My "baby" sister (whom I affectionately refer to as "hoopster" (because she played basketball)... and who calls me "pom pom" (because I was a cheerleader) yes, we have code names. Blame it on a bad break up and a marathon viewing of Alias. Let's move on. *smiles*) turns twenty-seven today! I thought I would share with you my favorite twenty-seven things about her. (These are in no particular order!)
1. That you think code names are "cool". Aka. "hoopster" and "pom pom".
2. That no matter how many years we take the twenty hour car trip to New York you still think it is fun to sneak "just one more thing" in.
3. Alias. Enough said.
4. That you were a basketball player and then a basketball coach. Very cool.
5. How much you love Jesus.
6. That you get dressed up for dinner just because I think it is fun.
7. How BIG your heart is.
8. The constant laughter that you bring to our family.
9. That we still laugh about Mary Kate and Ashley movies.
10. Our phone conversations.
11. That you think I am a good singer (hahaha) and that it is always a good time to start "air-singing"
12. ALL of your prayers for me!
13. Our Thanksgiving Starbucks tradition
14. Our late night talks- even in freezing hotel rooms.
15. Our sister days. (and trips!)
16. That you love being in charge of the lights at Christmas
17. Your lovely understanding of the need for compassion in the world.
18. your love for our pajama tradition!
19. Your ability to bring a smile to everyone's heart that encounters you.
20. Your loyalty.
21. Your love for Disney (just like me!)
22. Your agreement that there is only so much of the "it's a small world song" before one goes crazy.
23. that you love toasting with Starbucks water
24. your love for scamper and my future children
25. your love for road trips
26. your love for talking and planning for the amazing race when I am healthy
27. YOU
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Hoopster! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you this coming year! I LOVE YOU!
Yesterday I was reading in scripture about how God works in the dark.
"How does God work?" is a question that I am often grappling with and have thought through this year in a variety of different ways in many different situations- from my bed, from a hospital floor, from a hotel window, and most recently looking out over the wide expanse of a precious place that I fondly call "camp".
I read (and cried) through this article a little bit ago and am so encouraged by the honesty of her words. Oh how her story could be my story. She says eloquently words that I have been trying to formulate for over a year. I have shared my endometriosis story and remember with fondness the quick and mighty healing that my precious Savior did that year. To be truthful it was the same type of healing that I expected to happen once again with these new health issues. I presumed that my Heavenly Father would want to use a story like that again for His glory. THOSE are the stories that people like hearing. THOSE are the stories that people want to discuss and clap their hand at. THOSE are the stories that have the happy ending with the nice and neat bow wrapped around it.
But that is not my story right now.
This story is still in the middle.
This story doesn't have an end right now in sight.
The story right now is messy and painful. This journey has been long and has cost me (and those that love me the most) a lot. Physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually it has cost us almost everything. On certain days it is tempting to wallow in self-pity of all that has been lost these past years due to illness. It is tempting to focus on the bad instead of the good. It is tempting to focus on the difficult things that are so numerous that if I let them they would be the sole focus of life. If I let them they would wrap around my soul like a dark moonless night and harden it.
And on days like yesterday where things have not gone according to plan, when I was rejected from five other Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment places, when it was necessary for my health for an old friend and I to take a break, when I received some hurtful messages that made me cry, when the medicine was a hundred dollars more than we originally thought and planned, when the computer broke down and didn't work, and when I had a difficult reaction to a new prescription - it is days like those that it is tempting to wallow in all of the dark and all of the things that can make our lives seem like night.
And that my dear friends is also where HOPE lives.
In the dark places. In the days that seem like night. There is hope.
There is a verse in Exodus (Exodus 14:21) that states: "The Lord caused the sea to go back... all that night" that shares with us that the hope of the night rests in the fact that God is at work in the dark. When all seems lost and you cannot see because of the dark God is still working. God will continue to work until light comes so do not fret about the night.
If you were to ask me five years ago if I knew what the coming years would be like would I still embark on the same journey that the Lord has laid out in front of me I can honestly say (with tears) "yes". While I can't share the miraculous healing or how the story will end (like I could with my endometriosis story) I can say a deeper "yes" with humility at how faithful my God has been. He has never let my side and His mercies have truly been new every morning to faithfully meet every need that I have- physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually. The Lord has been good. Good beyond words. And everyday I see glimpses of joy in the land of the living.
The reason?
Because in the night lies hope.
It is the perfect time to share a little bit about the name and the meaning.
To be truthful I have blogged on and off for a number of years on other blogs that I have had but I never truly felt connected to those blogs. A year ago I knew that life was changing in many ways (moving home, the plan to concentrate on graduate school only, taking a year off of teaching) but could never have imagined the radical ways that it was truly to change (not able attend school, not able to work, health declining, becoming bed bound, relationships shifting and changing, a Lyme's diagnosis on top of M.E., and then cancer on top of both of those diseases!). As time continued I knew that in addition to working on the book that I am writing I needed a way to process through things that were going on, keep friends & family up to date, and to have a way to "escape" on very difficult health days. A new blog seemed like the perfect fit. I was also looking for ways to improve my writing and to connect with the "outside world". I never imagined the rich community that I have been privileged to find and to be apart of and the lovely bloggers who I am blessed enough to call friends! What a blessing!
The name "Caravan Sonnet" was truly a reflection of my life and also of what I envisioned for my life. I loved the idea of having a name that could grow and change with the course and ebbing of time. I loved finding bloggers who had been blogging for years not just one year and reading how their lives changed throughout the course of that time. It is like looking into a good book isn't it? *smiles* Because of this I wanted a name that would grow with me and the adventures that were going to be apart of my life and those that I was currently living. Because of this I combined letters of my first and last name to come up with the name "Caravan" ( I have always loved this word and have used it throughout my life instead of the word journey... I think it is the "Brit" in me *smiles). The word "Sonnet" came a little later and it was equally as perfect to me as I am a girly girl at heart who loves creating beautiful word pictures and inspiring others to live a beautiful life. The word "sonnet" to me has always appeared as a pretty word and it spoke of hope and color in difficult times. And so that is how the name Caravan Sonnet came to be.
I do believe that it has been a perfect fit for me now and love the aspect of growing with the blog throughout many different stages of life. Thank you so much for reading and for following along on this beautiful caravan that I am on!
I am curious! How did you pick your blog name and do you feel that it has fit you well throughout different seasons of your life?
smitten: {adj}: infatuated, charmed, captivated, beguiled, betwitched, enamoured
There are certain products that I use or have that I am just smitten with. I love discovering great products on other blogs and hope that these items that I talk about from time to time on here might be a wonderful discovery for y'all!
Several months ago I wrote a post about my face cream that I am smitten with and today I am excited to share additional products that I use on my face and on my hair that I am also smitten with!
Several months ago I wrote a post about my face cream that I am smitten with and today I am excited to share additional products that I use on my face and on my hair that I am also smitten with!
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| Olivella Website Picture |
I first discovered Olivella products several years ago when I was looking for a sensitive soap for my face. I was thrilled to discover this company and have used their 100% Olive Oil Soap on my face since then. My face has never felt softer or more healthy since that time. I am very careful about the products that I use on my skin so I have been thrilled with the results! While Olivella has entire line of all different products, I am currently only using the face soap and their shampoo. I plan to add try their other products in the coming months. I think it is really hard to find products that are all natural yet accomplish their jobs you know? I think that is one of the reasons that I have been so delighted with this brand! All natural or organic? Check! Accomplishes what it is supposed to do? Check!
Have y'all tried Olivella products? Which are your favorites?
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| Picture from Olivella Website |
I am so excited to announce that Caravan Sonnet is now accepting sponsorships! There are only a few in each position because my goal is to truly focus on each sponsor and get to know each one of you and your blogs! I love this community of bloggers and love the deep friendships and community that can be built! Thank you so much for all of your lovely support as Caravan Sonnet moves forward in this new adventure!
I loved loved loved loved loved loved (ok, you get the point) being a teacher. Because of this and because I have some friends asking what are the best things that a teacher should do over the summer break I thought I would share a list of 20 things every teacher should do this summer! So grab a cup of coffee, take a deep breath, pass this list on to a friend, and start crossing some of these items off of your list!
Goodbye School Year, Hello Summer!
Goodbye School Year, Hello Summer!
1. Sleep!
2. Take time for yourself (get away from school life)
3. Reflect on the past year and consider how you want to make changes for the coming year.
4. Find something that inspires you and pursue that this summer. Is there anything better than an inspired teacher in the classroom? I think not.
5. Take a class in a subject area that interests you (or in your discipline).
6. Schedule that dentist, doctor, eye (ok you get the point) appointment that you don't have time for during the school year.
7. Get your car checked out and serviced.
8. If you need extra income but need a break from teaching consider taking a part-time job away from the education field.
9. Spend time with family and friends. Treasure the moments everyday.
10. Y'all know I love clothes and this isn't vain, but seriously get rid of a "teacher outfit" and pick out a new outfit sometime this summer for the upcoming school.
11. Travel for professional reasons {There are some organizations that have opportunities for teachers during the summer holiday!} or for personal reasons.
12.Find new (and easy) lunch and dinner recipes for the year! One of my favorite recipe website is: www.allrecipes.com. Lots of options to choose from there!
13.Exercise.
14. If you have professional development credits that you need to accomplish in the coming year consider completing these credits over the summer so that you don't have to worry about that during the school year.
15. Explore yard sales for new items for your classroom. Over the years I found tons of History books at such a wonderful price that I was able to supplement my classroom with quality books that I otherwise would not have been able to afford. I also found wonderful magazine racks that I used for a couple of years in my classroom. These "bigger items" along with tons of smaller ones provided perfect things for my room!
16. Plan for the coming year.
17. Collaborate with other teachers via personal conversations, conferences, or a phone call.
17. Collaborate with other teachers via personal conversations, conferences, or a phone call.
18. Create posters, charts, or anything that needs to be laminated and get it laminated. (Because seriously- who has time during the year? *smiles*)
19. Think through and write out your professional and personal goals for the upcoming year.
20. Send thank you notes to those who inspired you and helped you throughout the year. Ok, y'all know that I am a big supporter of old fashioned letter writing and this is truly an opportunity to reflect on all of the good that happened throughout the past year. Sending thank you notes reminds you of all of the amazing moments that took place in the past year.
19. Think through and write out your professional and personal goals for the upcoming year.
20. Send thank you notes to those who inspired you and helped you throughout the year. Ok, y'all know that I am a big supporter of old fashioned letter writing and this is truly an opportunity to reflect on all of the good that happened throughout the past year. Sending thank you notes reminds you of all of the amazing moments that took place in the past year.
If you follow my etsy shop you know that I am excited to soon reveal some exciting items in a few short days! I will be officially re-opening my shop on June 5th! For right now though I wanted to share with you some more pictures from a recent scrapbook project that I was working on for a friend!
All of my custom scrapbooks and their pages offer a unique perspective in every layout. In this particular layout I thought it would be beautiful to capture the fun and whimsical of the pictures but to also bring a sense of "vintage pretty" to the layout. These four pages were some of my favorite pages in the custom scrapbook that I made! These pages were the "outside pages" and I used old map paper {since the photos were from a train trip} and added in colorful sayings and lace and flowers to add a "girly pretty" aspect to the pages.
Here are some additional shots of the "outside pages":
These two pages were the "inside pages".
Here are some additional shots of the inside pages:
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