  I asked my sweet girls at Mom 2 Mom to pray for me about that and I was very surprised that several of them agreed with me, could relate to me, and even seemed to share the same struggle.  So on the way home I was thinking about it.  "Just ask him." simply came to my mind.  This is a Holy Spirit moment in my book.  "I don't want to ask him," I replied.  "Why?"  Hmmmm.  I had to think for a moment.  Why?  Why didn't I ask him?  "Because I am afraid of what he might say," I answered.  "Why?"  "I don't know why," I replied to my own amazement. "Then ask him."

It seemed so simple.  It couldn't be that simple.  Nothing was that simple.  My fly boy was actually home and so over lunch... I was brave... and asked him.  And he simply answered.  No, he answered while giving me eye contact the whole time.  He answered me with thought.  He answered me with thankfulness.  And I listened and was amazed.  It was... so simple.  "I can do that," I told him, and I am.

In addition to the wonderful moment above, I communicated with him about details of why I am so emotionally exhausted... and he listened.  And I felt heard.  And he loved me.  And I felt better.

So I have found myself just wanting to be in his arms.  I have found myself just thinking of him and smiling.  I have found myself feeling like a school girl in love.  I have found myself ever so thankful for the way we continue to grow and love each other.

I share this in hopes to encourage... to encourage you to fall in love again... and communicate about what needs attention... and to listen... and to hold each other. 

My daily ten will be written for and to my love today... and will remain private! :0)

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend.

Sometimes it's hard

I am tired today.  I am physically tired.  I am mentally tired.  I am emotionally tired.  Why do we feel like bad mothers when we admit we are tired?  Is it that we think we are weak?  Is it that we think we can't handle it?  Is it that we think that we are doing something wrong?  Is it that we think others may think that about us?  Well, the answer is simple... and then some.  We feel bad because we don't want to be tired.  We are tired... because we are mothers.

And from what I hear, many mothers are tired and just don't want to tell anyone.  This is what I love about my mom to mom group. It's a large group of mothers and we break into small groups.  We all have different situations, different numbers of children, and different things we do... but we are all tired... and we are all real... and we encourage each other and help lift each other up.  Oh how I live for Thursday mornings now.  They (our leaders) pamper us with time to ourselves... two hours.  They make us turn off our cell phones and they just minister to us, love us, encourage us.  They share with us how they have been there and they listen... and they hug... and they smile... and they pray... and they feed us... and they make us laugh.  It is one of the best two hours of my week.  I leave feeling loved, appreciated, validated, understood, and refreshed... ready for more.

So I am tired today.  I am tired from preparing for a long weekend trip, being on a trip, coming home from a trip and cleaning up and unpacking from a trip.  I am tired because I chose to stay up and read last night instead of going to bed at 10 p.m.  I am tired because I sleep with one ear open (as MANY mothers do).  I am tired because I am cramping and just feel yuck.  I am tired because we need to make decisions about Abby's medication and it scares me.  I am tired because it is hard just trying not to worry about it.  I am tired because I try to do too many  things.  I am tired because I am just behind on life.  I am tired because house work never goes away.  I am tired because so much still needs to be done.

So I am tired today.  Did I mention that?  But I am not a bad person, a bad mother, or a bad wife because I am tired and admit it. I am just tired.  So sometimes it's hard to list your daily ten when you are in such a mood... but the ten are there... and then some... just take a moment and find them... and then keep going.

My Daily Ten- I am thankful for:

1. The coupons I used to grocery shop today and saved over $19.

2. Finding out that Publix doubles coupons up to 50 cents every day!

3. Not caring that my hair gets wet in the rain that never ends around here.

4. Workout pants that make you feel half way ok when you are bloated and cranky!

5. Lipstick that makes you look alive again in 2 seconds.

6.Children's morning out where Marc gets to play with peers for several hours.

7. My friend, Bridget, who just makes me happy to hear her voice.

8. My Titus 2 leader, Pat, who makes me feel loved when I just see her!   

9. The girls in my M2M group who are real and make me feel normal.

10. My sweet Lord, who even loves me on days when I feel really bad. 

A long weekend at the beach...

It was Marc's first trip to the beach.  We went to St. Simon's Island and had a mini

reunion with Don's family.  It was a blessed time.  I love my husband and his generous love

for his family.  More pics to come soon.  Be blessed and thankful!

My Daily Ten- I am thankful for:

1. The sound of the ocean mixed with the laugher of my children!

2. The pure joy Dusty has running along the beach!

3. The sky and how rapidly it changes in beauty!

4. The ability to spend a long weekend at the beach!

5. Sunscreen.

6. The salty air and the way it makes me feel free!

7. The way the salt water and ocean breeze makes my hair curl!

8. How everyone in my family blooms at the beach.

9. Swim diapers.

10.  Safe Travels.

Wednesday's Daily Ten

I am thankful for:

1. The precious women in my Bible study

2. The precious women in my Mom to Mom group

3. My very wonderful and precious Titus 2 leader- Pat

4. Happiness I feel when I am in the presence of friends

5. Laughter with friends

6. Talking about the Lord and His kingdom with friends

7. Studying God's word with friends

8. Sweet emails of love from friends

9. The hearts of my friends

10. The sweetness of giving in friendship

Before and After

Finally! Here are before and after pictures of the living room. The lighting was not that great but you can see the transformation well enough. This picture was taken very soon after we moved in to our new home. The walls were a weird cream color with way too much yellow in them. It could have been worse...

but it could also be better! We went with classic khaki from Sherwin Williams and I am VERY pleased with the color. We added crown molding (that I cropped out... sorry) and it really defined the higher ceilings of the room. Fly boy took down the blinds and I added the curtains ($10 panels from Lowes!) for a softer feel. I have plans to "better" them too. Stay tuned! The fireplace screen is down right now because a little someone pulled it down on top of him while we were in Spain. And it allows me to have punko's (pumpkins) on the hearth. So soon, you won't be able to see the black in the fireplace!

Of course the HIGHLIGHT of the room is the craftsman molding Ty added. He did a great job. We LOVE it! We chose not do have it on the fireplace wall because it was so busy with two windows and the fireplace. So we did it on the two back walls. It was just enough. I have big plans for the space above the sofa! Stay tuned!

I am not crazy about these speakers on top of the armour... but sometimes function has to mix in with fashion!
My mantle is one of my favorite things in here. I love everything on it (very important). But I also love the family picture I created by using pictures from the lake and printing them in sepia to go with my "brown" theme. When I see it, it makes me happy (also very important!).

The living room is open to the kitchen (we love that!) and in that area, by the side of the coat closet is a small little wall... very small. I wanted it to be functional. My fly boy added hooks and now it's where my purse, diaper bag, and mom to mom bag live (along with my jacket since "fall" is kinda here!). So there is room number one... made home!

And now for my daily ten! Make yours too! Be blessed today.

1. music

2. books

3. the beauty in nature

4. the birds on my bird feeder each day

5. the hummingbirds God has given me

6. the beautiful peace in sunsets

7. the beautiful promise in sunrises

8. the power and beauty in storms

9. the beauty and mystery of trees

10. feeling God's presence when I sing to Him