My Giveaway

Jen at A Good Cup of Coffee is the winner of my 1st blog giveaway! It is ironic that she won because she was one of the very 1st blogs that I started following! Jen has already requested an apron & pot holders instead of the baby set, so I'll get started on that right away! I already know what fabric I'm going to use. I hope she likes it. The picture above is of everything that I'll be sending, except the apron & pot holders.

I want to thank all of you who entered. I have found lots of new friends and blogs that I have started following through you. I had a lot of fun with this giveaway, and can't wait to have another one.

Exciting News

Shanda & her daughter Laci

I realized that my niece , Shanda, started her blog this week. Shanda is my husband's brother's daughter. When Charlie & I got married Shanda was 10, I think... Her parent's were recently divorced, and she was going through an emotional upheaval. Charlie and I lived with his parents for the first year, and Shanda was there a lot. We became very close and she became like a little sister to me, almost a daughter. After we moved out she spent many days & nights at my house. When I had children she became like their big sister, and good for me because she was always a handy babysitter. Shanda says she has learned many things from me, but I am sure they are both good and bad, probably more bad. You see, Shanda was around us mostly when we were first married, and I was a spoiled child. Yes, I said it! I'm sure she is laughing reading this because we were both spoiled children! Charlie & I both did a lot of growing up, and she was around to witness that. Now we live about 2 hours away from each other but we are still close. As I've gotten older, I've tried to be an example for her of the way that you should act, and hopefully she'll forget all that bad stuff. LOL :) Eventually Shanda married Charlie's best friend. Isn't that odd? Now they have a beautiful little girl. She will be 3 in April, and she is like my granddaughter. She reminds me so much of my little girl. Shanda is a very creative person. Valerie and I have been after her for months to start a blog. She is an excellent crafter. She crochets, sews purses, dresses, you name it and she can make it. She is an avid scrapbooker and can make all kinds of really neat layouts. She made her own shadow boxes of her daughter's first dresses. She could probably post for weeks about the items that she has already made and never even have to start a new project!

So, without further ado...go and visit her blog, A Small Ray of Sunshine!

My 1 year Blog Birthday

I didn't realize that my 1 year blog birthday was going to fall on a Sunday. I very rarely touch a computer on Sunday. So, my birthday present to all of you is late! I'm sorry but I'll make it extra special. I entered the blog world with trepidation. I doubted that anyone would get anything out of it...I didn't realize that it was me that would get the most of it. I've met so many people in the blog world that I call my friends. My family still looks at me strangely when I say things like "I have a friend in AZ that has a lemon tree in her backyard." or "I just talked to Valerie today and she said..." I'm sure they think that Valerie and I are burning up the telephone wires! I've learned so many things from all of you! I've learned many great recipes, how to sew, cutting & piecing quilts, and I am relearning how to embroider! Thank you all for making my 1st year so memorable. You have prayed with me through some of the toughest trials of my life. I started to stop blogging and a friend of friend who never even leaves me comments emailed me. She said that she looks forward to reading my posts, and that I am an inspiration to her. Really?? Me?? I guess I didn't realize by sharing my thoughts, trials, inspirations, my life in a world that seems invisible that I could inspire someone else.

So to celebrate this 1st birthday or blogoversary as some call it, I will be giving away some things that say a lot about me. I've learned to sew this year mostly baby things because my sister had a beautiful baby boy, so I'll be giving away 1 of my baby sets which includes a blanket, bib & cloth diaper. You choose boy or girl & I will make it special just for you! For those of you who don't have a baby in the family I can make something special for your kitchen, like an apron & potholders! I will be giving away a cookbook, because I love to cook and you all were with me as I launched Krista's Kitchen. A devotional book, because I love to be motivated by the bible. and last but not least, fabric... I have accumulated lots of fabric, and I would love to see someone make something with it. I'll be giving away a couple of yards of corduroy, pink & purple 5" squares, and lots of scraps. At this point it is just sitting in the corner of my sewing room/dining room. All of this to just one person!

To enter the giveaway just leave a comment telling me how you've turned lemons into lemonade or in other words how you've turned a trial into a blessing! Oh, and make sure that you leave me your email address or your blog address so that I know how to contact you in case you win! I'll be choosing the winner on Saturday, February 28 so you must enter before Midnight on Friday, February 27.

I'll have pictures to follow this evening. I am unable to post pictures from work.

The Mail

The picture from the top of the subdivision this morning!

Do any of you still get that excited feeling when you go to check the mail? You know the feeling that I am talking about. That feeling that we all had as children when our parents would tell us to check the mail, and we thought maybe just maybe something would be there for us. That feeling left me about the time that I realized the only thing that came in the mail with my name on it were bills! Then this last year I started receiving samples in the mail and I started getting excited when the mailman came.

My daughter loves to check the mail. She usually checks the mailbox everyday on her way in from school. Lately she has started getting college invitations, I guess that is what you call them, you know the letters that say "Come check out our school", so checking the mail has a whole new feeling for her now. Let's just say she is super excited about checking the mail!

Well, yesterday, for some reason, she didn't check the mail so I did. She again had several college invitations which I knew she would love, but there was an envelope for me... It said open immediately, time sensitive, who knew can they put bombs in an envelope. As soon as I get in the house, I rush to open the envelope, and guess what was in it?

JURY SUMMONS

You are hereby summoned to appear before the JUDGE of CRIMINAL COURT...

Since living in Tennessee Charlie & I have both now received an invitation to be on a jury. I served on a jury once in Georgia, but it was a civil case. This could be interesting...

What color is your rainbow?

Your rainbow is intensely shaded white, indigo, and yellow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You appreciate cities, technology, and other great things people have created. Friends count on you for being honest and insightful. You're good at getting people to like you.



Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

I found this at Sew Happy Quilting, and thought I'd play along. I am a little amazed by the colors of my rainbow. The others that I've seen are usually one color, but mine is very shaded... What does that really say about me?

You don't appreciate what you have

Until you don't have it anymore.

I never thought that I would say this, but I miss being just a housewife. I didn't work outside the home for almost 9 months last year. Financially it was extremely hard. Our outgoing was more than our incoming almost every month. The stress of paying the bills was almost more than I could handle, and it was definitely more than Charlie could handle. We didn't have a lost of extras. Any discretionary expenses were cut down to almost nothing. Then you think about those things that we did have. The house was always clean. The laundry was always done. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner were made by ME! I felt more of a sense of accomplishment doing those things than I have ever felt working in a 9-5 job, even when I made 6 figures!

So, now we have money to pay our bills, and we can go out to eat every once in a while, but I miss being at home. I miss being there when my kids needed me or Charlie needed me. I miss sewing, cooking, and Yes, even cleaning! We may not ever be to the place where I could stay at home without any income, but I will say that it was an experience that I'll never forget.

I envy those of you who are SAHM, and home school your children. I don't envy you, as some do, because "you don't have to work", we all know that is not true! I envy you because your work is so much more rewarding than just a paycheck!

Some say well, Krista, you can have it all! You can work, keep a clean house, have the laundry done, cook supper, and be there for your husband & kids when they need you. I say, "Do I look like SuperWoman?" My house is clean, we have clean clothes to wear, and I cook supper, but it just doesn't feel the same, and I am always tired! Now it just feels like I have 2 jobs.

Oh well, the moral of the story is...Be happy with what God gives you. If you are always unsatisfied then you'll always be looking for more. Sometimes you are right where God wants you, and doing what God wants you to do. It may not be what you want, but it is what God wants. Charlie & I have talked and we are going to try to pay off our debt with my earnings. That may take years... Who knows maybe I'll be a Stay at Home Grandma or Aunt! I wouldn't mind being either one because I love babies so I'll leave you with the newest pics of Baby Isaac! These were just taken on Sunday. He is in the 90th percentile for both weight and height. He is 17 lbs and 26 inches long! He'll be 4 months old on Feb. 22, 2009.

ROCK Solid's Blog

Our Youth Group at church now has a blog...



Check out rocksolidyouthministries.blogspot.com.

My 1st Blog Birthday

My 1st birthday is coming up...

I missed celebrating my 100th post, and I knew that my blog birthday was coming up soon, but I wasn't sure when. Today I began looking through my older posts and realized that my 1st birthday will be February 22nd! Hooray...I've almost made it a year, and even though I've not hit rock star status, I do have a few people by my site everyday. Most don't leave comments, but that is okay because I still love you!

Now I have to think up a birthday present for 1 lucky person. Not for me, but for you! I know most of my posts are very random, and I would like to incorporate some of the things that I have blogged about. I'm thinking maybe a devotional book, a few pieces of fabric, maybe a baby blanket set, maybe something sweet, I don't know I am going to dwell on it. I'll be posting something next week letting you know what the present will be and how you can win it!

Fabric Line

I receive emails from a local quilt shop about their upcoming promotions. Today they were featuring a new fabric line from Clothworks called Delilah. While I thought it was pretty it wasn't quite to my style, but Clothworks has another new line called Cherry Blossom that I love. I did a google search for the Clothworks website, and to what did my wondering eyes did appear!!! Many, many, many FREE patterns. Now I am no where near as talented as most of you, but I love to collect fabric. Yes, that is what I call my fabric stash because since I've went back to work I very rarely have the time to sew so now I just collect fabric. I have lots, and lots of fabric! Someday I'll make that fabric into quilts, purses, curtains...

Anyway...fabric. My new Clothworks favorites are Funny Farm, Classic Black, Toy Box, and All Aboard. I just found it and Toy Box & All Aboard are no longer available! What am I going to do? I am going to check around and see if anybody has these two collections because I think that I need them for my fabric collection! There are many others that I like too, and I'm sure that you all will too. Check out Clothworks and find a store near you that carries it.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Making Plans...

When life is at it's fullest we began to make plans. Plans for what do you say? Well, usually plans for vacation!

Sometimes when I am tired and worn out from just the daily tasks of life I began to get depressed, and just the thoughts of vacation rejuvenate me. We've been talking about vacation with the kids for several months now. Since our kids have been old enough to have a suggestion about vacation we've let them be in on the discussion. If you know my kids then you probably know that this started when they were about 2. My kids are talkers... Wonder where they get that from? anyway, back to my point. We had several ideas, and couldn't come down to just one. Of course money is always a factor, and we know we have to go somewhere that is within our budget. My husband is a big Disney fan, so his suggestion was to rent a house in Orlando/Kissimmee and spend the week at Disney World and Universal Studios with maybe a day or two in Daytona. I had a couple of ideas. There are two places that I would love to take my kids. I've been there, but they haven't. My first idea was to fly to Las Vegas then rent a car. After spending a couple of days in Las Vegas then we could drive to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, even LA isn't far away. My second idea was to drive up north, going to New York City, and then drive back down through Washington DC. Staying a few days in each place. Charlie and the kids didn't want to go anywhere that we had to drive a lot, so that pretty much nixed my ideas. We've been to Disney multiple times, and the kids are getting older so that doesn't interest them very much. The kids ganged up on us and want to go on a cruise. Charlie and I have been on 2 cruises, but they've not been with us either time. At first we were afraid that a cruise would be over budget, but I began to look. Because of our past cruiser discounts we can save over $200 per person. This brought it within budget. We began to talk about it with our extended family, and now there are 16 of us going! We are going to have a blast! The great thing about it is that it is all family. That was one of the stipulations that my children had. They just wanted family to go because they want to be able to relax & have a good time.

I am really excited. Our trip is planned for May 30 - June 6. We will be going to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel Mexico. Beth & I have started shopping for formal dresses. Thankfully, she is a very modest girl. It does make it a little hard though. She wants a formal dress that isn't too short, low cut, and it has to have sleeves. We are having a tough time finding something that isn't too expensive and doesn't look to old for her. We will persevere and I know that we will find something! We have several months too look and I know that we will find the perfect dress!

Yesterday after church I began to think about making plans for vacation and about how it has changed my mood the last couple of days. I then began to think about going to Heaven. Sometimes we lose our focus, and forget about our ultimate destination. It is very easy to become downhearted. Sometimes I began to even doubt my salvation. Don't tell me that you've not done that too because you know that you have! Our Pastor preached a wonderful doctrinal subject yesterday about the true sheep fold. Not everyone enjoys those times when we go to church and the preacher is teaching, but I do. I always learn something new. The sermon led me to thinking about something my grandfather used to say. He would call those types of sermons "nuggets". He said that you just take it and put it back because you'll need it someday. I began to correlate the two things in my mind; vacation & Heaven. There are so many similarities, but Heaven will be our ultimate vacation. Will I have everything I need to make this journey? Do I have everything packed correctly? Are my garments ready? Do I have the right clothes on? Each time I go to church and receive something new I should be "packing" it away so that I'll be ready when Jesus calls.

Just like preparing for a cruise...do we have our passports ready? Do we have our clothes packed? Do we have the right kind of clothes for every event? Is our life in order? Are we ready?

TGIF

Really, I am thanking God that it is finally Friday! Many things have happened since last Friday. Jump back 1 week...I was sick. Remember Bah Humbug...well, that was me. I am not a very nice sick person. I just don't take being sick very well. I am whiny and want attention, but yet I don't want anyone to bother me. Does that make sense? Of course not. My husband for over 18 years still doesn't understand it. I try to tell him, just acknowledge that I am ill, and then leave me alone. I will get better eventually. Charlie doesn't get the acknowledge that I am ill part. He just leaves me alone!

Last Friday night we had a lock-in planned at church. I really didn't want to go, but since I was probably going to be the only female adult supervision, I had to! Believe it or not, I made it. We had a great time. We played board games, and video games all night long. We played American Idol, which is a blast by the way, Guitar Hero World Tour, Soccer, Racing, honestly I can't even remember all the games that were played. We had a great time. We had pizza, chicken wings, chips, and I made 7 dozen chocolate chip cookies, 1 dozen at a time. Each dozen was gone as soon as I brought them out of the oven. It was a night to remember.

Then sometime during the night, I don't remember what time it was, Charlie's mother called. His uncle had a massive heart attack and was on life support. Charlie & I discussed it and decided not to tell the youth. We just continued the lock-in and made plans to go to Georgia as soon as we could. We finally made it home about 8am. Charlie and I both passed out till about 2:30. We had missed several calls from Charlie's Dad. He thought we were going to meet him at the hospital. We immediately got up, dressed, packed, and left for Georgia. By the time we arrived at the hospital they had already taken his uncle off the life support. His heartbeat was steadily decreasing. The doctors & nurses said that they didn't think he'd make it through the night. Charlie's Dad didn't want to leave the hospital. He wanted to be there when his brother took his last breath. That night became the longest ever. We stayed up all night Friday night, and it didn't seem like the minutes lasted hours, but sitting in that ICU waiting room on Saturday night the minutes lasted days. Charlie's Dad said he would leave come daylight if nothing had changed. We all left about 7am. His uncle passed away about 1:30 on Sunday afternoon. The funeral was planned for Wednesday. Charlie & I left Georgia Sunday evening so that we could come home and work on Monday. We turned right back around Tuesday morning and went back to Georgia, not returning home until Wednesday night. I am thankful that God watched over us in the many miles that we traveled. I would ask each of you to pray for Charlie's Aunt. His uncle & aunt had been married 58 years. I can't even imagine the pain that she must feel having to go home to an empty house. I know that God can comfort her and the family during this time of grief.

Of course we returned home to snow & ice. Charlie is now sick. I guess he caught the cold that I had last week. Needless to say it has been the longest 7 days ever! I am so thankful that it is Friday.

When Life Gives You Lemons Award

I received this cute award from Mari. It's for someone who has a great attitude or shows gratitude. I am very humbled that she thought of me. I try to have a good attitude and to always look at the bright side of things. I've always been told that I am a "glass is half-full" kind of person. I started this blog almost a year ago when I was going through a very tough time in my life, and I needed to remember that When Life Give You Lemons...Make Lemonade. I've made a lot of lemonade.... some of it sweet and some of it extremely sour! :)

I would like to pass on this award to a long time friend of mine over at Laugh and the World Laughs With You who also is going through a tough time, but we know with the Lord's help she can make it through it!