sending wonderful wishes

She knew me as a freshman and has continued to be my friend through all the changes that life brings.

She has walked through the silly times, the serious times and continues to walk alongside of me.
We've had big hair and perms....short hair and long...

We've never lived nearby each other....too many miles apart to measure, but the bond that makes us friends can't be severed by mere miles

Praying for each other over the phone, crying over hurts and wounds, giggling till the tears flow, checking on kids and planning the next get together...

There is a deep well within her that uplifts and encourages, hard on herself but abundantly generous to her friends with her time, talent and treasures. Always there, always ready to listen, always ready to bless.

Always done to the best of her ability...she's a thinker and a finisher...beautiful in all she does. Anything that comes from her hands is a treasure and a keepsake.

She makes me want to be better than I am, she inspires greatness!

There have been surprises and disappointments, new babies and forever goodbyes all shared over the years.

Scrapbooking, card making, sharing tips and techniques, cross stitching, knitting and blogging - outlets and passions ignited by one and then shared by the other.

We've pondered theology, marriage, raising children, life, pets, sports, politics, and even seed stitch!

More than just surface friends, our lives are intertwined in a forever kind of way.

More than two decades of my life have been lived with Kristyn as my best friend.

Blessed beyond measure. I love her like a sister and I am a richer person having her as my friend. I will forever be grateful for this gift from God of her. Happy Birthday dear friend! I love you! May the year ahead hold blessings from the Lord for you and your family! I'll be right there cheering you on!

ladybug, ladybug

I saw some decorated moleskines journals awhile ago....I loved them...and I filed the idea away. (there really is quite a bit filed away in my brain...it's retrieving it that can be tricky)

Fast forward many moons and I was in line at Barnes and Noble buying a knitting magazine and they had a rack of moleskines right by the check out line! Whamo! Perfect! Just what I had been looking for! (well in a subliminal way) So over the weekend I decorated my own.

I kept one for myself and two are in the mail as secret surprises! They were surprisingly easy to decorate and fun to design. The worst part was changing the thread for each color of the design. If you see some moleskines (great little journals) when you're out shopping, you should pick some up and give this a try! If you're not a sewer...you could totally embellish these with scrapbook stuff.

yellow week: day 5 {looking for rainbows}

"The way I see it, if you want the RAINbow, you gotta put up with the RAIN." ~ Dolly Parton

That's such a life truth, isn't it? So many times there's just junk you've got to deal with as you journey your way through life. Rain leaves puddles. Rain can be messy as well as interrupting, but without the rain there wouldn't be flowers and fruit and new growth. I'm so thankful that in the rain, God sends the rainbows. I've really enjoyed yellow week...it's amazing what you see when you're on the lookout for it.

Here's hoping your weekend finds you discovering rainbows! Happy Friday!

yellow week: day 4 {comfort}

I was talking to my girlfriend, Debbie, yesterday and we were bemoaning the gray season that this is....no snow, no sun....gray skies and slush. She said that this time of year always reminded her of used up chewing gum. You know, you've been chewing it for a while and you're tired of it, it's got no flavor and you're just ready to spit it out. I thought that pretty much nailed it for me...so in an effort to share a little flavor, I thought I'd pass on two great comfort foods. We had White Chicken Chilli and Cornbread for dinner last night! Thus, the yellow photo above. (Kenzie made the cornbread and it was a hit!) These are economical, healthy and filling! Enjoy!
White Chicken Chilli

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I use frozen chopped onions...saves time)
1 4oz. can green chiles, chopped and drained
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cans Great Northern beans (you can soak your own overnight to make it even more economical)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP flour
3 cups chicken broth

In a large pot, cook onion in oil for 4 minutes or until transparent. (don't brown the onion) Add chiles, flour and cumin, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add beans (rinsed) and chicken broth; bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken and cook until hot. Garnish with sour cream or salsa if desired. Serve with Kenzie's Cornbread.

Kenzie's Cornbread

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg

Heat oven to 400. Grease 8 or 9 inch pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are combined. Pour batter into prepared pan...allow to rest 10 minutes before baking. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm....enjoy!

yellow week: day 3 {sweetness}

So my yellow photo for today was the fresh pineapple we had with our lunch. Canned pineapple can't even compare...We have one of those nifty pineapple corers that make the whole thing even more fun! (thanks Mamaw!) Fresh pineapple is so sweet. I noticed some sweetness today between my girls as well...Mckenzie has had a yucky cold (sneezing, coughing, watery eyes...you get the picture) To say the least, she has been drooping. On top of that, this is also the week that the girls are dog sitting for our neighbor. They have to be up the street to feed and walk Khota at 7:30am. So, this morning (without my prompting) Maggie woke up early and did the job all on her own so Kenzie could sleep in a bit longer! Isn't that just golden?

Note to self: reread this post when the girls are squawking as a reminder that there are sweet moments sprinkled here and there.

Oh yea, another sweet thing happened today. I got this gorgeous yarn in the mail from Larissa of Stitches in Play! She sent them to me as a thank you for being the first commenter on her blog! How sweet is that?! You should check out her place...she is very talented and her blog is just lovely! Thanks Larissa!

yellow week: day 2 {just like her}

This is Molly's dog bowl...she just was switched to a new food (salmon and sweet potatoes)because of allergies. We should have named her Itchy! She hates her new food, she leaves it all over the house. I'm stepping on it all day. I think she's trying to tell me something. The food is for her good though, she just doesn't know it! As I clean up after Molly throughout the day, I'm reminded of how my heavenly Father follows behind me, forgiving me, tending to my messes and keeping me on track. He often feeds me stuff that I would rather not have, but it's for my own good. I can trust that what He puts in my bowl is what I need to become more like Him. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

If you want to follow the yellow week group's photos on flickr, you can check out this link. My yellow week photo link is here.

Yellow week: day 1 {Yella!}

It's Kristyn's fault. She encouraged me to join Erin's yellow week challenge. So I went over to House on Hill Road to check it out and then I joined the flickr group. I did all this at 10:00pm last night and then I went to bed with images of yellow in my head. WARNING!!! Don't look at flickr right before bed....I'm sure I slept, but I dreamed in gold and maize and yellow. So I'll be looking for splashes of yellow this week and I'll be capturing them with my camera. But I'm also going to be watching and 'looking' for glimpses of gold as well. The things that are "Son" kissed in my life, those things that are precious truths that I need to be reminded of during each day. Last week I was choosing pink (read the end of the post) and this week I'm watching for yellow. Lest you think it's a box of happy colors over here all the time, Sunday was a gray day for me...I was in a funk; grouchy and irritable. John asked if there was anything he could do to help change the color of my day. (so sweet) Some days are like that you know, you just seem to wake up with a black crayon in your hand. But, as the day went on, I lassoed my thoughts and made some changes in my focus and let go of that black crayon. I share that because I never want to perpetuate the lie that I've got it all together or that things are always sunshiny. Everyone has rough days, "sorrows come to stretch out places in the heart for joy." streams in the desert But I must remind myself during those times when everything looks gray, of His promises and of the treasures He's given me. So, that's my focus this week. Feel free to join in! "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Aloha!

I found this yarn last fall at my knit shop for a great deal. (did you see that price tag!?!) As soon as I saw it I remembered this scarf. So, I scooped up about 5 balls. My yarn shop even gave me the free pattern to make the scarf. I kept 2 balls and sent 3 to Kristyn. With my red high neck vest in limbo, I remembered this yarn and thought that it would be fun to knit for Valentines Day. As soon as the ruffles started to show up, my both of my girls were wanting to know who it was for!!! This was a very fast knit. That's all you do, you knit and knit and and knit and watch the ruffles form. I might wear it out to dinner on Valentines day but then the girls get it. They love it. I can't decide, but I think it reminds me of an Hawaiian Lei.

Here's the knitty gritty:

Pattern: Scarf with flounces, Leslie has a great tutorial on her blog that was very helpful!!! Thanks Leslie.
Needles: dpns Size 7
Yarn: Linie 194 Solo, pink/red/wine red (used 2 balls)
Mods: I switched between knitting the dark edge and the light edge every row, this makes it completely reversible…one side is light pink, the other is dark pink.
Finished length: 52 inches…this does stretch out as you wear it.

Hope everyone has a happy Valentines day! May your day be overflowing with love!

heart felt

I started a sweater vest for myself. In a gorgeous chunky red. It's from knitsimple. I really wanted to get it done for my 'hot' Valentine date with my honey :) Guess I'll have to choose something else to wear, cause the vest is in limbo. I am having gauge issues. (and yes, I swatched) So rather than tackle the vest, I'm in denial and I'm knitting dishcloths instead. I found both of the patterns for free off the net. The hearts were so quick and easy. You could knit one in just a bit over an hour. So fast and fun. I saw them first over at Firefly Cottage. I used Sugar'n Cream rose and rose twist. I really like the twisty yarn. The other pattern is from KrisKnits. She's got a real knack for designing. This one is called "Be My Dishcloth". I'm using the size 3 needles that she recommends and a great hot pink. It looks great, but is taking more time than the hearts did.

Since we're talking hearts and since Valentine's day is at the end of the week I've been thinking about my treasures. You know, the things that are special to me and that I place value in....when it all comes down to it, I get to choose what I treasure. Just like I get to choose the color of yarn for my dishcloths. If I'm grouchy it's because I've chosen to be grouchy and irritable. (ouch, I'm stepping on my own toes!) I was reminded while John and I were reading the Love Dare that what I focus on becomes what I treasure. If I focus on the good things in my life, they become my treasures. If instead I hone in on the things that are driving me bonkers...then they become my focus. This quote really jumped out at me..." you should not just follow your heart. You should lead it. You don't let your feelings and emotions do the driving. You put them in the back seat and tell them where you're going." So, I have to take control over what I dwell on, I can't let my feelings and emotions control me. I get to choose the color of the yarn when I'm knitting and I get to choose the color of my day as well by choosing what I'm going to focus on. Today I choose pink!

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:34

spreading some love

I love Valentine's Day. It's a bright spot in a gray season. I know it's a Hallmark Holiday, but what's wrong with an excuse to tell someone that you love and appreciate them? On Friday our Co-op is getting together for our first class of the second semester. All the kids are bringing Valentines for each other and we're having an old fashion Valentine's exchange. (that's really cool for home school kids who don't have a class to exchange cards with! It's like home school meets old school) I should be writing my lesson plan for the debate class that I'm teaching, but instead I'm making Valentines for all the moms. 'Cause I debated the two choices with myself and you know crafting is much more fun than writing lesson plans. And all those moms need some love. They work so hard everyday and I jump at the chance to let them know they are appreciated! Here's what I came up with. So quick and easy! Just a couple of tips if you want to get crafty too:

If you don't want to hand stamp your white strips, you could just cut out some pattern paper and then sew it onto your cards. I cut my ribbon into 2 inch strips and then folded them in half, that way I had enough ribbon to catch it with my sewing line, so it wouldn't pull out. Put a little adhesive on the back of the white paper strip before sewing, this keeps it from sliding around on you. I also put some adhesive on the ribbon tag to keep it in place.I just sewed my zig zag down one side and then the other. I did all the sewing at one time.

Have fun! Go spread some love to some moms you know! They deserve it! They'll love you for it!

psst....There are some more great cards over at Kelli's House...check them out.

victory!

(I don't normally blog about the Warriors basketball teams, as I write a blog specifically for the teams, but I couldn't help but share this one!)

Last night our basketball teams (middle school boys, middle school girls, and varsity girls) all traveled to Winchester, VA for a triple header. That's an hour and a half traveling time one way for us. But it was so worth it. We ended up with three wins but the real victory that I heard about on the way home was even sweeter. Our Varsity girl's team was the last to play and our girls were up considerably on the other team. (Trust me, we weren't expecting this-the other team was sizable). In the second half of the fourth quarter (that's near the end of the game for all you non basketball readers) the other team was really frustrated. You could tell they were getting angry about the impending loss. Our Coach called a time out and told our girls that they were going to see a lot of "frustration fouls". The other team was losing badly and our girls were going to most likely take the brunt of it with cheap fouls. (which they did) He encouraged them to be ready and when they were fouled to just get back up and keep on playing. Coach said, "Show them Christ...don't allow them to make you mad, don't react, just get back up and keep playing." I was so impressed with his coaching and our girl's ability to do just that. There was no pushing back or nasty comments from our girls. They just set their faces like flint and walked it out! They won double last night. We're playing basketball to win but we're also crafting character in the lives of these girls and last night much fruit was seen! Go Warriors!

What a great reminder for all of us, as my dear friend Kristyn pointed out: Forgive those frustration fouls that pop up in your day get back up and move on. Reflect Christ!