super/ diva hero.

my friend lindsey is one of the most creative people i have ever met. she is full of inspiration! sometimes i get so overwhelmed with inspiration when i see the things that she has created. truly a talent! this idea comes from her blog. on sunday jeremy asked me to make him a cape so he could be a super hero... followed by ashlynn's request for a diva cape. as i was thinking about how i could do it, i remembered that lindsey had made one back towards the beginning of the year... thus began the start of the super hero & diva hero in our house. i dusted off my sewing machine (its been a while) & began to create!

ashlynn choose a hot pink polka dot for the underside & a green, pink, & orange paisley for the front. we just made the 'A' with scraps from the underside... as well as the straps. ash's design.

super hero & diva hero take a rest! we needed it after jt said he was going to save super diva girl & tried to fly off the top of the couch! it was disaster... he landed on ash. okay so it was a little bit funny too... because they were both okay.

a project.

i was feeling iNspIReD! i get all of this wonderful artwork from the kids, but i dOn'T always display it! i solved my pRoBLeM!!! i created an aRTwOrk wall! a wall to dIspLAy the kids artwork so they can show off aLL the bEAutIFuL work that they have put their little HeArTS into.

the 'home' sign was a gIFt for moTHerS day from the kids & todd too. it is made from a fence from a local farm house that was torn down. the wood is from 1912.

this piece of wood displays the aRTwoRk. if you have been to my house you have seen my 1800's texas farmhouse hutch that my mom gave to me. this PiEce extends the counter space, but we have never used it. it has so much cHAraCTeR i couldn't throw it away. so i finally have a use for it! i went to staples and picked up some really cute binder clips and screwed them into the piece of board. (no worries if i ever want to use the piece of wood in the hutch, it just added more character when i drilled new holes.)

here is some artwork. ash has really wanted to do some water coloring. here is her flower with sunbeams going around it. jt's 'horse' is in the background. even matty leonard has some watercolor art on the wall. they are so PrOUd! && so am I! art is a passion of mine. my mom was an art teacher & always encouraged us to find our artistic nature. i love to draw and create... so does AsHLynN. jT does whatever he can do to get the most mEssY!

i forgot...

the lions head is right near the kids. it yawned & looked

right at them. they thought that was amazing.

ash. papa. jt.

this one from a while back. we got a pass to the santa barbara zoo. it is half way between santa clarita and slo! yeah!!! we met my dad (very special time) at the zoo and wandered around looking at all the animals. i must say that the giraffe's have the best view in the zoo. it was such a fun time just chasing the kids, having lunch & hanging with pops (i call him pop... the kids call him papa). it has been so hard to be away from him during all of his treatments and illness, listening to his struggle, but not being able to really help him out. this was such a sweet time of hanging out with him & enjoying his company. he really is the nicest guy you will ever meet! i am not just saying that because he is my dad.

the last two weeks...

Well... where do we start. Hume... that is where our week started... two weeks ago! We had the most wonderful time driving up to Hume. Ashlynn and Jeremy were so good. We even stopped off at the outlets in Tulare! They didn't love that, but I did!!! On the way I got pulled over by a park ranger for speeding. He wasn't nice. JT kept asking what they were going to do with him & Ash when I had to go to jail! Oh the ideas of kids.

Hume was a blast. Full of yelling for recreation, worshipping & just hanging out at the swimming pool. Let's not forget the Hume shakes. I was good & only had 1.

abby & bethany after mud! abby won!




me & taylor.




We then left Hume early (so sad), but was so excited to spend some time with friends while going to a wedding. Ashlynn was the flower girl & Todd was a groomsman. The wedding was beautiful. The groom, Ryan, cried when the bride, Rachel, walked down the aisle. They are both like family to us, so to be a part of the wedding was so fun. & we couldn't be happier for them!



ash.



my dad. ash. todd. (yes todd is wearing purple)




On Sunday it was recap time for Hume. We went to Port San Luis for a bonfire with the Junior High & High School students. There we were able to hear what God did in their lives while they were up at Hume & even how they plan to continue that passion now that they are home. We also got to worship together, where Ben almost lit everyone in the front row on fire!



todd flying jt.




worship.



jt. he went potty in his pants so he had to wear todds sweatshirt.
he looked so cute despite the circumstances.


One last thing. We have a new addition to our family. Meet Rusty. He is our new puppy. We also have an 85 lb golden retriever named Hurley, but he is too big to play with Rusty just yet. Though they are not yet friends, but are very curious about each other.
Isn't he cute. He follows me everywhere. He is only 7 1/2 weeks old. Precious.

rusty.

That about wraps up our crazy lives. We are busy. As summers usually are in Student Ministries. Barely any time to breathe!!!!!!