Back in Action!

So I've decided to start blogging again. Here is the first one of hopefully many to come. My vision for this blog is much different than it was before. Before I had no vision for it and I think that is while the fire fizzled out. So from now on I'll be blogging about God, our life, our homeschooling days, my children and my most wonderful husband, and my duty as wife and mom. My hope is that somewhere along the way I might inspire someone.
Let's start!
My name is Gina and I have 2 beautiful children, Myla (7) and Kaedyn (5) and my darling husband ( age not so important lol). We decided to home school our children about 3 years ago...I believe my last post was on that decision. It was the best decision of our lives. I get to spend my days laughing, coloring, memorizing, teaching and living like I truly believe God wants me to live. My children are happy and healthy and extremely well rounded.
My husband owns his own business Pressure cleaning houses on the beautiful coast of North Carolina. We love it here and as time has gone by we have begun to slowly plant our roots and grow in our surroundings. God has truly blessed us with wonderful friends, family, and community and that is what truly matters in life.
That's all I have time for now. I'll be back soon with something fun to tell you about!
p.s. I wanted to include a picture and this is the last one I have of all of us together...I need to get a new on taken lol!

God Given Moments are all around me.

I am going to home school. A decision that seemed so easy to make but was very hard to settle with. I prayed and searched and prayed some more. Finally the pieces started to slowly fall into place. People came out of nowhere to help me with opinions and options. Gracefully steping into my life friendships were being built. It was almost like God held between his fingers a needle, thread, and several small pieces of fabric, that didn't really seem to go together all that well and then all of a sudden the more he pulled and pushed the needle through the fabric a beautiful quilt was being made. Then it seemed that any little or big bump I ran into He carefully took my hand and let me through the rough patches until I found peace again. I must take this time to thank Some of those beautiful people that played a part both big and small, in my decision to home school. Cheryl Pigott, who told me about classical conversations the program that I decided to go with for my childrens edcuation. Lisa Roska The director of classical conversations who has been everything inspiring to me. Then the many many people that I met in passing that homeschool and that don't homeschool who have said nothing but encourging words to me. So for all of the above... I must say Thank you!

There I go again not blogging but in dire need of ways to express myself and be creative verbally. Wondering why in the world there are no outlets for moments like those I remembered oh yeah I have a blog!! I am going to blog today, but what about. Do I organize my thoughts or do I ramble endlesslly about life and things I want to know and do or see and experience. Who knows? I'm in a rambling mood today I think.

My life couldn't be anyless wonderful than it is at this very moment. My beautiful and wonderfully creative Miss Myla is as usual creating something in her room she has said that Mr. Potato head needed a wife for Valentines day so she had to find her and save her from the evil dragon. hmm.. I wonder who will be the dragon today mommy or daddy? Possibly her sleepy eyed little brother whom by the way is still sleeping next me. The steady sound of his breating is rhythmically going along steady with the sound of all the random thoughts running through my head and the playful humming coming from the other room and of course somewhere in there is Daddy downstairs playing his guitar and placing together songs for next weeks worship set at church. yes I must say that life is absolutly perfect at this point.

Myla informed me yesterday at 4 years old that she has decided to be an artist when she grows up and wants to have all the different paint brushes and a couple of colors to make all the colors in the world to paint everything. So I asked her to elebrate what she ment by everything flowers or people or animals. The question may have been misunderstood or maybe it was the answer that was misunderstood but she replied EVERYTHING, Everything in the house and the outside. The trees, the stars, the books and the dolls.

Did she mention that she was going to paint on paper? I didn't remember hearing that so now I am fearful that there will be paint on the walls oneday when I'm not paying close attention. The thought oddly enough makes my heart warm and me smile. Yes life is truly perfect at this moment. So I leave this perfect post about rambled thoughts with the perfect picture of my creative one.

today I feel...

My beautiful daugher and my handsome
son that has to do what ever his sister does,
no matter what it is.

My love and I

I feel like life is turning and turning. Things are good and bad and happy and uncomfortable. Satisfying and at the same time unsatisfying. I am content but not. The wavering options for my emotions are endless. and yet no matter how strange this all seems... I'm really ok. My husband and I are doing GREAT. I think we just had a tiff that all married people seem to have in their lives and it almost went to far. I also know that God used any mental misjudgements to make things in our lives so much better then they ever could have been. I am struggling with my finances and my appartment. I find that this must be the place for all of my negative feelings but when I think about the things that truly matter and make me happy (God, my husband, my children.) I find myself smiling.

There has been no work for a few weeks now and I can't seem to pay anything. I'm tired and fusterated. I have been faithful to the things that God has asked of me and I know that he will not let us go under completely but sometimes I feel that "sneaky snake" as my daughter likes to call him coming in and trying to take over my thoughts of complete faith.

hmm.... to have things simple again. to be a child. so sweet and have no responsibilites in life.

oh well I guess we all have to grow up sometime or another.

Have a blessed day filled with God given moments

p.s. Pray for us. We live right on the coast of North Carolina and Hanna is expected to be here shortly. Also pray that we are not victims of Ike either.

5 YEARS OF MARITAL BLISS!!!

ok so they haven't all been blissful, but latley things have been awesome. I'm thinking about the past, the present, and the future of my lifetime with my soul mate. I'm glad that he has stuggled and realized that we are ment to be together and that love is not only a feeling but a choice.
I love my husband every minute of everyday not only because I want to but because I choose to.
I am glad that he was not stolen away from me by seduction of the devil. I'm glad that we have only gotten stronger and closer from all of our trials. Don't get the wrong idea he's never done anything really bad, it's just the last fight that we had was a really big one and I found out some emotionial affairs were going on. I thank God that nothing came of these except a strengthing in our relationship with each other and with God.
I'm keeping this short because I don't have alot of time to write. We're going fishing with the kids
Have a blessed Day filled with God given moments!!!

good times and bad.

ok... so Apperatly I have had some people miss me. First off I have to apoligize fore not blogging latley, life has been so busy and hectic, not to mention that I had my cable and internet shut off. It's been kind of heavy around here. Physically and Emotionly. I had a bout with my husband at the beginning of this month that was pretty seriouse, but Things are MUCH MUCH better there. Much better than they were in a long time. I believe that was something God set up to heal wounds from before. Also we went to Chicago for a week to Willow Creek. A church that hosts this Arts confrence every year. Last year I even met a SU! demo. This confrence is for EVERYBODY!! musicions, visual artists, dancers, drama, vocalists. EVERYBODY. they get together and teach you how to use your gift for God's Glory. It was an amazing experiance. Plus some time for my husband and I without the babies. It was nice. Also we just got back from Boone, NC. We met some family there. We try to do that at least once a year this year we aimed for twice, everyone meets at one place and comes in from places in maryland, Nc, and MI. It's such a blessing that we can do that.
As you can guess I have not had much time for crafting or blogging. but I promise I'll try to do better and make something this week and post it!
Have a blessed day filled with God given moments
Gina.

And a pic of Myla and her Daddy to end this post.

SARA'S Burn Anniversary Challenge.

My good friend Sara posted this on her blog today and I think that it is a wonderful challange to a wonderful ending, that didn't start out so wonderful. So I felt that I would share it with you. Check out her page when you get a chance!
If you wanna check out the pictures her blog is.
http://www.sarafrawley.blogspot.com/

Happy Anniversary Challenge
Two years ago today, my life changed. My husband was on a deployment for a one year tour overseas and my sister had come to visit for the week with her two children, Noah and Autumn. We had gone strawberry picking with my MOPS group and our children and ended up with a TON of strawberries. In all the excitement of what we could make using strawberries, I got caught up in the idea of chocolate dipped strawberries. So off I went to the kitchen to make a chocolate fondue to dip them in.
I made the "fondue" like I always did... one pan stacked on top of the other with boiling water in the bottom pan and the fondue ingredients in the top pan. We had added a little too much cream and needed to add a little more chocolate, and so I had to go searching through my kids' Easter candy to make up the difference. When all the chocolate finally melted and the fondue was ready for the strawberries to be dipped, I reached over the pan to turn the burner off and the pan blew up in my face, causing severe 2nd degree burns all over the left side of my face, neck, arm, and abdomen. My sister was leaning over me taking in the aroma of the melted chocolate when the explosion happened and ended up with burns to her forehead and right eye. I don't remember much from that point on until we got to the hospital and I was able to calm down after several doses of morphine. My husband was called by the American Red Cross, my family was informed and my children were taken care of by some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I was taken via ambulance to the burn unit in Augusta, GA from Savannah, GA (two hours south). The had originally called in the medivac (helicoptor) to transport me because they had a hard time stablizing me, but in the end, I stablized enough to go via ambulance. It was the longest trip I had ever taken in my life, or so it felt. I felt so alone... the ride was quiet and I was exhausted... and still in excruciating pain. I was admitted into one of the best burn units in the United States taken in for surgery the next morning to scrub away the burnt skin. Doctor's Hospital in Augusta, GA did an amazing job in repairing my burns as well as my sisters burns. We were well taken care of and my family really swept in and did everything they could to keep me & my sister comfortable and upbeat. I was in the hospital for nearly 5 days and I got to go home (to my Mom's house in Augusta) when my husband flew in on Saturday. The two weeks following that was an even bigger blur, as they had given me some really good pain meds.
In the surgery, after they had scrubbed all the burnt skin away, they covered it with various healing agents: pig skin, cadaver skin, and a manufactured skin called "biobrain." Two weeks post surgery, all of the healing agents had peeled away and my skin had completely repaired itself. I serve a Great God... and He gets all the credit for my quick recovery. All I was left with was very pink/red skin and a slightly shaven hairline where the burns had burnt my scalp near and above my ear. My scars are minimal now and the only time they are really evident is if I get overheated and/or my bloodpressure goes up (like when I'm upset). We joke now about knowing when Sara's mad because her burns glow, but I can assure you, at the time, it was no joking matter. I thought I was going to die... and for a little while, so did the docs at the hospital in Savannah. It was by far the scarriest thing I've ever endured, and I'm thankful for the family, friends, and strength that God gave me to get through it.
In honor of my Anniversary, I'd like to propose a challenge. There are millions of burn victims all over the world... my challenge to you is to make a card and send it to a burn victim. You can check out this site to find a burn center to send cards to in the United States. A little bit of caring goes a long way.
To send a card to someone in the burn unit that I was cared for in, the address is:
Joseph M. Still Burn Center
3651 Wheeler Rd
Augusta, GA 30909
United States
Address your card to "Burn Victim."
One of the biggest steps in recovery of any kind of trauma, burn or not, is talking about what happened and realizing the great blessing of having victory over an uncontrolled situation. Thanks for listening and helping me spread awareness. If you'd like to see pictures of my burns, I'll be adding a photo album of my burns to my side bar, but discression is advised in looking at these pictures. They are not edited, enhanced, or censored at all.
Thanks for listening... take the challenge. Send a smile to a burn victim!


As Always have a blessed day filled with GOD Given Moments!!!