Young Adults Group

I was asked to help head up the Young Adults group at my church. This has not been an easy task at all. We are definitely still working out the kinks and trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. This generation is very difficult to reach and a tricky age range. There is such an enormous range of differences and life experiences from an 18 year old to a 30 year old and yet, somehow we have to make it work. How do you create a place for a married mother of two to hang out with an freshman in college?

I have been extremely frustrated with the lack of attendance to events. When I talk with people they say they want something to do, an opportunity to meet other people and yet I can't get them to show up. It's a very tricky group we are working with here. Just praying we can find our niche and get something consistent going.

I did this poster for our launch event and had them printed off in all the different colors to help catch people's attention around the church.

We created a Facebook group to be able to put information out to people while we work on getting a page on the church's website. Created this piece to be the picture for the group. I also wanted to kind of set the look and feel for the group and I think this is more of the direction I want to take the rest of the material I create for events. It has a youthful feeling, while not coming across like something for the Youth Group. Also, I am in love with Letterpress and this has that feel to it.

Now, doesn't this look fun? Who doesn't love a festive Christmas Party with a bunch of Tacky Sweaters? I'm excited.

It was fun to just design some stuff for fun and it gave me an excuse to download some new typefaces that I thought were pretty cool.

A Great Grandbaby Shower

My lovely cousin is preggers with a baby boy. It's the first little one from a grand kid making Grammy and Papa Great Grandparents. So, it's kind of a big deal! We are all super excited. She is due early February and normally people have the shower like two months before but with all the holidays right around the corner we are putting on the shindig a little earlier.
Here's the invite I put together for the shower. She is decorating in a Safari theme. It's going to be super adorable!

Brother from Another Mother

Really, a brother from another mother. Zephaniah, Manasseh, and now our new little guy, Reuben, all have the same dad (Petey) but different mothers. So, they are literally, brothers from another Mother.

I know I have been MIA from the blog for awhile now, but my life kind of exploded there and I got super, crazy, ridiculously, busy but I love blogging and I have to make time for it.

For today I am going to leave you with the new family photo of the boys and their new brother.

Zephaniah, Reuben, and Manasseh. Aren't the adorable?!?!!

Zephaniah is the black one. He just turned five, and yes, we had a dog party for him... he's that special. He is my sister's dog and he pretty much saved her life. A year ago we almost lost him. It was pretty devastating, but with a lot of prayer and care, he was healed and you would never know how bad he was if you saw him today. Manasseh is the brown one. He is two and was supposed to be my mom's dog but when I came home from school he and I really connected and I kind of, accidentally, stole him from her. Oops. When I started working out he became my walking/jogging/running buddy and that pretty much linked him to me for good.

So, now that Henna is up in Omaha with Niah and I stole Manasseh, mom wanted her own dog and we wanted Manasseh to have someone to play with so we got this red fella, Reuben. He has a sable coloring which means he has red and black. Reuben is a ball of fire. He's either going a million miles a minute and wanting to chew EVERYTHING or he is crashing, but not for long before he's at it again. The first two days Manasseh was not a fan of the new addition. I think he was really just confused as to what exactly Reuben was. But, on the third day Manasseh warmed up to Reuben and now they play and play and play together. It is a HOOT to watch. Yes, I said "hoot."

And just so you don't think he is always a glowing angel I've included the photo below of the boys playing with Manasseh's girlfriend, Kissa. This little guy is intense.

Mad Men Contest

I need your help! My best friend, Kinsey, has entered a contest put on by AMC's Mad Men and Banana Republic. As a promotion for Banana Republic's new collection inspired by Mad Men they have created this contest where someone could win a walk-on role on Mad Men. People submitted photos of themselves dressed up in their best "Mad Men Inspired" clothes and now the one with the most votes will be considered for this walk-on role. You can vote every day until September 9th.

Kinsey is a Theater Performance major and a huge fan of that era and it's whole style. She has a closet full of dresses from that 60's era. I couldn't think of a better fit. I know that this opportunity would mean the world to her. We only found out about the contest very recently and so I am trying to help give her a fighting chance to catch up in votes.

So, every single day until September 9th get on your computer and vote for Kinsey!
Click {here} to vote for Kinsey.

Spread the word and get to voting!!!

Mad Men
Banana Republic
Contest

The Big 50...

The Big 50 is just around the corner... and I am pretty excited! I'm not talking about a birthday (I'm only 23 for goodness sakes); I'm talkin' poundage. That's right! I'm just two pounds away from having lost 50 pounds since the beginning of my "life change." I started this journey to gain back control of my health in mid to late January and the time has really flown by. Now the weight definitely hasn't flown off, but slowly and surely it IS dropping off. I knew it would take time because I'm not doing anything radical where everything just melts away; but rather, I really wanted to create a new and healthy lifestyle for myself that I CAN maintain for the rest of my life.

I try not to focus on the "Big" picture with the ultimate goal because then it could all seem a bit too overwhelming and even impossible. But, by confronting this challenge pound by pound, it has been possible. Because, hey! I can lose a pound... and then one more... and then one more... and, heck! why not one more?! ...and it's amazing how the math just works it's way out and adds up and up. I still have a way to go, but I'm halfway there and I'm okay with celebrating the little victories along the way.

Weird... I can't believe I just made "Before & After" photos. But this is a good marking point to share some of the noticeable differences. I did my best to find similar photos to compare. The two top ones were both taken in a car, and I'm on the same side; and the two bottom ones, I'm facing the same direction as well. But what I can't show you is how good I feel. I love doing different activities and keeping my body moving. Also, as I've mentioned before on here, I have a really hard time eating vegetables, but I have been working really hard to reintroduce them into my diet and make them work for me. It's been baby steps, but it's working. For example, just last week... wait for it!...I ate an apple! ...and not a cut-up apple with no skins. I bit right into that apple and made my way around it. I know that sounds totally pathetic, but it was an improvement for me. Also, a couple nights ago, we had corn on the cob... and yes, you guessed it! I bit right in and made my way around that guy cleaning it up... And it was DELISH! I'm making progress and I'm not giving up. This is the new me.

Here's to 50 lbs. gone and to the 50 lb. journey still to go.

Amani ya Juu - Nairobi, Kenya

This past weekend I had the joy and pleasure of visiting some friends in Fort Worth, Texas. One of those lovely friends I had the privilege of seeing was my dear friend Michelle, and it has been nearly two years since I have seen her. Two years ago Michelle was called out to the mission field and joined The World Race for about ten or eleven months traveling to a different country each month. And then she went to the G42 Leadership Academy in Spain. You can read more about her journeys and experiences at either of these places: world race blog and personal blog.

All this to say that while she was out globe trotting and changing the world she picked up this beautiful necklace for me. She knows me well. I love a big statement piece.

This piece was made by Amani ya Juu, African Women's Sewing Project. What is Amani ya Juu? - Amani ya Juu means "higher peace" in Swahili. Amani is a sewing and training program for marginalized women based in East Africa. Women from many African nations and cultures are learning to work together through faith in God who provides a higher peace that transcends cultural and ethnic differences. A great cause and I love this necklace. Check out their website to learn more.

So, now I just have to find the right outfit to where this grand piece with. Do you think I can find something like this by Sunday so I can wear it to church?

Maybe I'll just wear a simple, plain top and let the necklace speak for itself. Needless to say I love it and it just makes it even better that it comes from a good cause.

^Michelle and me this past weekend. I had to keep reminding myself it had been almost two years since we had seen each other last because it was so natural hanging out together that it felt like no time had passed at all. I am so very blessed.

Hindsight is 20/20

I think that in life we have all learned that hindsight is 20/20. Even now at my young age of 23 I can look back on my life and be so thankful that I did not get everything I wanted, prayed, and hoped so much for. I even have to wonder what ever possessed me to want some of those things so badly, be it a fashion (Doc Martins, those horrid monster shoes) or a boy (I won't list off all of those, but let's just say my taste was not always that great), they just weren't even worth my time. But, through all of that you live, you make mistakes, and you learn. As Maya Angelou says, "When you know better, you do better."

I'm sure everyone is familiar with this first song that reflects on this topic of being thankful for "Unanswered Prayers," by Garth Brooks. Then the next two are more recent songs with this theme. I love the line from "Blessing" that says, "And what if the troubles of this life are your mercies in disguise," because how often do we think of our troubles in that kind of light. Finally, Beyonce wraps it up with "Best Thing I Never Had," which might as well be an anthem that I am sure we would all love to share with some 'people from our past.' It's like, thank goodness I didn't get stuck with you, but man you sure did miss out on me.

So, enjoy the songs and reflect on all your "blessings in disguise."

Garth Brooks - "Unanswered Prayers"


Laura Story - "Blessing"


Beyonce - "Best Thing I Never Had"

(Sorry about the barely there clothing at the beginning of this video, I promise it gets better. Just close your eyes and listen to the lyrics.)