Expectations.

One of my favorite Bible verses reads "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." I find myself reciting that verse in my head almost daily, since, being the planner that I am, I'm constantly thinking ahead to the future... months, years, even decades down the road. When will we start the next remodel project? When will we have "the talk" with Jack? When will I make strawberry jam? When will I have time to clean the bathroom? The list goes on and on. I find that when I "plan" it out in my head, I expect that it will happen. What I'm not always prepared for, is when things don't go as planned. Case in point - picking up Jack from camp.





Great weather. Incredible counselor. Godly influences. Sounds like the makings of a phenomenal week at Bible camp, right? That's what I thought. We left bright and early Saturday morning to pick up Jack from Camp Forest Springs after his 6 day adventure. What I expected to find was an enthusiastic, albeit tired, little boy who would want to spill his guts about all the fun he'd had at camp. What I actually got was a little boy who teared up almost immediately upon seeing me. A son that who, despite the smile on his face, wanted to get to his cabin, retrieve his sleeping bag and suitcase, and head home. A child who I came to find out cried himself to sleep a few nights - quietly though, so no one would hear. Needless to say, my heartstrings were pulled so tight I feared they would snap. I wanted to fix it. This is not what I expected. That night at bedtime, we snuggled in bed while he sobbed. Physically and emotionally drained, my little home-body lay there exhausted.





Fast forward to Monday. Two days after leaving camp. He's settling back into a normal routine, and now knowing that camp is in the past, he's finding that the memories of the loneliness are being quickly replaced by memories of swimming, singing, puppets & camp outs. There are no more tears to wipe away. He's not as clingy as he was initially. I can't say that I was entirely sad to see him so emotional. I never like to see my kids cry, but it did make me thankful that he loves his family so much that he longs to be near them. He even surprised us all with souvenirs he purchased for everyone in the family. A flashlight for Dad for finding the kitties at night. Blinged-out bracelets for the girls. And a gLee inspired T-shirt for me - perfect size. So, while both his and my expectations of the camp experience were not at all what we expected, he learned a lot about his Savior, and I learned a lot about my son.





I even heard him say he wants to go back next year.

beauty.

There is absolutely so much beauty everywhere we look, that sometimes I find myself just in awe of God's handiwork.

I have been struggling with coming up with a deep, meaningful, topic to blog about, when it hit me - sometimes it's just the everyday things that can be deep and meaningful. So this blog post will simply be a compilation of things I have found beauty in over the last few years. What do you find beauty in? Comment and let me know.

As most of you know, I despise spiders. But when I saw this stark white one on this magenta petunia, I had to be in awe.

Ok, so beauty found in a pepper. Big deal, right? Not for me. This is the first pepper I've EVER gotten to turn red on the vine!

This flowering crab grows right on the corner of our deck and provides an amazing pink canopy of flowers each spring. It's bloom time is invariably cut short by a spring rain storm, so we treasure the week that we have!




And of course we have to bring some inside to enjoy as well.



This is the enormous cottonwood tree that lives by our driveway and gives us a landmark when people try to find our place in the boonies. I tinted this one with a sepia lens.

This is our view to the North. I played around with the color a bit on this one. It was fall, and it was a nice yellow color against the stormy sky. I just enhanced the surreal-ness of it.

I awoke one morning to this sky above the garage. This one, unlike the cottonwood tree, is not altered.





brrrrr. On a day like today (100+ degrees) this actually looks refreshing!

Up close and personal with my bee balm.

The horseshoes hanging on the fence. The rainbow of colors just beckoning "play with me!"










This is a spot in the woods that surround our property. We're praying that we can own this section soon so we can build a tire swing and treehouse in this tree. (on a side note: this is the same tree that's bright yellow in a photo above.)







And - how befitting my blog - my cherry blossoms against a stormy spring sky.

Inspiration.

What I love about inspiration, is that it isn't a replica of where the original inspiration came from, but rather a creative twist on what originally sparked the desire to create. As an artist, I hope that people who look at my work are inspired to get creative and design something that they find beautiful and makes them happy. Inspiration comes in many forms. It can be in an amazing sunset. The most intense pink of a rose bush. Or even the wafting aroma of a crockpot recipe. Today it was from a fellow friend, and blogger. She's amazing at creating fun clothes for her girls on a whim and they turn out great. She also gives her creations snazzy names, and I followed suit. So, I pulled out some bandanas, dish towels, and ribbon and set to work! Here's what I came up with!

I call this one the "dazzle me" dress.

This one is the "giddy up" dress. I plan to make 2 more like this one in red, white & blue for the fourth of July this weekend! Another trip to Hobby Lobby!

This is probably my favorite. I made it out of 2 clearance dish towels that I fell in love with. I purchased them over a year ago because I loved the prints, but didn't know what I would do with them. Well, ta-da! The "garden" dress is born.

And my Vanessa models it perfectly!

If you've been inspired by what I created today, comment about it. Tell me what inspired you and what you created as a result. Happy designing!

Planning ahead.

As some of you may or may not know, I've recently begun to do my grocery shopping on a monthly basis. For those of you who've never heard or contemplated this concept, I'll let you catch your breath .......... Ready? Ok. It's honestly not as scary or intimidating as it sounds. It's rather simple, and so I thought I'd share my most recent monthly meal plan. You'll get a feel for how easy it is - and I'll even let you steal some meal ideas if you'd like!

A few notes before I begin... 1) I look at the month and record any days where I know we'll be out of town, eating out - even in a rush. 2) I incorporate left-over days. No sense in wasting food! 3) Other than the days I mentioned in #1, the rest of my meals are loosey-goosey. Meaning, I don't necessarily make the exact meal on the date listed.

I'd like to think you'll all be dazzled by what's to come, but I think you'll feel a little disappointed once you see how rudimentary it really is:
(This was for June/July)

20 Black Bean Quesadillas
21 Chicken and Rice Bake & salad
22 Chicken Casserole
23 Round Steak
24 Pizza Night
25 L/O (left overs)
26 --eat out--
27 Stromboli
28 Super Subs
29 Porcupine Meatballs & mashed potatoes
30 Roast & Potatoes
1 Pizza Night
2 --eat out--
3 --eat out--
4 Ham & augratin potatoes
5 L/O
6 Breakfast - Eggs & bacon
7 Spaghetti & garlic bread
8 --eat out--
9 --eat out--
10 Pancakes
11 Garlic Bread Pizzas
12 Grilled Cheese & Soup
13 L/O
14 Campfire Packets
15 Hamburgers & Fries
16 Hot Beef Sandwiches & Salad
17 L/O

I feel like I need to say that we normally do NOT eat out this much. And "eat out" here does not mean we're eating at a restaurant. It may mean we're eating at someone else's house, too.

Now, from this menu, I make my shopping list. I won't do my ENTIRE shopping list here, but I'll give an example of how I do it. I start with a list that has the categories: BREADS, DAIRY, FROZEN, MEATS, CANNED, BOXED, BAKING, FRESH, OTHER. Then I start with the first menu item... Quesadillas.

BREADS - tortillas

DAIRY - shredded cojack cheese
sour cream

MEATS - boneless chix breasts
family pk cut up chix

CANNED - salsa
black beans x 2
canned corn x 2
cream of mushroom soup x 2

BOXED - rice

FRESH - cilantro
salad mix

I then move to my next menu item (in this case the Chix & Rice bake) and I add to the list. I marked them in white so you can see that I just simply added to the category. If I would need more canned corn, for example, I would just change the quantity.

Once I have my whole shopping list made, I add items from my ongoing fridge list of things we run out of. Then I add in the "OTHER" category things like toiletries & cleaning supplies. I also take into account snacks, groceries I'll need if I know I will be bringing a dish to pass somewhere, and easy lunch items for the kids and I at home.

And last, I look through my coupons for coupons that match the items that I have on my list and I put a "C" with a circle around it by that item, so I can be sure I 1) use the coupon and 2) look at the coupon to make sure I'm getting the right item.

This process takes a while - especially when you do it the first few times, but you'll get the system down and before you know it, you'll have a stocked pantry and won't dread it when your kids or husband ask you "What's for dinner?". Because you'll know! And you'll have everything you need for a plethora of meals right at your fingertips!

(Note: I do shop once a week still, for perishables, restock milk, and anything that goes on a weekly sale that I can't pass up.)

I have saved LOTS of money doing it this way, because I'm not forced to run to the store out of desperation.

The Garden Walk

Growing up, a child has many opportunites to learn from their Dad. But I'd have to say that the things I remember and hold onto the most, are things I learned from my Dad since I've been an adult.

I don't have the chance to see my Dad everyday, like I did when I was a child. Obviously I've grown up, gotten married, had my own children and pay my own mortgage now. But there is one way I've found to spend time with my Dad every day. About 2 years ago, I was chatting with my Dad on the phone one evening, when he mentioned that he had just gotten through with a "Garden Walk". I envisioned some fancy nursery tour, or a glamourous - ticket needed - type of event. Come to find out, the "Garden Walk" was simply a time to peruse his gardens at home and survey the changes and miracles happening right in his own back yard.

I believe I started the very next day. As soon as I was up and the kids were settled into their morning activites, I slipped on my flip flops and started walking around the property investigating the changes that were occuring. It's incredible what you see when you look every day. You don't miss a single bloom. You get the opportunity to pluck out unsightly weeds early on. You get to plan for the future.

I also find it exciting to look at my plantings and remember the story of them. The peonies I got from my sister and friend Malissa. The miniature irises from my Mother-in-Law. And, the myriad of plants from my Dad and Vicki. You see, my Dad didn't just share his love of the "Garden Walk"... he has shared actual plants that were dug from his gardens at his home. And as I partake of my own "Garden Walk" each morning, I think of my Dad. And I find myself wondering if he's doing his "Garden Walk" at the same time.

And now some photos of my latest "Garden Walk":


This is one of the plants my Dad gave to me. These buds will open into a wispy display of tiny white flowers.


Little violets. They look like little faces to me.


Probably my second favorite spot to linger. Despite the eyesore of a propane tank, I like how the landscaping turned out here.


The gorgeous leaves of the smoke tree - not yet in bloom.


This is a sign for our property that my Dad made for us.


Jack joined me on my "Garden Walk". And wouldn't you know... the first ripe strawberry! See what we would have missed?!


My spreading raspberry patch. Complete with "Beans" sign (my childhood nickname).


When we cleaned out the overgrown flower beds when we moved in, we found tons of irises.


The start of my plums.


Pink peonies from my sister.


Peppermint stripe petunias from Vanessa for Mother's Day.


Dad & Vicki turned us on to Ninebark shrubs. This one is just gorgeous.


The mulberry tree is getting its berries ready for me to make jam!


The miniature irises from my Mother-in-Law.


This is one of my favorite hostas.


Another flower from my Dad. Cardinal flower.


I salvaged this chair from the curb. Works great to keep my peonies upright.


This is an area we planted for privacy in the driveway.


I just love all the colors in the garden.


This is probably my favorite spot. Especially when the pink crab is flowering.


Our kitties like to sleep in the cool shade of the barrel in the summertime.


This iron gate was purchased at a flea market and I just love it!


How incredible is this color?!


I love peonies, and my husband does not. But I over-rule him here. They aren't in the way and what color!


I love to reuse old items so this salvaged enamelware pot (with built in drainage) works great in stark contrast to the vivid red geraniums.


Jack picked out these flowers because they looked like mowhawks. The white fuzz is due to our prolific cottonwood.

Cutting apron strings.

It's finally happened. My oldest, newly into the double digits, will be leaving for camp later this month. And while my heart leaps at the thought of the fun he'll have meeting new friends, learning new campfire songs, and experiencing new adventures, I have to admit that I also tear up quite frequently thinking of him being off "on his own" for 6 whole days. Without Mom. Time for me to suck it up. Put on a brave face. And start cutting those proverbial apron strings.

In order to facilitate some sort of communication while he's away, I got crafty today and created these ready to mail postcards for both he and his cousin (who's also going to camp at the same time). They were super simple. Here's how to make them:



1) I just purchased some 12x12 scrap booking papers in fun patterns. Make sure if they're printed on both sides that one of the sides is either plain or light enough to write on. Card stock is best, but any paper will do.

2) Cut the papers into 5 1/2 x 4 inch rectangles.



3) I chose to affix a mailing label to the "TO" field and write in his name in the "FROM" field. Less work = more mail for Mom!

4) Draw a divider line and put a stamp in place!



These would be great for graduation gifts too for all those leaving for school in the fall. Note: Make sure stamp prices aren't scheduled to go up or they'll need to add additional postage!!

So simple. And easily customizable for any person with the myriad of papers available today! Happy crafting!