Giving Thanks
148. Iced coffee.
149. Family.
150. Real friends, who share real life.
151. Humility–being conformed to Christ.
152. Pumpkins–happy orange!
153. Little girls with big plans.
154. Rainy mornings that beckon us outside.
155. Boy laughter and splashing and wet everywhere!
Why, hello there…
It’s been exactly a year since I’ve checked in here last. When I think about how many things have changed for us since then, it amazes me. This time last year, we were looking for land near our hometown and researching starting up a small, organic farm. We were part of a small House of Prayer, things were comfortable, easy and…something wasn’t right about it all. No matter what we did, we felt like God was saying no. We had been trying to sell our house for over a year by that point to no avail.
And then out of nowhere, God resurrected a dream that we had for James to go to seminary. It didn’t make sense; it was a big, expensive, impossible dream. And yet, one year later, here we are. God’s timing was perfect, with our house selling with only a week to spare. His choice for us was perfect, a small, but amazing school only a couple of hours from our family and friends. If he had answered our prayers in the way we had hoped for a year ago, none of this would have even been on the radar, but it just feels right. For the first time in probably ever, we feel like we have stepped into our destiny.
The road is not going to be easy; in fact, we’ve given up nearly everything to come here. The road is not going to be short. This is a minimum 5-7 year commitment before we even really begin. But I can’t even describe the way it feels to finally be on our way. After all of the years of failures and disappointments and trying again and again to make something happen, God just stepped in. I wouldn’t trade the wisdom, experiences and friendships we’ve gained for anything. They have made us who we are, have refined us and defined us and made us ready and willing to go where he’s leading us.
Blog Hop Freebie!
Are you all recovered from International Digital Scrapbooking Day yet? I hope that you all got a chance to not only shop, but also create some pages. As a special post iDSD gift, the designers at SBB are hosting a blog hop. Don’t forget to check out the challenges that we have going on, too!
Here’s my part:
You can get it here.
Up next is Inspired By Dominic.
Happy scrapping!
Happy iDSD!
It’s International Digital Scrapbooking Day! We are celebrating all weekend long, and to kick things off, all of my products in both my SBB and Oscraps shops are 30% off! No coupon needed. 
Introducing…Imagine Childhood
Recently, I got to team up with the fabulous Christine Honsinger of Fiddlette Designs to create this whimsical tribute to the wonder of childhood. You can get it here at Catscrap during the month of November.
We are also giving away a coordinating mini-kit, available on the Catscrap blog and two quick pages!
You can get mine below, and be sure to head over to Christine’s blog to grab hers! Happy scrapping!
Moving on…
After five years in business, Scrapartist is closing. It has been so hard to leave a place that I’ve enjoyed so much, but I’m also so excited to open up a new chapter. Starting today, you can find my designs at Oscraps and Scrapbook-bytes! Everything will be on sale for 30% off through Monday, Sept. 6th. I’m also having a creative team call, and look forward to adding a few more members to the team. Have a happy Wednesday!
Summer Break
Isn’t summer great? I’m so thankful for these moments.
From two to one…
Today, I’m celebrating 10 years of marriage with my amazing husband, and later this month will be the anniversary of our first date, 15 years ago. He’s the only man I’ve ever kissed, the only one I could ever say “I, do” to. I know what he’s thinking before he says anything. When he walks into the room, I instinctively recognize my other half; when he’s gone, part of me is missing. We’re no longer two separate people; we’re US. One. I don’t even know how to describe how we’ve grown together over the years. It’s a miracle, really. No, it’s a mystery.
I don’t think it’s cliche’ to say that I love him more now than ever–it’s natural. It’s what is supposed to happen. With every passing day and year, the bond between us gets stronger, a fusing together of hearts and minds, of dreams and plans.
I hardly recognize those two awkward, young teenagers who nervously held hands on their first date. We have both changed so much, and gone through so much, but it’s always been together. At every bend, with every new big dream, we turn to the other and see the same spark, a recognition. No longer two, but one.
Happy anniversary, honey! I love you!
“Creatively” focused photo courtesy of our 4 year old, taken last week on our family vacation.
Happy birthday, Scrapartist!
Scrapartist is turning 5! To celebrate, we’re having a blog train party! Here’s my part:
Next stop, the amazing Dianne Ridgon! And if you get lost along the way, go back to the SA blog for a complete list.
More than enough…again…
The other day, I became aware of a need in a family that I know. I wanted to help them, so I gave. I found out later that we didn’t really have as much as I thought we did. I was okay with that; I didn’t mind the sacrifice. But I also prayed that God would give us what we needed and named a specific amount. Less than two days later, James was on his way home from a work trip and was bumped from his flight. To make up for it, the airline offered him compensation, in the form of a check for the EXACT amount that I had prayed for. Incredible!
He was also going to have to wait about four hours before getting on another flight, and get home really late at night. Instead, he ended up walking down to another terminal in the airport, and there was a flight leaving in 10 minutes that he had just enough time to catch. He ended up getting home only a little while later than he would have. God is so good to us and he is more than enough!
