england 2.0

getting settled at a new place is never easy.
we've officially lived in england for 2 months. it is pretty much the complete opposite of turkey. that's a good and bad thing. there are things that i miss about turkey that are comforting. but there are things about england that make the transition so much easier. england is a bit overwhelming. a huge contrast to what turkey was lacking. however, turkey had its own charm, and anyone who tells you differently is probably lying ;)
lots of other things going on, but i won't go into detail. let's just say there's lots of big life lessons going on, and trying to figure out what it is that God wants me to learn. I know, i know, i'm not giving much away, but these days i am just feeling the need to be cryptic. bear with me. :) until next time, cheerio chaps :)

i really should be sleeping.

it's 11:12 pm.
my last night in turkey.
i really should be sleeping.
but i thought i'd come here anyway and get a few things off my mind.
three years ago, i'd spent my whole life in a single place (at least as far back as i could remember).
the night before i moved to turkey, i cried my eyes out. i wrote a friend and told him how petrified i was of moving. i put on a brave face for my four kiddies, but in my heart i couldn't imagine living anywhere other than italy. it was my home. the place my family lived. the place i grew up. and suddenly... it was time to go whether or not i was ready.
i sort of knew what to expect from turkey.
i'd been here before on many occasions. and i loved all the memories it held.
however...
i didn't expect this to become home.
i didn't expect to meet some of the most amazing people ever.
i didn't expect to find new family.
i didn't expect to fall in love with a place that so many people felt so negatively about.
but i did.
and tonight, i sit here and think about all the people i've met. i think about friends that have left here, and friends that i'll be leaving... and i'm grateful.
God showed me a lot of things here.
He taught me that things aren't always as they seem.
I learned that sometimes we can pray really hard for something and find out that it's not what we really wanted.
He taught me that families can be given to us by birth, or they can grow in our hearts.
Life is short. Be thankful for where He puts you. Cherish every second. And be grateful even in good-byes, because that means you loved something enough to miss it.
Thank you Turkey for being my home.
I will miss your face.

dear bloggy friends:

no, i have NOT fallen off the face of the earth.
however,
we are packing out today soooooo....
i promise to update the blog soon! (ish)
:)

today?

do you ever just have one of "those" days?
you know, the ones where nothing is really wrong, but everything feels just backwards enough to make your insides feel twisted?
i think it's a whole PCS thing.
i'm at the point to where i'm really close to a big change, but i feel like i'm standing still.
drowning without being under water.
maybe it's just me.

things that i love in my craft room.

my two absolute favorite things! the picture on top came from the junk store in italy that i LOVED. i got it framed here in turkey. and the second peice is a picture of me, drawn by my oldest son when he was about 4. i found it stored away in a box, and it was too cute not to frame! it makes me think of this: "my, what big hands you have mommy..." "the better to craft with my son". *lol* it's such a cute picture; and that big red spot on my dress? yup, that's my heart :)

this white cabinet came from the thrift store too! 20 dollars. not even kidding you! (the reason they sold it so cheap was because the bottom doors are a bit broken; however, the best part about that is that it makes them harder for kids to open! seriously, there's a silver lining to everything! :) inside i hung two dowel rods for all my dollar store ribbon. i'll have to save those pictures for a day when i actually clean it out! :) also the tall thin drawers full of colored ribbon? yeah, i got ALL of that ribbon at a second hand store in italy. it's all rolled individually into 1 yard peices. it's amazing :)

this brown cabinet with six (LOCKING) doors i got at a huge discount because it was built for an office on base, but then they decided they needed something bigger! inside each of the doors is a half shelf! the spaces are bigger than 12X12 (i know, because i totally store scrapbooking paper in here and there's still room!) i love that it locks because then i can store things that i don't want my kids to get a hold of (don't know if i ever told you the story of the day that my daughter got a hold of my seed beeds *lol*)

i got this tall thin cabinet for 20 bucks from my friend. it's perfect for my stampin' up sets! and yes, that is a caboodle on top *lol* i got that for free with a few crafty things in it, because it didn't sell at my friend's yard sale.

anyways, i'll see if i can get some better pictures of the whole room, but currently that brown peice is just sitting in the middle waiting for me to make room! hope you enjoyed your mini tour :)

what i've crafted lately.

i made this for a friend's birthday. i love how it turned out, but i actually have another idea in my head for the one i'm going to do for myself (thanks to my crafty friend bonnie!) i'm so thankful for spring break, it's actually given me some time and motivation to get a few things worked on. i can't wait for summer!! :)



ps. i promise that the name is actually centered; i just took the picture from above to get rid of some of the glare.

what have you learned this week?

so my new phrase whenever something irritating or frustrating happens is, "what's God trying to teach you?"
i know, i know. it's annoying to have to stop yelling and being angry and realize that our inconviences might actually be lessons in disguise... trust me, no one knows this (or struggles with!) this more than i do...
this week, i'm supposed to be learning about obedience. i struggle with this the most. doing what it is that i'm supposed to do, and my desires versus my actual needs. and that if it's something i expect from my children, why wouldn't God expect it from me?