One Thousand Gifts, Move More, Eat Less & and crafty stuff :)

                                              

The Fedex man just brought me this book today!!!   my mom and I are doing this study!!! It's sort of an online community book club. Can't wait to start reading it! you should too!!!
here is a section to what the book is about....
"One Thousand Gifts beckons you to leave the parched ground of pride, fear, and white-knuckle control and abandon yourself to the God who overflows your cup. It invites you to wake up to God's everyday blessings, and discover, as Ann did, that in giving thanks for the life you already have, you find the life you've always wanted."
To live your life fully right where you are now.  I really need the reminders sometimes!


                                            

Another thought I have been pondering is....CathyZ's Move More Eat Less, oooooh! I soooo need this!
I mean I know I need to do both, I know how to do both, dang, this last year I lost almost 13-15 pounds (depending on the day) and have gained just about all of it back, how dumb is that?!! BUT I knew January would be a good month (along with everyone else in the world) to start..well now it's almost the end of January and I'm finally starting! I did run only 2 times this week but I have eaten better all week (except for today, don't know what is wrong with me! ha!) but I feel really motivated again, plus it helps when your 17 year old son says almost everyday "mom, you going to run today?"  yes he runs a lot, he loves track and cross country and is running a 10K this weekend,  but he is not 41! runnning is hard, I miss running as much as I used to run, now running is hard again (again, kicking myself for not keeping it up). This week I ran at the gym BLECH!, I can't stand going to the gym but considering since I haven't been running as much, I figured I would give my body a break and run on the treadmill instead of the road, the treadmill is sooo much easier (to me anyways). I want to lose the weight I gained back of course but I want to feel better physically and mentally, it helps so much with my lovely panic attacks :)  The farthest I have even ran is a little over 5 miles but I really want to be able to run a 10K! that is my goal again :) So there is my accountability to you!  Join me on this too?

Now something crafty related..... YAY!!! I have not scrapbooked in almost a year! scrapbooking has always been my first love and I miss it so much but a few friends and I have a challenge to scrapbook a page this weekend so look for a picture to be scrapbooked, I am so excited! Lord knows I have enough supplies to have my own personal little scrapbook shop :) now just to decide which pictures to use :)
Oh and my sewing....I have to finish up one very important project! can't say on here but it's a cute project! one area is giving me fits though...sooo wish me luck. I am also sewing some curtains and pillowcases for my friend Jen and then have 2 gifts to finish up for family members :) and 2 to finish up for friends :) plus my quilt along that I am doing, got the fabric cut and sorted into groups, yes I am behind...but that is okay :)  plus the list of aprons and pillows and such for my own home :)

Check this out....do you love tumbler quilts? I do! but since I can't afford an accucut go cutter I found this

                                 
how clever huh? the tumbler ruler  this one is for using charm packs and they have one for layer cakes too

the first fabric I am using it on the 3 Sisters Park Avenue fabric, isn't it so pretty? I have 4 charm packs to cut with that tumbler ruler now to just decide which border fabric to use and the binding and backing. I might choose 2 border fabrics, one skinny and one fat.

                                             

The other fabric I have my eye on is this Tanya Whelan Fabric, Delilah. isn't it just beautiful?!! now to figure out what I want to do with it when I get it, not IF I get it, but when..... :)

                                       
                                              (pic borrowed from sew love fabrics)

Road Trip! (very photo heavy)

I LOVE road trips....Zach loves road trips....Jim does NOT like road trips! (unless it's for a hunting trip) soooo when Jim had to go up to Page, AZ to work for the past 9 days, Zach and I decided we could take a road trip to see him...I mean, we get a nice free hotel paid for by SRP (that Jim is staying in) and we get to play all day and feel a little guilty doing so while Jim works but he tells us to go have fun since he is not into doing all the driving around anyways :) each night we get to have dinner with Jim and he was happy because he said he likes to have my big butt next to him when he is sleeping, not sure if that is a nice compliment or ??? he could leave out the *big* part of that comment! hee hee

so anyways...Zach and I had so much fun,  lots of fun music, jerky, bugles and chocolate covered raisons!  basically we traveled 800 miles, took 285 pictures and spent too much money eating out but the trip was priceless. We left here on a Saturday morning, and Page AZ is 5 1/2 hours from where we live, I like to stop and take pictures of everything and eat so it actually took us about 6 1/2 hours! that night we had dinner with Jim and his co worker Alex. Sunday morning, Zach and I went to Hanging Gardens hike, nothing was in bloom since it is winter but it was a nice little hike and so beautiful!

Next we went to Lake Powell/Glen Canyon Dam and Tour of it, very interesting, since Jim works on similar dam equipment at Roosevelt it was neat to see this, the elevator ride that we went down was a little intimidating and scary for me but it was so beautiful and just plain cool

                                                 these ravens were everywhere ang HUGE!

                                                             where Jim was working

after that, we had lunch and then went on the Antelope Slot Canyon tour, BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING place, if you ever have a chance to go, GO! the formations were formed due to rain and wind. Our tour guide was so cool, he really took the time with Zach and I and told us exactly where to hold the camera to get the best shots and he took some cool pictures of us too.

                                                                  Arizona waterfall

                                     The tour guide made it look like Zach was holding fire...

                                                        do you see the elephants?

Monday morning we headed into Utah, since Utah is only 8 miles from where we were and since we have never been, it was a "must go see: on our list, here is our proof!

we had decided since we had such a long trip home that we would just start getting on the road to go home...then we saw the turn off for the Horse Shoe Bend hike that we had been wanting to see and was on our list too, we thought "we are this close and who knows when we will be back, lets just do it" well you hike about 15 minutes and then all of a sudden there is the huge (scary) canyon, very intimdating but so beautiful and so worth the hike (easy hike) you would never know it's there...it's just amazing....God is amazing for creating such beauty!

This is not my picture because I do not own a wide angle lense (it's on my list of wants NOW!)

we were FINALLY on our way home with still a long drive....then we see the turn off for the Grand Canyon (South Rim), we just kind of looked at each other and kept saying back and forth if we should go or not, knowing it would really put us behind on time, well OF COURSE we had to go!!! Zach had never seen the Grand Canyon (yes we are lame and have lived in AZ and hadn't seen the Grand Canyon, I had many years ago just driving by so it wasn't the real thing) it was so cool because it costs $25 to enter into the Grand Canyon, when we drove through the gate to pay, the nice man said "it's MLK day and today is free!" yay!!! we were meant to come! The Grand Canyon is beautiful, stunning and just amazing!  It was super cold though and soooo windy but we had so much fun!

 It was THE BEST TRIP!
okay I know that was VERY picture heavy but some of the family needed to see those :)
hugs....

Pieces...

Pieces of life (Jim & Zach), home, school, sewing, scrapbooking, computer.....all are keeping me so busy! I love it all  and sooo thoroughly blessed!  not enough sewing going on and definetly not enough scrapbooking (I really miss it!) and not as much running as I need and should be doing! but those are all secondary to God, my family and keeping up my home :) school is going good, I love it and like I always say, it's hard and very challenging but so fun learning something I love! then there is the computer, which I let take too much of my time!

for those few of you that read my little blog, you like my new banner? isn't that little bird so cute?!!Michelle designed it for me and she also did an etsy banner (in case I ever get brave enough to open up shop!) Thanks again Michelle! you are such a sweetie for everything! check out Michelles portfolio

A few things I wanted to blog about is my one little word for 2011, I have thought about a few different words to choose right before the new year started and this year my word is going to be STRONG.  Last year it was intentional. I have so much work to do in my personal areas of life to be strong in and I know if I completly rely on God, I know I can do all the things I want to do in life :) Just like one of my favorite verses, Phil 4-13  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Now on to the craftyness!

                                

a quilt a long! PS I quilt - quilt a long I am doing! I acutally decided to do the same fabric that she is using, why? because I LOVE everything that Sweetwater produces! look at this yummy sunkissed fabric!

                                

It's going to be paired with another Moda Bella Solid White Jelly Roll and the backing and binding will be these fabrics

                                                                  backing
                                

                                                                 binding
                                

I am a little behind this week starting it due to me ordering it late but I will hopefully play catch up next week :) Don't laugh Di, I will do this one! hee hee!

Another craft challenge I want to do is the Craft book Challenge, anyone of my crafty friends know that love buying any craft related book, from scrapbooking to sewing to embroidery (my latest crafty adventure!)
anyways, I figure I can do that challenge plus use up fabric and all my scrapbooking paper, join me!!! lets encourage each other!!!

Anyways, enough babbling!

Sew & Tell Friday!

Well I actually have a few things to share! yay me! I think the week of Christmas I did more sewing than I have done the last 2 months!

I made several of the zippered pouches

and some pillowcases for the grandaughters :) the apple with red polka dot is for Raelynn, the aqua/green is for Taylor and the grey with the white and yellow flowers is for Madi

linking up to Amy's Sew & Tell  go check out the other creative gals!

I have lots more to share and talk about but I will wait for another day :) have a nice weekend!

Happy New Year!

I know it's Jan 3, but I consider this my first day of the new year! my schedule is back on track, I did love Jim and Zach being home for 2 weeks but I like my schedule too, just the thought of getting the house back in order, decluttering, making new plans, life changes or resolutions, getting organized and starting new crafts! it's all very exciting to me and I feel so inspired :) I really should pretend to have a "New Years" every few months to keep myself motivated! ;)

Here are some things I want to do, change, conquor...or whatever.... lol

• I would love to run more again, if a person gets pretty much in shape and loses almost 15 pounds, why would they quit and gain the weight back?  it was not easy for me to lose those 15 pounds either, this girl likes to eat :) yes that dummy would be me! geez, I was really dying running the 3 miles today, someone kick me next time okay?!! but at least I ran today, it's a start! :)

• I would love to find a church family again, I miss our old church, I miss the people, thank God we still are able to be around some of them!  I know it can't be the same again but I get sick of bouncing around from a few different churches, I love that Zach has his youth group to go to and that we attend that same church, I just want to feel at home there ya know?

• I really want to keep up my blog, can I handle posting once a week?!! ha! maybe I can bribe others to do it with me since they have blogs and don't keep them up either, you out there know who I am talking too :)

• My garden...oh I miss my garden! I love to garden, why have I not gardened lately? I miss my huge abundance of cherry tomatoes, I miss all my trials of new veggies, I miss thinking of my dad and mom since they loved to garden so much, sooo I am going to do my garden and keep it going, I am not going to let other things get in the way! I am going to start preparing the soil in about 2 weeks, March will be here soon!

• Decluttering....(rolling my eyes here) yes I NEED to declutter every room of my home or I am seriously going to end up on that show Hoarders ;)

• Crafting...I really miss my scrapbooking since sewing has taken over! I want to scrapbook more and still sew!

• I would love to use my camera better! anyone who has this nice of a camera should know more about manual mode! especially since I have had it a few years now...again, I am lame

• I want to keep learning my ASL! I LOVE it, sometimes I get so fustrated when something doesn't come easier to me but I am loving everything I am learning, it's so fun and inspiring and it's something that I have ALWAYS wanted to do and am actually doing it! its a dream come true...seriously!

• and of course, work on my confidence and my worrying. These past few months I have been letting the worrying really control me and get in the way and run my life and emotions. I really need to remember I have no control over what others think or do, I need to live my life,  but between relying on God and doing things like learning ASL and exercising more I think my confidence will rise and my worrying will lessen? I hope so!

The one that I might slack the most on is my learning to use my camera better...the others are what I used to do just need to start again!

Anyways...enough of all that! Christmas was good, nice and quiet. We did go to San Manuel on another day to see the kids and grandkids, we had a really nice time, as always... :)

Aren't Madi and Raelynns little crocheted hats the cutest on them? my friend Dianne made them! Thanks again Di!

oh and one other thing, Jim put some new shelves up in my craft closet and I have been organizing my craft room, I am sooo inspired and can't wait till I organize all my crafty fun stuff! I will show pictures soon!