Happenings in Month 6:

• We spent the first couple of weeks of June in Brainerd, MN with Grandma and Grandpa. We ate together, laughed together, froze together. Yes…it was COOOOOLD in northern Minnesota. It was a big change from Texas. We hooped a lot while we were there…and took advantage of their beautiful lakefront property and the big green yard! We even had a hoop party! Leaving was really hard on Bella this time…she made so many special memories and had such a great time. Lots of photos here.
• We trekked across the Midwest to Colorado…stopping to see old friends and doing a photo shoot along the way.
• Life changed a bit for us as Matt started to work full time for my brother in Boulder (overseeing his real estate projects). Daddy was no longer home (and still isn’t) home all day, so we had some adjusting to do! It’s been 4 years since he worked a “regular schedule”…so it’s strange to say goodbye in the morning.
• My mom flew out and stayed for 11 days and my dad drove out and stayed 6. We had TONS of fun…lots of coffee, campfires (when we weren’t blowing away) and sweet memories. We all cried when they left.
• Lucy is now RUNNING around…it’s hard to keep up with her! She has found her independence and it’s all very exciting. A whole new world has been opened up for her. She loves taking rides in the bike trailer (but not for too long!). She says “hi”, “daddy”, “mama”, “doggy”…and she likes to shrug her shoulders. If you interrupt her during something that she is really interested in, she will head butt you and smack you in the face. She’s a sweet girly girl. Her favorite places to hang out: on the dash of the RV, in the shower (even when there is no water running), and inside drawers.
• Bella is losing teeth right and left…she has now lost 5 teeth. Four on the bottom, and one on the top. She’s adorable. Whenever we arrive at a new campground, she is immediately on the prowl for new friends. It’s like she can SMELL kids her own age…she knows they are there before we even see them. She loves to sing and dance…and when she gets a song in her head, watch out. You’re going to hear it for DAYS on end. Her favorite thing right now is to “play store”, “play hotel”, “play coffeeshop”, etc. She unloads the pantry onto the dash so she can go shopping. I love seeing the world through her eyes.

We’re still in Colorado and will be for another couple of weeks. We are thoroughly enjoying the beauty of the mountains and being with friends and family!

*free

Life moves fast. And when you’re not intentionally slowing down and really SEEING every moment…you will miss something! With this in mind, every day for the past week my dear friend Alicia and I have been documenting our daily life (morning and evening) and sending them to each other via iPhone.

*holding hands

*togetherness

It has been such a sweet way for us to connect and feel closer to each other even when we’re miles apart. When I see her photos come in for the day, I am GIDDY with excitement! It’s been so fun to see each others lives in this way and it causes us to be mindful about catching all the little moments…our life “inspired”. Be sure to keep an eye on her blog as well…she’ll be posting some of her images too (and they’re amazing!).

*bliss

I will be sharing more of these photos with you…because they make me happy! And, more importantly…I am sharing them because I am trying to turn over a new leaf. Imperfect, pressure free blogging

*immersed

I’ve blogged before about how much I LOVE “phone photography”…and the gritty, unedited glimpses into life that they provide. I don’t have time right now to edit lots of photos, but I can do this! It takes me moments instead of hours…awesome.

I still love my “fancy” camera…but at this season of life, I’m loving the on-the-go, compact accessibility of my iPhone camera. I’ve never been a big scrapbooker/record keeper, but I do that with my photos. And someday, I will make a book of all of these photos for my kiddos to treasure.

I am also starting a Flickr group called Life Inspired and I would love if you would add photos of your own. See you there!

**apps used:
ShakeItPhoto
Hipstamatic

*sisterly

The day started off really good…I was listening to the radio and one of my favorite songs came on.

I caught a glimpse of Your splendor
In the corner of my eye
The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen
And it was like a flash of lightning
Reflected off the sky
And I know I’ll never be the same

*Third Day :: Show Me Your Glory

Glory. Hmmmm…I love that word. As I listened, I sat down at my computer to look up the lyrics. Life was good.

But then…it turned into one of “those days”. I wasn’t feeling grateful. I was cranky. I didn’t feel God near. As we drove into town that night, these were the scenes before us. Brilliant sunlight shining out from the clouds and a rainbow splashed across a dark and dreary sky. In an instant, I thought…”GLORY”.  I was reminded of that morning and the song.

I love it when He speaks to me so clearly…through His creation and music. Two methods that I can understand easily. I watched the sky…and my heart finally understood what He had been trying to tell me all day. If He has the power to create these works of art in the sky, He certainly has the power to work in my life.

Once we’ve seen God’s glory…we are NEVER the same. But thankfully, He is ALWAYS the same. He never changes. He never stops loving me even through my darkest days and my lack of faith. He is patient and loving. He is LIGHT…the rainbow that cuts through even the darkest of days.

For the past few months, I’ve been rather quiet online. My desire and inspiration to blog ebbs and flows…and lately I’ve been feeling quite introspective. My heart is aching to spend more time with Jesus and spend less time thinking about me. I seem to have have lots of words and thoughts flowing…but my words want to stay inside for some reason. I need time to really sit with myself and figure out what is going on in this brain of mine before I open it up and share with others.

Sometimes the internet is an amazing open road for me to wander upon. My heart skips a beat when I come across something that speaks to my soul. But it can also be completely overwhelming. So many people to catch up with and connect to…I open my Facebook page and immediately close it. It’s like walking into a huge party that has been going all night long and I just don’t have the energy to mingle If you have emailed or sent me a message on Facebook lately and I haven’t answered, please don’t take it personally. Feel free to send another message to jog my memory. It’s been hard to keep up with it all and “real life” has been much more attractive. And we’ve been busy busy busy.

I would love to start sharing more of my “real life” with you. Often times, I feel like I have to to write a “grand” topical blog post and the sheer intensity of that endeavor makes me want to run away and hide. So instead, I think I will try to share snippets. Photos, links, quotes…things that are inspiring me. I’m thinking about doing a “photo a day” project again (but with my iPhone) or perhaps some video blogs.

So I’ll start today. Here are a few things that have my affections this week, online and off:

• I’ve been making TONS of ice tea. Every morning, I make a big batch of unsweetened mango raspberry mint herbal tea and then add just a touch of Sweet Leaf Mint and Honey tea. Heaven.

• I miss my sweet Becky sooooo much and yesterday she wrote a beautiful piece on her blog about her solitary retreat for one in the woods. A must read.

• We’re living at a beautiful state park in Colorado right now and the view from our window is amazing! Trails, pelicans, lakes, and mountains, right out our front door.
• I experienced hot yoga here for the first time. I got up at 5:30am 8 times before we moved to a campground farther away and then I quit going regularly. It rocked my world. I brought my mom and she loved it too. Getting up that early is probably what threw a wrench in my online activities because I started going to bed earlier…and my prime time for browsing the web was 10pm-2am. My body is thanking me for getting out of that routine!

• How scrumptious is this swing?

• I’m in love with this print and this print. Ok, I pretty much love everything in her shop.

• I’m obsessed this this CD. Best kids music ever!

• I’m looking forward to the Boulder Farmer’s Market tomorrow morning and a little trip up the mountain to Nederland. I’m going to hoop in the mountain air.

• My mom has been staying with us for the past 2 weeks and my dad came for the last week…and they left yesterday. My heart is light with joy as I recount the amazing memories we made…but it’s also heavy with the weight of goodbyes.  Above is a photo from the balcony of our hotel room in Golden. We spent one amazing “getaway” night there during their stay…eating, drinking, laughing, and being refreshed. I love them so.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Drumroll please….

With over 637 eligable entires…the winner of the comfy skirt is:

SONJA!

Sonja’s comment:” I really LOVE the comfy skirt. It looks great for wearing around town, but also for working in my garden! As a second choice, I like the easy elegance of the simple cowl cap sleeve tee. A comfy tee with a twist of pretty!”

Congratulations!! You’re going to ADORE your new skirt!

For those of you who didn’t win…jump on over to the Texture store and take advantage of the 20% discount! Use the code “happy20″ through Monday, July 12 to receive this awesome discount on anything in the store. Yay!

Have a great rest of the week!

As I wandered around beautiful downtown Eugene, OR on a sunny day in 2008, I came across a cute little shop called Sweet Potato Pie. A quick peek inside confirmed that it was my favorite kind of store…hemp clothing, purses, stickers, incense So I went in and something immediately caught my eye. This adorable green skirt. After trying it on, I knew instantly that it must be MINE. I proceeded to wear it every day for the next week…and because of this, I just had to email the designer and tell her how much I was in love with it. And so begins my relationship with Teresa at texture clothing.

Who is Teresa?
Teresa Remple is the naturally caffeinated instigator and inspiration for texture clothing. She was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has lived in Bellingham, WA for nearly eight years. She is the proprietress of texture clothing and in that capacity she does everything from drafting patterns to sweeping the floors. She started sewing at twelve and founded the company in October, 2002. As a seventeen year veteran of the summer festival scene, Teresa embodies a compassionate, earth first vision for the under appreciated, and misunderstood HEMP fabric. A Fashion Arts graduate with a passion for textiles that makes her special, she’s all about working hard and living lean.

What is texture clothing?
Think gypsy vibe and travel savvy with the ease of real world living built in. texture is a boutique without the pretense ~ hard wearing, high fashion ~ figure flattering cuts ~ street legal HEMP product ~ not the coffee sack fashion typical of HEMP clothing ~ lovingly made, deftly stitched, beautifully patterned in the Pacific NW ~ clothing with a conscience.

Why do YOU need a Comfy Skirt?
If I had to pick ONE skirt to wear for the rest of my life, this would be it. Ok, I’m being a bit dramatic…but that is how much I love it!! I’ve had the green skirt for 2 years and I just got another one in “robin”. It has the perfect stretch and just the right flare at the bottom. It’s super flattering and everywhere I go, people ask me where I got it! I wore it through my entire pregnancy…it was the most wonderful maternity skirt. I even used it for Lucy’s newborn photos! It also has a cute little hidden zippered pocket in the front…I like to put my iPhone in it or my debit card/cash. No need for a purse.

And now, I’m so excited to announce that Teresa and I are teaming up to give a comfy skirt to a one of my blog readers! Yay!

There are THREE ways to enter yourself in the drawing:

1. Comment below and tell me one of your favorite pieces in the texture line. Or if you are already enjoying one of their pieces, tell me that too!
2. Post the giveaway to Facebook and “Like” their FB page.
3. Post the giveaway to Twitter.

Each one will earn you a separate entry, so make sure to leave individual comments for each.

The winner will be chosen at random on Wed. July 7 (entries accepted through 12:00pm MST). She is also offering a generous 20% discount to my blog readers. Just enter the discount code “happy20″. The discount code will be valid through July 12…so don’t delay! I’ve got my eye on those posh pants and the jar dress!

On a side note, I’m hoping to meet Teresa in person someday soon and give her a hug for making such fabulous clothing! Possibly this fall as we head to the Seattle area. Reading Denise’s post about Bellingham makes me want to go there and explore!

I remember waking up on this day exactly 10 years ago and being so full of excitement. All of our friends and family had come up to northern Minnesota to celebrate the commitment Matt and I were about to make. The food was ready. The church was being decorated. I felt amazing.

The day went off without a hitch. I still remember the feeling I had as the doors opened, and the music swelled…my daddy holding my arm as he walked me down the aisle.

There was such hope and anticipation in that day, for the weeks ahead, and for our lives together. I look at this photo of us and remember the giddy feelings we had when we were together in those early days…and we still feel that way! We’ve experienced more life TOGETHER than many couples do in a lifetime. I am so thankful for my sweet Matthew and on this day, we celebrate 10 years of bliss together.

Our friends thought we were crazy when we told them we were getting married after knowing each other for one month. We were crazy then, and we’re STILL crazy. Love you!

Photos from our wedding day here.

Congratulations to…

JORDAN! She commented…

“I am excited to enjoy a little sunshine, eat yummy food and start my summer!”

Enjoy your new camera strap! For those of you who didn’t win…jump on over to Em’s Etsy shop to buy a strap for yourself or for anyone who loves making photos! And be sure to mark her shop as a favorite for later…she is always adding new goodies!

Three lovely ladies rockin’ the straps: Tara Whitney | Ali Edwards | Cathy Zielske

It’s time for another giveaway from the fabulous Emily Falconbridge! Em makes the coolest camera straps (along with other fun stuff)…I love love love this orange one…and now it can be YOURS!

We stayed with Emily and her family in San Diego several years ago on tour, and have stayed in touch since then. We are SO excited that they are hopefully coming back to the states after being back in Australia for a time.

She has a lot of fun new stuff in her Etsy shop…I could just eat those little Thai fisherman pants right up!! And the headbands…oh my. So cute. Go check it all out!

There are several ways to enter the giveaway (please do a separate comment for each entry):

1. Comment below and answer this question:
“What are you most excited about this weekend?”
2. Post the giveaway to Facebook.
3. Post the giveaway to Twitter.
4. Post the giveaway to your blog.

This giveaway is short and sweet…I will choose a winner at random on Monday, June 7 – 12pm CST.
Thanks for playing…have a great weekend!

Photo taken at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market

Happenings in Month 5:

• The NuRVers Rally went on and on and on…many of the attendees stayed weeks after the rally was over, so we enjoyed continued potlucks and fun. Matt kept busy with an RV remodel job and he fixed our generator and other mechanical issues that we were having. Bella continued to play and play and play with all the kids.
• We left Hillshade after teary goodbyes and headed north New Braunfels to spend more time with friends there. And then we went on to Austin to spend several days at Pecan Grove, one of our favorite RV parks in the heart of the city. We hung out with old friends and new, and I got to have a hooping lesson!
• It was finally time to head “home”. We pointed the RV north and started toward Iowa.
• We stopped in Dallas for 3 days and had a BLAST with friends there…eating, hooping, and laughing.
• Finally arrived in Des Moines where we did our usual favorite things: coffee, farmer’s market, friends, fun, hooping, Thai food…good times. My parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary while we were there. Amazing!
• Lucy is almost walking…she has taken 2 steps so far and is changing every day. Her 1st birthday is on Saturday!
• Bella cut her bangs. By herself. She’s an adorable little pixie now I actually think they look pretty cute. I tried not to *gasp* too loud when she showed me. She also has another loose tooth.
• We are now in the Minneapolis area for Memorial Day weekend with my family…so wonderful to be together again. On Monday we will head north to be with Matt’s family.

Whew! It’s been a whirlwind of a month. Looking forward to a little down time around the lake for the next couple of weeks.