Barter 'Do

I am as happy as a leetle girrrl!

(I'm channeling Dieter)

Why you may ask?! Because I am finally going to get my nasty ol' head of hair cut!!!! Let there be REJOICING!!! I haven't felt this dowdy in a long time. My hair really is looking pretty bad. Even in a ponytail it looks gross and sad. But let the sadness cease, because I pulled together all my gumption and asked a girl who goes to my church, who owns her own salon, if she wanted to barter with me for a haircut and she said YES!!! She is helping me get my sassy back and I'm going to take her family pictures this summer in exchange. I love it when things work out! So now I have to decide what I want! My sis-in-law Kristen is looking so, so sassy with this 'do inspiration...... what do they say about imitation being the best form of flattery, or whatever? I wonder if my hair is too thin to pull something like this off? Kristen's hair is super thick, so it looks dang cute on her! Hmmm, I wonder. Lay your hair suggestions on me! At what point on my hair timeline did you like it the best?! Or give me new 'do ideas! One request though please, no mullets!

Quote of the Day

Justin says to his three squirrelly daughters at the dinner table

"You all are a wild, wild bunch."

Maryn in all seriousness turns around and replies

"Thank You."

I think it' safe to say, Justin and I are in over our heads!

Sunday Series: My Mother

I started my Sunday Series to share things that lift me up and inspire me. There truly is no other person that does that quite like my Mom. She not only gave me life, but has worked tirelessly to make the life she has given me a wonderful one. She is a woman of love and of faith, whose example to me has been one I've always hoped I could emulate. I feel so blessed and proud to be her daughter and I know...

"All that I am or hope to be,

I owe to my angel mother."

-Abraham Lincoln

I love you Mom! Happy Mother's Day!

Daydreams

I love to daydream. So often I'll find myself off little paths in my mind. Places where whatever you can imagine can become a reality, even if only for a moment. Places where I feel warmth on my skin, soft grass under my feet, sunshine shimmering in my daughters' hair and eyes. Justin and I laying down, looking up at stars, hand in hand, side by side. Down that path is my little patch of land. A home with a wide front porch and door that is always open. A kitchen full of smells, tastes and memories. A huge oak tree that's very presence reminds you of the history lived underneath it's shady branches. A barn with horses for the girls and I to ride. I dream of sunrises and sunsets and summer rainstorms. Of mountain lakes and moonbeams that fill the night sky. Down that little path in my mind, my spirits are lifted and outlook brightened. Because no matter where I really am, my imagination can lead me to just where I want to be.

Little Green Thoughts

For those of you who have wanted to do a garden but have hesitated, let me recommend Square Foot Gardening. You do NOT need a lot of space or good existing soil. Which is nice, because I'm not doing so good in either of those departments! I put a garden off for so long because my yard is so small and on a slant. But, I implemented the SFG techniques and my little plants are already happily growing and it's been less than a week! It works well for apartment patios, small spaces, heck you can even do an elevated box if you are worried about keeping the animals out! You are able to grow a wide variety of stuff in a small space. And the author Mel Bartholomew gives tips on how to garden on the cheap! The lumber for my box was about $10 which my friendly Lowe's associate happily cut to size for me, free of charge. My friend Melysa gave me some of her special 'Mel's Mix' dirt, but I ran out and so I bought some of a similar formula that my friend Laura recommended. It's found at Lowe's and I have been fabulously impressed with it.Even better, some of the bags of the Jungle Growth soil I needed were damaged. If you talk to an associate, they will give you damaged bags for 50% off. So my soil also ended up running me about $12. Not to shabby, eh?! So if you've thought about a garden, check out the Square Foot Gardening website or go to your local library and check out the book! I give it two Green Thumbs (in the making) up!

Little Garden

After years of talking about how I wanted to plant a garden, I finally brought my own little dirt patch to fruition! I must say, it took some encouragement from my friends, but it's finally real! In the past, I have been known to be a killer of plants. Unintentionally, of course. So with that in mind, I always shyed away from committing myself to the mass destruction of plant-life by trying a garden. But this time I am determined to nurture my little dirt patch along! So send some green thumb wishes my way and let's hope in a couple of months I'll be happily munching on the fruits of my labor!

Sunday Series: Prayer

I am so grateful for the knowledge, that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me. Who sincerely cares and is concerned for my welfare. How do I know this? Through the power of prayer. I will never forget the day when I truly came to a knowledge of that for myself. It was August 4th, 1995. I had had faith my whole life that God was real. But I wanted to know if He was aware of me, specifically, as an individual. So three days before my fifteenth birthday, I knelt down in my bedroom and in humble prayer and asked the Lord if He heard me. Within moments I received my answer. I was so overcome with love and with peace, I could hardly contain it. I wrote in my journal in red ink what I had experienced. It said "I KNOW SOMEONE IS LISTENING WHEN I PRAY. GOD LET ME KNOW HE IS LISTENING AND HE LOVES ME. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL FEELING. I LOVE HIM DEARLY." Simple words, but also true words. There were not fireworks or the voice of God himself speaking to me. But rather the most affirming feeling of love and warmth I had ever experienced in my life. It started right in the middle of my chest and spread through out my whole body like a light in the darkness. My knowledge of God's love for me is truth that I will never deny. And it began with a humble prayer. Mighty changes can be brought about in one's life by falling to your knees and seeking the Lord in prayer. He is there, waiting. There is not a single person on this Earth whom He doesn't want to comfort and lift up. Whom He doesn't want to help guide and direct. Through the power of prayer we have access to a greater source of strength than we can ever imagine. Call on it. If you too have found yourself wondering if God is aware of you, find a quiet moment and with sincere faith ask Him. I know that the same warmth and love I felt fourteen years ago will enter into your heart as well. And you will know that you are His child, of whom He could never forget.