busy, but beautiful...

Hello, this is just a little note to all of you out there still checking into this little old blog of mine. I'm so sorry that I haven't been posting much. I wish I was super clever, and had tons of free time so that I could be a blogger who wrote and shared photos everyday. But, the truth is... my life has been seriously busy lately. In a good way. In a life is really beautiful, but busy kind of way.

Some of the things that we've (I've) been up too...


I may have kind of said yes, when asked for the 954Th time if we would agree to put our house on the summer historical tour... which has now lead us into a frenzy of projects, and gardening, and list doing. But, I am convinced that this is going to be a great thing! (Once we get it all done, and we can stand back and enjoy the fruits of all of our hard work!)

Part of the project list is (was) to replace the irrigation system in our yard. We can't afford to higher it out, so that left it up to us (Matt) to do. Have any of you out there put in your own irrigation system??? Holy cow, it's A LOT of work... and it is MAJORLY messy. Can you say MUD??? Two dogs, two kids, an outdoor cat and MUD don't make for the best combination, just an FYI in case you were wondering! :)

I've also been doing tons of sewing on our rainy days... I'm making tons of cushions for the out door furniture. I've been thrifting all Winter/Spring for vintage fabrics, and tea towels to turn into pillows. So, now, I'm a busy bee sewing away!

On top of all the home projects I've also been working on lots of fun new things for the shop, like our first ever look book, a website, (do you know any great web site designers that don't charge an arm and a leg??????) an online shop, and at the same time we're still keeping up with the day in day out 'stuff' of running a shop. You know, selling, displaying, unpacking, pricing, buying, planning, the list goes on and on...

Today was Meritt's last day of school. Not quite sure how I feel about this. I have to admit it was glorious having 3 mornings a week kid free. I will miss the quiet, but I am looking forward to having my kiddos home for the summer! Bella still has 3 weeks to go, she doesn't think it's very fare that preschool gets out so early! (oh well, life's not fare!)

Last weekend, my mom and I tackled the yard. We got a lot done, especially when we hauled the guys into join our work team! We got a lot planted, and also got our four garden boxes tilled and new dirt put in... SO, this weekend, we are planting the garden! Yay... I am very excited. (I promise, I will post photos soon!)

I've got a LONG list of to-do's and want-to's on this weekend's itinerary, so I hope we got a lot done, and have fun along the way! Life is busy, but it sure is beautiful!!!

I hope whatever you are doing this weekend, you enjoy it, and savor every drop!

a new hobby...

About three weeks ago, Bella and I started taking crochet classes. I thought it would be a fun, calming, special thing that her and I could do together. Something that we could carve timeout of our week just to do her and I.

I am so glad I made the decision to do this with her!

We look forward to it every week. We practice together, and now have this 'thing' that is just between her and I. I felt she was desperately looking for me to give her some attention that was just hers. Something that didn't include her sister, or her dad, or anyone else.

We are both pretty creative, and we love to be crafty, so it was a perfect fit for us! Now we're learning all kinds of things, and there are SO MANY things I'd like to learn how to make!

The picture above is just a small collage of a few of the crocheted goodies I'd like to learn how to make one day! Isn't the wreath adorable?!!

So many things I'd like to make and do, yet so little time!

real life romance...

After the day I had, this just strikes me as beautiful, and I needed to share it... Go Here and read this story about what real romance consists of, and let me know what you think! I loved it! When I read Greta's story over on faith blogs, I had an ah ha moment I think. Like... YES! I feel like this too... this is what real life romance is. Why do I always think that real life romance is what you see in the movies, or read in a romantic novel?

Anyway let me know what you think!
I love fellow faith bloggers!

too much information...

I am feeling chatty...
There is no one around to chat with, so i will chat with you!
Lucky YOU! ;)
Thought maybe i would admit... i mean share some things...
Don't you love when you read someones blog and they become totally human to you?
I do.

So here goes:

I am addicted to...
black iced tea (even though I'm not supposed to drink it)
jeans (i have enough jeans to clothe South America)
reading my favorite blogs (yet I am bad at commenting - trying to get better!)
Pintrest (have you heard of this? google it... you'll be addicted too!)
Thrifting (my request for my birthday was to thrift all day... and we did!)
Burgerville (it's my favorite, it's also the reason I have muffin top!)

Things that happen everyday of my life...
My hubs brings me coffee in bed, before I do anything else. (spoiled huh?)
Take a bath (I can't recall the last time I took a shower, is that weird?)
I pick up or clean up someones poop, pee, or barf (yeah for me!)
laundry, dishes, and cleaning up (if I'm ever wealthy I want a maid!)
i listen to music loudly (Meritt is so addicted to loud music by now, she's always saying upper mama, upper! - does that make me a bad mother?)
i pray (prayer keeps me sain, and grounded, and feeling like I can get through the day!)
I text my hubby, an i love you, or he texts me one! (romantic?)
I dance with my kids in the kitchen (don't be jealous - you know you like to dance in the kitchen ;)!)

Things I dislike:
Corn dogs (due to an unfortunate incidence when I was four, involving a Farris wheel, and a young man who ate way too many corn dogs)
Talking on the phone (I don't know why, I just don't like it...)
Rough feet...
Stinky people...
Lola's bad gas...
having to pick up someone Else's poop, pee, or barf on a daily basis...
Bella's mood swings...
Meritt's inability to listen...
my crooked teeth...
the fact that I have muffin top...
the fact that you can't loose weight while having a love affair with cheeseburgers, french fries, fry sauce, and strawberry shortcakes...
grumpy, rude, or vulgar people...
the mud outside my house, it's everywhere... (ugghh.)


Things I love...
black iced tea...
peppermint lip balm...
getting hugs and kisses...
back rubs, foot rubs, any kind of loves I can get!...
beautiful quotes...
owls...
birds...
old quilts...
vintage...
music, oh i love music!...
and of course... (these should go without saying, but...)
my God...
my family...
my pets...
my home...

What do you think??? Too much information?:)

how could I possibly forget...

...how did I forget, possibly the biggest progress made of all???
(if you have no idea what I'm talking about scroll down to my last post!)



On her fourth birthday, she bravely gave her collection of beloved binkies to other babies that would need them more! We boxed them, and 'sent them on to the hospital' where the babies are born.

No tears, no fits, no missed sleep... she did it with bravery and courage.

I am not kidding when I tell you I thought this binky baby, turned binky kid, would NEVER give up her 'BINK' willingly!...but she did!

With love, and a bit (slash that) a lot of nudging, she did it!

YAY Meritt!
She's quite the girl.
She can do anything! (as long as it's her idea ;) )

making such progress...

This kid is growing up so fast!
Six months ago, I was about ready to pull my hair out for the fact that this little girl, just didn't want to have any part in growing up...
With love, and some (slash that) A LOT of patience, she is and has made so much big girl progress!

Six months ago she:
wouldn't sleep anywhere but her crib
wouldn't stay in her crib without being tented in
wouldn't poop in the potty
wouldn't get dressed by herself
wouldn't go upstairs by herself

Now:
She has her very own BIG Girl bed and sleeps in it every night without wandering all through the house at all hours of the night.

Has conquered her fear of poop! This was a BIG ONE!!! Not only has she conquered her fear she now does it alone, without assistance! Whoo Hoooo

Gets herself dressed every morning, and then several changes through the day. (I try hard not to complain! - about the outfits or the extra laundry)

Now has a new room she feels safer in, and will play up there for quite a while without anyone upstairs with her!



I am SO proud of this girl!
At the beginning of the school year she was so afraid, she wouldn't stay in her class without someone with her.
Today, she went on a class field trip without anyone outside of school.
That's BIG stuff!

She has had a lot of hurdles to jump, but she's making great strides, and I am so proud that she is so brave to make such big changes at such a little age!



She is learning how to listen.
She is learning how to speak more clearly.
She is learning how to be a helper.
She is learning how to be a BIG little sister
She is learning how to paint, draw, and create.
She is learning how to play with other kids, and make friends.
She is learning how to pray, and has taught her family a new favorite in our house.
She now goes to pre-school, and Sunday-school and LOVES her Independence.
She will sit and do a puzzle, and finish it.
She will sit with a stack of books and read each page.



Some of this stuff written out might not seem like a big deal to those of you reading it out there, but it is!
It's a HUGE deal, because, she couldn't do it that long ago, and now she can!

She's growing up...
Right before my eyes.
She has shed her baby days and has embarked on her girlhood days.

I love her.
In every possible way.
She is a light in my life.
A joy. A ray of daily sunshine. A dose of happiness.

This girl has stretched me.
Challenged me.
At moments broken me.
But most of all she has grown my heart to be so much bigger and better than it was before she was in my world!

I am grateful.

to my mama...

I am so lucky to have my mama.
Most people love their moms, and yet can't spend all that much time with them.
I am blessed, because my mom just happens to be one of my most favorite people!
We laugh...
We talk...
We get inspired by one another...
We work well together...

We are friends.

When I think back over favorite memories, it's usually the times she was comforting me, or rocking me, or stoking my hair, or itching my back (she is the greatest back scratchier ever!). She has this way about her... this calm, wonderful thing, that can make you breath again, even when you're so upset your not sure how to.

It's before six AM... I am not sure why I am up so early. I have been since around 3:30. As I lie here, thinking about Mother's day, I thought about writing about myself being a mother, or all of the wonderful ladies in my life that are mother's, but the only thing that really made sense to me in these wee early hours of the morning, was to just celebrate my mom.

I wouldn't be me, without her.
She is my foundation in this life.
Her hands have taught me, comforted me, wiped away tears from my cheeks, and held my hand through every minute of my life.
I know her heart is always with me even when we're apart.
She sees my insides...
She loves me despite my faults.
I am blessed to have been raised by such a great woman!

Thank you mom for all that you are, for all that you do, for all of the sacrifices that you have made, for all of the grace and patience you give me.

I know you won't read this today.
You'll probably see it on Tuesday...
But, it's okay. I want you to know. Anytime. That I love you and am thankful for you each and every day!

Happy Mother's Day Mama, I hope you feel all the ways you are loved today!
XOXO - Manda

Yum!

I'm not a baker. Not even a little bit. It's not that I can't do it, it's more that recipes take too much attention for me to stay feeling creative. There are a few things I bake, over and over, and mostly it's because they are easy and super delicious so they keep me coming back for more!



While reading the Farm Chicks blog I saw this recipe for Peanut butter chocolate bars... oh MY! You had me at peanut butter!

These little sweethearts are going to make me break out the kitchen aide and the measuring cups and make us something YUMMY!!!

Don't they look so good?
I'll let you know what we thought after I get these babies made!
If you can't wait the link is above (click on highlighted text) so you can make them now!

thirty-one...

Tomorrow, I'm going to be thirty-one years old... wow. how did that happen? I remember when thirty-one seemed old. I remember my parents turning thirty-somethings, and I thought they were old. Now, thirty-one doesn't seem so old, neither does 41, 51, 61, or even 71 for that matter. I think I've shifted over to the other side!

Last year for some unexplainable reason I was having a very hard time turning thirty. It was in some way totally momentous to me. I think I somehow wanted it to be a big deal to everyone else because it was a super big deal to me... I didn't do very great turning 30.

Even though last years birthday wasn't taken with the most grace, it was a great year... and throughout this year I've decided I really like who i am at 30. It's taken me up to this point to become ALL that I am, and I'm glad for that.

I love things that are aged, have history, a story behind them, why would I of all people have a hard time aging?

I think I was looking at it all wrong.
I was looking at turning thirty as the ending of some things rather than the beginning of new ones.

In ways this year has sucked. I lost my Grandma, and watched her die over several months, I had some pretty major health issues to hurtle, and had surgery at the beginning of the year, I have had some rough patches becoming all that God desires me to be as a wife, a mother, a friend, a daughter, and a person. Even with all that, there have been a lot of defining, moments along that road. I don't think when I was twenty something i could have handled this year. At thirty I did, and I'm still smiling, and life is good, despite it's ups and downs and bumpy roads in between.

I am looking forward to this next year.
I am learning to love the person God is shaping me into being with his hands.
His Grace is what guides me, it gives me power and strength, and with him by my side I know that I will not be alone as I walk this path of life, and all it's lessons, and all it's beauty it has to teach.

So CHEERS... to thirty one great years, I'm gonna party like it's my BIRTHDAY tomorrow!!! Yippee.

Easter Cuties...

I'm a little slow with this.
But, it's pretty cute so better late than never.
The clarity of the photos are bad, so sorry.
At church on Sunday they had a petting zoo for the kids.
The girls fell in love with the chicks!
Meritt was so sweet with them.
Bella is always sweet with anything.
Someday, I think we'll add chickens into our zoo... someday!

How Great thou Art...

This rendition of this song gives me chills.
An awesome version of an awesome song!
This was always one of my Grandma's favorites...
I bet this is how it sounds in heaven, but even better.
Never quite heard it like this at Jefferson Christian Church back in the day.

I hope you have had an absolutely amazing day.
Celebrating that we are saved thanks to the ultimate sacrifice, if we choose to ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior!

Two years ago on Easter, I was baptized.
I didn't plan it.
I didn't even think I was going to do it until God told me to walk up the aisle and make my way to my pastor and make that commitment.
Right there in my Easter clothes.

Until that day I had been living as a luke warm Christian.
Even though I had been saved since about the age of 3... and had always had a personal relationship with Jesus. I hadn't made the ultimate commitment.
I am so thankful that I made that brave walk down the aisle.
I am so thankful to be saved by the Grace of GOD!

Happy Easter!
I pray you have a blessed day!

Good Friday...

What does Easter mean to you?
How does it make you feel?
What kind of memories do you want your child/children to have when they think back on Easter memories...

Can I tell you a moment from this week that made my heart so happy?
Meritt came home from school and said, 'Mama, Jesus died for us, and now he's ALIVE!'... Yes, she's excited to hunt for eggs on Sunday, and wear her pretty new dress to church, but she knows what we're celebrating, even at 4 years old!

Easter has never been about pretty dresses, eggs, or bunnies to me.
Not that I don't like a good chocolate egg, or to dress my girls or myself in a beautiful dress...

It is by far my favorite holiday.

This song sums it all up for me.
It's been playing over and over and over in my car all week.
This is the meaning. This is the reason we celebrate this holiday.
It moves me.
It makes me so thankful.
I can hardly imagine being able to make a sacrifice so amazing, so selfless... so grand.

I hope your holiday is filled to the brim with sunshine, and happiness. I hope your life is overflowing this Sunday with family, and love. Celebrate life. Celebrate the newness of the season. Celebrate that he died for us, so that we can be saved!

Have a beautiful Easter!

on my heart...

I haven't posted in a while.
Partly because in real life, I've been going through something, and my head and my heart are ALL over the place.
It's not easy for me to write when my head and heart aren't working well together, so I've taken a quiet break.

In a way I've been taking a quiet break from everything I can, just to be able to really focus on God's voice in my life. I need him desperately to guide my footsteps right now.

Last week, I had to say good-bye to a friend that I have loved in one way or another since I was 9 years old.

Saying goodbye has broken my heart.

Listening to God's voice isn't always the easiest thing to do - or to obey, but I choose to believe that listening is the best thing for all involved. With that said, it doesn't make it hurt or sting any less.

I pretty much feel like a failure.
I wanted to be a witness to my friend.
My goal was to show the light of Jesus, through the light he shines in me.
Maybe I did...
I pray that I did...
I suppose HIS plan will be made perfect in HIS timing!

Even typing out this post makes the tears well up in my eyes...
it's emotional.
I hate everything about the whole situation.
Last week, for about a day, I felt really pissed off at God.
Is that really horrible to admit?
I wanted to cry out - why did you let me fail at this???

Then, I was reminded that God never fails.
He has a perfect plan.
It is humans that fail.
It's our plans that are totally imperfect.

When we choose not to listen to the truth, that is failure.

This friend of mine and me... no one understands why we would possibly have ever become friends. Our lives are opposite. Our backgrounds couldn't be more different. Yet from the time I was in about the 4th grade, God was calling me to be a friend, and love this person....

Even though, I had to say goodbye.
I have to believe that God is still using me.
Somehow.
Someway.
I pray someday my friend will be able to be my friend again.
In God's timing.
Not mine.

It's okay to love people just because God is calling you to.
It doesn't have to make sense.
It doesn't have to be popular.
It doesn't have to be self-serving.
It doesn't have to please anyone.
It doesn't have to be for any other reason than because God has called you to.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. ... 1 John 3:16-24

My heart will mend with God's grace and love working in my heart.
Someday all the pain and sorrow, all of the hardships we face here on earth they will be made perfect!

It's okay to open your heart.
Even if it means it will be broken.
Don't be afraid to feel.
Don't be afraid to love.
Don't be afraid to shine his light through your life.
These things I'm learning.....

Lessons never end, no matter how old we grow to be.

his grace abounds...

*source*

a family hike...

Last Friday our family decided to get out and enjoy a lovely Spring day at Silver Creek Falls. It was cold up on the mountain. In fact, there was still snow on the ground. The falls were robust, and the sun was shining down. It was a glorious day. There is nothing better than enjoying God's beauty with those that you love!

We enjoyed ourselves so much, that I think we'll all being doing a whole lot more hiking as the weather gets better and better! It's pretty nice to go and do these things now that everyone in the family can walk on their own!!! We hiked about 7.5 miles total that day, yet we still didn't make it to all 10 falls. Someday, I would love to make it around the whole trail!!!