*GASP* she's blogging!

So I made a few things for my fabulous neighbor Carla and I wanted to post them.

I made her a tea inspired gift, since she likes tea. At least she always asks me if I want tea so I'm assuming that she likes tea... hopefully.

So I found her some vintage coffe cups at the thrift store and put them in a basket with some BEAUTIFUL tea that I found at Save-on-Foods (thank you Joni, the silk tea bags made me want to like tea)and some other "tea" stuff.

The "STASH" tea things (see I don't even know tea terminology) are not the tea that I gave her. They are just from my tea collection that is as old as Adon(possibly older) I always asked myself why on earth I still had it and now I know, to model Carla's tea wallet! I used this tutorial to make the tea wallet and used this tutorial to silk screen the tree onto the outside. I know that Carla must love trees since she has a giant one tatoo(d, ed) on her back. It's impressive. Hopefully she isn't sick of trees because she has one on her body, but I figure since it's on her back she probably doesn't get to look at it much, maybe her fiance Eric (I almost called him the "Fine Fiance Eric" but then realized some people may think I have a crush on him, which I do not, in case you were wondering) will hate the tree tea bag. HAHA I love it!

I also made her a coordinating tea towel and put her fabulous silky bagged tea into a coordinating drawstring bag which also matched ;) I didn't follow a tutorial for the tea towel... sorry, I'm also not going to give you one :)

I just have to say that I'm in love with silk screening. I used this(scroll down on the page) tree embroidery pattern from Lollychops (please read her blog she is the funnest person to read!) and printed it in mini. I will be silk screening many things.... I only wish I knew more people who liked tea :( There is also a business card wallet in this pattern... I may have to whip up a few of those for my entrepreneurial spirited friends.

A lesson in Tact

We were discussing a character in a movie, it was a catapillar that was very fat and ate all the time with the excuse that it needed all that food for it's transformation into a "beautiful butterfly" most of you with kids will know what movie this is. In the end it hatches into an obese butterfly with inty bity wings.

Emma: " Was the butterfly beautiful Mom?"
Adon: "No it was fat."
Me: "Things can be fat and beautiful."
Adon: "Like you"

Thankfully I'm fully aware of the fact that I'm fat and often discuss it with my children. I don't want it to be taboo and I want them to see my weaknesses and my struggle to master them. So I laughed! Really it was meant to be a compliment. Hopefully he'll marry a good natured woman!

Or a skinny one ;)

Wool Sweaters

If you have any that you don't use I would love to have them!!! Thanks!

One Bunny...

...and a very happy boy!

Bunnies!

I am looking for rabbits. I need a female Mini-Lop and a male and female mini rex. I would prefer that they are not black but will take what I can get. Thank you!

Reply to a comment

I didn't want to publish this in the comments because of some bad language but I wanted people to see it, so I just edited out the bad language and I'm publishing it here. It's pertaining to the video/song below.

"No offense but this post and song made me feel realllly sorry for you if you actually believe this stuff. omg, so basically before your husband and god made you "pure" and worthy again you were basically just garbage? Nice...that is so sad....and brutal. I guess that's why you've been guilted into pumping out as many babies as hubby and god decide you should, nice christian prison you're living in there... "

Romans 3:23-24 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

I am so thankful for the gift of salvation that Jesus gave me. Until the day I received this gift my life was worthless. I spent every day looking for love and never finding it. I would find a moment of love and it would quickly be over. I depended on people to give me a "feeling".

But people fail,

always have and always will.

No one could love me enough to fill the void that I felt. Was it because the people I was with weren't good enough?

Yes.

There is no one good enough. Not me, or you, or my husband. There is nothing that any of us could do to save another soul from their sin. Only Jesus was able to because he knew NO sin.

None.

He was perfect.

He was God.

Come to earth.

Born of a virgin.

Man and God together.

So Jesus did take me from someone who was worthless and filthy and made a spotless bride in his sight. He made me new, gave me his robe of righteousness in exchange for my filthy rags, took all of the things that I had done to find love before him, and wiped them from his record.

So please don't feel sorry for me! I have joy! I know that no matter what it is that I have done, I am forgiven!

I know that no matter what comes my way there is hope!

I know that no matter what comes my way God's mercy is new every morning!

I know that no matter what comes my way, there is love!

I don't have to look for love, I don't have to try and find meaning in my life anymore. I can be content where I am, I don't need to fulfill myself.

God is my meaning, he is my love and he fulfills me. No matter what.

As for pumping out babies? God called our family to give him control of our womb. When we read the verse Psalm 127:3-5 we believed it!

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate."

I have a calling that is far beyond anything I could have ever imagined for myself. I am raising children for my King, Jesus Christ! God has blessed us with these children and given us the task of training them up in love to serve our great God. If he feels I can raise 10 or even 20 then I will take the job! I am greatful for every child that we are given.

Yes there have deffinately been times that it's been hard, times that I've struggled. It is hard to surrender your own will and your own dreams for what God wants for you. You get tired, very tired. You feel cut off from other people and you are judged. But God is my rest, he is my friend and he is my defender!

I traded my life for his. That also means I traded my plan for his.

This is not a prison. This is freedom. Before Jesus saved me I was a slave to my sin. There was no hope. Sin was my master and I lived a life with no meaning, no vision and no hope. I was bound to my wants and needs and wasted my energy trying to please myself and others.

Now I have traded masters and I am a slave to Christ! There is meaning and vision and hope. There are no chains or shackles.You will always serve a master. Satan or God. It doesn't matter if you agree with it or not. Truth is truth.

If I hold a loaded gun to your head, believing it isn't there will not save your life if I pull the trigger.

I am so thankful to God for giving his son to save me. I love him for it and because I love him I choose to obey him. Regardless of what others may say or do to me. I do not do it perfectly, but I do it. And where I am weak He makes up for it. I pray that you know this love as well and if not please don't wait.

I will pray for you.

My children will pray for you.

Dancing with Dalen in my livingroom...

... listening to a song about my life.