So very Thankful..

The last few weeks have gone by so fast. I have been meaning to continue through with my list of thankful things but life of course had other ideas for me. Here is the remaining items that I have been meaning to post... excuse the long list, I tried to keep each one short and sweet.


12 Time- the thing that I am always the most grateful for these days is time. With the decision to go back to school I have had to shift my focus from working and being on the GO to now having time. Time is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. When I look back to these past few years (even within 10 years of marriage) I can not exactly pin point much time that I have had to just be me. I am grateful that I have had the experiences in the last years to help mold me to who I am... but the time to digest it all and process it into who I am to become is just so precious. I pray that those of you who read this allow yourself some TIME to absorb and remind yourself of what your purpose is. You might be surprised how you see yourself now and what promises that are stirring in your heart... might just pop up to the surface. Take the time, you are worth it, and your future is much to bright to ignore what it's full purpose was designed to be.

13 My brother- Today is my Brother John's Birthday. We are exactly two years and one week apart. I am thankful that I have had him all of my life (for as long as I can remember) and that through it all... we still love each other... even though I was his older sister... and well... I may have played that card one too many times. Very grateful for who his is and what he is in my life.

14 Single Parents: This past few days my husband was out of town. Although we all miss him very much, I am easily reminded when he leaves that so many parent on their own. Being the single parent for these short few days touches my heart for those who do it daily. It is not easy... this I know. I am grateful for those women and men who parent on their own, whom have chosen to put the importance of their children's lives before their own. That is love unconditional.

15 Girlfriends: After my post about going back to college a few of my friends contacted me to let me know that they were on the same track or that my decision had encouraged them. Going back to school is a little scary yet totally exhilarating for me. Having these girls on this path along side me could not have been anything but a God sent. I am so grateful to have these girls going down this path along side me. I am not at this alone... I have been given the blessing of these friends to experience this with me.

16 Our Sweet little boy: Today was our son's IEP. Our son was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum at age 2 and has been in some sort of therapy since then. After the last month of speaking with his developmental team at his school... I felt the motherly weight being lifted off of me as they explained to me how much he has developed this last year. He is still autistic and has his quirks, but I know that he will live an extraordinary life filled with purpose and joy because of the efforts we have made through the years. I love that little boy and am so grateful that his is who he is. He is a comic, a cuddler, an artist/cartoonist, a singer and beyond belief smart. I love my little man and will continue to stretch him to his full potential.

17 Fort Collins: This little (well, maybe not so little) town has taken us in as it's own and we are so grateful or that. For the beautiful rocky mountains, to our amazing neighbor hood and friends... we are at home here nestled up against the mountains.

18 Skype: today I had a date with my friend Lorraine to Skype and create art. Although we both ended up sick... it is still nice to have Skype to connect me with those I hold dearly.

19 Girl time: Today I went with my girlfriends to see Breaking Dawn. I love having some time with the girls, just being girls and enjoying a fun movie.

20 Volunteering: Now that our kids are a little older it is exciting to have the opportunity to develop their hearts in service. Our church announced today their Christmas Basket program. Before we could sign up to help give out baskets, the volunteer sheet was FULL! Thank God for such giving hearts... now to find another place for our family to serve :)

21 Blackberries (on sale!): I bought some blackberries on sale at Sprouts for 88 cents a package. Two of these bad boys make one pie. This makes me soooo happy. Fresh pie on the cheap... perfect for the holidays.

22 Autumn Break: the kids last day of school for the holiday was today. I have 6 days with my kids... just enough time to enjoy some needed family time.

23 In Laws: My in laws flew in today for a quick trip for Thanksgiving. They were only here for two days, but those two days meant so much. Our holiday was complete with our family in our home.

24 Good Food: This was my first Thanksgiving that we hosted in our home. I am grateful that planning and preparation made for a wonderful meal... with lots of left overs :)

25 Thrift Stores: Today I got to spend some girl time with my mother & sister in law. I bought some wonderful wool sweaters for felting and a sweet vintage coat that my stylist sister in law picked out for me.

26 Sleep: after a long week of fun and excitement, this girl has never been so happy to have some extra ZZZ's.

27 Our Church: I am so very grateful to have a home church that we love. We are HOME at Resurrection Fellowship and love the amazing people that we have met there.

28 The tooth fairy: Our daughter lost her first tooth on the 28th. She is an old soul in a little girls body and has been longing to join the toothless club like her brothers. Being with her during this moment reminded me that I had the joy of being with all three of my children on the day they lost their first tooth. With life being crazy the last few years... I was so grateful to have this victory.

29 Hair dye: Such a silly thing but, honestly... I am so grateful for hair dye and for my super awesome stylist Patti who makes house calls. Today my hair (and self) was blessed by Patti... and hair dye.

30 California: today I leave for California for a fun event through Charity Wings Called Seaside Soire. I was fortunate enough to be one of the teach of their first soire last year and so grateful to have the opportunity to come back this year. I will be in good teaching company with Cheryl Waters and Jen Cushman. I have known both of these girls for some time and and super excited to finally have a chance to teach along side them.

It is a long list... but none the less, things that I am so grateful for.

Thanks for checking in today with me :)

~Liz ♥

Day 10 and 11- Possibilities and Purpose

Day 10- Possibilities

Today I received this in my email box:

It has long been a dream of mine to finish the last two years of my degree. So last week as we passed the college on our way to old town it hit me. I could do this NOW.

For the last ten years I have enjoyed being married and raising my family. The last two of these years I re-joined to work force to help our family in our transition to Colorado. It would make sense for me to find another job, matter of fact I had a head hunter call me last week with seriously a DREAM job but it would require relocating. That is not really in our family plan right now, plus I really feel the need to not work. It is kind of hard to describe but I really feel that God's plan for me is to be available for our kids which has been difficult these last two years. With the pull on my heart to stay home, not work well... this puts us in a bit of a bind financially but thanks to my wonderful husband, we have tweeked our budget and in faith are going to take that step to have me not work and be available for our family.

Day 11- Purpose

This decision has opened up my days to explore who I am and what I want to put into this world. I know this may sounds silly because seriously... we do things everyday, why would today be any different??? Well this is how.

This last month of not working for an employer has allowed me to think, truly think for myself about my future. I have been able to clearly look at the future of my family and let my heart wander on the hopes and dreams that I have ignored day after day because I was always to busy. This past month has offered me silence, clarity and an invigorating boldness that I have a purpose that I need to pursue. So with that being said, I am going back to school. I am applying to Colorado State University for the Fall 2012 semester.

In the mean time to show proof of interest as well finish up my graphic design education I will be attending Front Range Community College. This will help me with any licensing work I do in the future as well prepare me for CSU. I am waiting for my transcripts to transfer from Long Beach City College so that I can meet with a CSU transfer counselor as to what the next steps will be towards finishing up my BA.

This is a big step for our family. It is going to require a LOT of preparation but I know that together we can make it happen. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we take this next step in our families future. I will still work freelance in the Art and Craft industry as I love this industry and truly believe in it. This step will only help me solidify what it is that I enjoy doing now and prepare me with the knowledge to proceed forward with my dreams and purpose. ♥

Is there something that has been on your heart to do that you have been waiting for the right time? When do you feel the right time will be?

~Liz ♥

Day7,8 and 9- Heart, Art and Healing...

Day 7- Heart

The last few months I have been able to explore experiences in my life that I think I had inadvertently escaped from for so long. When you live your life day to day you tend to continue on as you have always known. I guess what I am trying to say is that what seems normal to you...is normal. If you were born with black hair, that's normal to you. If you speak a certain language that is normal to you. If you like your sandwiches with the crust cut off... that is normal to you (apparently this is my kids normal too).

My normal was that I was raised by a single mom to the age of 7. Even though this is only a little over a quarter of my life, the reality of it is that these seven years have played a huge part of who I am now and what I value. Both me and my brother  John were raised in my grandparents home and shared a room with my mother. My mother being the oldest of the 9 children in her family was the first of her siblings to have children. So this meant that my grandparents household was well... bursting at the seems with kids. Funny thing is that I only remember being surrounded by my family which was such a comfort. I grew up influenced by my 8 aunts and uncles in anything from music, fashion, beliefs and language/slang (☺). This has really helped me through the years to remain open minded with my experiences.

The one thing that I didn't have during these years was a prevalent male figure. As a girl, you wouldn't think this to be such a major factor but as I look back at my life and journey I have realized the tremendous benefit of security, confidence and guidance that a male figure provides. But my life has been in Gods hands since day one and even though my paternal father has never been a part of my life... I have been gifted with a loving supportive and protective father figure unit of men that through out various points in my life have served this role. The main men that I can thank for this are my Grandfather, my uncles (Tony and Eddie), my mothers boss Kevin and my stepfather Cecil.

I can look back and see now how these men have stepped in as my protectors, providers, my truth tellers, my comfort. My Grandfather was my first father figure. I am precious to him and he has continued even to this day to remain a comfort to me. It seems odd to think that he still provides me comfort, as he passed away in February of 2005 but those first 7 years of my life, living in his home I still remember the warmth of his embrace. The tenderness of his comforting words. They are words that still ring true to me now. Having these experiences to hold on to have built me up to who I am now. They have helped to give me the strength that I need in my hardest battles. I am so very grateful to have this knowledge to hold on to and think if I didn't have these experiences to hold true to, what kind of women would I have become. Could I still have the same boldness that I sometimes have to dig deep into. I don't know if I could. Now this is just me, this is not the norm, this just happens to be my norm. Like I said before the norm is only what we know to be true. Could I have still been the same person I am today even with out these experiences... possibly, but I am truly glad that I don't have to know.

This last week the memory of my grandfather has been stirring in my heart. I loved him so. I still remember the strong quiet man that he was, hoisting me over his shoulders and walking me down to the corner store to buy 25 cents worth of candy. I am sad that my children do not have vivid memories of him, our daughter never even had a chance to meet him. But I know that a part of me is a part of him, and that is where the legacy can continue, and even thrive.

Day 8- Art

This is a little tough for me, especially after first part of this post but it ties in together. Sunday I found out that a dear friend of mine back in California lost her father. We have similar upbringings and both had step fathers that we considered our fathers so I knew the amount of love she had for her father. Even now I can't help but cry, not only because we are 1500 miles apart and the only comfort I can give her is over the phone, but also just because of the pain I know that she is dealing with while trying to make sense of what is left. It is sometimes hard for me to express what is in my heart... so I do it with art. After I got off the phone with her yesterday... I felt the urge to create something for her. This is also the way I can re-group and gather myself. Art is a HUGE healing tool. Even just to sit and write in a book with nothing more than a pen... IT IS HUGE. Your mind knows that you need to process and sometimes just trying to sort through your thoughts is much to large of a task for your body to handle. Allowing your thoughts to manifest through your hands helps to join those two parts of who you are (mind and body) into making sense of all that is around you.

SHE KNEW HER HEART WAS IN HIS HANDS

products used: Paper- Prima Marketing Inc, Adhesive-Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, oil pastels, mod podge, gems, tulle and crayons.



Day 9- Healing

So yesterday I created... in an effort to heal not only my pain for my friend but in hopes to find the right words to share with my friend and assist her in her healing. Like I said before, it is hard sometimes for me to find the right words to express what my heart is feeling. I find comfort in scripture, quotes and especially music. Not always do the words of comfort have to come from my mouth, but perhaps I just need to be the one to pass them on. So with this being,  I want to share my inspiration for this art piece.

"Isaiah 41:10  fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

I am a firm believer of affirmation of words for healing. With this in mind I prayed for what the right words would be for healing (Now, not only for my friend but for me as the loss of my friends father erupted my own emotions of losing my grandfather). And through this I kept imagining a heart, protected, secure and held. So the scripture became my starting point for what I painted.

Along with this a song came to my thoughts. This is a song from Natalie Grant. I was fortunate enough to see Natalie in concert a few times at our old church Cottonwood Christian Center in Ca. One of her concerts, she explained the background of this song and how the women who wrote it, wrote it for her friend after her friend had lost their young child to SIDS.

(To view video, make sure to pause my music player below before you start)

You can see that in this tragedy the women felt the need to create. Create something that could most likely assist her with the emotions of it all, but more than anything assist her friend with her loss.  Through her faithfulness to herself, in allowing herself to take this moment to create this song this women has brought peace and understanding to so many.

You never know, what you create may be the only thing that someone out there needs to make it through. So get it out there, when you need it. Share it, don't be selfish with the gift you have to give. Give it to those who may need exactly what you have to share.

Healing is a part of life. It is a process that we will always have to deal with. How we deal with it is unique and individual and only we know how to find the peace in chaos. My hope is that this little insight into my creative reasoning/healing will encourage you to find some sort of healing tool (Creative or not) that can help you make sense of the things that your body and mind go through during these times of need. ♥

Day 4,5 and 6- Culture, Traditions and Faith

Day 4- Culture

This weekend was such a fun time for our family. Since the kids are a little older, we have been starting to give them some experiences into different cultures. This weekend we ventured into my side of the family and exploring traditions from my Hispanic heritage.

I am 100% Hispanic, third generation, far removed from the roots of our heritage. I grew up in a home where my mother was so adamant that I spoke English and integrated into an American/English school. It wasn't until later in life that I found out that she based her importance of such things on her own experiences of being you in the 1960's and not speaking English. I am grateful for my upbringing and as much as I remember our Catholic/Hispanic traditions and folklore (Posadas, La Llorona, Pinatas...tamales☺) there are still celebrations of our culture that seem so foreign and removed from me yet they fascinate me.

One of these fascinations has been "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead)

 

Julie and Sedona... two artists :)

 

 

To learn more about Dia de los Muertos click here.

We are blessed to have a beautiful Hispanic community in Ft. Collins. In attending this festival we became familiar with  a small part of who I am. I have been fortunate enough to make friends in my life and work that share their love for our culture and have encouraged me to dig deep into our heritage and culture and begin to make some family traditions of our own.

Day 5- Traditions

After attending our first Dia de los Muertos festival, it had me thinking of how we could integrate the traditions of both of our families together and also begin to start our own as the James Hicks family. We have through the years enjoyed special moments that we have began to celebrate every year. This is exactly what I feel is the heart of our families traditions. Finding something that we  hold so dear that the desire to experience that moment again and again ... together never ceases. I had to really hold tight to the idea of our family as we experienced this weekends festivities. Not everything of the folklore is easy to explain to young children, nor with a christian background but the festival made it a point to make the celebration of life. Life lived and Life promised. I was truly grateful for that. I am grateful to have a supportive community and family that continues to encourage us to celebrate who we are and where we came from.

Day 6- Faith

Day 6 just happens to be my birthday. It was a very simple day, which if you ask any mom they will agree that is the best way to spend your birthday. We started to day grabbing some cinnamon rolls from Vern's and heading to church.  Our church service was amazing. We had a guest pastor, Clay Peck from Grace Place in Berthoud, CO. He shared his story of adoption of his 16 year old daughter from the Ukraine. The struggle his family has overcome is just amazing. I encourage you to read his story, it is a true love story.


Altogether this post is an accumulation of my heart this weekend. I know it may seem like just little things, but these little things are building... building into bigger things each day. I embrace these little things, memories, moments, traditions and look forward to the legacy that even little things like these will leave for my children and so forth. I know that even these little things are BIG things to my children... things that they will remember and use to create their memories, moments and traditions with their family. I am just a small part of the bigger plan...and there is no greater joy than to be that small part. It's all about the legacy ♥

Day 2 and 3- Snow and Thank Thursday

 Day 2- Snow

I think most of my friends would think I am crazy for being so fond of the snow, but the truth is that after living 30 years in perpetual summer (AKA California) a little seasonal change is much appreciated. Now I don't think that I could handle snow all the time, I am a winter wimp... and really can't handle to cold all that long. Thank God I live in Colorado where the snow falls often, yet melts quickly.

Yesterday, we had a fun in the snow. It's these fun moments that I am grateful for. It is also these impromptu fun moments that spark the best creativity in my family. After a suggestion from my friend Trish, we decided to build a fort for our kids and graffiti it with colored water (food coloring, mixed with water).

This of course made our kids super happy and also pumped them up to imitate our building. I love that my kids find inspiration in the things we do for them. I am also grateful that my kids love experimenting and being creative.

With this in mind, our kids decided to mimic our ice fort by trying to create a "Spongebob Snowpants".

They figured out what the design was going to be, and also what supplies they would need. by  recruiting the assistance of both James and I... together we created our chilled underwater friend.

 

 

I am so proud of their creativity and to be able to help them with their project. Together my husband and the boys built the base while our daughter, eldest son and myself painted our new snow buddy with food coloring, water and a small amount of watered down craft paint (the black). We wanted to make sure that the dyes were safe to be melted.

It's little things like this that make me love the snow.








DAY 3: Thank Thursday (WE&Co), #WE&CO, #Thankthursday


A while back I found a fun little app for my Iphone called We&Co. This App is specifically set up for patrons to be able to give a THANK YOU shout out to their favorite places to visit in their town. You can also say THANK YOU to a specific worker at your favorite places as well.

I love the idea of being able to thank someone, especially someone that normally may not get the recognition that they deserve. This app is the perfect solution for that.

Along with this App, the We&Co. company has launched a #thankthursday campaign to remind ourselves to thank someone each Thursday. Although thanking someone may be second nature to us in any given conversation... It might be hard to pin point when we last sincerely looked at some in the eyes and gave them a heartfelt thank you. That is where Thank Thursday comes in :) This also is a nice way for us to take our month long gratitude... and stretch it to last all year long :)

You can find We&Co. on Facebook and Twitter :)

With this being said... today I thank my friend, Kerri... I could make a very long list of many different things that I am thankful to her for, but today I am thankful just for her. I am grateful to know her, have her as a true friend and am especially grateful for the person that she is and how she has encouraged and impacted me.  Everybody needs a Kerri in their life.

So I hope today that you begin to take advantage of Thank Thursday, and thank that person in your life that most deserves it right now.

~Liz♥

The day after Halloween...Day 1 of Gratitude

It never fails that as hard as I try to resist... the day after Halloween seems to bring on the "Holiday Season". Both my husband and I have resisted plenty of times in reverence of Thanksgiving... hoping that this unsung holiday will receive it's proper devotion (rather than just being the day we eat tons of turkey and watch football, lol).

This year for some reason I thought rather than to resist... I would embrace what Target and Walmart advertise and enjoy the Christmas season a little earlier... after all it would make decorating a whole heck of a lot easier :)

I still want to give Thanksgiving it's thorough accolades, so this month I will follow the tradition of many and celebrate a daily devotion to gratitude.

Today... November 1st... I am thankful for my God given blessing of my family.


This picture above was taken at our friends Jannie and Andy's house this past Sunday. My original Halloween costume was a long beaded gown and well... after wearing it once.. I realized that it was not exactly -trick or treat friendly. With this, I decided to bust out my old college cheer uniform and to my surprise it still fit. As I walked down stairs to see my kids in their costumes it struck me that I haven't worn my cheer uniform in 12 years and this was the first time that my kids ever knew about me being a cheerleader. At this point it felt like two parts of my life suddenly collided. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the last time that I wore this uniform 12 years ago, that the next time I would wear it... would be in front of my children.

I suddenly was overwhelmed with the feeling of happiness and pure joy. My husband and my children are my world. And to think that 12 years ago I was a single working college student... just blows me away. It is amazing how quickly time flies. Looking back the past 12 years, it has dawned on me that although these past 12 years have been tough... the outcome is what matters most. Looking at my beautiful family makes it all worth it.

I hope that you will join me this month in celebrating the unsung holiday of Thanksgiving and take a moment each day to celebrate the things in your life that make it ALL worth it. Taking a minute to look back and reflect might be tough, but even with each trial... the beauty and blessing of the gift of perseverance should be celebrated.

Here are a few pics of our last week of October as me and my family celebrated with friends here in Colorado.

Our little hot dog... a comical little boy. I am so proud that he is comfortable in his own skin and loves to make people laugh.


Our own little super hero... Our middle child who was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at age 2. He never ceases to amaze me with his determination. This year he and his "BFF" (those being HIS words) planned to be Mario and Luigi. This alone warms my heart. Children on the Autism spectrum have a hard time making friends. So to hear him not only have this amazing plan, but to also have a "BFF"... makes me so proud of him.



This is a picture of one of the juice boxes that one of the parents from our daughters class donated for their fall feast. This picture reminds me of just how blessed I am to be a stay at home mom again and have the opportunity to share these special moments with my children and their classes. This is the first year that I can actually be a room mom for one of the kids classes. It is these little things that make me so very happy.

I hope that you enjoy this next month as I share just a few things I am grateful for and I hope that it encourages you to make a similar list that you can cherish.

And if you are "getting into the holiday spirit" early... check out this post I just did on the Crafty Power Blog.

Thanks for checking out my blog today :)

~Liz ♥