Top 10 in 2010

2010 has been an awesome year! The year has brought us so much. Some silly, some serious and some seriously silly! Do a top ten countdown with me, will you?

10. Michael Miller
This year marks the beginning of my love affair with Michael Miller. Not the man himself, just his fabrics. Can we say Oh Em Gee?!? I am in love! I cannot get enough of these beauties. Check back in a couple weeks to see my kiddo's nursery loaded with the some good ol' Michael Miller. Ahh it is gorgeous.

9. Baking Goods

These lovelies barely made it in by the end of year but they got here soon enough to make the top ten. Rhi and I got these adorable matching "Trendy Housewife" aprons. Mommy's apron is even reversible (the other side is even done in Michael Miller's Eiffel Tower pink. I die!). To top off the wonderfullness happening in the kitchen, my grandma bought me a standing mixer. My heart skipped a beat and I wasted no time to get in the kitchen. These things may seem so small to most but lemme give you some background here. I was the little girl who wanted to be a wife/mommy when I grew up. Ballerinas, teachers and princess' NO SIR! I was gonna be a good old fashioned 50's woman. Most women would be offended but if my husband told me to get back in the kitchen, well, I just might kiss him! So these goodies made it into the countdown easily!

8. Hair

That's right folks bald baby has got some hair. So much hair I don't quite know what to do with it. It is messy and awkward and just gets in the way. So why is this annoying hair on my top 10? Well, it is beautiful and blonde. Women would kill for this gorgeous hair. Oh yes and she is not mistaken for a boy anymore! WOO HOO for hair!

7.My new bible study


Mid-2010, God brought me an amazing group of women. My mommy, my aunt and her stepmom and sister, and one more aunt. These girlies are wonderful and inspiring and just so refreshing. This has been such a blessing to sit back and relax while we revel in God's grace and love. Then to take it up a notch, my lil sis who I having been praying over for years has joined us! Is God good or what?

6.Sewing
Last year my mother in law got me a sewing machine. It was fun and all. I tried it here and there but nothing really. 2010 brought me a love of sewing. I don't even know if love describes it well enough. It is what I do to unwind after a long day. It is a love language to my children. Making them something fun is something that I can do to say that I care. Awww sewing!

5.Rock-A-Bow is growing
Woot! You heard me right. Rock-A-Bow has tripled it's sales this year. I have a sneaky suspicion that as I add my sewn items to the store it may just grow some more. In fact the end of 2010 brought some big ideas for my business. Let's just say you might want to look back here next month and see what all is about to change. But shhh, these works are a secret. In fact, I better go update the hubs about some of it.

4.Debt Snowball
If you are a Dave Ramsey person, you have probably caught the lingo. The hubs and I have begun working on our Total Money Makeover and let me tell you IT WORKS! Our debt snowball has begun and it is unstoppable. So far we have paid off 4 credit cards. We estimate that by March of 2012 we will be completely out of debt. This is huge for us. This is a goal that has seemed so unreachable and it is in clear sight now.

3.Working from home
Yes ma'am (or sir), this momma is working from home. I now have the freedom to spend time with my little ones, be the mommy I know they deserve and to of course work on my business! Now with working from home, my hours have been reduced drastically so this is a HUGE step of faith. However, it is a complete answer to prayer. Now let's get Rock-A-Bow moving so that this momma can help pay the bills ;)

2.Scars
Check out these beauties. Okay, so I'm not gonna show you but I've got 3. It's where they removed my cyst. Now I know to most people some nasty old scars would not be on their top ten and surely not number 2 for goodness sakes! Yet, for me, they are a constant reminder of God's hand in my life. His protection and mercy and love. Though the scars will fade, those things will remain the same always. So for that reason my ugly little scars are number two and they would be number one if it weren't for....

1.Talon Reid Murphy

(no he does not eat in the nude, his rolls just hide the diaper)

Ahhhh my fat little moose! I love this boy. On August 23rd God brought us our miracle baby. Isn't he amazingly yummy? Talon is by far the best thing that we received in 2010. I cannot even tell you what a joy he is. I'm sure you can tell by the photo above. He is all smiles and happiness and fun. Yes, he is our number 1 in 2010.

Please comment and share what your #1 was in 2010!

Project 320

"Ice, Water, Ice". It is my 2 year old daughters most common request. Such a simple thing. A nice refreshing glass of water. But what if a clean cup of water was not an option? To us, clean drinking water is such a natural thing but for many it is an unobtainable desire.

Knowing that so many children, children like my own daughter are going without clean drinking water breaks my heart. If only I could give them a glass of water. If only WE could give them a glass of water. Wouldn't it be amazing to give just one glass of water, like the one my own child has in the photo above, to another child? Now what if I told you that WE could give an entire community not just one cup of water but water for a lifetime and even to generations to come.

Rock-A-Bow has teamed up with Project 320 to do just that! Will you join us? Will you help us to bring a well to a community? Clean Water to a community? With your efforts in helping us you will be entered in a Rock-A-Bow giveaway. Of course the giveaway is a fun aspect but the true reward will be seeing photos of the children of a community enjoying CLEAN water...maybe for the first time in their life. Knowing that WE were a part of something big, something LIFE CHANGING!

Here's what YOU can do:

Go visit Project 320 Well and donate as much as you are led and able to give. For every $10 you donate, you will be entered in this Rock-A-Bow giveaway.

Simply visit the site, make your donation and come back here and leave a comment about how much you gave.

Next Monday, the 20th, I will pick a winner through Random.org for this sweet little prize!

The prize? This super cute sibling set.

Giveaway includes: A tutu that will fit most 18m-5y old girls, a headband and bow to match the tutu. Then for baby brother: A size 0-3 month Music Note Tie Onsie and a SUPER cute pair of 0-3m Black and White Baby Leg Warmers by Olive Blue.

Wow! What more could you ask for? A chance to win a super cute set for your kids (if you dont have a little boy and big girl, that's ok, it all makes for great gifts) and the opportunity to help an entire community. So head on over to Project 320 Well and donate now.

Above All Fabrics Wishlist

Have you heard about this giveaway? All you have to do is post about your wishlist at Above All Fabric and link it to them and you are entered! How easy is that? Super easy, unless you're on a budget as tight as mine. Okay, here is the thing, I WANT EVERYTHING. Above All Fabric has the cutest stuff ever and it is so reasonably priced! But I am so cheap lately that I even worry about over spending on my wish list. Yes, I know a wish list doesn't cost you anything but if you want to beg your husband to buy you everything on it you have to keep your numbers low. Yeah, you heard me right people. So forward this blog to my husband ASAP because I narrowed it down to the few things I might just die for!

Like the pattern for this dress:


And although I love the softness of the fabrics used in the image, how much more fitting would it be for Rock A Bow if it was done in these fabrics?Oh, I think my heart just skipped a beat!

And what about the pattern for these pillows?


Do you even know how cute these would be in my kids room?

Also on my list are a few adorable fabrics. I cannot even tell you how much I am in love with my list! By the way, what are you still doing here? You should be busy forwarding this list to my husband and begging him to treat his wife (who loves him oh so much) to some fun stuff...atleast the patterns =) Oh and while you are emailing him you might want to visit Above All Fabric for yourself because you will die for a few things! www.aboveallfabrics.com

New Items at Rock-A-Bow

Christmas is just around the corner (like 40 days away) and in the crafting world that means boutiques. Lots of boutiques. Since I have so many coming up I thought I would expand my product line a little bit. There are some super cute onsies and burp cloths that have hit my shelves. I showed you those a couple weeks ago, remember? There are lots of new designs but I don't want to tease you with what might be sold after the next boutique, so I will wait until I add them to the shop, which will be back up soon.

Anyway, the reason for this post is that I have been super busy with some headbands and new flowers that I want to show you. Check them out.

Aren't you in love with these? If so, stop by one of the boutiques I'll be at.
Coming up we have:

November 20th from 10-3 (I'll be there until 1)
Abounding In Love Boutique
4441 E. Lani Avenue, Anaheim

December 4th
Piece and Joy Boutique in Canyon Lake (address coming soon)
10-3

December 4th
6pm-9pm
Boutique and Gold Party
14318 Ostend Dr.
La Mirada

My Journey

Remember the cyst?

At the beginning of my pregnancy I was told I had a complex cyst. "What on earth is a complex cyst?" I wondered. The doctors informed me that this meant I had a cyst that was made up of both liquid and solid making a mass that could possibly rupture (I found out last week that it was also possible that this mass was cancerous). Because I was pregnant it could not be removed and had to be watched carefully. My life, as well as my babies life, were at risk. Every second of every day following would be a challenge. We dealt with fear, pain, restrictions and questions of what would happen next. There was a chance of surgery while pregnant. Even if the surgery didn't happen while pregnant, it was going to happen soon.


Remember the prayers?

After hearing news of this very scary intruder in my body, we called on you; our family and our friends, to pray for us. We had prayer requests sent to numerous churches and friends of friends. The word was spread, it had to be, it was my child's life that was at risk. We were overwhelmed with the support and number of people who lifted Talon and I up in their prayers. Have I thanked you for that? If not, thank you! As time went on and new steps to this journey approached we reached out again and again. Every time that we did we got the same response. Overwhelming support. I know I said that already but I cannot emphasize it enough.


Remember the promises?

Throughout this experience there was a song and a verse that kept coming up. First was the song. I was on my way to a doctors appointment and I was in tears. I did not know what to expect and I was terrified. I cried out to the Lord and he answered. The song "Safe" by Phil Wickham came on. I know that the verses do not apply but the message was there. Every single appointment, and I'm not exaggerating, it was literally every appointment, it came on as I drove. It was evident that God was telling me that I would be safe in His arms. One way or another, I was going to be okay.

Next came the scripture. I was doing a devotional before one of my crucial appointments and saw this verse. 30 minuted later, while driving to the appointment, my friend Beth text me the same verse. Two weeks later another friend shared it with me. The verse? Jer. 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Again, I would be safe in His arms. I was going to be okay!


Remember the healing?

Oh, have I not told you about that yet? Well it has come. Today I had surgery to remove this mass from my ovary. There was a chance of losing my right ovary (I did not) and a chance it would be cancerous (Doctor said it does not appear that way and we will wait for confirmation). The surgery went smoothly. I am doing great.

"Wait a second, didn't you say there was a healing?" you ask, "Didn't the doctor remove the mass?" Let me explain.

There is no doubt in my mind that this was God. It was God who decided that I would be pregnant right in time. It was God who made sure I had an early ultrasound (because of bleeding that was more than coincidental) to find this mass that would have continued to grow and become more dangerous without us ever knowing it was there. It was God who protected me throughout my pregnancy and delivery. It was God who placed me in the care of a doctor who was given her abilities through Him.

So often we take God for granted. We put our hope in medicines and in doctors. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for the amazing doctor who took such great care of me. I just know that we are all given talents and strengths through God Himself. Today I praise God for His hand in my life and for the life He has given me and allowed me to keep. I thank God for this healing. I pray that I get confirmation that this was not a cancerous mass but if it is I will continue to trust in Him and the miracles He will bring.

I'm a mom first

The other day while working on bows for an upcoming boutique, my baby boy started to cry. I eagerly jumped up to go nurse him. I love the bond that nursing brings and am always happy to do it but I also love to craft, so I wondered why I stopped so quickly. I could have finished the knot I was tying before running to my baby who had only been awake for 2 seconds. My answer to myself was this: I am a mom first.

I started Rock-A-Bow as a mommy based business. To help my family but also to be close to my children. The whole concept of the business was to be a mom first and make a little money on the side. I want to stick to that idea as Rock-A-Bow grows (which I am excited to say it has been growing).

So...I am making myself and my children a promise now. I am a mom first and I always will be. I am not saying that I haven't been taking care of my children. Don't get that idea. The whole purpose of this thought is that since that original statement the other day, I have been thinking about how Rhiannon and my friend's daughter Anberlyn were the inspirations of this company, yet it seems everyone owns Rock-A-Bow goods except my own children.

When did I stop crafting for my kids? Why should they be the last ones to wear or own something cute mommy made? So I am sticking with my mentality of I am mommy first. Tonight I will drop all the costumes I am making for other people and start the costumes I bought material for but almost decided not to make for my own children. (Orders will still be made on time, don't worry). Next week I will start making Talon's quilt for his crib. A keepsake I look forward to him having.

I cannot wait to continue to adorn my babies in things that I have made for them!

2 Years Ago

It all started two years ago. It was the first time I held my baby girl. It was also the first time I felt my heart grow.


Love at first sight does not do the feeling justice. I wish I could explain to you and to her the way I felt when they put this little beauty on my chest. I had waited so long to hold her and she was finally here.


At that moment I just "knew" I could never love more. And then the day came, she said mommy, low and behold I could love more and I did in this moment. A few months passed and she said "I love you" for the first time. Melt my heart! Or the day she walked out of her room and exclaimed "Mommy Im a princess" This heart of mine just might explode!


It seems that everytime I think I cannot love anymore, my baby girl goes and proves me wrong.


Happy Birthday Rhiannon. Mommy loves you more than you can ever know.

Upcoming Boutiques

Hey there! You may have noticed that my Etsy store is still closed. I know I said that I was going to re-open it soon after Baby Talon arrived. I have an excuse though. I have some boutiques coming up. Trying to stock up some goodies for you to drool over! But how can you drool if you don't know where to find me? So folks, here is a list of the upcoming boutiques.

October 23rd
Christ Lutheran Fall Festival Vendor and Crafters Village

760 Victoria Street

Costa Messa, CA 92927

November 6th
Piece & Joy Christmas Boutique
(hosting my very own boutique woo hoo)
819 N. Roanne St.
Anaheim, CA 92801

November 14th
Private Residence Boutique
I'll get ya more info soon

I also have an application in for my churches Christmas Tea Boutique, Ill update you on that one soon!

Why Me?

In our lives we sometimes have days or times that make us want to curse everything. I have had a few of those days in the past couple months. The other day, thinking about it all, it overwhelmed me. I cried out to God "Help me Lord, help me get through this!" and somehow in that prayer I uttered the words "Thank you Jesus that I am able to walk through these horrible situations with you"

Wait? What? Thank you for the horrible? Are you Crazy?

No, not crazy! Not in the least bit.

You see, I serve a God who is not only good to me during the happy times but through the trying as well. I know that He is by my side guiding and teaching me through all of these difficult experiences. Instead of asking "why, why me?" and having myself a little pity party, I have decided to ask "God, what would you like to do with this? How can I use this to glorify you?" I am choosing to praise Him. Even in my trials. I am challenging you, my readers, to do the same.

Boy oh Boy!

Remember this blog? You know the one about how I used to be so uncreative (is that a word) and then I somehow was inspired over and over again by the changes in my life? Well, it has happened again. Rock-A-Bow has a new inspiration and his name is Talon. That's right folks, my baby boy has got me creating fun new things. We have burp cloths, tag blankets and onsies. I'm even thinking of venturing into the world known as pee pee teepees. What do you think?

Rock-A-Bow released the new items at a very small neighborhood boutique. They won't be going up on the website for a while since I'm trying to stock up for all of the holiday boutiques I will be participating in but you can take a look at these pictures I have for you. These are from that neighborhood boutique I told you about.

Don't worry I will keep you posted on when and where all these boutiques will be and if you can't make it to one, you can always custom order whatever you need!

Anyhow, here are some pictures for ya!

Don't worry there is still lots of girlyness going on at Rock-A-Bow!

Bringing Home Baby- Talon Reid Murphy

Ahhh an induction. I have a love hate relationship with inductions. I hate them because the labor is harder. The love factor? I was completely prepared for Talon's arrival. Bags were packed, babysitter for Rhiannon was all lined up and hubby already had the day off. Oh, and you have a perk too, I know the exact minute everything happened. Makes it really easy for you to follow along.

I was told to call at 6am to confirm that Hoag Hospital would be ready for my appointment at 7am. I could not sleep the entire night before. Could you? I mean I knew I would be holding my baby boy soon. When 6 o'clock finally rolled around HOAG WAS BOOKED! Were these people for real? I was up all night and all these women decided to have their babies and leave no room for me? Okay, I know that they didn't plan when they went into labor but that is how I felt at the moment. They told us to call back at 830am to see if there was room yet. Thankfully there was (sort of), we were told to be there at 10.

We arrived at the hospital at 9:45 only to be told that they were still a little busy so we would have to wait in the waiting room. How odd it felt to be sitting in the labor and delivery waiting room waiting for none other than my own baby.

At 10:30 they finally got me into a room and all checked in. I was dilated to 2cm upon arrival. My water was broke and IV's including pitocin were placed by 12pm. At 12:20, I had my first contraction. See how convenient that is. It was all on paper from beginning to end.

Contractions started off pretty light, I was actually asking Steven everytime I had one. "Babe, check, was that one?" I thought maybe I was eager and just imagining things. Around 2:20 contractions were evident and the epidural was in. Did I need it yet? Probably not but why feel pain if you don't have to? This is when the waiting game really began. All there was to do was lay down and roll from side to side. Ah the torture. When would he be here?

At 5:00 I was dilated to 5cm. I was told that if things didn't start progressing a little faster that they would put in an internal monitor to see just how strong these contractions were (since my 1st baby was born in 9hrs. they thought I should be moving along a little quicker). At 6:00 I was checked again and I was at 9.5cm. WOW when did that happen? It was time. Where was the doctor? It took her about 15 minutes to get there. "I could be pushing" is all I could think the whole time I was waiting for her to arrive.

In comes the doctor. While she scrubbed in, the nurses broke down the bed. It was go time. At 6:25 it was time to start pushing. After 5 pushes he was crowning. The first thing the Doctor said when she saw his head was "How big did I say this baby would be?". My husband told her that she had estimated 8lb. Her response "This is a really big baby..." Yeah, that is something I want to hear as I'm pushing the baby out. Whether I wanted to hear it or not it was evident with every push. One, because I could feel it and Two, because everyone kept informing me "This is a really big baby". After a few more pushes he was here, in my arms finally. Talon was born at 6:47pm (a grand total of 6hr and 24 min) weighing in at 9lb 9oz and measuring 22.5". They were right he was a big baby indeed!
Due to how quickly he had come out, combined with his size his face was slightly bruised. I was also informed by my husband that when he first started crowning the dr had to remove the umbilical cord from his neck. It took him a few minutes to cry and a little longer for his breathing to sound normal but at the end of the day we had a big healthy baby boy. Our miracle baby has arrived!
We are now home and happy...Especially Talon's big sister Rhiannon!

Where is Toddler Talk?

I know, I know, I just started posting a weekly blog and already it has stopped. As of today I am 37 weeks pregnant with an almost 2 year old. I promise that after this baby comes there will be more toddler talk and plenty of other blog posts. Sorry for now. But check back soon for more good stuff, even pictures of a new baby boy!

Toddler Talk Tuesday- Week 4

Submitted by my Readers:
Kiera: How far is Michael's?
Me: Not far.
Kiera: Can we walk there?
Me: Not today, Mommy doesn't have the energy (at the end of a cold)
Kiera: I'll walk slowly!

Overheard:
Overheard a conversation between a 3-4yr. old and his mom while shopping at Target. It appeared they were spending birthday money or something of that nature.
Child: MOMMMMMY I WANT THIS!!! (big odd shaped box in hands)
Mom: What is it?
Child: I don't know...come look!!!!

Some of my own:
Driving on the freeway someone sped around us nearly hitting our front end and the back end of a semi. I said "WOW Buddy", Rhiannon throws her hands in the air and yells "Buddy!"- Road Rage at an early age?

While in the car I gave Rhiannon a cookie. I looked back to find it crumbled up everywhere.
Mommy: Rhiannon what happened to your cookie?
Rhiannon: (very matter of factly) The coo coo did it.
:::A minute passes:::
Rhiannon: (rubbing her hands together to clean them off) MOMMY the coo coo eating me!

Playing the back bay Rhiannon sees some fish jumping super high. She yells "BUNNY SHISHY"

You Might Be A Mommy...

*After my husband was done teasing me for some of the things I do now that I am a mom, we thought it would be fun if I put together a list of a few of them. Here it is.

You Might be a Mommy if…

• You find yourself quoting Tigger, from Winnie the Pooh.
  
  
• You bounce or rock back and forth while waiting in lines, only to discover there’s no baby on your hip.
  
  
• You can’t find your keys/wallet/phone and the first place you look is in the clothes hamper or toy box.
  
  
• You find yourself singing Old MacDonald in the car...alone!
  
  
• You have ever held out your hands to catch vomit...
  
  
• You can find at least one Goldfish at the bottom of every bag you own.
  
  
• You see a mom from your child's playgroup at the store and remember her baby’s name but not hers.

Toddler Talk Tuesday- Week 3

Submitted by my readers:
Baby Em is laying on her play mat playing with her toys.
Anbo is standing over her talking.
Anbo: Baby sister Eat?
Em: smiles
Anbo: Baby Sister Eat? (with this look in her eye)
Em: giggles

Anbo lifts up her dress and tries to "feed" Baby sister!
(Baby Em is a breastfed baby)
Submitted by Anbo's mommy, Tess


We have been really working with Trevor on his BIG BOY aggressive play. He hits and gets excited, which is a type of play that we do not tolerate. We have been telling him that it is not nice and not loving to hit, and then we pray and he gets a time-out.
I have tried to explain to him that friends do not hit.
Well, he hit me and I said "Ouch!" He responded, " It's OK Mama, we are friends." Then he folded his hands and 1/2 way closed his eyes. He said, "Dear Jesus, help be nice boy. Amen. And thank You for my toy cars." Silly boy!
Submitted by Trevor's Mommy, Holli


"A" has green fingers from eating Candy.
Walks into the room with finger in the air.
Convo:
"A": Mommy there candy in my agina
mommy: no "A" there is no candy in your vagina.
"A" with a look of panic looks at her finger, : Mommy there is green candy in my agina!

(We think she stuck her finger in her diaper and felt pee, saw her finger and assumed the green stained finger was from her agina, we told her to never say that again, while in tears laughing)
Submitted by: An Anonymous Mommy


A Few of My Own:
As we were getting ready to get out of the car I asked Rhiannon "Are you ready to shop, shop, shop". Rhiannon nods her head yes. A few second later Daddy opens the door and Rhiannon says in excitement with huge eyes "Daddy, SHOPPPPP!" - not really a funny story but a proud mommy moment indeed!


Rhiannon kept kissing the mirror I had JUST cleaned. Usually I don't care but I didn't know if the Window Cleaner had even dried yet...so I told her to stop kissing the mirror. Her response?
"Mommy baby issss preeettttyyy".

4 Years and Counting!

Four years ago today I married my best friend and love of my life. I was terribly sick, gas poisoning. If I was not throwing up, I was ready to pass out. Despite all of the hardships of the day I still remember it as one of the two (soon to be three) best days of my life.
Steven and I were married at Plaza Bible Church. It was the perfect setting, super romantic. My poor guests just had to deal with the heat. Somehow the heat was turned on instead of the air. One of the groomsmen fainted as he walked back down the aisle. By the grace of God I did not feel overheated or sick the entire time we were in the church.The reception was at The California Plaza, it was so hot and I was so sick...but I made it through the day. However, I did not get to enjoy a piece of my wedding cake until our 1 year anniversary and I'm a little bitter about that.
Why am I sharing all of this? So I can tell you that our marriage has been the same exact way. Haha. A complete whirlwind! Moving from one place to another on a regular basis and dealing with all the challenges life has thrown at us.
We got through the chaos on the day of our wedding and in the past 4 years because of two things, our love for eachother and our faith in/love for God. Best four years ever? Yes, indeed. Enjoy some of my wedding pictures with me, will you?

Toddler Talk Tuesday- Week 2

So I was super excited that I had a submission from one of my readers this week. Hopefully every week we will get more and more.

Submitted by my readers:
So..Brooklyn and I had a mommy and me day at the Angel Game yesterday..(huge win btw..GO ANGELS) and when we were leaving..my mom yells, GO ANGELS! And Brooklyn says.."Yea..i know Grandma..we are going to see the Angel's..geez..bye!" lol..kids!-Submitted by Brooklyn's Mommy, Nicole

A few of my own:
There is a scene in Wall-E where a large item is falling down and heading straight for Wall-E. I'm not sure what it is, maybe a bus. Anyhow, Rhiannon yells at the screen "OH SHOOOOO Wall-E!", side note: Hubby is in big trouble for saying shoot around Rhi.

Rhiannon was busy running around and laughing at who knows what, when all of a sudden she stopped to inform me "Mommy I being funnnnny"

Rhiannon and Daddy were playing in her room. She climbed into the cabinet portion on her bookshelf. This is the convo that followedL
Daddy- "What are you doing baby?"
Rhiannon- "Hiding"
Daddy- "From who?"
Rhiannon- "uh Mommy!"

Great Grandma

*After speaking at my Great Grandma's Memorial last weekend, I had a few people request that I post what I shared. Luckily, I do better with public speaking if I write things out word for word. So, I have it hear to share with you. If you are one that requested it, here it is. If not, you can read it anyway =o)

I am going to try to say what I have to say about my great grandma in just a couple minutes but it is hard to keep it minimal when you are talking about someone who you were so close to and who taught you so much.

Great Grandma taught me some valuable life lessons. I am sure she taught you many of the same ones. For example, when I was very young, one of the first things she taught me was how to tuck a pack of Rolos into my jeans just right, so when my t-shirt covered my mom would NEVER know great grandma had snuck me and extra pack. She was good for getting us our chocolate, wasn’t she?

When I was a little older, maybe 9 or 10, she taught my sister and I a very valuable skill. One of my favorite memories. We had stayed the weekend at Grandma’s so the mats were all laid out. Great Grandma demonstrated what to do when a boy got “fresh” with you, by pretending to dance with my brother and tossed him over her shoulder, body slamming him onto the mats. He swears to this day that he let her. I disagree. Either way, it’s another one of those valuable life lessons.

As I got older, I had the privilege of just hanging out with great grandma. Most of the time we just watched a scary movie and ate way too much ice cream. But the times I remember best we just sat and talked. I remember sitting in her room upstairs and hearing stories about her growing up. She was tough as nails and had no problem keeping up with the boys. I also remember her talking about her mom. How beautiful she remembers her being.

I don’t think Great Grandma realized how beautiful she was herself. You see great grandma had this beauty that radiated from the inside out. Talking to her I learned of many difficult times in her life. Yet she still possessed so many wonderful characteristics that made her beauty shine through.

Her sense of humor and ability to always make you smile. Her thoughtfulness and desire to give to others. Oh and her honesty. None of us can deny Great Grandmas very blunt honesty.

Lots of stories and memories come from great grandma’s honesty. Like the time she brought down a stick of deodorant for a friend we had over, she told her it was “just in case she forgot that morning”.

Yes, she was a little over honest at times but oh how I wish I possessed the ability to be as honest as my great grandma.

There are so many memories of my great grandma that I will never forget. One day I will be able to sit with my own children and grandchildren and share with them about how beautiful my Great Grandma was.

Great Grandmas death has been a hard one for me to accept but I have found so much comfort in the fact that she gets to be “The Lady Upstairs” once again. I know how much pride she took in that title and I can only imagine how much that pride has multiplied in this new home upstairs.

A few years back, when I accepted Jesus into my own life, Great Grandma and I had a new bond formed. As I said before, great Grandma had a lot of difficult times in her life. Yet she overcame them. She shared with me many times about her faith and the difficult walk she had been through. I only truly understood this when she gave me her old bible. Looking through this bible I learned two things. First, that it was even more of a difficult walk than she had let on. And secondly, she was defiantly a woman of great faith.

I sat down and read through great grandma’s bible a couple of nights ago and I found some verses that she had not only underlined but circled as well. Since she paid so much attention to them I know they were of great importance to her. These verses bring comfort to me and maybe they will to you as well.

Philippians 1:21-24 says:

²¹For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²²If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

See great grandma knew the truth and knew that one day she would walk with Jesus. She desired to be with Him and share eternal life.

Because of this, I know I do not have to say goodbye. I know that I will see her again. To me it may seem like such a long time until I do, to her it will only be a blink of an eye. For all of us this is such a painful time, but for great grandma the pain is gone, she will never have to feel an ounce of pain again. At this time since I do not have to say goodbye. I will wrap it up with words I look forward to hearing again, “See you later alligator”!

Toddler Talk Tuesday- Week 1

Every heard the saying "kids say the darndest things"? Of course you have. I mean they even made a TV show out of it. Which really needs to be brought back. That show made me so anxious to have a little kid and hear all of the "darndest" things they had to say. The thing is, I really don't have to wait. No one told me that toddlers say things that are equally hilarious and off the wall.

In the past few months, my little one has started putting her words together. My goodness! The things this child says crack me up. (This week she hasn't been quite as much of a comedian so you will have to trust me on it.)

Since my daughter brings me so much laughter, I thought I would start sharing weekly. WAIT! It gets better. I know my daughter is not the only funny kid on the block, so I want you to share with my readers as well.

Here's how it will work. You send me the funny thing your kid said during the week and I post it on Tuesday. Sound kinda boring? It is not. You see your little one will be bringing laughter to anyone who stops by. Hey, you never know, maybe an agent will pick them up for a comedy act. Don't count on it but if that thought gets you to share, I'll go with it.

Since I am posting this on Tuesday and you can't send in your stories, I'll share a couple of mine. Hopefully next week there will be more kiddos making you laugh than just my own.

• Conversation between my 5 year old godson Junior and my 20 month old daughter Rhiannon, overheard and even photographed (photo at top) by my husband.
  Junior: Hey Rhiannon, want to play hide-n-seek?
  Rhiannon: ::Very enthusiastic:: YA!
  Junior: Okay, count to ten and I'll hide Rhiannon: YA!
  Junior runs off to hide...Rhiannon follows!

• Conversation between Rhiannon and I.
  Rhiannon: ::Farts::
  Mommy: Rhiannon, when you fart, say excuse me. (Jokingly)
  Rhiannon: K! ::Farts again::
  Mommy: Say excuse me remember?
  Rhiannon: Ya!
  A few minutes go by...
  Rhiannon:::Farts LOUDLY::
  Mommy: Rhi-Annon (in shock)
  Rhiannon: Xcuse E!!!!

• Rhiannon and I were having a good ol' time...I thought. I was tickling and blowing on her belly. She was cracking up. All of a sudden, she grabs my head with both hands, looks me straight in the eyes and says "MOMMY GO BED!"
  

My little storm!

Okay, I know I have been MIA for a little while now but I can explain! So much has been going on.

As you all know I have had quite a few problems with this pregnancy. I have been in horrible pain lately. I am on bedrest for the most part. If I feel pain, any pain, I am to go straight to bed. HAHA, sorry did I just laugh out loud? Don't tell my doctor. It is impossible for me to stay in bed. I do try though.

This is just the beginning folks.

On May 30th my Great Grandma went to be with Jesus. She has been sick for a while now and her time had come. Although I know she is with her Creator and she has been healed of all the sickness she battled here, it hurts. It has been a very tough time. It is a struggle helping to plan her memorial and just knowing she is not here with me anymore. I will get through.

Then just when I had said "It can only get better from here", my poor baby girl got Croup. UGH! So sad! It breaks my heart to see her sick and hurting. I want to rescue her and I cannot. Errr!

Today a friend asked me how I could deal with all of this going on at once. Simple. I cannot. I have Jesus on my side. I have handed my burdens over to Him. Well, I'm handing them over. My human nature is clinging to them as if they were a prized possession but I am giving it all to Him little bits at a time.

Anyway, I wanted to post something to inform you of why I haven't been around or may not be around for a little while still. Although this is totally scatter brained, at least you know why.

I will wrap this up with a quote that helps me to get through tough times

"Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is"

Pursue Him

This morning while chatting with a friend about her struggling relationship I came to realize that men and women alike have a great need to be wanted and needed.

This is a truth I have known of most women. We love to be sought after. We have a great need to be desired and appreciated. Looking back over time and really thinking about it, I see this to be true of men as well. It is why respecting a man is so important. They have that need to be needed, just like we do.

All of this got me thinking about how we are created in God's image and how if we as humans have this great desire to be wanted and needed, it must be true of God.

Jer.29:13 says "You will find me, when you seek me with all your heart"

God is asking us to seek after Him, to pursue Him, to want and need Him.

There are so many scriptures that tell us to depend on Him, to follow Him. How could we be so blind as to not see His desire for us to need Him?

Do I want/need God on a daily basis? Yes! Do I show it? No, not always.

As a woman or even just a human for that matter, it hurts deeply not knowing that you are needed. How could I not show a God who laid down His life for me, that I desire to be near Him?

God I need you! I will seek and pursue you daily!

We Make Cute Kids!

Now the title of this post may sound a little like bragging but... We went and had a 3D Ultrasound done today and well see for yourself. Baby #2 is looking like he may be as cute as his sister.

Let Her Twirl

A few months ago, I stood at Downtown Disney listening to a Salsa band play. A little girl, who looked to be maybe 4 years old, began to dance. She moved her little body in the manner of a seductive Latin dancer. I listened to many women compliment the mother. "Look at her move those hips, she is so talented". As they all admired her dancing, I couldn't help noticing all of the men around. Many of them watching the young girl. I would like to believe that not one of those men had an inappropriate thought, but I know the world we live in.

What happened to the innocence of a child. The sweetness of putting on a pretty dress or a tutu and simply twirling. When did little girls stop leaping? What happened to the dream of being a princess in a ballroom or a ballerina on stage?
A few years ago, I read the book Captivating. The author spoke of how as young girls, we twirl around asking the question "Am I beautiful? Do you love me?" and as we age we continue to do this. We do it in our prom dresses and again in our wedding gowns. Maybe we don't do the whole twirl thing...or maybe we do and just don't admit to it. But we put on the dress and ask the question "Am I beautiful? Do you love me?"

I find the statement/question to have a simple innocence to it. When did we stop asking "Am I beautiful? Do you love me" and begin asking "Am I sexy? Do you want or desire me?" When did dancing in such a seductive manner become so acceptable?

Judge me if you will but I say turn off your Music Videos and let her twirl!

Blog Sugar

I went to Blog Sugar feeling intimidated, out of place, and a little scared, yet super excited to be "allowed" to join women so high above me. I left feeling equal, important and part of a really special group.

When I arrived I was instantly greeted by Rachel and Mique, who I had met at the Queen Bee Market, but swore they would not remember me because they are awesome and I'm...well I'm just me, a small time blogger and business. I was so wrong, I was greeted with hugs and a warmth I don't get from most of my long time friends.

I met some totally amazing women and made some friends and not just the "imaginary kind"! I cannot wait to start reading some of the blogs!

As if the great people weren't enough, when Rachel and Andrea spoke about blogging, I'm pretty sure they were talking to me. Not that the rest of you weren't important, they just knew what I needed to hear.

So readers, I am making some commitments to you and to myself.

*I will not be intimidated by other bloggers or compare myself to them
*I will remain vulnerable and true to myself, you will get the REAL me.
*I will not be afraid of what people are going to think when they read my blog but instead give you the truth when I type.
*I will care more about the individuals who read my blog than the number of people checking it out.

Will I stray from my commitment? Probably, I'm only human.

Oh and one more thing. I will go to EVERY Blog Sugar I possibly can!

And the winner is....

JULIE!!!

Congratulations Julie! I will contact you personally about size and delivery. Thank you all for participating. Make sure to keep up with the blog, you never know when the next giveaway will be.

Winner was selected via www.random.org

Count your Blessings!

It all started with THAT look…
You all know the one I’m talking about? The look that says “I have something opinionated to say, that I should probably keep to myself.” Yeah, that look!

I’m standing in line at a gas station, holding my little girl, minding my own business.
The woman in front of me can’t help but look back over and over again, giving us THAT look.
My sweet little one smiling and waving at her each time.
The woman then smiles, “Yay, Rhiannon’s sweetness softened her heat”…I thought. That is when the questions began.

“How old is your baby?”
“19 months” I answered smiling because Steven and I had just talked about our girl getting old.
“And you are already pregnant again?”
Wow, wait a second lady!!! Did she really just ask me that?

For some reason I needed this woman to know that we felt super blessed to have our children. We tried to get pregnant and succeeded, this was something to celebrate.

“Yes, I am! We wanted them to be 2 years apart. I’m due in August,
so they will be about 22 months apart.”
In case you can’t tell reading this, I’m super excited about this even as I tell her.
“So you didn’t quite make it to two years, did you?”

Umm…wait a second, what? I’m under two months short of this. I didn’t want them to share the same birthday. I am lucky enough to be in the select few women who get pregnant the second they start trying! I am the lucky one, this is not a curse lady!

“I am blessed” I responded with a smile.

When did it become a bad thing to have your children close together? What made this woman so bitter over the fact that I, a perfect stranger, am having a second baby not quite 2 years apart? Do people not realize how blessed we are by our children? There are so many questions that I have, that I am sure will never be answered. What I do know is this, my daughter is a joy to be around and my son is a blessing already. Oh and by the way, we plan to have more.

Count your blessings even when others see them as a curse.
I have two!

Baby Nursery and Life Verses

Only 97 days until my due date and so the countdown begins. With this countdown, there comes lots and lots of work. In fact, tonight we will start the first project for the nursery, an accent pillow for both Rhiannon's bed and Talon's crib. Now since I told you I would be sharing about all the crafts and projects in the nursery, I thought I should give you a little background on this nursery we are decorating, as well as the theme and inspiration behind it.

A few weeks ago, our friend Tess asked if we could come up with a scripture verse for the nursery, she is making a gift that will incorporate it (since Tess is super creative, I am sure the gift will be blog worthy and you will see it here when we receive it). We already had a little bit of an idea for the theme and it just so happened to match Rhiannon's life verse. We thought if we could find a verse that had to do with both kids life verses it would be super fun.

Now, I know you are getting so anxious to hear the theme of the room but before I reveal that, let's talk about the more important part, my children and their verses.

First, Rhiannon, our little worshiper. This child began her dancing career in the womb. Anytime worship music came on, she went wild. Things only improved when she was born, we would be in service, the music would start and she would sing. Around 9 months old she began raising her little hands during worship. Precious, I know. So Rhiannon's verse of course has to do with song and rejoicing!
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zeph. 3:17

Second, Talon, our miracle baby. This child is not even born yet and has already had quite a life. We have all overcome so much in this pregnancy. I know it has simply been our faith and hope in the Lord that has got us here. Talon's life would not be if it were not for God being on our side. So Talon's life verse is:
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

The verse we decided to go with for our children's room is perfect. Okay, I know I shouldn't brag but really it just fits so well. The room verse will be:
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16

We want our children to live in a room and in home where we follow the Lord always, we will take refuge in Him and ALWAYS sing His praises! So.....the theme of the room will be one of music. We are using a guitar theme. Now since I have wrote you a book about this nursery I will leave you with some pictures of the fabric for their room.

(The layout is not relevant just swatches.)

Blog Giveaway #1

In order to celebrate all the new things happening Rock-A-Bow, I have decided to hold the first ever Rock-A-Bow Blog Giveaway. The winner of this giveaway will win a WildChild-Blue Tutu in the size of their choice.

Rock-A-Bow's WildChild-Blue Tutu is handcrafted with black, white and turquoise soft tulle on an elastic waistband. It is finished off with a satin wrapped waist. Here are some photos of the item you are entering for, hair accessories not included.

How to Enter:
Mandatory Entry: Become a follower of my blog. (It should be simple since you're already here)
Bonus Entries:(In order to get credit for these entries, make sure to comment on this blog post and let me know what you did.)
1. Become a follower of my twitter, http://twitter.com/rockabow.=2 bonus entries
2. Become a fan of Rock-A-Bow on Facebook.=2 bonus entries
3. Make a post on your Facebook about this giveaway and leave the link in your comment.=2 bonus entries
4. Make a post on your Twitter about this giveaway and leave the link in your comment.=2 bonus entries
5. Go to Etsy and Heart my Shop.=2 bonus entries
6. In a comment on this blog, tell me your favorite item in my Etsy shop.= 2 bonus entries.
7. Make a purchase in my Etsy or Online Store.=5 bonus entries.
This giveaway will end on May 21st, 2010 at 7pm. This giveaway will be open to US residents only.

I'm so Excited and I Just can't hide it.

Have I told you yet how excited I am about all that is going on with Rock-A-Bow? I don't even know how to put it into words but since this IS a blog, I will try.

It seems like just yesterday Rock-A-Bow was a simple idea between a friend and I. Today, although it is a very small handmade business, it seems like so much more. For a while it had slowed down, although it had never really picked up much pace...is that possible? Hmm, for the sake of finishing this thought, let's say it is. Like I was saying, it was slow and then out of no where, things are happening. Big things.

I had a few people contact me about giveaways, one of which I jumped on, OC City Mommy Raffled off a tutu at The Beehive Expo, the second is still in the works (I was waiting for the relaunch of my new site). A few weeks later a friend of mine, Alaina from Simply Sweet Moments Photography, e-mailed me with an AMAZING offer of doing a photoshoot with some of the pretty little girls in my life wearing Rock-A-Bow. All these people interested in my work? Well that was all the motivation I needed. I was back! I gathered up the cuties and the photoshoot was in the works (look back a couple blogs for more about that). Then, just when I thought it couldn't get any better, my friend Nicole at OliveBlue offered to split her booth with me at The Queen Bee Market.

So...here I am now, I have super cute pictures of all of my stuff, I participated in a show with some AMAZING vendors like her, her, and her. I am working on the second giveaway and although my following is still low and I haven't made a ton of sales, I can't help but feel blessed. I love making my products, I love meeting the new people and I am loving all the new things I am trying.

I have a blog, which you are reading now. I have a twitter, that you should probably start following. I am working on my new website and looking for shows to go to. As I said before. I cannot put into words how exciting this is. However, I can tell you that I am having a blast and praying for big things to happen. Who knows, I may be a SAHM one day ;)

Baby #2

The past few days have been tough. As all of you know, I am in a very high risk pregnancy that comes with lots of pain. For any new readers, I have a complex cyst on one of my ovaries. It is a fairly large complex cyst. Dangerous enough that surgery during pregnancy was considered. Anyhow, the past couple of days have been filled with pain, tears and joy!

Wait did she just say joy? Yes, folks you heard me right. Today as I was sitting here in massive pain, feeling bad for myself because Rhiannon, my daughter, was playing without me and has become rather accustomed to playing without mommy and that's when the pity came. As I sat there having my own little pity party, Rhiannon looked up and said "Luh you maaE", translation: I love you Mommy. That's when it hit me. Not to long from now, Talon (baby #2) will be here. Not long after that I will hear his little voice, in his own little language, telling me he loves me.

This child that I almost lost due to a hemorrhage between my uterus and the placenta. The child who sleeps and plays in my womb dangerously close to a complex cyst, a cyst that could rupture at anytime. That baby, that sweet little miracle will be here in only a few short months. I will be holding that precious gift from God. I get to watch him grow and even teach and guide this little blessing. How could I be anything but joyous?

Every pain I feel is a little reminder of just how lucky I am to be the mommy of a miracle.

I can make that!

When on earth did I become a "crafter"? I never used to be this way. Not a creative bone in my body. I suppose my husband was the initial inspiration for this handmade gene I have, although he would never want me to say that out loud (hence the reason I am typing it). Love struck, I found myself making cheesy collages for every occasion, that I must admit got rather cute at times. Maybe while dating, I was brainwashed by hearing "I could make that" to everything he saw. Although it was never anything I or any girl would want to make, perhaps the simple concept of "I could make that" tempted me.

However, this... let's call it obsession; began and has taken over me. First it was just collages and scrapbooking. Then we had our daughter, Rhiannon and there was a whole new inspiration. She brought out the girly in her mommy. Bows and tutus took over me and our home for that matter.

Now, while expecting baby #2, a boy, I find myself designing the kids room entirely of things that I can make. Handmade may just be the theme of the nursery =o)

I cannot walk through a room in my home without looking at our decorations and thinking of re-do's. Even my cooking has become a craft. Every plate has to look pretty, my husband, Steven is constantly teasing my "presentation" of his meals. While in the kitchen, I must admit, I get excited over meals I can recreate and make my own.

As I said before, I do not know where this came from. Perhaps it has always been hiding inside of me or maybe just something new that came with being a wife and mommy. Whatever the case, I am a crafter and I love Handmade. THE END... or maybe just the beginning?

Super Cute Models

Okay, it's official, Rock-A-Bow has THE cutest models around! Models? Yes, Rock-A-Bow hired models for a photoshoot to show off the products. Sure, I paid them with Goodie Bags and the right to say "I AM A MODEL" but that still counts as hiring them, right?

Here's the story. My friend Alaina at Simply Sweet Moments Photography contacted me about doing a photoshoot featuring Rock-A-Bow products and well, how could I pass? So we both gathered up some of the cutest little girls we knew and took them on as Rock-A-Bow models.

A couple weeks ago we did the shoot (which was impressively successful with almost 20 little girls). I am now getting some of the pictures and wow I did not know anyone could know so many gorgeous girls.

I am so excited to get the website up and running to show off my girls but I just couldn't wait to share so I thought I would give a sneak peek at some of our cuties!