CHRISTmas at our house!

Good Morning Friends! I don't know how your Holidays went, but CHRISTmas was wonderful at our house. It was absolutely amazing to see our gifts underneath the tree, but I still am in awe at how they appeared there. Not due to the Santa Clause fascination, but due to the money we must have used to purchase these gifts.

When we were writing our "Gift Giving List," more than once we looked at each other with that "There's no way were going to be able to buy all of this look" and just felt a little deflated, honestly. But, over time, we caught sales and prayed about it, and the gifts started appearing. We wrapped and wrapped, and I was constantly thanking God that he sent me to certain stores and showed me where to look. The big factor in this was that I set my mind to this one thing: I refused to choose convenient gifts this year. I made up my mind around Thanksgiving that the gifts we bought were going to be personal and thought-out. They were going to be specifically chosen for each person based on what they would truly love to receive. That was my little way of bringing the spirit of CHRISTmas into our home.

I also tried to have little conversations with Jesus about his Birthday. I mean who wants to see everyone celebrating something, only to realize that it was SUPPOSED to be your special day, but they made it about them. This year, I wanted to remember: Jesus is the reason for the season, and I hope HE knew that I wanted to make it special for him. I know that ANY effort was a winner in HIS book!

All in all, I missed TWO very important CHRISTmas celebrations due to an extreme bout with nausea and vomiting that I've been having. I've been getting car sick and motion sickness really bad, and unfortunately I'm not quite out of the line of fire on that one. I'll be a little unstable, and then I get in the car and I feel like I have the flu with nausea. We really don't know why yet, but nausea is quite common with MS, due to vertigo.

I didn't get to celebrate CHRISTmas with friends and family on three different occasions, and I hated that I had to miss out AGAIN this year! Please pray that we do get a good grasp on my health issues this year, because I'm ready to gain more control over this illness!!

One event I missed was with my grandparents, Maimie and Pawpaw, my uncles and aunt, Ashley, Blu, and Ryan, and my two adorable twin cousins, Emma and Ella. They were all so wonderful, and sent the most amazing gifts to us anyway through my mom, and I hate that we couldn't be there to receive them! We received some amazing gifts, and I must mention one of them which was for both Scott and me, but I've taken it over: (This is not me, just a model in the pic)

Isn't this chair/couch amazing? Our bean bag couch/chair is Brown Microsuede, and it takes about 7-10 days to reach the full size, which is "pretty HUGE!" It is already big enough for me to stretch out on and sleep for hours, which is something I am famous for, as you know. (I hibernate daily!) Seriously, I grab my blanket and pillow, fluff the chair up a bit. and stretch out. And I don't have to worry about getting chilled, because my furnace of a chihuahua, JoJo, sinks into it and curls up around my belly, under the blanket. I'm in love...

I also missed Christmas with our good friends, Lee and Gena Anderson and with my Mother-In-Law Dianne. Next year, I refuse to let this control me!!

While I received a LOT of amazing gifts, here are a few of them:

• Project Runway Sewing Machine
• My entire collection of METAL STAMPS and Anvil to start my collection and new HIGHLY ANTICIPATED Metal/Stamped Jewelry Venture
• Estee Lauder Make-Up Collection (I get one every year!)
• FOUR different ART sets (with pastels, charcoal collection, oils, paint brushes, colored pencils, Ahhh.... I LOVE THEM!)
• A new sign for our den (Already Hanging!)
• And MANY more gifts of love.

Izzy was all into ZEBRA PRINT this year, and she received a LOT of it! Here are a few of her gifts:

• An Art set
• Zebra print boots
• Zebra Print Duct Tape ( Don't ask...)
• A Zebra Mini Pillow Pet
• A New Study Bible
• Jewelry Making Beads
• And much much more!

Evan is into "Boy Stuff" and he got plenty of it! Here are a few items he received:

• A Diablo game (to play Daddy online)
• A BB Gun
• Nerf Gun (Ahem, excuse me... Barricade RV-10 gun)
• A New Study Bible
• A Remote Control Car
• And much much more!

Scott didn't ask for anything... ANYTHING, so we were all at amiss on what to buy! He got:

• A new Eddie Bauer Coat
• Eddie Bauer clothes
• Wool Hunting Socks
• Gift Cards to Academy Sports
• A Father's Wisdom book (It's an awesome read!)
• A Browning T-shirt
• More Gift Cards
• A few more shirts

Needless to say, we were more than blessed this Holiday season. I'm anxious to learn how to sew so I can start sewing Scott's underwear soon! (haha... just kidding!)

I pray that your Holidays were as blessed as ours, and I hope the stress has left you with the shopping frenzies over! Have an awesome week, and don't forget to start planning your New Year's Resolution... I have many this year!!!

"Color Me America" and the Pledge of Allegiance... UNDER GOD!

Hey guys! I'm feeling a little patriotic tonight. I have had a hard time focusing on designing my orders lately, because I get distracted so easily. Unfortunately, a good bit of my work is done online, returning e-mails, blogging, adding new items to facebook and etsy, you get the picture. As a result, all it takes is one google search for "Craft Ideas" and I'm lost for hours.

As a remedy, I tried a new approach today: My computer was off limits during my "Design Time" and I pulled out my old C.D.'s and listened to music as I completed my work projects. I actually accomplished more today in one day than I usually do in a week.

So why do I feel patriotic? Well, there is a song that I love more and more each time I hear it. The song is sung by one of my favorite little fireballs, Mrs. Dolly Parton herself. The name of the song is, "Color Me America." and I probably listened to it 20 times today. I LOVE this song, because I can "feel" the power in her voice, and when I hear it, I can't help but feel truly GRATEFUL AND PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! The power she brings in her voice during that song can only be a gift from God.

Here is the link to the song. Pay attention to the video, and see how graceful the eagle flies. It will make you want to stand up, hand over your heart, and humbly feel gratefulness for anyone who has ever fought for our country. Watch the timer, and get ready for about the 2:14 minute mark... I get chills over and over every time this part of the song plays. Don't forget to come back to this entry after you watch the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gY3nQqmFCE

So, how did you like it? LOVE it right? How could you not? You know, I remember when we used to stand to say the pledge of allegiance in school, and we never really gave it much thought. I actually remember having a teacher that would discipline the kids that didn't stand to say it. And back then, the kids didn't stay seated, because they didn't believe in saying the pledge. No, they didn't stand, because they were either too preoccupied with what they were doing, they weren't paying attention, or they were just plain lazy.

See, the thing I don't understand is this: There are people who don't want to say the pledge of allegiance. There are people who don't want to say "One Nation Under God." What are the going to put in the place of "God?"
         "One nation, under the sky, indivisible, ..."
That just sounds dumb. I have to admit that I don't want to say a pledge that says, "One nation, under the Prophet Muhammad, indivisible,...." But you know what? I don't want to say that, so I don't live in Saudi Arabia. Hint Hint...

Our country was formed by God, and we are truly living our lives under God. That is what I believe, and I am a Christian. And our principles, rules, pledges, etc, were all written by people who have the same beliefs. Majority rules, so if you don't want to live under those principles, go live in another country where you don't even have the choice to practice what religion you want, because you are not FREE to do so. See how you like that wonderful lifestyle. At least here you have a choice of whether or not you want to say the Pledge of Allegiance or not. Even if you choose not to say it, no one's going to behead you or stone your mother in law just because you are noncompliant. In the United States, the only consequence you will receive is isolation or being shunned by people who do believe in God, and that's most likely not going to happen either.

Bottom line: If you don't want to say the Pledge of Allegiance, or say, "One Nation Under God." or even if you want to add someone else in that line, most other citizens of the United States are secure enough in their faith and their country to not be skittish around you. We know what WE believe, and our belief was here first. No bumps or bruises for you. But don't worry, all of the people who believe in God, Jesus, Christianity, etc... We've been praying for you for a while, and we're not about to stop now. And we're going to keep saying the pledge of Allegiance. We're going to belt out, "ONE NATION UNDER GOD" at the top of our lungs, because we are free to do so. FREE. Remember that.

One last point to make: You may think that by taking God out of the Pledge of Allegiance and by taking prayer out of schools that you are dealing with other people, humans, about this issue, but you are wrong. When an issue comes up as HUGE as these, God protects His children by taking this burden from our grip and taking total control over the situation. I don't know about your god, but my God is dangerously powerful, and sometimes He protects and carries me over such huge hurdles that I often feel like I'm flying. Even as a believer, a Christian, and a child of God, I could never imagine what the power of God could and will accomplish with those who defy Him... I'd be a little scared of I were you.