I’ve realized a few other first thoughts when I think about traditions are actually from my childhood, but not necessarily what I do with my children. I’m finally in a place where I can realize because our family dynamic is so different from what I grew up with, it is okay. Traditions can change, it doesn’t mean they have less meaning. I’m learning the value in accepting and embracing change. Two years ago, my children & I packed up on Christmas Eve morning and went to spend the night at friends’ house. We were with their family for Christmas morning and through the whole day – it was very different, but fun memories were made. We didn’t experience our traditions, instead we participated in theirs.

As a child:

• Christmas music was not allowed to be played until after Thanksgiving dinner. My mom was always really strict about this (except, today – she listened to Christmas music as she was here alone for a couple hours & put up white lights outside.).
• We always had a real tree, so while Christmas decorations & music were pulled out, the tree didn’t go up right away. I don’t remember a specific date the tree would go up –  for sure not before Thanksgiving dinner, but sometime soon after, but not so soon it would start losing needles before Christmas – or die before New Years. My mom always kept it up until New Years, then before we went back to school we had to help put it all away (I hated that – so I’ve changed it!)
•  On Christmas Eve, we would go to my grandparents’ home with my dad’s sister & her family – this is when we opened gifts between the families, then we would all get dressed up and go to the candlelight service (at 11pm?). My grandpa was the pastor of the church – we only did this the seven years we lived in WI, but nearly 30 years later it still seems as if we ought to go.
• Christmas morning was at our house with just our family of five, we didn’t have a lot of money growing up (my dad was finishing school/working part-time & my mom was home with us kids) we got stockings and one main gift. We never felt cheated or like we had less.
• Then we’d go back to Grandpa & Grandma’s and spend the afternoon/evening. Christmas was about being with family and friends.

As a mom: I can’t really remember the first two Christmases, being a mom was so new and traditions in life were not a priority. I do know my son’s 1st Christmas was in OR, we lived in the biggest two-bedroom apartment I’ve ever lived in, but we shared our space with fleas & cockroaches. [Ewwww! I’ll take my small one bedroom apartment, thankyouverymuch!!!] I mostly remember trying to keep Vince on a large blanket on the living room floor; he was only 5 months, but he’d already been crawling for a month. I do remember a tree, but no ornaments, lights, or other decorations. Vince’s 2nd Christmas I was pregnant and had the flu, and our family had an absentee father/husband. He was out-of-state working, but things were really not good.

By Vince’s 3rd Christmas, we were a single-parent family; Vince was 3 & Christine was 4 months. I remember feeling like such failure – I didn’t know or understand how a family could be a family without two parents. I did not know, or grow up knowing, anyone who had been divorced. At that point I realized I needed to make changes in what I thought was necessary to celebrate holidays. Our family looked different than any I knew. Since then I’ve tried a few consistently different things, namely adjusting my focus. It’s been 14 years now. I won’t lie and say it’s become easy to hang onto the idea that one parent and two children are a family. There are moments of intense ache because of this fact in our life, but when I find myself longing for something different, I choose to Give Thanks.

I give thanks for the blessings we have each day – even when it doesn’t feel like a blessed day. With our Heavenly Father, we always have the hope of a future meant to glorify Him. He promises (Jeremiah 29:11 <- look in the sidebar, to the right & up). I am still and will always be: His child, His daughter, and He is King of Kings – no matter what my temporary circumstances may look like.

Christmas music is supposedly not allowed to be played until after Thanksgiving dinner. (However, the last two years I’ve realized when I play Christmas music earlier I am able to make gifts without it being the very last moment when I finish. So I’ve fudged on this, and my daughter’s been listening to it for a while, and Vince is still adamantly against :-D).

Our live tree in 2008….

Ugh, our  living room looked awful! This is before we had a real couch. You can see Vince’s desk to the left, and all my office/homeschool stuff on the right. This is also before I pulled the carpet out of my living room. This is when my walls were newly painted blue; I’d painted them the night after our first campaign, November of 2008. I was afraid I’d hate them and have to paint it back (which equated to a waste of time & money)…. Today, I still love my blue walls as much as I did when I painted them – six years ago!

Our three porch trees….

I don’t put wrapped gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve night – usually because I’m still making them :-D! Did I mention, for the most part – we make/upcycle all our gifts? There are a couple reasons for this – we’ve never had a lot of money, so buying a lot of gifts is out of the question. Simply not an option. This has been normal for my whole life – but I have also found, I’d much rather make our gifts. I hate shopping. So, shopping and spending money I don’t have/shouldn’t spend is exponentially not appealing to me. There are times we do buy things of course, but it’s not expected. Additionally, for our extended family – we’ve all approved and prefer recycle/upcycle gifts. If we’re in a thrift store or having something we know someone would like – we give it to them. No shame, no explaining. It is so much fun and we appreciate giving and receiving because no one feels as if they have to do anything. Also, if you don’t want to wait until Christmas – you can give it to them early and (gasp!) they can open it right then!

We have chosen to make the holidays about family – not activities/events, not stuff, or traditions/obligations we have to do.

Thankfully, all of us are okay with this. A few years back my mom & one brother thought we should draw names because there were getting to be so many of us (12 at the time) and some were struggling with letting go of the idea to buy for everyone… we all hated it. we didn’t stick with it. most of us still did gifts for others, because it’s what we wanted to do. We altered the “rule” to be you just couldn’t give the “extra” gifts at our Christmas exchange. That was the year I really realized the blessing in giving – when I felt it was “against the rules” to make a gift for my dad – I couldn’t not make a gift. (yes, I have an issue with rules. I struggle greatly when I break them, but I regularly doN’T keep them. Personality conflict anyone? :-D)

I try to have Christmas decorations up by Dec 1st, and I usually take them down by the 29th. I want to bring in the New Year already cleaned & organized. There have been a few years we had a real tree, but for the last several years we’ve had 3 fake porch trees grouped together. I got these trees on clearance many years ago and because they’re different & unique and not a “normal” fake Christmas tree – I like them. As the kids got bigger and with all of us in the living room each day, a full size tree was just too much. These fake trees are tall, narrow, and small enough to fit in the living room – but I’ve bent the wire limbs down to put them away and “fluffed” them for too many Christmases. The last couple times I’ve put them away I’ve thought they wouldn’t make it thru another Christmas – I fully realize I may have to do something different this year. Last year there were a couple wire limbs I held to the trunk with the lights :-).

We have had a tradition since both of my brothers’ wives have their families within just a few miles – we have the eve of Christmas Eve. It’s our family’s re-creation of “Christmas morning at Grandpa & Grandma’s”. So, on the eve of Christmas Eve all of the kids open their Christmas jammies (started as matching, then went to coordinating – we haven’t talked about what we’ll do this year. The kids are ranging from 2-17 & we’re too cheap to buy expensive matching…), then it’s a big sleepover and we get up in the morning for “Christmas morning” on Christmas Eve. So on the real Christmas Eve we open gifts between our extended family (14 this year!). Christmas Eve evening is a hangout (maybe with family friends) time and I’m usually finishing up gifts :-). This way both brother’s can have their own family time on Christmas morning and time with their in-laws without stressing – trying to be with everybody on the same day.

Christmas morning I have with my two, then we move over to mom & dad’s. This is when we eat kringle, read the Christmas Story, and then the last bit of exchange between the three of us and my parents. We pretty much still stick to one main gift and stockings.

This year is bringing yet another shift in our traditions. My son is 17!!!!! He got his driver’s license yesterday. After his test we went to say happy birthday to my sister-in-law, then he brought me home & drove back to my brother’s house so they could go running, then he brought his sister & himself home. This is going to be WEIRD!!! After cello lessons his friend came out to meet us so Vince could go to his house to spend the night – I took him to the meeting point (so I could have the car today) and watched as they drove away. So very, very strange. I realized as I spent a lot of unexpected/un-planned time at home alone yesterday and last evening- this holiday season will be much different than ever before. In the past, the kids would have activities and I would drive them, I either planned for errands – or it was time I’d spend reading in the car. Also, this is probably next to the last “for sure” Christmas with Vince at home.

Even with all the changes – there are constants. Our Heavenly Father. Thankfulness. Family.

What does the holiday season mean for each of us? For our family, November is a continuation of thankful living. We might vocalize it more – but not much is different, except for making even more of a point to have together time. We are blessed to be part of a family where all involved appreciates the value of family and makes a point to be together. Both of my brother’s have in-laws who are family friends too. So, it makes for fairly simple planning for family gatherings. For example, we know one brother & his family won’t be with us on Thanksgiving Day – it isn’t an issue, we’ll gather for a different dinner. It’s not about a single meal in a month, but we’re trying for weekly (or close to) family dinners while Zach & his family are here from the Philippines. We are blessed. I know there are many who don’t have this kind of relationship with their family, and/or in-laws, my heart aches for you. I am praying you are able to see God’s gift of love for you in spite of those hardships.

Where am I in the planning & traditions for this year? So far, now in the middle of November….

• We have no snow. as in zero.
• I’ve not started listening to Christmas music. (I did once, the weekend in October when I did a bunch of cleaning/sewing for my niece’s birthday, and I was sick)
• I’ve not started making gifts. (but I have ideas in my mind, I think I even have most of the supplies too)
• Tomorrow is our second whole family dinner in a week, in honor of my sister-in-law’s birthday. (whole family = 14 of us, but dad isn’t here this week)
• We are now less than 2 weeks from Thanksgiving….. and I have to figure out how to make Swedish Kringle be Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Egg Free (could be interesting, not sure the egg free part will work at all).
• In two weeks I’ll be pulling out Christmas decorations. :-D!!!

This year, I challenge you: Don’t stress about buying/giving gifts. Focus on time spent with family & friends instead. You won’t ever regret it.

The holidays can be a gift to us: A time to enjoy simple things, have life be a little different – a time to appreciate our many blessings in life. NOT a time to create ginormous to-do lists to add to our already over-burdened schedules. Participate in the activities you want; if you don’t necessarily enjoy it, re-evaluate – do you really need to attend?

May I make a couple suggestions?

1. Instead of buying all those friend gifts – stop, call your friend and make an appointment with them to visit over coffee/tea/cold drink, whatever – at your house, at their house, at a coffee shop, at a book store, wherever you are both comfortable. It doesn’t have to be for a long time, it doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be a meal. Just stop & visit face-to-face, even just an hour can be so meaningful. (I’m not against buying stuff, just suggesting an alternative for when you simply can’t. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find it better than buying in the future :-D.)
2. All the holiday cookies? Simple, don’t make them. Make the ones for your family you know you really enjoy. No one needs all those baked goods any more than any other time of year. If you wouldn’t normally consider making 10 different kinds for one event/evening – why do it now?
3. Don’t go too overboard on decorations. … (they do all have to be put away :-D)
4. Take time to rest and enjoy the season.

I’m so glad Patience Brewster contacted me and asked about our family traditions, inspiring me to continue now, when the blog world is thinking about Christmas planning. I’ve written and re-written this post so many times in my head, and I’ve never actually written it all out. (you know how it goes, when someone else asks it becomes a higher priority :-D). Thank you, Patience, for the opportunity to do a “for real” blog activity :-).

I really do enjoy blogging – once I get started :-). Thanks for reading.

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{Yes, that is water on either side of the cement. In another photo you can see the other side of the heli, on the cement, is a whole bunch of people standing there looking. I don’t know anything about this photo — other than it is not a very big spot to land!}

My brother is in a position where he is the last link – he is delivering food to areas so remote they’re not expecting or looking for help. In the bigger cities it seems there were too many safety concerns and the smaller crews weren’t allowed to land.

{The above photo shows the three NTMA aircraft – two small planes able to land on smaller strips, and the helicopter. What you can’t see is the heat & humidity. I’m guessing this isn’t a cool summer day.}

I’m not sure what all has gone on, but I do know there was an NTMA helicopter and their 2 small planes ready with willing NTMA pilots – they are partnered with MAF and maybe others. Zach has flown officials around to photograph and scope out damages, road accessibility and all kinds of other things they have to check out. He is now flying in supplies. Nearly four years ago in Haiti he said:

“I love what I’m doing. … no flying will ever be the same again.”

Since the days in Haiti when he wrote those notes, he finished his training and has been basically living in the Philippines ever since. He has had the opportunity to be used by God to get many people to medical care, bringing the missionaries their food, and any number of other life essential flights. He has never tired of his “job” – he sees it as a blessing, not a job. He is loving what he is doing. He is made for this work.

As I told you last week, he is flew the helicopter down to Cebu. I’m not sure where they are actually based right now – they moved around after scoping out the damage and seeing where the needs were. Here is the note he sent out this morning:

…I got to fly into several different places that have been overlooked as far as aid. It’s really interesting to watch people’s faces, at first they can’t figure what a helicopter is doing landing on their beach and then they see me taking bags off and they start to smile. You also can see that some people are completely shocked that someone actually cares they just stand there with a look of wonder. The most satisfying experience of this whole time so far is a guy that came up to me shook my hand but would not let go and stood there looking at me while his eyes filled with tears and he just said thank you over and over. That one moment was easily worth all the work of the past week. As I flew home I realized how unfair it is that I get to experience that just because I am the last link in a incredibly long chain of people that have made this happen. I wanted to share it in hopes that it is really encouraging to all the people that are working so hard but don’t get the privilege to see the end result. I’m grateful that God is allowing us the privilege of serving this way.

May I take the liberty to dissect this as I see it for a bit?

• More than a week later and there are areas still being overlooked for getting aid. This absolutely breaks my heart. All those moms and dads trying to answer questions of their little ones. I don’t doubt many are clinging to Jesus in this time, I’m praying they will be able to find a personal relationship with Him through this catastrophe. While so many believe there is a God and “plaster” God stuff all over their vehicles/businesses – it was a mix of lots of beliefs and mostly ruled by God being a good omen, not a personal relationship with Him.
• Some of these people have probably never seen a helicopter before. I’m totally guessing here – but that is the kind of remote area some of these places are.
• These are not people expecting help. They’re used to hardship and making the best of hard situations. It isn’t until they see my brother unloading supplies they start to realize what is going on.
• Some are so shocked by the help they aren’t able to express anything. “…they just stand there with a look of wonder.”

Even with all Zach has experienced and seen he says, “The most satisfying experience of this whole time so far is a guy that came up to me shook my hand but would not let go and stood there looking at me while his eyes filled with tears and he just said thank you over and over.”  I love my brother greatly, I am constantly praying for his health, safety, and wisdom. What brought tears overflowing this morning was this:

As I flew home I realized how unfair it is that I get to experience that just because I am the last link in a incredibly long chain of people that have made this happen. I wanted to share it in hopes that it is really encouraging to all the people that are working so hard but don’t get the privilege to see the end result. I’m grateful that God is allowing us the privilege of serving this way.

In the midst of being part of these huge answers to prayer, this serving like most will never experience – he thinks about it not being fair he gets to experience all the people’s thankfulness. So few working in the relief effort will see the quieter places with few workers. He does. and he realizes it is rare.

If you have given in prayer or financially (many small gifts make a big impact) to the relief in the Philippines – then, my brother is referring to you. He is doing what God made him to do, he is making living art, helping to show Christ’s love because someone cared enough to give a donation, or is continually praying for the health, safety, and wisdom of the relief workers. Please – continue to pray. There is still so much devastation.

{my brother with Philippine hills in the background. This helmet is amazing – it is so bright and gets so hot in the R44. I am happy he has this to help him be comfortable. He spends lots of hours in the heli bubble. His funny in the note said, “My biggest problem is sunburn and keeping the white sand out of the carpet of the helicopter.” 😀 Love his sense of humor in times when you just need to embrace life and all it is throwing at you.}

Right now, today, I am embracing the wonder of time on earth. Even with its hardships. I have been reading A million little ways by Emily Freeman, with the Bloom book club. Amazing. Mind boggling good.

While I think on the wonder of time on earth, I am praying. Lots. My family is spread thin right now – I have family in two locations in the Philippines, two locations in Alaska, actually two states too. My two brothers are flying in what I would call extreme opposites – one in remote areas of the Philippines in a helicopter, and one is up the highway flying in the Alaskan bush in a super cub; my two sisters-in-law are lovingly supporting their husbands (my brothers) in their dreams/livelihood, while being on their own with the kids; then my parents are in Texas. My dad has surgery in the morning (Wed, just a few hours from now); Lord willing, he’ll be released Thurs morning; then they fly to Juneau to pick up a vehicle and drive it home. If all goes well and is uneventful, they should be here next Tuesday. We are expecting, Lord willing, to have all of us (minus Zach & Jane in the Philippines) in one location for Thanksgiving. and Lord willing, next year ALL of us will be here for Thanksgiving. The wonder of time on earth. I am working on embracing God’s goodness. All these experiences ARE His goodness, His faithfulness. His good and unique design played out in each one of us.

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***updated to edit recipe: it should only bake for 35 min*** I used my mom’s original recipe because it was in my computer, when I went to make this on Thanksgiving I realized it should only be 35 min, by the recipe I actually use to make it. Maybe this is a difference in ovens?

In lots of conversations lately I’ve been hearing and asked about our family’s holiday traditions. So, I’ve decided to talk about it a little here – and link up to Thanksgiving Recipes over at Kelly’s, livelaughrowe.

One of our long-standing holiday traditions is to eat Swedish Kringle for breakfast on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. This is a recipe coming from my dad’s mom. I took over making it when I was young because my mom hated trying to pat the first layer down all the way. One year, I used a 9×13 pan – it went in so much easier, my mom never looked back. She decided the recipe was for a 9×13. I go back and forth, depending on my mood in the morning. 🙂 I usually still go with the larger pan, a jelly roll stone, because I like it thinner and I spend the time patting down the mix in prayer. Squishing what bugs me, while I give it up to the One who can actually do something about it :-).

Going gluten free wasn’t that painful for me because I didn’t lose much – I never really like food, it made me sick. However, I love Swedish Kringle, it is something I look forward to twice a year – every year. I was able to successfully substitute straight brown rice flour, I didn’t like it as much though (it’s a little gritty). It is better with a mix of flours/starches to make a gluten free flour. I don’t really use Guar Gum or Xanthan Gum.

— > Swedish Kringle 4×6 <– I succeeded at uploading a PDF so you can just print it off!!!!

Can I just say – I’m totally stoked I actually got a PDF so you can just print.

Okay – so I wasn’t really done blogging today, but we just lost power – long enough to shut everything down and I lost what I was writing. I am up at the moment, but the wind is still howling. Supposedly the storm is just starting so, I’m going to post and be done for the night. This is fun to be back to writing again. 🙂 See you soon.

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Thanksgiving in the Philippines. Yes, Thanksgiving is traditionally thought of as an American holiday – however, any person in any culture can enjoy thanks giving. or giving thanks. or Thanksgiving.

My sister-in-law posted this on facebook today – they’re on Thanksgiving day in the Philippines:

We are all still plugging along! With 2 planes & 1 helicopter pretty much flying all the time, we’ve flown 160+ hours & hauled almost 44,000 lbs of cargo around! Our relief efforts are still focused on small islands surrounding Palawan & helping them get food & shelter until they can get back on their feet. 

Today is Thanksgiving here in the Philippines. Zach and Dave, the hand at the end of a long arm of support, will be the ones who get to see many thankful smiling faces as they deliver food to the people of these typhoon torn islands. 
…
Our hearts prayer is that one day these same people will be thanking the One who is truly deserving of their praise and know Him as their personal Savior.

Thanksgiving is an action, it is giving thanks. Stopping to be thankful and give God praise for the harvest of blessings and food provisions for the coming winter.

In the Philippines this year there is great thanks giving in many remote and hard hit areas.

I have wondered this year – in America, do we even remember why we have Thanksgiving? It doesn’t seem so. In stores we went from Halloween to Christmas. Thanksgiving was just grouped with fall and Halloween. I saw Thanksgiving stuff on clearance and Christmas out before Halloween! Really – lets all see the Black Friday ads 2 weeks before – or forget waiting for 5am on Friday the day AFTER giving thanks…let’s shop on Thanksgiving day?! or do Black Friday shopping before Thanksgiving? I just don’t get it.

Let’s remember Thanksgiving ISN’T about gluttony with food & Black Friday.

Amazing God note: In the last week someone named Dave, with MAF, has been flying with my brother (the same ‘Dave’ Jane referred to in the above note) – I’ve greatly appreciated the photos and being able to see Zach in action. I posted on Saturday morning about my brothers, the extreme differences they’re flying in right now, and shared pictures of both. Then on Saturday afternoon when I was finally reading emails from the day – I was reading through Grace Full Mama’s email and there was a picture I’d posted and looked at many times throughout the week…{enter several mind boggling moments as I tried to process her having the same photo I’d seen from my sister-in-law on facebook}. Get this, the “MAF guy” flying with my brother – is her husband! How crazy is that? Go read Dave’s account of Thanksgiving in the Philippines. You will get to see amazing smiles, I promise you won’t be sorry. Especially, if you have given or are able to give financially – go, see first hand pictures from those seeing the results.

All pictures taken and owned by Dave Forney. {I did get permission from Joy, once I knew whose pictures I’d “stolen”, and she assured me it was okay for me to keep them up and share these Philippine photos here.}

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, I pray you are able to see, feel, and experience even just a drop of your many blessings. If you are reading this, I trust you are at the very least warm & safe. I hope you are with family and/or friends.

If you are:

• spending this day alone,
• in family a situation less than comfortable,
• without your children for whatever reason,

please know I am praying for you today. I know I am beyond blessed, but I also know my family story is not everyone’s reality. I’ve lived through less than desirable Thanksgivings: I have faced down the heartache of the possibility of not having my children on holidays; I have not had my family around; we’ve lived through the fear of my dad in the ER very sick, if I remember correctly, more than once on Thanksgiving he’s been extremely sick. Those days are not far from my mind and my heart aches for those living through those experiences today. If you are in need of comfort and thankfullness in your heart today, please know you can ALWAYS turn to Jesus. He will comfort you. He is faithful. 

If you would like to see more information from my brothers – one brother writing about the other. The two of us here at home, with our family far away…yes, we are incredibly proud. It shows :-). Matt gives you way more information than I do – he knows more of the background and logistics.

One week ago today: my dad was discharged from the hospital in Texas, the doctor was relieved my dad had a voice; one brother was in central/southern Philippines flying helicopter while the rest of his family is in northern Philippines; my other brother flying in negative temps up the road a ways. It was just my sister-in-law, our 4 kids, and me here at the home front – this week we are in only three locations – north and south Philippines, and home. We’ve had a FULL week with many blessings and we will be spending our day together.

Be blessed.

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On to other randomness:

I finally got a $3.69 box of mac-n-cheese, and today was the day we had “macaroni-n-cheese, with hot dogs cut up, and peas”. He wanted to know if I needed the recipe he drew for me. Oh, I love that boy! I was instructed to remember the hot dogs needed to be cut up and cooked first. Then the peas at the end. While I was making lunch he wanted me to play the guessing game to what his most favorite noodles were. So I was asking different foods made with noodles, I suggested mac-n-cheese, he said “no”; I continued asking about shapes of noodles. He finally stopped me and said, “No, none of those. It’s not just macaroni-and-cheese, but your macaroni-and-cheese.” Oh ya – I was fighting tears.

I always find it interesting how God knows exactly when and where we need Him to show up most. Today has been a thoughtful, deliberately thankful, not so wonderful day…but even with the gratitude offered for simple “mac-n-cheese, with hot dogs cut up, and peas” in the middle of the day, at the end of the evening, I did have a couple more big blessings.

Today I made my very first gluten free apple pie, yes I realize the edges are almost burnt. It is not a pie that could win any kind of beauty contest (but then even with gluten my pies weren’t pretty) This was not a small project, I don’t want to buy the expensive xanthun gum or guar gum on top of which I’ve read too much about people reacting to them so I don’t even want to go there. So, after fixing lunch I got the apples all prepped and went to sprinkle flour on them….ah, crud! I hadn’t mixed up my new batch of gluten free flour so I had to stop and mix that first, for those 3 Tablespoons. I knew I needed to mix a new batch, but I hadn’t done it yet – I was trying to get the apples doing their thing first. I had a moment of being really annoyed and put out that I couldn’t just use regular ingredients and be done. I had to stop myself and be thankful I have so much gluten free available to me. I’m so spoiled, products are so well labeled, I have so many blogs I can research, I have internet to do the research, and there is so much variety in pre-made that I have absolutely no business being grumpy. None at all. Anyway, I got the pie done (finally) and it tastes yummy! The crust doesn’t perform like we think a crust should. It is more of a crumble texture on top and bottom – I’m okay with that, it tastes good :-). Tomorrow my plan is to try my mom’s roll recipe I’ve always used and substitute my gluten free flour to see if I can make rolls….I might chicken out and use the Pamela’s bread mix I bought though. We’ll see how adventuresome I feel.

Lastly, tonight as I was waiting for pictures to download from my camera to computer, I was over reading Donna at Funky Junk Interiors blog and when I got to the bottom of her post – there was my picture…. I was so shocked! I won the giveaway to Katies Rose Cottage Designs I posted about on Saturday. I’m going to have such a hard time making decisions – but I can’t wait :-D! Thank you Donna and Lori for this fun opportunity!

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