our thankful tree

hello, darlings!

how have you all been?

i don't even know where in the world to begin.

i have had about a million posts in my head swirling around but nothing has made it over here.

do you ever write blog posts in your head when you are lying in bed at night?

or when you get a RARE quiet moment during the day?

i do it ALL the time, but they rarely make it to the big screen(haha!).

i know for a fact that the Lord has prompted me to tell you certain things that have been on my heart, but i have failed to do it.

i have sort of been using instagram as a mini blog, but it doesn't replace me sharing the thoughts that are constantly running through my head, the meaning behind each photo that i take, or the lessons that HE is teaching me along the way.

i could litralee write a blog post for each IG photo,

but i tend to get overwhelmed thinking about it and so i don't do anything at all.

fail.

well, not today!

i'm going to start right here. right now.

what we did today.

and maybe someday i'll rewind and share some other really special moments we've been having, too.

if you would like to follow me on instagram, my username is mary_krause.

so, today we made a thankful tree.

a simple and inexpensive way to count our blessings.

because you can never, ever give thanks too much.

i started with an antique cast iron urn and a fake branch that i bought at 50% off from hobby lobby.

i think it was $4.

i know there are oodles of free branches outside, but this one looked really real(hubby didn't know it was fake), and i can reuse it over and over again.  that's my justification.  :)

my girls balled up paper and shoved it around the stick in the urn and then we added river rock on top.

you could use a ball jar, galvanized pail or a pretty white pitcher, too.  anything goes!

then i took an old trixie belden novel we had been using for other projects, ripped out some pages, drew a leaf template and started cutting!

we hole punched each one and then tied string to some of them for variety.

it sure didn't take long for the attitude to change in our home once the kids and i started writing down our lists of gratitude.

there's definitely something that changes in the air when you turn your eyes off of what you feel you may be lacking and focus on the many blessings that we already have.

our tree is already SO full of leaves!

the kids just kept adding to it all day long and it did this mama's heart good to see them get excited about what God has given us.

it's only day one and the branches are bulging(there's more now than in the picture below).

that's a very good sign.  :)

i don't have time for big fancy projects, and this one definitely passes the, 'i-have-so-much-laundry-to-fold- my-head-is-going-to-pop-off-and-i-need-to-make-supper-and-you-need-to-erase-those-letters-again-and-redo-them' test for this mama.  for reals.

hope you make one, too.

you're gonna love it.

xo,

mary

p.s.  want to know what i am really thankful for tonight?  living in a country where i can VOTE!  i am SO stinkin' excited to vote tomorrow i can hardly stand it!  i hope that you do, too!

10 on 10:::august blessings

it's about that time again...

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Psalm 127:3

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...

Matthew 6:19-20a

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

I Corinthians 3:6

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalm 19:1

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 136:1

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Psalm 139:14

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Hebrews 4:13

 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Matthew 9:37-38

blessings to you all...

we're off to taste as much summer as we possibly can before it's gone!

xo,

mary

goodbye may, hello june! already?

hey there!

can you even believe it's june already?

stop the bus!  i need more may time, pleeeeassseeee!  :)

as we say good bye to may, june promises to be very busy and full indeed!

we have father's day, nathan's birthday, my daddy's birthday, bible school{INSANE week!}, fair entries, gardening galore, and that's just what's coming off the top of my head at the moment.

there are many more things, i'm sure.

here's what may looked like from my view.

i'm so thankful to have this, because each photo transports me back to that moment.

the feeling.  the smell.  the beauty.  the frustration.

love it.

top left going clockwise

garden day:::mama lunch:::treasures:::sleepy boy:::jack's freckles:::cleaning at mamas:::gift for a friend:::shopping!:::hammock time

surprise donut morning:::impromptu picnic

selling our truck:::birthday party:::the necklace that almost killed me:::memorial day:::hammock time{again}:::maddie's biscuits:::boy party:::pinata:::sweetie pies{below is new necklace design}

birthday boy{above is road trip to pharmacy}

mothers day:::henry:::new nephew:::sleepover:::sushi date:::longing for donuts:::dump day:::dirty nails:::silhouette project{below is maddie's freckles}:::kitcat in my window{above is garage sale treasure}

i would like to thank the lovely picmonkey for making these collages possible.

now i need to go and make last months collages, too.  :/

 do you have big plans for the weekend?

my girls have their piano recital on saturday and if i don't get off here and go straight to the post office and mail their fair entries, i think they might pass out.

good thing they keep me on my toes!

:)

have a wonderful, blessed day!

xo,

mary

a perfectly wonderful day

remember yesterday when i mentioned that i am now a great aunt?

yah.  that seems weird.

it's like another milestone that brings me to a whole new level of aging.

but guess what???

my sister is a GRANDMA!

and she is an amazing one at that.

but WOW! that has a different ring to it!  

grandma heidi.

i can't even handle the love and beauty in this photo.   i cry looking at it.

we waited so long to meet little aaron, and when the time came for him to make his entrance, we welcomed him into this world with{lots of} loving and open arms.

it was a thursday and my mom, sister and i were anxiously texting throughout the day to share what may have been progressing in mama's labor.

the kids could hardly focus on school for fear that they would miss a beat.

we went to bed that night and i heard my phone do it's little dingy thingy and i knew.

he was here!

babies are such a precious, precious blessing.

on friday, we woke up anxious to make our way to the hospital, special gifts in tow.

 

before we left, i surprised the kids by taking them to our local grocer and letting them pick out a donut.

our local bakery makes the best donuts, fresh and hot every day.

my favorite are the apple fritters, but i restrained myself.  ;)

decisions decisions...

 

with our crinkly, sweet smelling bags in tow, we headed for the nearby town where my husband works as a car salesman, and where the fresh new babe was comfortably tucked in mama's arms.

don't you just love the fresh smell of a newborn baby?

there's just nothing like it.

we had planned on going to the city wide garage sales {in the town where he was born} that day anyway{perfect!}, so we stopped at a few houses before we met nathan at the hospital.

*can i just say that i had the best idea{thank you, Lord} that i've had in a long time and decided to give each of the kiddos $5 of their own to spend wisely throughout the day.

 it eliminated SO MUCH hassle and "no's!" from me.

i am definitely doing that again{but not necessarily with $5, that is kinda a lot}.

i think it's hysterical what some of the kids picked out!*

ahem.  back to the baby.

this is what we saw walking into the hospital.

i almost cried.

because that's what i do.

i get overwhelmed with emotion and tear up.

like several times a day.

my nephew is a dad.

a new chapter has just been written.

friends...meet precious, gorgeous, healthy, loved 

aaron matthew

sigh.

isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?

we all had our turn at cuddling him, and then mama needed a break from a long and hard labor and delivery.

isn't she gorgeous?

this is my sister's son, brett.

aka proud papa. ;)

this picture makes me very happy.

and teary.

so after our grand adventure at the hospital, 

and locking my keys in the van at lunch,

we finished up our treasure hunting and headed home.

 

jack, jack, jack.  my little man.

do you want to know what he spent his money on?

*a power strip{that he immediately took home and hooked up in his room}

*a brand new ernest movie{remember ernest?}  yikes!

*plastic play dishes for the playhouse

*a truck

*scrapbooking paper

that equals pure bliss for jack. :)

maddie scored

*that rainbow glass in the above pic

*a vintage monopoly game{she had been on the prowl for monopoly}

*vintage strawberry shortcake sheet set

*shoes

*scrapbooking paper

 

elly bought

*lots of great fabric

*lace

*embroidery hoops

*a vintage sewing board

*scrapbooking paper

do we see a  pattern here?

and henry.  oh! sweet henry!

he, too, bought{and was the discoverer of} 

*another ernest movie{GREAT!}

#jimvarneyincarnate  #classclown

*some plastic playhouse dishes

and then i had to fork out the other $2 to him because he didn't find anything else worth his money, i guess.

 

and i scored some great finds!

i bought 

*a hammock{$10}

*two adirondack chairs{$3 a piece!}

*vintage globe{$.50}

*ironstone pitcher{i collect ironstone $4}

*5 vintage tablecloths{$3.50}

*antique flour shaker{$.50}

and other randomness that is found while sifting through others peoples 'junk'!  :)

view from the hammock

so that was our perfectly wonderful day.

new baby.

family time.

garage sales.

minimal tears and fighting.

it was grand!

wouldn't it be SO.MUCH.FUN if we could go together?  

yes, please!

hope this finds you having a wonderful day!

p.s. IT'S  FRIDAY!!!

xo,

mary

ten on ten:::spring bloom edition

it's about that time again.  

the 10th of april...already!

i hope this finds you all well{and well rested} from the busy, wonderful weekend.

i have recovered from birthday bashes and resurrection celebrations and life has pressed forward into full swing normalcy,

as it tends to do.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

i don't know about you,

but sometimes i get so caught up in my schedules and agenda that

i forget to stop and enjoy the immense beauty and blessings that surround me.

here's what i captured.

8 a.m.

breaking the fast{with my favorite birthday gift!}

9 a.m.

intense concentration{and annoying sounds}

10 a.m.

daddy's helper

11 a.m.

pick up your tooooyyyysssssss!!!

12 p.m.

cat nap

1 p.m.

birthday flowers from a friend

2 p.m.

package in the mail from this girl!

yay!

3 p.m.

while they last

4 p.m.

a rare cuddly moment{watching little house on the prairie}

5 p.m.

supper{finally!}

6 p.m.

rare light{and a messy kitchen!}

i hope you are all having a beautiful day. :)

God is good. all the time.

xo, 

mary

linking up with rebekah