Here it is!

Bedding Designed at Carousel Designs

Click on the HERE above and it will take you to my registry on the site.  Not expecting anything off of it, but an easy way to let others take a closer look.  And if my sweet mother decides to purchase her new grandson the whimsical quilt, then that’s a special bonus!

Details on the design are as follows:

The bumper fabric is Solid Butter

The crib sheet is Gray Script Cotton

The crib skirt is Black Baby Toile

The quilt front is Yellow Nursery Rhyme Toile, inside is Gray Script Cotton, and trim is Solid Black Minky

We will not be using a traditional bumper this time around which is one reason I did not want to go with a store bought, bed-in-a-bag option.  There is nothing wrong with that, and is what we used last time.  Since we know we don’t need the bumper, there is no point in paying for the set!  We ended up using a breathable bumper with Micah once he started moving around more in the crib, and I have my eye on the yellow version this time.  It will give the same look as above with the extra safety benefit for only $24 at Amazon vs. $130 on Carousel Designs. 

My very gifted mother-in-law has offered to sew a crib sheet and/or crib skirt for us, so I am hoping that a trip to Hobby Lobby or Hancock Fabrics will produce a similar Black Baby Toile fabric that can save us a % of the $109 the skirt would cost.  I love toiles in general, but I really like the design of this one with babies playing in a not too flowery park setting.  I think it will tie into the Tree of Life well.  I’m not so hopeful of finding a close match for the Gray Script fabric.  Recent searches have not shown promising in that area, plus I really love the simple but elegant pattern Carousel Designs fabric has.  The words on the fabric are ones we will whisper to our little boy to help lull him to sleep, like sweet dreams, wish upon a star, rock a bye, sleep tight, and love bebe; it is perfect, and within price range at $36. 

The quilt we plan on hanging on the wall near the changing table as we did with Micah’s; using it as visual impact and stimulation for TC (Tiger Cub).  I love the whimsical nursery rhyme fabric for adding fun eye candy and the colors are perfect.  I liked having the Gray Script on the back of the quilt and envision the quilt becoming a treasured keepsake we can pass along to our baby boy when he has children of his own one day.  I can think of nothing sweeter than our grandchild or children playing on the very words that we lovingly spoke  to our own child.  (See mom, don’t you want to buy it now!) 

As for the design tool, I loved that you could select the wall, trim, flooring, and crib color to really give you an idea of what the bedding will look like with all the elements pulled together.  You better believe I pinned this website on Pinterest!

Well, I had fun and feel happy with the result so far.

What do you think?  Is it alright for a little boy?

Grace for the journey~

Heather

In the meantime, I crave to create something that will show my son just how special a gift he is.  I got to spend so much energy and uninterrupted time preparing a fun and unique space for Micah; spent hours reading what to expect and planning for his arrival, but I am finding this pregnancy speeding by without that same devoted time of preparation.

After many ideas have come and gone I have decided not to go with a fully themed nursery this time around.  This pregnancy has been so different than my first and I’m finding that the boys even “act” different.  Micah was incredibly active at all times during the day and night from the moment I felt the first flutter.  However, Tiger Cub #2 has so far been much more chill.  I’ve felt his tiny flips and flutters for about a month now, but he tends to be much more fluid and far less frequent in his movements.  I don’t know what it is, but as much as Micah is forceful and flamboyant, I get the feeling that TC2 is calm and cool; both wonderful and unique in their own way.

So the first DIY project I am going to attempt is to create a Tree of Life in TC2′s nursery as a focal wall.  I am not an artist.  I can create shapes and recreate crafts I see, but when it comes to drawing free-form; less is more in my case.  Still, after thinking about what symbols, images, and style I wanted for our little one, I kept coming back to trees.  I thought of decals and stencils, but everything that I have come across so far costs a pretty penny.  Since I am once again a stay-at-home mom, this leaves our decor budget a bit small.  Thus, I am thinking this leaves a trace and paint, with a bit of free-form to hopefully create the image in my head.

While looking at decals I came across this interesting tree at dalidecals.com

I am envisioning a tree similar to this, with inscribed words of life within the circles to inspire and encourage my little guy as he grows.  I am going to play with some color combinations before beginning because Aaron and I have talked about cool grey walls with gold and scarlet accents.  I will try and sketch some concept art to include in an update.  For now I just wanted to get the idea out there in the attempt to motivate myself.  Any extra encouragement, tips, or help is always welcome!

Since we are still trying to figure out the room situation for the boys, I’m not sure how quickly this project can get under way, but I will update asap.  Keep an eye out and wish me luck!

The biggest thing to change is that we found out we are expecting a surprise in June!  That’s right, Tiger Cub #2 will be joining our little family.  He (yep, another bouncing boy), was not planned but will be a true gift and will add another dose of testosterone to our clan as I will be outnumbered 3-1!  I am so glad I have nieces to buy pretty, frilly things for, but I have warned Aaron that this new baby might end up in a tutu just to make his mommy smile on a sleep-deprived day.  (Just in the house of course!)

Unfortunately the little guy has kept this mommy very sick for much of the pregnancy thus far, but I am hoping things will still subside and I can rally soon.  I’m literally sick of being sick.  It has not been easy on any of us, with a very active and precocious two year old, 100% boy demanding constant attention, and a church that has lots of great things on the horizon.  My wonderful husband has been a hero in all this and has also uncovered some serious cooking skills along the way.

I am hoping to do some more posts soon about the new nursery process, which is proving much more stressful this go round, and a few other DIY projects I have taken on recently.  But for now, just a quick update on what I’ve been up to.

After hearing about the wonderful world of Pinterest from friends and numerous facebook posts, I decided to request an invite to see if it was worth all the hype.  OMG; is it ever!  I fell in serious obsessive like my first pinning session and have not gone a day without pinning at least one idea a day since, and it has only been 6 days!  I already have 21 boards and almost 200 pins.  Now if I can actually tackle a tiny % of the DIY and other I need to do this pins, I will feel so much more accomplished and productive; something I have not felt much lately.

My big struggle is still looming over me and I’m praying, searching, and waiting for things to fit in place.  I’ve found myself wishing I could just find my purpose as easily as I pin a beautiful picture or inspiring blog.  If I pin it, it will come, right?  If only.

God is definitely working something big in me, and despite how frustrated I might get with His process, purpose, and plan, I still cling to the certainty of hope and seeds of faith that have been sown in my life.  He has not let me down, left me alone, or lifted His hand from my life yet, and I’m pretty sure He won’t now.  Too often I realize that it is my lack of seeking that has resulted in feeling lost, not His drawing away.  God is constant, true, and strong; all the more so as I find myself faltering, lacking, and weak.

So there it is.  That’s a bit of what has been happening and a bit of why I haven’t written.  I’m hoping that changes and hope that someone will be around to read a few words and maybe find a bit of inspiration for their own journey.

Maybe they will pin it!

I hope you savor the interruptions your little ones throw your way!

The Cherished Time

Author notes

This is for my sweet son, Micah. Mommy loves you more than my words could ever convey, always and more than forever.

Names are important.  If you are a parent, think about how you came up with your child’s name.  If you are anything like my husband and I, then you bought a name book or two, researched names on the web, took suggestions from family, friends, and even random strangers, and probably had a tiff or two over who had selected the better and more fitting name.  We think carefully about the meaning behind a name; its origins and whether or not it has a special person or memory attached to it.   We put a lot of stock in names because it is what helps identify us from all the other billions of people out there.  Names can be sacred, cherished, tarnished, beautiful, traditional, forbidden, strong, and so many other different things to different people.  But often, there is power in a name.

Jesus.  Such a simple name.  A common name in some cultures even.  But there is something about that name.  There is a reason we are taught to pray in Jesus’ name, to ask for miracles in Jesus’ name, and to believe in Jesus’ name.  Jesus’ name is The Name of Power.  Through Jesus we are saved, healed, restored, and made new.  If that isn’t power, I’m not sure what is.  Yet, it is a name we don’t utter as often as we should, at least not in public.   Why is that?  Why are we silent with a name that holds so much power and beauty?  Because there is something about that name that offends.  As Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.tv mentioned in a recent sermon on Boldness, the name of Jesus is as offensive today as it was two-thousand years ago, if not more so.  Why?

Because there is power in the name of Jesus Christ.  “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:9-11.  Sounds pretty much like the most powerful name to me.

So why don’t we use it more and use it boldly as Groeschel encourages?  Why aren’t we shouting it out from the mountain tops that Jesus Christ is real and ready to respond to all who call upon his wonderful name?  If you are short of mountain tops, then climb the nearest water tower and right next to “Billy Ray loves Susie” tag ‘Jesus loves YOU” as big as possible.  (I do not actually encourage or condone the defacing of public or private property, nor have I ever engaged in such illicit activities.)

Stop being content and comfortable in the way our culture has turned the name of God into an “acceptable” generic name.  Don’t be afraid of offending people by sharing the name above all names.  Share what the name means to you. Share the stories behind the name.  Share the grace that the name is drenched in.  Remind yourself that there is just something about that name.

Something wonderful.

Heather, Aaron, & Micah Tiger

We are trying to conserve our green and be green in this tight economy, so we thought we would do a Christmas Card Blog.  Hope you enjoy, and please pass the link along!

It has been quite a year for the Tigers!  We had a bittersweet departure from Kentucky this May.  Aaron graduated with his Masters of Divinity from Asbury Seminary and our 3 year adventure was over.  We loved our time in the Bluegrass state and made some amazing and very dear friends, whom we miss like crazy!  Micah’s very first friends, Connor and Eben, are often a topic in the house.  We don’t know what we would do without Facebook and Skype, which we need to use more often!  Our homecoming to Oklahoma was wonderful!  We missed our friends and family and are so grateful to be near them again.  The grandparents are especially happy to have Micah in Oklahoma!

Aaron was appointed to the communities of Roland and Muldrow and is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church.  We are enjoying our new church family immensely and learning the ins and outs of being a clergy family.  We have been blessed with a nice parsonage and are still in the process of making it our own.  Aaron is truly living out his calling and has quickly stepped in to his new role and is loving every minute of it!  The church is exploring who God is calling Trinity to be and celebrating all the good we currently do.  Since we have been there, 21 people have become new members, and average attendance has risen from around 70 to almost 100!  God is good and we are looking forward to all He has in store!

The transition to a new town and journey has been a little more difficult for me, but I am listening for God’s voice and looking for His guidance.  I have made a few new friends, but know that is always a process!  I am still lucky enough to stay home with Micah and enjoy watching him explore new things every day.  I have been looking for a job, but have not had much success yet!  I have substituted once for 7th graders at Muldrow Middle School, and had a few silly boys growl at me when I introduced myself as Mrs. Tiger.  Boys will be boys!  I am also considering applying to the Masters program for Creative Writing at Oklahoma City University, our Alma Mater.  We’ll see what the New Year brings!

Micah is growing, growing, growing.  We adore him so much and he is a constant source of joy, laughter, and love.  Sometimes he exhibits his stubborn streak and asserts his developing independence.  We won’t tell who he gets that from!  Micah started walking at the end of nine months and hasn’t slowed down since.  He is running these days, even if he still has some balance issues!  We celebrated his 1st birthday October 5th.  He was a blessed little boy who got two parties; one at Trinity with his own little cake, and his monkey-themed party at Owasso FUMC.  He played in their Pumpkin Patch, had lots of presents, and enjoyed having so many family and friends there.  We enjoyed watching him glow in the attention!  He is quite the people person.  One of his favorite things is to entertain with tricks and then make sure everyone claps!  Micah loves to talk, and talk, even if we don’t always know what he’s saying.  He can say quite a few words, like Daddy, Mama, done, dog, okay, yeah, no, Beau, and amen!  He loves to sign ‘thank you’ and we are working on a version of  ‘love you.’  His favorite “sign” is one I taught him; Touchdown!  He holds his arms up like he has gone to ref school.  His daddy is very proud of this trick!  Micah is a very happy boy and we thank God for him every day.

We are looking forward to seeing where our journey goes in 2011 and hope to see you all along the way!

Thank you to all our wonderful family and friends who mean so much to us.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tired of being the new kid, the out of towner that hasn’t found a niche
Tired of doing the calling or the texting, just want to be thought of first for a change
Tired of trying and failing and hearing, “Hey, try some more,”
Just tired

Changing leaves and warm hoodies
Football, friends, and pumpkins
Cider to sip and memories to share
Call it Autumn or Fall, it’s the best season of all!

Micah at the Patch

I was hoping Aaron had done the hard part for me and asked if the shop owner was needing help, or better yet, hiring.  No dice.  All he did is bring home roses tucked away in an OU coffee mug.  The nerve!  He said that people like a good story and that I had a good story to tell this woman who owns the flower shop.  Linda.  Really, is Linda dying to hear my little story? I would find out.

I had to drive in to Broken Arrow to pick up my mom who was coming to stay with us for a visit, so I decided to swing by the shop on my way out of town.  I had Micah with me and I thought I had managed to make myself appear professionally cute, hip, and put together, but still casual.  The perfect shop girl!  (This is my point of view and I stand by said description.)  So, in the shop we went.  I carried Micah in even though he has been walking for almost 4 months now.  I knew the pretties inside would be well within his grasp and oh so tempting to touch.  Holding him was safer, as I wanted a job, or at least I did not want a bill by the time we left!

Linda greeted us and commented on how darling Micah was, and yes she did think she recognized that cutie pie, and Oh, I was the new pastor’s wife!  She was delightful.  I had hope.  I had run over in my head what my spiel would be.  I had prayed God would give me the words and open the door.  I was more nervous than my dog on the 4th of July.  How do writers do this?  “Hi, I am a writer and I would like to study you.”  Seriously?  I should have googled it.  So, as quickly, clearly, and articulately as possible I told her I was an aspiring novelist who felt led to write a novel about a girl who owns a flower shop, and are you in need of assistance as in I NEED a job, or can I at least come observe, and no I don’t have real experience but I used to watch my mom make arrangements and I think flowers sure are pretty, and I will shut up now and let you comprehend the avalanche of thoughts I just threw at you.  Phew.  It was out there for her to accept or deny.

She was flattered that I would think of her shop and she was impressed that I had a book published so young, and oh my, a novel, she loves to read, but unfortunately she already has some ladies who help her part-time, but I could surely come in and learn and she would love to answer any questions I might have.

Ugh.

Well, I tried.  I didn’t fail.  I have a resource and who knows what may happen down the road, but two birds, one stone, not so much.

The search continues…..  I’ve been taking some great notes and even have a paragraph written!  I also painted some walls in my house and have a few more to go.  Maybe the new color will strike some inspiration….paint colors italicized

“She was sipping her hot chocolate, hoping the warmth would dislodge the chill that seemed permanently attached to her soul lately.  Sitting in the grassy meadow, watching the sun shift and shimmer through the gold and burgundy hues of autumn, Emmy wanted nothing more than to change as freely and beautifully as the leaves.”

You will be one year old today.  You are my child.  Your name, Micah Reilly Noah Tiger, was thoughtfully chosen after many conversations, debates, bargaining, and compromising.  You however, are no compromise.  You have been so full of love, joy, surprise, wonder, hope, inspiration, and promise from the beginning.  You are beloved.

You have been strong from the start as well.  Your Grams will swear that you held your head up on your own, turned it, and then laid it back down, during your first couple days.  I hope you will always have the strength to hold your head high, even when it is easier to put it down.

You rolled over early and pulled and pushed yourself along with your strong little legs.  I pray you are always able to pull yourself up and push obstacles out of your way.

You crawled early, May 1st to be exact, and we were so excited to see you moving all on your own, though it meant you were one move closer to independence.  I hope you sometimes have to crawl your way out of a tough situation, and in so doing will find even more character as you move along your path in life.

You then decided that crawling was easy enough to master, and you quickly started to pull up on anything you could reach and push up on any item in your way.  I pray you reach out to pull others up when they need a little help and that you will not push others out of your way, but learn from and with them along the journey.

Before we could protect every surface, you were cruising as fast as your little legs would go.  Around and around the coffee table you went, laughing at your own feat and feet, until you made a path through the whole house.  I urge you to blaze your own way in life, but never lose touch or forget where you come from and who has loved you along the way.

Barely three months passed from your first belly-up crawl, then you had taken your first tentative steps, and by August 4th we captured you in all your walking glory!  You let loose of the security of a near-by suitcase and you babbled and walked your way across the room and you haven’t stopped since.  I pray you never do.  I hope, my son, that with each step you take in this life you will learn more of who you are and let God guide you.

It seems like it was yesterday that we were anxiously awaiting your much-anticipated arrival into our lives.  Then we blinked and you are 1, and I wish I could slow time so we can savor each moment with you as you grow, because before we know it, you will be fully leading a life of your own.  I hope we raise you well, with love, humility, humor, joy, a little pain, some challenges, dreams, hope, and so much more.  But most of all, I pray we raise you to desire a heart after God above all else.

In just a year, you have changed our lives completely, and we would have it no other way.  We get less sleep, go out less often, listen to silly songs and sing along, make funny noises to get a giggle, put away pretty baubles so they don’t get broken, spend a little less time dreaming for ourselves and more time dreaming for and hopefully with you.  But no matter the changes, there is not a moment we would not give up again.  It may have taken a year to realize just how quickly this precious time with you passes, but it only took a moment to love you forever.

I love you, always, my sweet baby boy, Micah.  Happy 1st Birthday, and many, many, many more!