sixteen

I'm sitting alone with my thoughts in the dark basement.  The shop sign is casting a glow. Snow is gently falling outside. Even though I'm not a fan of snow its soft fall is making my heart feel so peaceful this morning.

My life has changed so much in the last couple of years.  It's went from stay at home mom with gym dates and dinner on the table nightly, to full time business owner with helpers here almost every day. Writing a blog has become a memory.  I've forgotten how to express myself here.  Time is precious.  The cursor blinks...what comes next?  

I'll just start with the happenings around here lately.  My Big Chick turned 16 recently!!  For those of you that have been following along forever here's a pic of the family when I first started writing out my thoughts.  Can you believe it!  We were living in Minnesota.  My days were so much different.  I marvel at how life can change. How fast it all goes! 

My oldest is learning to drive.  She's got around 12 hours behind the wheel so far and it's starting to get a little less terrifying.  At first I really thought I might need medicated!  Seriously all of us in one giant hunk of metal, flying down the road with someone who doesn't know the difference between the gas and brake pedals!  She's doing much better now.  I've stopped clenching my teeth and I can actually breathe when she's driving.  Progress.  Sidenote... I've become so accustom to using my smart phone's emoji's I'm finding it almost impossible to type this out.  How do I express myself fully without the little monkey covering his eyes?  Without the little face laughing to the point of tears.  Seriously this is challenging;)  Can you feel my emotion without the little faces?  Urgggghhh!

Back to my girl and her birthday.  Sixteen is major.  It's the age we've set for dating, driving, working...spreading her wings and flying.  Insert heart palpitations here.  And what amazes me time and again; the things we never felt ready to let her do, once the time comes for her to do them, miraculously God shows up and we have the grace for it.  It's truly miraculous.  He helps us let go. His timing is perfect.  Trust Him!

So we have been walking through so much stuff with her.  Parenting a teenager is no joke.  It brings up all the same crap we had to deal with in high school. Insecurities.  Feeling alone.  Not knowing what you want to do with your life.  Feeling scared you're gonna miss your calling.  I'm reminded daily of how important our roles as parents is. How much they need us. For instance on my sixteenth birthday my boyfriend at the time called me and told me he had just taken an entire bottle of pills and then hung up the phone.  Lovely hunh?!!!:/  Being able to share horror stories with your kids about your past struggles and hard times makes them feel less freaked out about their own.  It gets better...life.  All those crazy past experiences shape us and make us stronger.   

For you young mommas out there that worry about your babies not needing you once they get a little more independent...think again!  It's a whole new ballgame and your unique story; your relationship with the Lord; your partnership with your spouse will become more important than ever. We have such a big part in calming their fears, in helping them feel normal and guiding their footsteps in hopefully the right direction. It has a way of bonding you SO close, and keeping you on your knees with your heavenly Daddy as well. Oh the beautiful circle of life:)  Thank you Lord for the privilege of parenthood and for being blessed with the sweetest girls ever.  My cup truly runneth over.

Be a blessing.

love hugs

At times I honestly feel like God is smiling down on me.  I can feel His hand on my life so strong.  I like to refer to those moments as love hugs from heaven.  This was one of those beautiful weeks.  I struggle with the blues sometimes.  I can feel lonely often.  I'm in my basement.  Working by myself. A lot. Sometimes I feel like I don't have community here.  I think that's the enemy lying to me. And for reals God kinda gave me a whack upside the head over the last few weeks.  He gently reminded me that HEY THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE! And you are loved.  You are remembered.

There was the recent blueberry picking.  A thrifting extravaganza with a new friend.  A dinner date with a dear friend that moved away.  A catch up lunch date with a friend that I'd lost track of.  There was an adoption shower for a sweet friend I'd met over Instagram, and then an impromptu room decorating thing for her sweet girl she brings home soon.  There was a park date with another friend I met through blogging.  There was an art night at my house with the Gather Girls.  The list goes on... And my girls!  The older they get, the closer we get!  Who knew;)  They were always there, but our bond has gotten deeper. They truly are my forever friends.  And that brings joy deep to my soul.

I do believe with all my heart God brings people in and out of our lives.  There are seasons and it's a good thing.  It can be confusing.  It cannot make sense at all, but each person that sifts through is a gift.  Maybe they are meant to refine you. To challenge you.  To help shape who you ultimately become.  I'm just grateful for a heavenly Daddy who knows just when I need a hug from Him.  His timing is always spot on.

Be a blessing.

my gather girls

 going redder

preparing for ellerie's homecoming!

impasto oil painting...more on that soon

my parent's come this week!!!

the closed door and sweet surrender

 A door in the backyard of a house I just knew was to be mine...

We're home after a whirlwind trip back to Texas.  To be honest the whirlwind started long before our plane took off.  After our trip in April, we got home and Texas stayed on our minds.  We unpacked and put things away, but our whole Strahle Soulcation lingered.

So when some generous friends offered to let us house-sit for them back in Austin for two weeks in June we jumped at the chance!!  It would give us more time to explore.  To see the things we didn't have time to visit before. Little did we know a job opportunity would present itself.  Here comes the roller coaster...

A trip to San Antonio...the Alamo

The job for my honey sounded perfect.  The opportunity a once in a lifetime.  So he interviewed and was promised the brass ring and we looked into moving to TEXAS.  We had Realtors.  We told the girls.  We went through the emotional roller coaster of detaching and moving on.  Only to have one door after another close, giving us a clear no to what we thought must be a definite yes.

It's funny how we always pray for wisdom and discernment.  We pray for Gods clear direction.  But when the answer becomes certain it's like really Lord...you sure?  Why did we go on this wild goose chase if it wasn't from you?  What was the purpose in all that upheaval?

Stanley's Farmhouse Pizza...in Dripping Springs 

I'm not really sure.  Maybe it's to appreciate what you already have.  To make things work where you're at instead of moving on to the next thing. Maybe it's a test to see how we would handle disappointment.  Honestly I think I might be failing in that area a little right now;)

When the no came we were still in Texas.  I'd had some doubts about a lot of things...housing was expensive.  Moving my shop and figuring out what to do with my business seemed impossible. There's always the fear factor with moving the girls.  Will they find friends easily?  Are we screwing up their lives?  Will we like it there?  Is this where we want to be forever??  Because quite honestly I'm tired.  I want to plant roots and build community.  I want my forever home. So yeah a lot was going on in my head.  And the initial let down felt like sweet relief.

The night we almost saw the bats:/ 

And then the disappointment set in.  The sadness found it's way into my heart.  I hate that it did.  I wish I could be all smiles and so at peace about knowing the path we're supposed to be on, but it came and I'm dealing, and it will just take a while to unpack mentally.  To set up house again here.

Remember when I said the whirlwind started a long time ago?  A few years ago I had a pull to Austin.  Some friends moved there.  Every article I read mentioned it.  One of my favorite blogs showed a farmhouse there that I immediately fell in love with.

Then I had the dream.  Our family was in a car driving toward a mountain range.  The dirt road was cracked open and really bumpy.  Then all of a sudden a flash flood came out of nowhere and our car was picked up, carried off the road and started falling... And I jolted awake!




So maybe the dream was prophetic and He was preparing me for the bumpy road.  Maybe the experience was necessary for me to trust Him once again.  Because no matter where we live or what the outcome is I know from experience He has a plan and it's a GOOD plan.  He loves us and cares about everything and He knows right where He wants us.  It ultimately comes down to trust.  And that's where I'm at.  Trusting Him once again for our every day, for every step, for every little detail of my life.  Sweet surrender.

Be a blessing.

 These girls!!  Love them so.

 My honey. 

Remember the Alamo? We do. Sweat running down our backs... Sharing life with my peeps

SOULcation part 1...The Holden's

Hey friends!!  For those of you who still read blogs hiya!  I cannot even believe that the last post I wrote was for my trip out to Seattle:0  You probably think all I do is travel;)  Not true!  But I kinda wish it was:)  I've decided a trip once a month for 4 days would be perfect.  It's just long enough to break out of the humdrum and then long enough to miss home and want to go back to routine.  

So a few months ago I was trying to think up a Spring Break plan for the family.  Last year was extravagant.  We went to Kauai in the Summer.  Ahhh good times!  As much fun and adventure that trip was I was craving something entirely different this year.  We tossed around several ideas before landing on our SOULcation plan.  The plan was to hit the Round Top flea in Texas, stay in Austin, stalk Waco/Joanna Gaines one day and along the way meet the Holden's in Mississippi and the Lowry's in Georgia on the way home.  

It evolved from that original plan a bit...including more people:)  Imagine me tiptoeing into my Honey's office and plopping this cray plan in his lap.  The man who doesn't like to roadtrip and isn't entirely keen on sharing his time with strangers on vacation.  "Honey let's DRIVE to Texas and pitstop in strangers homes." :))))  But he went with it and I'm so grateful!

When I sat down to write about our SOULcation it was going to be one big long post, but I quickly figured out that's just plain silly.  There is no way I can possibly put it all into one, so I hope you come back to read the rest.  

They are the Holden's.  Nick and Stephanie Holden to be exact.  Her grandbabies call her Honey soooo everyone else does too.  And yes I said grandbabies!  The girl is only two years older than me and has four!  Yes four!! 

If you don't know the Holden's you should.  I "met" them through Instagram a few years back.  One day I got the sweetest letter from Honey. She told me Nick followed me on IG and said she just had to know me and that I really reminded him of her.  We took a lot of the same selfies and feet pics.  Our personalities were similar etc... And from that point on a little friendship seed was planted.  We met a few times briefly...a drive through quickie dinner and she was our group leader at Hope Spoken last year.  

But this little pitstop in rural Mississippi really sealed the deal.  They're in our hearts now.  And once that happens you stay there;)  Their sweet home was opened up.  They fed us and invited their daughter Lydia and her husband Marcus over for supper.  We slept under their roof and went four wheeling.  They are kind and wise and generous and most importantly they love Jesus.  

I think going home to my mom's house is the only place I've ever felt quite this at home.  It's strange really.  At dinner on our second pit stop...yes we stopped there TWICE...we talked about dating and raising girls.  If a boy wanted to date their daughter once she turned 16 he had to bring a 1,000 piece puzzle to the house.  After the puzzle was complete then he could ask to "court" her.  What a way to weed out the casual!  I BIG PUFFY HEART LOVE this idea.

We talked about the empty nest a bit and how after the girls left Nick softened.  He was able to give the girls over to their new protectors! So nice to know;)

They are at that season in life they can encourage us as we head into the future with the girls.  It's a sweet thing...mentoring others.  Something I hope I can do someday as well.

They high kick goodbyes...which pretty much summed up how I felt when we left.  High on love and life.  Meeting new friends does fill you up.  Being able to share your life with others is such a gift.  Don't be afraid of opening your heart up to new places and people...that's where the soulcation begins!  

And before I forget to mention it the shop is OPEN for designer cuffs this week:))  We've got some pretty cute designs available for Mother's day and Graduation. We close up on Friday and then reopen May18th-22nd for the regular cuffs.  It's coming up!!  

Be a blessing.

blissin' out in the PNW:)

 

There's something about getting away that can do a correction in you.  I think a separation from the norm, from the familiar, is like a wiping off of a foggy steamed up mirror.  You come home and everything is crystal clear.  Your heart and soul become aligned.  This happens for me.  I get home and my patience is back.  My tone is less growly.  I happily do things that normally I would grumble about.  I see my people and take them a little less for granted.  It's just what a get-away should do.  It refreshes and reprioritizes things for you.

I just got back from a week out in the Pacific Northwest.  Man oh man how I love escaping to that side of the country.  Mossy green lushness all around.  Snow capped mountains in the distance.  Trees that tower and air that smells fresh.  And always an early Spring with blooms pushing through.  Add glorious sunshine, which always happens for me when I'm there, and it's like salve to a winter "burn".

When I go out there I share my time between two friends...both whom I've known for years through blogging.  It never fails to amaze me how well I can know two people who I met through the Internet and only get to see maybe once a year.  God can span distances.  He can forge friendships and align hearts.  Our ties don't depend on face to face time...we share a love for the Lord and that makes us sisters:)

Can you hear it?  The pound of water from the falls...  Lissa took me to Snoqualmie Falls and to the Salish Lodge for breakfast.  That farm style breakfast might possibly have been the best I've ever had.  The biscuit was divine.  I was trying so hard not to oooh and ahhh too much.  My friend who can't have gluten had to sit and watch me eat it:/  But let the record state it was THE BEST!

Can you smell it?  A forest so different from ours here I have to push down the excitement to not squeal when I see the moss and ancient towering trees.  It's absolutely magical! After breakfast we took a hike down to the falls.  Stopping every few steps to snap pictures.  THIS was my favorite moment with Lissa.  Nature makes me feels so close to His presence, and this was nature to the max.  I loved this day.

With Sasha and her family we took a ferry over to Port Gamble.  Can I just pause for a minute to tell you how much I love riding a FERRY!  It's seriously so much fun, but I can't imagine doing that as a way of life.  Paying that much attention to a schedule would take some major getting used to. 

We visited this quaint little town of Port Gamble, which used to be a saw mill town...so full of history, and again snapped pictures of everything in sight.  Do these girls know me or what:) It was so much fun!!  And while I was paying for a little souvenir in the General Store the clerk recognized me!  She asked me about my cuff and when I told her I made them she was like "Oh my gosh...YOU'RE Farmgirl Paints!".  Seriously it about made my head pop off!! Getting "recognized" in a tiny little town on the other side of the country made my day:))  I think moments like that are little hugs from heaven.  It's not lost on me that my heavenly Daddy would take the time to bless me like that.  He knew that would tickle me pink.  He planned for that precise moment to happen...to make me feel special;)  Oh love how He loves us so.

There were so many more memories made.  I was loved on.  Fed well. Taken to all my favorite places and had so many laughs along the way.  God is good to this "farmgirl" from Virginia.

Be a blessing,

thanksfuls...

My flight days there and back were so stressful.  Richmond rarely gets "weather", but it fell on both my travel days:/ God worked it out.  I got there and I got home.  Hallelujah!  So grateful for these sweeties who made me feel missed!!  Texting with your 11 year old bonds you!

Spring blooms in February!  For a friend that drove 6 hours so I could see Oregon with my own eyes:))

Lissa's port! Sigh...

Whatcom Falls Park...  Oh Bellingham you are so beyond cool!  This is just right there in the middle of town.  Do you see me?

An Outlander series marathon.  Loved these cozy nights with my girl Sasha.  Add some Trader Joe's fireworks chocolate bars to the mix and it truly was a party;)

The daffodils were in bloom!  CAN you EVEN!!!!!

Painting pottery!  Hours of quiet creative time equals bliss!!!