June Photo Challenge: Summer Fun

I love when something so sweet, happens so naturally!

I have received amazing feedback on this photo, so I decided to enter it into a photo contest on rocktheshotforum.com ....Here goes nothing :)

I re-VAMPED my CAMP(ER)....

AND THEN I RE-VAMPED IT AGAIN!
Ok...so, I literally FORGOT how to blog!  I've been wanting to write on this subject for quite awhile...I go to my blog and I just stare at it...I have NO clue how to write a blog post....I know it's been sooo long...I've been busy....I've been taking a ton of pictures, which I love!  and...I had another baby....that's a good excuse right?  RIGHT! 

ANYWAY....now...I originally wanted to blog about this, oh...I don't know....three years ago!  I just never did....so...I will now....only now, I have more to add to it :)

It started with a text from my sister Sarah…."So….how important are bunk beds in a camper to you?".....my response….depends….then…I think it ended with some pictures and some text that said something like, look what Paul bought you (to buy from him).  

 

It was a 30 ft Jayco something or another....to me, it didn't really matter...it was cheap....it had room....it was OURS! I was excited.....the only thing...inside....it....was....pink ....peach....pink.... peach... pink...I think the color is pink? 

First of all....who the heck designs camper things....like I understand this is from the 90s...or 80s...I don't really know....technicalities really aren't my thing.  But...I don't see the correlation between gold, silk, ruffles, pink peach pink and camping?  I don't get it....I think they need to hire new designers...even some of the newer campers....really??? 

Anyway....I am soooo so sooo thankful that the people that owned this camper before us put in the laminate wood flooring stuff....under the couch, there is still carpet....can you guess the color?  Why the heck would you use pink carpet (said in my most Nicole Curtis-sy "Why the hell would anyone cover this up" voice - perhaps I watched a bit of Rehab Addict in my blog hiatus)...

So...we went to Sarah and Paul's house to look this beast over and to make sure it would work for us(ah...like I was going to say no)....we sat in there for quite awhile talking with Paul and Sarah...just talking and looking around (just one of those moments I always think of when thinking of my camper <3)...it needed a new awning...which came with it...it just had to be put on the track, which, was interesting to do.  It also needed new stabilizer jacks, it appeared as if someone took off with the jacks still down.  THIS was our first inclination that we should sign up for Amazon Prime :) worked well for us, free shipping...on heavy camper stuff...yes please! 

I'm sure there are other things that Jacob had to add to it or fix on it ... but really.... I don't really care about that stuff  that's not my area of expertise....so...I'll skip all that....back to the PINK stuff....I scoured pinterest looking for easy ways to fix this thing up....there wasn't a TON with detail...or a ton of easy, quick, cheap fixes....which...well...that's my style, ha

First....the pink flowery couch....you can kind of see it in this picture

I needed to find something to easily cover up this big pinky peachy thing you looked at right when you walked into the camper....the dinette cushions were in major need as well....I really like to think of thrifty and super easy ways to do things....it just makes my OCD mind happy...I looked n pinterest and most of the suggestions involved sewing (which I can do, just not very straight well)....no thanks...and fabric can be expensive....and I have little kids, it's going to get dirty....so....I thought...and I thought....and....I came up with the perfect solution!  JERSEY KNIT SHEETS!!!  I covered the couch and dinette seats with a jersey knit sheet and king size pillow cases....They worked AMAZING....I'm not kidding!  They are soooo stretchy and you can tuck them in all tight and nice!  AND with little kids around it's so nice that you can just pull them off and throw them in the washing machine when you get home!  BRILLIANT! 

I also painted the kitchen wall (it had weird flower things on it...again....why....) and the little wood trim piece along the middle of the camper

BEFORE

AFTER

 

I also re-covered the piece of whatever it is there on the back of the dinette seat, easy peasy....I went with a more neutral color so I wouldn't have to do that kind of stuff again (basically if I couldn't duct tape it....I wanted it to be neutral!)

 

 

 

As you can see, I also covered the weird....like....velour....velvet....fabric thing that was above the cabinets....this was super SUPER easy!  I just gently banged those little fabric squares out of their little spots....chose a fun fabric and very quickly carefully I duct taped the fabric on...yep...I used duct tape ;)

 

 

See...duct tape! 

 

 I figured that way, if when I want to change them, it'd be super easy to do so (and....spoiler alert...I did change them)

To cover the gaudy beautiful 80's style frosted glass....I was kind of at a loss....I wasn't sure what would work...so...I did what anyone would do....I walked around Hobby Lobby with no plan in mind hoping something would jump out at me...and...it did....I love when that happens....

Originally I was going to use scrapbook paper, but the glass doors are weird sizes and that wouldn't work...blah...so....I found these little square foamy type sheets....for like 20 cents each....so, I bought them up, cut them to size and....taped them on....again, easy for change if one would want change (which I knew I would eventually)



 Side by Side with glass vs the foamy stuff

 

 

Hmmm, what else did I do...Oh yeah...the valences....these were kind of fun to do...like I said, if I couldn't duct tape it....I wanted it to be neutral so....I went with brown, I wanted something not pink dark enough that I wouldn't have to worry about it getting dirty or anything....for these...I got to get out the staple gun...YAY! That thing is fun!  It was fun to see how this transformed the look so much (which after looking at the pictures...it doesn't look like THAT big of a transformation...but...it really does make a difference!)

 

Close up of the valences

 

Before

 

After

 



So...there you have it...my FIRST re-vamp of my camp(er)

I left it this way for two years...during this two years....there was some weird crazy baby tornado wind thing that came through and only affected our house and our neighbors house....soooo weird....I heard it super windy out...went upstairs looked out the window AND THIS is what I saw:

 

 

Our camper (and Jacob's truck) are under those trees!  What the heck happened!  We lost all of our trees!  And thanks to some amazing friends, this was all cleaned up by the end of the day...but...we had no trees left :(

I didn't really think too much about what might have happened to our camper....then...we went out and looked....nothing major thank goodness...a couple dents, some scratches....but nothing HUGE!  However, according to insurance....it was "totaled"....that made me sad...but...then we just bought it back from insurance (or something like that...again with the technicalities)...and all was good....whew...


Fast forward two years, a basement redo and one child later.....

One weekend....Jacob was leaving for Wisconsin to go hunting....what's a girl to do when she is left at home with three kids for the weekend....ah...why not take on a project like re-vamping your camper...again....

Jacob left on a Wednesday....so on my lunch on Wednesday I went to JoAnn fabric on a hunt for the perfect fabric....I took pictures of about 10 different fabrics and decided I needed to mull it over a bit....When I started this I had a vision of what I wanted....I could see it in my head....but...to find what I really wanted....that would be difficult...or...so I thought...the biggest thing is finding the fabric....it kind of sets the whole look of the camper...

So, on Thursday on my lunch, I went back to said fabric store...and it seemed as if they had all new fabric (they really didn't but that place can be a bit overwhelming!) .... I found the fabric I wanted, within like 5 minutes!  So...I bought it....on sale...of course....It only took me a yard and a half to do this project (TEN BUCKS.....it cost me TEN BUCKS in fabric!)  And bonus it only took five minutes, that meant I still had time on my lunch to run to Target!  SCORE!

Since I had the fabric, next, the little foamy things that covered the glass...those fell off here and there and I was sick of them...plus...the look I wanted, that didn't really fit...so....I got myself some wrapping paper....yes...wrapping paper...and a little glue roll thing and I glued some wrapping paper right onto the glass....like I said, if I want a change I want to be able to do it quickly and easily!  This seriously took me 20 minutes to put the wrapping paper over the glass and get it cut to fit perfectly....so easy...so if I find something that I like better, it'd be an easy change.  I wasn't 100% sure if I liked how it looked, but figured I'd just leave it and change it if I found something else.

I also wanted to change the dinette covers to something that kind of went with the fabric I chose....thank goodness target had some cute (and exactly what I was looking for) king size jersey knit pillow cases and....on sale!  So, I got a couple of those...well...I got four of those....looked in their dollar spot for some decorations to add and wow...they had the exact stuff I wanted needed!  I love their dollar spot...I feel like I want a notification when they get a new shipment of things for their dollar spot....or ... I wish there were an entire dollar spot store with THAT type of stuff....holy cow, I'd be there all the time!  Ok...anyway....since I was at target...of course I had to look to see what else they had....well...I found some pillows and they matched great and really added a "pop" to the couch! 

So, the total of my second revamp only cost me $10 (for fabric), $5 (for wrapping paper), $3 (for glue roll), $20 (for pillows), $23 (for pillow cases) $5 (for accessories in the dollar spot) for a grand total of $66 bucks!  SIXTY SIX BUCKS and my camper looks totally different!  The End.

Oh....you mean you wanted me to show you what my camper looks like now?  Too bad....use your imagination....just kidding...that would be mean...I mean, if you took the time to read all of my rambling...you probably want to see what it actually looks like now huh....well...here it is!!!!! 

 

 

And some comparisons....because....like you aren't sick of this already :)

 

 

 

First

 

Then

 

Now

 

 

Kitchen/Dinette

First 

 

Then

 

Now

Couch/Living Area 

 

First

 

Then 

Now

So...there you have it...now...I probably won't blog for another....oh....two years....hope you enjoyed :)

Celebration!!!

We are celebrating...want to know why!!! Well because Mr Dave Ramsey has entered our lives....

 

Let me start at the beginning....it was about November 2010 and Jacob kept telling me about this book his coworker kept talking about...something about a snow ball...planning and there was talk about a gazelle...huh? I had no clue what he was talking about...and when he did tell me in depth...I thought yeah right....

 

He was talking about the book "Total money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey....it is about reducing your debt and planning for your financial future...Jacob read the book in less than two days....I myself, drug my feet on it.   I just didn't get it....first of all, I thought..."with all the 'bills' we have from month to month: mortgage, HELOC, a loan we got for new windows (which was REALLY needed....bonus, we received a tax credit since they were energy efficient windows), our student loans, Jacobs truck loan, a couple of small credit card bills (total of like $500), a couple doctor bills blah blah...things that I felt were "responsible" debt...things everyone has....things people need...things people just pay what they need to pay month to month and call it good until the loans mature or whatever...so, I didn't understand how Jacob thought we could possibly come up with MORE money each month to pay crap off...in my mind, impossible, waste of time, never.going.to.happen!

 

Finally, after a couple weeks of saying I would read the book, I gave into the nagging encouragement to read it and I finally did....the book was interesting and had some amazing success stories in it....yet, I still didn't see how WE could do it...two kids in daycare, above mentioned monthly bills, having a social life, and....well...shopping! I would get the sweats just thinking about not being able to go to the mall and target and feel ok to buy something if I really really needed liked it.

 

I agreed to sit down and write out all of our debt....it frightened me....I felt a sense of...well...a sense of oh.crap!!! We are how old and OWE that much...it made me sad, frustrated, defeated and yet, motivated....I decided I would give it a three month trial....during that time, I had to review a couple of the success stories in the book from time to time...

 

Ugh...Jacob....is...a...hard ass (muah love you honey!) And as frustrating as that has been at times, I am so thankful for that. He has kept us on track with our plan for the most part...with a lot a little grumbling from me daily/weekly/monthly here and there...I'm not saying this has been easy...it hasn't...but at the same time not quite as difficult as I had thought...

 

Dave Ramsey talks a lot about how you pay your debt off...basically start with establishing your emergency fund ... $1,000 you put away and do not touch....this took a little bit, but honestly felt great once we got to that point ha...before we would have looked at our account and to see $1,000 just sitting there, our wheels would have been spinning on what fun we could have with that money!

Once you have your Emergency Fund, you start to pay your debt off starting with the smallest amount you owe...once that is paid off...you take what you were paying on that and add it to what you were paying on your next debt...then, when that's paid off you do the same to the next...and next...etc...ok...blah...sometimes I really suck at explaining things (I can see you all shaking your heads yes in agreement) I encourage you to read the book, it will make more sense...or at least Google Dave Ramsey...

 

Now, we didn't go all "gazelle" ...which Dave explains as pretty much cutting out all, ALL unnecessary spending and putting it all towards your debt...like I said...we did not do this...we are young...we are social...we have fun...it just wasn't feasible (whatever ok...we could have made it work, however...to us...it wasn't worth it) we live our lives still and even went to Vegas during this time, which, I'm SURE is frowned upon...but totally worth it and due to our new found budgeting system...it didn't feel like it really cost us anything.

 

Ok...anyway...I know we could have paid off so much more and been so much closer to "financial freedom" but...like I said...wouldn't have worked for us ... we would have been sad...and lonely...and miserable ... at least that is how it plays out in my head ha ha

 

So, in the last two years (starting in January 2011), we went from having to write down 17 "debts to pay" (most mentioned above) to.....Drum Roll Please... 4...yes FOUR things on our list...our house, our HELOC, one student loan and our windows loan...we have paid off 13 different loans/bills in two years...it totally blows my mind! It hasn't been easy, we've had to say no to most vacations with friends, new vehicles (that I really really want...pity party) fun toys we have both wanted, new clothes we have wanted....(ugh this is making me sad...I still need want that stuff...ugh...someday...)

 

I guess the reason I am giving you all a glimpse into our "finacial journey" is because, I didn't realize where we were on this journey....basically for the last year we haven't "checked in" to look at, or add up what we have paid off or what we still owe...until now...and, honestly I'm blown away! In the past two years, we have paid off over $30,000 AND taken off 15 years from our mortgage...I know...what?!?!?! Where did that money come from? What did we do with that before...you guys...I don't get it...I don't explain it very well at all (obviously)...I just don't know...but I do know it works...you have to put effort into it and realize a lot of times, it sucks. I don't feel richer because of this...I'm not seeing all this extra money floating around (mostly because we are putting it toward other bills)...I'm not bragging...I'm not boasting....I'm not saying it's easy....I just want you guys to know...IT IS POSSIBLE!

 

Google "Total Money Makeover" for a way, way better explanation, there are many steps that come after paying off your debt (this debt does not include your mortgage)...like I said, just Google it, because now, I am just rambling...and you will get a much better idea of it that way vs this way...

 

Thanks for reading!!!

Everyone Has a Journey

A couple of weeks ago, I received this Facebook message from my pastor:

I (and the church family) would be most honored if you and Jaime could present a "faith story" for one of our Lenten services.....Perhaps March 6th? It doesn't have to be complicated.....I think what you could offer would be really inspiring and meaningful....Your friend, Mark

My stomach immediately jumped into my throat, my heart started beating quickly, my palms started to sweat....I instantly wanted to say, thanks, but no thanks....however...I thought about it for a while, talked it over with my sister and we agreed that this was something we probably could do.

I like to talk...and I talk a lot....but when it comes to talking in front of big groups...I get super nervous...I seriously can feel my heart pounding more and more as I sit here and think about talking in front of people...ridiculous! 

When I thought about my faith journey and what faith means to me...I really thought that maybe I should just have my other sister, Sarah, do the speaking.  She is one of those people that just radiates faith as well as trust in her faith. She really is an inspiration...

I put this task off for a couple days, then started to have anxiety and realized that I needed to do this so just get started....

I started with bullet points but then I just couldn't stop....my sister Jaime started writing too, we sent each other what we came up with, and they were pretty similar...so...we then had to combine them....

When we were finished telling our story...I felt like we talked to quickly...I stumbled over my words....and in the end, I wasn't quite sure that we even talked about what we were supposed to talk about! 

We had many people come up to us after church and thank us for telling our story...that felt great...people enjoyed it, thank the Lord (literally!)

It was really nice to actually write out my faith journey, where I had been, where I am now, and what brought me here...

The following is what my sister and I said...or what we intended to say...Jaime is in red, I am in blue.

This I’d have to say is one of the hardest ‘easy’ tasks that I have probably been given.  When asked to share my faith story, I thought, ok, no problem. Thoughts go through my head of what to say and share, but then to ‘co-write’ seemed a bit cumbersome, until I realized that Melissa and I have very similar stories as we should, we are sisters after all.

Without going too far back, I need to start at the beginning, of course with a little about us. Growing up, Melissa and I along with our parents and other 2 siblings, grew up on a farm 10 miles North of Dover. Our life was simple, go to school, help our dad with chores in the barn, help our mom with chores in the house and on Sunday’s, attend church and Sunday school and have our ‘family day’.  Our mom was the superintendent of the Sunday School that we attended, well, religiously.  My earliest memories of life in general have always included being active in the church although as a small child, the sermons took FOREVER, mostly because I didn’t understand them.  My favorite memories of church were getting dressed up for holidays (especially Easter), Christmas Eve services where I got to hold my very own candle, Palm Sunday where we got to keep the Palm leaves after the service, Sunrise Service standing around a fire and having church outside and in the Spring when they opened the windows on a nice day and looking outside at the sun, smelling the fresh air, hearing the birds sing and thinking, God made ALL this!! It made me smile!

 My earlier memories of Sunday school was having fun.  At the same time it was a little different because I didn't know all that many people as we went to school at Dover-Eyota and went to church in St Charles. I remember sitting in church at about 10 or 12 years old and really trying to pay attention to the sermon and get "that feeling". I would often walk away disappointed each Sunday as I just didn't understand what the big deal was...I didn't know if it was just me or if other people would just "fake" their interest in the weekly sermons.  I just went with it and continued going every Sunday, I mean I was too young at that point to make that decision on my own anyway.

When I was 13 and Melissa, 11, we moved from the country to the ‘city’..well, St. Charles.  What a whole new world this was for me!!! I was definitely affected the most by this change. I began to question the authority of my parents, the authority of most any adult and sadly, my faith. Church, was the LAST place I wanted to be on a weekend, but I went, just not much at all. I had begun confirmation at this point as well. I think in a way I looked at it as some way (deep down) to maybe re-spark my interest in church. I will say honestly the only things I can really remember from confirmation are learning the Lord’s Prayer, going to a Synangog, attending a few Lock In’s (in which were not fun to me at all as I always felt out of place since most of the kids there were from St. Charles and I attended Dover-Eyota schools). I remember going to another event and not even sure what it was but I believe it was along the lines of Super Night in which the spark of enjoying church was there, which was very encouraging to me.

When I was the age to be confirmed I, too, felt as if I never really got anything from it.  I saw it as more of a social time, time to hang with friends and talk. During confirmation, St. Charles and Dover churches combined, so I knew people from the Dover church.  Our pastor at the time never really seemed to reach out and try to teach is what we were going through during this part of our faith journey.  That during this time, you are fortunate to be given the opportunity to be able to stand up and show people, your congregation, your community, your family, your peers that you are mature enough and interested enough in your faith that you are ready to make the decision to respond to God’s Grace with your commitment to your faith.  

I have always felt kind of cheated because I really didn't get anything out of that experience. I had a difficult time with my faith after that point...I felt like "oh I went through the motions of doing what I had to do to get confirmed...I'm good" I felt like I was missing something with my faith...I just couldn’t feel connected.  Looking back, I am surprised that I didn’t cling to my faith more seeing my sister and my family go through so much in such a short amount of time. 

I continued to spiral downward as the years went on. I lost control of myself and was SO busy trying to ‘find myself’, I had TOTALLY and completely lost God and was so wrapped up in myself, remember thinking, ‘Well what has God ever done for ME!! I put my family through so much heartache and frustration because I was so oblivious to anyone or anything, unless it concerned ME. There were moments that I DID miss my family and our ‘traditions’ and it was weird to me that church was one of those things I missed, but that was one of the last places you’d catch me at, especially with my family, my sisters who had so many ‘goodie’ friends and were involved in things and my parents, who knew nothing!

Unfortunately I hit absolute rock bottom and I was only 15 years old! This included a number of things but the worst, I was no longer living at my home. I was THE definition of a ‘parents worst nightmare’. I remember going to my parents one day though and finally saying ‘HELP ME, I can’t do this anymore!!’  I didn’t feel welcomed anywhere anymore and lost every friend I had known and gained every type of friend one that no one ever wants to have.

I spent the next few years after that, ‘finding myself’ again but a new me! I was welcomed back at home, started taking interest in school again (I will add here that although I was not living at home, there was never a day that I missed school) and regaining a relationship with my family and God. I was so thankful to him that he gave me such an amazing family who offered me the forgiveness I needed.

Everything was uphill from there (mostly). I became a mother to Jaydan right after I graduated, then a few years later my son Devon. God had truly given me 2 beautiful blessings!!

Now that I had regained all the relationships that I had lost, I was still missing something. I started attending church again, in hopes of filling that void. With being a new, young mother also, I wanted my kids to have the same religious upbringing as I had. By this time we had a new Pastor, and she was amazing! I could feel a connection with her and enjoyed going to church again!! I think this was an ‘A HA’ moment for me. I knew at this point ‘what God had done for me’! He gave me such an understanding and forgiving family, 2 beautiful kids and my best friends back, my sisters who were as equally understanding and forgiving (of course if may have helped that we are living under different roofs at this time).  I even became a faith partner for my cousin who was in confirmation!!

I stayed a casual member of the St Charles church going here and there when I felt like it had been too long since I've been to church....I felt as if I had to fill the quota.  I can remember ever since I was young, we always seemed to have new pastors every 5 years or so, it was always difficult to ever feel connected or comfortable with any previous pastor.  That made it even more difficult to fill that quota....I felt like a stranger in the congregation...I remember one Sunday sitting in church....someone turned to me and said" welcome to our church, it's always good to see new faces" apparently I wasn't filling the quota quite as well as I had thought...

During college, I took a Biblical Christianity class, this class was amazing. I felt something I had never felt before, I felt comfortable.  I felt comfortable asking any question to the teacher, who at the time was a pastor.  I felt comfortable talking with my peers about our beliefs and our take on different Bible stories. I had never felt this before, it made me excited, it made me interested, it made me want to engross my entire being into figuring out the lessons that were being taught to us through Jesus’ life and death and seeing God and His workings everywhere! I never before had felt comfortable asking questions about stories in the bible, about people in the bible...I alwasy felt that if i did, I would get “the look”, like," how do you not know this or that about the Bible". I didn't understand when people had learned this stuff...did I miss some super important day at Sunday school where they taught us everything about the Bible and its meaning? It wasn't until after this Biblical Christianity class that I came to the conclusion that you learn about this stuff by discussing it and asking questions and while you are doing that, your faith grows, you understanding grows, your trust in God grows.  I learned that often times, others where just as confused as I was or were wanting to ask the same questions that I had wanted to ask.  My interest in church and getting a real "grown up" grasp on my faith peaked during that class, I am forever grateful that this class was a part of my life.  It was one of my life’s “Ah-Ha” moments.

I started attending church more frequently at this point, we had an amazing pastor at the time so I was in a good place.  However, after I was married, our pastor retired.  This was difficult for me, I felt like I was ready to take on this new found excitement in my faith and I was so happy with our current pastor, I felt connected, not so much with the congregation, but with the pastor.  I felt comfortable with her; she was so different from any other pastor I had met at the time. She was very passionate about her life, her church, her family, her congregation. 

After she had left, I started to feel myself lose the interest again, I knew it was not something I could let happen, and I knew it was something that I needed fulfilled in my life. I needed to find a wonderful pastor and church family to call my own.  To keep this interest and need I had fulfilled.  I felt a responsibility to my children that they be given the love from their church and congregation and for them to feel at home with their church family. 

Unfortunately, at the same time as Melissa, I also lost interest in church. I am not good with change!!! I stopped attending church and felt that void again. I told myself that I needed to give it a try, it is still that same church that I grew up in, nothing changed about that, but who was I to judge that I wouldn’t be as engaged because something is new. I sure tried but was never able to find that feeling I had, not because of the Pastor but that there wasn’t that happy feeling that I remembered. Things just weren’t the same. The congregation wasn’t the same. I needed to find what that happy feeling again.

Changing churches was really difficult for me. My parents were married in my previous church; I was baptized, confirmed and married there as well.  I felt as if I had an obligation to stay, we had history and I felt guilty about changing, however after praying about it, a lot, I knew it was something I had to do, it was something I owed to myself. and my family.  I can truly say that being a part of this church, I am home.  I have never felt so close and comfortable with a church family.  I have never experienced anything like this group of people that attend this church.  I see faith and I feel faith in every welcome, in every smile....faith is everywhere and very much alive in this church, and feeling it, makes it more alive in me. 

After talking with Melissa about her new church, she seemed so happy. I attended services with her as well and felt that feeling again that I was missing so much. I felt such an obligation though to stay where I was as I had only ever known that church!! I’d have to say that was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make but I knew I needed to do this. I, as well as Jaydan have found such amazing comfort here. This is where God wants us to be. I have that feeling back!!! I have that feeling of an indescribable comfort and complete bliss each and every moment I am here and I thank you all for that, WE thank you all for that.

Our last and final moment that I’d like to share tonight is that God has not only walked with us through so much but has proven that miracles can really happen. Melissa and I have a sister between us, her husband who is my age has not only battled cancer once, but twice and is currently battling Leukemia. There were so many questions at that point when we first found out but we knew that that is not where we needed to look but rather to what God CAN do for him. He had a 15% chance of beating his bone cancer that he had a couple years ago, and he did. He was diagnosed with Leukemia last June however and began chemo. Last November he was hospitalized for complications due to chemo. His life was left in God’s Hands.  Then came the point that he was told that there was nothing further they could do for him but that he was to go home and live out his last few months in peace and dignity. He is not only still with us, but enjoying life in the most inspiring way. I truly, truly believe in the power of prayer!! I don’t believe that he’d still be here without it!! I think our faith has never been stronger as a family, instead of getting mad at God, we embrace what he has given us and the understanding that time is so precious..be thankful for what you are giving and love everything for what it is.

I guess to me, faith is knowing God is there for you.  Knowing that God and your faith will always be there for you, always there for you to rely on, to lean on and to trust in, is one of the few things in life that can never be taken away from you.  Faith is something to be proud of, it isn't always easy to understand it, it isn’t always easy to recognize faith or necessarily even easy to keep faith throughout the paths your life may take you, but to have the trust in God and to have a strong faith, it is a feeling of everlasting comfort that you will always be taken care of, there is always something to lean on, something to pick you up and give you the strength to continue throughout life’s journey. 

‘ May the blessings of God rest upon you. May God's peace abide in you. May God's presence illuminate your heart, now and forever more’.

So, as I said, everyone has a journey in life....what was yours?

I would like to thank my sister Jaime for helping me with this....bonus...this was a super easy blog to write, since 1. I had to write it anyway and 2. my sister wrote half of it for me :)

 

 

T to the V

I am finding lately, whenever we watch TV...the majority of shows we watch are reality...entertaining, however, most of the time, I can feel my brain cells dying off one at a time!

That made me start to think of when I was younger and the TV shows I used to watch.  I don't remember watching THAT much TV when I was younger...but after thinking of the shows that I used to love and watch often...I feel like I was a TV junkie, but I know that wasn't true...Anyway....here are some of my favorites while growing up...

ALF....who didn't watch this guy!  Did he ever make it back to Melmack? 

Of course Full House! (Cut-it-out, Haaave mercy, How rude, You got it dude etc. etc. etc.)



Perfect Strangers (Oh Balkey)









 Roseanne (Becky always had the best hair, or so I thought at the time)



Mr. Belvidere...I feel like no one remembers this show!


Webster...Oh my gosh he is so cute!





Growing Pains....Oh Kurk Cameron....



















Family matters (Whatever happened to Judy?)



Charles in Charge (of our days, and our nights, Charlies in Charge of our wrongs and our rights...la la la...I want, Charles In Charge of Me! - Had this as my ringtone for years)



Who's the Boss (I wanted to BE Samantha...so pretty)


 My two dads....their apartment was so awesome!!

Family Ties (Sha-la la la)

Out of this World (Oh how many times I wished I had the powers of Evie....touch your finger tips together and freeze time...how handy would that be!)



Small Wonder (Again, I feel like no one remembers this show - And why did no one ever think it was weird that Vicki talked like a robot? )



Blossom (Whoa!!)


Ok, seriously, I wasn't a couch potato...and we didn't have cable...I think this is from the days of Friday night television...TGIF anyone!

(I know you are singing the theme song in your head)


 So, what were some of YOUR favorite TV shows growing up?

(ps, sorry this post doesn't LOOK pretty...the pictures are all messed up...forgive me)