Happy Halloween!

We were encouraged to dress up in costume for Zumba class today.

So I summoned up my inner Superhero,

donned my cape and striped leggings,

added some sparkly make-up and shimmied away.

I had the privilege of working out next to Batgirl.

Zumba was safer today.

  Woke up to this...

But I'm ready!  Let's go play in the snow!

Goodbye Beautiful Autumn...

Snow, lots and lots of snow, is being predicted for our area this week.  The landscape will be transformed from the glorious display of Autumn to the sparkly blanket of white soon.  Either way, I am prepared and will celebrate the beauty of each season.

Felted Acorns

The creation of a thousand forests 

is in one acorn. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

These adorable felted acorns were made by my friend, Lisa Haldeman, who creates the cutest miniature items.   I have a slight obsession with acorns and recently ordered some more from Lisa because she had new colors.  The acorn caps are from real acorns...aren't they awesome?!? 

I just spied some felted pumpkins in her Etsy store, Lovinclaydolls...uh oh.  Please stop by her Etsy store - the items in her shop vary, so there's always a sweet surprise in it!  Her customer service is superb.  Even her packaging is excellent!

A Wanted Child

As today draws to a close, I have some quiet time to pull together the random thoughts I've pondered throughout the day. 

My Mom & Me

The most pressing one has been, "I was a wanted child." My mother told me the story of my birth numerous times. She took charge of her labor with me, not waiting on the medical staff to take over and take away her options. She followed her instincts, alternated positions accordingly, and proudly brought me into this world, her way. She encouraged me to do likewise, to listen to my body's instincts, when it was time for me to deliver my own children. And I did. 

Though my father was away due to work, he immediately took whatever transportation he could access, with special favors thrown in, to get to my mom and me. 

While she waited for his arrival, my mother prepared a special name for me. In the formal Japanese written language, characters combine to form a unique meaning. Miki means "Beautiful Century," her hope for my life to be long and meaningful. I am the only child to have a Japanese name among my siblings - my father chose their names without consulting my mom. She was determined to leave her imprint and gave that gift to me. My father did manage to slip in an American middle name onto the birth certificate, one that I just found out means "Graceful Lily." My mom stood her ground to deliver me the way she wanted to and to give me the name she prepared for me. I never thought about it like that before. It's a great comfort.

No matter what, I have the confidence and knowledge that I was a wanted child.  An adored and loved child.  A child that belonged in this world.  One with purpose and talents and a reason to be.  No one has been able to take that away from me.

My blog has been silent for over a year because of intense happenings.  I was too heavily engaged in the battles of life, too emotionally spent and unsteady to write about it.  Now that things have settled, and I am able to stand, I am able to open up and share.  This is My Story, and I write to expel darkness, to mourn unashamedly, to continue to heal, and to share my story with hopes that it will encourage someone else who may be facing similar difficulties.

  

Today is the anniversary of the severing of ties with my family of origin.  Though they congratulated themselves on ridding themselves of me in the cruelest manner, I have seen the greater hand of God purposefully moving me out of their midst.  Away from the dark and into His marvelous light.  My children and I testified to one another today about the great faithfulness of God, who has walked with us in such a personal, kind and loving way since this day last year when cruel words and actions were taken against us.  Only God can turn a heart-wrenching situation into a grand adventure. Along the way, from last year to now, many loving hands sent by Him have uplifted and encouraged us.  By the grace and mercy of God, we have walked through a devastating trial of fire only to emerge through on the other side without even the smell of smoke upon our clothing.  Only In Him is that possible.  

Lamentations 3:19-25

[O Lord] remember [earnestly] my affliction and my misery, my wandering and my outcast state, the wormwood and the gall.

My soul has them continually in remembrance and is bowed down within me.

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation:

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.

The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word].

Autumn Front Porch

Welcome to my Autumn Front Porch!

These are my Front Door Greeters,

pansies in an urn found on clearance at Target,

a trio of pumpkins and a weird green squash of some sort.

When the kids and I went veggie picking recently at a local farm,

the other moms were very curious about how I was going to cook that green thing.

Cook it?  I told them it was strictly for decor!

I am extremely fond of the bright turquoise color of the chairs, 

and it shows up in pops all over my home.

I like to mix non-traditional colors and elements to keep things fresh and fun,

throughout every season.

A vintage picnic basket filled with hand-painted pumpkins and a homemade pumpkin topiary.

The basket was my first purchase ever on Ebay years ago, a local pick-up at an exclusive antique store.

I perused the store while the manager went to the back to get my basket,

and most of the items were super pricey.  

The manager asked me several times if I was interested in anything else,

while he rang up my $3.00 basket.

I replied, "No, thank you!" as I gleefully skipped out the store with my prized bargain!

This front door wreath is made from a dish holder from the Dollar Store,

wrapped in a floral garland with pumpkins & fruit tucked into it.

Though I made it a few years ago, the sign hanging below is an important new element.

I found it on mega-sale at Michaels, a little over a dollar.

But its message is absolutely priceless! 

The view from the front door.

 Planters and planters filled with Mums...

Thank you for visiting...

and please stop by my "Queendom" anytime for a cup of tea! 

I've linked up to these parties:

Pumpkin Softies

I saw the tutorial for these Pumpkin Softies in Family Fun magazine several years ago and made the white ones below out of my son's receiving blanket leftover from baby days.  

Fall Festival at a Farm

One of the advantages of homeschooling is going on field trips at any time, even spontaneous ones.  Last week we decided to go to a farm close by.  Homeschoolers got the best deal, five bags of vegetables per person!  One mom, who had been to the farm before, secured a tractor/covered wagon just for our small group.  Our driver was awesome - he drove us to the fields away from the other crowded groups, helped our kids dig up various vegetables and then dropped us off in the parking lot by our cars (saving us from having to pull our bags in small wagons the long way to our cars!)  

We picked red, white and sweet potatoes, beets, onions, celery, fennel, carrots, cabbage, green beans, butternut and acorn squash, as well as lots and lots of pumpkins

After three hours of picking, we roamed the rest of the farm and played for another three hours!  

Though I wondered at times if we'd ever make it out, we finally found our way out of the corn maze. Next time, I'm going to bring a compass!

With twenty bags of fresh-picked veggies to take home, my children teased me about opening my own produce stand.  What an amazing experience and blessing to see how different vegetables grow and to dig in the dirt to gather your own.  We appreciate the hard-working farmers who make fresh foods available to us!

My Treasures

I'm truly a blessed Mama.

 My three treasures.

Gifts from God that have transformed my heart and my life.

School Pics 2012

I have the best models in the world!