Shirley's Life Blog
Well I've finally started a blog, but not a business one,
my personal Life Blog. Many times I just feel like
sharing what's going on in my life with family and friends.
images coming
*It's been a long while, but this is my eighth entry. We recently went on a fun
trip up North, first to be with Joy on her 30th birthday, then to Portland
to spend the 4th of July with Daniel. We had a great time at Joy's, went out
to eat and she opened her birthday basket. Jeremy and I had some alone time
and we talked music and records! I learned that they are making records
again, this time with a digital version inside the cover also.
When at Daniel's, we spent time with Becca and her sister's family doing
fireworks and an outside BBQ. Little Ben, Becca's 2 1/2 yr. old nephew is
darling. He really likes "Dan" and wanted to do sparklers "only with Dan".
They also danced a bit to some Pandora music on the backyard grass. We
walked to a nearby park to watch a fireworks show, but only saw them a
little above some trees. We had a fun time though watching Dan & Becca with
her newest nephew Charlie, who is only 6 weeks old. Full head of hair and
sooo cute. Then, off to work I went to do an early AMNW show on July 5th.
At home I have been organizing my studio and down sizing my supplies. It's hard
and is going very slow, btu it WILL be worth it when I finish! My best
friend Michelle is helping me as she is a professional organizer-besides
having a Sociology major and cosmotology degree. We have been geting to
know each other more lately. She remind me of my younger sister
Leanne, so we are a great fit!
My Mom's borthday is today! She is thin and beautiful and is my inspiration to
loose weight! She did it in 2 years I believe, on Weight Watchers. She is
amazing! Happy Birthday Mom!
I am enjoying having Sadie my 15 1/2 yr. old neice here, arrived today and gets
to stay 3 weeks. We laughed a lot tonight and I love her so much! We
watched "our" favorite together movie, "Uptown Girls" which was fun. Dwayne
and Sadie to bed at midnight...it's summer so it's relax time for me!
*Seventh entry Sept. 28, 2011 Sadie turned 15 today and attends her first
Homecoming High School dance this weekend. Here she has just tried on
her dress which arrived to Grandma's just 3 days before the Sat. dance
...and the mask I made her to match the dress, which arrived 2 days
before Homecoming on Oct.1st! Whew! She sent me the picture of the dress
they ordered online for her birthday present from Grandma Renie & Grandpa
Mike and I made the mask as it is a Masquerade Ball. Everything worked out
great! A side note, Sadie also made the JV cheerleader team as a freshman
(just like I did :) and will be able to cheer at the "Varsity Football"
Homecoming Game Friday! Pics to come of actual night...
*Sixth entry Sept.25, 2011 Family Disneyland & Dodger Game Vacation (and they won!!)
Photos Coming Soon...
We had a really fun time with our kids and Dan's girlfriend Becca at Dsineyland
and California Adventure (wish Jeremy could have come too!). The Dodger game
started off the fun with a great game and good snacks...yes I ate some
cotton candy as usual. After the game they did a fantastic fireworks show to
Star Wars music, it was so great too!
Then off to the happiest place one earth...In and Out...No d-land on Sun.,
Sept. 18th for Daniel's birthday (just like last year!). Joy and Daniel got
pretty soaked as usual on Splash Mountain and I was wet as well. Great
weather the whole time and more great fireworks & tinkerbell each evening!
We bought a few souveniers to remember our great time together!
From there we headed to Lancaster to visit with our close long time friends Dan
& Joni! We ate at our favorite place, Baroni's and drove around to see all
the new things in Lancaster, wow has it grown! Downtown was beautiful!
Bakersfield was our last destination to visit my parents and sister's family.
That was fun too, we relaxed and caught up on each other's lives and had a
really nice time...we were tired so it was perfect. We had Mexican Food with
Leanne & Ron and
Mom & Dad had lots of great weight watcher friendly
meals and pre-cut fruit etc. all made up for the taking. Wish they'd visit
my house and fill my fridge with those great healthy foods. hee hee
Then home we went, seemed like the longest drive ever, but we made it!
Then slept for a few days, well I did! A very memorable vacation indeed!
Other News
*Fifth entry July 26, 2011
I am the proud Great Auntie of these beautiful kids, Luke, Bella and Gracie!
There is the coolest story behind these kids getting to go to Disneyland
recently that I must tell. As some of you may know, two of Carissa's kids
are adopted and special needs children. The oldest, Luke, has been diagnosed
with several serious things in the past few years include Glaucoma,
Tourette's, ADHD,
Microcephaly and Sensory and Auditory Processing disorders.
Carissa's whole family got to go on a trip of a lifetime because a group of
some incredible, generous people decided to give the entire trip to their
family as a GIFT! They wanted 8 yr. old Luke to see Disneyland NOW (due to
his glaucoma and possible sight loss). What a blessing!
Both of my (grown) kids have recently moved. Joy moved to a historical apartment
building (built in 1907). Dwayne and I got to visit her and see her new
place and it is really nice. Beautiful architecture (as seen in photo), even
a claw foot tub. We had a great time with her and Jeremy, ate at Spaghetti
factory and saw the movie "Super 8" and loved it (2nd time for us).
Daniel made the longest move from Eugene, OR to Los Angeles. He found an
apartment in Culver City. Dwayne and I and Joy are planning a trip in Sept.
to see him, Becca and his new place (and probably Disneyland). He was able
to keep his job in Eugene at Deck Monitering and does his specialized
computer work remotely (at home). Becca, his girlfriend is a really nice girl
and is attening UCLA Law. She's a smart cookie, just like Daniel, which he likes!
*Fourth entry May 20, 2011
I sure haven't been keeping this up much. But I feel like sharing things
in my life right now. We are in prayer for Dwayne's father who has cancer.
Also a our daughter who is having some medical tests done, a neice is struggling
with MS and a great nephew has several serious health issues. We are
trusting God to take care of every family member! I've had a lot on my
plate lately as well. Busy teaching a support group, polymer clay classes and off
and on being involved with the church worship team (lots of practice at home
and at church). I've made some close friends over these past few months and
my younger sis and I are getting closer (by phone at least). Change is upon
us as my kids are both moving this month and we are looking for a house to
buy (first one ever!). It's a big step in choosing to buy, build, buy and
add on a room or two, etc. I am dreaming of an ocean view but there's only
one house a little out of our range at the moment with that beautiful view.
Yes, I want that one! But the bank needs to make some foreclosure decisions
etc. It is CLOSE to the ocean. I cut my long hair this week, about 5-6" off
so I look much different, but was ready for a change. It feels a lot lighter
and that's a good thing for me.
Third Entry
Christmas 2010
12-31-10
This was our e-card this year. I found the website that a friend used
and dropped our pic into the card...it was fun and easy! Although she is
a little hard to see, our cat Zoey is peeking out between us.
First, we went down to Bakersfield to spend an early Christmas with
my parents and sister's family, about 2 weeks early. Both family trees
and houses were really Christmasy, colorful and bright, I loved them!
The kids (David & Elizabeth) shared what they were thankful for this year.
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My Dad and brother-in-law-Ron had built beautiful, professioanl
lookings walls with a real door in place for the church musical staged
livingroom. I wish the spotlight hadn't washed out the set walls and amazing
white door. And, my Mom sang in the
choir (way to go Mom!). We had a fabulous Sunday morning.
We had a very relaxed, special time at Leanne's home! Everything was so
pretty. Mom had new stuffed fabric nativity ornaments that my
older sister Jennifer, made for bazaars which were unique and so cool.
My neice Sadie also likes crafting and was able to make stuffed mistletoe and
sold them along side my sister. I am sure they had a fun time
together making things.
*Second entry: 9-30-10
We were so excited to be able to go to Southern California for our
nephew David's wedding to Katie! It was beautiful, modern, sleek and
I loved the unique colors and flower balls and pearl seashells
scattered around. This picture is of the bride and groom and
Dwayne's brother Bob who helped with the ceremony.
Katie's dress was amazing, very detailed with form fitting
curves and our 'surfer girl' wore it perfectly.
The cake reception was a lot of fun. I loved the custom sculpted
cake topper figure of David and Katie! So unique and special, a
keepsake for them for sure. The banana cake layer was scrumptious!
As a special touch they had chocolate kisses with a round
sticker of David & Katie on the bottoms of the candy.
Now that's my kinda sweets!
Here's my family starting with my husband Dwayne with my daughter Joy,
then my son Daniel and I and my few precious moments holding
my neice Carissa & her husband Mark's baby "Bella", the honorary
3rd flower girl. What a sweet gift she is to our whole family!
To be continued.....at Disneyland!
We had a super fun time at Disneyland with all of the family! Carissa
& Mark's son Luke got there early and learned how to be a Jedi Knight!
Gracie (Mark & Carissa's oldest daughter) went on most of the rides,
she was fearless. One must have been near water as she sure got wet!
And this is baby Bella enjoying Disneyland as a baby should,
taking a relaxing nap in the shade!
We arrived a little later and went on rides, then met up with everyone
at a Mexican resaurant in Downtown Disney called Tortilla Jo's to celebrate
David & Katie's marriage and Daniel's 23rd birthday.
I had to try on a few hats in the Mad Hatter shop as usual. Here I am,
in Jonny Depp's hat from in Alice in Wonderland. The hair almost looks
real! Daniel wanted this picture because he took one similar when he was
about 3 years old (at Knott's Berry Farm I think). How handsome!
Of course we went on more rides, saw shows, ate snacks then met up
for dinner at the Carnation buffet place. It was a great day all around,
and we will remember the 'family reunion' we had at Disneyland for many years to come!
First Entry
*First entry, Tues. 8-24-10:
I was so excited that after Cheryl went to Uganda to give out the
many dresses, she saw a little girl in one of mine and snapped a picture!
How rewarding this was!!
Great instructional video link is included below.
I've been realizing lately that my little "corner of the world" as
I call it (Brookings Oregon) located on the coast in the far South
West corner of Oregon just above the California border, is a
tiny speck on most maps. I've been contemplating if I have been a
city, state, country, continent or world Christian? I would have
to honestly answer, mostly a city Christian if that is even a term.
God's plans for me are so vast that I cannot even imagine what
is in store for my future. But I have a good suspicion that He wants
me to be a "world Christian"! So, one of my first assignments has
been to begin making dresses out of pretty pillow cases for girls
of all ages in Uganda. This is right up my ally as I love crafts
and like to sew. It seems like such a little thing to do, but I pray
that it blesses many girls lives that have been in poverty and
have been exploited by men in their villages, some who abuse them.
See basic directions for "How to Make Pillowcase Dresses".
A simple to follow YouTube video is online at:
....although there are many ways to make them!
I pray that these dresses give the girls and teens confidence and
hope that there is a God who cares for them through the
blessings of those of us who are so privileges in the USA to have
so much compared to them.
With my husband, a pastor, currently on a trip to Hong Kong and then
speaking in Sri Lanka at a pastor's national conference, I have had
a lot of time to think about my role as a pastor's wife, but mostly
as a Christian who is to live to serve God and further His kingdom.
I am self-employed, working at home (and sometimes traveling for
work) and do not have contact with many non-Christians on a daily
basis, as most women who work do. So I need to be a little
more creative in what I can do to help.
There are always things I can do at my church, but I like to go beyond
the building walls and
reach out to others. I have a lot to
share, a very hard childhood, many physical challenges (including
cancer-which has not come back!) and the things that pastor's
wives face every week. I
used to allow myself and my ministry to be
decided by the church ladies. That works for a while but you soon
realize that those things may not be what God is calling you
to do. And there is a big difference!
I have to ask and listen to know what to do each day with my
time, limited as it may be with a handful of physical struggles
(fibromyalgia, thyroid replacement, my adrenaline that can spike
easily and fatigue). I am sure many ladies and men experience much
worse physically, but these are my challenges to overcome. Back to
being a world
Christian...there are many ways to do
this. People usually fall into three basic categories, those who can GIVE
much needed financial help for missions work, those who can send
clothing or similar items to help and those who can GO and help the
people in these hopeless, sad lives, just trying to survive and
feed their children and keep them healthy. I'd personally like to
"go", but for now I can settle for giving, buying and making things
people need. My heart is also breaking for the children in Haiti
and I am planning to help out any way I can and even travel there
one day to help in the orphanages. I love kids, I always have!
Recently I have become more aware of the tragic "human sex trafficing"
aka "human slavery" going on in other countries, when girls are
thrown out of orphanges at a certain age, with nowhere to go.
I have heard of two specific ministries helping these teen girls who
are being used and abused. It is a house (3 houses now)
that saves these girls from living on the streets
and being abducted, called:
and then I heard on the KLOVE radio station of a similar
Aug. ministry support plea for:
Instructions for strip pocket:
Using scraps cut from the dress arm holes, sew as many strips
horizontally together as needed for the pocket size. Cut out the pocket.
Cut out a piece of white or solid scrap fabric the same shape and
size as pocket. Sew them, right sides togehter leaving a small
opening to turn right side out. Iron pocket and sew onto dress
around curved
area only so top straight edge is open for
a little hand to fit into.
OR, another way is to turn under the top straight edge of the pocket
twice and sew. Then sew ric rack or trim around the curved area of
the pocket, leaving the top edge open from the dress fabric.
Instructions for the bows for dresses or headbands:
Once made, it can be glued to a headband (I like to buy a set of
4-5 colors in one package that have a FABRIC COVERING over the
band, and no sharp teeth or prongs. Try dollar stores or mine were
at my (Fred Meyer) grocery store. Use E6000, Goop or 7800 tube all-purpose
glue and let it dry in place overnight. Or you can stitch to the headband.
I machine sew the straight bow ends onto the dresses, then hand-stitch
the knot to the dress. Keep the fabric gathered when you sew the
bow in place. Well that's plenty of sharing for one day!
