If its Friday that must mean. . .

GARAGE SALES!! WOO-HOO!! Okay I know I've said it before, but I love, love, love garage sales. So today I didn't go crazy but I did get some REALLY cute things.

So first up can anyone say sandals? Yeah!! I just love sandals they make my feet feel free. I got both of these at one sale. The green ones are a tad big, but for .50 no problem. They'll be great to kick around in this summer.

Okay, so normally my foot would not make its debut online like this, but after all are these not the cutest .50 sandals you have ever seen? My foot just had to show 'em off!!
This dress is sooooooo cute, but it is a little shorter than I like. Generally I don't show my always scarred and swollen knees in a girly dress like this one, but it will make a cute sun dress.
Here is a pillow ~~ oh how I love sunflowers. Now I will have to put my sunflower quilt back on our guest bed!!
And this is the flip side of this cute pillow!!
Okay now let's take a break from the garage sale finds for a moment. When I got my camera out to take the pics, Dakota decided he needed to get in on the act. He's becoming quite the ham, and what a cute ham he is :)



Okay, back to the GS finds. . .Here is one of my fav finds of the day. This is a picnic basket that looks like a little case. I've seen these before, but usually they are crooked when they're closed ~~ but not this one. It's in beautiful condition!!
Voila here it is opened!! It's pretty in pink and for just $2.50 ~~ too cute!!
And because I make all things a centerpiece if possible, here it is with the garland I made and that cute, cute candle with ribbon.

Well, what do you think? Not to bad huh? Great day on the GS scene!!
Have a beautiful weekend,
Dawn

I'm a Goober and this is my Living Room :)

Well, at Kelly's blog she asked those who visit her site to show their favorite rooms in their house. So I was looking at some of the others and thought, "oh I need to take pics of our bedroom", because I love our bed. Well, I was fidgeting with the linky thing on her site and ended up with mine on hers, so uhh I better hurry up and post some pics on my site, so I hurried and took some pics of my living room, because my bedroom is in laundry mode. So yes indeed I am a goober, but here are my pics :0)

This is our couch that we have a matching oversize chair to match that we love!!

Okay so this is a book shelf that we've made as a pic station and plant stand and again I love it!! Also the coffee table is a mission furniture that I also love and it usually houses my laptop.
And see this is of course one of my favorite things in my living room: the Teen!!

He is in the recliner that my husband bought me the day before my hysterectomy 2 years ago.

I'ts an Ashley ~~ and yes I love it and the boy in it and the husband that bought it!!

This is a great piece of art that my husband bought me for Christmas several years ago.

I love old houses that are pretty much not liveable anymore, because I think they are so nostalgic. This is a house he lived in as a kid, so he took a pic of it and then had a photographer super impose (I think) pics of him and his sis when he was a kid and his mom and dad when they were still married. It is the neatest pic/art I've ever seen.

Okay, so sorry I'm a goober, but I do love our living room and our cottage house. It is very sweet and very us!!

Love and hugs, Dawn

4+ and Counting. . . and the Rejection Factor~~

Well, okay so I've been telling you about the Bible study that B Moore is facilitating and how I'm getting a group of ladies together (hopefully) to go through this with me. Well, I'm happy to report I have 4+ (one lady may be bringing a girl she is to be a mentor to - yeah) and today I'll be asking 2 more ladies (my neighbors) if they'd like to join us, so that will be a group of 6-7 + me.

Now let me just say that I have no confidence in something like this. I have a few close friends that come over and hang out with me, but as far as hosting a Bible study in my home, I've never done that. I've spent a lot of my life with what I like to call the "rejection factor". It has been an ugly cloud that has kept me in mediocrity and doubt for much of my adult life. Being afraid that you will be rejected is one thing ~~ but let's face it, in life rejection is par for the course. But for me I've never really known how to deal with it. I never remember a time being sat down and told that it was a part of life. So I've spent much of my life living in a nice little box of "safety pens" if you will. But all of them pens ~~ little cages that have kept me locked inside for fear that you might respond with a no to me and then what? !! Oh the uncomfortableness of that moment and the feeling that I'm not good enough and on and on. . . so I built for myself these "safety pens" that I could lock myself into and rationalize why I don't get more involved.

Well, before you count me completely gone and crazy, God is so God and I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I read about this Bible study, immediately He spoke to my heart and gave me courage (something that is lacking in me). I felt empowered; like I could take on the world, but then it happened ~~ I had to act on what He was saying!! And of course I did what I always do when faced with potential rejection: I rationalized the situation. Well, maybe I'll just ask one or two (safe) people that I know will come, and then if they can't I'll just go it alone. Oh I know I'm to do the study, but maybe just by myself ~~ no one will know I was suppose to ask ~~ and on and on and deeper and deeper into the pens of safety I went, until I just couldn't go there anymore. God was asking something of me that I've been praying to Him for: open the door to ministry. Well He was and I was closing it, yet again. You see I think that we are very willing to go through the door that looks like the one that we imagine for ourselves, but God wants to do even what we haven't imagined ~~ WOW hard for me to imagine:)

So why am I telling you all of this? The sadness I feel in my heart over the moments (and seasons) of mediocrity is great. I do not wish to live in that "safe pen" anymore ~~ let me out!! I feel so uncomfortable and so out of my element. I'd rather write in a cave and study in the "comfort" of my living room than be forced into the open and face rejection. But God ~~ don't you love that about Him? He steps in and WOW all is well somehow. He can handle any rejection I will ever face ~~ He will help me. So I'm throwing caution to the wind and I'm going to light candles, put on music and cook for the ladies that God has so entrusted to the care of our home. But just in case :), you might pray courage for me. I want to be bold and courageous for the Lord.

I firmly believe that He is moving and shaking our culture and generation. He wants to use all of us ~~ we all have giftings and talents that He has given and some are locked in "safety pens" ~~ I encourage you today to go on get out of those safe pens and into the light of God's possibilities for you.

Thanks for listening and praying (and commenting if you want:),
I love you and care deeply for all of you~~
In Christ alone,
Dawn

Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Do you go to the Market and drink Soda? . . . and the mishap on a bike. . .

Okay, so I go to places like the market and drink soda ~~ yes a little old fashion I know. But in this age of all things Wal-mart it's nice to go the market (and not the overwhelmingly large grocery store), and in an age where we can go to the store and drink a Monster or Rock star well, I don't think I can even comment on how wrong that seems to me ~~ I will take a soda please ~~ yep diet root beer or diet Pepsi extra ice and hold the Monster!!

I saw a news report yesterday on drinks like Rock Star and Monster ~~ yes I know, thought the same thing ~~ a news report? Yep, but it had my attention because I have a Monster drinking teen when I let him, and so thought I'd be able to come back with my "that's bad for you speech" and guess what? Yep I can, kind of. Come to find out those drinks have like 5 times the amount of caffeine that a soda (yep soda) has in it. 5 times ~~ get out of town!! No teenager needs 5 times the amount of anything!! Okay moving on ~~

Now to the bike mishap. I do not ride a bike out on the open road as a general rule. I ride the stationary kind that refuses to get out of my garage; I find it must less invasive, but my son, well not so much. He was at his friends house, Brandon's yesterday. All was well, I told him he had to be home by 7:00pm and I called him right before we left to go to the cross country track and told him he could wait on us on the porch if he beat us home, again all was well. But then we got back and my husband brought me the phone. Yep Dakota had called and was going to be late because Brandon's mom (who is a nurse) was doctoring his leg. He'd had a bike mishap.

Well so I jumped in the car and went over and sure enough he had a big bandage on his leg and was hobbling around. Brandon met me at the door saying "not my fault". Not a good sign :)
Now this was a bike mishap, because really you couldn't call it a wreck. Technically the bike never went down.

Okay picture this: Brandon on the mini-bike - Dakota on bicycle going way too fast and picking up speed (can anyone see the train wreck about to take place?) As he's picking up speed, his foot slips off the pedal and the pedal digs into the back of his leg ~~ yep ouch!! So there was blood and wincing and Brandon giving Dakota the motorbike to go back to his house on. Don't you just love kids? Instead of going to get his mom, Brandon let's Dakota take his chances on a motorbike ~~ Thankfully all was well. No stitches needed just some TLC from mom ~~ expecting a little milking of the TLC today :)

Okay so one more thing: Bible Study. Have ya'll checked out the Kelly Minter study for the summer on the LPM blog; if not check this one out right here. And tell me what you think. I have two ladies at present moment coming and I'll be asking the rest today, so if you have a moment remember me. I'm inept in the area of asking people to things like this. There is a rejection factor here for me, but God knows and I'm resting in that!!

I'd like to leave you with our (my husband and me) verse for today ~~ Proverbs 4:5 "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them." So think about getting involved in a Bible Study this summer. This one looks like just the remedy I need for a summer that doesn't relax my Spiritual muscle, but that gives them a little "fun" work-out.

Have a Blessed day,
Dawn

He Reaches For Us - James River Assembly

I attend James River Assembly and this was part of our Easter service '08. I didn't even realize it was on youtube, just got to poking around and look what I found. How cool is that? So take a few minutes and check this out. The pastor in the beginning is our Senior Associate Pastor Curt. And this song ~~ True Love ~~ is amazing it's from Phil Wickham (not Phil singing) ~~ he was new to me, but I've since downloaded many songs from him ~~ I totally dig his voice and message!! This was one of the most moving Easter services I have ever been to; you could feel the presence of God so strong in this service ~~ many we're saved to the glory of God!! Praise You Father for Your overwhelming love for us!! True Love indeed!!

We've had such a relaxing weekend. I've got to spend the whole weekend with my husband. And it has been GREAT!! Dakota has been gone this weekend and will be back today. He spent yesterday at his grandpa's riding horses and eating ~~ both great for a teenager!!

Have you all heard about the summer bible study that Beth Moore is launching? Check it out here. So I called my friend Georgia this morning to see if she'd like to do it with me, and then I'm gonna call my friend Carrie and then I think I'm gonna get brave and ask my neighbor's if they'd like to jump on board with us. They do not go to church and it is a lady and her husband 3 kids and now her sis and tiny baby live with them, so I'm gonna venture over today (hopefully) and see if her and her sis would like to come and join; so say a pray that God would open a door there. (This is WAY outside my comfort zone ~~ a little nervous!!)

I hope you all have a GREAT Memorial day, and enjoy your families being home!!

Love you all so much,

In Christ Alone,

Dawn

~~ Friday Pics ~~

So the last couple of days I've taken a lot of pics I'd just love to share with you. Now do not think that this is anything earth shattering ~~ nope just life in our cottage corner of the world :)

Okay, I just love the Nester ~~ you rock sista'!! On her blog she told us how to make a garland out of material and ribbon. So I've been working on this one, but I didn't know what I'd do with it. And then it just hit me ~~ wreath it ~~ so here is the result.Here is an "airel view" :) Just love the candle in the middle ~~
And then thought I'd take a little closer look at the picnic runner I made last year. I just love this; made out of denim materal, and pockets from an old pair of jeans; (found the pattern cruising on the internet super-highway:)

Okay, and now to our garden. I haven't blogged or shown pics of it lately, and just wanted to let you know ~~ IT'S GROWING!! I'm sooooooo excited!! I just LOVE fresh produce!!

So here are a couple of radishes from afore mentioned garden :)

~~ Here is our garden now that it's grown up a little ~~

UHH, I had more pics but forgot to download them. Wow, life in the middle ages :0) is a memory hodgepodge. Some things just don't quite make it into action :)

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC Memorial Day weekend. My hub just got home and said that he doesn't have to work on Monday ~~ WOOHOO!! ~~ as of this morning we thought he was going to have to, but parts didn't come in. I probably shouldn't be happy about the part thing, because that will be more work for him later, but I'm glad he'll be home!!

Have a restful and relaxing long weekend!!

Love and Hugs,

Dawn

~~ Living in the Moment ~~

Yesterday was a fun day. With Dakota out of school for this school year so what do you do? Clean house!! Now to a teenager ~~ are you kidding me? ~~ mom, it's summer!! But I'd prepared Dakota by telling him the day before (numerous times) that Wed and Thurs were house-cleaning days. So when he got up, he ate breakfast and we dug in. He didn't complain and he did "almost" everything I asked him to - after all he is a teenager :)

So then yesterday afternoon His friend Alyssa called and came over to "hang out". Well and eat. These two are so very funny together. They have been friends since we moved here (6th grade). They have been singing together in choir and even sang last year at their 8th grade graduation!! So GREAT!!

So to honor these kids I made a slideshow for you to enjoy. The first pic is the kids last year at 8th grade graduation, and then on to the cooking of yesterday. Made it on Smilebox ~~ I know I've said it a lot, but I love Smilebox ~~ too cool ~~ so enjoy!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Okay I just got on and checked it in realtime and if you want to see all the captions, after it goes through the slideshow just hover over the arrows at the bottom of the righthand side slides and go to the top and then just click on the first one and so forth and you can few a little slower and read the captions and get to here more of the song ~~ I love that song :) Have a GREAT day!!

Love and Hugs,
Dawn

What fun!!

Well, blogger was down for a little bit, but now (hopefully) up and running and this will post :)

Yesterday was such a fun day. Mom and Dakota went to see "Narnia: Prince Caspian". Now for the record: LOVE THE BOOKS ~~ LOVE THE "FIRST" MOVIE ~~ (remember I didn't go see it with them yesterday because me and my man will hopefully get to see it this weekend YEAH!!) Dakota said it was AWESOME!!!

But I do have pics from yesterday. Dakota wanted to eat at Backyard Burger. Well mom had never been there, but she loved it. And it was just to fun ~~ they always crack me up when their together.

Dakota showing his "grammy" his new cell phone. (She had no idea what she was looking at, but she looked interested none-the-less; she's great like that!!)

Dakota was being so silly, Grammy laughed hard when she saw this pic!!
And here they are being their sweet, sweet selves!!
So then Dakota took the camera and mom couldn't stop laughing!!

"Come on mom we're on camera here :)"

Okay, so I thought I'd grabbed the sweet one out of my digital bag of tricks, but alas, I did not. So you get this one where mom's looking away and I looked scared!!
Dakota had a GREAT time mom, Thanks!! You are the best Grammy a kid could ever wish for!!

So while they went to the movies I did what every red-blooded mid-western girl does in such a predicament ~~ I shopped!! Went to Gordman's and found the c-u-t-e-s-t swimsuit and swimsuit covers ever. And this from a girl who thinks swimsuit shopping is a form of cruel and unusual punishment :) ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha So when I lose 10 more lbs you may just find me at Gordmans!! No swimsuit yet though!!

Well, then I went to Rue 21 and they had the c-u-t-e-s-t little dresses on their clearance. Now get this, take 50% off the lowest price marked ~~ get out of town!! How exciting!! So I bought a dress (yes just one), and guess how much I spent?? Well, it started out $19.99 marked down to $14.99 and yep you guessed it 1/2 off of that. I paid w/tax a grand total of $8.00 even. And oh it is sooooooooo cute. I'll be showing pics of that soon, so check back often :)

So here's a little randomness for you: Cook or Archuletta?
My son voted for Cook like 70 times, but my friend Georgia says Archuletta!! Me? Well, I've been a Cook fan from the start. 3 things I like about D cook: 1. His story 2. His edgy sound 3. He's from Blue Springs ~~ come on he's a Missouri boy ~~ okay I'm sure there's more but. . .
tonight should be exciting ~~ plus Carrie is singing in the finale~~ okay is she the cutest girl you've ever seen or what? Okay enough randomness for now.

Have a GREAT afternoon. I'm going to continue icing my knee so maybe I can exercise this afternoon ~~ Love and Hugs, Dawn

Current studies. . . Building my faith

So as some of you know I am back in college via the Internet. I have had an on-again off-again relationship with my online classes because of life circumstances that I believe were directly orchestrated by God. Now having said that I have stayed away from my classes to long. This I do know, so as God is calling me back to them I am heeding that call, finally~~

The two classes I am currently taking are "Take Charge of Your Health", this is a Biblically based health course (how appropriate seeing that I am in the middle of the 10 lb battle with Goliath ~~ where are my stones, someone get me my stones for crying out loud!!), oh yeah uhh, Take Charge of Your Health there's the stone and with God as the sling shot it's certain not to miss!!

The other class I'm taking is "The Life of Christ". This is a very good course that is very challenging. Some of the questions really make you think like:
"State and discuss as many principles as you can find within the story of the transfiguration (Matt 17:1-13). Consider other examples from Scripture and life that support these principles."

This was a very thought provoking kind of question and one that really makes you consider different angles of this event. You should take some time and read this passage and see what your answer might be. It's a good lesson to do.

And most of the questions are like that one. They are not multiple choice and they are not yes or no, unless it's yes or no and explain why or why not(don't you just love the explaining part ~~ it makes you consider why you believe what you believe). One of the most interesting assignments has been to write a parable. Have you ever tried that one? Let me tell you, very, very challenging. But I found it was really enjoyable and satisfying to write, and then you have to interpret it and present it (via Internet) to your professor (not sure yet how that will work). But that is lesson number 2 you can try some time if you'd like the challenge.

So now to another reason for this post. In the midst of this struggle to get back into my classes, I have started a study by Priscilla Shirer "He Speaks to Me". It's been so challenging (wow I've used that word a lot in this post :), and very thought-provoking. She makes you think and not just answer based on popular opinion, but you have to answer questions based on your personal situations, yep she gets in your 10 foot radius ~~ ouch!! But I'm really enjoying getting rid of stuff that doesn't belong ~~ like cleaning out a closet full of stuff you really shouldn't be wearing ~~ I've found somethings that I really shouldn't be wearing Spiritually speaking and some things that just don't fit anymore. How awesome is it that God goes through our stuff with us, if we'll let Him, and if we're listening, He'll tell us what to get rid of and what to keep, but we have to be close to Him.

In my time with the Lord this morning this is what He was saying to me and I recorded it in my journal:

"Settle into me; draw close child, let me teach you truth. Settle in close to me, I love you."

It is so great that He's beckoning me to draw close. I can picture myself crawling up in His great big lap, laying my head back, and trusting Him with it all!!

Let me just encourage you all today to draw close ~~ settle in ~~ be still before Abba Father who loves you so. It is time well spent.

In Christ Alone,
Dawn

Whew . . . It's Monday . . . AAAAAH It's Monday :)

Good Morning ~~ Good Morning!! Wow did we have a whirlwind weekend at the Winslow House!!

But first things first . . . How do you like the new blog design? Okay come on how do you like? No really what do you really think does it make my screen look to big ? hahahahaha


My new (wonderful love you) blog friend Caroline let us blog sisters in on a friend of hers that is getting in to blog design. So I've been wanting to change the design of my blog since I started it (practically), to better fit me, but I'm a little challenged in this area, so I was so excited when she gave the address to now another new blog friend of mine; Ashley the blog designer. So I emailed her and she got right back to me and literally in just a few days the new blog design was born. She kept in great contact with me on every phase, even when she ran into a couple of glitches, just to keep me posted. It was such a great experience. So thanks and kudos to Ashely ~~ you rock girl!! So let me know what you think!!

On Friday we had the end-of-year party for our CYC (Clever Youth for Christ) group. It was a lot of fun. It's so great to be able to get together with the kid's (teen-agers ~~ Kid's to me :) and spend time with them away from school. One of my favorite parts was sitting down with the "kid's" for lunch. We fixed Mexican fair and we all sat at my rather large kitchen table (it was handed down to me from my mom and it's getting ready to undergo an overhaul), and just ate and talked and laughed; it was so much fun!! We won't be meeting over the summer (in person), but we will be meeting on our blog: check it out!!

So have you noticed all the links in this post? Yep, I finally figured it out. Boy did I make that harder than it had to be.

Ok, so we have started exercising again. I need to lose about 12 pounds. Any pounds extra on my knees is just not good, and really just need to get healthy again. So this past week I've been trying to eat better and start (slowly) exercising. I got on the scales this morning and have lost 2 pounds. WOOHOO ~~ 10 more to go!!

I love exercising with my boys (husband: Dick and son: Dakota :) Dakota has started training for cross country; he has CC Camp in June and July. So he wants to get a head start. I'm so proud of him. He ran his 5K last night in record time for him!! Way to go son ~~ You Rock!!

So today, I'm off to the market for a little grocery business and then back home and house cleaning (laundry to the ceiling today)!! And then tomorrow, I'm taking mom and Dakota to see Narnia. This is mom's Christmas present to Dakota. How much fun is that? The Grandma and teen hanging out together. Dakota just loves his Grandma so much ~~ I'm not going to see it with them; I am just the driver. (Dick and I plan on going and seeing it this coming weekend ~~ and I don't want to spoil the surprise:)

Okay well I'm sure you're exhausted ~~ whew a long post today the fingers need a rest. I actually have a lot more to post, but it'll have to wait until later ~~ thank goodness right? :) Have a GREAT day!!

Love and Hugs to all,

Dawn

Teens in the Midst. . .

I just cannot tell you the joy being the mama of a teenager brings to me. To be completely honest, I was a little intimated by these years. When Dakota was younger I'd think about him being a teenager and it would scare me. What if I wasn't a good mom? What if I couldn't get him through these turbulent years? And then I'd look at his sweet face and decide that it was so far away that I'd worry about it later. Well, I've been in the later part of that for a couple of years now, and I must say, I love this phase. It has been difficult at best some days, but so so worth every moment.

I'd never had any trouble with him acting out or back talking or even being rude, he just didn't do those things. But when he was 13 I was sitting at a stop light (isn't it funny how I can tell you exactly where I was at, but can't remember what I wore yesterday?), and God spoke to my heart and told me to hold on. I knew he was talking about Dakota. He was telling me that we were getting ready to go through some tough stuff together. You know we have been through hard times and sweet times, but each time has its own joys and sorrows.

During this difficult season God started speaking to my heart about "teachable moments". We'd be in the midst of a "discussion" and the Holy Spirit would whisper those words to my Spirit and sometimes He'd have to yell them "WAIT FOR A TEACHABLE MOMENT AND THIS ISN'T IT". But in those moments when Dakota was listening I knew, and I'd try with all that was within me to follow the Spirits lead in my heart. Well, now he has settled down and there are many teachable moments for both of us.

So today about 1:00pm I got a call from our HS Secretary and she told me that Dakota had all his finals taken and requirements met and he could go home early if I wanted to come pick him up. So I grabbed my purse and headed out. I was so excited to get a few extra afternoon hours with my teen, and when he got in he said Brandon was on his way. Brandon is Dakota's best friend. The two couldn't be more opposite, but oh how they love hanging out together.

We went to WM and they asked for 2 water guns a piece, one for each hand, and at just $1 a piece I obliged. Well it was the funniest thing to watch these two, very grown-up teenagers, with these waterguns. I was reminded that boys just want to be boys, and when you are just hanging out with your best friend it is safe to digress and just be boys. So when we got home they put on their swim trunks and went outside.

Now it was just the funniest thing. Remember we live in Missouri and the weather seriously changes hourly sometimes, you just never know. Well, today it was very chilly, like about 60, cloudy and a NW wind. So in this first pic, Brandon is the one with the bucket of water on his head. Now he did this of his own accord, Dakota and I were both shocked, but man did he laugh when the water hit and shiver ~~ It was pretty CRAZY!!

Here's my sweet Dakota being a teen with water guns.

He is so very cute!!

Here is Brandon ~~ you rock my "other" boy. (He calls me mom:)

So in conclusion (aren't you glad about that:), today was very sweet, a memory I'll carry with me. Tomorrow is Dakota's last day as a freshman and then at 10:30 in the morning school is out for the '07/'08 year and my freshman will be a sophomore. Where has the time gone?!!

After school tomorrow we are hosting the CYC (Clever Youth for Christ) in our home for the end-of-the-year party!!! Pray for opportunities for us (Dakota and I and Carrie-CYC Leader), to be witnesses to these students. Thank you for reading this long blog (hey that rhymed ~~ I think:).

Love and Hugs,

Dawn

Oh my goodness. . .Oh my hair!!!

So I had long hair for about 2 years until about 2 months or so ago, when I got the "bright" idea to cut my hair. My husband was not really for it, because he really likes the long hair chic, but he said that he couldn't think of a single way that I could get my hair cut that I wouldn't be adorable. Ahh!! I love that man!! So I did it. I cut my hair and I loved it and so did he.

So here we are on our Christmas card (well the pic anyway), right after I got it cut.

Love it. . .

Well, there I go again with my "bright" ideas, decided to get it cut again, and this time cut it up just a little in the back, so instead of a straight across bob it is up in the back (a little) and longer on the sides, and can I just say YUK!! I just don't have the face for this type of hair cut, but just love it on other girls, so I wanted to get in on the fun ~~ Yeah I should have restrained!! :)

Well, about 3 weeks ago got my hair cut again, and this time YUK!! Not so good, well, I decided today to curl it and try to make it sassy and fun, and this was the result. Hmm it kind of looks like the pic above. . .Yeah not quite. . . BOO HOO!!!
So here I am a little further away. . .UGHH have gained 10+ lbs in the last few months. . .

BOOHOOHOO!!

So why did I decide to doll it up today? Well, so glad you asked!! :) I had my last in a series of shots in my knee today. I do not look forward to them, so I decided I'd feel better if I dolled it up. So I tried!!

You know I'm really glad that this was my last shot for this series; I go back in three weeks to see how I've progressed. I'm praying that this works, and I do not have to have more surgery. This knee thing is a bummer, but I keep reminding myself that it could definitely be worse.

So thinks for listening to me go on about my hair and knee and know that I really appreciate your support. I'm so thankful for you all.

Love and Hugs,

Dawn

Adding Spice to Life!!

Okay, so I just have to show you another garage sale find from Friday. Yeah I know, isn't she done yet? Friday was a really good gs day!!

I have been looking for a spice rack for some time. I have looked at several different styles at several stores: B, B & B, Target, Wal-Mart and on and on, but I really did not want to pay $49.99 or anything close to that, but couldn't find anything I liked for less than that. And then Garage Sale Friday ~~ WOOHOO!!

Lo and Behold sitting on a table there it was: my spice rack!! (like the emphasis "my"), I am convinced it was waiting for me. Now most of the bottles were full of spices and they had that "wow I've been in here forever" spice smell to them, but I saw potential. So I snatched it up for $1.00 (or less, I really can't remember if it was a quarter or dollar so I went with the higher, but still GREAT, FANTASTIC TERRIFIC {okay you get the idea} price). And then I brought them home and emptied, washed and let them dry for a day or so.

So your probably wondering why I thought it so important to get a spice rack. Well, I am extremely allergic to MSG (monosodium glutymate) and that preservative is in a lot (like most) mixed spices you buy at the store like taco seasoning, chili seasoning etc., so I have started making my own, but I didn't have a pretty place to store them, so in comes my desire for a spice rack.

How cute is this?

And do you see the pepper? There's one on each corner ~~ adorable!!

The spices in them are mine (not the natty ones that were in there :)

Okay now one more pic, but this one has absolutely nothing to do with the spice rack (thank goodness huh? :)

There is a blog that I just love by the Nester, (I'm still learning to link or I'd take you there), and that is where I got the idea for the window "mistreaments" in our kitchen. Well, she has an idea on her site for a garland and this is some of the material that I'll be using, so just thought I'd give you a sneak peek, and of course will post pics when it's complete.

So I hope you all had a wonderful day, and just in case your hanging about in cyber-world Caroline, I hope your evening goes better than your day has gone. I'll be praying for your girl.

Love and Hugs,

Dawn

Some Things I Love . . .

Christ Jesus My Lord!!

My dear sweet Family!!

Blooming Rhodedendron's and sweet dwarf Japanese Maples. . .

Country house with cottage charm. . .
Wreath for our door . . . Garage sale find (yep one I told you about) $2. . .
Sunflowers. . .and sunflower signs garage sale find (yep one I told you about)

.50 . . . no kidding (I wouldn't kid about that :)

Milk glass. . .love milk glass anything. . . even broken lamps found at garage sale (yep one I told you about) .50 . . . yes I know it's broke, but it can be fixed ~~

Hobby Lobby here I come ~~ some day soon :0)

And You!!! Thanks for reading and letting me be a part of your day as you are a part of mine!!

It's Monday I know, but let's thank Him for His goodness and that He gave us another day (Monday or not :) to serve Him.

Love and Hugs,

Dawn

Happy Happy Mother's Day!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY DEAR SWEET BLOG SISTERS!!!
We had such a lovely day today. This morning at church they had the Children's Chorale sing and it was just great. I cried of course. They were just so sweet.

And then this afternoon my mom and sister's and their families came over for Mother's Day dessert. Mom made a beautiful Black Forest cake complete with a pudding topping and marachino cherries ~~ delicious mom ~~ delicious!! I made frosted brownies and we also had a relish tray (Thank you Rhonda) and sandwiches. It was simple and nice. So great!!

This is my sister Rhonda, her son Adam (my nephew) and mom ~~ Aren't they sweet!!

Adam graduates college on Thursday ~~ Hard to believe!! Congrats Adam!!

Well, I know this pic is hard to see, but I wanted to take pics with our Rhodedendron, but we have strange sun spots in the pics, but maybe you can see it okay.

This is a little closer !! Mom, Sis Rhonda, me (like my shirts? Garage Sale Finds :), baby sis Dena and my neice Becca (I love that name!!)!!

You know as I see us all together, I am so very thankful. We've been through so much together and we see God's hand in it all~~ He is altogether good, altogether kind, altogether God!! I love you Father, the Maker of all things ~~ Thank you for my dear family. I love you Lord ~~ And thank you for my new blog friends, what a blessing they are to my life. May our relationships across the internet super-highway, be filled with Your love and kindness. Thank you kind Father,

Amen.

How Cool is That!!!

Well, tonight we went to the grad party of a friend we have known for over four years now. Ashley is graduating high school on Monday. She is so funny and such a beautiful girl, inside and out. I wanted to add a few pics of the party tonight before I head off to bed to get ready to enjoy Mother's day tomorrow with my fam.

This is Ashley; how cute is she?!! ~~ Too Cute ~~

Ashley and Ray ~~ They are so sweet together!!

And how sweet is this? This is Riley's feet (a friend's daughter). She just had to play in the teeny-tiny mud puddle, with her teeny-tiny feet!! What a cutie!!

Okay, well it's off to bed for me!!

Have a GREAT Mom's day!!

Love you all,

Dawn

Cheap and Cute . . . did I mention Cheap?!!

Well, if there is one thing I love it is cute and cheap. Nixa (OH local town) had their annual city-wide garage sale today (and tomorrow). It was so much fun and I got some really cute things . . . cheap. Like really, really cheap!! I love it!!!

I got seven shirts (really cute), a milk glass lamp (.50), now granted it doesn't work, but I can get a lamp kit and fix; well worth the .50. Let's see, got an adorable sunflower sign (and I mean adorable!!) for .50, and then got a new (tags still on) tote bag that has a verse on it and places for pics ~~~ Love LOve LOVE it!! Oh yeah, a pair of new capris (tags still on) and a dress (well I thought it was a dress, but it has shorts under it you know the kind) with daisy's. Too Cute!!

I think there was something else, but the brain is temporarly on leave due to exercise. But I will try to get pics taken (prob Monday) and post these TERRIFIC finds!!!

Wow I have sooooooo much more to tell, but in just a little while I'll be going to a students house for her grad party. I am so excited for her and I'm looking really forward to seeing her and her fam. It's going to be great. Now I know the time on this post will probably read like sometime Friday night, but really it is 4:52 Sat afternoon (didn't want you to think I'm crashing the grad's house at 1:00 am or anything:).

Have a great Sat evening, and we'll talk soon,

Love and Hugs,

Dawn

Well Hello Again. . .Hello . . .

So sorry I haven't written much this week. My friend Georgia, who is a dedicated reader of this blog ~~ Thank you my dear friend ~~ reminded me today that I hadn't posted much this week. And so much has been going on I thought I'd better update!!

Well, as you know this is the end of the school season and that means everyone is way to busy!! It is just amazing to me that we are already at the end of this school year. Dakota will be a sophomore next year, truly I don't know where the time has gone. I was telling him tonight that it feels like I brought him home from the hospital yesterday; that is literally how it feels to me. I remember it all so vividly, from the moment I found out I was pregnant to the moment he was born. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED being pregnant!! Everything about it from the morning sickness to the heartburn. I guess that is because getting pregnant was not easy for me. So I was so very thankful and surprised when it happened. I cannot tell you the tremendous joy this child brings me every single day. So to watch him grow up before my eyes and become a young man is just such a wonderful experience.

Tuesday evening was Dakota's spring music program. He is in chamber choir and loves to sing. It is so good to see him perform and really excel at it. You can tell when he sings that he is really striving to be the best he can. I love that about you son!!

Well, yesterday was yes Wednesday, and another Dr appt for my knee. Dick has been researching other options for my poor knees and actually found that there is a place in Houston that does patella-femoral replacements (kneecap replacements), so I asked my doc about them, but he said that it is not an option for my left knee (he said only a total knee will work on it), but on my right knee he said that perhaps it is an option, but probably not a good one. He said there has not been enough research done, and the results they do have, have not been very favorable. But he did say that if we wanted to research it more he suggested checking out the options at the Mayo clinic. He said that probably with the extent of the arthritis in my left knee that probably the arthritis will just continue to increase in the right and I'd have to have a total on it just a couple of years later. So maybe it is not the best option, but one that maybe we should at least consider.

The doc gave me the second of three shots and it went fine. I really hope these shots work and we don't have to even look at any kind of a replacement.

I know these are random thoughts, but wanted to write an update and let you know that I really appreciate all who read my blog and to those of you who comment thank you so much. It's so nice to have the encouragement.

Love and hugs,

Dawn

The Power of a Letter!

Sunday was such an exciting day for us. Dakota had his first athletic banquet. He ran cross country last fall and his team qualified for state. It was so exciting and such a great experience for Dakota to get to run at the state meet. We had two runners place in the top 25 ~~ that is GREAT!!

I have lots of pics from the Athletic Banquet (like 54 or something), but strangely enough all of them taken at school with other kids and so I'll try to get some pics with just Dakota and his awards from that day and post.

He really wanted to letter in cross country, but I wasn't sure how that worked, and being the cautious mother that I am, tried to keep him from getting his hopes up too high, but I told him he'd just have to wait and see. Well he did letter and this simple thing boosted his confidence and desire to do better more than anything else has in a while. We were thrilled!!

Now along with the letter he got another CC award that he wasn't expecting at all. They give some individual awards as well, and one that is given in CC is most miles, and Dakota had the most miles ran of the whole team with 167 miles. We knew he'd ran a lot, but that is A LOT OF MILES!!! RIDICULOUS SON ~~ WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!!! Even he was surprised.

We are so proud of you son!! You are the best teen we know!!

Tonight is his spring concert, (he is in Chamber Choir), and will take pics I can actually post this time :)

Look for pics of his concert, the garden, and more of the latest scrapbook pages (their turning out soooooooooo cute:) So stay tuned ~~

Have a blessed day,

Dawn

Project: Scrapbook Pages

Well, I get up early on Saturday's just to watch Scrapbook Memories on PBS; it comes on at 7:30 AM here, and I just LOVE this show!! There is a certain teacher on this show (Stacy Julian) that is only on there maybe 3 or 4 minutes with her tips, but I just absolutely love her advice; it is simple, complete, and doable.

So I did some research and found out that she has her own company for online scrapbooking classes. You can find it at bigpicturescrapbooking.com ~~ and she has two free classes there to help get you started, so that is what I am doing. I used to be really into scrapbooking. I had all the stuff, paper, tools, cutters, you name it, and a couple of years ago I got rid of about 95% of what I had, because I was so overwhelmed at the time. You're probably wondering if I regret that move huh? Well, not really. I do wish I'd have kept one of my self-healing boards and maybe one of my circle cutters, but really it's totally fine without it.

So that is actually why I love Stacy's site, because it gets you back to the basics and simplicity of scrapbooking and what it is really all about?: Preserving your memories!!

In this first class you use four 4x4 albums (I found this one at Michael's $3.99 not on sale). Their not actually that easy to find.

So this first album is entitled: All About Us!! So this is my title page: aren't these chipboard letters cute? (These were 1/2 price at Hobby Lobby this week!!)

So here are some of the pages that I made to put pics in. When I get them complete w/pics I'll post.

Here is another cute page!!

This is a very cute page!!

So what do you think? Really cute huh?!! Thank you for reading this blog and thank you to those of you who talk to me through comments!! Just the best!!

So if you don't leave comments, go ahead, give it try!! You'll love it!!

Love and Hugs,

Dawn