In the works...

I am currently working on putting all of my dresses into pattern-form. I will be opening another shop on Etsy soon where I will sell all of my patterns and include helpful tips and time-saving techniques that I've developed and found successful. This is going to be a big challenge for me, not only putting down on paper each and every dress style in each and every size but then to type step-by-step instructions for each one is something I'm not exactly looking forward to.
If you're wondering "why?" then, it's because once I'm done putting in all of the set-up time, I will be able to sell the patterns and have more time to spend with Addy and her new little brother. Since I'm due in June I think that's a good goal date to have it all done. The fun side of it for me will be creating new items! I LOVE making a new dress but don't always love making it over and over and over again.
When I was cleaning out my sewing room today I was thinking about what kind of patterns I could make that would be something completely new that I haven't seen yet and my brain just wouldn't stop. So I made a first trial and error (more error than trial) dress and gave up.  Then when I was feeding Addy breakfast I decided to roll her high chair into my sewing room and give it another try. I came up with my new all-time favorite dress design! As soon as I was done I took Addy out to the front yard and snapped some quick photos, edited them and uploaded them. And then came lunch... I did the same thing and started another dress of the same style to see if I really had it down and YES it is still my favorite! (I tend to think that every new dress is my new favorite).

So... if you are experienced at sewing or would like to learn how to from scratch then pull out your sewing machine, or do what I did and call your mom to borrow her 50 year old sewing machine, pick out some of your favorite fabrics at Joann, Hobby Lobby, or Fabric.com, and get ready to sew some super cute clothes!
I'm hoping to have at least 20 patterns in my shop before it is opened so that you have a variety to choose from.  The sizes will range from 6 months to 6 years.
My husband laughs when I tell him that I've been looking at some other dresses on Etsy and the creators have some really cute dresses but I know they are doing it the hard way and I just want to send them a message and throw out a helpful hint! But who am I to say that my way is better? I am definitely no pro! I just research like a crazy person to see if there are better ways to get the same result without sacrificing quality.
I hope that I don't kill myself in taking on this task but I know it will be worth it in the end. I can finally share all of my secrets with everyone and still make money! There are no plans to close Adelaide's Boutique so don't worry about that.
**On a side note, please pray for my mom who taken to the hospital last night after something that looked like a seizure caused something that looks like an aneurysm. I know it's vague but they are running tests today and I haven't heard anything new as to what it all really was. I don't live in CA anymore so my sisters are there with her and I really wish I could be too. If we find out anything bad I will be headed out there.  Thank you!

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!