Happy Fourth Emmy Lou Who

To our little ham and fun spunky spirit... You keep us busy with your talking and dancing!

Emmy loves the dogs, her baby dolls and dress ups. She was sneaky enough to get a Barbie from her grandma and dad...lucky girl, it is our first one. Yesterday she had her favorite three friends Mady, Shyann, and Jaycee over for a Kangaroo Zoo jumping adventure. She got a Tinkerbell costume, a crying baby, Princess Bingo, a Barbie couch, play food and a fairy doll. We love you Emmy for always bringing a chuckle into our home :)

Best Book In a Long Time

I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long time. "Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater. Wow. I have been loving Young Adult fiction lately because so much of it is based loosely off of fairytales and explores the theme of first love. I remember mine...James Matthew Hancock. I was 18 and in college. Do you remember yours?

I love that these writers understand and tell about the love of books, the art in every day life. Here is the book trailer composed and illustrated by the author.

Halloween 2009

A Black Kitty

Two Baseball Players

A Fairy

A Witch

Three Halloween Parades

A Family Party

Trunk or Treat

A Garden Maze and

A Transformer

School Photos

Our kiddos got their school pictures back today. Love them :)

Our Little Witch

I loved these photos of Meg at the Gardner Halloween party this last weekend.

Miracles

I have never really struggled with believing that we are rewarded for our faith and sacrifice until the last few months. It happened little by little but I started to drift away from my center. I had some old wounds that needed healing, a huge trial of my faith with personal issues and a battle within myself. My depression really over shadows my faith sometimes and I think it is my trial in life. Depsite all I do to try to help myself it is never enough.

Along with that came real anxiety about going to family / social gatherings, church meetings and being around people. I just felt out of place, angry and forgotten.

Then last week I decided to buck up and do what I know is right. I took all four children to sacrament meeting and the wrestling match ensued, but at last we made it. I also decided that I was going to make sure I had paid a full tithe, 10% off all my earnings so far this year. Tithing is a law I have always been able to keep and have perfect faith that the belssings will be poured upon us.

I'm not the main breadwinner of our home, and Todd's employer has not paid him most of his earnings. We are currently waiting for over $13,000 in back wages. But I tossed in my widow's mite and I felt good about living the law 100%

The next day I got an order for an 8x10 and an 11x17 print as well as a book order from Amazon. Then I had inquiries about making 160 journals, four more prints and was spotlighted on a website. It came straight form Heavenly Father. Saturday I went to a photos shoot and she paid me six times what I normally charge. I was so overwhelmed. I told her she couldn't pay me that much and I tried to give it back to her....then tears welled up on the spot. He is so aware us personally.

Yesterday we all went to church again and I paid tithing on my new earnings. Faith, not fear. So I went to bed last night and woke up this morning to three inquiries for family sittings and sold another print on Etsy. Despite my imperfections and bitterness, the second I turn back to the Lord he blesses me in ways I could not bless myself. I know He lives. He loves us as we are and sees our needs.

If I Had A Milion Dollars

Or knew how to sew :)

Not Quitting My Day Job

Well, the cat is finally out of the bag so I can share the reason I have been taking voice lessons two times a week, singing to myself in my car and going into recording studios. You can go ahead and giggle, I have been the entire time. It has been SO fun to learn some vocal skills. This is one of five songs I recorded and will be performing live at the New Moon Experience in November. Wish me luck because I will need it :) Thanks to Daniel Jackson for composing and master minding this whole project and donating 10% of the proceeds to our children's medical fund.  Also, thanks go out to Lori Vandegrift for the continuing lessons in speech level speaking and Greg Simpson for recording and editing my cuts in his home studio.

Etsy Shop Giveaway

This super nice woman contacted me on etsy the other day and she is featuring a giveaway on her blog.


http://etsyfix.blogspot.com/2009/10/heather-gardner-photography-giveaway.html

she said "I am finally getting around to decorating my house... only 2 years after living in it. Hey, better now than never right!? I wanted to get some colorful and fun photos of vehicles for my son's room. That way after 2 years he won't be sick of the 'Disney theme' or something similar. I found Heather Gardner Photography and she hit my vision right on the bulls eye! She also has much more than cars and trucks in her shop."


Enter by submitting a comment on A Little Etsy Love (liked above) for a chance to win a $20 gift card from my shop :) Good luck.