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Fairy Garden

2012-05-18T13:32:37Z

I have always been fascinated by miniature items. Absolutely fascinated! Well, with the exception of baby corn. That is just weird and totally freaks me out! I know. I'm crazy. This is not news to anyone, is it? ;) Anyhow...

A few weeks before my daughter's birthday I was trying to think of what to get her, and I decided I was NOT going to buy her any toys because she just has too many! Do you know what Squinkies are?

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Squinkies are very tiny, very colorful, very squishy, very weird little things. And my daughter LOVES them. And she has about a hundred of them and loads of "accessories". You see, she is fascinated by little things, too! She has minature tea sets, minature doll houses, minature figurines. If it's tiny, she loves it!

I decided that for her birthday I would make her her very own fairy garden, basically just a minature garden with some small garden furniture for the fairies! Now, I am not even going to post any pics of fairy gardens that I have seen on the web, but just Google it if you want to see some, burt try not to judge mine too harshly, mmmkay?

First I had to decide what type of container to use. I wanted it to be small so that it could stay in her room, so something like a whiskey barrel or large planter was out. I ended up with a smallish wooden box that I picked up at HomeGoods. I filled it with potting soil and was ready to start adding plants. (See the little furniture?!)

Here is a better pic of the gate and chair. The chair was just a rusty tin color, but I gave it a light coat of some pink Krylon spray paint. Of course I did.

Now, there are all kinds of minature plants that you can buy for a smaller garden or a terrarium. I did not buy small plants. I just used regular garden plants from Home Depot. I am sure that this little garden will become quickly overgrown, but that is what I am hoping for!

After I added the plants, I added the furniture. I purchased my items at the cutest little store in downtown Geneva, The Mossy Twig. I also added some river rocks to make a little path for the fairies and garden gnomes. I'm crazy, remember? The river rocks came from Hobby Lobby.

And that's basically it! I am considering adding some live moss to it, or I might just cheat and get some fake moss! I'll keep you posted!

Here are just a few more fun shots to enjoy!

I just love this little gate! It really opens and closes!

Isn't that just the sweetest thing?! Morgan LOVES it, and so do I!

It's going to be a beautiful weekend here. I hope that wherever you are you are able to take time to Enjoy the Son. Be well, my friends!

Happy birthday, Morgan!

2012-05-16T15:02:10Z

Today is my daughter's 4th birthday. I cannot believe it. Literally CANNOT believe it!

She woke up to a "fairy garden" in her room, and Grandma stopped by to drop off Perry the Platapus. I have lots of fun pics to show you how I created the fairy garden, but, since it is my gal's birthday, I am just going to show you this one, and I will create a post later! Enjoy the Son today!

Spring Mantle

2012-05-09T13:02:24Z

I have had a few different vignettes on my mantle since Christmas, but I haven't taken time to share them with you. I am thinking that next fall I will create a seasonal mantle post and highlight the ever changing displays that come and go in my living room. For now, I want to share this vignette with you.

It is incredibly random, but I love it!

I picked up this bust at the flea market over the weekend. If you have never been to the Kane County Flea, I highly recommend it!!!

I originally had a banner that said "Spring", but I ended up with "Bloom", and I like it!

I also picked up this little architectural piece at the flea. It weighs about 15lbs. It's ridiculous, but I couldn't resist the chippy paint and fantastic rust! Eeeeeeeee!!!! (That's me, squealing.) So sweet!

Does anyone remember the family auction I went to last year? Remember how I waited and waited with all those farmers for this dear, little sewing drawer? I still love her! ;)

I also have a number of old photographs from the auction. I like to think that these two photos are of the same two boys. I have no idea who they are, but I pretend that they are brothers and best of friends. Mmmmmmm....family can be lovely.

Okay. These bird cages are REALLY random. They started out a sort of green and gold color. I lightly spray painted them with brown, but I like the character of the green and gold peeking through. I had the cages sitting on the mantle, but they were empty and just looked...well...empty! I have several different birds that would have worked in them, but that was too expected. So, what did I end up with? A wooden pineapple that I sprayed white for one cage, and a bunch of old, crumpled book pages for the other. I was going for "quirky", but did I miss quirky and head straight to "crazy"? If so, I am totally fine with crazy. ;)

When I needed something small for this vignette, I knew exactly what I was going to use. This little jar of buttons came from my great-grandmother's sewing box. I still use her sewing box and almost everything in it--thimbles, tape, pin cushion, etc.--but this little jar of old buttons is too sweet to be disturbed. I love that great-grandma separated out the neutral buttons and kept them safe in this little jar. I added some other jars of beads and corks that fit with my neutral theme. **Side note: The three jars with beads and corks are just recycled jars. Nothing special. I think they were once a jelly jar, salsa jar, and a candle. I like to keep small jars because you never know when inspiration will strike! When I was creating this display, I gathered several jars from my stash, and this is what I ended up with.

I really liked the way this old pail looked in the vignette, but it needed something. I tried a few different things, and decided some pillows would add nice height and texture. I tied a biece of burlap around a pillow form for one pillow. Honestly, I was going to make a white pillow case for the form, but what would be the point of that? If I hadn't told you it was a just a form with no case, would you have noticed? Probably not! Then I took some left over drop cloth fabric (from an abandoned project!) and quickly made a couple of pillows. Literally, it took less than ten minutes to sew the cases, stuff them with batting, and stitch up the opening. I embellished the small pillow with some twine and a book page "tag", and I rubbed a very small amount of distressing ink across the front of the pillow. For the larger pillow, I just added a scrap of a doily, a few rosettes, and some vintage "pearls". Quick and lovely. My kind of project!

Just another shot of my sewing drawer!

And one more shot of the entire display.

Now I am off to work on a present for my sister--don't tell her, mmmmkay? What are you working on today? Wherever you are, whatever your project, I hope you enjoy the Son!

May the 4th be with you...

2012-05-04T19:47:03Z

Bahahahahahahaha! Happy Star Wars Day! What? You aren't celebrating? Is it weird that I am? ;) Whether you're celebrating or not, I thought today would be an apporpriate time to reveal Quinn's room, which I have redone in the last two weeks.

Because I have not taken enough time to learn how to use my camera manually, the pics are a bit off. Sorry. I'll work on that! Here are some before shots of the room:

It will be three years this August since we have moved into this house. In that time, I have picked up the two random, yet very solid wood!, dressers from craigslist. I paid less than $100 total for them. I always knew I was going to paint them, so I was really more concerned with their shape and size than their finish. Anyhow, here are some after pics of the room:

Ugh. This pic is way off. Sorry :(

I love how the dressers turned out!!! I have been eyeing some from Pottery Barn Kids, and they are about $700-$800 apiece! I think I did alright...

I wanted some cheap inexpensive artwork or something to hang over the bed. I couldn't find anything that fit the bill, literally. So, I took some old puzzles that Quinn had, Mod Podged them, attached a hanger (grosgrain ribbon, but "hanger" sounds more masculine!) and that was that! The puzzle on the left looks very blurry because it is a hologram puzzle--not because of my photog skills. Well, only partially because of my photog skills...

I picked up the bookcase at a garage sale last weekend. Solid wood, $10. Fantastic! I cleaned her up and gave her a coat of paint, and she fits in perfectly. *And I would like to add a little disclaimer about all of the wall clings: I would normally only put up a few of them, or just create a scene with some, but my son loves them. LOVES THEM. And Grandma keeps buying him more! ;) Anyhow, if you're checking out these pics and thinking, "Gosh, Holly. I would have gone a little easier on the stickers..." I am with you!!!! But, it IS my son's room, so I figured I'd let him keep the clings...

I didn't know what, exactly, to use to decorate the top of this dresser. It needed something, but I didn't want anything too girly or babyish or clutter-y. I ended up just taking some old frames and spray painting them different shades of blue. Works for me.

And I REALLY love this peg board. I put this up shortly after we moved into this house. Quinn really likes collecting "treasures", and this gives him a space to display them without putting holes all over the wall--especially when you know there will be new "treasures" next week!

The paint I use--ALWAYS--is Benjamin Moore. The walls are Pilgrim Gray #2132-50. The dressers and bookcase are Deep Royal, #2061-10. I primed everything with the Aqua Lock primer in tintable white, but I did not have it tinted.

Enjoy the Son! And may the Force be with you!

Kitchen cabinet to credenza

2012-05-02T12:41:34Z

Last fall I read this article where Tom Silva from This Old House turned some stock cabinets into a sideboard. I LOVED the concept, but I wasn't going to pay hundreds of dollars for the cabinets. Ever the bargain hunter, I started checking out local thrift stores, including the HFH ReStore which has TONS of cabinets. The problem was, I couldn't find enough cabinets in the same size to make it work. So I kept searching.

One day I was hanging out with my friend Amy, and she said they were going to start remodeling their kitchen soon, and I was like, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR CABINETS?!?!?!?! I mean, uh, wow! Fantastic! Can I have some cabinets?!" Of course Amy was happy to have me take some cabinets, so I did. I took a couple, but as my design changed, I ended up using just the largest cabinet and donating the other.

Pardon the crummy pic. I forgot to get a before pic, so this is from my iPhone. Bad blogger.

Anyhow, I decided I would use this cabinet as the center of the credenza, and add some open shelving to the sides. A friend helped me with the design, and cut all of the pieces from scrap he already had on hand. So, if your counting, I spent $0 dollars on this project. Four hundred my foot, Tom Silva!

I primed and painted everything before assembly.

Once everything was painted, it was just a matter of attaching the shelves to the cabinet.

Have I mentioned the top of the cabinet? No? Same friend had several maple planks that were cut to size and joined together beautifully to create a top for the credenza. I love it!

I stained the top and some trim pieces, and all that was left was installing them and the hardware. Honestly! Doesn't that top look like one smooth, solid piece?!

We used to have a beautiful armoire that housed everything, but the armoire was so large that it only fit in one spot, and it was not functional. Well, not as functional as I wanted. So, we got rid of the armoire (sniff, sniff)...

...and in it's place, we temporarily used this. (Full on sobbing! Wahhhhh!)

Ugh. You can imagin my delight at my new piece. Tada:

So much better!!!! Eventually I would like to have some decorative items on the shelves, but for now, the shelves are heavy laden with Legos and Squinkies. Sigh.

Here is a current view of the family room. Still lots to do, but I am making progress.

Not bad, right? And, when you consider the cost, $0!!!!!, it's pretty much fantstic! What do you think?

Enjoy the Son!

Randomness to the rescue

2012-04-25T13:39:44Z

So. I may have mentioned, back in the fall sometime, that I am working on my family room. (If you follow me on Pinterest, you have probably checked out my "Family Room" board, and you have an idea of what I am going for!) It is a slow process, mainly because I don't want to put anything in the room that I don't really love. Since I am very particular, it is taking awhile to complete. The only project that I have shared regarding the family room is the lamp, which I do love!

Sometime in October, I started clearing out the family room and switching out furniture. The walls were bare and I was ready to pick out a paint color. The problem was, my schedule was not allowing me time to choose colors, and I knew that even if I did pick a color I wouldn't have time to paint with the holidays rapidly approaching. So, my walls stood bare for about a week. Then I started going crazy in the bareness, and I had to put something on the walls. STAT!

Honestly! Wouldn't this make you a little nuts?!

Oh my! It was a Friday afternoon when I snapped. Our home bible study group was coming over in a few hours. I didn't want to run out to buy anything because, remember, I didn't/don't want to put anything in this room that I don't really love. I did concede, however, that if I was using items that I already had laying around it wouldn't be wasteful to decorate in the interim, and then just put them back into the "to-be-made-into-something-fabulous" pile that continues to grow in my basement. ;) I went to said pile and grabbed a bunch of random items. I had loads of black, plastic frames, which I spray painted a variety of colors. I had an old mirror that I attached new eyes and wire to. Then I just started hanging the items, trying to add some life and color to the room.

What do you think?

It's a little crazy, and most likely temporary, but, in my opinion, it is waaaaaaaaaaay better than a blank wall! Oh! Notice that broken plate? Of course you do! Funny story...

I was in a hurry to get my wall together before bible study, and I didn't have the right sized plate hanger. I remembered seeing a great tip on Pinterest about gluing a safety pin to the back of a plate to make an invisible hanger. Fantastic! Well, fantastic if you follow the directions and use the right glue. But, remember, I was in a hurry and didn't have hours to let the glue dry, so I decided to use hot glue. Go ahead and laugh, but you know you would have been tempted... Anyhow, the plate hung perfectly...for about 45 minutes. Then it crashed to the floor. I started laughing and just cleaned up the pieces and was getting ready to throw it away, but my son was crying. CRYING!

He said that the plate was so pretty (he was only five at the time, so I feel okay sharing this, but when he is older I will have to start getting his permission before I write about him!) and it was just the right color and that it was still "useful". That was his word. Useful. So, the next day, I found the correct plate hanger, and I hung the broken plate. Some people have joked about it, and I joke back that I could preach a sermon on that broken plate.

Well, I am not joking now. I love that little, broken plate because it reminds me of me...or, all of us, really. We are broken, but not destroyed. We still have value. Worth. We are useful. Pretty even. It reminds me that no failure is final. That I will not be tossed aside. That there is a purpose that only I can fill, a place that will be empty without me. I really could preach a sermon on this...Keep hanging on little, broken plate, and I will too!

Enjoy the Son!

P.S. If you look in the mirror in the picture above, you will get a sneak peak at the next project for the family room! ;)

I'm Alive

2012-04-19T15:17:56Z

I'm sitting at my computer, wanting the words to come out, and I am pondering the title of this post. I'm alive. Seems ironic for someone who has dreamed of death every night for the last six weeks. But, I AM alive. I am still here. And I will try to back up a bit to fill you in a bit on my absence.

Shortly after my last post, my family and I went to Disney world. It was a fantastic trip, and I am not sure who enjoyed it more: the kids or Grandma?! :)

The morning we left for Disney World. Think they're excited?

Just off the plane and straight to the castle!

When we returned from Disney, I intended to write a post with some of the hilarious stories from our trip (and there were several!), but life was so busy, I didn't have time to post. My son, while only in Kindergarten, had TWENTY-SEVEN pages of home work to make up!!! On top of the home work, my volunteer work with the BMS organization really picked up. (I am soooooo grateful to be a part of this organization! You can check out their website here: Beyond Morning Sickness. And you can read some of my story here: my HG story. And I will be making another HG post soon!) Also, I am blessed to be able to be a stay at home mom, and that status affords me the ability to be able to help other moms when they need a hand, and, well, there have been lots of moms that have needed help in the recent months and I am just so thankful to be able to help them. All that to say, the time that I would normally take to create a post was being spent in other, well deserved areas.

February quickly turned into March, and my time continued to be not my own, but I was grateful to be helpful. And then the kidney stones hit. One minute I was picking up the crew from school, and the next minute I was paralyzed by pain in the parking lot, frantically calling my husband to come and take the kids. I ended up in the hospital, and after two days I passed the stone.

Life since my trip to the hospital has been a whirlwind. My recovery was slow, but life doesn't stop for physical pain. And there was more pain than just the physical kind, and I am still working through all of it.

About a week after I left the hospital the nightmares started. Every year since my mom has been gone (she died August 25, 1989), I have nightmares that start anywhere from three to five weeks before her birthday, April 19, 1963. This year they started at the five-six week mark. Awesome. I have shared with a couple of people the details of some of the nightmares, and I was considering sharing some details on this blog as a kind of "getting it out there" exercise. However, after sharing the details with a few people recently and seeing them go white with fear or watching them sob over information that had nothing to do with them or being being able to literally see and feel their pain for me, I have decided that no good will come of that. And, since today is her birthday, the nightmares will be over, and I will keep moving forward.

There has been much happening, obviously, in my personal life. And also in my church, my family, and the lives of my friends. There have been births and deaths and pain and healing. I am committed to moving forward and not dwelling on the past, and I am thankful to all of you for your support! You have no idea how encouraging you have been! So many of you sent me emails or messages on Facebook. Some of you who know me personally even called me or sent text messages to verify that I was alive! Honestly! It is encouraging to know I was missed, and I am happy to be back.

Since I have been away, I have really enjoyed reading so many of YOUR blogs and keeping up with your lives and your fantastic projects! Thank you!!! I have so many projects that I have been working on, and I hope to share them with you very soon!

For today, I am just going to breathe. I am going to be thankful for what is in front of me and learn from what is behind me. There will be growing pains, for sure, but I have to trust that it will be worth it. Isaiah 55:10-11 "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." God says His word will not return void, and I am clinging to that promise!

Enjoy the Son!

Rewiring a lamp

2012-01-24T15:33:58Z

A couple of months ago, I showed you this lamp that I picked up at GoodWill for $1.99.

I loved the size and shape, but, since it was about 100 years old, it didn't work. I figured it couldn't be that hard to rewire it, so I figured I'd give it a try. (I just happened to have a lamp kit that somone had given me, so, if it didn't turn out, the only thing I was wasting was my time, and two bucks!)

I started by taking apart the lamp. Actually, I started by taking a picture of the lamp, fully assembled, so that I would know how to put it back together. There were soooooo many pieces!

There were instructions on the lamp kit on how to rewire the lamp, but they were pretty vague--especially considering I had no idea what I was doing. And I was certainly outside of my comfort zone on this project. I don't like to try new things if I don't think I will be successfull at them. It's silly, but I was actually a little nervous! I kept thinking, "What if someone goes to turn on the light, and somehow gets electrocuted?!" I almost stopped the project, but then I got it together and was like, "It's a lamp. You have instructions. You're fairly smart. Figure it out and stop worrying!" Why I am I telling you this? I am trying to encourage you to try something you might not be good at. Maybe you'll fail. Big deal. Try something else! But maybe you'll do an amazing job and gain some confidence! Okay, I'll stop preaching and get back to the lamp! ;)

Like I said, the directions on the kit were vague, so, Google to the rescue! (Seriously, what did we do before Google?!)

I really have nothing to say about the next steps, because I just followed the directions!

Once the lamp was reassembled, I used some Krylon and spray painted it red. For the shade, I used an old egg basket that I picked up from the flea market. I always ask if the seller knows any history on the item I am interested in, and they almost always do--but sometimes I wonder if they're just making stuff up! Anyhow, this particular basket apparently came from a peacock farm near Wisconsin. Really? That's what he said... He had a few different colors and sizes, and I really liked the yellow basket. I knew right away that it would make a great lamp shade--and now I had a lamp to put it on.

What do you think?

I think the jury is still out on whether anyone else actually likes it, but I'm okay with that--because I think it's fantastic! The lamp is in our family room, which is in the process of being "made over". I was going to wait to show you one giant reveal-type post, but I changed my mind. There are so many projects going on in the family room that I think I will just show them to you as I complete them.

Have you tried anything lately that you were unsure of? How did it turn out?

I am offering up prayers of peace and blessings for you today! Enjoy the Son!

Ammo belt

2012-01-18T14:32:22Z

I haven't even written this post yet, and I am already cracking up!!! Forgive me, please!

I have been working on my family room for a couple of months now. (And I use the term "working" very loosely!) Back in October, I ordered an instructional DVD on how to make custom slipcovers. You can find the DVD on Shelley's site here.

While I was on Shelley's site, I came across this project, and of course I "pinned" it! (If you follow me on Pinterest, it's on my 'For the Short People' board. Yes, I really do refer to my kids as the short people. Is that bad?!)

Anyhow, when I saw this DIY dart holder, I knew I had to make it for Quinn!

(Please pardon the crummy pics! I REALLY need to learn to use the camera with the manual settings!)

All you need for this project is an old fabric belt, some ribbon, some "ammo", and about 10 minutes.

Measure your little soldier and determine where you want your ammo to start and stop. Secure the ribbon at your starting point. Then, slide a dart as close to your seam as possible, wrap the ribbon over the top of the dart, and sew another seam. Remove the dart and repeat.

And repeat and repeat and repeat.

That's it! Now let your little soldier try it out, and then take cover!

How fun is that?!

On another note, thank you all so very, very much for the outpouring of prayers, kind words, and encouragment! My inbox was FLOODED with messages after my last post, and it was such a blessing to me! Many of you shared your own struggles and sadness with me, and I am humbled to be trusted with your heartache. I am covering you in prayer.

My husband's surgery went well, and he is back at work today--much faster than I anticipated! He is in pain, but it is manageable. We will have the biopsy results next week, but the surgeon did warn us there might be more surgery in the future. I am trying not to freak out about that, but you know me...

Thank you, friends, for your support! It means a lot! Enjoy the Son!

Moving Forward

2012-01-10T15:06:23Z

It has been several weeks since I have been on here. It's not that I just took a break for the holidays, or that I didn't have any projects to share. I actually had five posts that I wanted to share with you, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Why? Well, the answer is a bit long, sad, and random, but it is the truth.

I am very intentional about the words I choose--in real life AND on my blog. This has not always been the case, but over the last few years, I have learned that my words can hurt or help, and I need to be mindful of EVERYTHING that comes of out my mouth (or heart, in this case!). So, for me, part of being intentional with my words means not talking just to talk. (If you know me in real life, you know I talk. A lot. A LOT A LOT!) While I don't always get it right, my blog is a great place to practice saying what I really mean. I can't just say something on here. I need to think about it, type it, edit it, etc.

All that to say, I have sat down several times over the last few weeks, and the message that has been on my heart has not been one that I have wanted to share. Because there was something in my heart that I was trying to hold back, I was unable to share the projects that I wanted to. They just felt false, and silly, really. I have not been ready to write this post, but I am ready today. I don't know if, in writing this, someone else will benefit or if it will just be me. Either way, I am writing it.

I miss my mom. She died when I was 10. I will be 33 in a couple of weeks. It's not like this was my first Christmas without her. So I was totally blindsided by the unbelievable grief that I felt this season.

My mom loved Christmas. She went all out with decorations. I remember stringing cranberries and popcorn garlands with her. Five pieces of popcorn and one cranberry. Five pieces of popcorn and one cranberry.

I love Christmas, and I go crazy with decorations. (So does my MIL, which is so fun!) I even have a number of my mom's vintage Santa's that I decorate with. It reminds me of Christmases past, and I really enjoy the decorating process. This year I bought cranberries to string with my kids. I couldn't do it though. I just let them sit in a bowl and rot. Then I bought more and those rotted too. Ugh.

Why, after 22 years, is this year so hard? Well, I think I know why, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Last year, a very dear family friend died on New Year's Eve. We didn't think she would make it to Christmas. Every day was a horrible waiting game. This year, I was very aware of each day leading up to the anniversary of her death, and I was sad. Really sad.

Also, I always associate Christmas with a time for family's to come together, even if just for the day, and get along. My family history is interesting to say the least, and the holidays don't mean a time of reconciliation. It wasn't a surprise to me, but it was still sad.

Deep breath. Now for the hardest part. My children are very aware that my mom died when I was a child. They talk about their "Grandma Jill" a lot. Even at a very young age, my son seemed to have a very real understanding of what it meant that his mommy lost her mommy when she was little.

When Quinn was almost four, he was just getting into dinosaurs. So we went to the library and checked out a bunch of dinosaur books and several dino DVDs. One of the DVDs was the original Land Before Time. (If you have not seen the movie: SPOILER ALERT! Right at the beginning of the movie, the mom dies and the little dinosaur has to find his way without her.) At the end of the movie, Quinn shakily asks, "Mommy? Is Little Foot's mommy really dead?" I scooped him up and said, "Yes." Quinn said, "I don't want her to be dead," and he started to cry. I said, "Honey, we can pretend that she didn't really die if you would like." He said, "Okay," and then he burst into sobs and said, "But she really did die! And Little Foot needed her! And your mommy died and you needed her, too!" The fact that he made this correlation at such a tender age nearly knocks the wind out of me, and I start sobbing, too. My sobbing causes my daughter, who is not quite two, to start sobbing. At this point, my husband walks in after a trip to the hardware store, and cautiously asks what has happened. When I tell him, he very calmly walks over to the DVD player, removes the disc, and says he will return the movie to the library. He is not easily shaken. I really love that about him!

Picture of our family around the time of the great dinosaur sobfest

We talk about death quite a bit at our house. (I am in no way suggesting that everyone go and have a talk about death with your very young children. Death has greatly affected our life, so we talk about it.) That may seem morbid, but death is a part life. I think that by talking about it, it helps my kids to not be afraid. By NOT talking about it, it turns it into something scary for them. We try to talk about it in a very matter-of- fact way. Everything that lives dies. Flowers die. Trees die. Grass dies. Animals die. People die. Mommies die.

Since we always talk about it in such a matter of fact way, my kids feel very free to ask questions, and I am thankful for that. However, this season, the kids talked about my mom so much, it was almost unbearable. My son is so curious, and he wanted to know what it looked like and what it felt like for my mom when she died. He wants to know if she was scared and if it was hard for her to breathe. I explain that I do not know for sure, but that it was probably scary. Her lung collapsed, so I figure it was hard to breathe. He starts to ask more questions, and I ask him if we can please not talk about it. He moves onto questions about Legos without missing a beat.

I am crying now and losing my train of thought, if there even was a train to begin with…

Oh yes. The "mass". This part is hard, too! What a bummer of a post!

My husband has been having pain in his jaw for about five months. He has gone to the dentist several times, with no real answer. A couple of weeks ago, he went in for another visit, as the pain was getting worse, and the dentist discovered a mass growing in his jaw that was not there on the most recent X-rays.

I try to take the news calmly, but I have a tendency to jump to the worst case scenario, and this was no exception. I do trust that God is in control and that this is part of His plan, and I find much peace and comfort in that. When I start to get amped up, I just take some time and pray. So, basically, I pray 24 hours a day!

My husband and I met with an oral surgeon last week, and he is scheduled for surgery on the 16th. The surgeon feels 90% confident that it will be a cyst that is easy to remove with no follow up surgeries. He feels that there is about a 9% chance that it could be a more aggressive cyst, and need more surgery. And there is a very small percent that it could be something else. Those are the surgeons estimations, not mine. We feel very at ease after meeting with him.

Despite the sadness, I did have a very joyful Christmas and we are all doing well. I am so thankful for all of the blessings in my life.

Picture of our family today

Now that I have this message off my heart, I hope to be able to return to sharing my projects with you very soon! Enjoy the Son today--I promise you will have great day if you do!