Fall Festivities

I have to rant for just a sec. I love pictures with my posts. I just do...but lately it is such a pain dealing with uploading them to my computer and editing with Picnik that I'm about to lose my patience. What should be a snappy process takes me forever. Please tell me you have computer problems too. I feel like I'm losing my mind....ugh!!! Anyways...now back to our scheduled programming:)





Today was Little Chick's fall festival at school. There she is in scrubs in the back on the right. When I got to school she took one look at me and ran over, wrapped her arms around my legs and started crying. She has issues with the "costume parade". Always has. I don't think she likes people looking at her, and you know what?? I don't blame her. I remember feeling scared and nervous to do that too when I was little.

Isn't she cute?? I volunteered for the party and of course they put me at the face painting table. I suck at face painting. I really really do. Poor kids. Poor me! As I was face to face with all those snotty kindergartners. I just kept praying God please don't let me catch the swine flu from one these kids. I could actually feel them breathing on me:O It wasn't good.

This is my favorite children's book...Too Many Pumpkins. It's about a lady who hates pumpkins, because when she was growing up she was poor and they ate pumpkins all the time. Well a pumpkin truck smashes into her yard and she ends up with hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins and she decides to do something wonderful with them. You have got to get this book and read it to your kids. It's really the best!

A few weeks back when my folks were here we went out to Craig and Missy's farm for their annual farm party. I just had to share some of the pics. It was really really cold, so they held most of it in the heated shed...nice! Thanks to them my kids get to carve a pumpkin. I am so anti-mess that this would not happen at my house. Isn't that horrible? But they love it, so thanks Craig and Missy:)

My sweet momma.

The girls...me, Missy, Amy and Michelle. Love Fall...so much to see and do. I am really dreading the winter though. Can we just fast forward please:)

Have a blessed day.

Gaining focus

At church this week, our worship leader referred to someone in the choir asking him to repeat what his answer was to why we worship...his response was "so that the things of this earth would grow strangely dim."





I got chills...recalling that song, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus". I can't get those words out of my head. It's so true. The reason we worship and adore our savior, the reason we open our Bible, the reason we call out to Him is that this Earth and it's craziness would lose it's focus, it's hold. So the important things would become clear and we could feel... even for a second His peace, His presence and His provision for our lives.




I know I want that with my whole being. I want my gaze to be on Him, not me. What does He want for my life? What do I do next? It almost seems that the more I pour my focus into what I want the fuzzier it gets. To stand back and invite Him in....oh it's so sweet. I trust Him. I know He loves me and I know that His plan for my life will come to pass.

So with this song in my heart... may I, may you - turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Have a blessed day.

All photographs found on Etsy - Alicia Bock Studio's

Little Chick's big day

A few weeks ago when Grandma and Grandpa were in town we celebrated Little Chick's 6th birthday. I don't know about you, but when a birthday rolls around I feel a little anxious. I want so much for them to luuuuvvvv it. I remember my mom making me feel so special on my day. It was nothing extravagant, just some pretty wrapped gifts and lots of love. I only remember two birthday parties. Nothing like what kids are used to today. But I always looked forward and really appreciated my birthday.




I had high hopes for her cake. I was going to make a butterfly cupcake cake, but it didn't quite work out the way I hoped. Guess what? Kids don't care. Cupcake or butterfly shaped cupcake cake doesn't really matter after all...whew!





These are all her special people. This year it meant a little more than usual. We had just found out about Honey's new job and there was such a sense of relief... that we wouldn't have to move, that we wouldn't be leaving behind all of our peeps. We love these kids.

Can't believe my baby is 6 already. Every year goes by so fast... why is that? Anyway it was a great day...Little Chick's Big Day:)

Have a blessed day.

Enough

I have to be honest. After the high of Brave Girl Camp I struggled a few days last week trying to get back into life. I felt like I was moving in molasses. My inspiration was gone. I had no energy. I had a million things to do and didn't want to do any of them. I was sad. My blogging friend Bevy warned me that a valley could happen and at the time I wasn't there yet, but it came and it stayed for a little while.

So glad that the clouds have lifted a bit. I feel better today... thank you Lord! As I prepare for this week I have goals and self-imposed deadlines. Some are as simple as give the dog a bath, or do my homework for my Esther bible study. Others are more complex like make an art "masterpiece" with all the inspiration and knowledge I learned at camp. It's the latter that causes me to freeze up. I have issues with getting started...especially when I don't know what I'm doing. My honey does too. Today he starts his new job! But with this new job comes a new set of demands, stresses and pressures that he didn't have with the old. We are the same in the fact that we fear failure. That is what holds me back with my art. I want it to be perfect and in that quest for perfection I get frozen. I get stuck. I guess if I don't start I can't screw it up...

Well I'm tired of being afraid, holding back. If I learned nothing else at camp it was to spread my wings and soar. Even my bird holds that message for me in it's cute little beak. So how do I do it...jump from that ledge?? I think maybe realizing that what I have to offer is enough. I am enough. I don't have to be like this person or that. God has given me gifts and talents and they are as individual and specific to me as my fingerprints. So I have decided to do it afraid and "fake it 'til I make it." Really what do I have to lose:)

Have a blessed day.

All images can be found on

Etsy - Dahlia's House Studio

Art from the heart

See the gorgeous girl in the black head band?? That is Melody Ross. She and her sister Kathy were the master minds behind Brave Girl Camp. I can honestly say I have never met a more creative person in my life. It just oozes from her.

Melody had projects for us to work on every day. This compilation of wood, sticks, cardboard and foam became this...

I love that I can change what the bird says to suit my mood and what I need to focus on. Everyone's bird was unique. What a fun, messy... cool project to do. I love my bird:) It reminds me to spread my wings and soar!!

Here we are in the middle of our soul searching...beautiful music was playing, laughter echoed in the tent, paper scraps and Modge Podge glue fumes filled the air. It was magical! We were given several different projects and it all related to positive self talk. For instance we made a scrapbook with word promises to ourselves.

Here's a collage of mine. You can't read the words, but they are all promises to myself. For instance... "I promise to surround myself with people who love me unconditionally. I promise to be led by peace."

Then we made a tin filled with cards that were words that someone very special might say over us.

This one is blurry, but it says "Dear Becky...You are becoming who you were always meant to become dear girl."

This card says "Dear Becky...In all the world, there is not a girl who is exactly like you - there never has been, there never will be." What wonderful words to hear over your life. It was beautiful. When I first got the page of quotes my heart could hardly stand it. I sat there crying and couldn't stop even though I wanted to. It was just such an awesome exercise...to read words that God or your mom or husband might whisper over you. Words that are easier to believe when it's someone else saying them.




This is Melody's art. I really wanted to show it to you because it's simply beautiful and meaningful and it's just ME to a tee. Her art didn't just speak to me...it SCREAMED my name. Every piece she makes has a story behind it. Don't ya just love it??





The second we first entered the cabin this house collage spoke to me from across the room. I loved everything about it. She made this house as a reminder to herself. For a while she went through some very hard struggles and had some people in her "house" that were unhealthy, destructive, selfish etc...



When you meet her you can tell she loves everyone. She wasn't very good at setting limitations. She referred to that old house as a crack house. This new house has boundaries. The outer yard, inner yard, porch and finally the inside. If you look close you can see her inner yard says "stay, honor, fiercely protect". She keeps certain people far away from her house...I think she said Starbucks. Then others she lets into the outer yard and then only extremely special people are allowed on the front porch steps.


Life is demanding. We are pulled in a million different directions daily. I know I struggle with trying to make everyone happy and in the process I lose myself. I lose my focus and I'm just spread too thin. Nothing gets done and I feel like a failure. So I am going to accept this challenge and make a house, set some new rules, and hopeful gain some balance in the process.

My final thoughts about Brave Girl Camp could be summed up by this picture. It's all good. Every woman I met, morsel of food I ate, triumphant story I heard, song I listened to, every minute laughing and crying... it was just good. Thank you Melody, Kathy and all of your wonderful helpers for making last week so special!

Have a blessed day.

Lessons Learned

Everyone keeps asking me what was the one thing you took away or learned from Brave Girl Camp?? At first I couldn't put my finger on it, there were just too many and they all kind of smooshed together into this magical experience. But after some reflection these are the lessons I gathered...

That strength and character often

are the direct affect of adversity and pain.

That even if you think you have nothing in common with someone

you could have an indescribable common thread with them.

That I want to be generous, personal and kind to every soul

I meet and THAT is what will draw them to my spirit, my faith.

That pain is personal, and that God uses certain experiences

in our lives to mold and shape us; and that sometimes without that pain

we wouldn't be the instruments He needs

to accomplish His will in our lives.

That despite my insecurities I am talented,

creative, unique and there is only one ME.

That what I think I want,

and what I really want

may be two different things.

Everyone is an artist.

We all have the ability to express ourselves,

to create and to share a piece of who we are...

even if we think it's horrible:)

That it's ok to break the rules

every once in a while...

that it's even healthy to give in

to your cravings occasionally.

That I need space.

I need down time to think and feel and be.

That I am blessed in my home life,

personal relationships and with all that God has given to me.

That I am a house and I am responsible for who and what I let in...

is it healthy, is it uplifting, encouraging, good for me??

That I am brave!

I can spread my wings and fly...even to Idaho:)

Have a blessed day.

**Stay tuned! Actual art work is coming next:)

Brave Girl Camp

This post is really hard to write. How do you put into words a life changing, out of this world experience?? It's hard to even know where to start. I think I will begin with my new friends.

Jeanne, Lissa and me

While preparing for camp Melody and Kathy sent us questionnaires, so we could kind of be familiar with each other when we got there. One of the questions was "what are you most nervous about?" I put that I was most nervous about meeting my blogging friends. I hoped they would be what I thought they were in my mind. I'd never met any of my blogging buddies in person and I was a little scared to be honest. It was like a giant first date. Little did I know I had nothing to be worried about. God was giving me some new special people in my life:)

Lissa is full of life, very passionate about everything she holds dear, and deep in her faith. She's such a strong, brave person and I admire her so much. There is something in me that just wants to put her in my pocket and protect her. She's also an amazing talent. Supposedly she never crafts, but honestly her collage stuff was inspiring. It looked like it came out of a magazine!

Miss Jeanne is just the coolest person. She's the popular funny girl in school that you want to sit next to at lunch. She makes everything hysterical. She's incredibly talented and confident and oh I could go on and on. I just loved her. I felt so blessed to be with them...laughing, crying, learning about each other. I can honestly say they are my real life friends now. I feel so blessed!

I guess I knew Brave Girl Camp was going to be pretty special when we stopped at the base of the road that led to the cabin and Melody had us toss bird seed to the ground and leave all of our worries behind. She said we were to let go of our bills, every day details, worries about our families and all that would entangle our minds for the next 3 days. It worked too. I didn't worry about anything for the rest of the week!

This is the cabin we stayed in. It was set in the most beautiful spot. All around us were mountains and the clouds just hovered low. It was breathtaking.

When we walked in we were surrounded with the smell of home cooked food (the best ever), and personal touches that made us feel overwhelmingly loved. They had our pictures spread all throughout the cabin. Isn't that just the best idea? Nothing makes you more at home than seeing your children's faces or your little Fergie staring up at you. It was wonderful.

Everything had our name on it. They personalized our work aprons and water glasses and lavished us with supply kits. They thought through every little detail to make us feel special. They memorized our profiles and thought of us as they sewed and labored and prepared. When we got there they all greeted us and gave us hugs. I'm telling you it was a love fest!! And I have to think really hard to a remember a time where I felt more at home and honored. It was magical!

Here is one of the tables they set for dinner. They all worked really hard to prepare the most amazing meals. The food was not just good, it was mmmmm good. There was not one thing that wasn't amazing. I completely threw my "no sugar" rule out the window and decided to completely indulge and I'm glad I did. How often do you get a once in a lifetime thing like this??

This is where the magic happened...our art tent. It may be ugly on the outside, but what lies beneath was pure delight. Check this out...

They painstakingly decorated an old ugly tent for us!! It was just beautiful to walk in to that dreamy world. What would come next would be days of soul searching, creating, exploring and ultimately rediscovering who we were and what we wanted out of life. Can't wait to share the rest... stay tuned:)

Have a blessed day.