Sailing, gliding and a little gazing....

Have you ever taken a sunset sail?

This summer we chartered a sail boat (yes it came with a Capt....no worries).

It is by far my favorite thing we have ever done!

We took the kiddos, and my parents along for the Anna Maria Island adventure.

Have you ever wondered what God was doing at sunset...I know...he is busy creating a masterpiece!

I cannot begin to tell you 1. how many pictures I took, 2. how many times my kids have asked to live on a sail boat and 3...how much God revealed and taught during one evening sail.

"Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait for Him to act..." Psalm 37:7

Guess what friends...that boat was going nowhere fast without the gift of the wind.

Unless of course we turned on the man made engine attached to the boat.

It was the most peaceful and satisfying feeling to feel, hear and experience the sail being filled and the boat begin to glide.

I am learning to be still in His presence.

Waiting for Him to fill me.

Waiting for Him to set me gliding.

There is nothing more beautiful.

We turned 16 this summer...on July 2nd.

This great person (whom I have the privilege...(most days:)...of calling husband)...lives in that gliding state.

I learn from him each day what it means to live into Gods presence.

This picture is my favorite of him...maybe ever.

See-I know what he is thinking...I don't need to see his face...I know his heart.

My husband is in this moment...in HIS presence.

Reflecting the SON

Nothing more beautiful.

I really pray that today you get even a few minutes to reflect on the beauty of Jesus.

He is already ready to fill our sails and set us to gliding...the "man made" way requires far more repairs, is noisy, stinky and more bumpy.

As for me and  my house...we are gonna depend on the wind...and glide...

Happy Sailing!

Tracey

"Limitation Lamp"...white and distressed!

We (my husband and I) worked on a project today! I had been begging for wanting the large Pottery barn lamp that looks like this one above but is a pole lamp. Since I didn't want to spend the 150.00 to buy it...I had to get creative! This lamp above was an inexpensive brown lamp. I painted it my favorite color (if you want to call it a color)...cottage white. Then I distressed it.

Next we went to home depot and bought a square fence end post. Cut it to size and attached it to the table lamp with these.....

L brackets are my friend...I use them all the time for projects! Then we cut squares for the base and attached them as well. Once it was together I painted it, distressed it and painted this address on it...4 Mayberry Dr.

4...for the 4 people in my fam....Mayberry because it is our families favorite song...by our favorite artist...Rascal Flatts...it is the song we sing blasting in the car...windows down...with ice cream cones in hand...the kiddos know every word!

Once the address was on there I sanded some more with my favorite Black and Decker "mouse" sander. Almost ready to turn on and use!

Here she is! I LOVE her. She cost me a total of $20.00.

Today I happened to read Rie's blog Home and Harmony ...

I love her blog and today's post was...

 so fitting with our lamp!

It is entitled Inspirational Limitations!

I had a price "limit" and because I did... I was forced to use my creativity...and in the midst had a great sweet day with my man! Our kiddos are so excited about the new lamp, knowing it has a special family meaning.

Rie is right...out of limitations can come something so beautiful!

Random Gratefullness!

I am so grateful...

for who God has given...

and for who...

they are becoming.

Yes and even this one...but only because one ear is always up and the other down.

She is lucky she is cute!

Thankyou God for entrusting me!

Love and gratefulness, Tracey

A grateful gardener...

This is what has been going on in our own backyard

Right under our own noses!

Do you ever fear missing what is going on right in front of you?

I am thinking today of how quickly time goes...school is almost out for the year, birthdays are coming quickly...I want to hit the stop button...I like it right here! My Children still listen to me (well most of the time), they still want to sunggle and play....they really like us...we are still cool (well most of the time)...

I know that with growth comes pain-it just is-we can't escape that...

I also know if I focus only on the growth...I will miss the beauty!

I know it's profound for 8 in the morning...just trying to get through this...

 don't want them to grow any more!

I get it...the whole purpose is for them to grow up, and be who they are called to be.

My husband and I are simply the gardeners...watering, watching, pruning...loving, encouraging, disciplining...

Jesus-help us!

Teach us to be the gardeners we need to be, let us love our little blossoms the way you care for us!

Give us the strength to let them be who you would have them to be.

Lord let us never ever be too busy to see them growing...and all the beauty that goes with that!

Love-A grateful gardener-Tracey

A kiss and a memory!

Yesterday http://tarahlowry.blogspot.com/ featured me...and the "cottage'....can you tell I am still so excited!

I wanted to tell the story behind a few of the things in our home. This amazingly chippy, old, used door came from an antique show...but there is a story...there has to be with something that looks like this!

I had been searching for a door for over my couch for a year! I wanted the perfect one...not to wide...white...hardware still on it...

I walked in to this antique show and, it was the very first item in the show...like you walk right into it. I LOVED it...but was struggling with committing so soon into the 1,000 dealer show...you know the struggle..."what if there is a better one....""

Soooo we moved on (we being my husband and our children C and M).

About 30 minutes and 12 booths later...I could not stop thinking about the door...It had all that I was wanting and more. My grandmothers door to her freezer room (where she kept homade ice cream sandwhiches-which are still my favorite)...had the same glass as this door.

I sent them back down the long hill (the door was at this point out of sight).

In a moment of regret and want all at the same time I yelped..."RUN...GO GET THAT DOOR!"

(the innocent by standers looked dazed and confused and sorry for my husband)

They ran..really ran (which I really didn't expect but was so sweet).

When they (husband and son) came back-they did not have the door and had sad faces.

My son said "Mom I am so sorry it was gone...we ran as fast as we could..." and then

beacuse thank God he can't lie well-I saw his little grin.

He was so excited and yelled "We got it mom...we ran and we got it for you".

It was such a sweet moment for our family we literally jumped up and down together as if we had won the lottery! Unknown to me the quest for a door would create a great family memory! Now it fits in even better than I imagined over our couch in our Family Room!

The sign that is above the door that reads "Its a wonderful life"...there is sweetness in that too.

I painted that sign for my husband because our first kiss happened at the end of watching that famous Christmas movie! A kiss and a memory all above the couch! Amazing what you can hang on the wall!

Love and memories-Tracey

Cloud shapes and giggles!

The cousins were in town this weekend. Caught this one while the kids were checking out the cloud shapes!

The very simplest things are fun as long as they are together.

 Our children LOVE their

cousins and their cousins LOVE our children...so sweet, so simple, so refreshing!

Take a second to look at the clouds today and giggle with someone you love!

I am linked up today (and this is my very first link...so lets pray it works)

with

my 3 boybarians....

for her Sweet Shot Tuesday

Love and Giggles...Tracey