bethany and her dog

I took these pictures several months ago. My cousin was moving and had to give her dog away so she wanted me to take some pictures for her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now my little cousin is married and gone. My how life changes. It's hard sometimes.

wedding photos

photos by Becky Pratts

 

 

to my friend on her wedding day

Dear Alicia,

Today you are getting married! I am so excited for you and so honored to be a part of your special day! It brings back a few memories from our high school days. We were so excited about graduating high school, but had no idea where life would take us. You moved to Kansas City to go to school and I ended up following a couple years later when my family moved up to the area. Then I moved back to Oklahoma and now you will be too! Who knows where we will be 6 years from today, but I know that our friendship will continue. It has made it through the years and over the miles, and we have always been able to pick up right where we left off. I think we have a very special friendship…maybe that’s why I dreamed that you got engaged the night before it actually happened! God just wanted to give me advance notice! :)

Your relationship with David is such a beautiful picture of a God-honoring, Christ-centered relationship. I pray God’s richest blessings on you as you begin this new chapter of your life with David. I know you two will do great things for the glory of God.

Thanks for letting me share in the joy of this special time! You are a beautiful bride and I am very happy for you!

Love always,

Lauren

a little girl's dream

I know the Olympics are over. I know most people have moved on with their lives and are probably filled with excitement over the beginning of football season, as they should be.

But.

I found THIS and was so excited I almost started doing cartwheels. Why have I not heard of this before? This is enough motivation to make me want to buy my own Wii (which is quite an amazing thing because I have never been a big video gamer). I know I must explain. Rewind about 16 years…

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a gymnast. I devoured books on Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, and Shannon Miller. I watched as the Magnificent Seven jumped, danced, flipped, flew, and vaulted their way to gold in Atlanta in 1996. I saw Kerri Strug’s infamous vault and she became my new hero. I read every single word printed on their Wheaties cereal box at my grandma’s house.

Then, when the ’96 Olympics were over, I ran to our dress-up trunk, pulled out the ballet leotards, and headed for the garage which I transformed into a gym. An 8-foot long 2x4 board became a balance beam. My beam routine consisted of a series of cartwheels and jumps. Once I completed that, I moved to the floor routine. I used my dad’s king-sized denim quilt and became queen of the floor with my flawless cartwheels, round-offs, and artistry. I even perfected the one-handed cartwheel. I never attempted a vault – watching Kerri Strug’s epic landing scarred me for life. I did eventually figure out how to transform the swing-set into a high bar. However, I gave that up after an unfortunate accident. The bolts on the top of the swing set that hold the swings on can easily get caught on your belt loops as you swing around the bar. This would leave you hanging upside down by a few threads…literally. Not a pleasant experience.

I knew I could never be a gymnast in real life. Let’s be honest: I was way too tall. Everyone knows a gymnast has to be short and I was always one of the tallest in my class. I reached my current height of 5'8" around the age of 12 or 13. Also, I was 8 years old at the time and of course you have to start no later than 4 years old if you want to make it to the elite levels before you get too old. Plus, my parents certainly didn’t have the money for Olympic-level training, and I had younger siblings to raise anyway. I didn’t let those factors keep me from dreaming though…or cartwheeling.

And now, 16 years later, this gymnastics game could be just what I need to relieve the stress of a long day at the office, or give me a nice break from intense studying. It would take me back to my childhood and the fun memories of leotards and 2x4s. Yes, I believe I hear it calling my name.

Trust

by Matt Hammitt

Lest I'm tempted to forget,
I'll tie Your love around my neck.
I'll write Your words upon my heart,
Lord, I won't forget how good You are.
I'll dwell upon Your faithfulness,
I'll rest within Your promises.
And when I'm walking through the dark,
Lord, I won't forget how good You are.

I will trust,
I will trust You.
I will trust you, Lord, with all my heart,
And I won't forget how good You are.
No, I won't forget how good You are.

You gave me everything I have,
And my whole life is in Your hands.
When what I fear is closing in,
Lord, Your faithfulness will never end.
Your faithfulness will never end.

I will trust,
I will trust You.
I will trust you, Lord, with all my heart,
And I won't forget how good You are.
No, I won't forget how good You are.

And even in the darkness,
Even in the questions.
Even when the hardest times of life are at hand.
Even in the darkness,

Even in the questions.
Even in the times that I'm not meant to understand.

I will trust,
I will trust You.
I will trust You, Lord, with all my heart,
And I won't forget how good You are.
No, I won't forget how good You are.

project W, part 3 - final

Okay, your paint should be dry by now. That's why I waited so long to post. Not because I have a life outside of blogger. Not because I have been busy with work and school and the drama that life sometimes throws at me. And of course, not because blogging was already on my to-do list today. I just wanted to make sure you are keeping up with me on these steps. (who am I kidding...I'm a busy girl, ok?)

Step 3: I have to give you some bad news. This is the hardest part of the whole project. But don't worry, if I could figure it out, I am sure you can too. Be brave. Take a deep breath. We are in this together.

 

Tear the paper into strips to fit over the letter in thirds. You will start with the top of the letter. Basically, you are decoupaging the paper onto the letter (you seasoned "decoupagers" will know what I'm talking about...you "rookies" will in a few minutes). The following picture shows what I did next:

 

 

 

First, I cut the paper to fit over the right tip of the W. Then I applied the glue to the wooden letter and put the piece of paper over it. HOWEVER, after doing that, I thought I would try to glue the entire strip of paper over the tips of the W and then cut around the letter after it dried a little bit to see if that was easier. I thought it seemed easier, so that is how I did the rest of the letter. You may find a way that is easier for you...and it may also depend on what letter you are doing. Let me know if you have a better idea because I was making it all up as I went along.

 

So, here is how you adhere the paper to the wooden letter (aka decoupage). Apply a coat of Mod Podge with a craft paint brush (I used 1" for this letter size). Immediately cover with paper and smooth out the surface. Let it dry for, oh, 10ish minutes and then cut off the excess paper (perhaps an exacto knife would work better than scissors??). Next, apply another coat of Mod Podge on top of the paper, making sure you get all the edges. This will adhere the paper to the letter and give it a nice, glossy, finished look. Don't worry, the glue dries clear. :)

 

 



Here is what we have so far. I would recommend letting the first paper strip dry for 20-30 minutes before applying the next one. Or, you could do it the following night like me. ;)

 

Continue the application procedures for the other strips of paper. The second strip will overlap the first strip and the third strip will overlap the second. Hopefully you can see that in my pictures below.

 

 

In between coats, I stood it up against the glue bottle so it wouldn't stick to the newspaper!

 

After it is completely dry, you can add ribbon for a nice, finishing touch!

 

 

Mission accomplished.

 



project W, part 2

Okay, I shall now begin the craft lesson. Step 1: Gather your supplies.

I chose gloss Mod Podge and satin paint because I wanted the nice shiny, glossy finish. I used black paint, but obviously you can choose the color that is best for your project. White would be cute for a baby!

Now choose your paper! Have fun with it! Again, this is totally flexible with your color scheme. I would suggest mixing large and small prints so it doesn't look too busy or overwhelming. A solid color would also be a good option. And you should probably only do three different sheets because more than that might be too much! Warning: you may get overwhelmed by choices!! :) There really is something for every occasion. Oh, and I would recommend not using cardstock or heavy paper because I don't think it would work quite as well for this project. I used 12" paper.

Don't forget to buy the letter. It's kind of an important part of this craft. There are different sizes to choose from, but I would suggest not using the small ones because they would be difficult to work with.



Step 2: Paint your letter. Please follow the instructions on the paint. Disclaimer: I am not responsible or liable for injuries or damage resulting from improper use of paint, inadequate drying time, and/or inhalation of fumes.

part 3, coming soon!