Easy Fall Art {you don’t need to be artsy for this one!}

I purchased a Fall packet of scrapbook paper at Michael’s–and I’m determined to get my money’s worth out of it. It was regular $19.99 but all Fall scrapbook paper is 1/2 off right now–so it was just $10. Their canvases are 60% off right now–so I bought this 2 inch thick 8×10 canvas for just $7. (I bought the packet to actually create our Fall Bucket List–so this is just extra:).

Okay. So you need ZERO art skills to pull this off. Let the scrapbook paper be the art for you:).

All you need is a canvas, super cheap foam brushes, Mod Podge Matte finish (I use this weekly–it’s awesome for any craft!), scissors, scrapbook paper and a paint pen.

1. Choose a background for your canvas and cut it to fit. Brush Mod Podge onto canvas with foam brush (my 6 year old daughter LOVES doing this part–she does all the Mod Podge…so fun to do this together!) Place scrapbook background paper on canvas and rub to stick down. (It may come up on edges–but that’s okay–just keep pressing down.) Paint OVER the background evenly with more Mod Podge (this process will also help the paper lay down.

2. Cut another coordinating scrapbook paper in a smaller size. Glue this down with Mod Podge. Then just have fun and be creative in how you can make designs with other papers on the canvas. (One can never use too much Mod Podge;)…so let your kids help with that part. You may just have to help them even it out).

3. After the Mod Podge dries–add your favorite verse or a quote about Fall!

How easy and fun is that?!?

I couldn’t decide QUITE where to put it as we are beginning to decorate for Fall. It started out in the living room–but it actually ended up in the downstairs bathroom where we have 2 very special pictures. One is my husband sitting in his daddy’s lap as a boy. His daddy is now in heaven after battling leukemia 10 years ago. The other picture is my husband with our son Parker. I just thought this verse truly is beautiful to go by these pictures. Losing his father was so hard for my husband–but we got to see the Lord miraculously do much through it. Although things don’t always make sense in this world–we can trust that the Lord makes all things beautiful in its time–and we can’t even fathom the beauty of it all from beginning to end…

It’s home is right beside these pictures…

Truly–we can’t imagine all He has in store for us…and we know He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow–so no matter what we go through–we can trust Him. That being said–if you happened upon my blog today for fun Fall art–you might want to stop reading now…cause I have to share my heart…cause that’s just the way I was made.

Some people might not understand how this momma’s heart could grieve so after losing our baby after miscarrying at 10 weeks…I mean–you see us with 4 children–so we should be busy and happy right? Well–we ARE happy…we ARE thankful for all the Lord has done. But we also had several months to begin to fall in love with another child. And this momma’s heart was already in love. The doctor could have told me at that appointment I had cancer and they needed to terminate so I could live…and I would have said no. My heart was 100% ready to be a mommy again. And I know the Lord sees and understands. He showed me that tonight…

Richard came home early today from work (YAY!!! Except I wasn’t there! I was carpooling our crazy crew from this and that–but it was awesome to come home at 5:30pm and to have him home already!). I grabbed a blanket and pillow and went to lay in the lawn while watching the kids. I laid on my side although I wanted to lay on my stomach–and then I had to remind myself it was now okay to lay that way too. Still retraining my mommy brain. And realizing that–just made my momma heart want to run upstairs and pull the covers over my head. BUT–I’m surrounded by joy and laughter…so I stayed and let their voices and fun pour over me. We had breakfast for dinner (YUM!) and then Rico Suave said he wanted to put all 4 down–and he told me to go have some time to myself. I did what I always do–and told him I don’t have any where to go…and I don’t know what to do other than bed time–and that I WANTED to be there…but he insisted—so off I went in the mini-van…not knowing where I was going.

I ended up at the bookstore. I began to pray as I walked the aisle. And I ended up in the Christian book section. I felt that lump in my throat and saw a book or two I knew I didn’t need to read right now…so I kept looking. Then a bright yellow book was staring at me “Heaven is For Real”–so I grabbed it and walked around scouring for a place to sit for a bit as I wasn’t sure if I wanted to just read a few pages or buy the book and devour it from start to finish. I asked the Lord to show me what my heart needed–and I flipped through the book. There was a thick bookmark type thing stuck on a page–and I’m NOT one to flip the pages of my Bible and point to a verse or randomly point to a map and say, “Let’s go here!”…but I did tell the Lord if the pages marked in that book made clear sense to where I was and what I needed to hear–then I would know it was from him.

It was the second page beginning a new chapter–so I flipped the page over one to see what the name of the chapter was that was book marked. It was something like “Two Sisters”–which of course perked my interest. Then I read on…and it was the exact part of the story where Colin is trying to get his mom’s attention to tell her that he has TWO sisters–not just one. His mom ignores it and even asks if he is just talking about a cousin as he only has 1 sister. He insists he has TWO–and then he tells her that he met his other sister in heaven…the sister that died in her tummy and who she never got to name. Colin goes on and on about what she looked like…what it was like meeting her…and how she couldn’t wait for mommy and daddy to get to heaven to be with her. She even looked just like the other sister–except she was the only child with brown hair–just like her momma. Colin’s mom shed tears discovering that sweet baby in her tummy WAS a girl…and finally a girl that favored her as she always joked that she carried the babies but they all favored their daddy. What a sweet moment to read about–and one that very much ministered to me…and one that I really believe was the Lord loving on my momma heart tonight.

I wiped away a tear–wondering WHAT ARE THE CHANCES that I picked up that book–and that THE VERY PAGE that part of the story was on was bookmarked. There were 15 of those very books–but I picked up THAT one. I sat there wondering what our little one was…a boy or a girl? What would she or he been like? What would it have been like to see Isaac, Frank, Laney or Parker hold, love and play together with this sweet one?

In that moment–a little 1 year old brown haired baby girl walked up to my bench and said, “Momma??” Noooo sweet girl–I’m not your momma. But I did smile wondering if the Lord was just telling me that our baby was a girl…maybe even with brown hair like me. In the mean time though–I had to find this baby’s momma! I looked around and asked every visible person if this was their baby? No. No. No. No. And no. Oh goodness. I didn’t want to scare her–so I didn’t pick her up…so I carefully walked toward the front telling her we were going to find her momma. By this time we had QUITE the crowd watching because I was asking everyone we passed if she was there. More no’s and crazy looks followed. I found an employee of the bookstore who helped find this little lost girl’s momma. And I went and put the book back on the shelf knowing that I read the part I believe was for me tonight.

I know the wondering and dreaming are probably just part of the grieving process–but I really do believe the Lord was assuring me tonight that the little one He gave life to is safely in His home. Just as Colin told his momma that God had adopted his sister as His own–I believe He is also caring for our little one. One day I’ll get to see this precious little one in heaven. And I’m just convinced our baby was a little girl. Y’all can all call me crazy–but just wait and see when you get there;-).

Off to dream and be restored so I can pour into the sweet ones He has blessed me with…they are miracles and precious gifts!

Love y’all.

Andrea

P.S. You will never believe who the kids and I got to Skype with today!!! Andra, Travis AND Tetiana in Ukraine!!! It was amazing and so sweet!!! She was so excited to see us and there were lots of squeals on both ends!!! It was the first time we had gotten to see her since she left!!! We’ve talked on the phone–but seeing her face to face was really sweet!! They have had some passport delays–but hopefully they will be in American next week! PLEASE be praying for them—and pray the Lord would bond them together as family!!! Stay tuned…God is so good!