stamps for sale from Splitcoast... photos

On the move  $10

Perfect Presentation $ 10

Backyard BBQ $ 12

Off the Chart $10

birthday classifieds

I made this card for a Stampin' UP! contest.  I don't think I won, but I thought it turned out really cool.  

I love being a Mom!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there.  Our job isn't glamorous, but it is the most precious and meaningful job in the whole world.  Who else has so much influence on shaping the next leaders and homemakers?  Who else has the opportunity to shape a child's heart and draw them close to God?  (Of course it is God who softens the heart towards him, but he uses godly moms and dads to plant the seeds that He makes grow.)

I have two of the most precious boys in the whole world.  They make me smile, laugh and my heart is so much fuller because they are in my life.  They have taught me more about God, they have drawn me closer to God, and they have helped me to see the ugly sin in my own heart.  That is a good thing.  We have lots of fun hanging out together, singing songs, talking, building stuff, and it's just so much fun to listen to them try to make sense of the world.  They also humble me with the sweet and easy grace they give to me when I mess up and am not as patient with them as I need to be.

I also couldn't do this job at all without my wonderful husband.  His support, love and patience with me and the boys is a life line for me.   He prays for all of us daily and he gives me a little breather from the chaos of some of our days when he gets home and when he lets me go out with some of the other moms I know.   He is a rock for me to lean on.  

I am just so blessed.  And just to prove it, I got a beautiful bouquet of roses for Mother's Day from my guys.  Aren't they just gorgeous? I was so surprised when the UPS guy delivered these on Friday.  I almost cried.  

And the pictures of the rhodadendrons (I so don't know how to spell that), are from my youngest, John.  He had to go out with his granddad Sunday morning to pick them for me before we picked him up for church.   Isn't he so sweet?  

And Nathan was sweet and lovable to me all day with extra hugs and cuddles at church and home. He is so tender hearted.  But he's at an age where he isn't always as openly affectionate.  So I cherish the hugs and such he gives me right now. 

Anyway, just wanted to share a little story.  I also wanted to put in a humble moment that I haven't always embraced the joy of being a mom.  I have let the world's feminist views creep in every now and then and steal away the joy and blessing and divine calling of being a mom.  I have had thoughts that I need more "me time", more of a job that draws attention to my gifts or brings me kudos from others, or that I can't do this job.  God has blessed us with these boys for such a short time and for such a noble purpose--bring them up to know God, love God and serve God with all their hearts, minds and souls.  To do that means I have to be doing the same.  I haven't always been on that track, so I haven't had the right focus sometimes.  I get sidetracked by thinking that I need to be doing something more.  Or feeling jealous that I don't get ME TIME since I homeschool and I am always with my children.  That is so many lies.  God has called me to this right now. He promises that if I lean on Him and not my own understanding I will be equipped by Him to do this right.  Nathan and John will be grown up so fast (as I see every day and when every birthday goes by) and I'll have all the time in the world to bake or make stuff.  But I only have a short opportunity to enjoy every moment with them.   I only have a short time to teach them to see the world from God's perspective and raise them to be godly leaders for the next generation.  That is a big job and it doesn't leave room for pride and vanity on my part.  It's hard not to go there.  I pray daily that God will help me live in the moment, give the boys my undivided attention and to take the time to focus on teaching them along with the other things I have to take care of as a wife and homemaker.  It's exhausting but so worth it.   I also pray that God will keep me joyful and in close communion with Him as I must do that to do anything else well. 

Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day.  Blessings to  you all. 

Teabags to go

Here is a teabag holder I made tonight.  Pretty easy and simple.  I entered it into PTI's guest star stamper contest, but my photography is so bad, I am pretty sure it won't win.  I have got to get better lighting, but I usually stamp and photograph at night.  Plus I have been having problems with the digital camera uploading, so I have been using my iPhone's camera, emailing myself the pictures, downloading them and then editing them.  The iPhone has no flash.  So maybe I'll get Scott to take some better pictures and I'll resubmit them.  

time for tea

I made this for fun and to play with my new stuff.  I love this new Get a Handle On It  My Timeless Template.  It's a pretty big box at 3 1/4 inches square.  The handles are fun and the way it opens up.   I'll be making more of these really soon.  This uses the new PTI set Time for Tea.  I love tea so I love this new set.  Lots of great tea sentiments and ideas.  I used Lemon Tart, Plum Pudding, and Lavendar Moon papers from PTI , as well as Parisian Summer  paper from Stampin' UP!.  I used the key tag punch, small oval punch and the word window punch from Stampin' UP! .  

This would make a great gift with some tea bags and some small shortbread stick cookies.   

Papertrey Inspiration Challenge

This is my entry for the Design Team Inspiration challenge.  I chose Heather's challenge photo to work with.  This didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned it in my mind, but I think it is pretty.  I used Lauren's Pursonality My Timeless Template (1st time using it) and the proportions of the lid and base weren't what I was expecting once I got it all glued together.   Thus the flowers sort of don't stand out as well as I would like.  But anyway, I love the inspiration photos and the colors and thought of using sahara sand, white and ocean tides and sage shadow papers and inks.  I had these white flowers in my stash and the sahara sand eyelets to use.   So here is my creation.  Hope you like it.  I'll be trying some more of these totes in the future.