Do you believe in miracles?

mir·a·cle –noun
1. an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.
2. such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of god.
3. a wonder; marvel.

There are many who say miracles no longer happen, that anything "miraculous" is simply a culmination of random events. How sad for them! In my life I have experienced or been witness to events that are nothing short of a miracle.

Where to begin the list?
~I'll start with finding the Gospel at age 18
~Four wonderful children who are living the Gospel
~Each of them finding the perfect spouse for them and marrying in the temple
~Seven grandchildren, each of whom is a miracle in their own right
~Having a stable job that made it possible to provide for my family
~Being able to buy a home as a single mom (I never would have thought that possible)
~Ashley suffering a severe spinal cord injury and being able to walk again
~Enduring trials without losing sight of eternity, these are only a few of the many miracles great and small that have blessed my life.

As you can see, I believe in miracles. I know each of these miracles and all others come from our loving Father in Heaven. He wants nothing more than to bless our lives and sometimes he surprises us with that blessing when we least expect it, when we struggle on the edge of faith and wonder if He really knows just how hard our trials might be!

The past couple of years have been difficult ones. I have experienced heartbreak and sadness that left me alone and wondering about my future. Though I was alone I didn't feel lonely. I always knew that my Heavenly Father and my Savior were with me and they had blessed me with loving family and the dearest of friends. I had no complaints, no worries, and with faith I simply put my life into the hands of my Father and Savior. I trust Them to take care of me, no doubts, no questioning, just simple faith. I knew that no matter what life dished out I still needed to be my best, to serve others and live the Gospel to the best of my ability.

I love how Elder Oaks puts it all in perspective,
"Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ prepares us for whatever life brings. This kind of faith prepares us to deal with life's opportunities - to take advantage of those that are received and to persist through the disappointments of those that are lost. In the exercise of that faith, we should commit ourselves to the priorities and standards we will follow on matters we do not control and persist faithfully in those commitments, whatever happens to us because of the agency of others or the timing of the Lord. When we do this, we will have a constancy in our lives that will give us direction and peace. We cannnot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord's will and in the Lord's timing....Commit yourself to put the Lord first in your life, keep His commandments, and do what the Lord's servants ask you to do. Then your feet are on the pathway to eternal life. You do not know what will happen. Do your best on what is fundamental and personal and then trust in the Lord and His timing."

Now for my miracle! I thought, and had accepted, that I would be alone the rest of my life. I was good with that. I had plans. I had bought new furniture and redecorated my bedroom and living room. I was setting and obtaining some of my personal goals. I was looking at new opportunities within my company! I was totally and completely happy with my life! Then, out-of-the-blue came a wonderful man sent straight from Heaven. Our meeting is nothing short of a divine miracle! He is everything I could have hoped and prayed for. He is the perfect man for me. He loves me. He protects me. He treats me like a queen, something I hoped for, but never dreamed possible. He is kind and loving. He is a worthy Priesthood holder and an incredible man. I love him dearly! He is from Phoenix. He is the father of four wonderful children who are all married to equally wonderful people and there are 12 grandchildren. His name is Kenneth!...how I love saying his name! He is my miracle!



......we are engaged and will be married soon! Miracles do happen, it is all done in the Lord's own time!

Showered with flowers...

Of late I have been showered with flowers by a very special man. More to come on tomorrow's post!

Cousin love....

Nathan and Emily having fun!!!

A little trip to Phoenix.....

My job and a special friend brought me to Phoenix in mid-September and I got to meet little Harrison Joseph...he's so cute! It was also a fun time with Ashley, Cara, Anya and Brian. The girls dressed up, colored pages for me to take home, we shopped and had lunch at a wonderful Olive Grove bistro!! I love Phoenix and hope to be there again soon!

Am I finally a grown up???

Last fall I got rid of my old living room furniture and started plans to update the decor! I fell in love with the upholstery for the chairs and went from there. For the first time in my adult life I picked exactly what I wanted...having both the chairs and sofa custom upholstered! Once home from the furniture store I called my mother and told her I finally felt like an adult. She was a little surprised at my comment because she thought I would have felt that way after raising four children on my own, buying a home, paying bills, etc...but nope...it took purchasing furniture to increase my maturity level. Who would have guessed it? Anyway, my home feels more welcoming and fresh. I decided to be bold with the wall color as my home needed more excitement....I love this room!

How cute is Emily Grace?

Emily is such a sweet and joyful baby. She is such a blessing to our family!

Visitors from Arizona.....

Cara, almost 4 years old...
Anya, almost 2 1/2 years old...
Sisters...
Back: Lily (almost 3) and Cara, Front: Logan ( 3 1/4), Anya and Nathan (almost 4)

Ashley and Brian came into town Memorial Day weekend. It was so good to see them all expecially Cara and Anya. It was great to have the cousins together...Emily didn't get included in the picture, but the other five did...there were five under age four running and having fun together.

A Quilt for baby Harrison.....

Ashley and Brian had their first son the end of July. He is a perfectly adorable baby and needed a blanket to match, oh and his name his Harrison This is a little quilt I finally finished for him! There were so many little tiny pieces of fabric, but it was fun to make!

Something cute for the bathroom....

Nearly a year ago I found this little end table at a garage sale in Beth and CJ's neighborhood. I love the feminine lines and knew it would be perfect in the bathroom. Apparently this table had some history. As I removed the first layer of white paint I discovered an antique green layer and finally the orginal finish, which was white. My $5 purchase ended up costing another $50, but I am so completely pleased with the finished product....it's exactly what I wanted!

A Makeover for my bedroom.....

I just loved this fabric. Now that it is all complete I feel like my room is a comforting "nest" for me to relax in. It only took two evenings after work to make everything (except the sheets). I love the finished result.

What I did with some time off from work.....

Years ago when CJ and Adam were younger I spent hours sewing up "jams" for them. For those who don't remember what "jams" are; they are like board-shorts for boys, made from the brightest, wildest fabrics. My boys loved them, though I'm sure they wouldn't be caught wearing them now. I had saved all the leftover fabrics with the thought of making a quilt for one of them. Instead, years later, they are now quilts for the grandkids to use while watching a movie. It was funny to have Adam look at the finished product. He examined the first one and then got a smile on his face as he said, "that one (pointing to one square)was my favorite pair of shorts!"

Emily's blessing gown.....

I loved everything about sewing up this little gown. I bought the finest Swiss Batiste and sweet, delicate lace...the results were beautiful....

A quilt for my sister.....

One of the great blessings in my life is my sister, Evy. Though we did not grow up together (she has a differnet mother) we have been blessed with a sisterly bond and love for each other. There was a tradition in her home where her mother made her a flannel granny gown every Christmas. After her mother's passing she came across all the scraps of fabric from those nightgowns and she saved them hoping someday to turn them into a quilt to have as a keepsake. I brought the flannel home and the result is a queen-size quilt that I completed for her birthday. I was so happy to create something that will be a constant reminder of her mother's love.

Sewing for a new grandbaby....

I had the privilege of sewing the bedding for little Emily Grace, born in March of this year. I had found this fabric collection, "Darla" by Tanya Whelan, months prior and fell in love with the colors. It is so girlie and sweet.