Smile- it's contagious

      I have an amazing friend in Idaho. She is the ultimate optimist! I have seen her struggle through life's challenges that would beat down the best of us with a smile on her face. She is forever happy. She thrives on life and the challenges it brings. When we had to make an unexpected and truthfully, unwanted move her words to me were, "what a GRAND adventure you will have!" I struggled with the move that took me away from the town, friends, and family that I hold so dear. I was so homesick and struggled to make our new house and town a home. If those words were a quilt they would be rags from all the times I have thought of her cheerful advice. They wrapped me in a warm embrace as I tried to learn from her amazing example.

     We taught cub scouts together for 5 years. Trust me, a group of 9 year old boys can wear you down. Not Rebekah though. She could smile and laugh off any of the boys antics. She is wise and caring. Her children are amazing and strong and well behaved. I have always been in awe of how she can mold a child; how she can teach a child without them realizing they just learned. It all comes so natural. Her cup is always half full or more. She truly has a smile that is contagious to those blessed to share it! I try to remember her quick and easy laughter. It really does make the day lighter.

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Never give up- Free wordart

It's a beautiful sunny Sunday. I thought it would be a great day to sit down and design a bit. I am hoping to get back to my blog. It's fun for me to look for a project but end up getting lost in memory lane. My projects have become a bookmark of what was going on with me and our family at the time. I am also hoping that a little digital wordart designing will help drive me back to my scrapbooking. So many other things have gotten in the way over the last couple of years that I am falling impossibly behind. Once upon a time I kept up on the memory books rather well. Reflecting back, I realized it was when I spent my Sundays scrapbooking. I want that again. So here is the first of (hopefully) many more wordarts. 

Last year I broke down and bought a new paper planner. I am such a list maker I fell in love with it. Each week allows for thoughts and inspiration to be jotted down. I find great thoughts and write a theme of sorts for the week. I've tried to fill my planner out in advance. It has been so helpful to keep me organized and on task with the goals I have set. Last weeks theme was "Focus".

This past week was a rough one for me. I have been fighting- literally- to lose weight with no success. I know I need to see an endocrinologist but until then I'm eating right and working out.I usually do well. I really do like going to the gym. I just feel better. I am healthy. But....

Last week though I broke.

Discouragement set in. I was tired of fighting and not seeing results. Most days I'm good but some are sooo hard. My body seems to fight me at every turn. Sacrifice is hard when there's no reward. I was in tears as I struggled to maintain my fitness level, let alone improve it. It seemed so unfair to work so hard and not reach my goals year and year. My good friend and trainer lifted my spirits to live for another day. "We have all been there. What I won't accept is not believing in yourself. You are an amazing resilient woman physically and mentally. Set backs humble us and are what makes our successes that much sweeter" she said. I love this lady! Sometimes it's hard to believe in ourselves but there is someone who does believe in us- Always!

 After a forgettable workout I sat down to plan the rest of my day. Trying to stay on track I opened my planner. It was the first time in the week I had been able to look at it. My quote for the week,

"No matter how you feel, Get up, Dress up, Show up & Never Give up!"

I wrote this quote on THIS week a couple of weeks ago. 

I stopped.

I thought.

I cried.

I said a little prayer of thanks for my Fathers inspiration;

 For knowing what I would need, when I would need it before I even knew I would need it.

The rest of the day and even the week that became my motto. I wish I could say the struggle was better, perhaps it was only a smidge but my resolve was renewed and I recommitted to continue the fight to a better me. One day I will get there. Until then I am never giving up!

Whatever YOUR challenge,

NEVER GIVE UP!

Fight for it and keep a strong support system nearby for those moments of weakness and discouragement. As Steph said, "we all have them"!

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Moments make up Eternity word art freebie

I have a dear friend who is one of the strongest people I know. She has had her personal mountains to climb. She has made her mistakes, yet she learns from them and always rises above it all. She is true to herself and never lets anyone have control over her. She speaks her mind in a decisive yet tactful way. She recently even faced down a rude and judgmental police officer. She speaks boldly and strongly. She is incredibly opinionated letting you know how she feels. She is just as quick to be the first to say I'm sorry when she is wrong.

I love her dearly! I am a strong person but have never had great tact. I am transparent, sometimes to a fault. From my dear friend I am learning to embrace who I am, the good with the bad. Each of these traits make up who I am inherently. I am starting to love my weaknesses.

So, my sweet friend recently went through another round of challenges. Each time we grow stronger but in the mists of our struggles it is hard to see the beauty until the mist clears. The mist is clearing for her. I love to see the new joy and increased fortitude she shows. I love to watch joy grow around me. Whatever our "joy" is I love to see it. When someone is truely happy it comes through in all we do. Happiness is wonderfully contagious!! 

This post is dedicated to my friend...

May you always find the peace and true happiness you so desire. And for those steep hikes through the mist, I will be there for you~ always! <3 hugs!

 

Student Council posters: project 33 of 52

My friend Kaylyn's daughter decided to run for student council for 6th grade and needed some posters. I have oodles of supplies for school and paper crafting. Kaylyn and I searched the internet and came up with a few ideas. She couldn't pass out candy and needed her name, picture, teacher, grade, and characteristics on the posters. We spent yesterday and part of today working on 4 posters. I used my cricuit to cut the letters out. I actually use it for school projects more than for scrapbooking. It is times like this that I am thankful for a husband who lets me indulge in my craftiness. The supplies add up but come in SOOO very handy! I was thrilled with what we came up with. What do you think?

I used my photoshop program to edit her picture and place it in front of a flag. I still need to practice with the lasso tool in photoshop but for this poster I made do with what I knew how to do.

You can't see them but each star on the flag has a jewel on it. Just a little bling. Love it! Some of the words still needed gluing- we were running out of time.....

This was the easiest one and I love how it turned out. Simple- Make a note. Some of the tags describe Katelyn's characteristics.

I love the glitter foam on this one!

Her name will go on under the "CHEWS" as well as her teachers name.

I also thought to do the CTR sheild to "choose Kately" but we were worried people would be offended by the LDS symbolism. Yeah, people are sensitive to that around here. Go figure.

Another idea was to make an accronym out of the letters of her name. Have her name go down with other words going across; like Kind for 'K' etc.

They were fun to make. Lucky for us Josh decided to do orchestra instead of student council. I'm not sure we could have come up with 4 different ideas.

Boys in the mud

Only a mother of little boys can appreciate.....

Mud waterfalls, mud pies, and muddy backsides. The backyard was excavated in prep for building a retention wall but little did mom realize it became a dream zone for boys. Tyler, his best friend and Matthew all had a hayday! They had a "mud waterfall" with the hose running down the embankment making one great mud lake on the other side. 

 

 

They played for quite awhile until mom made them shut off the water. I can handle the muddy feet but prefer to conserve water. Besides the puddle was ready to breach it's banks ;-). I'd better watch out, Kaylyn might stop letting her son come over. He usually goes home muddy, wet, or with popsicle stains. The do have LOADS of fun though! After all just look at that smile! 

Who can resist?

We're on the move.....

This has been one crazy week. I nearly got my project done for Monday but kinda got side tracked with great news. Robin got a job in Utah! We are sooo thrilled. He will be starting 1 week from Monday- yeah that's fast. So this week has been a mad dash to get the house on the market, clean up, trips to the D.I., and a trip to Utah for buisiness and house hunting. The boys were really good considering they spent a lot of time in the van and going from one house to another. It was POURING rain yesterday but today cleared up so we were able to see the area a bit better. Tooele is a very pretty area. We are exciting and anxious all at the same time. I don't know what I will do with the boys, soccer, work, and school without Robin to keep me sane! The Lord definantely has his hands in these plans though. We are seeing every day, ways he is helping to guide us and bless us. So for now we are taking a bit of a detour. I will keep you posted on how things go but my posts may be more irregular. Moving is never fun but it is an adventure. My favorite quote of late is "Trusting in the Lord includes trusting in His timing". I read it EVERY DAY! and remind myself of this.

Yesterday we were lucky enough to, totally by chance, meet a GREAT realtor, Guy Kisel. I had called about a home I found online. He answered my questions then searched other homes for us too. He spent several hours yesterday and today helping us. Yep, another blessing.

Yesterday, we found some nice homes but nothing that made my heart speed up. Nothing that spoke "Welcome Home". We ended the day in the gray, pouring rain tired and down, just trusting in the Lord and His timing.

This morning dawned with a drizzle continueing and gray. By the time we were on the road the sun was trying to peak through the gray. As the day wore on it just got better and better. We had planned on leaving Utah by noon but fianlly HAD to leave at 1:30. We found several home possibilities and 2 specifically that would be great for our family. So we ended the day on a high note with choices to make. Now we sit back, ponder and seek the direction we should go. Yep, another blessing!

Either way I know that the Lord knows what my family needs and WHEN I need it. We are so very sad to be leaving our beloved home, our wonderful neighborhood, and especially our dear friends, *sniff* but ohhh, what a relief for my dear sweet Robin. Unemployment doesn't bode well for him.

Life is about adventures and growing and learning. We have grown. We have learned. We have loved. Now we move on to the next adventure. We'll see what's in store for our family.

I know this is long and no pictures but I had to unload what was in my heart tonight. Call it my emotional download.

Keep watching. I will post my projects as they happen and I will post pictures of homes we may be looking at..... Stay Tuned to our Adventure in Moving!

Dave and Erika....

So I am noticing your blog stalking! Hope you are all well in S.C. I would love to follow your family's adventure. Let me know how I can. ;-) TTYL