felted acorns

Our Home Group had a retreat over the weekend and what do you suppose I came home with? Not the usual rock or stone to remind me of the special time we had ~ but acorns. I love acorns! I have always loved acorns, but even more so after seeing what crafters are doing with the tops of acorns on Pinterest ~ beautiful, colorful, felted acorns. 

(I've watched a couple tutorials and like this one the best)

So this morning after dumping my treasured acorn tops in my favorite Autumn leaf dish, I headed out for a morning walk with our dog Koda. 

Upon returning from our walk, I opened my mailbox and found this ~ my friend Debby had delivered a gift of felted acorns to ME!!! Needless to say, I was in tears! But managed to run in the house, grab my camera and take a picture, so I would never forget how this moment made me feel. Thank you so much Debby! They are simply adorable! 

My sister Ginny is coming to my daughter's wedding in November and we're planning a craft day after the wedding. And making a bowl full of these beauties is definitely on our agenda. 

I can hardly wait!

Twins ~ 5 months

Nathan & Jonah are 5 months old. Omg, say it ain't so! 

And it was a about year ago this time that their parents found out they were expecting twins. Nathan & Jonah are the gifts they never asked for or imagined in their wildest dreams, but are undeniably blessings times two from above.

Well folks, we are actually feeling fall in the air. The mornings are cooler. The evenings pleasant. We switched over from AC to evap. We have finally emerged out of hibernation, having survived yet another summer.

A year ago we were also getting ready to fly to Wisconsin to do a Benefit Concert in Wausau. The colors were spectacular as we traveled throughout Wausau, Appleton, Green Bay and Door County in a pumpkin colored car. I don't need to tell you how badly I want to be back there, so I will do the next best thing. I will occasionally post pics from that trip.
Starting with this one in Wausau.

Miranda's Bridal Shower

She would pretend and play dress-up from the time she awoke ~ by the time she could walk & talk. When we'd drive to Wisconsin every summer, I would pack duffle bags full of dress-up clothes and she would flit from one character to another the entire trip. On one particular visit to her Aunt Ginny's home, she even donned my sister's wedding dress. And we had ourselves a photo shoot with a three year old that believed with all her heart that she was getting married.

And now she really is ~ like for reals! My beautiful daughter is getting married! 

And over the weekend the festivities began with a bang ~ Miranda's Bridal Shower!

Her Daddy captured this moment just before Miranda & I left for the shower at the SunUp Brewery in Phoenix. What a cool, rustic venue for a girl's gathering!

The Original You Are Special Today Red Plate came out in 1979, the year that Randy & I were married. When we moved into our first home in 1983, our dear friends bought us the Red Plate as a housewarming gift. I can't even begin to tell you how overjoyed I was to implement the Red Plate Tradition in our home. Our son Shawn was one, so we immediately started faithfully using the Red Plate for birthdays and special occasions with family, friends and loved ones that shared a meal in our home.

And now Aaron & Miranda will begin the Red Plate tradition in their home!

It is so surreal watching my daughter, so poised and confident and gracious. I'm in awe of her capacity and gifting, but even more so, her sensitivity in loving others so well.

Yes, it is one thing to love and do for others, but to watch my daughter let others love and serve and celebrate her is quite another. So proud of her and the woman she has become and the evidence of Christ living in Miranda. She's a remarkable woman. Oh, and I should probably tell you that Miranda means "admirable, extraordinary".  And that she is.

I have said this for years and I will say it again ~ 

I want to grow up and be just like my daughter.

DIY~ Vintage Wedding

I thought I should remind you that we're having ourselves a wedding in November. Which would explain the random posting. Yes, the DIY projects have begun. And the weather has cooled down a bit. Two things that go nicely together. Can't do one without the other.

So, would it surprise you at all that when my daughter comes to me with her latest wedding idea, that I have most everything she needs? I didn't think so. This is when my tendencies to stock pile (ok, hoard) comes in handy. Such as...

She needs brown paper bags for a project. What do you know, I recently bought a couple hundred at a thrift store for 50 cents ~ the perfect size.

She needs large galvanized tubs for bottled drinks ~ I happen to have several.

She needs a mailbox ~ I have two old ones I found on the side of the road in desperate need of a makeover. Take your pick.

She needs chalkboards ~ I have several in various sizes.

She needs mason jars ~ let's not even go there. I've been collecting them since way before they became a wedding staple.

She needs two vintage wooden chairs ~ I had just found the 2nd one for $5.00. Coincidental? I think not.

She needs said chair seats reupholstered ~ and falls in love with a piece I've been saving for something just this special. Priceless.

Suffice it to say, I could go on and on, but that would give away too many surprises. Trust me on this, I'm rockin' in the repurposing department that's for sure.

I will leave you with a couple of my favorite pins off my Pinterest wedding board.

Oncewed

Ruffled

My daughter Miranda is also blogging about her upcoming wedding. You don't want to miss a single post! Her latest post is about her charity shoes for the wedding.
So inspiring & way cool!

~ Miranda's Wedding Blog ~

Healing Field ~ LEGO Flag

We parked our van on the north side of Tempe Town Lake and walked across the Tempe Bridge and there they were... 2,996 Flags representing 2,996 lives lost on that Tuesday morning, 11 years ago. And just like that first time I experienced the Healing Field in '04, my heart ached and the tears flowed.

This year we went on a gray, cloudy, breezy evening. 

Seeing the flags waving, rather than limp and silent, brought new life and meaning to the memorial. I know this sounds weird, but it felt like these brave, innocent victims of 9/11 were speaking loudly, as though they were saying "You came! You remembered! We are not forgotten!" And boldly answering our plea ~

Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave? "YES!"

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I had goose-bumps.

All of the 2,996 flags, each of which represents a person who lost his or her life in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania in 2001, are marked with placards with the name of victims, information about them and where they died. 

(Arizona Republic)

Combat boots mark flags representing soldiers, 

yellow ribbons signify the first responders,

sky-blue ribbons denote the flags of airline crews, 

while six teddy bears mark flags for the children who died. 

(Arizona Republic)

I was a mess.

I found Randy quietly reading the cards while walking along the rows of flags.

And then we saw this ginormous flag in the distance. 

It wasn't till we got up close that we saw that it was made entirely out of Legos. 

That's right ~ LEGOS! 122,000 Legos to be exact! What a stunning display.

This is one side of the flag up close.

This is the other side of the flag up close. I know! Amazing!

I had Randy hold down this flag so I could capture our Light Rail tracks over Tempe Town Lake. The light show running along the tracks changes nonstop reflecting the various colors off the lake. Just the coolest.

I don't have a clue how to use my camera at night, so I just snapped away and hope for the best. I am always surprised to see what develops. Is that a pun? :) Anyway...

I'm liking how the overexposed bridge lights in the background sort of mirrored the flag poles. 

By the time we headed back on foot across Tempe Town Lake, the breeze had diminished, and our hearts not so heavy.

How are you going to remember 9/11 this year?

Remember, we must never forget.

farm feed scoop

Imagine feeding 60 cows twice a day. We're talking rolling a huge feed cart and scooping out feed scoops of feed for each of the cows to eat while locked in their scansions. That's what my Dad and brothers did every single day ~ in addition to milking them twice a day ~ along with a myriad of other farm chores. And if you've read my blog long enough, then you know what I'm about to say ~ farming is the only profession that can rightfully say they work 24/7.

Anyway, I think those galvanized feed scoops are pretty cool looking. So you can imagine my complete surprise when my son and daughter-in-law gave me one for Mother's Day last May. I know ~ do they know me well or what!

I currently have a candle inside, sitting pretty on my woodstove mantle. The reflection at night is stunning. No way could I do it justice with a photo.

And if you're new to my blog, you will quickly find out I am all about repurposing. So you can imagine the endless possibilities I have planned for this iconic farming implement. How about sitting next to my stove filled with cooking utensils? Maybe napkin-wrapped eating utensils for a backyard party. Maybe filled with colorful cloth napkins. Or rolled up wash cloths in the guest bathroom. See what I mean ~ endless.

Now I want to hear your ideas.

twins ~ 4 months

Nathan & Jonah are 4 months old and I am starting to see more & more of their personalities emerging every time I see them. What a couple cutie pies! In fact the other day as I was posting photos on Facebook, from our family dinner the night before,
this caption came out of nowhere ~

my double-crusted cutie pies

They really are my little double-crusted cutie pies ~ oozing with bubbly sweetness both inside & out. 

So proud of Shawn & Nicole ~ they are truly amazing parents to Emolyn (4) and Elsie (1) and their surprise little blessings Nathan & Jonah. Nicole is back at work as a nurse and Shawn is the stay-at-home Daddy. It can't be easy for either of them... Nicole away from her babies all day and Shawn caring for 4 little ones. We have Emolyn with us Tuesdays overnight till Wednesday when Nicole gets off work. And we have family dinners every other Thursday. I am so thankful to have a front row seat in watching our family grow as our stories unfold. And I don't want to miss a single moment. In fact, I want to be in those moments. I don't want to take it all in from the sidelines. I've done that all too often. Avoiding the pain of engaging in the day-to-day disappointments and challenges of life. I want to create an environment where we are safe to be real, secure in our love for one another and ok with each of our journeys. I need to let go and let God do His thing in my life, my husband's life and my children's lives ~ knowing full well He knows far more than I could possibly ever know. 

So I repeat often throughout my day ~ 

God is good. He loves me. He is trustworthy. God is good. He loves me. He is trustworthy.

Yes, the Christian walk really is about learning those same basic truths over and over again, through different seasons and circumstances of life.

seat belt web seating

What do you do when you find 4 good, quality chairs at a yard sale for a buck each, with no seats? That's the question my daughter-in-law posed to me. And I took on the challenge ~ first by checking out all the endless possibilities on Pinterest. I had already pinned a few ideas on my DIY board, but because these were going to be used for patio dining, I opted for the webbed seats found HERE. But then I was reminded of those painful, brittle webbed lawn chairs from my youth. You know, from too much sun exposure. And well, we live in Phoenix.
Anyway, I got the OK from Nicole to go ahead and check out the various webbing available ~ my first stop ~ Tempe SAS. Love that place. I was immediately drawn to the colorful rolls of soft, supple seat belt webbing. But the cost per yard to weave each chair would come to around $10.00 a chair. Then a gal at SAS told me that maybe Tempe Sales had the retro lawn chair webbing, that I was avoiding. But I went anyway.

Well, much to my surprise, as I entered the store there were these stacks of seat belt webbing in humungous rolls for $20.00. That's right ~ soft, supple, genuine, authentic seat belt webbing for $20.00 a roll. And just so you know, I barely made a dent in that roll doing these 4 chairs!

Because the design wasn't square, I couldn't do a tight weave, but still got the results I had hoped for ~ strong, durable and very comfortable. I actually didn't tackle the last two till they had used the first two chairs for quite some time. Thankfully, they are holding up beautifully.

This was definitely a two-person job. While I pulled and turned under the edges, my husband stapled like a madman. Very labor intensive. We got sorta testy with each other at times.

In fact, we found watching the movie Frequency while doing the last two chairs made a huge difference. A welcome distraction.

We found the outer rib cording (enlarged below) at Tempe Sales. We knew we needed something to hide the sharp, hot (from the sun) staples. Upholstery nail heads wouldn't work in the Arizona heat, nor did they fit the casual design of outdoor dining. So the cording proved perfect. The application, not so much. Very tedious work. You have to quickly spread open the ribbing mere moments before it's being stapled and hope you got your fingers out of the way in time. But as you can see, well worth the wear and tear of said fingers and hands.

And like I said, we barely made a dent in that huge roll, so I'm thinking each chair cost a cool 3 dollars each. And best of all, Shawn & Nicole love them! Oh and I found that Ikea outdoor coffee table at a yard sale for a dollar. Sanded down the top and applied several coats of outdoor poly finish. Perfect for drinks and appetizers... or sippy cups and snacks.

You can check out more creative transformations ~

TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY
SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY
FEATURE FRIDAY FREE-FOR-ALL
FRIDAY'S FAVORITE PIN
FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

33 years ago

33 years ago I put on this wedding dress and married the man of my dreams. No, let me take that back. No way did I marry the man of my dreams, cuz never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would marry a man of such character, honesty, humility and devotion to God. Seriously, such a man wasn't even on my radar. But I am forever grateful that God chose him for me, and me for him.

Love this photo ~ the only one taken of us singing at our wedding reception. 

And it's one of my very favorites.

I still love my dress and that I wore a wreath of baby's breath and stephanotis in my hair and carried a bouquet of white carnations, baby's breath and stephanotis in my hand.

And every few years I put on my wedding dress and that now dried-up baby's breath-less wreath, and Randy snaps a few photos just for fun. And I get all weepy and wonder how God could have given me such a good, good man. I am truly blessed.

Our daughter Miranda, who will be getting married in a couple months, posted this on Facebook ~

33 years ago today a boy and a girl exchanged vows to love each other and serve one another for the rest of their lives. They believed God had a purpose for their lives that could only be fulfilled if they were together. 33 years ago countless people's lives were changed. The boy and the girl have given their lives to ministering to hundreds and hundreds of people over the years and their marriage

 has been the safe place for each of them to grow and learn and become more who Christ intended them to be. They have loved each other really really well. They showed what a real beautiful, god-honoring marriage looked like - with all the brokenness, laughter, tears, playfulness and memories. They created a home for three kids to in turn discover Gods love and purpose for their own lives. I am so thankful for this day 33 years ago. 
Happy anniversary Mom & Dad!!

Thank you Miranda for reminding me of God's perfect plan for us and why He brought us together. So excited to see how God's perfect plan unfolds as you & Aaron begin your life together!

Best of Randy Thompson

March 18th, 1978 ~ I can still remember how I felt that night, sitting on the floor in a room filled with teens and young adults, listening to song after song, hanging on to his every word, and thinking who is this man that writes such profound truth? We would exchange phone numbers that night, so he could find out more about the studio that Linda & I were recording at. He called 3 weeks later. And he asked me out. And on our first date I asked him about the songs he writes. And I told him my favorite from that night was Jesus Touched Me, which would later became the title of his first ever cassette recording. 

Click HERE and then each song title to hear a portion of each of the songs off
Jesus Touched Me.

Fast forward. Four years later. We're married. He's recording his first ever vinyl record and the photo shoot for the album cover takes place among the boulders of Cave Creek. I have no idea that I'm pregnant with our first born, who would arrive May 30th, 1982. That and the release of It's By Grace made for a pretty special year for Randy & I. 

He would go on to record 5 more CDs in the next 2 decades ~ 
It's By Grace being the only vinyl in the bunch.

Click HERE and then click each of the 7 CDs to hear a portion of each song off each CD.

We celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary this Saturday and except for that first year of marriage, we've been in full-time ministry ever since. Till January of this year. Oh, he's still doing ministry and writing songs that are better than ever, with his next release coming in 2013, it's just that we no longer make a living doing ministry.

All to say, Randy is doing a Best of Randy Thompson Concert 
at our church ~ September 15th.

I would love to see you there. I would love for you to hear the stories behind each of the songs. I would love for you to feel what I felt that night all those years ago. Cuz I still do. After all these years.

Fast forward 30 years since that vinyl album cover shoot. Our son Shawn (yes, that pregnancy) made us this YouTube video. What a precious gift to remind us of the faithfulness of God over these past 30 years of ministry. Thank you Shawn. Thank you God.

Let The Music Last Forever

memories on a quad

Like I said life's better on a deck ~ so why not go back to Tim & Lynn's cabin to close out the summer. And it really is better, especially with good friends and a good book. Started reading A Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This book was written for me... exactly what I'm grappling with in my journey of letting go and fully trusting God with where I'm at in this season of life. So hard. But so good.

Well, this time the weather allowed us to take Tim & Lynn's quads out for a long trail ride.

And let me tell you, what a thrill! So freeing. So exhilarating.
Definitely the highlight of our summer.

I think I had that silly grin on my face the entire ride ~ along with occasional whoops and hollers and shrieks of joy. I held nothing back. I was riding high.

The Prescott area has seen lots of rain in the past month, so the creeks were a flowing... 

... and the swimming holes full.

These ginormous granite boulders were scattered all throughout the Wolf Creek Campgrounds. So amazing.

I took this picture as the sun was peeking out from the threatening rain clouds... 

and then moments later it started raining. Beautiful, glorious rain.

We parked under a canopy of trees for a while, but then just decided to go for it and drive the last 20 minutes in the pouring rain. We're talkin' painful, pelting rain... like BB gun pellets poking your forehead rain. Even though I could have hidden behind Randy for most of the way, I chose to close my eyes and feel my husband's pain ~ and you guys, we have never laughed so hard that entire ride back to the cabin. 

Thanks Tim & Lynn for such a fun, memory-making weekend!