Whirl Wind Weekend

After having the best birthday ever the weekend was jammed packed with fun! My parents came up for the weekend from Sacramento to visit us and took us out to Rita's for my birthday dinner. Rita's is my all time favorite restaurant here in town. The Mexican food is soooo good and the margaritas rock. If you haven't tried Rita's you need to!

Saturday the life group that meets here at our house did a garage sale fund raiser for a family who had their house burn down in a fire. Our church has been encouraging the life groups to do service projects. We thought this would be a good opportunity for us to help someone in need in a tangible way.

My parents took me out for some birthday shopping in the afternoon and I got the cutest pair of shoes, thanks dad and mom!

That night we went to a pumpkin carving party Ron was invited to by a co-worker. The kids had a blast, as did Ron and I. Here are some pics of the weekend festivities:

The beautiful pumpkin artistry created at the pumpkin carving party. Mine is the left back one. All the kids said, "that pumpkin is scaaary!" when they saw it. Justin cringes when he walks past in on the porch, bad mommy!

Ron focusing on the serious art of pumpkin carving.

Sarah, "Take my picture and put it on your blog mom." Sarah modeling her new coat and rhinestone bracelet Grandpa and Grandma bought her.

Grandpa and Justin having some cuddle time.

Where Do I Go From Here?

As I was writing the post "37 Things About This 37 Year Old" I began pondering about my life and I started thinking about the fact that I will be 40 in three years. Then I started asking myself, "Have I accomplished everything I had hoped to up until now in my life?" "Where do I go from here, what plans do God have for me now?" I think I'm beginning to understand the phrase mid life crisis! There are so many dreams I have accomplished from having kids to traveling the world and lots in between. But, there are also many dreams I have yet to see happen. I decided to set some short term goals for myself for the next 3 years. Basically, things I want to see happen before I'm 40. Here's the list:

1. Finish my art degree. (I'm half way there already.) I've had this dream since high school when I fell in love with art. I've dabbled in various mediums for years, but have decided to go with graphic design. There are several reasons for this: Firstly, I can do this career from home, so I can still be with the kids. Secondly, I can do work via the Internet so I can go out side of the area for jobs.

2. Buy a home. This is contingent on the economy of course, but with God all things are possible! I've always had a dream to buy a home, but it seems that as time goes on that desire gets stronger. I moved so much growing up and never really felt like I had a permanent home. I want my kids to have that security. I also want to have a home where people can come hang out and feel God's love.

3. Get my health up to speed. I've come a long way on this one, but I've got a ways to go. My pregnancy with Justin was a rough high risk one and it's taken me a while to fully recover health wise. I had a heart surgery this year to correct an arrhythmia I had suffered from since I was 13. It has changed my life in a great many ways for the better! I've been able to get my thyroid up to speed which has increased my quality of life so much. My health is better over all, but I'm not where I want to be yet. Someday I hope to write a book about my health journey, but that one is more than 3 years away!

4. Last but not least, and most importantly, realize what God has for me next and step into it. I've been feeling for a while that God has a new season coming for me. The past few years have been full of a lot of changes for us as a family with Ron going through school, graduating, starting a career, etc. These years have been a long season of waiting. I think I had been on the mountain top for so long spiritually that coming back down to the valley wasn't what I wanted or expected. After all, it's supposed to keep getting better and better, right? Anyway, I don't know exactly what God has in store, but I'm sensing it's going to be something that will challenge my faith, (in a good way), and take me into a new, fresh season.

37 Things About This 37 Year Old

I've lived 37 years on this earth as of today! I thought it would be fun to write 37 things I've done in my life thus far:

1. I was born in San Francisco on October 17, 1971

2. I moved about 12 times growing up and have lived in 4 states: California, Oregon, Colorado and Washington D.C.

3. I used to live only a few miles from Disney Land

4. I've been to the Grand Canyon when I was a teenager

5. I played the flute in school

6. I was a model for my uncle's paintings when I was a kid

7. I used to spend summers on my Grandparent's farm in Oregon

8. I met Jesus when I was 4

9. I went to an inner city performing arts high school and graduated in 1990

10. I've worked in church ministry off and on since I was 16

11. I've been to Mexico twice on mission's trips

12. I went to Kauai when I was in high school

13. I learned French in middle school and Spanish in college

14. I was a dance instructor in my 20's

15. I've led several dance troupes

16. I graduated from Bible School

17. I married Ron in 1995

18. I was a youth pastor

19. I graduated from College of the Redwoods with 2 Associate Degrees

20. Ron and I helped create and manage a coffee shop

21. I've had 2 kids, (Sarah in 1998 and Justin in 2006 without pain meds)

22. I have 3 babies in heaven

23. I’ve had an amniocentesis (with Sarah)

24. I had post partum depression

25. I've had 2 major surgeries

26. I've had and recovered from several chronic illnesses

27. I'm an artist and have recently become a mosaic artist

28. I've recently become a children's clothing designer

29. I've created and painted stage props for professional productions

30. I've been published in a local publication

31. I had a used on line book store

32. I've done professional alterations

33. I've made 6 quilts

34. I've done art shows locally

35. I've been to England and Scotland twice

36. I've been to Canada

37. I've lived 37 whole years!

We'll Miss You Elizabeth!

Today we had a special mommy's group for our leader, Elizabeth. She is moving away to Southern California and we are all going to miss her a lot! She's been such an awesome support for all of us for such a long time. We did a "Hollywood Ending" party and some dressed up in high style. Some of the moms worked on a beautiful quilt for her as a going away present. Here are a few pics from the day:

Elizabeth with her beautiful quilt




Mandy and Jonah

Dee sporting her vintage bells

Cute girls hanging out on the porch

Larissa signing the quilt for Elizabeth

National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Today is the National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss. This day was created on September 28, 2006 by a resolution that passed through the House of Representatives. Here is a link to the official site for the National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss: http://www.october15th.com/

For those of you who don't know, I lost three babies through miscarriages. It's still difficult to talk or write about it, and the pain of the loss never completely subsides, but the sting is slowly fading away with time. These were three precious children I lost, three souls, three babies who never had a chance to live their lives here on earth. What hurts the most is that I won't get to even meet them until I pass from this life onto the next. My comfort is that they are in a far better, safer place right now and that someday I will meet them. They never had to feel the pain this life can bring, but they never got to experience the gift of humanity either in the sweet sorrow of their existence.

I still don't understand why God allowed them to live such short lives, but I do know that He has used the pain I have gone through with my losses to help comfort others who have had the same loss. He has brought good from the pain I suffered. Now I can bring comfort, healing and understanding to those who grieve, and for this I am thankful.

Thank you God for my three precious children who you hold tenderly in your arms. They are safe, warm and loved with a love beyond what I could comprehend; They know a far better love than any human could ever give. Thank you for their lives, although short on this earth but eternally yours. Although I miss them dearly, each day I live is one day closer to the day when I will see them, hold them, laugh with them and rejoice. This gives me more hope, more faith, and more trust in the One who created them and who holds them in the palm of His hand. Someday I will fully understand this mystery of life and death, but until then I will trust that the plans You had for them are for good, not evil. Thank You for the comfort You bring to the pain of loss so great it is hard to comprehend at times. It comes in enormous waves, but Your love is so much stronger. I feel I have come to know You better through this pain. Thank you for the comfort You bring to my heart and the hope you give that lights the way.

Garage Sale Fun

Tom, myself and Bethany sorting the moola

Today the kids and I joined our friends the Csehs and the Rickstrews for a group garage sale, it was so much fun! I forgot to bring my camera - oops! so there aren't any pics from the event, but one of my friends is going to send me some, so I'll add them when I get them. I've never done a group garage sale before this one and I have to say that I've been missing out. The great thing about the sale was that we got great deals on one an other's stuff. I got Justin some cute clothes and a toy truck, Ron a pair of Birkenstock, a vintage radio, and some glass beads all for $10 - now that's a deal!

A friend of mine came to the sale later on in the day and we headed over to the annual Fire and Light sale where Ron was working for the day. I'll have to post some pics of these dishes, they're so gorgeous. Ron gets paid in merchandise, (at a fraction of what it's sold for), and it's the only way we can afford to get it. This year we're adding the dinner set.

All in all it was a really fun day...great because it was spent with friends. Next weekend we're doing another group garage sale fundraiser to raise money for a family who lost their house in a fire. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of the stuff I didn't sell in this sale. It feels really good to get rid of the things we don't need, down sizing rocks!

Berry Picking

Today Justin and I went blackberry picking with our friends Bethany and Isaac who were generous enough to share the blackberry patch behind their house. It's the end of the blackberry season, but there were still a sufficient amount of berries to pick enough for a cobbler. The boys had a great time picking and mostly eating the berries! A neighborhood cat decided to keep us company by running and playing with the boys. I'm convinced he thought he was one of them. A good time was had by all!

Walking along the trail

Justin and Isaac reclining in the ivy

Working hard at eating berries

Our cool cat companion chilling out by some graffiti