Herman Acres

My husband and I purchased 96 acres last year that is about 20 minutes from our home.  

It is so beautiful here.

One my most favorite things to do is go for a walk with my boys and find interesting and beautiful treasures

Some I have seen before

Some are new that have such interesting and lovely shapes

One of my boys favorite things to do is hunt for feathers - they usually find several along our trail walks

Its the perfect place for my family to get in touch with nature, get unplugged from video games, the DVD player, the iPAD, iPhone, etc.  Its pure, its beautiful, its quiet - its our little, tiny piece of heaven on Earth.
It is also a place for inspiration for my art.  I can't wait to get started on sketching out our treasures and interpret them into my paintings.

Sunday. Tired.

Whew - what a weekend.  We drove six hours to Petoskey, Michigan to see my new niece, Wynn.  What...a...cutie.  Total blonde hair - very sweet, very content.  Andy and Dana are great parents and are catching on to the parenting thing fairly quickly.  Like all things...you learn as you go.  Parenting is no exception.

I found this quote recently that really, really hits home to what I believe as I raise my own two boys.  It just sums everything up as to what is truly important when you are a parent:

“If I had my had my child to raise over again:

I’d build self-esteem first and the house later
I’d finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I’d take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites
I’d stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I’d do more hugging and less tugging
I’d see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I’d model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.”~ Diane Loomans

I just love this and it is inspiration for some new projects I am working on that I will share in my next post.

Make the week a great one!

I am an auntie again (for the 8th time! :))  My brother-in-law and sister-in-law brought precious Wynn Anne into the world on Sunday.  She is soooo cute...little bit of blonde hair and a cute little button nose.   - just precious and I can't wait to meet her this weekend.

Leading up to Wynn's birth I, of course, had to create, create, create pink artwork for Wynn's room.  I have two little boys so I was VERY excited to do this.  Dana and Andy painted three of Wynn's walls a lighter pink and then one wall a darker pink. So that cleared the way for all things pink :)

Monogram made with buttons and brads along with a mixed media background (lyrics to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are written in white paint):

Mixed media canvas - Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice - background is silver leaf.  LOVED making this one:

Finally - I just couldn't resist - had to make just one more when she was born as a gift when we visited - my watercolor doodles with Wynn's name and date of birth in modeling paste.  Love the colors in this.

 But, by far the greatest creation out of all of this is Wynn.  Her arrival has been anticipated but she came two weeks earlier than expected - what a gift!

Sunday. Exhale.

To me, Sundays are meant for winding down - technically its the beginning of a new week, right?  But to our household its a day meant for being lazy and getting stuff done for the week ahead.  Throughout the week we work, get kids to activities, go through the routine that is our typical week - just to get to the that sacred, blessed weekend.  We rush, rush through the week - trying to get here just to get there and then back to here again.  Its crazy, insane.  Somedays I feel like I am losing my mind - anyone else feel this way too?

So Sunday is the day I choose to exhale.  Take the time to just sit back and relax and appreciate everything that we have.  It's necessary in our lives to release and let go.  Let go of the stresses - is the world really going to end if the lawn doesn't get cut today - nope.   If I don't get to the vacuuming today, will my family love me less - I don't think so.

Don't get me wrong - I do have to remind myself of this when I feel the anxiety and stress kick in.  I calmly tell myself - breathe, exhale.  It can wait for now.  What's more important to me right now at this moment is all I can handle.

Enjoy your Sunday :)  Take time to exhale and enjoy your family and friends.