~ more beautiful you ~

Going through
Brave Girls Soul Restoration
class for the last four weeks
I've obviously done a lot of

soul searching.

soul reevaluating.

soul "cleaning",

if you will.

I have to admit before I started I had given up, really

I felt like I wasn't worth the trouble.

Whatever I wanted to change in my life - it just felt like it was

WAY TOO overwhelming.

I've really been reminded of my value
to my God in this.
My sister sent me this video link a few weeks back and it has helped me so much.
Yes, there are things I need to work on.
Yes, there are things I need to change.

But honestly,
God loves me for me.
Me, Sami Jo...
right now, needing a shower,
needing to lose weight,
needing to learn how to be more patient, more thankful,
needing to learn how to be quick to listen - slow to speak.
Spilt coffee on my shirt and all.
Me. He loves me for me.

So comforting.

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works.
 Psalm 139:13-14

It is still my hearts desire to be my best ME I can be.
I'm remembering to put all my selfish reasons aside, it is all to give him the Glory.
He deserves my best and so do my kids, my husband and
so do I.

~ first trip to the park in 2011 ~

It was a beautiful
winter day, and the
sun was shining bright!
We had to go...

play at the park!

This is William's first time playing by himself at the park.

He climbed, he slid down the slide,

he climbed, he slid down the slide...

you get it.



 Pauly made a new friend - his name was Hudson.

The two boys kept running back and forth across this bridge and

were pretending brother was a bear -

and in William's true fashion began to growl and roar!

 The sunshine was quite deceiving as it was still bitter cold outside.

We only stayed at the park for about 20 minutes.

We still had a great time and it made me happy

since I could get some pics whiles I sipped my delish

Vanilla Chai Tea Latte.

~ insisting on being banana independent ~

The other day
William was
insisting that
he eat a banana

all by himself.

INSISTED!



I was kinda surprised because this was really the first time that he was

super persistent that I didn't help him (well just a little help).

He wanted to hold it,

and sit on his stool,

and eat it all up,

all by himself!

Dapher was all for this idea as this gave her a better chance of getting a

lil bite!

He ate and ate

and

he ate the whole dern thing.

He loves bananas

and he is such a big kid!

See that belly?

 BIG Kid!

Lol!

And also PURE Man!

He's always after the remotes.

BUT

he is learning a few things from Mama.

He loves to help and he takes things and puts them in the garbage.

So that's always nice.

Putting things in the garbage obviously includes things that don't belong in the garbage as well as getting things out of the garbage... you know, just for kicks.

oh yes,

VERY Helpful.

 He found Aunt Cici's hat downstairs that she left here when she was visiting last time...

Eat your heart out. 

~ it's all in a name ~

I was so sad last week.
I was trying to post to my blog
and all the sudden my little laptop...
died. It totally. kicked. the. bucket.

I was so bummed and day by day - I kept getting behind with my

Brave Girl's assignments - I had no idea what to do.

My sweet husband came home from work and said - let's go to Costco!

We went and we picked me (us) out a new laptop and

I lof her!

As you know, I love to name possessions.

I posted to Facebook I was trying to figure out a name for my new laptop...

I got SO Many good ideas - most of my possessions are female... I don't know why, they just are.

For example:

We have 3 chickens -

Audrey Hepburn (Black and White)

Elizabeth Taylor (Black and White)

& Maureen O'Hara (Rhode Island Red)

My pretty blue coffee cup named Birdy.

My washer and dryer - Kim and Trixie.

I thought and thought

and couldn't come up with something fun -

went to check my Facebook

and there were so many fun suggestions!

My friends love me!

I wanted it to be a cool name.

Something a bit smart.

maybe even genius.

yet cute and quirky!

And there it was ... the suggestion from one of my High School friends - Danica.

She suggested I name her Qwerty.

At first I was like so fun! then I thought - where in the world did she get that name?

So I asked her -

She reminded me it is the first six letters on the top row of the keyboard!

Genius, right?

One of the suggestions from a friend of mine was Scarlett.

Immediately when I heard that suggestion I remembered that I

had never named my sweet little cell phone (yet another gift from my sweet husband)

So also, please meet Scarlett.

I've had her for almost a year and lof her! She's so good to me.

So there you have it - me and my silly naming things again...

Got any cool names?

~ Unbound ~

I wrote the
following poem a
couple of weeks
ago when I was

reflecting and working through some things that have happened in my life.

I've had to work up the courage to share it with all of you.

 I've had and have a beautiful life and I am brimmed with gratitude.

I'm thankful for the Brave Girls Seminar that has given me tools to appreciate the gifts that were hidden in hardships as well as celebrating the blessings even more than I ever have. I'm learning tools to help me remember and recognize my dreams, my blessings and again, the hidden gifts in even the hardest of times.

Since I've been involved in the Brave Girls Seminar, I've also joined their online community, as I've told you before, and I have met so many women from all over the world who have greatly inspired me. A lot of them are overcoming or have overcame great unfortunate events in their life. It really has made me realize how blessed I truly am. I love to learn about their life, hear their stories, see their art that expresses their life and their love to create, as well as be encouraging to them and for some - I've been blessed to be able to pray for them.

They have all been such a wonderful and encouraging support to me. 

I have dedicated this poem to my fellow Brave Girl sisters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unbound

Long black sleeves cover my ugly rigid scars.
Layers and layers of bandages cover the hurt, the lies, the sadness.
No relief, No answers, No healing to be found.
I trudge through my days with this exhausting heavy load.


The moon shadows my world.
Voices haunt me and paralyze my dreams.
Where can I find refuge?
Who can take away my sorrows?


I watch as my days pass by uncontrollably.
Am I worth the effort?
Why can't I save myself from this nightmare?


Whispers of His Truths sprinkle my soul like raindrops christening the dry cracked earth.
They nourish my inner most brokenness.
His Truths heal my tortured thoughts and my reoccurring agony of abuse.
His Truths correct my self conscious shortcomings.
His Truths take my fear, my hate, my despise and restore my soul's foundation.


No more voices crippling my legacy and aspirations. No more doubts and questions.
I'm scooped up in His arms and adorned with precious petals of goodness, mercy and love.


He removes my choking burdens.
I'm free to breathe.
He mends my wings.
I'm free to fly.
To soar.

To be brave.


~Sami Jo

~ here's the new Jetty Rae Music Video - Pssssst! PASS IT ON! ~

She's our best girl!

&

We're so proud of her!

This is Jetty's first music video -

so everybody give Jetty a HUGE round of applause...

&

now settle in for a little music loveliness!

Here's

Jetty Rae

singing

Forget Me Not

Pssssst! PASS IT ON!

make sure to pause my music at the very bottom of the screen first!



Congratulations, Sweets!

We love it!

&

We love you!

~ a beautiful break ~

We were so blessed
this weekend as our
Granny and Grandad
took both of the boys,

Pauly went for 2 nights and William went for the last night.

They even took them to church on Sunday and

then out to lunch. "Chicken and French Fries!", per Pauly.

We dropped William off at Granny's on Saturday morning just before noon. I was totally dragging my feet the whole morning, not to mention completely and utterly STRESSED OUT the whole night before. This was the first time I had been away from William for more than 2 hours in like a year (or as Ben says 2 years since I carried him around for 9ish months).

I really had nothing to worry about - Our Granny is AMAZING with the kids and Grandad is awesome at keeping them sidetracked. The boys had a great time and we're so thankful for the break.

While the boys were away we went for a little country drive.

I, of course, admired all the old farmhouses and barns. I imagined how it might be to live out in the country again. There is such a whole different dynamic to life when you live like that. I grew up living out in the country, as many of you know, we lived about an hour from any type of effective grocery shopping, medical care or movie house - Yes, I say movie house... don't laugh at me...
okay, go ahead - since I can't hear you.

I'm secure in my quirkiness :)

Ben and I also went for a little walk through our local restaurant supply store. So much fun!
It's amazing the stuff we miss out on with each other when we are just "trying to survive" chasing our boys around.

We went to eat at a local little Basque restaurant/ bar called Bar Gernika.
It's downtown and super quaint.
We shared a Lamb Sandwich that had it's own little au jus broth. On the side we had an order of fries and a few croquetas each.

We went straight home to catch an afternoon nap and then left the house to go to his
work's end-of-year party that evening.

After dinner, we came home and changed into something more comfortable and then went back downtown to the Basque Bar (a different one) and was able to sip some cocktails and just visit.

It was wonderful, just us.

BUT we kept noticing how weird it was to not have our boys with us.

We came home early and watched Chopped because we are just those "old fogies" I've described we are in other posts. We were in bed before midnight and of course because both my boys were gone - I couldn't sleep in to save my life.  It always works out that way...

I worked on a little bit of house cleaning and I worked on one of my Brave Girls projects.

A special thanks to Granny for doing this silhouette of a "younger" me. She did a great job.

I've really been enjoying the Brave Girl's seminar.

I'm super excited to do our next assignment this evening after the boys get to bed -

granted I can get into the office as Pauly locked and shut the door... so we are waiting for Daddy to get home from work so he can save the day.

Just glad the stinker didn't lock HIMSELF in there.

*tee hee*

~Best of Me~

~Wiggle Room~

Introducing,

my new favorite.

 Her name is Birdy.

Every time I look at her I think of a pretty bird singing in the morning.

Singing her beautiful

own.

very own.

song.

Now, you might be laughing thinking what a crazy woman!

She names her coffee cups?

Yes.

I name my coffee cups, washer and dryer (Kim & Trixie),

cars (Beulah the Buick & Baby Ruth the Ford Escort) -

 I take after my mother in that regard....

I always thought it was weird, but now - I love it.

I've started back on my healthy eating trail.

Man! I wanted panycakes this morning with the boys!

But I resisted and ate two soft-boiled eggs and sliced tomatoe...

and I was content.

I'm doing pretty good but I have to say it was super hard to get back in the hang of things.

I despise the headache I get at first when my body is SCREAMING! for carbs and sugar.

De - SPISE!

I have to make sure that I give myself some a little bit of space when I diet because if I hate it, I won't do it.

I know myself all too well.

I.

just.

won't.

So, I let myself have coffee in the mornings - WITH cream and sugar.

gasp...

SHAME!

2 cups.... sometimes even 3 or 4 if I want it.

I don't overload on cream and sugar just a dab here and there.

Just by doing this makes me feel excited to wake up in the mornings,

excited to hold a pretty Birdy in my hand -

all warm and comfy filled with deliciousness.

Look, she's even pretty and comforting when she's empty...

*happiness in housework #1*

This.

is the kind of organization

that makes my heart

skip-a-beat.

 Friday,

I sent Pauly to go round-up

ALL

of our Daddy's ties.

He took his little Home Depot kids' toolbox

and load by load
 brought me all the ties, well he could find :)

He was so proud.

and SO adorable, I might add.

I moved around Ben's clothing and combined his underware and t-shirt drawer
by transferring his old grey t-shirts to the "rag stash" -
Thank you, Jesus those are gone.
and I established a drawer just for his ties.

I put in cardboard inserts to help keep things

organized and tidy.

It turned out perfect and oh so perty!

It.
is
happiness in housework.

Now if only poor little William could of stayed awake to see the happy ending...

acknowledge

Daily chores come and go,
it's easy to get lost in the cycles,
the everyday routines,
and mundane daily repeat.

I tend to get wrapped so tight into my routine. 

Mondays - laundry and new sheets for all the beds.

Tuesdays - house-keeping and Pauly plays with play dough or paints

Wednesdays - Dinner... Daddy's usually home on Wednesdays, gotta have something yummy.... hmmm....

and so on and so on...

oh! 

Fridays - Red Box Movie Night

Chasing, chasing, chasing the days.

Chasing my boys and I forget to breathe.

 I forget about the abundant blessings.

I forget about the beauty in the every day.

The beauty in every single thing.

 I forget how much God really cares about my every thought,

my every concern.

 He knows my deepest darkest fear,

my likes, my dislikes,

he knows my dreams and aspirations.

He cares about me.

All of me.

 He is my only.

My only dependable Truth.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.Isaiah 40: 27-31



I'm off to learn to fly...

I'm off to learn to fly...
Really! -
Really and truly, FLY!

How is this crazy woman going to learn to fly, you ask?

Well, I'm not sure yet but, I have a feeling I'm going to learn...

Blessed.

I was blessed with a very exciting gift the day after Christmas. 

Maybe some of you have already heard about the Brave Girl's Club I've been crushing over for the past couple weeks. For those of you who don't know what Brave Girl's is... its a Club that Melody Ross and her partner/sister Kathy Wilkins founded. They put together this club to help women find that inner girl, feel alive again, give you self-confidence to chase down those dreams - it's really just a place to get that every day encouragement to be the best You - YOU can be. It's wonderful.

Go sign up!

Early December I signed up for a free 6-week online seminar called Soul Restoration on this blog. I was so excited because I had heard from Becky at Farmgirl Paints about the camp that the Brave Girls put on but knew I couldn't leave my sweet babes for that long. actually - I think the boys would be okay it's Ben I'm really worried about. Ha! No - there's no way I could do the camp, but this online seminar I could do it and to win the giveaway would be awesome.

well......

I didn't win. Booooo hoooo!

I was blogging around one afternoon and went over to Brave Girl's Blog and was reading a little about Melody on their blog - this particular blog post was something about a miracle in her life - out of the corner of my eye - I saw something about thankful to have my husband  back and I was like what happened?!!!!! So I had to go read it - I was skimming through and Holy Cowgirl!!! Melody Ross' husband! I know him! He came to my house when William was just a wee babe and fixed my sky light! He is a life saver - AMAZING! I'm telling you I was SO thankful for this man FOR MONTHS!!!!

& that blog post - go read it immediately!

Oh! and I forgot to even mention that my husband! Oh yes - my husband knew him - of course because he came to fix our sky light BUT he also knows HER! What? and he didn't tell me?

I rung his neck! then I begged him to share details, details, details!

He had nothin'! well... not enough!

So what did I do? I wrote Melody Ross an email...

yeah - me.

little. ole. me.

I told her how awesome Brave Girls is and that I was starting me a Brave Girl's Camp jar. I praised her for spreading light and happiness and told her how awesome her husband is.... cuz HE ROCKED that skylight and I was still so thankful not to have to worry about it - you understand I'm sure. I attached some pics of us and the boys and wished her and her family a Merry Christmas and sent it on it's way...

So.

I wrote it and never thought twice about getting a return email cuz

that gal - she's got places to be and smiles to spread!

Then there it was... an email from her the day after Christmas!

She thanked me for my email and she wanted to COME TO MY HOUSE to bring me something!!!!

i died.

THEN I Squealed!!!!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

then i passed out!

Bless her heart on a Sunday afternoon, she showed up with her husband - after church none the less - and dropped me off a Soul Restoration kit. Not only did she gift a complete stranger but she took time out of her crazy day - on a Sunday AND she drove to my house and hand delivered it!

I cried. then I smiled till my cheeks hurt - then I cried a little more.

I had no words. I just sat there and smiled and let my two boys be the stars of the shows -

I'm super shy under pressure... sometimes. -

Well today I was.

I was super shy, super nervous and so utterly and completely grateful.

So tomorrow it starts and I don't have any expectations but I know there will be art, painting, modge podge, positive words, encouragement and maybe, just maybe some flying lessons...

 I'll keep you posted.

*wink*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so very much Melody and Kathy -

for having a vision of a place where women can just. be.

be encouraged. encourage each other. & enjoy!

You both have been blessed with beautiful gifts and are an

incredible example of putting your gift to work.

God Bless you both and your families.

Tootle-loo birdies!