VACAY

I must tell you, I am blown away from this fall season of sewing!  To say I am thankful for your support is an understatement!  I can not begin to tell you how much it means to me seeing you all give my items as gifts, wear my bags around town, and put my appliqued shirts on your little ones.  A girl can cry at such things!  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Thank you for your purchases.  Thank you for your feedback.  Thank you for watching my kids while I sewed.  Thank you for coming to events.  Thank you for writing on my facebook page.  WOW, Thank you! 

I am planning some new things for 2012.  A better blog, a better shop, a bunch of giveaways.  Until then, I'm planning on enjoying the next two weeks praising God for the birth of his son!  I'm proud to be his daughter and blown away by the fact that he choose me for such a grand life!  

Love you all!  Merry Christmas!  

Trying Christmas

I have so wanted to blog over the last week.  It hasn't even been the Christmas season that has kept me busy.  It has just been a combination of exhaustion from everything.  Take 4 kids, a very busy husband, a 9 week old puppy, a house to keep, sewing to do, and friends to love = one tired but thankful gal.

There are a lot of great ideas brewing for the new year (in shop and on blog). But for now, we will slow down, hold onto to our family traditions, and keep the spirit inside us alive.

No, thanks - I will pass on that blessing

I was just putting up our nativity when is occurred to me - what if Mary said "no thanks?"  What if God gave her the choice?  Could he have said to Mary - - "I know you are young, a virgin, but I really need you to carry this baby so he can save the world, but its' your choice."     What is she said no?  Where would I be?  Where would the world be?

I am pretty sure Mary did not have an easy pregnancy.  She was to be wed, young and pregnant.  Not the place she had probably planned on being that year.

If given the choice at the beginning of the year - I would have said, "no thanks."  No thanks to the job lose, no thanks to the dramatic cut in pay, no thanks to the stress on my marriage, no thanks to the fractured extended family, no thanks to the fair weathered friends, no thanks to the loose of loved ones, no thanks to being hurt.  I think I would have passed without a second thought.

But where would I be today?  I am thankful that God doesn't give us the chance to say no.  I wouldn't say it has been the easiest year but I would do it again.  For in the end, there is a reward.  It is a reward hard to explain.  For in the lose, there was light - a gain only for the kingdom and I am glad that I didn't have the chance to say no too.

Dogs not Newts

I love all God's creatures, he calls us too.  But there are certain species that I enjoy a little more than others.  I tend to like things with fur.  You know the ones that are nice to touch.  The animals who tend to have personalities and perhaps contribute to life.

The top of my list of animals I like would be the dog.  The plain domesticated common dog.  It has fur.  It has a bark that is most often followed by a strong bite.  It is a protector.  Often the dog is found to be loyal.  Most dogs are smart and can think on their own.  But most important, dogs are human family and work driven.

c                                                                                  Source: etsy.com via Emma on Pinterest

On the bottom of my animal list would be most any amphibian - - like the newt.  Newts are slimy.  They hide under rocks in the face of danger.  It is known that newts can survive in the water and land -- they can not make up their mind.  Newts have thin skin which makes them overly senstive to change.

                                                               Source: elementaryartfun.blogspot.com via Susan on Pinterest

I have been a long time nonadmirer of newts, I think I will stick with dogs -- a very loyal dog.  But after a weekend of searching, I think I will keep looking -- probably past 2012.