Children are not a burden to escape or endure; they are a blessing that drives us to Christ because we are incapable of parenting well without Him. - Kim Brenneman

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Because Tolkien knows how to put words to adventures.. and i can't wait to go exploring....

Upon the hearth the fire is red,
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet,
Still round the corner we may meet
A sudden tree or standing stone
That none have seen but we alone.


 
Tree and flower leaf and grass,
Let them pass! Let them pass!
Hill and water under sky,
Pass them by! Pass them by!
 

 
Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though we pass them by today,
Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run
Towards the moon or to the Sun,
 

 
Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe,
Let them go! Let them go!
Sand and stone and pool and dell,
Fare you well! Fare you well!
 

 
Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Though shawdows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
 




 
 
 
Then world behind and home ahead,
We'll wander back to home and bed.
 
 
 
 
Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!
Fire and lamp, and meat and bread,
And then to bed! And then to bed!
 
 
 
 
-Taken from The Fellowship of the Ring , J.R.R Tolkien

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchill

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The history of me...

I've always wondered about who I've come from. I know my mom, dad, and grandparents.. but beyond that not much. Up until recently it didn't occur to me to ask my grandparents about their life and about their families. (i know that sounds terrible... but hey i am making up for it). Within the past few years i have found out some pretty cool things about the line of people that i come from... I've found out some things that explain A LOT about my personality... and I've found out some things to make me aware of certain things i need to be concerned with.

It's interesting to look back into the past.. before i was a thought... before i was known... through the blood that has been running for years and the lives that have been lived to come to this point in history where I've come to life. I wonder if my great great grandparents ever thought about me...
I think about what my possible grand children and great grandchildren will be like, or have to go through, or if i will even have any! So .. really they had to think about me even in a small tiny minuscule way right?

I guess all this thought of where i came from and the interest in it came from a violin.

This one to be exact...
 

 
 
My grandpa gave it to me when i was in high school. He mentioned something about it being his grandfather's. He said something about how his grandfather use to play it at church and for weddings and funerals. I didn't push much beyond that for knowledge... i thought it was beautiful and wondered the make and how much it was worth... but of course i loved it and wanted to keep it.
 
About 3 years ago i was able to transport this beauty back from Minnesota to my now home in the Pacific Northwest. My grandpa (who gave me the violin ) came to visit shortly after that. It is then that he told me the story.. and it was then that sparked a desire to know in my heart.
 
This violin was my great great grandpa's... Charlie was his name. Charlie was a farmer and a musician. I guess he raised a little hell when he was a youngster... but he settled down and took on the responsibility of life. Charlie use to play his violin at dances and weddings and church.. he was well known in his area for his musical abilities. There came a day when Charlie saw an opportunity to start growing a new crop... Alfalfa... He couldn't afford seed, so he sold his violin and bought seed to start planting. He was one of the first alfalfa farmers in Minnesota. The towns people were devastated that there was no more music to be had at their functions. So they put their meager money together and bought him a violin... right out of the sears catalog. That's right.. that's where you ordered everything back then. It is not a Stradivarius... but a copy of one. ( can i say that i was a little disappointed when i found that out, but now i really don't care because the history behind it is all that matters to me). So Charlie once again was able to provide the people with beautiful music at town functions!
And now that violin hangs on my wall, framed in the very wood from great great grandpa Charlie's barn.
 
Every time i look at that violin hanging on that wall i am reminded of my roots... i am reminded that i come from a line of people... and those people have stories of passion and heartbreak and just LIFE... and those stories are also a part of who i am.. not just the story of my mother and father... but the roots.. the deep roots.
And some strange way, it makes me feel more alive.. it makes me feel like i can do more. I can't really explain it, but it gives me hope. call me sentimental.. call me crazy.. whatever... But you have to admit.. it is pretty awesome to have such a prized possession that was one's great great grandfathers with such a rich history!
 
 

Friday, March 22, 2013

My house today...

Would you like a tour?
Here is my world today and my house. My little manufactured home on the hill in the woods. It's not much, but i love it and it's ours... slowly.. very slowly we've been making it ours.

 
Elijah standing in the hole that Matt dug for our peach tree.
 
 
 
 
Some of my favorite things... a little bell that one of my old youth group girls got for me down in Mississippi, a little mini Eiffel tower she got for me in France... and some flowers starting in a cup. :)

 
One of my favorite randoms that i have in my house is this chicken wire basket.


 
Hard to see with the lighting but this is the boys room... i made this cute flag banner for around their room!
 
 
my kitchen!

 
living room

 
living room dining room kitchen area

 
living room again...

 
Old dining room turned play room...

 
More dining room turned play room

 
love these little figurines my mother in law has gotten for me over the years... this is in our room...

 
This violin is a family air loom... it actually has a really awesome history.. this violin gets a post of it's own. :)

 
Sorry it's blurry... the quilt on the top is one that i made and love! and we just got the cute little wood stove. We are keeping it in out room until we find the perfect home for it,
 

 
I found this homemade wall hanging at a garage sale for 3 dollars a few years ago and i could not pass it up.. so beautiful... Also the little teapot was made for me about 7 years ago when i was working with the youth in our church. Also i love the old iron... it's one of those heavy cast iron ones...

 
This is behind my fire place.. my little gnome man and lady... and a cool musical lantern i got from a antique fair.

 
Outside our home...

 
LLAMAS!

 
Our beautiful home... and shop...

 
behind the house... and stall area

 
our "backyard" in the works, there will be fruit trees and veggies and strawberries growing.
 
 

 
so that's my tour for you... my little home in the woods... we are trying to think of a name for our house and the area we live... something like " Enchanted forest" or something like that.. what do you think?

Recommended read...


I feel like this is a great read for mom's who have boys...


http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/03/after-steubenville-what-our-sons-needs-to-know-about-manhood/

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Taking the Leap...


*if you came here earlier and the link didn't work it's because i gave the wrong address.. here is the right one! :)

So I've been making a lot of rag quilts lately and I've been encouraged to start a business.. so here it is...

http://squaresofhealing.weebly.com/


I mainly want to focus on making quilts for people who have lost loved ones..a memory quilt made out of their clothing...  but i also make any kind of rag quilt.

it's in the beginning stages but you are welcome to check it out and tell me what you think. :)

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Never Again

For 30 minutes panic grew into a big fear monster... He walked away... down our road.. to the semi- busy highway that it ends at...he started to walk down the highway...  he was picked up by someone and dropped off at a police station...
It could have been terrible.. it could have not ended well... we could be one of those families searching... empty.. broken.... wondering.
But we're not. He was protected. He was watched over and he is safe, Sleeping in his bed. And i am recovering.. and scared.. and angry.. and thankful.
 I was sleeping while he decided that he was going to walk to grandma's.. Matt did not think Joshua was serious when he said he wanted to walk...  when i woke up i wondered why he was not up yet and then we discovered that he was gone.
This had never happened before, and i am praying it never happens again. I am thankful for the woman that saw my son walking on the highway and brought him to the police station. I am thankful my son did not get hit by a car... and i am thankful that this story turned out better then many that turn into tragedy and heartache. I can see how a child going missing can tear a family apart and blame can be cast... i got a small glimpse of that hell of the child being missing and wondering and worrying and i NEVER want to go back there again. NEVER.

I love you Joshua.. next time you can have a ride to grandma's... no more trying to walk.
 
 

Monday, March 4, 2013


Saturday, March 2, 2013

down memory lane...

I was looking through photo's tonight and i felt like sharing...
 
 
 
my, my niece and my boys hiking in Minnesota last summer...
 
 

Daniel last summer... sooo looking forward to summer!!! More then i ever have i think.
 
 

Sequoia National Forest with my older sister, brother, and Marty back in 92' or 93' i believe... great memories...
 
 

I love this picture.. this is what i look like on hiking and camping trips.. hanging out on a rock enjoying nature...my spirit soars...
 
 

Elijah was such a chunk monster with so much joy!
 

Friends that i love and miss back in Minnesota and Texas!
 
 

Look Renee!!!! We actually have a picture that we are in together!!!! Maybe someday we can be in more pictures together! :)
 

Dear forever friend visiting me!!!!
 


Why yes.. i did push this tree over... :)


 
 
 
well when you are only like 25 miles away from California why not go with your awesome niece..
 
 

 
just to turn right back around to Oregon...
 
 
 

Crater Lake in July....
 
 

 
 
 

Oh Alpaca....
 
 
 
 

 
Why yes.. that is an opossum head on a stick...
 
 
 

Smile...
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 


walking along the coastline in october.. that is the pacific on the left hand side of the picture... look how little joshua is!!! he comes up almost past my shoulder now!