Hall of Faith

Years ago, when Darren and I were dating we started talking about collections and different things people collect and what we each collected. When I told him that I didn't collect anything, I really thought that he was going to fall over in shock. He said "who doesn't collect something"? Me, obviously! I told him that in college, I collected picture frames but soon grew out of that and then had all these picture frames I didn't want in my "grown up" house. He said that he thought I needed to collect something and what did I like enough to collect. I told him that they only thing that I thought I liked enough to have a lot of were crosses. I love them all. All shapes, sizes, material - I just love them. And so...an obsession was born! I wasn't really sure about this collecting thing at first, but now I love it. I collect crosses like other people collect trinkets and pictures. Each one of them has a story or a memory or something special to make me remember them by. I'm hoping that one day, even if my children don't want to hang them in their homes, they will keep them and be able to say "my dad gave my mom this cross when they had their first baby, or when they got married, etc." The other day, I was in Hobby Lobby (when am I not in that store??), and I wondered into the clearance section. They had all of these beautiful pictures and framed sayings for 66% off, so of course, I dug through all of them until I found one that I couldn't live without.

This frame was normally $24.99 and I paid just $8.50 for it! That makes me so happy. I knew that it would look great hanging with my crosses.

It says:

Faith To hope for things which are not seen but are true

It was really hard to try to get a picture that showed all of them. This is the best I could do and some are still cut off. Don't they look wonderful?

This cross was given to me by a dear friend of mine, the afternoon of my dad's funeral. It says: In Loving Memory Gone, yet not forgotten, Although we are apart. Your spirit lives within me, Forever in my heart.

I was having a bad/stressed to the max day a while back and my mom stopped and brought this to me. I just love it!

This is one of the first crosses I ever bought for myself. I bought it because it has the Lord's Prayer on it.

This is the first cross my in-laws ever bought me. They went to a craft festival and my mother-in-law said she thought of me and thought I would like it. The details on this cross are amazing! Those tiny little grapes are perfect!

The scroll says:

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit. John 15:5

Darren bought me this cross, shortly after we got engaged.

It says:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Love never fails. Corinthians 13:4-8

One of Darren's cousin's gave us this for our wedding.

One of his cousin's wives gave us this for our wedding.

This cross says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

This one is based on the "Footprints in the Sand" poem, which I love. It says:

My precious precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering when you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

If you look closely, you can see little tiny footprints on the cross.

Darren bought me this cross last week when he was out running errands. He said "I just thought of you and how much you love crosses and turqouise, so I thought you should have it". Isn't he sweet?

I can't help but walk down the hallway where these hang everyday and just look up and admire them. All the different occasions and memories that are marked by these crosses just makes my heart smile.

In Bloom

Although our yard needs a LOT of work - there are flowers in bloom everywhere that are just gorgeous. We came home from running errands yesterday and I just couldn't help but take some pictures. (Pardon the quality, these are from my phone).

A whole flowerbed full of knockout roses.

In this gorgeous red color. They have little hints of white running through them.

What you see as you pull up in front of the house. Don't these just make you smile?

As you can tell, I am not a photographer and the wind was blowing like crazy, but I just love this bright pink!

This is coming around the walk way to the backdoor. I love, love, love crosses and when Hobby Lobby had this for 50% off, I couldn't pass it up. I paid a mere $7 for it and it just makes my heart happy.

Then I stumbled upon this little sign and I had to have it too! Another one of Hobby Lobby's 50% off treasures - cost me just $5.

Don't mind the weeds - like I said, we have a lot of work to do. It takes a lot of work for everything to look this beautiful but to be honest - God does most of it. I just love this time of year. When the weather is perfect and there is a nice breeze and everything is in bloom! I wish this lasted all year long!

Dad

Three years ago today, my father passed away. Sometimes it feels like it just happened yesterday and other days - its seems like a million years ago.

I still have a lot of the same emotions and am coming to the realization that I probably always will. I just feel like sometimes - you don't ever get over a loss like that.

As long as we remember those we have loved and lost...they are never truly gone...they live on in those of us that remember them.

Dad,

You're gone but not forgotten. We speak of you everyday and laugh at your old jokes and still re-tell your old stories. We continue to tell Matthew about you and all your future grandchildren will be told what a wonderful person, loving father and what a giving man you were. I love and miss you old man! I'm drinking a Miller Lite for you tonight - I know you're probably enjoying a cold one yourself. :)

Until I see you again,

Easter 2010

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful and Blessed Easter! We had a wonderful time with family and lots of good food. I decided to set up my dining room as the "dessert room" and we all ate lunch in the sunroom, since it was big enough to fit all 12 of us comfortably.

Here is my dining room table. Please excuse the wrinkles. My iron must still be packed because I looked for it AND my garment steamer forever with no luck. Anyhow, we had cupcakes, chocolate candies and petit fours that my mother-in-law Jackie made, "pink stuff" that my mother made, a fruit tray my sister brought and cream cheese sugar cookies and a homemade carrot cake that I made. Oh, we were loaded down on the sweets!

My nephew Matthew LOVED this room!

I made these Jelly Bean Topiaries for table decorations. I saw the tutorial on Crafty Sisters, you have to check them out...they have wonderful ideas!

You can kind of see my new table runner - it is so precious. Pale pink with polka dots and little bunnies at each end. Darren bought it for me, when we were at Home Goods a couple of weeks ago for $9.99

My mother-in-law made these cute bunnies from a 3D Wilton Candy mold. It's hard to tell but they attach to little Easter baskets that you can fill with an egg, or candy (like we did). We surrounded them with Easter grass and thought they were a perfect addition to the table!

On the buffet, I used my tiered server to display ceramic Easter eggs and more grass! I used two of my glasses to put out some colorful spring m&Ms and then we had some strawberry lemonade. Don't you just love my little buffet runner? I found that at Marshall's for $7.99

This is one of the bookcases in the living room. I put a little Easter scene out and then put some eggs and carrots on the shelves. These decorations were my mom's that she passed down to me. She painted those eggs and carrots many years ago!

This is probably one of my favorite decorations! I just love this little bunny. Another one that my mom gave to me. I just finished him off with Easter grass and a few of those ceramic eggs.

Friday, when I was out running errands, I stopped by Williams Sonoma and picked up some cute spring colored towels since I couldn't find the Easter ones that I had bought at Ross.

While I was there, I splurged on this cute little spatula! I paid too much for it, but I thought it was cute!

We ate a great lunch of pork roast with carrots, celery and onions, honey ham and hickory smoked ham, okra & tomatoes, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, white rolls, buttermilk cornbread, deviled eggs, pea salad, and a garden salad. Oh, everything was so delicious but now I have so many leftovers in my fridge!!!

After everyone finished lunch, we headed outside so that Matthew could hunt for Easter eggs!

Of course, he had so much fun!

The loot! He is a professional egg hunter now. He has hunted eggs at school, church, Aunt Morgan's house, at his great-grandma's house and then at home on Sunday. This year, he got 5 Easter baskets! I guess it's nice to be the only grandchild sometimes! :)

Coco also got an Easter basket. Hers was filled with a frog toy, a giant flower toy, a cute little shirt, a cute spring jacket and a couple of Greenies. Here she is in her Easter dress. A couple of weeks ago, Darren dropped her off to be groomed about 10 one morning and I didn't get to go pick her up until about 5:30. She was shaking and ready to go home but they said that she was wonderful and well behaved, so I splurged and bought her this cute dress! She LOVED it!

Coco and Matt together! They LOVE playing together and completely wear each other out. They both sleep REALLY well after a day together. And my Easter wreath! Ok, this is after the door had been opened and closed about 100 times. I forgot to take a before picture. As you can tell - there are a few places that didn't get enough hot glue! I will have to go back and fix that before I put it up. I saw similar wreaths that I just loved for about $50 and I couldn't bring myself to spend that much. I wanted a cute wreath for about $10, and guess what...I did it! I got enough materials for 2 wreaths but only had time to make one. Nonetheless, I spent about $21 so each wreath cost me a mere $10.50! Isn't that wonderful? I'm not that great at tutorials so I will let you go on over to Crafty Sisters and read about how to make it over there. I told you they had great ideas!

We had a wonderful Easter celebration and I am already getting ideas of some new things I want to make for next year! I hope you all had a wonderful one and were able to spend it with family and friends!