Grains of Sand

Spring is here!  On the calendar at least.  With the arrival of spring comes warmer sun, robins in the trees, and flowers.  Or thoughts of flowers.  The snow has been melting, but there are a few stubborn snowbanks that remind me winter is not gone quite yet.  However, that doesn't prevent me from dreaming of flowers in all shapes, sizes and colors. This spring dream I have also comes with the reality of money spent on plants.  Sigh.  So, inspired by a DIY succulent planting event that I participated in, I've decided to try my hand at growing some of the annual flowers I would otherwise buy to fill the containers on my patio. I headed out to my local store to purchase the necessary items and on a warmer day with the sun shining down, I gathered the containers and filled them with soil. Added water and seeds and placed them in the sun. And a few days later, I spy with my little eye... Plants!  Yay! Oh y'all, I ho...

This book has been such an eye opener for me. I loved and hated this book. Loved it and everything in it. I hated it because it pointed to thoughts, actions, words and patterns in myself that needed (and need) to be surrendered. Ok, I must say, I didn't really hate this book. My grandma's voice was just inside my head saying, "You can dislike things, but reserve hate for the devil." I disliked this book only because it's hard to take off that comfortable habit, even though it's for my good. Shannon writes, Maybe you’ve never labelled yourself as “controlling”. But do you erupt in anger when things don’t go according to plan? Or do you melt in anxiety when things slip from your grasp? Are you a perfectionist who obsesses over making everything turn out “right”? These negative behaviors often stem from a deep, underlying desire for control. Control Girl is wonderfully written with lots of real struggles from Shannon and others. I suggest you purchase a ...

Day 18 // jar See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the March 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

Day 17 // something green See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the March 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

place [pleys]  noun   :a particular portion of space, whether of definite or indefinite extent.   :space in general This is the place where I put my clothes at the end of the day.  I started this habit when I had my first child.  I quickly realized that having extra clothing close at hand to keep me warm during those late night/early morning feedings was essential.  Through the years this has served me well during all sorts of late night adventures to feed babies, change diapers, soothe a toddler, tame an imagined monster, and hold a sick girl's hair back.  There is nothing colder than sitting with your child on a cold tile floor wearing shorts. I'm in a different season now.  My youngest is 8 and aside from the occasional call for mom, the kids don't need me as much in the wee hours of the morning.  So now, I'm trying to put my clothes in their proper 'away' place at the end of the day.  It seems an easy task to acc...

Hey Dad, Today especially I'm thinking of you and missing you. It was 7 years ago that you died. A lot has happened since then. Mom has moved and continues to face new challenges (good and bad) that come with being widowed. I went to Africa on a mission trip. Kelly has had two girls since you've been gone. Kaycee is her youngest and is a leap year baby. Yep, born on February 29th. That's the way Kelly rolls. Ryan also had a little girl, Hannah. She is growing so fast! I know you'd have their names written on that little laminated card you kept in your wallet of all your grandkids birthdays. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. The month of March is a hard one for me. The way the sun comes in the windows. The odd 50 degree days sandwiched in between snowy days. The birds, oh the birds that remind me so much of you. I remember one of the last conversations we had was about the goldfinches and the fact that I thought they were beginning to yellow-up ...

For Today March 11, 2019 Looking out my window... the sun is shining, the birds are frolicking and I see the first robin of spring. I am thinking... of my handsome hubby who is celebrating a birthday today. I am thankful... to be able to hear all the bird sounds in the backyard today. One of my favorite things.... is reading some of my past journal entries and seeing God at work in our lives. I am creating... a little indoor greenhouse to start vegetable and flower seeds this week. I am reading...  Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible by Shannon Popkin.  Every woman should read this book! I am hoping… to be able to really get some spring cleaning done this month.  I want to be ruthless in every room. I am learning… all about lighthouses in North America. Looking forward to visiting them all, eventually. In my kitchen... ...

day ten // words words scrambled See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the March 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

Pinterest is an incredible resource for all things creative.  I have spent many an hour browsing the site and pinning everything from hard lotion bars to how to make 'hair' out of yarn.  Hey, you never know when you might need that gem of information! Today the kids and I decided we needed to be creative so I turned to my numerous crafty ideas I have pinned for just such an occasion.  Here is what we wanted to do. We gathered cups and Sharpies.... and began to color the plastic cups.  With cups fully decorated, I followed the directions as posted by Aggieland Mommy .  Foil sprayed with cooking spray.  In a 350 degree oven for 3-4 minutes.  When time was up, ours looked like this …. The instructions told us to immediately pat them down to fully flatten.  Hmmm, the one in the forefront above is the result of that.  Ummm, okay?  We can perhaps blame this on the fact that I didn't use a Solo cup?  Another Pintere...