A few things I have learned this morning!!

(1) This to shall pass...being the mother of a newborn, toddler and wife...my needs will be last to get met...but no need to have an attitude about it. It is not as bad as it may seem/feel.

(2) Thank God for me finding the front carrier that I can put baby Haley in so my hands can be free...I feel like a whole new world has just opened up to me!

(3) Coffee rewarmed 3 times is not as bad as I thought it would be!

(4) If I want to paint today...I just need to make it happen!

Joys and Challenges of being a new mother...,AGAIN!

I am 3 1/2 weeks in to being a new mommy...for the second time :-)!!!










Lots of things to remember and relearn the second time around! Truly a blessing...a gift from God...my little girl!

Today...while she is asleep...I will take a shower! My simple...yet attainable goal!

Today...this morning...instead of moving her sweet little body immediately from the car seat to her bed...upon the return from dropping off her two and a half year old brother at daycare. I will bring her inside...unhook her and let her sleep. I have learned that once I move her...she wakes up, and quiet mommy time...shower time...coffee time...is lost :-)! Just thought of this idea today...we will see how it goes.



To moms with new infants and toddlers...God bless you.



It is a new world for my husband and I...and we are learning to balance them both...showing the right amount of attention, love and discipline...is no JOKE! But it is a BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGE...a beautiful gift and opportunity that God has given us and you too... We Can Do IT!

Great Book for us MOMs

I have been reading this amazing devotional books called The Coffee Momo's Devotional. Truly a book for us moms. I have been learning a lot and getting closer to my Father in Heaven and my family!!!

The questions that I am going to meditate on for today are:

(1) Think of moments with your children during a typical day. Do these times bring you joy? How can you savor them more?

(2) Think of a recent challenge or mountain you had to climb in your life. Did you look for joy in the journey? How can you thank Jesus for joy, despite different circumstances?

(3) Look up "joy" in a concordance or a reference Bible. Read several of the verses and try to find application in your recent experience.

Gotta get my family up and ready!!!

Until Next Time!

LT

A New Day

Well I am dusting the keys of my computer...and this blog...and planning on bringing it back to life. I have had a great morning today. I am reading an incredible devotional book that has continued to inspire me and give me courage as a Christian woman, wife, mother and artist. Although still a work in progress...as we all are, I feel more than ever that I have been holding back on the creative gifts and talents that God has given men...and as a result...not being very happy all the way around. Holding back due to my own fears...many I am sure are unwarranted.

I am a wife of almost 7 years, a mommy of a 2 year old now...and now my husband and I are expecting our second bundle of joy! I am still in my early 30's and experiencing many things that new moms have felt, are feeling, or are destined to feel in the future. I am still working and creating...God is helping me to make it all work. I don't always feel victorious...but that is what this journey is about.

Today it is snowing outside...I still plan on taking my son to daycare and then going into the office for a few hours...but this evening...I plan on developing a plan to become more organized in my home life...especially as we plan for our new arrival.

For those who read this blog...I hope my journey will encourage you in some way...but more than anything...I pray that God will continue to mold me in this journey called life!

Gaining Inspiration from Words!!!

There are many things that inspire me! I am sure that I have mentioned this before...at some point...but I love early mornings. The newness of the morning brings me to a place of calm. I have most of my best ideas between 5:30am-9am. I don't get to have this long stretch of time every morning because I am a wife and mommy of a 15 mo. old, but when I do get my time...it is priceless.



This book is amazing. Uncommon by Tony Dungy. I am only on page 91 I believe, but I have been truly inspired and convicted. This book is geared towards both older and younger men, but I believe that us girls can get a lot from it too!... Especially if we are raising young boys. It is also good to read it and then pass it on to a male in your life...that way you know what it is they are reading and you can ask them about what they think.

I am hoping that my father and my two younger brothers will read it!



I am also studying a number a things in the Bible! Galatians is a very powerful book. At times it is hard to have consistent and in depth Bible Studies...but I try to read daily.



My devotionals would not be complete without my journal! I have journals from the past 15-20 years that I have kept. I think that it is so important to write out your thoughts, prayers, dreams, and fears. It is also amazing to look back on what you had written and see how God has brought you through!!!



Last but not least...A cup of Coffee! My first cup of the day is the best. It helps to set the tone!

This morning has been a very good morning thus far!!! Now it is time for me to get moving, wake up my family, and begin the activities of my day!!!

Psalm 37:3-4
Until Next Time!
LT

The Best Moments

I love holding my son! As he gets older the more difficult it is to keep him still for those sweet hugs! He is only 13 months old, but I know the years will fly by. At church on Sunday they made a prayer announcement for a mother who just lost her 8 year old son in a sledding accident! The day before I watched the movie John Q with Denzel Washington, and I cried so much! Kids are just so precious. My good friend said, "Having a child is like wearing your heart on your sleeve"...and now I understand what she means. Each day is not promised... You could be going on about your business one minute with you kids by your side...and the next minute...

The point is that we need to make the most of our time with our kids!!! We need to try not to be so busy...too busy to spend time and enjoy those sweet hugs!
Until next Time,

Lovlee

Finally... Before Shots of My Studio :-O

I have the finished results of my studio on my other blog. The link is also on this blog. Although it was such a process to get this room organized, I took a journey down memory lane that I wasn't expecting. I looked at some of my old paintings and wondered...wow how did I do that. Or what was I going through in my life when I created this. I found so many old pictures. I found many pictures that reminded me of college and my sorority days, pictures of my little brothers from when they were babies (now they are 18 and 14 yrs. old), and now pics. of my son and my husband. The circle of life is amazing. I also looked through some of my old journals. I have always kept a journal. I have journals that I have written in from the past 10-15 yrs. It is amazing to see how I have grown over the years. So many past memores are already stored here in my special space! I can't wait to create more memories here!

My Studio

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I am in the process or fixing up my studio! When my husband and I were looking for our first house... I only had a few things that were "musts", and one of them was a space to call my studio. So the place that God Blessed us with has a third floor finished/carpeted room!!! The perfect spot for me to call my own.:-)! Due to the fact that I was pregnant when we moved in, I put off making it my own and settled for my dining room table! So long story short...I have been reading so many inspiring blogs and taking the time to see my own blessings! I have decided that it is time for me to make my special place. I hope to sit and create, listen to my favorite CD's, drink coffee, meditate, escape, and so much more in this space! I will take some pictures as I go! It will be a constant work in progress, but that is okay because it is my space that I am creating!

Take Care Until Next Time,

Lovlee

Christmas Holiday

Sadi My Cousin Victoria's Cat got into the Christmas Tree

Picture also of Victoria, Amber, and ME


I left my trip to Texas feeling so grateful for family. My parents are divorced, and have been for many many years. Even as an adult, I divide up the holidays when I can. I know have my own family...so we work it out. Any way, this Christmas was spent with my mom's side of the family and it was much like a family reunion. My mom is one of five girls (no boys)! We are such a diverse bunch! Most of the children that have kids...have bi-racial children. It was amazing to see them all together. As my grandmother, mother and aunts get older...it is becoming more and more obvious that it will be up to us, the next generation to keep the tradition of getting together alive.

My husband and I stayed with my brother...It was really special. I moved with my father when I was 12yrs old, and as a result...I didn't have a consistent relationship with my brother. Not to mention that he is about 7 or 8 yrs older than me. I also have an older sister but she was not at the reunion. So... it was great to stay with my big brother and look at the lives that we both have and the families that we have. When I was about 8yrs old he would walk me to school and all of his friends would say "she's so cute, she's so cute!" Such a funny memory! Him and his wife were the perfect hosts. I love them deeply.

We also stayed with my aunt and uncle who live about 10 min. from my brother. I love there house...so amazing. Most of the family stayed there. Or I guess we could say those without kids stayed there.:-) My aunt and uncle are so much fun, and such a great example of love and commitment.

We played the game Would You Rather...Pls. Pls. get the game!!! It is so much fun to play!!! It comes with a board, but we just asked the questions and answered them... you will be dying!!!

One of the questions was: "Would you rather have a mouth full of loose teeth or a mouth with every fourth tooth missing?" You cannot say neither, you have to choose! It is so much fun to hear what people think. It brings you together as a family, and you can play it anywhere and at anytime.

I've talked long enough...here are some pics!!!









These are pictures of my Brother-in-law and his wife and son, the Beautiful Women in the Family, and a pic. of Lee & Josh and my uncle Marion Too!!:-)







Cousins, Cousins, and more Cousins



Me, Amber, and My brother's wife Jenea'



My niece Amber is in this pic. with her two boys Isac and Isaiah!




My cousin Amy with her husband Johnny and their three kids Hannah the oldest, Clair, and baby Nathan. Nathan and Josh are only a few weeks apart in age. Josh was born Dec. 18th and Nathan was born Jan 5th I think.

Amy, my niece Amber and I were all pregnant at the same time!!!!!!!



Uncle Charles with Josh




Okay these are all cousins
from left to right Carson 2yrs, Isac 1yr, Camden 8mo, Josh 1yr and Isaiah 6yrs





These are my nephews (my brother's sons) Camden 8mo, Carson 2yrs, Chuckie 17, Caleb 14





My brother with his son Camden

The Plane Ride

Josh and I flew to Dallas Tx on Thursday, the 18th of Dec. I was very anxious pretty much the whole time. It was interesting watching the people by-pass me when looking for a seat because I had a child!! :-) I could understand though... I was not sure what to expect!!!!! Well, it ended up being a really good experience. Josh was a little fussy towards the beginning of the flight and then by the last hour and 1/2, he was asleep. I don't know if I would want to fly solo again. It is really challenging. Lee will be with me on the way back and it will be a relief!!!! I have a lot of respect for mom's who do this all of the time!! I also admire the moms that had more than one child with them! I will add pictures when I get back home. I will be in touch soon! My mom and other family members will be in town tomorrow. My mom has not seen Josh since he was two weeks old. She is going to be so surprised! I am really looking forward to Christmas!!!! Take Care until next time! lt

Kids will be KIDS!!!

I have been trying to get a family picture for weeks now, and the timing was not working out... So I had a friend at church take of pic. of the family... and here is what baby Josh Did just as the camera Flashed!!!!!!!!!!! Classic!!!! We did manage to get a nicer one later! Too funny!!! Have a Great Day!

Lovlee

Just a little update!!

I can't wait to spend Christmas with my family! We love to wake up early and have our coffee and hot tea!!! I made these coasters about two or three weeks ago. I haven't put them on my etsy site. I may just give them as a gift! Hera are also some pics from a recent show that I did. I will show more pictures of the show later. There were four artists at this show. Here are the artists:
Syferiaa Jordan - Creator of Saffi Cards
Lovlee Helene Tang – Mixed Media Artist
Tricia Sebald - Down to Earth Expressions
Trisa Haisma- Custom Made Recycled Wood Gifts

Morning Thought

I can't believe that almost a year has passed since my husband and I had our son! Last year this time I was sitting with a big belly...waiting for my last day of work to approach, anxious to see my new baby boy! I don't know about most people, but I have been told that I am too hard on myself. I am the type of person that feels like I need to be always working towards something/accomplishing something. Not really allowing myself to just rest and take in life. I know that this personality trait is not all bad. I just feel like I have goals that I really want to accomplish. I also believe that as you get older.. you should also get better! But then you are left with the question..."What is better?" We each have to judge that for ourselves.

So my son will be 1 year old on the 18th of Dec., and on that special day he and I will be flying to TX to meet the family for Christmas! On this trip, I plan to take in every moment and just relax and enjoy. I feel like I am still learning about my family and my roots, and now that I have a child...I want to be able to share with him (as well as our future kids) about the family heritage that they come from. I know that my husband feels the same (He is from Cambodia). I consider my life and my family to be such a special gift from God. I will enjoy this Holiday!

I will not be too hard on myself today...and I will enjoy this day!

The Day After Thanksgiving!

Many people will be resting the day away, while those of us who have to work...will be getting ready to head out of the door! I really don't mind going to work today because it will be a really quiet day at the office and Josh, my son, will be staying home with "DaDa"! Which is nice, because I won't have the extra daycare stop before and after work today! Also it is important to not that today is FRIDAY! Thanksgiving day was a great day...I ate well, spent time with family, and did some yard work! I am also so grateful that God has given me such a rich life and an incredible husband and son! If you read this blog today...I encourage you to take on the challenge with me to make Today a GREAT DAY!

Lovlee

Being a Mommy !

My son will be 1 year old in less than a month! I am watching him grow and become smarter and smarter each day! It is amazing to see him as he learns new things. I am feeling a little sad because I feel like I don't have my baby boy any more! I read that these feelings are normal :-)! My son loves his daddy so much! When my husband walks into the room...Josh's face lights up and he says Dada Dada! I love watching the two of them. I feel so blessed and grateful that Josh has a mommy and daddy that love him deeply. I just feel more and more that he is such a precious gift from God. Being a mother is not easy...I just wanted to get a few things from the convenient store this morning and it was a whole production with the carseat and then trying to bring it all back to the car was a whole other deal. Thankfully I have met two nice ladies who helped me along the way! I am a first time mother and I was determined not to be a mother that gets easily worked up over the little things, but sometimes it is hard not to! He is my boy! My only boy! I could go on and on... He is so much fun. He has a really neat personality! He just makes me laugh! I know that my husband and I have a lot ahead of us, but with God we can make it! We hope to have more kids in the future! I can hardly wait!

Train Mural Process #1

I began this mural last Saturday night...As you may already know...I am a wife, full time working mommy and an artist...so when I paint...I have to schedule it around my life! I enjoy every project that I do!! With this project I typically worked on it after 9 or 10pm until about 2am. The owners were nice enough to give me a key to the center, which gave me the freedom to come and go as I pleased! I met all of the wonderful security guards that monitor the buildings in the area too!

With this project, I drew the design, and traced it on overhead projector paper and then projected it onto the wall and traced the image. I liked this technique because it allowed me to ensure that the size of each cart would balance with the one before and after it! I traced the image with a pale gray color. If you use a color that is too dark...you may run into some problems when it comes time to paint in the colors that you want to use...the tracing lines may show through the paint.

You are not able to see it in the final pictures...but I painted the letters a little thicker to make them stand out better. I will take pics. of those soon.