Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

I wanted to take pictures of Katelyn in her pretty Valentine's dress, which ended up being too big.  Then, on top of it, she wasn't in the picture taking mood, so we got only a few decent pictures of her.  Needless to say, I had to get pretty creative with the wording of her Valentine's card for family.  All in all, I thought it was pretty cute!  You can see the few other pics we got by clicking Read More!

SO in Love with HIM!

My Heart Hurts for This Belief

2011 Goals, Personal & Otherwise

Since I believe firmly that my personal (aka "inner") life is directly related to my professional (aka "outer") life, the following goals blur the lines between work and home.  But I know me, and if I don't find a way to articulate these things, I will inevitably forget what I have set out to this semester / year.  So, in all their relentlessly honest glory, here are my goals for 2011:

• Work out a minimum of 5 times a week
• Read a successive chapter of Celebration of Discipline during the first week of each new month and work to incorporate that discipline into my life during the remainder of that month
• Write a minimum of 1 blog on some aspect of Christianity / faith / religion each week, to be posted here and at sfaxa.org
• Implement and stick to an envelope system of budgeting for our family
• Discover and make steps towards becoming a person who consistently honors the people in my life
• Discover and make steps towards becoming a grateful person

Well, there you have it.  Obviously, if you read the wording carefully on the last two, you will see that I don't know exactly how to DO those.  But I am excited in my life right now to be developing plans to move forward.  No matter how small the step is, as long as you make it, you're making progress, right?  That's my hope, anyway!  That God will honor my feeble attempts to grow in His grace.  I trust that He will make up what I lack if I just give Him what I have!

#3... and 4 & 5???

After having so much fun quilting again (Baby J's Gig 'Em Quilt)... and after Katelyn carried Baby J's quilt around all day while I was trying to quilt it (she REALLY liked that quilt, hee hee), I decided to make Katelyn a quilt she could actually keep for herself - my third quilt of the year!  Look at these yummy fabrics - don't they just scream PRETTY LITTLE GIRL???  Most of these I had left over from previous projects, so I spent little to no money on her quilt.  That said, this was the project of never-ending messes...

Quilting: an Apologetic

I have been quilting again. In the last two weeks I have made two toddler quilts, one for a dear friend who is expecting her first child (a boy) in January and one for my DD (pics and progress to come soon).  I have also spent a good deal of time researching and learning online. I have come across several blogs of quilters who have been amazed and inspired me!

All of this has me thinking: I LOVE quilting! For a lot of reasons, really. But largely I love the taking of something utilitarian (a blanket, to keep us warm, to cuddle and snuggle with, to provide comfort to my little girl) and making it beautiful. I love that I am leaving a piece of myself in this world for as long as thread and fabric hold together... and not just anything, but something meaningful and beautiful. Hopefully, at least. Haha.

To take the ordinary and make it beautiful.

What is this search for beauty? Why do I have this desire in me to make the things (and people) around me beautiful?

100th & 2nd

It's time to celebrate - I have hit my 100th post on this blog!  Yay!

Baby J's Gig 'Em Quilt

Our dear friends, J & T, are expecting their first child in January.  I almost had a heart attack when, after 3 consecutive weeks of missing church for one reason or another, I found out her shower was in one week!