shaken

I am a bad blogger....please forgive me. Between working, my family and taking care of  our home, I blog whenever I have time, which I wish I had much more time because I love blogging and reading the awesome blogs out there. It is my little escape.

Today, I have been shaken and I need an outlet to share. I live here, three blocks from the ocean..........


It is a beautiful place, but I've always been a little worried and have told my husband, lets move inland, just a little further. This morning, we were woken up at 5:30 a.m. with frantic phone calls, firetrucks and tsunami sirens telling us to evacuate. I jolted out of bed, shaking, trying to put my contacts in as fast as I could on my way out I grabbed two photo albums in my reach of my little boys baby pictures, while my hubby got the dog and the baby.

I ran to the neighbors house banging on their door and ringing the door bell frantically to warn them and then ran to the car. We drove 5 minutes away to my in-laws who are out of the tsunami zone and four other neighbors also gathered at their house. I called my parents to let them know what was happening. My mom prayed with me on the phone and I started crying.

While watching the news, the pictures of Japan were horrific. Our tsunami is so minor compared to what they have experienced. I can not even imagine how shaken the people of Japan are. So many thoughts running through my head about how terrified the people must be, the people that don't know where their family members are, the uncertainties. God has taken care of us, we are safe and now I will continue praying for the people in Japan, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Fighting

I have been fighting

struggling 

and mustering up everything I have to hold myself together.

Last week, I pulled into the parking lot at work at  in the morning and it took everything I had to hold the tears back. I feel like I am in a boxing ring against my emotions. I often wake up with a storm of worries going through my head.

I feel like I am being knocked down again and again. I have been praying a lot. Asking God to calm my stirring heart and trying to shove these worries out of my head. These past few years it seems like my parents have become so very fragile. My mom is in pain and may need surgery, my dad is a diabetic, was told not too long ago that if he had not gone to the doctor when he did, he would have died within two days....and he still continues to neglect his health. My parents are raising their two grand kids who have such a lack of respect for my parents, it angers me so much.

I want to be a stay at home mom so bad, I want a job I love, I want another baby, a sibling and playmate for my little boy, but it all seems so complicated. I want to be responsible and at this point, I feel like I am stuck in a bad nightmare, like I am running out of time, like I am miserable and want to roll up in a ball and cry my eyes out. I'm sure the dark cold winter weather is not helping much either.

I am going to continue to fight this fight. To do everything I can to try and get the happy emotions flowing. I am going to pray, lots and lots. I am going to take one day at a time and have HOPE. How do you deal with your emotions when you feel hopeless? I need all the advice you can give!

Merry Christmas!

I am going to try and slow down this coming year, get my priorities straight and see what is next. A new job? A new house? Another baby? Ahhhhh, stresses me out just thinking about it. I am a deep thinker and am giving it all to God.

 We have been busy decking the halls. It's such a magical time of year, especially with a three year old.

I have been busy making ornaments.....

....making Christmas decorations with things I have on hand. (I saw so many of these cute trees around blog land and had to make one myself).

.....and I made THREE of these. One for my mom, one for mother-in-law, and of course one for me!

.....and you just can't pass up making the cute candy cane reindeer for the little ones!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a New Year that brings many blessings.

I'm a Petri Dish!

 It's official, I'm a Petri Dish! I went to work today getting over a cold and was told I was a Petrie Dish. I will admit, my voice is a little hoarse, but I am feeling so much better than I was over the weekend! I have washed my hands so many times they are cracked! My little man is such a sweetheart, but it seems like it takes me so much longer to get over a cold than he does! I'm sure hoping he doesn't bring any more germs home from school for a while.

Well, when I'm feeling a little more spunky, I can't wait to decorate a little for Thanksgiving. I want to keep it simple. Maybe paint my pumpkins white. I love the shabby chic look! I love burlap and vintage! I love these ideas I found. Pine-cones and acorns....I think I see a nature walk coming on. Although, it may be hard to find these things since I live on the coast. I am really craving a trip to the thrift store for treasures! Do you have some Thanksgiving decor inspiration to share?

Fall at Our House

Fall At Our House Means....

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch to search for the GREAT pumpkin. We found it once again! This year, it is weighing in at 56.5 pounds!

Decorating with Sweet Fall Things that make my heart go pitter patter!

Toss some pumpkins and my green twine ball in a basket and whala!

I had fun making my fall burlap banner and added a little ruffle for an extra touch, so simple, easy and fun!



....and a Halloween Party on the Way!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

 I had an extra long weekend and it has been SO nice! My hubby even stayed home today. We didn't really do anything special, just cleaning, mowing the lawn and catching up. I am trying to catch up on posting my fun crafts, but first I saw this fun tutorial on how to curl your hair with your hair straightener. Hop on over to A Few of My Favorite Things and check out Jessica's tutorial. I have a wide hair straightener, so now I'm on a mission to find one like Jessica's....maybe on my lunch break tomorrow. :o)
 So here are the wreaths I have made.....quite inexpensive. I got the idea for the first one from Sarah at Create Studio.  The supplies I used were my glue gun and an old book from college.

 ~Who knew I would be making crafts out of my school books one day.~

Then here is the second wreath and I got this idea from Amy at the Idea Room. For this wreath, the supplies I used were a Styrofoam wreath ring from the dollar store, an old book and a glue gun. I really liked Amy's idea about using paint for the aged look. Before I took the pages out of the book, I used black and brown paint to paint the edges of the book. Then after the wreath was all put together, I used a candle lighter to burn some of the edges of the wreath. I really like the way it turned out!

I saw another tutorial on making a wreath with coffee filters, I just might try that one next if I can find the tutorial again.

Do you have any fun wreath ideas to share?

Tip Toe through the Tulips

I'm feeling a bit run down this week and anxious. At times it seems like the world is crashing down on me. I need to focus on God! I need to pray! My family, my job, my house. All these negative thoughts coming at once, stress from everyday life, stress from mean people. Yes, I see mean people.........every day from 9-5.

I like to look at these pics of God's awesome creation. Wow! Aren't they amazing. A few weeks ago my mom, son and I went to the tulip festival. It was so much fun and so beautiful..........40 acres of tulips. Boy, would I love to lie in that field of tulips with the warm sunshine beating down and forget all my worries! Don't worry.........be happy!