Saturday, January 29

Part 1 of my Junky Projects

I decided to use my awesome thrift store lamp in my playroom. I wanted to create a little reading corner. I think it was a sucess! 



Paint and Shade detail

Junky Fun Finds

I have discovered a new passion. I love to go junkin'! I mean I always enjoyed but now I reeaallyy enjoy it! I think I might be slightly out of control. My garage is starting to look like a mini flea market. There is something about gettin' in the car and searchin' for the perfect junk! Oh man, it is so exciting. HAHA. Here are a couple of my newest finds.
I found the beautiful table for...get ready.... $5.99!!!!

This awesome lamp was $7.50... It is so neat it hangs on the wall! 

I love the color of this chest but it has to go... It just doesnt match my anthro bedding :(

I love the scraped top. Hmmm I wonder if I can leave the top like this.... 

And this neat lamp was $7.50! I love shape and I love the shade. I think I might have a mini lamp and lamp shade obession! HEHE!

Those are my cool finds this week. I can't can't wait to finish all of them. 

Saturday, January 15

Cloth Diapers Needed


I was on our agency's chat site and our orphanages have a huge need for clothe diapers!!
If any of you who follow my blog would like to donate some to be sent to Ethiopia it would be HUGELY appreciated. Those sweet babies over there need their little bums covered.

 Listed below are the specifics on the diapers:

  • Chinese or India fold (They can't be found in Target or Walmart here I have already looked)
  • Bleached or Unbleached
  • Must be washed 3x's before they are sent over to Ethiopia (I can wash them for you if you would like)
  • They need at least 5 dozen of each size (so which ever of the 3 sizes you buy will be great)


I have found these online by googling "Chinese fold clothe diapers" or "Indian fold clothe diapers". They are really inexpensive. You can purchased 1 dozen from Amazon for $21. If you would like to donate some you can email me at jennaknight@gmail.com for shipping instructions. I Love you all and thanks for helping all those naked bottoms.
  Emerson could be one of those naked bums :o)

Monday, January 10

Listen

At life-group last week we were asked "what are you expecting from God this year?" I had thought alot about this earlier that day. I thought it was funny and ironic we were talking about it that night. This year I want to know God more than I got to know him last. I have prayed for a long time to be able to hear God. I realized that you can't hear God unless you are listening, and you can't listen when you are distracted with 500 million things and your prayers are flying all over the place. Sometimes God needs us to just sit and Listen. And when we sit and listen with our minds silenced we can hear him. I feel like I am hearing him from time to time but I also think I hear what I want to hear only and not what I am really hearing. This year I not only want to listen to God and hear God but, I also want to listen to other things. I want to listen to my children and hear them and their needs even when they are silent. I want to listen to my husband even when he is silent. I want to listen to my heart and not doubt it. I have decided that Listen is going to be my word for the year. I get overwhelmed really easily and I tend to forget the plans/goals I make for myself so I decided to choose a word to zero in on and make it my goal this year to live by it. I will LISTEN. Listen will be my touchstone. The word that will bring me back to the center of life when things seem crazy and out of my control. The word that will bring me closer to God and the word that will help me to learn his voice. Listen...

The definition of Listen is : : to give ear to:to pay attention to sound: to hear something with thoughtful attention : give consideration : to be alert to catch an expected sound.

For me the word Listen will help me to trust, grow, learn, explore, to let go, to hope, to understand, create, to pray, to be mindful, to embrace, to teach, live to my fullest, to be mindful of those around me and to feel. 



Family Plan 2011

Phillip and I have been working on a Family Plan for 2011; kind of like a Business Plan but not really. Last week I was thinking of areas that we needed to work on as a family and since this is the first semester in 5 yrs. we have Phillip out of school we have time to really work on "Us". This is so exciting to us! We are thrilled to pieces to have daddy home every evening. I want 2011 to be so much better than 2010. And 2010 was a GREAT year for all of us. Our Marriage pulled a 180, the boys are bonding with each other better since Beckham is getting older, Phillip's business continues to amaze us (God is so good!), Phillip and I have both grown so much closer to God this year and we have decided to adopt. It has truly been a blessed year. But... We want 2011 to blow the socks off of 2010. That is why I have been praying about areas where I can be more intentional this year in making it better. In my quiet time one day last week 3 things came to mind that we can focus on to make 2011 better. I talked to Phillip about it and he loved the idea so we are going for it. Over the course of the year every month we will look for areas to Simplify, Grow and Create! I Love it!! We will take it month by month, project by project and idea by idea so we aren't overwhelmed by trying to change so much. 

So for January in the Simplify category we decided to do the Great Toy Purge of 2011. We have so many TOYS!! It is nuts. These kids have tiny toys coming out of their ears. So... today during Beckham's nap and while Parker was at school. I set out on my quest to eliminate all the unnecessary junk in the playroom. It felt GOOOOD!! Funny thing is the boys didn't even notice that 3/4th of their toys were thrown away magically gone
One messy Closet
The pile after gutting the closet 
Which ones will survive the Purge ?!

There were a couple of moments I thought about giving up and trashing it all. But I would have some devastated little ones tonight. Here is the finished project...


So much better.

Under Growing Phillip and I are trying to be more intentional about our children's walk with the Lord. Parker is getting very inquisitive about God and Jesus. Yesterday he asked Phillip "Dad, what does it really mean to be Son's of God?" Oh hurt my heart! My son wants to know more about the Lord. Phillip's face light up like a little boy on Christmas morning. He has been waiting for conversations like this. He  knelt down to Parker's level and began explaining to him what it meant. I quietly left the room and let them have "their moment." Parker soaked it all in and remembers what his daddy said. Even if he doesn't actually "get it" Phillip still had the opportunity to plant a seed of Truth in his son's mind and heart. Someday he will remember that conversation. I don't have a picture of that moment but I do have a pretty darn cute one of my boys saying their bed time prayers. 

Is that not the cutest thing you ever saw?! Lovely Love this! 

And now to Creating. I have lots of thought intensive and very time consuming, family time stealing little projects that can go under the Create title. I have been busy painting and crafting and thrifting (I heart thrifting or junking whichever you like to call it). Here is some of the things that have been keeping me busy. 

This is the latest painting I have been working on. I painted it for my friend Lana. It is going in her girl's room
This is the disgustingly dirty and smelly awesome brass lamp I found for 6.95!!! 8) It is dusty and the shade has cigi rings all over it. *Sick*
Here is the after! I really like it! 

I am trying to give my house a face lift. I have decided I really like alot of bright color, so... I am sure I will have many more posts of all my little changes. 






Thursday, January 6

Photo Contest!!


I need your votes!! 

This Fall we had the boys pictures taken by the fabulous Kayla Barker with Spink Studio. She is so talented. She is doing a giveaway for her clients and the winner get a free 16x20 print of there favorite photo from their session. That is a $125 value! I really want this! This is how I can win. All you need to do is follow the link I have posted below and vote for Knight Boys. They are the handsome little ones that have the greatest smiles! You can see their personality all over their faces! I Love It! So it would mean alot to me if you could please vote for us! 


This is the photo you are voting for!!


Thank you all for the votes! Even if I don't will the free 16x20 I will still love you. But I really really want to win this!! It would look so great in my house!! 

Love you all lots!

Tuesday, January 4

Passports

They finally arrived! I have been stalking my mail carrier for these. LOL! Every time I have left the house for the last 3 weeks I have checked the mail. Sometimes twice a day. A little anxious... I think so ;). But it's one more thing I need to be able to go to Ethiopia. To me it is one more step closer. Now I can officially leave the country ;). 



I was nervous to see the picture. I couldn't stop laughing at myself when I was taking it. It is so hard to have a straight serious face when someone has a camera in your face.  So here is the closest thing I hope I ever have to a mug shot. Enjoy... and don't laugh to hard. 

Saturday, January 1

Reflecting on 2010

2010 was a big year in our house. The first of the year started out slow but the last half was fast and furious. This past year has been the best year of our marriage, the best year with our kids, the best year spiritually and the best year with Phillip's business. Here is kindof and over view of the year:

Janurary: Phillip turned 24 and we went to NYC
West Side from Central Park
View from Empire State Building

Febuary: It snowed big one day and we spent all day in it. We also were a host home for a youth event and had 13 sophomore girls in our house for an enitre weekend! It was a church event.
Our house covered in rare snow!
Our snow Family. 

The girls and I during NAN (Not a Normal Weekend)

March: Parker turned 4 and had the funnest Super Hero party!
The cape ceremony where all of the Kids became Official SuperHeros with the capes I made them.
The Villain throw Kryptonite in the party the destroy the fun but all of the Little Heros saved the day!
Then the Villain tried to Steal the Cake! But never fear...They sprayed him with their spired web! (Phillip was the perfect villain...what a sport)
Proud Parker with his Hero cake!

April: Nothing super exciting happened in April but we had some fun moments and good laughs!
Lana and I at the Fair that came to town. 
Phillip and Jae getting ready for a thrill. 
The Boys convinced us that we should try. 

May: This was a good month. Phillip and I were baptized, I had my surgery and we ended the month with a fun trip to the Lake. 

Shooting water at the dog. 
Parker and his catfish

June: My sister got married. The boys and I went out of town for a week. Parker and his buddy Lincoln started swim lessons. My BFF turned 30!
The Boys swimming at my aunts house in Marble Falls.
Parker and Lincoln first day of swim.
Jill and I after the wedding
Lana and I at her Party

July: Phillip's Mom and Sisters came to visit and Beckham turned 2!!

Phillip with his mom, sisters and brother.
Cake I made Beckham for his swimming party.
Beckham diving in!
Splash!


August : My little sister turned 17, Parker had a pretty big asthma flare up, and we signed our papers to begin our adoption journey!!

Celebrating Jamie
Sick Parker


September: I turned 24! I know I am so old ;) Launch my adoption fund project!

At my surprise Party
Gifts ;)


Projects

October: My cousin's wife and baby came for a quick visit, NYC again, Parker learning to ride his bike, fiddle sticks with the family, Halloween.

Amanda and Anslee
View from our hotel
Learning to Ride
 Painful Slide LOL
 Class Costume Party

Novemeber: Parkers first dental cleaning, Poop Camp round 2, Thanksgiving and Zoo.
Cleaning those Toofies
Tada!! He did it!! 100% potty Trained in less then a month!!
ZOO!!

December: PHILLIPS GRADUATION!!! , Christmas and New Years Eve!

Whoohoo!! It's over!!
Twinkies!!
Us at his grad party!
Me and my friend Melody at our NYE party
Good Friends mingling
Voting out Mafia! 

2010 holds lots of great memories. It was a fantastic year. I look forward to all that 2011 holds!!