busy busy

life is nuts!!!! Somedays I think we are gonna be fine and somedays I want to crawl up into the fetal position and never come out. 2 weeks ago James was let go from his job along with 2 other teachers, thank goodness we serve a God that knows all things and this did not suprise him. He was already preparing to be an online professor for Grand Canyon University. So we just did a little switch, but its been nuts learning how to depend on Christ when we just dont know what is going on. We knew we would not see the benefits financially from Grand Canyon until the end of November so like always......we worried and worried and worried. What are we gonna do? Where is the money gonna come from? all those fearful questions we ask when we are totally vulnerable and afraid of the unknown. Well about 4 days after James lost his job a family from our Church had heard and they paid our rent for us this month. Then James' boss from the job he got let go from ended up giving him severence when he had already said he wasnt going to. As always God provided and and always I was humbled. In the midst of all of this we are moving into a house. We are renting a cute little house about a mile from here. The guys is not charging much, he just wants a family to take care of his parents house, who recently passed away. He has been so helpful financially and waved the deposit if we help him clean and he also said he would cover utilities. Nuts!!!! So when I think about crawling up into a ball I just have to think of how much Jesus has blessed us and how much he continues to bless us. I know he loves me and I trust he cares but its so easy to try and find everyway possible to do other things than just soley depending on him. When I finally do depend on him things seem so much lighter. Not easier but lighter. I dont like being uncomfortable and wondering, but maybe thats where he needs me to be right now. Wrapped in his arms and trusting in his blessings and faithfulness. He has never been unfaithful, he has never been judgemental or mean, he has never turned me away or disowned me. He has always loved me, always held me, always pursued me, alway protected me, alway listened to me and has always covered me with his mercy and grace. My life is not dependant on me, its not dependant on a job, or money or kids or my husband. My life is dependant on the one who created me. If He did not send his son to the cross I would be nothing. If I believe things were dependant on anything but Him than his sacrifice would be nothing. So why after all he did wouldnt I accept this gift of forgivness and grace that he so easily poured out by sacrificing his son on the cross. This life is so much bigger than me and thank goodness I have a relationship with the one who created it. Thanks for reading.

Dumpster Diving

So Catherine and myself walk to the park about 4-5 times a week. To do this we walk through an ally. There is a family who puts a lot of good stuff in the ally for garbage. So as I was walking the other day, I saw this beautiful wood. It was a headboard and a footboard for a bed and it was good, thick, chunky wood. I could bearly carry one by myself, so I had to get James to help with the really big one. Well the last day I have been thinking of what I want to do with them. So the smaller one, which is actually pretty big, I did this!!!! I have wanted someway to put scripture that means a lot to us, up at our house. So I did this, it was a great way of putting the scripture up in our home in a really artsy way. I love the rustic look of the wood and it matches well with all of the rest of our home decor. We like it and I guess thats what matters. I think with the bigger piece of wood we are going to get some help from a guy we know to help us make a coffee table. I love it! I am finally realizing this is what relaxes me and calms me down. I love art. Here are some pics of the sign I made, it needs to be cleaned up a bit but its a rough look too, so I dont want it to be so cleaned up. Enjoy!
the top of the sign
the middle of the sign
The bottom of the sign
My two favorite people off to the Ball Game!
I also sent James and Catie J off to the dbacks game tonight. They went with one of Catherines friends from Church and his dad. I dont know what to do with myself.....so I am blogging. Have a good night people!!!

This is the new alphabet painting I am working on! I think it would be fun with lots of colors.
The back of my new haircut!
And the side of my new haircut and a beautiful little girl!

The new 3D butterfly that I am wanting to sell at the farmers market.
Haircut from the front with my beautiful little girl!
Catherine and the elliptical
She is really workin it!
The alphabet board again

Another 3D painting. Catherine loved doing this one with me!
Here she is with it
this is a 3 part 3D painting of the metamorphisis cycle from caterpillar to butterfly
The caterpillar
and the cocoon.

Im still trying to figure out how to do this whole blogging thing, but I hope this works! Talk to you all soon!

Exercising, Haircut, Crafts and Update!!! Lots going on!

Here we are again! We have had a rollercoaster of a month. The big news lately is that James will be starting work as an Online Teacher for Grand Canyon University. He will be teaching classes for the Christian Studies department. So until May he will work 3 jobs. Nuts!!!! But the great thing about all 3 of them is that he gets to decide his own schedule. We will see how this pans out but it would be really nice catch up time if it worked. So with my job and his 3 we are definatly keeping busy and tired. But we are learning how to manage time, money and to communicate really well. Its really not as bad as it sounds. Its pretty ideal for our crazy, spontainious lifestyle anyways. The cool thing about James getting experience teaching online, is that he can eventually do that from overseas someday and it would help with supplemental support raising. We have a great plan in mind now as how the year will go, but we all also know how that goes. But we serve a God that knows us and our life better than we know ourselves and he LOVES us. Isnt that amazing.

Oh our Catherine is growing everyday! Yesterday she was playing computer games and a neighbor came over. We had her stop the games while the neighbor was there, because the games were loud and she needed lots of help. So she threw something down and stomped back to her room. James then went back to talk with her while I talk with our neighbor, and all the sudden I hear (really loudly) "can't you just tell her to go home!" My neighbor looks at me and I just apologize over and over and over again. I felt so bad. Oh my little girl. James and I laughed really hard about it when Catherine was in bed later on. We couldnt let her see that we thought it was funny or that would have started a really embarrassing trend. She also has started getting on my elliptical machine. And its scary, funny and she thinks shes pretty cool. She always says "I think Im just gonna exercise with the lliptical.

I am getting really interested in starting a booth at the famers market. I love crafts and I love knitting. So I have not stopped painting and knitting for a week or so now, so that I stock up to start that booth. I just need to get my State of AZ business license. I also chopped off my hair yesterday, its taking some time to get used to but I love it.

Here are some pics! Hope you all have a great day!

The Law

"As Christians we are not called to keep the law, we are called to fulfill the law. We fulfill the law by loving eachother, being available and becoming a living sacrifice." Romans 12:1
Bill Thrall (our pastor)

This is the message we talked about this last sunday at Church and James and I have been really learing and contemplating what this means and the reality of it in this life. Good stuff!

I wish I had a camera

We had one of the best days ever the other day and I forgot my camera! I was so bummed. Now that the weather is getting "better" here in Phoenix, Catie J and I have been walking to the park. Its about a 2 mile walk. We love it because we get time to talk and sing and look at bugs and all that fun stuff. Well the other day we were planning on walking up there and I looked outside and it was a little cloudy. So I checked the weather online and it said there was no chances of rain until that night. Well, Catie J and I get all ready to go on our walk and get on our way, it was beautiful! No sun, and a really nice breeze. So we are about 1/4 mile from the park and it starts sprinkling rain, that actually made the day feel even better. Not too much longer after that it starts pouring rain, so I book it to the park, because we were at that time closer to the park we could run for cover there. Normally when we go to the park I let Catie J get out of the stroller at the hill and we run the rest of the way together. Well, to Catherine, this day didnt make a difference. So I let her get out and she got the biggest kick out of the rain. This is coming from a little girl who usually doesnt see anything but sun. So we ran and played in the big field in the rain. It was so much fun. After we got tired and the rain died down, we played for a bit on the swings and the slide. All the sudden it started pouring again, so we hid for cover underneath one of the play structures and we pretended that we were in a castle and that we had to protect all of our people from the rain. While we were in lala land, James came to get us out of the rain. We went home and had coffee and hot chocolate and pretended that it was super cold outside and cuddled up and talked. It was really fun. Such and unexpected pleasure in our routine of life. Wish I would have had my camera so you could see us all soaked and my Catie J's laugh that is what keeps me going day to day! Have a fun day!

Catie J Cam

Oh My Catie J!!! She loves to take pictures.....Here are a few of the funny ones she has taken. She is actually getting pretty good at setting her animals up so she can get a shot of them. Here is a day with the Camera by Catie J.





here are her beautiful doggies

What movie is this???

Mr. Elephant...you can never have too many

her lovely map of the world


Mama Pooh is reading to baby Pooh

Just a random shot

again what movie is this??

her craft table

and daddy!!!!!

Hope you all enjoy! She did!