We are so glad you are visiting our site!! Here is some information to help you navigate here: if your browser supports it, every word or phrase that is underlined(or in a different color)is a link to one of my many other pages or to an outside website. Enjoy your look around!
Now for a little about me and my family...
I was born in southern California, but have lived most of my life in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas. My hair is dark brown, my eyes are dark green(think pine trees), and I am left-handed. I love all animals but am definitely a cat person and believe that animals are sent from God to comfort and teach us.
Mark and I met when we were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend of ours and knew immediately that we were meant for each other. We wed at sunset on the last day of summer, on a deck beside the pool at my parents' home. God provided stunning purple and gold decorations, my aunts provided the wonderful refreshments. We are Christians and believe that a relationship with God is a crucial part of our marriage. Compassion, trust, respect, and positive attitudes play big parts in our relationship.
I majored in Native American Studies(Anthropology) at the University of Oklahoma but after meeting Mark, while taking a semester off to have my wisdom teeth removed, I didn't go back. After we married, I attended the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha but we hated living in Oklahoma so we moved back to Texas before I completed my degree. I've never worked outside the home except the summer after graduating high school as a horseback riding instructor/camp counselor and between semesters at a yogurt shop. My "career" is to be a helpmeet to my husband and to raise our children.
Mark earned a BBA in Marketing when he graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches and has over 20 years experience in retail management including Wal-mart, JC Penney and Office Depot, he has also worked as a professional organizer. In 2000 he signed on with a tech company in Austin that now(and forever) owes him over $40K in back wages. This situation has caused us untold frustration but we believe God works in mysterious ways. We have considered this hardship to be a blessing in disguise since we were able to move back to our hometown in the fall of 2001. Mark is currently the general manager for JD Medical Supplies, a company that provides oxygen, wheel chairs, and other medical items. He truly loves his job. Mark also has a creative side. His painted flag boxes are a big hit with Texans and are now displayed in a local shop, he also takes custom orders. Mark's other hobbies(obsessions?) include running(5K to 10 mile races) and playing softball.
God has blessed us with three amazing children. Ryan, Amy, and Sarah were born in 1993, 1995, and 2000, respectively. We believe in a gentle parenting style which includes no spanking, sharing a family bed, babywearing, and extended breastfeeding. We also homeschool our children, strongly believing we should raise our own children and that education includes much more than is available in a public(or private) school setting. The kids and I love having the freedom to learn what we want, how we want.
We also share our home with five indoor-only cats, Chester, Muffin, Soshie, Ruby and Rosie, and three dogs, an old part Cairn, Puppy-girl, Flat-Coat Retriever mix, Daisy, and a black lab named, Midnight Buttercup, last but not least, an adorable mixed-coat Guinea Pig named Basil. We've also had hamsters, fish and a snake. We lost a special cat several years ago and still miss him terribly. In the summer of 2003 my parents adopted *the cutest* Pembroke Corgi, Dixie. I included a pic so she wouldn't feel left out. They also adopted two orphaned kitties(found in the wall of a quilt shop), Nancy and Sissy.
I am a creator, a composer, and a collector of beautiful things. My favorite things to create are made of fabrics and fibers and include quilts, crocheted and knitted purses, scarves, afghans, and wall art, and I have many works in progress going at any given time. In 2003, I began making quilts to sell to on commission as well as on consignment. It isn't a booming business since the kids are home with me, my mom says I have a three child handicap. Other things I dabble in include scrapbooking, my webpages, jewelry making, and home decorating. Soon I'm going to branch out into metal work. I also collect rocks, minerals, crystals, and wooden, metal, or glass cats.
My love of art is familial, both of my parents are artists. As long as I can remember they've done creative things with wood, fabric, metal, paint, and more. My mom is an accomplished quilter and my dad is a talented woodturner, painter, and designer of many big things(like barns and houses and such). They are currently restoring their farm house
in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina.
Another of my favorite things is cooking! I was diagnosed with hypertension and mitral valve prolapes(MVP) in mid-2003 and our diets have once again changed for the better. Being a goddess of the home is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. I enjoy coming up with healthy dishes while homeschooling and running a household. Mark and I have also discovered voluntary simplicity. As with any "movement" there are things to take and things to leave, things that work and things that don't. We are currently working on downsizing our possessions and becoming more aware of what we consume.
I love music and have it on 24/7. Some favorites include Diana Krall, Appalachian Picking Society, Joanne Shenandoah, Levi Chen, and Dolly Parton. I enjoy traditional Blue Grass, classic country, classic rock, a good Latin beat and ambient/trance stuff, too many to list them all. Working on my website, participating in online groups for various topics, and exercising are other things I make time for.
I want to take this space to... Thank God for our family!!! We are so fortunate to be able to rent my parents home since they've moved away. They have always been there for us when we've needed them and are truly wonderful, special people. We are eternally grateful that they have extended themselves to us. My brother, Aaron, graciously gave us his old digital camera so there are lots of pictures pages here. We've got baby pictures, and pictures from March, October, December and from our exciting Halloween and wonderful Christmas 2001. You can click to see how cute Boopa was several years ago or see her 2nd birthday pictures, or explore my links page and use your back arrow to return here. There are also January02 pics of the girls and Easter02.
Thank you so much for visiting our family's website, we hope you have enjoyed it here and learned something about us!! Click to view my archived guestbook
This flag is flown in honor of the men, women and children who lost their lives September 11, 2001 and all Americans everywhere whose lives are changed forever because of this day. God Bless America!