wonderful news...

I just read a post by my missionary friend, whose family is trying to adopt their 4th/5th child, this time from Haiti. They had some devastating news the other day about an adoption grant that was not going to happen, which you could only imagine saddened them greatly, but they knew God would make a way. Now for the WONDERFUL news... they just received an answer from another adoption grant that they were also hoping would help with some of the expenses. The answer from them was yes!... not only yes, but yes PAID IN FULL!!!! I am so thrilled for them & so thankful for God's ways ALWAYS being better than we can ever imagine.

Why do we fail to see what great things God has for us in His plan... I guess it is just because we are human. I wonder if God ever chuckles over our turmoil in such small things that may come up in our lives???? (I am not saying by any means adoption is a small thing, but everything is a small thing for God to handle) Let's agree today to let Him handle the things of today... and then when tomorrow gets here the things of tomorrow... and so on and so on... OK?? good, glad we got that all worked out!!! *Ü*

Anyway, remember to pray for the Garcia family as they still have many obstacles with the Haitian govt. part of the adoption. You can check out her blog http://iansadoption.blogspot.com/

I am going to Detroit Metro to pick up my cousin from California today so I will be getting in & out of Detroit as quickly as possible & for that I have...
a grateFUL HEART, carin

is it Tuesday???

since being employment challenged (aka: unemployed) I have a hardtime remembering what day it is... my mom who is retired said she has had that problem since retiring, but I thought is was just her age (aka: forgetfulness) but I am only 43 & it can't be just forgetfulness... or can it???

I just received a couple emails from people I graduated with about our class reunion which was over the past weekend (class of '83) ... no I didn't go only because we would of had to travel all the way across the state & to be quite frank there is only a few people I really care to see... I will make sure I am there for the 30th!!!

Hope you are all having a good week so far... it is only Tuesday, right? I am staying with my parents for the week & my hubby will come & join me here on Thursday night to stay for a couple days... we have to be in Bay Port for the "big" Fish Sandwich Festival... if you don't know what that is try & google it. You know the saying "you can never go home again"... well, you can go home again, but it isn't exactly "home" anymore which I guess is a good thing in some ways. My sister, the SU demo, is off to convention today -- have FUN Na!

have a great Tuesday??? with a grateFUL HEART, carin

*Ü* good weekend...

it was a good weekend... or should I say a great weekend!!! How was yours? We really didn't do anything too exceptional but just spend time together... of course we got a nap in on Saturday afternoon... yes, Luke & I love to sneak a nap on the weekend... and why shouldn't we??? who is gonna stop us????

Had a great day at church yesterday... our church is in the process of building a new building & they had a tour of the new building yesterday afternoon (although it isn't done yet, but everyone was excited to at least see it now that is getting close to completion)... we had our first worship service & communion in the new facility... it was so incredible!!! We all met in the sanctuary... sang a worship song... took communion... sang another song... one of the songs we sang was "How Great Is Our God"... what an awesome time & what an appropriate song... there we all were standing in this dirty, dusty sanctuary & the presence of God was so strong... in case you can't tell it was an unbelievable experience... only makes me so excited for September 8th to get here when it is to be completed!!! I am so thankful for the work that God has done & for the work He is doing & going to do!

with a full & grateFUL HEART, carin --- oh & happy monday!

Here is a great end to a beautiful day... ok, you can see this pic was taken 2 days ago, but I thought it was pretty enough that I wanted to share.

My husband took this out our back door... everyone thinks they live in "God's country"... when you see a site like this you know it for sure... thank-You, Lord for Your beautiful handy-work! And thank-you all that left such nice comments on my cards... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

nature's wonders...

Here are a set of cards I was working on yesterday for a lady that wanted me to make her some note cards to use for encouragement. I used an old SU set "Nature's Wonder"... I have always loved this set ... to me it seems so peaceful.

I used some textured cardstock from SU in the Wild Wasabi along with Garden Green, the DP is from SU Print Pack... it's not easy being green you know!

I love the Groovy Guava paired with the Blush Blossom... gonna miss the guava!

Soft Sky & Blue Bayou... my husband wanted to know why I chose blue colors for a sand dollar... don't those colors make you think of clean, cool, clear water or is it just me????

Last but not least (possibly one of my favorites) Purely Pomegranate & Mauve Mist (yes I still have some of that color)... I love dragon flies... I find them intriguing & the pomegranate really makes it pop... I think!

I made 10 cards total & put them in this box I made along with envelopes... So now what do you think... please let me know & leave me a comment... unless it is a bad comment than never mind! *Ü*

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

gift bags for great ladies...

I started filling the gift bags I was working on a few days ago for the ladies at my church. They are very simple, but I think they definitely look better than just a plain gift bag... what do you think??? I have 36 bags ready to give to our birthday ladies in August... it's just a little something to let them know how extraordinary they are ... and I am privileged to get to put together these gifts!

I have been working on another project today, so I will be posting about that tomorrow.

Tuesday is coming to a close & I am grateFUL for such a good rain today!

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

blog candy

Still not really sure how to do this, but Sylvia at http://mabiestampin.blogspot.com/ is offering blog candy for her 10,000 hits... all you have to do is go to her blog & leave a comment & be sure to mention I sent you!!!! for that I will be grateFUL, carin

sliding into the weekend...

I know it has been a couple days since I posted, but I have been working on projects for the Night Out For Ladies at my church ... I am the gift cordinator (yeah yeah that's a good name). Every month our church has NOFL on the second Monday of the month... well, a couple months ago I was asked to fill this position ... it is great because I get to serve my Lord in something that I do love to do -- stamping, shopping & giving to others. We have 100 - 140 women that attend & we recognize new people & birthdays with gifts.

You might wonder why a person that doesn't have a job looks forward to the weekend... isn't everyday like a weekend for me??? I look forward to the weekend because my hubby is home 1/2 day on Saturday & we get to spend all day Sunday together. So I hope you have a great weekend with whoever or whatever you do this weekend... and as always remember to have a grateFUL HEART, carin

weak wednesday?

I don't know about all of you but I am having one of those days... hopefully by the end of this post I will have encouraged you as well as myself. Let's see... I have such a problem with self-criticism... I am so very hard on myself & it is really something I have to work at to stop myself from doing. The funny thing is that one of my favorite Bible verses is:
I John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. (KJV)
That verse speaks volumes to me... that God loves me so much & knows me better than I know myself & yet He still loves me so much!

In another translation I John 3:18-20 goes like this:
My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. (The Message)

Does that say it all? By truly practicing real love that is how I can keep my eyes on God & what He has planned for me... the first step to practicing real love has to start with really loving myself & not stressing over little mistakes & problems that may come along.
I do realize that my "reality" is rarely ever God's reality... and for that today I have a grateFUL HEART, carin

tuesday thoughts

I know it has been a couple days... did you miss me? We went on Saturday with some friends to Sleeping Bear Dunes near Glen Arbor, Michigan... we had a great time! It was very windy, so we did get a little "sand blasting" on our legs... can't everyone use a little extra exfoliating??? We didn't climb the big dunes but instead we took the "Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive"... which is a beautiful drive through the woods that leads to the dunes 450 feet above the shore of Lake Michigan. We found a nice picnic area that was just a little breezy... hold on to your plates! We went to Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor which has everything cherry... they have a website & take it from someone that sampled almost everything in the store... everything is sooooo gooood!
It was another beautiful weekend in northern Michigan & the week has started out pretty good too! how about yours?
with a grateFUL HEART, carin
ps: Happy Birthday Daddy!

Ok, finally I was able to get my pic to download or upload or whatever you call it... this is the card I referred to in the previous post... it was inspired by Deann Oliver. I am sure my sis Renee has told me about doing the same thing with the scalloped punch, but anyone who has an older sis knows you never listen to them. *Ü* (love ya Na!)
Speaking of Na... she gave me the Fresh Cuts set & note cards for my birthday along with a holder she made at a class... I love that set... it is very much my style. So, here is my own little note card I did with the set. I am still using Forest Foliage & not Handsome Hunter because I bought a bunch of FF before SU got rid of it (FF use to be one of my favorite colors) I used Western Sky (DSP) for the background & Cool Caribbean for the flower (yes I still have a few pieces of Cool Caribbean... I'm a horder!)

I thought the dark green & the cool blue looked so good together... what do you think?

Anyway, thanks Na for the new stamp set... I actually used it within the week I received it!!! woohoo!!!

It is rainy this morning but hopefully that will be done soon (we do need the rain) & then Luke & I are off on a little relaxing adventure with some friends... if all goes well I might even let you here about it.

with a big grateFUL HEART, carin

finally some real stampin'...

I finally got around to do some stampin' today... it seems that when I finally take the time then I have to clean up from the last time I stamped... I need to be a little more tidy!!! This card is a card/idea I saw on Deann Oliver's blog http://stampwithdeann.blogspot.com/... she has a way with the scallop punch & it is one of my favs.

Well, I am having difficulties with getting the picture to download... so I will stop trying while I am still my cheery self & try tomorrow... oh, don't be too disappointed!!!

with a grateFUL HEART, even with computer problems
Carin

i've been tagged!

My sis Renee of http://stampinwithrenee.blogspot.com
tagged me... since I am new to the blogging thing not really sure I can do it with the grace & elegance it deserves *Ü*. Oh, the pressure!!!!

7 random/weird facts about me (the weird is not hard for me):
1. I love "even" numbers, the only odd number I like is the number 5, because in my mind it is almost like an "even" number.
2. When I eat M&Ms I like to match up the colors & eat the same colors together (you know like 2 greens, 2 reds...) try to never mix colors.
3. I ate from a divided dish until I was 4 years old... I couldn't let foods touch... my mom used a tupperware relish dish, you know the small one, to feed me with.
4. I was born in Corona California & moved to Michigan when I was 10 months old.
5. I am a middle child (that could explain a lot!) -- one older sis & one younger sis.
6. I fell for my husband even before our first date, no I literally fell at a wedding reception & he caught me... I didn't even know him at that point.
7. I want to live my life in a way that will make a difference & my first step to that is to be grateFUL for the life God has given me & to share His love with others.

NOW comes the hard part, if I tag you don't feel like you need to do anything but just graciously accept it -- of course I couldn't do that because I have a little "OCD" going incase you couldn't tell.
1. Annette Stewart - http://ink-paper-scissors-rock.typepad.com/ she is a SU demonstrator & I just came across her blog -- I think maybe on SCS - her blog is really informative & it cheers me up.
2. Deann Oliver - http://stampwithdeann.blogspot.com/ she is also a SU demo & she is just very talented -- I love her inspirations.
3. Ruth Tacoma -http://inreallifefaith.blogspot.com/ she is a close friend & I love her to pieces, she does beautiful scrapbooks, but she doesn't put them on her blog -- why not Ruth?
4. Heather Watkins - http://danielsmommysbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/ she is also a friend & does scrapbooking, although I haven't seen a lot of her pages but I have seen her work her new phone really beautifully!
5. Ally Schilling - http://alystamps.typepad.com/ this is a blog I stop by every once in awhile, she is a sweet SU demo also.
6. Stephanie Garcia - http://iansadoption.blogspot.com/ this isn't a stamping or crafty blog but it is a blog worth reading, Stephanie is a friend who is a missionary in Chile & her family is on an adoption adventure... go to the blog & read her story... she is inspiring!

Well, I know that isn't 7 but it is the best I can do... I hope I'm not eliminated *Ö*
with a grateFUL HEART, carin

sweet news on a summer's day

My mom called last night to tell us my cousin Kelly's water broke... she wasn't due until the end of August or first of September... she has been through so much to get pregnant... this little baby was so prayed for through the whole pregnancy, so we knew everything would be good. I just talked to my mom & Kelly had a 4lb. 7oz. baby boy at around 11:30 p.m. ~~ they are both doing good... my aunt says he is healthy. His name is Aidan Alexander Mitchell. Welcome to the family little Aidan! They live in California so we will have to wait for the first pictures. And congrats Brent & Kelly... you made it through, but I knew you would!

I had a great lunch with friends, Barb & Sharon, yesterday... they are such awesome friends & even more important such good sisters in Christ (sorry Deb couldn't make it). All of my friends I have up here are the best -- I am so blessed!

We are getting new neighbors moving in next door to us... where we lived in Bay Port we really never had any neighbors, so I get curious about people. No, I am not like Mrs. Kravitz (you know from Bewitched) but I do peek out the bedroom window to see what is going on... I need to get a job... I may turn into a stalker!!! *Ö* The neighborhood is safe so far!

I am actually going to do some stamping today with the new Stampin' Up sets I got for my birthday... thanks Na & Frank and Linds & T... plus my sister Chele gave me a gift certificate for Stampin' Up which of course I will save for the new catalog. *Ü*

Enough rambling & that my blogging buddies is something you can have a grateFUL HEART for, Carin

words of encouragement...

I woke up this morning feeling a little down, could be the day after birthday blues or the concerns (just a nice way to say worry) that go along with being unemployed... so I started doing some blog surfing & I came across a blog by Patty Bennett where she had a tribute to her mother who passed away 2 years ago yesterday & in her post from yesterday she had this quote which I felt just might have been meant for me & maybe even some of you --

"On the wings of prayer our burdens take flight - our load of care becomes bearably light."

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let you fall. ~ Psalms 55:22

"Today with prayer the rough and trying times can be made bearable".

I know anything I am going through isn't at all as devastating as losing a loved one, but these are still great words of encouragement to me & hopefully to you too.

Sorry so somber... I had a great birthday yesterday! My hubby came home from work early & had present in hand (I had told him no present, but he didn't listen), he made me a delicious supper & then we went out for ice cream. He even didn't complain when I was watching "America's Got Talent" (he really hates those kind of shows). By the way he got me this really neat, rustic birdhouse that we can put out by the pond. I also have a lunch date with a friend who is taking me out for my birthday today, so I have that to look forward to, plus church tonight which is always great... worship -- what a great way to lift your spirit!

as always, with a grateFUL HEART, Carin

happy birthday to me!

I have had all kinds of birthday greetings already today... I am grateFUL for everyone of them, but now it is my turn to send a birthday thank-you to my mom & dad. Thank -you for having me... without you this day wouldn't have been possible *Ü*... I would still be in the circus (a family joke). Anyway, thanks for the life you gave me, for being the best parents you knew to be, and most importantly for raising me always in a Christian & Christ-centered home. You may not have been perfect parents, but you were perfect parents for me! (especially when you look at what you had to work with) *Ö* I love you both with all my heart!

Not too much exciting going on today... think I will do a little stamping. Oh, and the endless job hunt... I have a resume to send out today for a job in Cadillac. I also need to go to the Secretary of States office & give them my birthday gift to them... $ license plate tabs $ ... so glad I can share the wealth!?
with a grateFUL HEART on this my 43rd birthday, Carin

Family Fun on the Fourth!

Had a great weekend... we got to see almost all of our family that lives in the Thumb. We had a get-together at my sis Renee's house... she has a great old farmhouse that they have fixed-up nicely but are still doing work on it... thanks Na & Frank for the day!

Here is a pic of me & Luke at the family gathering... my niece that took the pic

said it looked like I was too weak to hold up my head, but I was sitting on a chair that was lower than the stool Luke was sitting on. It might not be the best pic of us but we don't get that many of us together unless we do the old "hold the camera out as far as you can to do a self-portrait" thing. I was very tired all weekend & it has carried over to today so maybe that is why I look a little dopey!!!??? *Ü*



We also went to a cookout at Anne & Wayne's (that would be Luke's youngest sis)... thanks to you for the yummy food! I also had the privilege of giving Dalton (our only nephew) his first haircut. As you can see by the pic he was NOT all that thrilled about it!

It has been a very humid day here in northern Michigan... typical summer weather, but at least there was a good breeze as I had shrubs to prune & some weeds to pull... I love gardening, but I hate weeding!!!! Anything beautiful requires a little pain!

Over the weekend I also finished a book I have been reading... The Shack... if you haven't heard of it let me be the first to introduce it to you. It is a book of fiction, but it sent my thoughts off running about so many things regarding God, Jesus & the Holy Spirit. Some people may say it is way too out there in its thinking, but what I had to remember was it is a book of fiction that really sent me thinking. It didn't take an "open mind" to read it... it took an "open heart" to experience it. You must read it for yourself to see what you think, just remember to try & have an open heart to take it all in. Here is one of my favorite quotes in the book ...

"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others." A.W. Tozer ... that just thrills me that my God loves me as if I were the only one!!!! It is so humbling. I'm sure I will have more to say about it but that is it for now.

With a grateFUL HEART on this the eve of my birthday, Carin

New blog

You will notice a new blog listed to the right of a family that is in the process of adopting from Haiti... they are missionaries to Chile... my old church was one of their supporting churches. I have formed a friendship with Stephanie over the years as she has been a great help to me in dealing with the spiritual aspect of infertility. (thank you Stephanie!)
So anyway, take the time to go on & checkout this blog... adoption is such a long process & I know they covet your prayers... also there is a place to make donations for this great expense of adoption.
with a grateFUL HEART, Carin

travelin' for the 4th...

My dear hubby & I are off to the Thumb for the weekend... we headed out this morning, Thursday, for dentist appointments this afternoon in Caseville... no we have not changed dentists since we moved 3 years ago. I am very picky about a dentist that doesn't cause pain & when I find one I like I will not leave. Enough of that... just wanted to wish you all a HAPPY 4TH of JULY... Happy birthday America... I am grateFUL for being born & living in this country... the good, the bad & the not so pretty!
With a grateFUL HEART, Carin

weekend adventures...

It was an adventurous weekend... Friday & Saturday I spent the daytime hours with some friends scrapbooking (well actually they scrapbooked - me not so much... I did get some cards made though).

Saturday evening we lost most of our electricity (brown-out) around 7 p.m. I waited for over an hour on hold for Consumers Energy to report it ... I fell asleep waiting & when they finally answered the operator had to wake me up. When you lose your electricity you realize how much you rely on it... no TV, no computer, no shower. Went to bed early hoping & praying the lights would come on in the night... oh not so! Washed my hair Sunday morning in a grease stained shop sink at my husbands workplace... yuck! ... can't complain because at least I had clean hair for church! Anyway, the lights came back on at 1:50 p.m... just in time for me to grab a shower before we left for a worship service in Grand Rapids ... FYI: the worship service was great!!! We went to a Japanese steakhouse for supper... that was so cool & the food was good too... if you have a chance to go to a Japanese steakhouse do it... it is one of those places like you see on TV where the chef comes & prepares your food right in front of you... he chops food & throws flames... it is all in the presentation.

Oh, and happy July! Can't hardly believe it is July already!!?? July is one of my favorite months... after all I was born in July... one more week to the big "43".
with a grateFUL HEART, Carin