Whats in my studio

Im joining up with a great group of ladies

sharing what Ive been painting in my studio this week.

These are two new pages in my "from the heart" art journal.

No inner critic allowed!

I painted this Saturday and Sunday,

this was a sunset I saw

on my way home from a mommy day out on Saturday.

I was inspired to paint this one after reading in my Message;

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers-

most of which are never seen-

don't you think he'll attend to you,

take pride in you,

do his best for you?

I remain,

Under His wings,

Anna

Yarn along and a book review

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. -Ginny at small things

I have gotten the first sock grafted and will have to pull it out and re-do the toe.

I am funny about how things look and I dont like the way this ended up. I will do it from the inside. I started the second sock and have been able to put a few hours into it a few evenings in a row. I am hoping to get it knit up before my brother in law arrives from Germany to send to my twin nieces and my sister, Kaylyn.

Ive been spreading myself so thin lately with little one being sick, home schooling, down with my back, knitting and painting in my art journal that I havent been able to get much reading done except reading some inspirational blogs, my Bible and reading the chapter in "one thousand gifts" by Ann Voskamp before Tuesday morning ladies Women of the Word group. I have read it once and have been enjoying sitting down Wednesday evenings or Tuesday morning early to refresh myself on each chapter, I have actually been writing and underlining in it this time. I can then read parts to the ladies as we work through the study guide. This is my first time facilitating a group and its been good for me. I am enjoying working with another friend, she is more of a leader than I am

we work well together

this week it worked out perfect because I didnt feel at ease leaving little G with her brother.

I just finished reading " A most unsuitable Match" by Stephanie Grace Whitson. This is the second book of hers that I have reviewed, the first was "Sixteen Brides". The reader finds the main character, Fannie, shouldered with the responsibility of taking over the family estate after the death of her mother, her father dying only a few years previous. Fannie was raised mostly by her nanny and was not taught how to run a household on her own. She sets off to find a long lost relative she learned about when trying to locate all the valuables in the house to store in a safe place after a burglary. The adventure takes Fanny and her family's servant Hannah on a steamboat where they meet Samuel. Samuel is looking for his long lost sister while Fannie is searching for her aunt, both learning a lot about themselves and their faith along the way. Fannie learning to cook, clean and support herself and Samuel's passion for Gods word enabling him to share the gospel wherever he found himself along the way.

I have to say that I didn't enjoy the Epilogue at the end of the story. I like being able to imagine the ending of the story and was disappointed at how the Author picked up several years later with the characters. (I had to re-read the first paragraph numerous times to figure out who the characters were and what was going on.) All in all it was a light read filled with questions, romance, faith, and mysteries that keep the reader interested. I would give this book four out of five stars.

I would like to thank Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to review this book. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are completely my own.

A new sketch

" There are only two ways to live your life.

One is though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle."

-Albert Einstein

This was the way my 5 hour mommy time ended on Saturday.

It was a day

to wander the aisles of the hobby store,

enjoy a handwritten letter

from someone I love

knitting group

drink a Dr Pepper with the good kind of ice to chew.....

knit on my sock

laugh with other women

touch and snuggle some yarn.

supper at our local Mexican restaurant.......

I am so thankful for my new little art journal,

a place where I can paint things that have touched me,

God things that leave their mark on my heart.

Silencing the inner critic one day at a time......

I remain

Under His wings,

Anna

Not sure if you can tell

Ive been doing a lot of house keeping on the blog homefront.

Stick with me

and I promise I will have things looking even better in a few days.

I am tagging older posts since Ive mixed everything together and stirred it around.

(well blogger did that when imported my other sweet little blog over. )

Wont you take a walk down memory lane with me?

I saw on Facebook this morning that the Council in Ecuador has lifted the hold on the adoption agency we used.

I am so glad that their story didnt look anything like ours

I have been concerned.

I am praying that this helps the families and the children.

So as I read this old post I had written

be reminded,

I understand.

I remember the pain of adoption.

I remember the cost.

turn it all over to Christ,

He knows the pain of adoption

and the cost.

He paid the price.

Allowing grace and healing....

I remain

Under His wings,

Warmly,

Anna

Bloggy buttons

Yesterday I spent some of little Gs naptime creating a button

and the URL code so people can post the link on their blog etc.

I am NOT a computer geek for sure

but if I have good instructions,

with time and patience,

I can do it.

I have been praying alot

about taking steps in my art journey,

and weeding out things that God wants me to let go of.

I want to export this blog

over to my "from the heart" blog.

Where it all started.

It causes much fear and trembling to do this.

(you should see my hands shaking as I type)

But I want to give all my readers a "heads up"

that it is in the future.

So.... if you havent linked up to "follow" from the heart.

Please take a few mins to beat me to the punch.

Id sure hate to loose you along the way.

Its been a beautiful journey to grace......

Some days it still doesnt feel real.

And weve been home over a year.

To think that dreams really can come true.

My dreams really were His plan for us!!!

You know we have a heart for the orphan in our house.

BIG-time.

I got wind of something exciting going on over here.

If you are like me

you might have some fabric or thread

that you could donate to the cause.

I am thinking that the blessing will be freeing up some space in my home.

This is a very good thing.

One more thing,

I know youd like to see a few more pics of little G today,

But she is under the weather.

This started Wednesday morning early.

I know shed hate me sharing sick little G photos for the whole world to see.

So .........

If you want to see more cute ness

say a little prayer or two that she gets well soon!

(in the meantime you can look at old posts for your "fix") wink

We remain,

Under His wings,

Anna

whats in my "studio"

This week has been rough around the edges.

Back pain

sick little one.

she is still running a low grade fever,

wont eat or drink without being coaxed.

I was able to get a sketch done with Miss Junelle

applied some paint.

Created a button for my blog.

Join us as we link up with Studio RJU

and share our creative hearts

grace peace and good health to you and yours

Under His wings,

Anna

A new button!!!

Lookie here!

Look what I spent part of naptime doing!!!

Me!! I am in shock. ME?!

I made a button!

If you are like me

and you have had it on your bloggy list of things to do.

Please go here and check out her tutorial.

REALLY.... it was so easy.

Pinky promise...

It took me several tries because

I like to make things hard.

Really hard.

But I did it

and if I can do it

YOU CAN TOO!

By heading over to oikiology

and following the step by step directions.....

a cute little button can be yours!

For no extra charge. wink wink.

wed love it if while you were at it you grabbed ours!

grace & motherhood

fleeting glimpses of my little darling

that take my breath away.

She has a way of doing that.

the overwhelming thought

that she is my daughter

sinking in slowly

and warming me from head to toe.

I remember being 25 years old and grieving

It took 17 years to hold

number four, in my arms

another year to heal.

This place is beautiful.

the journey here

irreplaceable

it changed me.

grace with a little g

and my darling "lil G"..........

A sketch

A new bloggy friend suggested

we find something

calling out to be drawn

take a few minutes to sketch it out.

I wasnt able to join along yesterday

thanks to the back pain Ive been having.

Little one is sick today

but while she was napping I sat down and sketched these adorable little ballet slippers.

So thankful for the little feet that wear them.

Ive blogged about her dance experience thus far.

It is not stellar.

But I am hanging on to hopes that

given time

the dancer inside her

is able to blossom and bloom

like she has.

I have dreams for this little one

I will not let go of those dreams so easily........

Im waiting to find out what we will do with our sketches this week.

Giving it ALL to God.

Laying it at his feet.

I remain,

Under His wings,

Anna

The Very hunrgy caterpillar

I read to little G often,

Always a book before bedtime.

I LOVE that she is starting to sign with me while I read.

I think I have even mentioned that several months ago she started asking for a "signing time" video by topic, " Happy birthday" she will sign over and over, "rainbow" or "family, grandpa"or one of my favorites "frog.Where? What?" you get the picture. Last night she climbs up in "purple bed" as she calls it and signs "butterfly" over and over. I had read a baby hardboard book called goodnight butterfly several nights in a row so I asked her if we could read a different butterfly book and pulled out "the hungry caterpillar "by Eric Carle. She is doing sucha great job at signing the words she knows with me and loves the holes in the pages.

I am now wondering if she really meant hurt tummy,

and sick when she signed them.

(remember when the hungry caterpillar ate all that food!)

Or was it a coincidence?

She didnt eat supper with her usual gusto.

(I thought it was all the crackers brother had fed her earlier.)

This morning little one had a very angry tummy.

Made us all so sad.

By noon she ate a pepto bismol tab and started to perk right up.

A Saltine cracker every 15 min then a bowl of rice at 3.

No fever and no other tummy troubles.(no lower gi)

I dont know what to think.

(it was 48 hrs after her first dace lesson)

I am thankful

for the mocking bird serenading us this morning,

the door was open with the A/C on to air out lysol smell and germs.

I am praying she wakes up from her nap good as new.

details on the dance class

I posted pics yesterday-

just didnt have time to give the gory details.

Plus, ignorace is bliss.

Who wouldve wanted to read how MUCH it didnt meet my expectations

WHILE seeing such great looking photos.

see how much this little one is enjoying Gs presence.

I cropped that out of the photo we will be sharingthis is the one grandma will see.

its time to sit?

No thank you.

I will dance in front of the mirror instead.

I am feeling the need to post about it

you and I both know how looks can be deceiving......

at times I see your family's little blog, the great adventures etc.

But I dont get the FULL picture because I am not livin' it.

It looks all pretty and glossed over, so "happily ever after."

I am not saying that anyone holds back intentionally to deceive others.......

It just looks different in black and white typeset and pretty pictures.

I know there are those of you out there right

walking a hard road for one reason or another.

That leads me to think about today......

headed home from Moms Bible study

such happy thoughts about the great little group of women

gathering together to read, study and learn together.

How sweet the group is.

we enter the room giggling and talking

lighthearted,

then we get to a place of sharing

walls come down,

it gets real.

Youd never know looking at that group of ladies in the parking lot

were the same ones

that cried and shared during that time together. ........

I want my blog to be real like that too.

I want you to know what reality is, most of the time,

I know we arent supposed to compare our children or situations.

But lets face it, we are human,

it happens.

I want to be an encouragement.

I know what its like in the DS world.

The adoption world.

even more interesting the DS adoption world.

So Im willing to say,

this is my reality.

So, here goes.

Little G was a mess.

Dont get me wrong-She LOVED dance class.

She wanted to dance where and how she wanted.

There were 5 little girls two of which were only two years old.

I went into the studio and helped the teacher explain to little G about sitting on the circle and she picked out a blue one.

I stayed in there for just a little while as they started acting out stretching movements to the little song. As they progressed from one exercise to the next little G had her own ideas of what should be going on in the classroom and screeched "NO!" whenever the teacher tried to convince her otherwise.
Then you have one of the two year olds screaming and crying on the floor. I stepped in again and got little G back on her blue spot and reminded her to pay attention and watch her teacher-

this happened several times during the first 15-20 mins of stretching floor time.

mommy sending Papa a text, "little G is proving to be a hand full during class."

Papa replies,"Figures."

Then him texting me once class was over,"Well?"

Poor guy.

She has a lot to teach us.

She did a great job when it came to hopping across the room and galloping like a horse.

As long as she was allowed to join in with the other little girls when it was their turn or make up her own timing.

Even shoving them when she felt like it was her turn again.

The teacher found me after class afterward and told me it wasnt going to work out.

Let me tell you, I was devastated.

I nodded my head and listened to what she had to say.

Once the conversation progressed she did say

We could try a private lesson or two

or even me coming to class with little G for several weeks to see how she does.

I was so thankful that she regrouped and decided we could try it

I was left to wonder if maybe the headmistress hadnt warned her of our attendance?

Maybe next time I should request the teachers contact information to pave the way in advance?

I am new to this. I assumed the headmistress would relay our conversation to the teacher

Ive contacted the company that made the music CD requesting a copy

Maybe little G and I can listen to it over and over while practicing the stretches?

I will now get to go to dance class on Monday afternoons.

Yes, me personally, in class.

I will keep you posted on our progress.

Dance class

headed to dance class

Waiting for class to start- Dorothy Daniels Lister in the background





Class is over.......

What Ive been creating

what Ive been up to this week.......

Packaging an order of note cards.

Praying and wondering

if this is an answer to my prayers

"what to do next?"

What I have been creating

Memories

purchasing tights, slippers and leotard for little one.

Showing little one how to paint.......

reading the last of my books to review.......

getting one sock done!!! Whoo hoo!

getting to know my new camera.....

while being down with my back......

still.....

Drs visit yesterday and a massage today.

Hoping to be feeling spry and moving quicker next week.

Join us over at Studio RJU and share

what youve been creating this week

or take a peek at what the other sweet creative ladies have been doing.

I remain,

Under His wings,

Anna

Dance class

The joke at our house is

any shoes little G has on are her dancing shoes!

That was one of the first things we learned about her,

they would put some music on and it was like flipping a switch.

(celebrating at the Fudrine July 2010)

It was a no- brainer when we decided she needed to start taking dance lessons.

It was an adventure figuring out where when and how.

Before Labor day I thought I had figured it out

but she didnt do well when we went to go visit.

It was too chaotic and she just shut down.

So we came home and regrouped.

We decided to take her to the studio big sister danced with for many many years.

pardon me while I walk down memory lane....

Bog sister with Dorothy Lister in 2004


We have history with these teachers,

one of them actually teaches children with special needs.

I am still a little hesitant because the time is not good for us.

Little G typically naps from 2-5 every day. We have to leave here at 2:30 to get to dance class by 3 and we will end up getting home at 4:15 at the very earliest.

I guess I will be playing it by ear,

trying to get her down for a nap at noon-

napping beforehand

then the following week trying napping after class until supper?

Papa being greeted by our new ballerina.