Gratitude Journal #2

Today I am grateful for a God a church and a faith who truly does provide for us when we are faithful to pray. The last few years have been one challenge after another for our family. Through all of the relationship issues and healing, moving houses, financial stress and gain, having a baby, and fluid living situations for our oldest two I had a source of comfort support and comfort in my church. Many challenges were full of pain but my God is a BIG GOD who turned all of that pain to his glory and blessed us beyond all imagining. As I sit in this warm cozy home and sip my coffee and watch my children play and laugh I know without a doubt that I could not have made it to to this point on my own.

Gratitude Journal #1

Our good friends over at The Scrap Room are hosting their 7th birthday celebration this month - the theme for their anniversary is Gratitude. At the end of the month you should have all of the makings of a journal of things that make your heart sing. I loved the idea but I also wanted to have all of my responses in one single place. So I thought I would try to update my blog with my journal entries here so I can come back to them and share them with my friends and family at the same time. Without further ado...

Gratitude Journal #1

Today I am grateful for my youngest son Joseph. I love all

of my children equally, but today when I came home from work feeling beat down and defeated, I could hear his tiny voice even before I got up the stairs calling

"MOMMY!" with all of the enthusiasm and joy of a two year old - just the sound and smell of him made my heart soar and my spirit sing. I am so glad I have that little miracle in my life.

Non Stop Excitement

It feels like I haven't been even able to slow down to breathe since the wedding. So many wonderful things have been happening in our lives!

1. James decided to become a permanent member of our household. While he was visiting, we visited Iowa State's campus and he decided to go to school there - in order to get in-state tuition however (a savings of over $11000.) he had to graduate from an Iowa school so he is living with us - going to SE Polk - got a job at Hy-Vee as a cashier/sacker - joined a club at school and has been slipping in to Iowa life so well - I'm so proud. We miss Josh like MAD but maybe someday he will be here too :)

2. Work has picked up a LOT - that has eliminated a MAJOR source of stress in our lives. We have been able to pay off/down some stuff and beef up our savings account to get us through if anything unexpected happens. I can't even tell you how much weight that takes off our shoulders!

3. Yesterday we had my Joseph's SECOND birthday - that's right my little baby boy is turning TWO. I can't believe how fast that happened!! It feels like just yesterday that I was holding him in my arms and now he is this little fire ball - so smart and charming and **whew** NOT going to start crying today...

I have actually started on the wedding album. **yeah that's right not even 4 pages in the Disney book I started 1.5 years ago but more than that in the wedding album already** so more to come with that.

Happy September everyone.

Hopefully it won't be another two months

I AM MARRIED!

July 9, 2011 at 1:00 PM I became Mrs. Chad Potratz! I can't believe the day has been and gone and now - we are married and happy and I have matching dinnerware. The love support and prayers of everyone that helped us get to this point have been AMAZING. I have been incredibly blessed. Check out this amazing video of some of the candid shots taken by my ultra talented brother in law!

http://youtu.be/GW2GXlVw36k

Countdowns Galore

There are only 9 weeks left until my wedding day! I am so excited and getting nervous at the same time. All the plans are done - its just writing checks from here on out. We meet with the wedding coordinator at the church on Friday morning to discuss the setup of the church that day and then it is GAME ON. Dress fittings and hair appointments are scheduled and I have my shoes and tiara covered thanks to my sweet friend Pam.

But before any of that happens my stepsons are coming in from Texas on June 21! Only 7 weeks away! I cannot wait to see them again and neither can the little boys. Everything is set up for them to be here. The couches are here the bunk beds are up the loft is in place and the family room downstairs is ready for all kinds of kid action. We have the pool passes in hand and a great time planned for everyone. We can't wait.

In celebration for everything I am really busting my tailfeathers to get in shape. Its been two weeks (only one if you count not cheating at all and working out every day) and I'm 6 pounds down. Of course I walk like a grandmother because of all of the sore muscles but its worth it to see that scale move! I feel like I'm swimming for all the water I have been drinking but again SO worth it!

On top of that I had a scrapathon last Friday at my fiancees request (guess I was getting cranky with a lack of cookies and muffins in my system) so he sat me down at my table with a cup of coffee and my newest Scrap Room kits and off I went. I don't know if I have ever had a night where the ideas, the sketches, the pictures and the paper, just fell together so easily. I walked upstairs at 1 AM with five and a half pages DONE! The first 4 are pictured here! I'm pretty proud indeed.

Here is our easter family picture - using the Basic Grey Hopscotch line and a sketch from Trisha at Sketch Inspiration

This is JT in a monkey suit - it was school pictures at Kindercare. Again borrowing from a Trisha sketch using Bo Bunny's Ad Lib line of paper.

Another older photo with a new line. Again a TSR kit and a Sketch Inspiration sketch. This time using the My Little Yellow Bicycle "Twig" line. Look how little my chubbo was!

This last one was a struggle for me - not to put together but to find the right papers and sentiment for. Its of my sweet Mary Todd at her sister's wedding only 5 days before she passed away. The TSR kit featuring Stella Rose from My Minds Eye finally gave me the perfect blend of spunk and elegance to bring out what I loved most about her. Thanks for looking!