Home made costumes

 2005-Charlie was a cow.

 2006-Charlie was a Purple People Eater.  She LOVED that song.  Everyone thought she was a tella tubbie.

 2007-Charlie was Strawberry Shortcake.  Her very first store bought costume.

 2008-Charlie wanted to be Randy from A Christmas Story.  We thought it was a super creative costume.  She went around telling everyone, "I can't put my arms down."  Very few people understood.

 2008- Brantley was a knight.  This was the year that someone donated a dragon costume to my class. Charlie found it and had to be a dragon to go with B's knight costume.  We usually do several nights of Halloween stuff so it was easy to accommodate her.  

 2009-B was a Purple People Eater.  I loved that costume so much and it fit him this year.  Charlie was a princess.  Her grandmother made the dress.

2010- Brantley wanted to be a monkey.  Charlie wanted to be Lucy Little from The Littles.

2011- Charlie wanted to be Velma (a gift from Santa aka Grandma) last year for Christmas.  Brantley said for two months leading up to Halloween that he wanted to be a lion.  Then one day in the story we walked through the Halloween section the first part of October.  He pointed to the shelf and said "Mommy I gonna be that for Halloween."  He was pointing to a can of silly string.  I asked him.  "You want to be what?"  "I gonna be a can a silly string. I gonna shoot all the people with my silly string."  I knew that Dusty would LOVE that.  I kept asking for about a week and he never returned to lion.  So, he was a can of silly string.  I love that my kids costumes are very "non-traditional."

Generosity

In church this morning Pastor Carlon talked about grace giving.  I have really been thinking tonight about all the times that I have seen true generosity.  The definition of generosity according to a very dear friend is that gift that you truly can not repay.  So, here is the list that has come to mind right now.  
* Thank you God, for the family that took a group of college girls out to lunch every week.  I have always wanted to be that couple later in life that just loves on those kids without families close by.  * Thank you God for my college room mate and her family that just welcomed me as part of their family.  
* Thank you God, for my college friends family that allowed me to live with them in their home for 9 months.  They have no idea how much that meant.  
* Thank you to the man with the family of five that stopped to change my tire for me when I was in college.  It was dark and rainy.  
* Thank you God for the neighbor three houses down that mowed our yard when I was pregnant with Charlie.
* Thank you God for the dear friend that got together with me once a week while I went through postpartum depression.  God has blessed me through her.  
* Thank you God for a place of work that allows my children to be dropped off each day so I don't have to pay day care. 
* Thank you for the sweet friend that placed $100 gift card in my mailbox when Dusty was between jobs.  
* Thank you to the friend that babysat my friends for me this summer so I could go to an interview when I could not find anyone else. 
* Thank you to the friend that made dinner on the one night that I had no idea when I would eat.  
* Thank you to the friend that took time out of her day just to say hi and see how I was doing.


Some of these things are BIG. Some of these things cost money. And some...gave time.  
I pray that I am obedient enough to hear the voice that says do this for her/him.  I pray that God helps me have a generous heart to be a grace giver. 

Answered prayers

I am really trying to leave my kids (and grandkids) a legacy of faith.  Most of my scrapbook stuff is really about the story and not so much about the layout or the "fun stuff" on the page.  Sometimes it is about the pictures.  But really, it is about the story, especially when it is a faith story.
This one is a little of both.
I have been praying for some time for a friend.  A close friend.  This  layout is about a very dear Godly woman.  She and her son have really touched our lives the last few years.  He is three weeks older than B.  And B adores him.  She is someone that has really become someone that I do not want to do life without.  I can see our families still being friends 20 years from now.  The prayer on the front says:  Dear Lord, I have no friends (I should probably clarify.  I have lots of friends but not many really close ones that I share life with on a fairly regular basis. This is what my prayer was based on.)  Please send me someone to:  talk with, laugh with, play with, cry with, smile with, weep with, pray with...
The journaling on the left of the layout is from a card she sent me in 2009.  Inside the pocket is a different card, 3 e-mails and then my "story."  This is the piece that I want my kids to know.  "This has been a reoccurring prayer of mine for years. Each time it is answered,  I am amazed.  Not that God answered the prayer but in the way he answered it.  Again, this prayer began in 2007 when I had recovered from post pardoum depression, but still struggled with the every day "blues."  I searched for friends.  Each time, I was accepted but not in the way that I wanted.  I still felt left out.  This seems to be the story of my life.  The one who fits in but is always outside.
God began preparing the way for this friendship long before I realized.  I met her "who knows" when.  I admired her from a far.  She always seemed so "put together."  She was what I would call a reverent person.  She was so faithful and knowledgeable when it came to God's word.  Fall of 2009 we attended a bible study together on Ruth.  I felt inadequate.  I felt lost.  I felt like I didn't belong and yet, I kept going.  I knew that God was working in me.  After class she sent me this beautiful note.  It touched my heart.  June 2010 I sent an e-mail to the ladies in my Sunday School class.  I wanted something very different for my birthday.  I wanted to pray with other women.  She came.  The evening was incredible.  To have women take the time out of their lives to pray for me.  That is what the evening ended up being.  I want to pray with someone and it became that I was being prayed for AMAZING!!!  God is truly amazing.
Aug-Sept 2010 our sons brought us together.  B and he are 3 weeks apart.  They both began biting in class.  We were asked not to bring them back to class without an adult to watch them for a month (a policy I agree with now.  At the time emotion was involved.)  We were both hurt, devastated, embarrassed, angry, and yet as God always does something beautiful came out of something bad.  She has become a very dear friend.  She is someone I can pray with.  I am blown away by how completely God answers prayers.  I want a friend to "do" stuff with and instead God provided a prayer partner who is willing to "do" stuff together."
And here is the kicker for the whole thing for me.  I made this layout in December.  And I meant every word.  Since May, we have been meeting once a week.  We have been praying for each other on a regular basis.  We have been working on a bible study together.  And, She means more today then she did in December.  I am so very thankful that my son started biting.  I am so very thankful that God has given me this very precious friend.
 

Oh to scrapbook again!

I have that feeling again. I have not had that feeling since right around the time I found out I was pregnant with B.  I just want to sneak out to my room.  I think about pictures I am taking and about what sketch I will use.  About what random layout I saw on someone's blog that makes my heart skip a beat and says..."copy me!!!"  I took a vacation Saturday night.  I told Dusty, "You have the kids I am on vacation for a while."  I stayed in my room for about 2 hours.  I was so happy with what I came away with 2 cards, 2 layouts and 2 gifts for friends.  I was so impressed with what I managed to get done in 2 hours.  :)

 This was last years Halloween pictures.  Charlie was Lucy Little and B was a monkey.  Oh course, No one knew who Lucy Little was.  I love how my kid doesn't really go with what everyone else goes with.  This year she wants to be Velma from Scooby Doo.   B,  he wants to be a can of silly string.  I love that 3 year old brain of his.  Now, to make a can of silly string.

Here is the challenge at Faith Sisters.  I was on the design team for the first go around.  I was good for about 6 months and then life just got unbearably busy and I did not finish.  I am bound and determined to finish this album. It means too much to me not to finish it.  So, week by week I work on another page.  This one what your favorite verse.  Oh, I have so many!
And, I am just loving my My mind's eye paper.  I swear I should just get rid of everything else b/c I always go back to it.  I will be so sad when it is gone.
Journaling:

My scripture: Jeremiah 29:11-14 29:11 was an emergency (9-1-1) life line growing up. It was the place "2" go when I need to remember God's promise. As I got older, I realized how much I truly need to seek God. When I see Him, I WILL (not might) find him. And, He WILL bring me from captivity. Everyone's captivity is different. Mine: Depression & Self Doubt