Chasing 31

Insta-Friday. Instagram Weekly Photos

2012-02-10T19:37:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Life Rearranged again!

This week has been a crazy week. I unpacked my things, packed up some of my sister-in-laws things, and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. Moving isn't any fun! I will just find a cave and live there for the next 50 years. I am sick of moving! So to get out of the house I visited with some wonderful friends and took my daughter to the park.

This is Emily chasing ducks. Although she did touch every duck that was being distracted with bread (and made me think she was going to get the bird flu...) I let myself enjoy watching her play.

Then the artist formally known as Prince showed up.
I seriously don't understand why some of these ducks had wigs on. Hilarious, but confusing.

And Emily turned 3 on January 29th, but because we are in Texas now she needed another party to celebrate! So this is her Bday cake with the family.

Found this at the mall. My nickname is Bri.

And this little ham helped me get through the week.

I hope you enjoyed looking through these pics. I have really started to enjoy my life as a work from home mom! I have noticed such a difference in Emily and myself. I am much more patient with her and she is just not as clingy now that she is seeing me more. I really am happy and I think she is too. Come to think of it she's always happy! ;)

Head on over to Life Rearranged and check out other cool Instagram pics!

Till next time!

-Bri, Bridgie, Brenda or Brittany. I answer to all of em! :)

Insta-Friday. Instagram Weekly Photos

2012-02-03T22:51:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Life Rearranged and sharing my photos again. This week we moved from Tempe, AZ to The Woodlands, TX. I am so tired! Here's my week:

We will miss our sweet friends and family in Arizona! One of my friends came by and took EmJ to the park with her two daughters to help keep her from getting in the way of the moving furniture! It was such a blessing!

A last minute hug session with some BFF's in AZ

Sweet girl! Xoee

I need more COWBELL!!!

Scooter Skillz

After the truck was packed we cleaned up the condo and started our loooooooong drive! The first day we drove 10 hours and then we drove 12 the next day. What was I thinking?????

My driving buddy!

Junk in the trunk!

Pit stop

Emily is now fully potty trained... so we had to make a few "unscheduled" stops! She kept yelling I pee'd in the dirt!

She kept herself busy the WHOLE time! God gave me a travelin girl!

Smiley face...

Poor Foofa got a ladybug "tramp stamp" somewhere in New Mexico

Fixed a hole in her jeans.

The sun set on us just before the Texas border...

Lovin life in Texas.

We are glad to be finished with the driving and I am glad to be sleeping in my own bed again and am looking forward to getting settled in here. I've cried more this week then I have in a long while. But I'm trusting God with all that He's bringing our way.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps

Proverbs 16:9

Here's to believing in the placement of those steps!

Toddler Activities

2012-01-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I loved this game as a kid. And I'd forgotten about it until just the other day at Tarjay, I saw it! It was on sale for $4.99. I couldn't pass it up.

So I took it home and Emily and I have been playing it ever since! It's super easy for her to grasp the idea of one bean at a time and we take turns. At first when it would spill out she would be all bummed and pout for a second. But now she gets it, and she even tilts the bucket when I'm not looking to make them spill on my side. Little stinker!

I've really enjoyed finding all these cute little games that she and I can play together.

Here are some other cool games for the 2-3 year olds:

This fun little game I got for $3.50 at Kid2Kid. (It's a little re-sale shop, but it has nicer stuff cause they buy it off of you. They don't just work off of donations) The bummer thing was that it was missing one wand and a ton of the little butterflies. So I just sewed some ribbon in the same shape and it works great!

I got this at Tarjay as well. I don't remember how much it cost but it defiantly was worth it. I have to edit out a lot of the cards for her, otherwise she can't really play. First we started with 3-4 matches, and now we are up to 6-8. She loves it and asks to play all the time!

Insta-Friday. Instagram Weekly Photos

2012-01-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Life Rearranged and sharing my silly Instagram photos. (If you don't know what Instagram is, it's an app for iphones that turn your normal and sometimes boring iphone photos into cool and awesome photos!)

Here are mine for the week. I know there isn't much but, I am moving across country this week!! (...how long can I keep that up!!??!!)

Sleeping on the way to the park.

Reading at Barnes and Noble, we needed a break from cardboard boxes!

Running on the stage and dancing crazy!

Double thumbs up.

Showing off her sunnies and her TOMS!

Crazy static on the trampoline!

Moving Day Birthday's

2012-01-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

{via} on my Pinterest Board!

Here we are on the eve of our move to Houston, Texas. My daughter is going to be 3 on Sunday, and it has become somewhat of a tradition that we move on her birthday weekend.

The proof is in the pudding:
-One day after Emj's birth, my husband moved us into an apartment. My Mom and Mother in law stayed in the hospital with me and kept me company... mostly to kept EmJ company as I was completely whacked out on morphine (thank you unexpected C-section!)

That's my mom holding EmJ. I wouldn't trust me either in that crazed morphine state!

1 day old EmJ. Happy 1st moving day!

-Her first b-day we didn't move! But we did move when she was 6 months (out to Los Angeles to work with YWAM)... and then again when she was 1 and a half (out to Phoenix, AZ cause our time with YWAM had ended).

EmJ's 1st b-day!

-On her second birthday we moved into a condo. We stopped unpacking breifly to have cupcakes and open a few presents.

-This year we are moving to Texas on her b-day weekend.

We are those crazy gypsy people.

{via}

We have moved so much that I feel like I'm a pro at it. I get rid of TONS of stuff by way of garage sale and Goodwill. The rest of it gets boxed up and loaded into the U-Haul.

I am hoping to end this moving trend! 5 big moves in 3 short years! Here's to staying in one place!
And happy birthday to my sweet girl! 3 years old already, you are so smart and bright. You bring joy to all who meet you! I love you!!!!!!!!!!

{via} my Pinterest Board!

A Miracle in the making - Anna Joy

2011-12-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

My friend Alissa is the strongest and bravest woman I know. She was the maid of honor in my wedding, and seriously a sister to me during our time in missions with YWAM. She loves the Lord so dearly and trusts Him with so much! Recently she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Anna Joy. This sweet little girl has two different heart defects and the doctors didn't give her much time to live after birth, and if she did, they knew that many operations would have to take place.

Well This little miracle is a fighter! She did have to go in for heart surgery after only 9 hours of life, but she is recovering and doing well. Please, please be praying for continued progress for Anna Joy, and her family!

Please go and check out their blog for more information! And leave them some comment love on their page!
http://babyannajoy.blogspot.com/

{via}

Thank you so much!

Her story once again leads me to gratitude. Thank you Jesus for healthy children in our lives, and for the grace and mercy you are showing to Anna Joy!

Insta-Friday. Instagram Weekly Photos.

2011-12-02T09:02:00.001-08:00

Linking up with Life Rearranged
It's a great way to share all those photos and it's got me taking more pictures!
Sooooo here we go!

My Dad is a handy man out here in Arizona, and he's the keeper of this castle up on Camel back Mountain. He had to do some handy stuff so we went up with him to take a look around.

The whole driveway was decorated with all these white stones. The whole castle was built with the rock of the area. Pretty cool.. actually really cool, it was freezing up there!

This is my arty pic from the balcony. I love cacti and wrought iron.

And the door knockers were epic. The whole place really! I kept saying "Nice Knockers". Nobody laughed. *sigh*

The stain glass alone was amazing! This place is like an actual castle. It's nuts.

Then we bundled up and headed to the Grand Canyon! My brother and his girlfriend had never been. And Emily kept calling it the "Green Canyon", at first it was really what she thought we were saying... then it became her own little joke!

It was cold and this little girl did so good! She's happy no matter what! Such a blessing from God!

My brother and his girlfriend are down there somewhere.... it was too scary for me! But I loved the view!

These are just a few of the other pics of Thanksgiving weekend. Yes my daughter is still wearing her Tinkerbell costume as often as she can! This girl loves holidays!

This is how my daughter "helps". She wanted to give Sandie a treat! Sure the door is closed and she can't get to them... DETAILS!!!!.... she'll just let her STARE at her treats! Hilarious!

We don't have a tree yet but we were looking!

This is my favorite! We are all getting into the Christmas spirit in our house! I love that EmJ is so silly! Merry Christmas!!!!!

Find me on Instagram : @chasing31

Love ya!

Bri

Turkey Christmas Santa Comics

2011-11-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this time of year! I get to cozy up with my family and laugh and joke and remissness about the year and previous years! My brother and his girlfriend have just flown in to visit for Thanksgiving. I'm so happy to have loved ones around! EmJ was so excited for her Uncle Nick to come and visit that she stayed up till midnight! And she kept saying "all my friends are home". Just melts my heart!

My brain starts to wander to Christmas already, but I have to remind myself to stay in the moment, enjoy and be thankful for today!

{via} and also on Pinterest

Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Bri

Pinterest Advent Calendar - Inspirations

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

So now that I've got an Advent Calendar for EmJ, the one I made last year (found here)
I've decided that I want one of my own. I'm all for the cheesy cheese of holiday prints and festive greens and reds, but I also really love the updated versions. And who says you can't have 2 Advent Calendars in your home!!???!! I'd like to meet that person and give them a piece of my Christmas! (Ok I'll calm down)

So here is some Pinterest inspiration for my next Advent Calendar!

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

I love this one, there are so many possibilities and it still looks so clean and pretty! I might do shells or metallics or all my favorite ornaments I have from my childhood. See!!??!?!? The possibilities ARE endless!

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

Another simple yet stunning advent calendar! And this could use up more of my stash of clothespins!!

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

This one is a little more cutsie, more for kids, but I love that it's an updated version. And seems easy enough to tie up the presents and pull them off.

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

I like this one, mostly because I'm obsessed with those little tins from Ikea. Also because it's super easy! And I could just hide the date inside to be posted on the outside. Oh who am I kidding!? I'll hide candy in there too! You wouldn't want the numbers to be lonely would you???!!!

Well this has been fun. We'll see which one I decide to ~~copy~~ be inspired by.

Thanks for stopping in!

Tinker bell shoes update.

2011-11-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

So her shoes that I made for Halloween... Post found here

Are holding up pretty well! There are a few spots near the heel and toe where the glitter has worn off. But other than that the glitter is holding up very well! I might just re-apply the glitter treatment for future occasions. As of right now she wears them too often for me to do that! I love that she loves them and that everyone at the mall/grocery store/gas station has to ask about them! I can't resist her requests to wear them EVERYWHERE! Even church. I just adore her and the fact that she loves girly stuff!

Advent Calendar DIY

2011-11-21T22:12:00.001-08:00

Advent Calendar

Stamping out the tree

Sooo last year I made an Advent Calendar for myself and my sister in law....

As you can see I used my daughters hand and foot prints as my stamps for a Christmas tree.

#1 I bought about a yard of plain muslin, and 2 yards of the christmas fabric.
#2 Purchased the little ornaments that are meant for the pint sized mini-trees. 25 of em.
#3 Lots and LOTS of iron tape. (I don't sew!! I wish I could)
#4 Green yarn
#5 Two different colors of Green, and 1 brown.
#6 The little clasp fasteners "Hook and Eyes"
#7 Some green-ish thread for stitching on the previous item.
#8 Green felt - for the top star.
#9 Wooden Dowel and round ends.
#10 Ribbon that I already had to hang the calendar onto the dowel.

This took me forever and since I made two I did each one a little different.
First I made the one for my sister in law

I took this picture only so that she'd see how it was meant to work. (I mailed this to India, where she was living and working, with the paints included for her to stamp her sons hands and feet with. So that's why the tree is blank.)

On mine I went ahead and puffy painted the numbers on. It was MUCH faster and easier to read.

Here is how I did it:

A) Iron tape the green and blue pieces together (these would be your festive fabrics) all around the edges. Be sure to place your loops of ribbon in that sticky iron on tape too! This will hold onto the dowel at the end for easier hanging later.

B) Iron tape the three rectangles to the lower portion of your Advent Calendar. Only iron tape the two sides and the bottom. You want to leave to top open for your ornaments later.

C) Take Your Muslin fabric (which will become the triangle) and stamp your child's hands and feet in the shape of a Christmas tree. I put cardboard under mine so that the paint didn't ruin my floors!

D) Carefully cut around their tree leaving about an inch of extra muslin.

E) Stitch on the tree to your Advent Calendar using the green yarn. Also sew "pockets" for separation of your ornaments and days.

The lines above are not exact. And as you can see from my pics, neither one was the same.

F) Stitch on the "hook and eyes" to the calendar and the ornaments you've purchased. I sewed the "Eye" portion onto my tree and the "Hook" portions onto my ornaments. Some were sewn into the ornaments, hot glued, and even knotted onto them. Depending on which method worked the best.

G) Puffy paint on your numbers.

H) Insert Dowel (and hot glue the round ends on if you want to) and Hang up!

Tada! 2010 Christmas.

My little girl loves this Calendar! And when she's all grown up we'll marvel at how tiny her hands used to be!

Time, stop going so fast!

I love you EmJ, you are the light of my life.

Thanks for stopping in!

Love,

Bri

Veterans Day - Thank you!

2011-11-11T08:27:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all those who serve our country.

This is my Dad at 19.
He was a Marine for 23 years.

I'm not sure how old my Grandpa is here, but he served in WWII. A navy man.

I'm proud of my family's choice to serve our beautiful country. I am thankful for all the men and women serving our country right now.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Making Glitter Shoes Tutorial

2011-10-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween is just around the corner and I finished the final touches of my daughters costume last night! I'm super excited.

I love all holidays, even the made up ones like Valentines day! I don't care, I just love to celebrate! And don't go telling me that holidays are evil.... yadda yadda yadda... I don't care! I think it's about your heart and my heart is to have fun on this night!

So my little girl is going to be Tinkerbell! And my dad's girlfriend bought her the Tink outfit (THANKS!!!) but I needed to get all the little extras to make her look the part! So I found a petticoat at a resale shop and these silver shoes at Old Navy (on sale for $6!!!)

Then I grabbed my 40% coupon for Michael's and bought some lime green glitter! (I already had all the other supplies.) i.e. Mod Podge, two white pom pom's, and a foamy brush.

Then I poured out some Mod Podge on a paper plate, mixed in some of the glitter for good measure and started to paint the glue/glitter mixture on half of the shoe. (This way I could still hold part of the shoe for the next step.)

Once I had the entire portion covered I started to pour on the glitter (on a new paper plate so that I could re-use all the glitter the fell off of the shoe). Just before knocking off any excess glitter I pressed down onto the shoe with the glitter to ensure that all the glitter would stick to the Mod Podge glue/glitter mixture. Then I gently tapped off the excess glitter and gave the finished section a little spray with some aerosol hairspray.

Then repeat that over on the other parts of your shoes until they are perfectly glittered!. Let these sit overnight before trying them on! I even waited to hot glue the little pom pom's on until the next morning.

These are my Tinkerbell masterpieces!

And here's Tinkerbell herself! Wahooooo lets go get some candy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for checking in!!!

-Bri

Baby Toot's

2011-10-15T22:25:00.001-07:00

I've been looking through old video's and pics of my baby girl. This one def cracks me up!!!!!

I can't believe that this little girl is almost 3!

And I'm sure some of you are thinking... "Oh that poor baby, she'll be so embarrassed when she's older...." Well if she's anything like her mother, and she's the spittin' image of me, then she'll be fine!! ;)

Furniture Redo

2011-08-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

So I got this nightstand at the Goodwill for $4.99!!!! It looks like someone tried to paint it and didn't do well. So I fixed it!!!! One mans trash is another woman's treasure!

The paint was scratching off supper easily which tells me that it was never primed..... And all the yellow paint came off soooooooo quick!

I just used my little mouse sander and a medium sand paper. I didn't want to dig too far into the fake wood. ;)

{via}

I painted one coat of KILZ primer. I don't always prime, but since this was a fake wood piece and the wood grain was a sticker..... I wanted to make sure my coats of paint didn't scratch off!

Then I added some of this awesome stuff to my latex paint. (I used some left over BEHR paint, swiss coffee color)

{via}

This makes your brush strokes lay flat. I love this stuff. I use it for painting doors, nightstands and all sorts of little projects. (just follow the instructions on the bottle for adding this to your paint)

I painted two coats of paint and added some cute hardware that I got from Home Depot for $7.00. I think it's hilarious that my hardware costed more than the nightstand itself.

And here are my results!

I couldn't be happier. It was a simple project and it looks so bright and clean now. Thank you Goodwill fairies!!!!!

Here it is again:

That's my fun re-do! I'd love to see yours!

Love ya!

Bri

Uses for Clothespins

2011-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ok so the dentist wasn't all that bad, I survived!! And I've decided to share some of the projects I've done around the house over the past few months.

Problem: I had TONS of extra clothespins lying around from a Christmas project forgotten. I was going to use them on all my Christmas gift tags last year, sounded awesome, but I never got around to it. So there they were taking up space in my laundry ~~room~~ closet. So I decided to use as many as I could! Here are some of the things I did!

So here is my jar of clothespins... this is the same jar that my husband picks up once a month and says, "Why the heck are you keeping all these?". Well honey... I've made a substantial dent in my collection. Your welcome!

That's some laundry line rope up on top there

#1:

I wrapped all of my ribbon scraps around the clothes pins. I used the end that usually holds the clothes on the line, to pinch the end of the ribbon so that it wouldn't unwind. And now the cute little jar is holding all my ribbon supplies nice and neat!

#2:

I hung the laundry line rope from the hardware that holds up the hammock and started to pin up all of Emily's stuffed animals. And there are tons! She still has more on her bed. Girls are crazy!

Oh and when Emily saw this, she cried out "Oh, my TOYS???!!!! But I can't get them!"

I just wrapped a part of the stuffed animals ear, arm or leg around the rope and pinned it on. Emily is still little enough that she cant reach this to tear it down.... once she grows I'll have to re-evaluate this. But if she grows like me, then I have at least 20 more years!

#3:
When Dave and I were first married I found these great ABC flashcards at Michaels for $2.50!!! And I have finally hung them up in our kids room! This was a craft 8 years in the making! (I did this in January or February when we first moved into our apartment.

I used some felt flowers (not pictured), leftover buttons and hemp twine that I had left over from other crafts.

I hot glued a felt flower onto the clothespin ant the top (where you would pinch it to make it open) and then in the center of the flower I glued a button. Easy Peasy!

And then some of the clothespins I just painted. Once it was all dry I hung up the twine and pinned on my cards! I used a staple gun to hold the twine on the wall. This way there are only a few small spots to patch when we move!

#4:
I used the rest as magnets! I already had the magnets from another left over craft. I got out my low-heat glue gun (thank you geniuses that created this!!! No more blisters for this girl!) and started to glue magnets onto the center of the clothespin.

Then I stuck it on the fridge with a picture! Super easy!

So I kept myself busy for an evening and organized my life a bit!

Now what to do with the left overs???!!!
I still have about 50 or so! Here's some inspiration from Pinterest
I think I'll need a little more time before I get to this level of craftsmanship.

This light fixture is pretty sweet!

{source}

This is a sweet little mirror/wreath.

{Source}

Alright that's enough from me! Happy Crafting!

Love ya!!!
Bridgette

Lip Syncing Kid

2011-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!!!!!!!

So today I have to go to the dentist.... AAAHHHHH!

But I thought I'd leave you with this happy little video of Emily singing her heart out to the awesome new Rascal Flatts song "Easy" feat. Natasha Bedingfield.

{source}

Love you friends!
-Bridgette

Emily's Best Friend

2011-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

We are currently living in Phoenix, Arizona. We have lived here before (around 5 years ago) and we made friends with a few other couples. None of us had children then and now we all have children that are about 6-8 months apart. It's funny how the timing all worked out.

Emily has grown very close to one little girl. She will jump for a minute straight if I say we are going to visit her. It's really very sweet.

Just last week this sweet family welcomed another baby girl into their family, so we went to visit and give them a little break by taking the big girls to the pool! Here's a couple pics of best-friend-ness. The cuteness is too much to handle.

Best Friends

Oh and on a separate note.... I've framed the little art project that Emily and I worked on this month. You can check it out here if you didn't already see it.

I bought 2 frames from IKEA and hung them in my hallway... I'm happy with them! And The whole project only cost me $3.00! (that's the cost of the frames. I already had all of the other supplies!!!) Awesome!

I'm a Horse with Blinders

2011-08-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

What I mean by that is this:

When things get frustrating, tough, or I feel stuck,
this is what I do...


{source}

Instead of doing this...

{source}

Neither one is better than the other, both options avoid or ignore the issues bothering them.
I've realized that I'm the horse with blinders... I just keep plowing ahead, pretending that the stuff I can't see isn't there. Much like burring my head in the sand... except then I wouldn't be able to move.... and I'd much rather have my baggage on wheels, at least then I have the illusion of freedom.

I'm having one of those seasons. One where I am sucking it up and carrying on. I do realize that life isn't always what you want or expect. And how you deal with that is the true test of your character.

{source} also on my board at {Pinterest}

So here's my situation now:
I wish, wish, wish, I could work from home, then I could be with my daughter again. Since we moved to Arizona I haven't been able to work from home. And I really miss it. At the same time I really am so thankful for my job and the opportunity that God has brought me! But it doesn't change the fact that my heart longs to be at home, with my daughter, on my own time, and free to be creative and also provide for my family.

So this is where I become an adult. I do the things that I need to in order to raise a family, because it's better for the good of others. That's called being responsible. At least to me anyway.

I do think it's possible to make the choice to be responsible and NOT wear the blinders. I know I haven't found this balance yet and all to often I find my self without peripheral vision, bull-dozing down the street with fancy wheeled baggage. I guess I just plow along until the scenery changes. But that can't be good either.

{source} also on my board at {Pinterest}

So in light of the question above. I decided to have fun with my daughter and my husband, and to find the good in this season of tough. I'm keeping my chin up, and choosing to keep my peripheral vision intact. I'm thankful for the provision the Lord has brought my way and I'm going to learn to be content. I still have a drive and passion for all things creative, but I will do the responsible parts with a happy heart. That's the difference!!!!

And I seriously love this picture. Chin up and Dance!

{source} also on my board at {Pinterest}

So you say it's your Birthday!!! Well it's my birthdy too!

2011-08-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm 31 yrs old today!!!! And so is my husband!

Yes it's true. My husband and I have the same birthday! We were both born on August 11, 1980. He was born in West Palm Beach Florida, and I was born at Luke Air force Base in Arizona (near Phoenix). He is a whole 8 hours older than I am... thank the Lord, cause I couldn't have married a younger man! Pshaw!

Today is also cool cause now I've known my husband for more years than I haven't known him! I meet the man of my dreams when he was a boy, we were 15 yrs old!

I think we are around 16 or 17 here!

He fell madly in love with me! ;) I had a huge crush on him, but I lived in California and he lived in Texas.... How would it EVER work!!??!!?

Well little did we know that I would move to Texas with my family only a year later! We were inseparable from that point on. Both of us just wanting to stay friends. (We never spoke to each other about how we felt until we were 19 yrs old!)

Probably around 19 or 20 here!

We were buddies and we built a very strong foundation of friendship. It was that friendship that grew into love and then marriage! We married at the young age of 22, but I wouldn't of had it any other way!

May 10, 2003

And then in 2009 we welcomed our daughter into the world.

January 29, 2009

Our life has been a journey! One that gratefully joined early on in our little lives! Thank you Lord for my husband and our births and the life that has now come from that! Happy Birthday Love, oh and Happy Birthday me!

Cute Toddler - Future awesome husband!


That's Me!

That's Us! Our first Bday as a couple!!! 20 yrs old


	Happy 31st Bday! Love you!


And we made her! The joy of our life!

And this was the birthday wish from my little munchkin!
Happy Birthday!
(click the "Happy Birthday" for a cute video)

Love ya!
Bri

What! You don't have my memories???

2011-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is my and my bro, Nick. I think I'm almost 3, and he's a few months old. Anyway, can't you tell I'm obsessed with him! Loved him then and I still do!

I was talking on the phone with my brother Nick a while ago and he said a comment, that he meant no harm by, but it still struck me as odd. When reminiscing about our childhood together he told me "Yeah, but we NEVER got along, we fought like cats and dogs."

At first I was stunned and hurt because I have so, so, so many memories of my brother and I playing, laughing, and building forts. We would sneak around the house looking for christmas presents and try our hardest to convince the other to share what they found. "I know what you're geeeettting!!"

I'm sure he just told me what I was getting...

Memories of finding money around the house and running to the PX to buy candy (that was the military bases version of 7-11 or connivence store). Thoughts of teaching him his ABC's or 123's. I remember doting over him when he was a baby and loving on him like he was my very own living doll.

Of course being brother and sister we did fight, especially when he crafted a bow and arrow out of a stick and a rusty ol' nail he found in the yard and then he proceeded to shoot it at me from the top of the stairs. (He just grazed my arm, but it stuck right in the wall behind me!). Or when I got all the underwear from his drawer wet and put them in the freezer, leaving him no underwear for school the next day. (Little did I know how unconcerned 7 year old little boys were about their underwear; whether it was wearing them, or washing them.) Then I did it again at one of his birthday parties (I also got all his friends underwear that time!)

You can't see me but I'm positive that he's aiming that gun at me. Okay, maybe not...

But overall I remember growing up with love between us and having so much fun together as well. We weren't just siblings in my eyes we were companions and friends, who occasionally squabbled... but mostly rough housed and played together.

Here we are exploring

Here we are posing with our pumpkin. (On a side note: I have really matured)

Here are our tiny heads in a little log house.

Can you feel the LOVE! (Elmyra Duff)

But he doesn't necessarily remember it that way.

Then it struck me. Most of my vivid memories are from when I was older... around 11 or 12... (I have earlier memories, but I'm talking about the most prevalent and quickly recalled memories), and when my brother was 11 or 12, that meant I was 13 and a half or 14 and a half. And of course at that time I didn't want my little brother around me as much. I still loved him, but I wanted my own space to grow, and hang out with my friends, listen to music or talk about all the boys I liked at school. I didn't want my little brother having that knowledge, who would??? The fear that he'd use against me later, or even worse, that he might run up to that boy at school and tell him of my undying love for "insert random boy's name here"! Knowing my mischievous brother, either of these were always an option!

One more story.... Last one I promise!

He once hung a pair of my underwear at the front door, after having colored them brown WITH A MARKER and posting a sign below that read "Bri's Panteees". He did this as soon as we got home from school, then the door bell started ringing, it was all our friends wanting to play. Little did I know I was chatting it up with them while a pair of MY UNDERWEAR was right by my face, on the outside of my house!!! I didn't find out until later when my dad came home from work and asked, "Bridgie, why are your underwear outside by the door?". I was mortified, Nick was elated. And the cutest boy ON-THE-BLOCK came to my house that day! The universe is cruel. (And we obviously thought underwear were hilarious!)

So as hard as it is to realize that my memories don't coincide with his memories... I know that we did love each other very much, and still do. And all I can do is hope that my actions today (nearly 17 years later) can overshadow those adolescent memories he might have. I know wasn't mean to him at all, my family really instilled in us, a love and care for family. Always saying "In the end all you'll have is family", and "Be good to your family, they are with you forever".

Here I am patiently waiting to hold my baby sister... they are twins.... so why aren't I holding a baby too!!!! That's obviously what I was thinking.

I'm all for apologizing for past hurts, and admitting when I'm wrong, but in this case I really think it was just a difference in ages and seasons of life. I don't feel guilt over acting the way I did when I was 13 or 14, I was a growing girl, in many ways (unfortunately none of them vertically. I'm only 5' tall!). Nor do I hold it against him for not remembering all the stuff I do.

Like this winner. I'm the one on the right. Yes I'm a girl. This is when my mom was cutting my hair to look like Dorothy Hamilton... I guess she was cutting Nick's hair like hers too. I don't know which one to laugh at harder.

It's natural and healthy to have space between siblings as they grow, change, and mature. I guess this is just another one of life lessons, my actions of love and caring weren't remembered because he was too young, but they did happen and still have a strong hold in my memory. And his memories will not change mine. Although I hope someday that we can build new memories, ones built on who we are today. So now I'll focus my energy in that direction!

Seriously. Love.

Pretty Peacock

2011-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

So remember when I gave you that little teaser last week????

So after I helped my munchkin make some beautiful art,

I let her go to town on her own art!

I love those little hands, with the little dimples... they slay me.

So after all this fun, I saw something in her artwork:

This is what I saw...

{via}

So after it dried I grabbed my permanent markers, puffy paint and turned her pretty little art into this:

This is what I could muster up.... Now i know it's no Picasso, but I like it! Now I just need to get it framed!

Oh and while my back was turned here is what my daughter was doing....

A little war paint never hurt anyone! ;)

I'm just glad that a little internet picture from Project Balancing Act could inspire so much fun with my baby girl! Thanks for watching!

Love ya,

Bridgette

On the way to a Dream

2011-08-04T10:55:00.000-07:00


{via}

This is making me smile.

My husband and I had HUGE dreams. We still do!
Our journey to sunny AZ has been a fast, turbulent, weird and blessed one! We thought we were on our way to Australia for a school in film, we had spent the last two years getting our biblical perspective and we thought we were on our way to making culturally relevant evangelical films for different cultures that have yet to be reached with the Good News!! And had we been in Australia, we would have had quick access to the rest of Asia to make this happen!

{via}

Instead our funds dried up. We didn't make much to begin with, but after I lost my side job, we were defiantly NOT making ANYTHING. Let me just say when you can't afford to pay your rent of $550 (which included meals) your in a financial crisis!

So we did the only thing that made any sense. We left our dreams to find jobs. I mean HELLO!!! We have a child to care for! We had to do this! And since our Bible School was in Los Angeles, we figured we'd go to the closest city that had family and friend connections, and we also happened to love, PHOENIX!

{via}

So we've been here ONE YEAR!!!! And we are working and doing well in a rough economy! We have a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear and we are debt free. God has been good to us. And although we aren't where we thought we'd be at this time, I'm dreaming again about the possibilities.

So If I try to locate myself in this saying,


{via}

I think I'm still getting lost from my old dream. I still haven't found the new one. But I am an object in motion, thank the Lord for that!

Love ya!
Bridgette

"As Seen on..."

2011-08-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

So I want to start a new thang....
I always see these super cool things online that I really want to try. And in the days before Pinterest, all these amazing things that I saw all over the web would be forgotten about in all of 15 minutes. So now that I have Pinterest I am able to remember all those cool things I wanted to try. But ya know what.... I'm still not trying anything! Uggh!

Why is it that I don't do the things that I love???? I should be trying to do these things that bring me inspiration! Instead ~~who knows where my creative time is being spent!~~ I watch tv. (a little more honest) ;)

So I'm going to change this! Every month I'm going to attempt something I've seen on the world wide web! I figure that once a month is a good start for me, and if I find that I want to add more, then bigolly I will! So here it goes!!!!!!!!!

The first ever "As Seen On..." (I'm so excited! EEkkkk)

So the other night I saw this adorable little piece of artwork

{via}, also on my DIY board on Pinterest

I loved it so much that I wrote "I'm doing this tonight!!!"

And you know what???? I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hooorayyyy!

Sho here's how it went down:

I grabbed my pumpkin princess and we went to town! Well, we went to the dinning room, that's close enough to town right????!!!!

So here's my little tutorial:

My cast of characters

I cut out a good shape and then put the paper side up. It's awesome because the back of the freezer paper is plastic like, and this acts as a barrier for your paint too!!!

Grab your paints and pour them into your plates. (I didn't use actual finger paints, but you totally could. I just used regular craft paint that I already had, along with some puff paint for some glitter.)

Then I started getting her little feet dirty!!! It was super fun!

Then I washed up those feetsies and let her shake out some more glitter on her butterflies!!

Once all of this has a chance to dry, take a permanent marker and draw in the butterflies body, face and antennae...

You know what the best part of this whole thing is??? My little munchkin kept saying "I want to paint wit Momma! Thank you Momma, {insert kisses here, kisses to my face, arms, hands, and anything else within her reach!!!}"

I had so much fun with my little girl! It was a real bonding moment! Thank you Project Balancing Act for bringing me and my daughter together! And with such a cute little piece of art to hang in my daughters room! And what a fun thing for her to look back on and see just how little her feet were!

This little project also lead to this:

After I was done with her feet butterflies, my munchkin still wanted to paint!!! So I set her up in her high chair and let her go to town....

What do you think I turned it into? I'll show you later in the week!

I'd love to see your creations!

Reality TV

2011-07-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

Are you as addicted to "The Bachelorette" as some are? I'm really not into reality tv... except the "Cake Boss", and "Design Star", and "Wipeout", and "The Marriage Ref", and... (you get the idea). I'm not really into the Bachelor or the Bachelorette series, but I love me some reality T.V!!!

What are you hooked to?

Much Love,
Bridgette