Friday Fave-- GWAP (Gifts With a Purpose)

There are several great ways to spend money on gifts this Christmas that will benefit more than just the recipient... my favorite this year? The Abbey Project.

Abbey Mae was a sweet little girl who was only three days older than my own oldest daughter. Abbey and Sadie were a part of a fabulous dozen of children born about the same time in our community. So we got to know Abbey at our regular playdates.

Just a couple of months before Abbey turned three, Jesus took her home after a tragic pool accident. We've missed Abbey ever since.

I have been AMAZED at the choices Abbey's mom, Amy has made to trust in God and continue to live with joy and a positive outlook after the tragedy. Amy is a pillar of strength and I'm blessed to be her friend. :)

The Abbey Project is a service mission to keep Abbey's memory alive and help people who need it. Currently, Amy is crocheting hats for sale and the money will go toward needs in their community.

You've got to see these hats! They are super adorable and I've already made one order (came in the mail today... I'm just DROOLING!). But I can't show you the hats because the recipients read my blog. ;) I plan to make another order soon to get myself one of these beauties.

Here is just one of the large variety of hats she makes for children up through adults. (And the photos are taken by my fabulous friend Becky who is a great photographer if you need one in NW Washington!)

Go visit Amy's site and read her story. And possibly you'll want to place an order too. Get a GWAP for someone on your gift list this Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

Be Still

I've been overwhelmed and anxious recently... realizing that I'm in over my head when it comes to my over-scheduled days.

Most things I've been doing are GOOD-- regular exercise, taking time for kids homework/AWANA verse memorization, meeting with small groups in christian fellowship, etc.

But one key priority I've let slip away for awhile. It's the time I should be spending being STILL and knowing God.

I've been blessed to have little retreats over the last few years where I take time to listen for God while I'm I'm located in a scenic and quiet location of God's creation. Unfortunately, these once a year visits cannot grow my relationship with God enough. I would most benefit my walk with Him by taking time every day. At home. Among the busyness.

So my goal is to find a bit of time each day to BE STILL. To add to my current prayers during chaos and reading of the word while other things are going on. I believe I need to have complete quiet to really hear from God.

I created a layout to remind me of this (instead of a string around my finger, it will be framed in my dining room where I'll see it many times each day). I trust that seeking God each day He will remind me that He is the great "I AM"... he's everything I need to get through each day. I use Psalms 46:10 on my layout.

This layout was in response to a challenge at Nana Campana's "My Paper Tree House" Blog. I have been so blessed to "meet" Nana via her blog and see her passion for seeing God's fingerprints on all elements of her life. It's become the center focus for her scrappy business and I would love to use my scrappy skills to grow my relationship with God the way she is. Thanks for the inspiration, Nana!

Friday Fave-- Top 5 from a Recent Shoot

So, I was lucky enough to get to take more photos of my adorable niece and her family this last week.

And since I can't pick just one (although I think this first one is my very fave), I thought I'd share my top 5 favorites with you.

Isn't their family just adorable???

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday/Friday Fave

Crazy Run

If you would have asked me a year ago if I'd run a 5K I would have laughed at you. Hard. And then I'd have said a firm NO.

But I have this friend...

She's so inspiring! And encouraging... just enough to push you to try but not enough to push you away. It's a good thing. :)

And when you're around her you can't help but think that running might just be fun. I'm not sure I think it's fun, but I've learned to enjoy it enough that I ran a second 5K on Sunday night.

With my inspiring friend Harmony beside me. She's the greatest. Wish I'd had my other running partner Amy with me that night too! (Insert her blog address here... once we finally convince her that she needs one!) She doesn't really love running either, but we like that running is good for us so we've kept it up for months now...(months!!!) but Sunday she was recovering from the great Barf-O-Rama at her household... yuk. :)

Do you want to be inspired to do something good for yourself? And to look at life through the eyes of a loving mom, wife and true follower of Christ? And win cool "bloggy prizes" for runners? Then you've got to visit Harmony's blog. You'll be blessed if you do!

Come to think of it, I never got around to posting photos from my first 5K in August for Children's Hospital that I blogged about HERE... so here's some photos from the first big run! I got to run with my sister that day and it was such a joy to be with family for a great cause. I'd do it again in a heartbeat! (Get it? Mya and the Heartbeats...)

Friday Fave-- John Deere Gear

My son loves tractors. Anyone who knows him KNOWS he loves tractors.

So we also like clothing that talks about tractors or has tractors on it.

Here's my son's favorite shirt.

Sad story-- he was being cared for by lovely people who were generously giving their time to help me. But they gave my son craft paint that was not washable and he got it all over his favorite shirt. Glittery paint. And I can't get it out. (I even scrubbed it with one of those magic erasers-- those things are incredible and have saved me from other art supply mishaps, but no luck on fabric.)

Guess we need to keep our eye out for a new shirt, but does anyone have any ideas on how to get paint out of clothing?

Wordless Wednesday