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I'll walk with you sweetie...

Yep! knocking on 29 and I STILL want to sing. It is amazing how miserable one can be when not cultivating those seeds embedded deep, deep, deep, down. On the other hand, timing is EVERYTHING; and there is a time for everything,... I will keep you posted,.. I have been busy writing songs and have even had one recorded (almost done,... a few little touch ups needed).

I am just gonna have to put it out there! Look out for my new song "Black & White" scheduled to be released in early December,... seriously :)

I hope this helps someone else who has considered their God-given talents and gifts lately.

One thing is for sure,... I see my daughter's talents BEAMING! And she is only three. Today, I commit to taking her hand to guide her through this Who am I? What am I supposed to be doing? thing long before she hits 28 lol!... if that is possible... anyhow, God is certainly sovereign ...Selah

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Yep as I was coming Chloe's hair, she said, " Mommy what are you putting in it?" I said, "Hair Moisturizer" and she replies with the sweetest little thankful voice saying: "Thank you God for moisturizing my hair."

I did not know whether to cry or laugh. One thing is for certain, I thanked God for his grace, that he would even allow me to hear from my own toddlers lips that she is learning to be thankful for what she has,...

So, when I get a little frustrated with my little blessings for minor things like getting ready to play my guitar, only to find two bubble blowing sticks, some magnetic letters from the refrigerator, and a promotional flashlight from last year's Atlanta American Idol try outs...
rattling inside my instrument,....

What in the world is all that noise?

Flash light, magnetic letters, bubble sticks, crayons, etc... goodies from the tiny tots...

I can take a step back, and be thankful that I have to little blessings that He's entrusted me with, and that even when I can't tell whether or not they are listening to me,... they are.

No worries...

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Tweet My sister-in-law posted a great quote:
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." ~Theodore Roosevelt

Left: Raised bed I built with firewood logs. Center: walkway built from old store tiles. I planted grass seed between the tiles. Right: Empty plot, future potted garden bed (I'll use gravel for the base). Front: potted tomatoes, cucumbers, Sugarbaby Watermelons, Cantaloupe and Yellow Squash.

    That idea inspired me in making my garden as economical as possible. I just don't have a couple of hundred bucks to put into a new hobby! But that's where creativity begins (so I tell myself :) )
    I used some old firewood logs from a tree that my husband cut down (Go Curt! Love ya!) to make my semi-raised garden bed. My neighbor saw what I was doing and offered some old pots that he had laying around for years! Good old Jack! He saved my daughter, and now he's helping save my garden dream. He told me "Erika, I don't waste nothin',...call me a pack rat, but it hadn't cost me a thing to keep all this stuff back here!" 

From Back to Front: 3 corn stalks, 5 (2 different varieties) strawberry plants, two cantaloupe plants, 2 cucumber plants, a hill with Sugarbaby Watermelon seeds, 2 yellow squash pants, and 2 carrot plants.

Hard work, but I love it... It BETTER give a good harvest!

I look like I know what I'm doing right?

   Then here I go thinking,... (by now, you should know,... I analyze EVERYTHING) is it that I don't have enough? or am I not using what I already have? Obviously the latter in my case. It's not bad to want more, but I certainly have to check myself on how faithful I am with all the things that have already been given to me... Here is the beginning of my garden, and me using using what I have!

"You learn by doing" ~ Jack

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Tweet Last night, after visiting the neighbors the kids and I were walking home when blam! (or hiss.. or something like that) Chloe stepped over a Copperhead snake that was on the gutter of our driveway!

Sorry Copperhead,.. but not really!

In a Panic, I reached out for her, which caused her to step back over the snake as it coiled for attack! ... He didn't strike... he had every reason to,... but he didn't. Sounds like it was just not in the plan for my little girl to get bit by a snake that could have killed her. Thank You Lord!

My neighbor stepped on it's head as it was coiled up... and beat with a nearby branch (It died). Thanks Jack! We love you! And we KNOW you love us too. How many people would put themselves in a position like that for a neighbor? It's rhetorical,... don't worry,...We probably had the same answer,... but now, I'm going to have to rethink mine :)

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Tweet Yes! It's Spring Break! No school, no waking up in the 5am's, and no pretending like I am not too tired to play when I pick up the kids!
Mean while, teacher contracts are coming out with some SERIOUS cuts, got a speeding ticket (while daydreaming of my life's drama), both cars go into the shop this week, and I'm planning to be back in the home full time. No one ever told me as a child that life would be "This Way"... (title of a song I am working on:) I'll post it when it's finished). But it is.

I AM RESPONSIBLE!!! even when it's not my fault (not that I am faultless, because I'm not lol). I was chatting with a fellow teacher about the excuses children in our classes come up with and she said: "I mean how much of what happens am I in control of?! Not a whole lot."

Wow, that really hit home! When I was taking pictures of my kids and niece on Easter Sunday, I thought... they are so happy! Not a care in the world... How did I get here? I know it's not a coincidence that this happened... Life is sometimes unfair, and with some of us, even relentlessly unfair... but you have to roll with it. Nope, I don't have a 7-step self-help guide to a better life...just FAITH, and a candid observation. Enjoy these photos of the kids...ENJOYING life.

Hurry up mommy.. I am ready for some action!

Here I go!!!

Alas!! My very own egg!

On the hunt for some Easter eggs..

"Mommy, look how many I got!"

Jelly bean number uhhhh...pretty big number!

The cousins in grandma's back yard! ENJOYING it all!

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Tweet Curt (my husband) and I were talking about what we used to do before we were blessed with our chidren Chloe & Isaac... Ahhh the good life, come home, talk about crazy days at work in the lives of Public School Teachers. We had Wine down Wednesdays, where we had a glass of wine, I made an awesome dinner, and watched a favorite TV show together....hmm...seems like a dream at times.

But then, when I look at Chloe, growing, talking, reasoning; and I see Isaac walking, trying to sing, and at times, just wanting some "Me and Mommy Time," I think: What would our lives be like without them? To be honest, I really don't care. I would not trade them for anything,... when we need a break (and boy do we!) there are babysitters, and other friends & family.

I had no idea what I was in for being a mommy, and much of it I have yet to discover (Ahhhh! teenage years...scary). One thing I do know, is that these children were no accident, God is certainly sovereign over their lives and the roles they play in mine.

Curt & Isaac holding his hair after his first hair cut last month!

Chloe with cookie # 5 that she snuck... and thought we didn't know...
Chloe trying on my shoes
The two of them
Isaac and my father, just 2 months before he passed away this year
boy do they look alike!

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Tweet So, After almost two years of returning to work outside of the home, I find myself out of shape, often tired, and have discovered that my little pooch has returned (only not as little as I would like). You know what I am talking about!

What am I going to do about it!? Start a garden. I figure, if I take pride in the food that I grow, I am more likely to eat it. I am putting the chips away... good-bye Route 44 slushie (man, and the weather just got warm again!), and so-long Haagen-Dazs Icecream bars (with almonds of coarse)... we all have our vices.

Quinalt and Allstar Strawberries...

Indoor Greenhouse with yellow squash, melons, tomatoes, sunflowers, and (unsprouted) herbs

Cucumber and Sunflower seedlings

Home made green house for my flower cutting garden,.. we'll see how that works!

Dead baby strawberry,.. I will use the seeds to plat more!

seedlings galore!

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