Christmas 2014

Happy New Year, blogging friends! I'm finally back after a little blogger Christmas vacation. Here are some pictures of our week that was Christmas!

My family was here in Maine visiting for about 12 days, as well as some of my other cousins. On Christmas day there was 58 of us all in the same house. Some of my cousins I hadn't seen in 4 years, so it was a great day full of fun, laughter, family, and food.

It was wonderful to have so much time with my family, and hard to see them all go. However, it is exciting to start a new year and make plans for the month ahead!

I've got a lot more coming in the days ahead, as well as some new features for this blog that I think will be helpful to you. For now though, would you share some of your Christmas highlights with me? Comment below with one of your favourite parts of Christmas this year, and feel free to share some pictures on my Facebook page so I can see your celebrations in action!

Hello Monday, Hello Labor Day!

It is Monday, time to say hello! Hello Monday is where I say hello to the fun that was last week and the excitement that this week will bring. I'm joining the community at Lisa Leonard Designs, won't you join us?

Hello Monday.

Hello long weekend.

Hello September! What the????

Hello "little" brother visiting. We kept it a secret from all our local family, and boy was that fun! Super hard secret to keep, however!

Hello to crossing the border and getting REAL Tim Hortons coffee! LOVE!

Hello back-to-back dog sitting weekends.

Hello to an amazing week at So Sew Organized. We set records all over the place! Most orders ever in a 24-hour period, most orders in a week, and the first time ever to sell out of something in the first two weeks of it being listed. Amazing!

This is the item we sold out of this week! I'm planning to re-list it in the future, but here are some others you might like in the meantime: (just click on the description to be taken to the item in my shop!)

Vintage Housewares pouch

Vintage Clocks pouch

Vintage TVs pouch

Pink Streamers pouch - also available in teal!

Hello Back to School and Cozy Fall Essentials giveaway! There is just one more day...which bundle would you choose if you won?

Speaking of bundles, hello to a fantastic Healthy Living eBook bundle coming soon! I don't have all the details to give you yet, but if you sign up here to receive an email when the bundle is live, you can then refer your friends to sign up! If 10 of your friends sign up (they don't even have to purchase the bundle!) you can get your bundle free!

Hello to a cookout with family today.

Hello to getting ready to speak at a conference. 

Hello to quiet times alone. How do you spend those times? How rare are they?

Hello long walks and pretty scenery.

Hello fall weather.

Hello readers, hello to a new week! What are you saying hello to today?

Where I've been + what I am learning

Summer has been simply fabulous around here, and with beautiful summer weather comes busy, fun-filled days! The month of July was crazy busy with fun activities, want to hear a little about it?

We started the month with a visit from cousins in NY, as well as a big birthday/graduation for another cousin. They hosted a big outdoor party complete with bonfire, fireworks, volleyball, and of course - great food!

We did a lot of other fun things through the week...Disc Golf, a play, Sweet Frog, soccer, just to name a few!

The following week a bunch of us took a day trip to Foxborough, MA to watch the Patriot's practice!

A week after the first round of cousins left, more came...this time from CT and Alberta! One of my cousins brought a 4 week old baby, so there was PLENTY of baby-holding that went on that week!

We waited in line for an hour to get huge delicious lobster rolls!

It was a fantastic, fun-filled, busy, tiring month! I have been reminded again why summer is my favourite season, how much I love family time, and just how great my family is. We had way too many late nights, watching movies, playing card games, or just visiting and catching up on each other's lives. I learned that I crash after a couple of weeks of late nights. :) I also learned how important it is to intentionally foster relationships, not only with family that lives in other states but also with the family that is in the next town over. I'm thankful for the Godly family that God has placed me in and they way they help encourage me to be more like Christ.

July flew by, and it looks like August is going to do the same. This week friends from Canada come to visit, so I'm sure I'll have more fun to share when they are gone! I hope that you are enjoying your summer as much as I am, and intentionally spending quality time with those closest to you.

Feel free to comment and share about your summer below!


Linked up with The DIY Dreamer, Weekend Wind-Down, Say G'Day, Lou Lou girls

Hello Busy Summer days, Hello Monday!

It is Monday, time to say hello! Hello Monday is where I say hello to the fun that was last week and the excitement that this week will bring. I'm joining the community at Lisa Leonard Designs, won't you join us?

Hello Monday.

Hello visiting with family.

Hello long, fun, busy days.

Hello surprising a friend that I haven't seen since we were teens. So fun!

Hello drinking homemade iced coffee on these nice hot days.

Hello spending money on a new dress, getting dressed up, and going to an amazing play with family.

Hello (virtually) to a new baby for my childhood best friends. It seems like just yesterday WE were the babies!

Hello to two dogsitting weekends coming up.

Hello to dreaming and planning for the future of the So Sew Organized shop.

Hello to our shop's newsletter...do you subscribe? I've been doing some housecleaning on this newsletter lately, and I love the direction this is taking now. Sign up here if you haven't already...I giveaway free stuff each month!

Hello bats living outside my bedroom window. (shudder)

Hello hike through the woods.

Hello to more work hours.

Hello finishing up a project for a friend.

Hello fun giveaway on the blog this week. Enter here!

Hello readers, hello to a new week! What are you saying hello to today?



Linked up to The DIY Dreamer

Hello Family, Hello Monday!!

It is Monday, time to say hello! Hello Monday is where I say hello to the fun that was last week and the excitement that this week will bring. I'm joining the community at Lisa Leonard Designs, won't you join us?

Hello Monday.

Hello fun summer days.

Hello swimming and relaxing in the sun.

Hello family visiting from New York.

Hello family event every day!

Hello fun with cousins....really, it was fun. {wink!}

Hello late-night bonfire and fireworks.

Hello dreaming and planning for the future.

Hello brand new tablet sleeves at So Sew Organized.

Hello Kindle app on my phone. My life is changed. For the better, of course. :)

Hello Readers, hello new week! What are you saying hello to today?

Change, part 3

If you missed Change Part 1 and Part 2, you'll want to get caught up and then come back to this post.

I has been 6 months since I got kicked out of Canada.

via

The last 6 months have held lots of questions and wondering about what was to come. They have also held countless blessings as the Lord has met every need and provided in ways I never would have dreamed possible. And I'll be honest...while I am repeatedly thanking the Lord for the way he provides, I am even more repeatedly asking Him, "why me?" I don't think God minds if we ask Him "why," but we must be content to wait and be content with His answer.

And I cling to these verses:

Feel free to use/download/share/print that photo, just please give credit back to this post. The background picture was taken by yours truly in Lockeport, NS

And so I've been waiting. Waiting to see the goodness of God. Waiting for His will to be evident. Waiting for my heart to be strengthened. Because goodness knows there are moments days when it needs strengthening.

And then an answer I was waiting for.

I found out that the stream of immigration that I working towards applying for has been closed permanently.

In plain English, this means I don't qualify for any visa to live in Canada at this time.

Although it was abrupt and harsh and not exactly the answer I expected, it was a blessing in so many ways. I was about to dump several hundred dollars into an English test required to get a visa. Later on I would have dumped several more hundred dollars into the visa itself. So I am very thankful that I hadn't paid any money yet, only to have my visa rejected or discover another hoop to jump through.

What does this mean for my future? 

Great question! I'm asking it all the time. :)

I can't tell you exactly what it means, but I will tell you this: God has made the way so abundantly clear up to this point, even if I don't understand it or don't expect it, so I am 100% confident that He will continue to make the way plain if I am willing to walk in it.

There is a song (that I don't necessarily endorse, fyi) with these words:

"When I look back on every season, I can find there's ten thousand reasons
To trust that YOU will work all things for good."

That describes me. When I get discouraged at life or overwhelmed at the unknowns that are ahead, all I have to do is look back. Even in my relatively short life there have already been ten million reasons to trust Him. I just have to remember to take it to Him and leave it there.

So for now, I'm working part time for a Christian couple. I'm teaching piano and always trying to grow the So Sew Organized shop. I'm involved in the local church I grew up in and I'm having a blast being with family after 8 years away. God has literally given me a car, a new-to-me computer, a cell phone and countless other little blessings over these months.

I'm not sure what the future holds, but it's ok...well, most of the time I believe it's ok. :) I'm just going to continue to wait and continue to trust that He will work all this for good. Thanks for following along with my crazy journey and for supporting me through it all!


Linked up to the Lou Lou Girls

Christmas 2013 in pictures

I enjoy snapping still life pictures, so I thought I'd let my camera tell the story of our 2013 Christmas. So much more happened than this - like family time, games, food, and lots of other fun stuff. But this gives you an idea, shows you some of what I've been soaking in and enjoying the last two weeks.

What did your Christmas look like?