Quality Over Quantity

I've always been a person that doesn't have a lot of friends at one time. Some people like to blame this on my homeschooling. It is true that I am not around teens as much as a normal person in high school, but I find other ways to get social interaction.

I've always valued a good friendship! Some of my closest friends are the ones that I have met over the past few years. I am blessed to say that my friends are people with valuable qualities. Most of my friends are Christians, and it really makes a difference in my life. They provide accountability, biblical advice, prayer, and encouragement. It's always a blessing to be close to someone who values the same things, and seeks to put God first.

I stumbled upon this truthful quote, and it inspired me to write this post. "As we grow up, we realize it is less important to have lots of friends, and more important to have real ones."   

Having a large quantity of friends isn't always the best thing. This is where quality over quantity comes into play. Sure, you can have 200+ friends on facebook, but how many of those friends are you close to? How many of those friends will be there for you when you really need them? I would rather have one good friend than many insignificant friendships.  

Proverbs 18:24 says,"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  I am thankful for this verse! It reminds me that friendship isn't just about what another person can do for me. In order to have friends, I must put effort into being the kind of friend that I wish to have. This verse also ends with a promise. There is a friend that will always be there for me. That friend is Jesus - He is the best friend that I could ever have.

Appreciate the real friends in your life, let them know how much they mean to you, and don't forget to thank God for them. After all, every good and perfect give comes from above! James 1:17

Tag Blankets

Remember when I said that I would show you the adorable fabric and ribbon that I picked out? Here is it! I saw a few tag blanket tutorials on Pinterest, and knew I had to take a trip to Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon. I promised mom that I would be quick, but you know how that goes. I could look at things in Hobby Lobby for hours. It was fun picking out bright ribbon rolls to match my fabric. I almost bought a cute ice cream cone pattern, but I decided to go with the colorful, feathered friends. I seem to love things with birds on them lately.

Here are some links that I will be following:

http://sewdivertimento.blogspot.com/2011/09/baby-taggie-blanket-tutorial.html

http://www.happyhourprojects.com/2011/08/taggie-blanket.html

I have been a little nervous to start sewing two of these blankets. I'm not sure why this is the case. I have confidently sewn harder projects in the past. Hopefully, the whole process will be as easy as it looks! 

The result will be a baby welcome gift for a couple at our church. I am excited to see it finished!

A Busy Week!

This month has really crept up on me. June came to an end, and I almost didn't want to turn the calendar to July. Based upon how busy we are...it must be summer!

This week I decided to write a research paper for our youth group. I keep asking myself why I picked the week of the the 4th to do this. My nights have been spent reading through a bunch of books about adoption. I keep telling myself to stop procrastinating...does anybody else find it a lot harder to read in the summer? 

I was able pick out some adorable fabric and ribbon last week. I'll show you what I am making in another post sometime soon. This sewing project is another thing that needs to be accomplished sooner rather than later!

My grandparents will be arriving at our house this Saturday. It'll be nice to have them here from Florida for a week. We all know that having company over entails a good house cleaning. I'm sure that Guinness would love a quick bath, and the kitchen floor needs a good scrubbing.

I'm actually glad that I do not have to babysit during Ladies Bible Study tonight. I had planned to do a patriotic craft with the kids, but I can use the free time to do other things. We'll see if I can make it to Kewaskum's fireworks with my brother.

Reasons to Smile: June 2012

    Finding joy in the little things!

• A friend gave me a free wagon to use for my photography
• My family went to Olive Garden to celebrate Father's Day - for some reason their cheese grater always makes us smile
• We found Carmen, Noah, Gabriel, and Lucille at train fest!
• The grass might not be right color, but we still have green plants. Where has the rain been all month?
• I enjoy our neighbor's flowers every time I walk with Guinness
• A chickadee perched on my mom's hand until he was able to fly again