To you....

I'm not going to recap my whole year (most of it is blogged anyways) but I will say that next year holds a lot of excitement for us! I won't even try to guess where we will be this time next year but that's what makes life adventurous! I want to get closer to God as I try to be a better wife, mother, and worker and I think that's going to be my continued focus. 
If you're reading this, you might be planning your New Years resolutions in your head, or reminiscing about this year and years passed.  But I want to say that even if I don't know you, I pray for everyone who reads my blog.  I pray that you will know how amazing God made you. I pray that you take a minute to ask God, no matter what your relationship is with him, that he will show you his plans for your life, that he will help you.  If you are going through a tougher time now, just know that this is part of a bigger plan.  A great example of this is to think of your life as mosaic tiles.  The white and light colored tiles are the wonderful, happy times - and the dark tiles... well you know.  But in the end there is a beautiful, full picture.  You see that without every single tile on the board, light and dark, you would not have the same picture in the end. 

If you are a full time mommy, keep doing what you need to do.  You are growing and shaping your kids and teaching them the most from example.  Even if it seems like no one notices what you do every day, they will.  There are moms all over the world who are putting themselves on the backburner to enrich their family and years down the road you will see the pay off! God wants you to do what you are called to do, not what your husband thanks you for, or what the easiest thing is to do.  Remember to get dressed in the morning, do your hair, and put on some makeup.  This will really help you feel like  you're still you, and you're husband will look forward to seeing his beautiful wife at the end of a hard day.
Many of you moms work and don't spend the majority of your day entertaining tots.  I know you wish that you could, but you're doing what you are supposed to be doing also.  Providing for your family is so incredibly important and you're children will love you for it.  They always know who mommy is though so don't think you're not teaching them because you are.  And just remember that the grass is always greener on the other side.  There is plenty of hardships, stress, and frustration when working at home. I really miss having co-workers, and going to lunch and getting to enjoy my home as a haven instead of a workplace. If you have a deep desire or longing to be in a different situation, don't be afraid to pray for it! God doesn't always give you an answer that you were wanting, but it's probably because his is better. Just keep knowing that you are doing the right thing (and by the way, I haven't met a mom who doesn't have 'mommy guilt' just about every day - it's usually just in our heads).

If you are curious to take a leap of faith in a certain area of your life and want to know where God leads you, I think you'd be surprised to find out just how much good he wants for you. I will keep on praying for you all and thank you all for your encouragement to me. I love you all and hope that wherever you are you know that someone is praying for you.
Happy New Year!  Love, Heidi

Some things happen in God's timing...

Just a fun little update I had to share!
Not only did we receive our November home loan statement last month to find out that we 'accidentally' over-payed by one month back in March so we didn't need to pay for November (really, who pays without remembering... apparently me because I do the bills!) but today we received a check in the mail for a few hundred dollars that says it's our escrow overpayment amount! I've always payed about $30-$40 more than what was due figuring it can't hurt, but apparently you need to fill something out stating exactly where you want the overpayment to be applied otherwise it goes nowhere, and in this case it came back to us! Then just now I opened our dreaded water bill, the last bill due this month to see what we owe, and it says "Do not Pay. Payment made using Credit" Meaning that again we over-payed and the extra amount covered this month's full payment!! Wow! Now that's how God works in our lives constantly!! He is AWESOME!!!!!!

God, what are you planning?...

I'm not a fool to think that I'm not blessed.  My husband is my rock, my best friend in the whole world, and the love of my life... and he is healthy! My daughter is more perfect than words can say, she has shown me a whole new kind of love that I never knew existed... and she is healthy! And as far as we know there are no complications with my current pregnancy.  I would have never imagined that this is where I would be in life right now, I don't think I ever thought I would be so lucky in life. 
While I know that God has a plan for us, I have to rely on what I know to be true.  He has taken care of us time and time again.  Just when we think we might not make a bill, unexpected money comes to us. Just when we thought past jobs were our whole future, plans changed.  When we talked about starting a family and I was so sure that I wanted to wait just one more year, we found out we were pregnant 6 days later. When we decided to move back to where I grew up and rent an apartment there in southern CA, we bought a house in Arizona.  When I cried and cried about having to back to work after having Addy because there were no other options, I learned how to use a sewing machine and discovered a hidden passion.  These are only a few of the thousands of answered prayers in mine and my husband's lives together.  We pray and pray and pray for things to work out in our time, our way, and just when we let go and pray for God to intervene we realize that he had a much better plan all along.
I know that right now, with my husband still looking for a way to bring home the bacon on a consistent and steady basis, his grandmother holding on for life in the hospital, another baby on the way, bills stacking, stress mounting, sleep lacking, there will be a light. 
I woke up last night at about 2am and couldn't get back to sleep (just like the last few nights).  I usually go downstairs to my sewing room to work, grab a snack, and then try to watch tv until I feel tired again.  Well last night I had been praying and talking to God for hours and started to get into a very anxious mood.  I wanted to hear God's voice.  I wanted him to answer me RIGHT NOW. I wanted to know what his plans were for us (not that I could ever guess because they are usually way better and so different than anything I could think of).  So I grabbed my bible and journal and went downstairs.  I didn't want to do the typical 'open your bible and point' thing so I looked in my journal for the book that I was going to read next and figured I'd start there.
Wha'da you know?...
James 1:2  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
I went on to read the notes in my bible about this verse, which I know very well yet tend to forget when I am facing trials.  In the notes it says "James doesn't say IF you face trials, but WHENEVER you face them. He assumes that we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain, but to have a positive outlook ("consider it pure joy") because of what trials can produce in our lives. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach us perseverance." 
Time after time, just when we think we have it all figured out, God has taken us and shown us that when we have faith in Him, he will reveal his plans to us. 
I don't know if this is a lesson that I will have to learn over and over throughout my life, but I am so incredibly grateful that I am not in control of my world.  I can give all of my stress and worry to God and he always, always takes it!
I am praying for all of you who have struggles right now and can't see the end of the road.  It won't last forever! God asks us to cast our cares upon him because he wants us to be willing to give up control.  When I get the courage to do that, my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.  I know better, and I pray for that reminder every day that God DOES have a plan for ME!
And like I said, I am blessed!

And the Winner is....

This was such a fun Giveaway! Thank you everyone who entered and shared this on your FB wall with all of your friends!  I had to wake up early this morning and I used my random generator to select a winner!
And the winner is....

 ANGELA INGLIS STINSON!!!!

For everyone who wants to take advantage of 20% off going on until December 5th be sure to use coupon code: TURKEYSAVINGS at checkout on my Etsy site.  www.etsy.com/shop/adelaidesboutiqueLLC

Story of Moses' mother... Great bible study I can't stop thinking about

I attend a women's bible study on Tuesday mornings with some friends and this year we are learning about women of the bible.  Last week (2 Tuesdays ago) we learned about Jochebed.  She was the mother of Moses.  She gave birth to Moses, a baby boy, during a time that Pharoh made a law to have all Hebrew males under the age of 2 to be killed. Knowing this, Jochebed courageously hid Moses for three months. And when she knew she couldn't hide him any longer she put him in a basket in the Nile river.  When you think about your baby and how much love you had for them at just three months, and how you would do anything to protect them, it's amazing to think that she had to do what she did.  The Nile river is full of anacondas and crocodiles and all sorts of deadly things.  I don't know how long it took for her and her husband to decide that this would be their best option.  I don't know how long it took her to weave the basket that would take her baby down a deadly river.  I don't know how many tears she cried in the moments leading up to the act of giving up her precious baby to the Lord, and how many times she hugged him and kissed him before possibly never seeing him again.  But I do know that she trusted God through it all.  She knew that she could not let her son be murdered because of a law that made no sense.  I also know that God had His hand in everything that happened.  Once she sent her baby out into the river, she was trusting that God would take care of her child and she left him in His hands.  When Pharoh's daughter was bathing in the Nile, she found the baby and Moses' sister Miriam, who was watching to see what would happen to the baby, approached Pharoh's daughter and asked her if she wanted her to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for her and she said Yes. So Miriam went home and got her mother, Jochebed! Jochebed was reunited with her son to nurse him for about 3 years! What an amazing turn of events.  She used that time to train her son and teach him about God, knowing that he would soon live with the Egyptians and probably never be taught about God again.  Her obedience, again, resulted in amazing events.  Because when Moses grew up, he knew in his heart that the Hebrews were his people and he chose to return to God, all because his amazing mother took advantage of the 3 years that she had with her son.  Jochebed had to give up her son twice now.  And how much more difficult the second time when she has seen him grow, and heard him talk, and seen him walk.  She got to see his personality be formed and get an idea of what kind of man he would grow up to be.  She created memories with him knowing that they would come to an end.  She would have to wonder what he ended up looking like and if he ever married.  She put her faith in the Lord knowing that his life would be written without her in it. Wow, what an incredible woman! It makes me really emotional as a mom to think of ever having to do what Jochebed did, but to know that God has a plan is a very good feeling.  I am excited to look into the lives of other women of the bible and to not just hear the story but to really try and understand the circumstances that made these women truly incredible people!

Living a Life Worth Living

So life is still as busy as ever. I'm still learning how to balance this crazy thing I call a schedule.  Here's the thing... I am incredibly busy every day and I know that I'm not being lazy, but am I really doing what I need to do here on earth in order to leave a legacy and lead my child in a real walk with the Lord?  I don't know sometimes.  I pray every single day that God would show me where I need to be in my life and what I need to be doing, whether it's sewing, just being a mommy, wife, and homemaker, going back to 'real' work, or something I haven't thought of.  Every day God assures me that I am where I need to be right now, but am I making the most of what I am doing?  I don't get to have a whole lot of interaction with customers as we all converse online only and I have multiple conversations a day with all different people.  Am I supposed to be  reaching out to every person I talk to? Am I supposed to go deeper into their lives?  Will I ever have any impact on them?  I don't know.  I know that I am supposed be doing this for a reason and right now my reasoning is that I want to stay home with my baby and raise her to have a personal relationship with Jesus. But is there another aspect to it?  Why sewing? Why not home data entry or in-home day care?  I love to sew but I wonder if I'm missing the mark on why I'm really supposed be doing this. 
Here is my typical week: (you really don't need to read the whole week, it's nothing super interesting)
Monday - Addy goes to her grandma's and I start the day by deep cleaning... mopping, dusting, disinfecting, etc... then I go straight to the sewing room to see how much I can do with the little one away.  I usually get a lot done. I try to squeeze in a nap on Mondays too. Monday nights I have a girl's bible study at my friends house a block over and my husband feeds the baby and puts her to bed while I'm there.
Tuesday - Morning women's bible study, I get to carpool with my friends and all our babies in our neighborhood and Starbucks is the first stop! I really LOVE this bible study!! Then come home and put Addy down for a nap and I.... sew! When she wakes up we just play and read and stuff and I do some work on the computer.
Wednesday - Nothing special during the day and at night we have a neighborhood bible study group with all our friends and our home hosts child care.
Thursday - I usually bring Addy into my sewing room in a pack and play or let her crawl/walk around with toys (I have to pick EVERYTHING up off the ground, including - her favorite toy - the trash cans full of fabric scraps. She hangs out with me all day 'helping' me work. (Well I let her push the reverse button on the sewing machine whenever I need to reverse)  :)
Friday - Catch up with whatever I didn't get done that week; laundry, cleaning, sewing, emails....
Saturday - Butch (my husband) usually plays with Addy while I get some work done then at night we go to church. We have a really big church and there are Saturday night and Sunday morning services so we go Saturday night with my in-laws and go to dinner after.
Sunday - Sew like crazy to get all of my Monday orders done! I also try to take a few hours to just relax and spend time with my family.
When I write it all down I feel like there is a lot missing.  I didn't write when I read my bible or any specific activities that I do with my daughter or meals that I make or anything but even still, I feel like there is something else that should be there.  There should be something in my week that stands out and says that I am doing good for this world and I'm making an impact on people and sharing God. But it's just not there.. and I don't even know where I could squeeze it in. So to my concern, I don't want to have to squeeze it in. I want that 'thing' I do to be my priority and everything else gets squeezed in.
When people ask me if it's hard to sew and run this business while having the interruptions of Adelaide and I always say that it's hard to take care of Addy while having the interruptions of sewing and running this business.  I want that for my life story. I want to have an impact and a goal that puts God before all and everything else is secondary. 
I know that God has a plan and He has me where He does for a reason.  So if that reason is just to lead my children and love and support my husband then I will do just that.  But if there is more... well then I'll just have to see what God has in store!

She's Turning One!!

So we are getting ready for Addy's birthday party this weekend and I'm getting so excited! It has been the best, the hardest, the quickest, and the longest year of my life!
The best year because I never knew that there was a love that could exist like this.  I thank God every day for entrusting me and my husband with this amazing, precious little girl.  There is nothing in the world that I could ever do that could express my gratitude for her.  She brings a smile to my face every day when I wake up and go into her room and am greeted by a high pitched "HI" and the biggest smile ever.  When she says "mama" it melts my heart! And if it's an off day where she just might fall asleep in my arms (only happens once in a great while), well that is one of the very best feelings in the world!
It has been the hardest year of my life because I didn't realize the work that goes into raising and caring for a baby.  I learn something new every day, and just when I think I've mastered something, a new challenge appears before I can blink.  I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.... well maybe I'd trade it temporarily for a nap :)
The time has flown by so fast!! This has definitely been, in some ways, the quickest flying year yet.  I can distinctly remember the night that I took a pregnancy test and found out that I was pregnant.  I remember the exact feeling I had, I remember what I was wearing, I remember looking at the test about 400 times in one night, and I remember thinking that it would be FOREVER before I would ever get to meet the little sprout growing inside of me.  It seemed so surreal that I kept thinking that it was never really going to happen.  I just couldn't picture it.  I was ecstatic beyond belief but couldn't believe that if was real! I remember every bit of the 'all natural', full of pain, labor and delivery.  I remember holding her all day long for about the first month because I knew she would be growing up so fast and I wanted to take in every moment I could with her. And I remember every time she learned something new, or developed a new skill I was thrilled and a little bit heart broken knowing that she would never be this way again.  She was going to keep on learning new things and getting bigger and those days of sitting on the couch with her in my arms from the moment I woke up until my husband got home from work would be a distant memory.
At the same time, it has seemed like the longest year of my life because as I think of any memory from my past, the first thing that pops into my mind was 'where was Addy that night?' - oh yah, she didn't even exist yet! When I say something about my old routines like the gym, tanning, movie theater nights..etc. I always wonder where my daughter was that night.  Once I realize that she wasn't a part of that time, I think to myself 'now I know what people meant when they would say to enjoy this time and to take lots of naps..!'   You never understand that at the time, but I think that everyone with kids has that moment of "Oh! Now I know what they meant!"
I am so proud to be the mom of such an incredible little girl! Just last week at church we dropped of Adelaide in the nursery (where there are hundreds of kids) and the childcare girls in Addy's room all said that she is the baby that they all fight over.  They have to take turns because they all want a chance to get to play with her.  I know I am bias but it feels really good to hear that other people see the amazing love and personality that God has already instilled in her.  I know that God has plans for her life and I pray that I am able to guide her down the right path for as long as I can. 

I am proud to say that in 2 weeks I will be the mother of a one-year-old and could not be more thankful for this life!! I love my sweet Adelaide Brianne!!

Today's Monday Mixer... 'Twirly Little Owl' One of my Faves!!

Only 2 of Ea. left! Saturday Art Fair Dresses - RTS

Great church service!

Last night our church service was about sharing the Word of God with neighbors, strangers, friends and family.  I am basically going to copy straight off of my notes because I thought all of this was such good information.
85% of Americans would accept an invitation to a Christian even or worship, but only 2% of Christians ever invite others.
92% of U.S. adults say they believe in God
84% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Christians
48% of U.S. adults believe we can go to heaven by doing good works

Wow, if only we were all bold enough to just ask!  It is hard sometimes to talk to a person about God when they have already been scarred by bad experiences, but there are so many people all around us that may have never had any relationship with God and are just waiting for someone to show them what they are missing.  I don't have a lot of bible verses memorized but I have story after story of the amazing things that God has done in my life.  He has directly answered my prayers in the most amazing ways!
I am going to try and be more bold this year and tell people about all of the things that God is doing in my life and share His love with those who don't have a personal relationship with God.

"In today's culture, people don't need to be told they are going to hell, they need to be shown how to get to heaven." Pastor Don during this weekend's message.

Addy is 11 months!!

My baby Adelaide is 11mo old today and I just can't believe it! I still can't believe that I have a daughter. She is better than anything I could have ever imagined God would bless me with and I'm so grateful for her!!!

Monday Mixer - Charlott in Patches

Charlott in Patches
Monday Mixer
One of A Kind
$50 + shipping (ruffle pants can be added for $21 or bloomers for $16)

This dress is a size 6-24mo
Best as 6-12mo dress and 18-24mo swing top

Measurements:
Length: from under arm to hem is 16"
Chest:16" - 25" (stretches with a soft stretch elastic shirred in the top.)

Babies are a dog's best friend

My daughter has been crawling for a couple of months now and she is just a little bigger than our two dogs.  She plays in the dog crate, makes several attempts a day to eat dog food, and she play tug-of-war with them and their rope... literally! She even does this weird sound that I could never figure out what it was - until she was sitting with a dog and the dog would bark and she would make that sound, then the dog would bark and she would make that sound again and I realized that she is BARKING!! Sometimes she wakes up from her naps barking into the baby monitor.  It is quite hilarious! Oh I love this little girl SO MUCH!! She just cracks me up!

Vacation... how could I pass up this scenery!!

So I went camping with my husband and baby and we met my in-laws who were up there all week.  It was such a needed getaway and I enjoyed every wonderful minute!! I couldn't pass up the scenery so we did a little photo shoot and Adelaide looks like a doll! She seriously needs to get into some modeling :)   (Ok I know every parent says that about their babies!)

Tuesday's Twirl Skirt

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adelaides-Boutique/255927287757222?sk=wall

Welcom to my World!

Most days I spend crawling on the floor with the cutest baby in the world! She would play Peek-A-Boo for hours if I let her.  She pushes anything that moves (her walker, chairs, books, her high chair, etc...) across the living room floor and usually ends up in the kitchen or the other way around.  She laughs with all her heart when our dogs growl or bark or make any kind of noise at all.  Although I love to sew and it is a means for me to stay home with my daughter, I feel like I can never spend enough time with her.  She makes me so incredibly joyful and thankful every new day with her!  Today, my friend Jessica came over to work with me (our husbands were having daddy-daughter time with our girls) and we were saying how much we love doing our businesses but when they conflict with spending time with our girls, those little babies of ours win every time!  When I need to get caught up on orders and really do need to spend some serious time sewing, I realize that Addy is never in the way, it's the sewing that gets in the way of my "play time".  I pray every single day that God will continue to guide me and show me signs that I should keep sewing by giving me motivation, encouragement, and of course sales, and He has blessed me greatly in these areas.  I hope that this balance of running a business and parenting can continue for a long time so that I can express my creativity and continue to create for my "Adelaide" customers who continually come back for more. 
I wanted to share my office with you guys and show you the small, yet wonderful space that I have to create my dresses.  I haven't picked out a paint color and there is still a LOT of organizing to do as every single nook and cranny is stuffed with fabric and I am quickly overflowing my room!
My husband thinks it's funny that I have 2 chairs for just me but it seriously does help me to move back and forth from my surger to my sewing machine quickly when I need to.  And yes, I feel like I run a fabric store sometimes but what can I say??  I always have my newest creation hanging on the side of my fabric shelf (see if you can spot it).   And that HUGE pile of dresses in the making... 18 to be exact.... makes me feel like I'm running a sweat shop!  Until the rest of my sizing tags come in the mail, the post-its safety pinned to the dresses with sizes on them will have to do for now :)  Unless major changes occur (like pregnancy of quadruplets) I don't think Adelaide's Boutique will be going anywhere for a long time - BUT, I will not stop praying for guidance every day.