Giveaway Ending...TODAY!

Last day to enter the Girlie Girl Giveaway! Since I have only a few people entered right now your odds are excellent at winning! Make sure to share the info with your friends online!

Leave a comment here.

I will draw a winner using random.org

Good Luck to all who entered! I am excited!
I will email the winner this weekend!

Reflections

What was this summer to me? As it draws near the end I think about the things we could have, should and actually did.

Things I am proud of: staining the fence that needed it badly, remodeling my bedroom to make it a sanctuary for my husband and I to enjoy, painting the hallway finally.
Letting the kids have a summer at home where they found delight in flowers growing, bugs flying around, waterguns, sprinklers and boredom...yes I said that, boredom is good for kids I believe.
Getting up with the kids and making breakfast smoothies most of the summer, taking them to the farmer's market frequently, cooking good and organic food fairly often.
Spending a lot of time with friends and family.
Sleeping in a tent at least 6 times with my husband at various family outings. Getting over my fear of killing plants and trying my best to grow things--it actually worked!

Things I am not so proud of: we only made it out to go swimming about 4 times, not finishing up our library reading log and getting there numerous times every week--my projects kept us too busy at home--buying so many hot dogs on sale my husband felt like he should eat them often for lunch, which I know is horrible for him!

Things you didn't know about: we just bought a new couch for our rec room, another room remodel was done in no time! It made such a difference! Now to paint that room and work on the decor item I just planned out! :) We just got one of those gorgeous puppies I was so giddy about from mid-June-late July. We have had her for over a week, we named her Maggie and she is a delight to our family...even when she trails off with someone's underwear! ;) She has a heart shaped nose and everything!


God also saw fit to teach a lesson in faith. My son's trip to California was amazing...just 24 hours after he had left home I received a call that he had an infection in his knee and needed to come asap. You can't imagine the fear and shock I was dealing with at this point. My husband was driving home from the porcupine mountains backpacking trip with one of our boys and I was alone with our youngest son, Kaiden. I couldn't get ahold of anyone in California with the kids, so I waited for an hour to get a call to hear nothing basically because the signal in the mountains was horrible. So then another 45 minutes later I receive a call from a nurse asking for authorization to treat him, etc. Again, no details. The Scout leader calls me to give me the update, he has an infection from a scrape he received on his knee the previous week on his bike, they are worried about blood poisoning so they want to get him on a flight asap. Can you imagine a mother hearing this 2000 miles away, wanting to charter a plane and get there asap?! I got off the phone to start calling airlines, scouts leaders for booking information, etc. I was on the phone for another 90 minutes trying to work things out and waiting.

The one thing I kept saying and feeling was "I don't see...but I believe". I honestly believed that either something was going to happen and God was protecting Dakota, OR he was going to perform a miracle for many to hear and see. We had come down to the worst case scenario, the nearest flight was at 9pm at night getting him home around midnight, although the leaders wanted him out earlier so they could return to the campsite with the rest of the group (they went to a hospital 90 minutes away). Then I receive the call..."Sarah, here is the update, it is up to you as Dakota is your son (curiousity and slight panic washes over me--does he need his leg removed? what is going on?--) but they checked his knee and the bone thoroughly and they believe that two doses of antibiotics and the infection will disappear. So he can stay, but it is up to you"

GASP! Praise! Gulp! Breathe! WOW! God you are awesome! Where is my voice? I want to cry!
"YES!", I breathed. I was relieved! What a difference from the blood poisoning, get him home and off his feet for 3 days, to he can stay and just needs antibiotics! Yes, God showed he was faithful and taught me indeed how I didn't see, but I could believe and he would come through!

I may have a few regrets, numerous accomplishments but more than anything, I am excited to embark on this next season with enthusiasm, motivation, joy and peace!
How was your summer?
What did you accomplish and what did you put off?
What were your favorite parts?

Bedroom Reveal & Giveaway Update

My room is done except for the mirror, I think I finally have an idea of what I want to do with it and the hangers are still on the wall. But other than that, I figure it is time to reveal this room that has been so long awaited!!!
BEFORE:































AFTER:



























I will give some quick details here on what the remodel entailed:
1)New curtains $120 (4 panels of faux silk from JCP with coupons!)
2)Spray paint for side tables $7 for 2 cans Gray from Walmart, I think it was Rustoleum but I can't remember now.
3)Scrapbook paper for the inserts on sidetables 6/$1 Michaels on sale.
4)new bedding - Birthday Splurge! - $245 shipped (from a craigslist seller) for the pillows, duvet, bedskirt. They are Ralph Lauren and I love them! I found the sheets that matched from a different brand at Tuesday Mornings for $25!
5)Black "bling accents in the bedroom from Hobby Lobby I spent $18-20 on 4 items.
6)Silver vase holding flowers $4 at a garage sale, flowers were about $20 at Hobby Lobby. (looking to find a matching vase to split the flowers and balance them on my husbands nightstand as well.)
7)Tufted storage bench - bday gift from my parents - free for me, about $100 for them, from Amazon.
8)Spray paint for the two white dressers $16 at Home Depot, I used primer and paint by Rustoleum, Glossy White.
9) Gray Benjamin Moore Paint, I can't remember the color, I will work on getting that if anyone is interested. I painted the bedroom in one day, again with the Harmony paint and it was fast drying and could barely tell I painted by smelling! Loved it! I think that was about $35 for paint.

Total was around $493 for the complete bedroom remodel.

Not bad if I do say so myself! Please share your feedback with me!

Now for the giveaway update: Since I have only had a few people enter, I am extending the giveaway until the 21st, there is a blog giveaway starting next week and I will include it there. Share with your friends. Don't worry, these items WILL be given away just 8 more days to wait! :)

Have a great day!

GIRLIE GIRL GIVEAWAY!

The day is finally here! I have finally got my giveaway items purchased and ready to go. This is my first giveaway and I am so excited!




I am giving away one girlie package containing the following:

Ralph Lauren Romance Sensuous Bath and Shower Gel
Victoria's Secret Pretty in Pink Silkening Body Lotion
World Market Lavender Massage Oil
Pink picture frame
Peony Plum Flower scented candle and bar soap
925 Sterling Silver Rhodium Plated "Diamond" drop earrings
Square Mirror 12" x 12"
-just because I love mirrors and have numerous in my house! :)
*Yes, even the hydrangea bouquet is included!

Because this is my first giveaway I want to give everyone a chance to enter so this contest will close on Thursday, August 13th at 5:00pm.

How to enter:
1) Tell me your favorite post on my blog, give the title and what you liked about it. (mandatory)
2) Follow my blog (this gives you two entries, make sure to post a separate comment stating that you follow.)

3) Blog about this giveaway, link back to it and post a 3rd comment with your post link.
4)Add my button to your blog for one extra entry.

<a href="”http://prayerfuldrivenlife.blogspot.com”" target="”_blank”"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/shaeded/BlogButton.png”" /></a>

This allows up to 4 entries for this contest!
Good luck to all the entries!

Fabulous Finds!

What a fun morning in blogland. Isn't it neat when you stumble from one blog to another and discover someone that you know you should be meeting for lunch...unless of course you discover that they may live 2 or 8 states away? I had that happen this morning...
From one followed blog to a link in their post to another link in someone else's post, I can't even follow my footsteps to tell you how I found this adorable blog...Oofa Luffa Le how cute is that? The name is super sweet and I just love finding someone funky, fun, outgoing, and to make it even better...her love of the Lord posted on the page totally draws me in!!! I love that!

She is also hosting a giveaway of some fabulous summer styles! Run over there and check her out! You won't want to miss her blog! :)

My giveaway comes out tomorrow FOR SURE! Get ready!!!!

Sarah

Reflections in the midst of Chaos!

This summer has been flying by already! I can't believe we are so close to August! My husband and I have been on fairly different schedules because I have been doing a lot of hard labor around the house (painting, staining, organizing, etc.) making us tired at different times and not allowing us our full evening of down time like school provides us when the kids are in bed at 9pm. When you have a 13 year old and 15 year old pleading to stay up until midnight...baseball games ending at 10pm...hanging out at church and rehearsing until almost 10pm on Wednesdays...you get the idea, normalcy is the new rarity!

In reading a beautiful post over at Lola B's is stirred up some feelings for me. I absolutely adore and cherish my husband, but honestly how often do we pour over our wedding vows or think about the first emails/notes/cards we wrote and received in those floating, dreamy first months together. For us it actually did last years where we could lock eyes and disappear into our own world, tearing up as we latched onto each others eyes and knowing each moment together was a blessing! But as the kids get older there is more recognition that they will be grown before we know it and we try to give them priority and a voice. (What a balancing act a family and marriage can be!) So as I read the post from Kasey today, it reminded me of some of the things my husband wrote in his vows. We wrote our own and he had such a way with words that I wished I could rewrite mine quickly and have a "do-over"! I can still remember when he started it and said my name and I got goosebumps! (I will interject here, there is a mention of another child, I was not pregnant, we just knew we were going to have a child together, I was actually chastised quite a bit at my reception by my friends who swore we were keeping a secret, but Kaiden made his appearance 11 months later!)

Here are his vows:

"Sarah, we have been given this Gift of our love for one another. A love built on a Strong foundation of friendship. Together, we discovered the Miracle of our destiny. To be united. You and I, soul mates, now complete as one. The final piece of the puzzle has been found and I am NOW at peace. This journey we have been on has Proven to me that dreams Do come true. My wishes Have been granted. You have given me happiness beyond Anything I could have ever imagined. Our undeniable link and connection has lead us to this day. Today I stand next to you, in offering of my life, my love and my soul. Sarah, I will love you, cherish you and respect you. I will hold you tight and comfort you. I will be a faithful husband, devoted to you, our life and our children, S, B, M and D. And when we are blessed with our New child, I will be by your side everyday. I promise this to you my precious bride, until my last breath. And when I breathe no more and leave this place, I will be waiting for you with open arms, so we may be together again, forever.... I love you"
I am completely emotional again after reading those words again and remembering that day. It seems that we have to track back and remember the beautiful parts of why we are together and bring those pieces with us or they can be forgotten or stowed away in a pretty little box that doesn't do it justice! Today, I hope this inspires you to find a piece of your past that helps you thrive in the present and the future. I know my husband's vows do that for me and I am now realizing I should have these printed and on display somewhere in my house!

Even amidst the chaos of summer, busy life, kids, and the many roles that we play...we need to find the time to reflect on the beautiful journey we have been on in our life.

Much Love! I will be floating for the rest of the day! :)
Sarah