Thursday, July 31, 2008



I wanted to share some pictures of the bibs I made for my new great-nephew Rish. They were super easy to make, and so fun to buy fabrics for. I always used a lot of bibs with my kids, and they can get pretty nasty looking. It is nice to have a few in the reserves to pull out on those occasions that you would like something fresher, like going out, or special events.






Wednesday, July 30, 2008

A BEAR?

I have been a bear to live with lately. I don't know why exactly. One minute I cry, the next I yell. I am short on patience, and even shorter on understanding. I feel like a cloud is hanging over my head ready to envelope me at a moments notice. At times it is overwhelming, and at others it is off in the distance taunting me. I tried to explain to the children this morning, that Momma was having a hard time. I apologized ahead of time for how I might act that day. How insane is that, I thought just minutes later. Apologizing for something you have not yet done, but are sure you will do? At the time I thought it was a good idea, maybe it would give them a thicker skin if they knew it was coming, like they could brace themselves against the harshness or irrational behavior to come. Where is the faith in that for me? Where is my trust in a God who can save me from myself if only I rest in him, if I have already admitted defeat before the battle? My thoughts turned to not only compassion for my children, but repentance for my SIN. Does my mood, or my circumstance excuse my actions,? of course not. Does the fact that sometimes it is easy, and sometimes it is hard change my God's standard for my life? of course not.


Don't use foul or abusive language.

Let everything you say be good and helpful,

so that your words will be an encouragement

to those who hear them.


Paul's letter to the Ephesians 4:29

under God's inspiration

New Living translation

Monday, July 28, 2008

livin life

Well, I am back, after a week long hiatus. I would love to say that I have been vacationing on some remote tropical island or enjoying some far away exotic country, but I have just been livin life.




Last week Friday we drove to Thomasville Georgia to see our oldest do this.

He just looks so big out there!

While we did this, it was 167 degrees. Well almost!



and afterwards at the hotel room the kids did this.




Sunday early we left there to go to Berry College in Macon Georgia to take son number two to

THIS.



Tuesday the girls and I drove to Lexington to visit sweet baby, and new second cousin, and great nephew Rish and do this



and to go see the new Kit an American Girl movie with Grandma Cliff, and wish her a very happy 74th birthday, while she did this.




My sweet niece Hannah announced that we will all welcome another baby to the family come March. Her little one Ruby Ellen was so excited she did this.



not really, this was taken back in May, but it went so well with my format!




It was a very busy weekend, and the week was very sad without our Kartwright. Boy, I sure did miss that boy!!!! He had a wonderful time, and was full of fun stories, and new knowledge. One that especially warmed my heart.


They interviewed him on camera for the camp promotional video, and basically told him what they wanted him to talk about. "say this was the best week of your life" the interviewer coached. "no" Kartwright refused, "why not?" the staff questioned. "I have spent the last 15 years with my parents and family, and the people I love most in the world, do you really think this was the best week of my life?".


You go boy!

A bit cocky I suppose, but appreciated none the less!

So glad you are HOME!







Thursday, July 17, 2008

Freaky and Funky








Remember these freaky over sized utensils? They were a Good Will find. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with them exactly, but they seemed to have potential. It has been several months, and they have been begging me incessantly for their make-over. Well in a creative moment, when Michael took big K and medium sized H golfing, and Little E had fallen asleep snuggled on the couch, it was their chance to be transformed. Actually, I had already spray painted them the day before. At my house, black is the "new" neutral, and very pale gold is the wall color (not my choice, rental home, another story, another day), so black it was.




I had planned to cover them with one type of ribbon to cover the carved handles, but it just didn't look right. Then I dragged out my scrap booking ribbon stash and started to play. I went to town, with no particular color scheme in mind, and the outcome was a bit funky! You can click on the pictures to enlarge if you care to see freaky and funky up close.




I added the bird, cut from a piece of hounds tooth patterned paper as an after thought






I hung them next to the pantry, as that was the only empty wall in the kitchen.


So meet the new occupants of our pantry wall, Mr.Freaky and Mrs.Funky.

(not quite certain who is who!)

What do you think? trash to treasure, or simply trash to trash?

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

babies are better then freezers!



O.K., sooooooo Ginger is the mostest smartest and intuitiver then all the rest of yous. Congrats Ginger, it is a freezer!!

BBBBBBBUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT! I will show you that later... as I have something far better that arrived, and kept me from blogging yesterday!




Rish Griffin Owens

My niece Ellen made me a great Aunt for the second time!!!! isn't he just the most precious thing you have ever seen?? This was taken just shortly after he was born, in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Their sweet family of two has now become three, Jamie, Ellen and baby Rish, what a miracle!


Here are the happy Grandparents!


and here is the great aunt!

I think we all look amazingly good for 4:oo AM don't you, and none of us got a lick of sleep in that waiting room!


Here is the sweet bundle later that day.

Thank you Lord for this little one, and for the blessing that children are.

Thank you for hearing our prayers for a safe delivery,

and most of all Father,

thank you for this new soul, that is baby Rish.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Want to be smart and intuitive?


Michael and I spent most of Saturday cleaning out our garage, YUCK, is all I can say, not so much fun! Does anyone out there find it easier to clean if you are angry about something? I guess I shouldn't admit that, but it is definitely true for me, a little tantrum in my head about how unfair life is, and how unjust, and how this person or that person needs to know this or that, can really get the job done quickly. Sometimes just the fact that I am cleaning someone Else's mess makes me angry enough to finish a job in record time. I suppose the world might say that I am working out my aggression, and using it in a positive way, to accomplish a worthwhile task, I'm not quite sure what they would say, maybe they would just think I was a nut case, but I don't think the Lord is pleased with my anger no matter how I channel it. Just a thought.

This empty spot we cleared in our now orderly, and completely systematized alphabetically arranged garage (just kidding, I wasn't that angry) is going to get a surprise today. Can you guess what it will be? The first to guess correctly will get.................ummmmmm, I don't know... the first to guess correctly will get............let me think, ummmmmm.....I have nothing of value to give you, no gift certificates, no free subscriptions....I have nothing you want. How 'bout the first to guess correctly gets the satisfaction that they are a smart and intuitive individual who guesses things really well? Yes that is it, so guess, come on, and if you live in India and leave a comment, you will absolutely and unequivocally make my day. So guess!

Tomorrow I will reveal.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Donna Downey

SOOOOOOO, in a last minute effort to win friends and influence people, with a major emphasis on the first one, I signed up for a class last minute, at my local scrapbook store, for Friday night. I had about one hour to get a list of a gazillion supplies together, including recent and decent pictures of my beautiful children, which I had to find, crop, and print, a canvas, paint, gel medium, brushes, felt, on and on, so on and so forth, you get the picture. I didn't really have time to think and ponder, or color coordinate said supplies, let alone match them to my decor! The project was a canvas scrap book of sorts to hang on the wall. The class started at 6:00, so I slapped on some Berry Berry Merle Norman lip potion, and with supplies stuffed in two tote bags, and the only canvas I had on hand, a 36X24, tucked under one arm, I kissed my sweet family good-bye and set out to find a new circle of buddies. May I just add parenthetically,(that is my Pastors favorite word by the way, and my family smiles each and every time he uses it, just because we think it is cool of him that he likes it so much. I'm not quite sure that it fits in this contexts however, humor me) Since we have moved here almost nine months ago(Oh my word has it really been that long?????) I have not really connected with anyone on a personal level other then the weekly church how are yous, other then one person who is soon moving, and she knows who she is HEATHER. I'm still trying to pray her back, and yes she has already bought a house, and her husband has a job there, and they are extremely excited about moving,and her going away party is this Tuesday, but, hey, I serve a mighty God! anyway, I digress. Suffice it to say, I need friends, or even just some people who tolerate me.


SSooooooo, I squeal into the shop of said class at 5:59 only to find the parking lot full, so I end up parking in the back and having to schlep sp? all my meticulously determined synchronized embellishments and ephemera around to the front, through the rain, and enter a full class of women I have never met. This is where I would insert that screechy noise that they have on horror films if I could, (as if I have ever been to a horror flick). I take the last seat in the back next to a much younger, and definitely more organized, and color coordinated, classmate. The seat is directly in front of a fan that is blowing my hair toward my face and into my Merle Norman Berry Berry lip potion. I smile big, (my kids say I could make friends if I smiled more. This I was informed of one day after church on the ride home, unsolicited I might add, "Mom" he said, I won't reveal his real identity, but his name starts with Kart, and ends with wright "maybe if you smiled more, and didn't look so mad all the time, more people would like you" can I just say right now, Thank you Lord for teenagers, no really, just when we start feeling a little confident in the whole parenting thing you make them teens, and put us right back in the humble seat where we belong.)( well, I digress again.) I smile really big, thinking of my sweet son and the inferred promise of friendship, I smile as warmly as I can muster, and introduce myself to my neighbor. "My name is Amy" I offer, "oh" she replies softly, mine too. Great, I breath a sigh of relief, perhaps I can actually remember that one.


Did I mention that our teacher that evening was Donna Downey, renowned scrapbooker of simple scrapbooks magazine, blog aficionado and world traveler??? Well, it was, in all her has lost 40 pounds glory (you look fantastic girl). Donna (yes we are on a first name basis, well I am, she doesn't even know mine)was up in front talking, laughing, smiling (really big, and warmly too), and preparing to teach if all the late pupils, namely me, would get themselves together. (And, can I just say, if you are still reading this, you are so in need of better entertainment? wow,you deserve a medal just for getting this far)


OK, picture it here, let me just set this up for you, new town, nine months, no friends, a bit frazzled, trying too hard to smile, damp, fan blown, uncoordinated and ill prepared, just a bit comical isn't it? laugh with me here.


SSSoooooooooo, Donna starts into her schpeal, and immediately points at me "YOU, she projects rather loudly "YOU, I can tell are not a type A personality" a r e a l l y l o n g pause ensues. I don't know what to say back, I am dumbfounded, perplexed, paralyzed......."me" ???, I question??? Time stands still here people, it stands still, and a week goes by in my head, I just wanted to be part of the crowd I thought, just one of the girls, not singled out, not different, not on display or with a need to meet any expectations, just another scrapbooker, no drama, no pressure........suddenly I'm back "Yes, she remarks, I can tell, because anyone who would bring that large of a canvas to this class could not be a type A personality" sheepishly I stammer a reply " well, well, actually..... well, actually, I just signed up for your class, just ummmmm like umm like two hours ago, and well, well, this is the only canvas I had".......... "Oh", she exclaims, and throws her hands in the air, "SO, You are an artist then!" all eyes are on me now, not warm and happy smiling and I can't wait to be your friend faces, faces of distrust, faces of judgement and contempt. Faces that now expect an artist to emerge from this fan blown, Berry Berry potioned, late, and bewildered stranger, that dares to infiltrate their scrapbooking cult.


why,why,why,why,why,why,why,why,..............why can't I just go to this stupid class, and blend in, and just do some stupid home decor project, maybe get to know a few people, do a little painting, a little gluing, no expectations, just me in the corner with my fan, creating, smiling, why??? The rest of the evening is sort of a blur. Very few people ventured a peak at the corner artist that was me, and even fewer dared to speak. I most likely was no longer smiling, so perhaps Kartwright was right after all, perhaps had I smiled more, and didn't look so mad all the time, more people would have liked me!


Sooooooo, can I just say, that Donna was terrific, and the reason I feel like we are on a first name basis, is because she is so very genuine, and real, not an ounce of pretension there, and I really liked that about her.


I didn't get my picture taken with her, because that whole star struck thing, where people stand in line to get a photo with someone just cause they're famous, kinda creeps me out, I mean if she knew my name, and we went to dinner or something, then maybe a picture would be in order, but otherwise .....not so much....anybody out there with me on that???


ssssooooooooo, the conclusion is this, Donna Downey, loved her. The class, kinda pushed me to think in a different way, and I liked that. Making friends,......not so much, I was pretty much that girl with the gargantuan canvas, with the goofy fake grin, that thought she was all that, but was no where near an artist. Toooo funny!!!!


soooooooo, if you read this whole boring post please make a comment just to prove it. I would love to know!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Life Magnified

Yesterday the kids and I went to see my parents about 90 minutes away. They are leaving for a vacation today, and I felt the need to see them before they left.



I have been so struck with the shortness of life lately, for obvious reasons, I feel like I walk around with a lump in my throat so much of the time.



When death strikes, it magnifies life.


Every time has the possibility of being the last time.


My husbands hand holding mine is richer,

my children's voices are clearer,

my Dad's words are wiser,

my Moms memories are more important,

Dakota's phone calls are sweeter.


Isn't that funny that we value life more because of death?




A picture I really love of Crockett hangs on my parents refrigerator. It reminded me of a fun trip to the pool that the boys and I had that summer of 1999. Haven was just a newborn, and Crockett sat in the double stroller next to her. His face is so content in the photo, content to listen to the voices of his brothers playing in the water, to feel the breeze, and enjoy the outdoors. ElizaJane saw the photo too. "There's cutesy Crocky" she sang . "Yes," I smiled, "there's our Crocky."



You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalm 16:11



Wednesday, July 9, 2008


When I look at the night sky
and see the work of your fingers-
the moon and the stars you have set in place-
what are mortals that you should think of us,
mere humans that you should care for us?
For you made us only a little lower than God,
and you crowned us with glory and honor.
You put us in charge of everything you made,
giving us authority over all things-
the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals,
the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
Oh Lord, our Lord,
the majesty of your name fills the earth!
Psalm 8:3-9

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Sally




What does a sweet little girl pick for a "treat" at Cracker Barrel?? A slithering snake of course! ElizaJane's prize snake has been her constant companion ever since. Our new wooden green snake even attended church with us on Sunday.



When we announced to our children in August of 2003 that we were expecting, Haven, who was then just barely four years old, looked me straight in the eye, and proclaimed with all the conviction that a four year old can possibly muster



"It's gonna be a sista, and her name will be Sally".



It was as if she had a premonition of some kind, a vision of sorts. She was so sure, and believed what she said with much passion. I couldn't for the life of me think of any place she would have heard that name. We didn't know any Sally's, we hadn't read about any Sally's, we hadn't seen any movies with any Sally's. She stuck to her guns throughout the pregnancy, and called my plump belly Sally. She was right, on February of 2004 her baby sista was born, but her name sadely, wasn't Sally! I thought about Sally, and sometimes I wonder now why I was so adamantly against that name, but I was, and we named her ElizaJane instead. Haven didn't seem to mind,... but ever since that day we announced the immanent arrival of a new sibling, Haven has named every doll, stuffed animal, beany baby, loved and cherished toy, Sally! She has slowly branched out to names like Sally Hope, Sally Lou, Beth Sally, but almost always Sally. ElizaJane has followed in the steps of her older sista, and her precious tenderlings are also Sally...Sally the platypus, Sally the penguin, all manner of babies named Sally, of every size, shape, and color, but this is the first time that there has ever been a slithering snake named Sally, the one and only.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Pops goes down again!


uhtttt ohhhhh, it has happened again,
dethroned by his second son now.
Ohhh the agony of defeat,
the sad dejection,
and the utter humiliation of a Dad gone down.
Another date to write on the record books my friends!
Pops foiled on the golf course again!!!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Dad is doing great!!

Thank you so much to those who prayed for my Dad this week. His procedure went wonderfully well Wednesday, and they actually placed three stents, instead of the two they had planned. He experienced very little pain, and was home today before noon! I am so thankful that the Lord chose to give him more time here on earth. It is my prayer that he will be with us several more years, and that all of my children can benefit from his love and example.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Please pray for my Dad today.

My verse for this day:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths.