Re-covered

Hello blogging world! I realize it has been so long since I wrote. Much has happened in the last several months, but that shall be covered soon enough. Tonight, I took on a domestic project. I have this nice Lane Cedar chest I got for Christmas many years ago. This girl still likes blue, but as I've become a homeowner and started doing more decorating, I've started using more earth tones, so this lovely blue chest has to get recovered. This involved fabric and a stable gun, and of course my wonderful felines trying to help. Here's how it all went.

More posts to come!

I feel like an adult now!

Here I sit, a couple days after my wedding should have been, feeling like an official adult, at 30. Why? Well, I am purchasing a house! I have lived in an apartment for 6 years, the housing market is just right for first time home buyers and there is money from the government for first time home buyers. I found the right house and I'm SUPER excited!


I am on vacation right now. I spent a wonderful 4 days with my aunt in Independence, MO and am currently at my sister's, while dealing with the purchase of my first home! As I type this, I am waiting for a phone call back from my realtor as the paperwork is being completed. Technology is such a good thing!

So how am I doing in other ways? Well, I'm still hurt, but it gets better every day. I know that things do happen for a reason and through all the fire I can come out one of two ways. I can come out worse than I was or I can chose to go on with my life and not become miserable because of my circumstances. I have chosen not to become miserable with with lemons thrown at me. I chose to hopefully glorify Christ in how I react and have dealt will all that has been given to me. So right now, life is good. I'm taking it one day at a time. And right now, I have house paperwork to print and sign!

Help for the hurting heart

Life. Is it ever fair? Does it go the way WE would like for it to go? Does it stick to OUR plans? Unfortunately the answer to that is no. Here's why. As much as we love to believe it, we are not ultimately in control. God, the creator of the universe, who can make the mountains bow to Him, who can stop a hurricane is in complete and total control of this whole universe. He is THE creator. He uses us, His people for His glory.

I was six weeks away from being married. I was excited and looking forward to beginning life together. Then I hear the words, "I need to talk to you". I didn't have a good feeling about it. Let's just say the wedding went from postponed on Saturday to off completely on Friday. Now, I'm not going to say I'm not a basket case. I'm not going to say I'm not angry or bitter, but I'm not going to hang on to those feelings and live in misery. Yes, it hurts and I cry. I'm very sad. I don't understand why things are the way they are. I know that I am in control of my actions and how I handle this from here out. I will not dwell on the hurt as easy as that could be. I am surrounding myself with people who love me as I am, who care about me. Who want to see the healing begin.

I want to be able to glorify Christ in how I handle myself. I know that if I didn't have Christ, I would be a horrible emotional wreck. My strength is not my own.

I know the healing process will take time. This morning I woke up feeling sad and I'm not even completely sure why. Maybe it's that I feel I deserve answers from him, that to this point I still have not gotten. Maybe it's I had spent so long preparing for another stage in my life and here I am back to square one and I don't know where to even begin. Maybe it's just being a woman and those stupid hormones are getting the best of me. I don't know what it is. I just know I'm sad. But I also know in my sadness, I can't lose site that I'm a daughter of the King. God is bigger than any of my earthly problems.

I know the events of the last week are still very fresh on my mind. I know time heals all wounds. In the mean time it just stinks.

Why....

....is a question we often ask ourselves only after something happens and doesn't go the way we intended. Why is a question a 3, 4, or 5 year old asks his or her mom or dad because of curiosity. In my humble opinion, we don't, as adults, ask ourselves why often enough. Why did he react that way? Why did she say that? Why is that? Why is this? Sometimes asking why before reacting, being hurt, getting upset is the better way to figure out why something happened or was said, rather than throwing a tantrum. Asking why is something I haven't used enough, but rather, have done the get upset, be frustrated thing, rather than taking a moment to take a breath, and ask why. Why is something I'm learning and asking, wondering and praying. And in due time I hope I know why. I'm growing. I'm learning. I'm trusting. I'm praying. I'm wondering why. So the next time something happens to you, before you react, take a moment to pause, take a breath (or two, or three) and ask yourself, why did that just happen? You might be surprised how you react or the answer you receive.

Cats

The feline creature is a mystery. I have two. They always keep me laughing. I never know which of them will do something goofy. Both of mine have quite the personality. Sassy my female will put her toys in the water bowl. Oliver, he's more of the kind that puts his toys in the food dish. I can remove them, but it doesn't take long for him to put them back in with the food. Sassy is so girlie! She prefers to play with twisty ties and her favorite, ribbon. Oliver would rather have a ball with a bell or the ring from the milk carton. Sassy would rather play with me. Oliver would rather torture Sassy. They are such siblings without being siblings.

So I have the day off today. I was just chilling, drinking my coffee about to go take a shower when I walk past the food dish and see half of Oliver's toys in the food! He's such a dork! So I'm sitting there cracking up then decide to get my camera and take a picture...it is after all a Kodak moment!

From cats

From cats

'Tis the season....

...of traffic jams
...of long lines at the checkout counter
...of tree farms being closed by 6:30
...of no more school for a couple weeks
...of warm family get togethers
...of fires crackling in the fireplace
...of reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the things the next year will bring
...of new beginnings


I'm going to look at Christmas lights tonight to try to take photographs....yes those will be posted later. I'm looking forward to a relaxing two weeks! I'll try to blog more frequently, but no promises...lots of family coming in for Christmas.

Lions and tigers and babies

Today I went back to the Fort Worth Zoo for another photo adventure...this time in the 50 degree weather. While I was looking at the website for the zoo this week, I saw that they had the baby tigers and lions!!! I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pumped to get to go see them!! So this morning we trekked off to the zoo, cameras in tow. Since it was cooler we weren't sure what which animals would be out. At the primate house the only thing out was what was inside, and hard to see through the glass at that. After several stops, we made it to the big cats! The white tiger was not out...my guess is that it would have made momma Malaysian tiger very upset since she has 3 adorable, and VERY playful cubs. The lion cubs were cuddling looking, but not as photogenic. Daddy lion was VERY upset that he could not get over to where the other lions were and he very vocal in his discontent. What struck me in watching the two different cat mothers was how the interacted with their cubs. The tiger momma was playing with her cubs, chasing them, showing them the innate survival that a tiger in the wild would need. I noticed that these cubs were very similar to house cats in how they play and interact with each other.

The lioness on the other hand was very paws off! (HAHAHA) She didn't want to be bothered, separated herself from the cubs, and let the cubs play with each other. If a cub came over to her and was being playful she just ignored the cub.

I can't help but think how similar human mothers are to these two cats. There are mothers who have no problem interacting with her offspring and she takes great pleasure in doing so. Her children are her pride and joy and she will do anything for them. There are also mothers who, in a sense, let her children raise themselves because she is too busy taking care of her needs and she doesn't want to be bothered or won't take a few minutes to interact with her children. Just my thoughts....

Anyway, below is a slide show of some of my latest photos. Enjoy!