Here I Am

Ok...here it is! My official life blog. This blog is going to be a record of  our life through my eyes.

A great friend said my life was like a kaleidoscope and I think that is very true. When you look through one all these little pieces combine to make a picture. It is rarely the same picture with the twist and turn of a wrist or a day later. But all those pieces are still there.

My life is much like that. There are so many pieces to me. Things that make me who I am. But because life changes and just the regular twist and turns we go through I am constantly changing. I am still the same person...just you see different sides of me at different times.

I am a passionate person. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I struggle with depression yet I love life! I am me...the person God created me to be! Ever changing to be more and more like Him and struggling with how to be that person. I am vulnerable. This is me it is who I am.

I am an east coaster who has recently made the move to Texas and am enjoying it. I love it here (which may come as a complete surprise to many...most especially me!) We moved here to follow God's leading which lucky for my husband was to let him live his dream of being a teacher.  I will be posting the story of God's leading in this because it is an amazing story with many tears, frustrations and ultimately triumphs!

So a  little more about me and what you will find here:

• I am a wife to the man that God had waiting for me, Trent. He is the love of my life and I can't remember, nor would I want too, life without him. He is a talented graphic designer who is finally getting to live his dream of teaching. He has always encouraged me to be creative and eats whatever I put in front of him! I love him with ALL my heart!
• I love being a mom! God has blessed me with 3 beautiful girls. Since this isn't private they all get fun nicknames too! Boo, 7, my oldest, is brillant and amazes me with how fast she comprehends stuff. She loves music and is always making up songs and trying to learn to play the piano by ear. We are hoping to get her in some lessons. Roo, 5, is my twinie. She is our middle girlie and has brown eyes just like me! But above that we are still very similar. She is very caring, compassionate and emotional! She is our little artist. They all like art but she LOVES art. Finally is little Loo, 3! Polite is her in a word...and heartbreaker. She is a happy outgoing little girl who loves nothing better then smiling and hugging you.
• I am embarking on a new adventure this year...Homeschooling. I have written my own Unit Study for my kids for social studies/science. So you will see a ton of US Geography based stuff on here...just a heads up! This blog was partially created for that reason. To chronicle our school year and what we do.
• I love to bake and cook. You will see posts with recipes...hopefully a lot! I adore it but it is always a struggle to balance that love with real life. So I am going to be trying to be better at menu planning and prepping ahead of time.
• I have a home based business, Usborne Books and More. This blog will not be post after post of me trying to sell you stuff...but you will get a picture into my life doing this as well. I believe that illiteracy plagues much of America and provided with engaging material in the youngest years we could reverse this trend. If you don't have a library in your home for you and your kids you are missing out. Yes you can borrow books, but seriously there is nothing better then having a familiar book to go back to and read. Ok stepping off bandwagon now
• I love to read. You will also find random book reviews because I ADORE reading. I believe in lifelong learning. We are never out of school...we just are self taught after college graduation.
• I am a scrapbooker. This is my outlet of choice on stressful days. I am a digital scrapbooker and designer. You will see my layouts and maybe even some of my own kits on here. I may share some tips and tricks...who knows.
• I am Creative. If you have never heard of pinterest you are missing out...seriously. I am going to make an effort to share the things I create from there and just in general. This is my therapy...and I love it
• I thinking traveling expands horizons. We don't have the budget to be exotic...but I believe that taking my kids to explore the world around us helps them become more rounded individuals. So you will see a glimpse of that here on this blog.

So there you have it a glimpse of me...and my kaleidoscope of a life. Hope you enjoy this journey that I am embarking on!

Love, Aly