Before you read...

PA = Pennsylvania (Anyone who lives here calls it P A because it is fewer syllables. Do any other states do this? Just curious.)
Country = where I live and part of who I am
Crafts = something I do that makes me feel more accomplished than the cooking and cleaning which just needs done all over again

I am not a very good blogger.

I don't take this very seriously and I don't keep to a schedule. My picture quality is up to the weather and how much light comes in my windows. Whether or not they even make it onto the blog is entirely dependent upon my mood. I don't capitalize on many monetary opportunities. I am not consistent on social media. However...

This blog is a way for me to share ideas and inspiration.

I love to sew and make crafty things. Sometimes I even get around to putting those things on the blog.

I like to cook and bake on occasion and I put my favorites on the blog because my friend Taryn and I like being able to easily reference them.

I love to spend time outside with my camera in the lighting just before sunset and in the shadows just afterwards. The farm animals, flowers, and landscapes hold still better than my children. I love using those photographs on the blog because they make me smile.

My home is currently decorated in the "I Can't Have Nice Things Because Kids" style, but as they are getting older I am working on that. This blog is not always about stuff that I am great at, but about stuff that I am learning along the way.

This blog is a way to make connections.

I have been inspired by other bloggers and I have learned so much from online tutorials. I am happy to be able to give back with my own tutorials and it really makes my day when someone sends me a picture of something they have made.

I have met awesome people from all over the world. There are women who have prayed for me and encouraged me in hard times. I consider them to be my friends. It still amazes me to see the connections that are made across the miles.

But I have to find a good balance.

My life at this point is like balancing on top of a ball. Have you ever tried that? It moves around and you are wiggling and flailing your arms, looking ridiculous. Then, finally you get to a good position and you are still and can rest for a second. But you accidentally shift the tiniest bit and the ball starts rolling all over again.

In those brief moments where I am balanced and resting is where I can blog. If you haven't seen any recent posts, there is a good bet I am flailing around trying to find that balance again.

People will ask me how I "find" the time to do things. No one FINDS time. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. If something is a priority, you MAKE the time. Blogging is not high priority for me.

That being said, I still want to be an active part of the blogging community. If you are doing a fun challenge, blog tour, contest, pattern testing, blog hop, giveaway, etc. feel free to contact me! I am still open to collaborating with others if it fits into my schedule. I get a lot of emails offering to write posts for my blog but those are always a “no” because I only publish my own, original content.

If you were reading my about page hoping to actually read about me, I guess I will throw some of that in here.

I am a Christian but that doesn't mean that I am perfect.

I have 6 children but that doesn't mean I am an expert at parenting. It means I am crazy. Just kidding. It really means I have had more opportunities to mess up. Sometimes I think God gave me so many children because he knew that I needed more work on patience and humility. These teenage years are especially effective.

I have a teaching certificate in Chemistry but I also love math.

I know what it means to rise above the hard challenges of life but I also know how low those challenges can bring you. My life will always be a constant battle of trying to make the best of any situation that I face with absolute reliance on the only One who can get me through each day.