day 297 - caught up in the moment

i got to work today.  not on anything in particular - just started painting......

the next thing i knew painting on a piece of paper wasn't enough - i wanted to go bigger.  i did a quick scan of our craft room and saw a 2'x4' piece of 1/4" thick hardwood resting against the wall.  i grabbed it, propped it up on a chair and started using my hands, brushes, sponges to apply paint.  as i continued i didn't care that paint was dripping on the floor, all over me, my shoes and pants.....

i began the painting with nothing specific in mind and as i watched the colors fall on the board it began to take shape in my mind and i moved the paints on the board in different directions - adding more colors at whim.

by the time it was all finished i realized i ruined our floor, my toms and a pair of jeans - WHOOPS!!  i can't say i love the piece i painted, but i love that it was painted.

day 296 - leaping off the shelf

sitting in our kitchen tonight dave and i found ourselves deep in conversation.  i was doing most of the talking, sharing my concern about some of my recent professional decisions.  questioning my choice to move in this direction, blah, blah, blah.... and share an idea i had.  as i was in the middle of laying out my idea we heard a CRASH!  dave and i both immediately stood to see what had fallen.  there sitting on the floor was one of two, bride and groom, salt shakers that usually sit neatly in our cupboard.

 we had a good chuckle talking about how the "bride" must have pushed the "groom" off the shelf.  i don't know she looks pretty innocent to me!

later we decided it must be a sign about taking a leap of faith.  in the end, although it had NOTHING to do with our leaping groom, we decided to move forward with my new idea and dave did an awesome job of assuring me in my recent decisions.  so, i know i'm being vague - but this is a pretty open platform to share some pretty personal stuff :)

Day 295 - road conditions

today's post is meant as a reminder.  i have said, countless times, "oh, i'll never forget" and guess what?  i forget.  one of the reasons for blogging every day is so i can look back over the year and remember the little, the big, the insignificant, the feeling, the story, etc. of our every day life.  although i can't reveal the meaning behind the title, it is all i will need to remember this day and reflect on this season dave and i have found ourselves in as parents. 

Day 294 - when the pieces come together

i have spent more hours than i care to admit creating all of these elements with the hopes i will find the inspiration to put them together to create a collection of art.  today, i found all those pieces coming together!

the creative process for me begins with an idea or catching of a vision.  from there i begin thinking, processing, sketching.  then comes the mess - both literally and figuratively.  i literally make a mess tearing paper, getting paint all over, gluing random things together and then figuratively in that  i feel like a mess; my mind makes me crazy as it spins all of my thoughts and ideas around like they are on the spin cycle in the washing machine!  if i was honest with myself, i probably go a bit crazy when i find myself in that space :)  then, like lightening striking it all clicks, the catalyst reveals itself, the muse (if you will) awakens from her slumber and suddenly i have found myself able to bring what looks like random unrelated pieces together to create something new and unique.

i live and create for the moments where this time and space exist.  although i don't find rest in the actual moment itself, actually it means i'm about to work really hard, the rest and peace come in the memory of these times and the belief and assurance i will be in that space again in the near future.

i can't wait for the entire line to be finished.  above are only three of the finished pieces.  more to come!

Day293 - being home

this morning we decided to head into grand rapids to visit the church i grew up in, thornapple covenant.  lilly had a soccer game a couple miles away in the afternoon so we left a few hours earlier and went to church.  so much of my youth and formation happened within the walls and amongst the people who make up this church.  my family, at one time, were avid participants in the body who made up this church.  it has been years since my family has left the church and years since i had even visited.  as i approached the doors i was immediately welcomed by a familiar face and then another and another and another.  i was overwhelmed.  our kids left to their age appropriate classes and then dave and i entered the worship space.  singing the hymns of my youth, listening to the choir, and hearing a wonderful teaching about downward and upward mobility i found myself crying through most of the service.  i encountered love and God in that space.  even now as i write this i find myself welling up with tears at even the recollection.  i didn't find myself crying for what had been or even over the sentiment of my youth.  i found myself crying at the peace that overwhelmed me with the feeling of "being home".  the Lord is my refuge.  what a wonderful space to be.

Day 292 - paint, rip, draw, glue

today was filled with art!  lilly and her friend sat with me for hours in our craft room all the while working on their own projects while i was compiling a bunch of random sketches, paintings, and such for a new collection of art i have been inspired to work on.  even well after lilly's friend left, she sat and worked alongside me.  we laughed and talked and worked diligently on all of our pieces.

i wish i had taken more pictures of us working through the whole process - but i didn't.  this collection will be more collage/mixed media like and have a primitive/elementary feel.  so far, i'm not sure i have quite been able to flesh out what i see in my minds eye.  more to come, i'm sure.

Day 291 - thriller chiller

 tonight dave and i ventured into grand rapids for thriller chiller to see the debut of my cousins film cadence.  ok - i am really not a scary movie person, so i was a bit hesitant about the whole experience.  i am so glad i decided to put my big girl panty's on and go - we had SOOOOO much fun and all three short films were great!  i am so proud of my cousins and their willingness to step out and do what they love.  check out the film below

If you would like to learn more about their production company, Tell Tale Productions, click here and make sure you ask for Courtland!

day 290 - soaked through

the weather continues to be awful.  thank GOD we got our new roof when we did - i'm certain there is no way we would have made it through all this rain without experiencing further damage caused by the old roof.

luke played a game today in the cold and rain.  poor kids - i sat in the warm car.  the boys won by a landslide again and are really competing for the #1 spot in their division.

Day 289 - end of a season

the last 9 weeks caleb has worked his heart out at practices for a whopping 6 games in his season.  today was his last game, and due to bad weather it was cancelled.  what an anti-climactic way to end a season.  caleb, we are proud of you and all the hard work you put into this season. way to go!!

Day 288 - haunted mansion book report

it would seem my world is revolving around lilly lately.  as my dad always says, "every dog has their day".  lilly and i have been working hard on her latest school project - a haunted mansion book report.  we had so much fun walking all of the aisles of hobby lobby dreaming up what her project would look like.  i can't say the project went off without any drama -- there were tears, yelling, rolling of eyes, pouting BUT there was also laughing, giggling, "i love you's", "thank you momma", and creative thinking that took place too.  the end result........

Day 287 - unexpected keepsake

have you ever come across a seemingly silly, unimportant, trash-worthy item before and upon further inspection realized it was precious?!  the other day we received a circular in the mail from American Girl.  I set it out on the table knowing full well lilly would LOVE to flip through it.  little did i know this silly little magazine would become a precious keepsake...

the cover reads, "start from the back and work your way to the front".  upon lilly's request i am not posting more than the cover - but, let me tell you she went through each page with a fine tooth comb circling, making notes and highlighting all of the things that her sweet heart desired.  words do no justice to how precious each page is.  who knew we would find such a keepsake in a silly advertisement.

Day 286 - favorite dish

when you were growing up did you have a favorite dish your mom made?  i remember mine, homemade tortillas, pork chili, beans and rice.  i can remember sitting around the table and grabbing as many tortillas as we could, without getting in trouble, and putting the extra ones under our plates just in case someone tried to steal one.  i loved that meal! 

lilly has a favorite meal....chicken pot pie.  i do my best each week to put a menu together that way i am a bit more prepared and hopefully less frantic as dinner approaches AND because it is so nice to have an answer to the kids (incessant, at times) question, "what's for dinner".  this week i planned on making pot pie on friday.  the kids were anticipating it.  however, at the last minute an audible was called and pot pie was pushed to the wayside.  tears were shed, literally, by our little girl who so desperately desired the ooey gooey goodness of chicken pot pie!

much to lilly's delight we enjoyed her favorite meal today and i thought it appropriate to share the recipe...

 Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury Pie Crust (or you can make homemade)
1.5 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Potato Soup
2 cans Veg-All (DO NOT get the low sodium - gross)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Lay pre-made pie crust in a 9-10" pie dish.  Mix all of the other ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Pour filling mixture in pie dish and then place 2nd pie crust over top.  Crimp edges and cut a few slices in the top.   Back for 45-60mins or until bubbly.  Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy

Day 285 - to know and be known

do you have people in your life who really know you?  after a fabulous night out with your dear friends dave said to me, "it's so nice to know and be known".  i have thought quite a bit about that simple statement and can't help but agree.

how often do we feel as though we need to be "on" or give the impression that we are something different than we really are for the sake of the company we are keeping at the time.  i am blessed, beyond words, by those people in my life who "know" me and have allowed me the privilege of knowing them.  i love you jamye and jason and treasure our friendships - thanks for such a fun night out!

day 284 - beautiful colors

the colors around here are amazing today.  we woke up to a light frost on everything outside, blue skies and incredible color.  the trees look like they are on fire.  after getting the kids off this morning i grabbed my gym shoes and bundled up to head to the lake for a walk....

we live in such a beautiful corner of the world. 

day 283 - getting the part

this morning caleb found out (via the directors blog) that he got the roll he tried out for!!!  oh my goodness - he is so excited.  the musical is the little mermaid jr. and he got the role of grimsby, prince eric's funny butler.  as we sat through the call-backs last night and i watched him and the kids and thought back to my days of auditioning and theatrical fun i couldn't help but think about all the fun in store for caleb.  great job caleb!!

Day 282 - hello world

well, today i launched the first phase of my very own website.  as the date gets closer for misty michelle design to debut at meijers i am trying my best to get all my ducks in a row in order, Lord willing, for the line and brand to expand and grow within the decorative market.  in the mean time i have partnerned with my bro jesse to manufacturer my products to sell both on etsy and website.

i would love for you to go over and check out the site at www.mistydiller.com and of course "like" me on facebook.  thanks for all the love and support i have a feeling this is going to be a fun ride in the coming months!!

Day 281 - good-bye roof!

after months and months of deliberating we are finally getting a new roof.  it really stinks to have to spend all that money on something not all that exciting.  i would have much rather spent money on say a vacation, tummy tuck, furniture, or even better - just been able to keep it in savings!  oh well, it needed to get done and i am beyond thankful we have the resources to be able to cover such an expense - thank you Lord! 

we have a wonderful company, Werner Roofing, doing the job for us.  they have been great to work with and their pricing was the best too!  if you are in the market for a new roof give chris a shout at 616.844.5382 and tell them misty referred you.  did i mention, i can't wait for it to be finished!!

Day 280 - Dear friend

dear miss beth,
i am so blessed by you and our friendship.  it has been so much fun having you and the kids at the house this weekend.  thank you for joining in on our adventures and sharing your kids with us.  it was a beautiful thing to watch luke and jackson hang out and play together.  i love you, dan and those darling kiddos so much.  we can't wait until the next time we are able to all hang out!!

Day 279 - going for a walk

after we got home from church i threw a bunch of stuff in the crock pot for dinner and dave and i headed out for a walk together.....

it wasn't that it was such a beautiful day - but it was a beautiful time.  even though it was rather dreary the colors were stunning and mona lake was gorgeous.  it felt so good to connect with dave and just talk, hold hands and "be" together.  it is so easy to be too busy to spend time with your partner and connect. i love you dave.

Day 278 - brrrrrrrr

this photo doesn't do a good job of showing how flipping cold it was out there today!  WHOA - we were all freezing on the sidelines.  bbbbrrrrrr....

lilly had a game too.  unfortunately they lost 0-1 off a penalty kick in the last few minutes of the game.  the boys won again.  they continue to hold the #1 spot in their division - great job boys!!

Day 277 - welcome friends

what better way to welcome your dear friends into town than with spaghetti and meatballs and wine!

you would think i would have thought to get a photo of our friends - nope - i got a photo of the meatballs.  i am so looking forward to hanging out, enjoying food, and just "being" together.  love that you and the kids are here beth!

Day 276 - a day without a headache...

today i found myself trying with all my might to imagine what a day without a headache would feel like.  today's migraine was worse than usually - boo.  so frustrating and disrupting.  thankfully my mom is here to help with the kids and get dinner going.

Day 275 - grommie!!

yeah!!! grommie is in town from seattle.  it was so fun to walk up to calebs game and see her sitting in the bleachers.  welcom home mom - we love that you are here!

Day 274 - hooked

we are hooked on the voice.  we have never watched the reality tv show before this season and we LOVE it!!  the kids, dave and i love watching it together and rooting on all the singers.  caleb, bless his heart, said i should audition and said, "mom, seriously, you could get at least three of the judges to turn around."  funny kid - love him.

Day 273 - when your not around

our bed does not get made....

Day 272 - where did September go?

it's hard to believe september has come and gone.  how fast it all goes by.  today is my father in-laws 69th birthday.  we love you papa bob!!!

Day 271 - playing like a team

i know it's only U10 girls soccer, but WHAT FUN!!!  the girls are playing in the first division despite dave's efforts to have them play in the 2nd.  although they have been practicing twice a week since the beginning of august it was today's game that really showed how far they have come and how much they have learned to play as a team.  congrats girls on your first win of the season!!!

Day 270 - my boys

after luke's soccer game (another win!!) we went out for pizza.  as i sat across the booth staring at my three boys i was overwhelmed with love and joy.

Day 269 - strings and such

today was lukes first day of orchestra.  he decided that he would like to play the bass.  i assumed he would join a number of young strings enthusiasts but we quickly found out that he is the only 5th grader playing bass!  lots of one on one instruction - whoo hoo!!  although it means getting him to the highschool an hour early two days a week i am thrilled that he is doing this.  i am even more excited by his enthusiasm to play.

who knew we would be a strings family :)  caleb is equally excited for luke and his encouraging words never cease to amaze me.

in other news - lilly successfully juggled 10 times without letting the ball drop.  to say she was excited would be an understatement.  guess who gets to go out to breakfast this coming week?  way to go lilly - keep up the good work!!

day 268 - one on one

wednesdays are crazy days!  i'm thankful for friends who can step in and help with the kids when we need them.  caleb had a football game in holland this afternoon - they lost their first game - boo.  caleb didn't play much, but he got out on the field for a few plays.  he was bummed about the loss but thrilled (as was i) to spend a little one-on-one time with his momma!  we headed into downtown holland for dinner.  as we sat at the table caleb talked my ear off about school, friends, football, trying out for the play, homework, girls, orchestra.... he told me several jokes that had me laughing.  i cannot stand how much i love caleb and how much i enjoy just hanging out with him.

Day 267 - you never know

today we went to the funeral service for Fred Thomas.  my step mom's dad.  although i didn't know the man i know his loving daughter.  i also know how much a daughter can love her daddy.  susie we love you and are praying for you and your family as you journey through this time of remembrance.

 our deepest condolences to the family.  here is a link to his obituary.

on a much lighter note - our family is in a you tube video featuring one of our favorite sandwhich joints, fatty lumpkins.  they are in a contest through lifetime right now and whoever gets the most views/hits/whatever to their video will win.  what? i'm not exactly sure.  so, check out the diller family cameos, share the link with friends (so fatty's wins) and GO to fatty lumpkins if you live in the area are traveling through muskegon or better yet, make a special trip out for their how now brown cow!!

Day 266 - setting goals

luke and lilly came home tonight from practice in a whirlwind of excitement.  dave told both of them that when they can juggle the soccer ball 10 times they can have a one on one breakfast date before school and when they reach 50 juggles they each get a "big" prize.  lukes goal is for new video game and lilly is going for a new bitty baby.  caleb wanting in on the action has to run a mile in under 7.5 minutes for his breakfast date and run a 5k in under 30 mins for of his prize (which he can't decide is worth the price of running a 5k).

lilly is practicing any chance she gets - notice her damp thighs.  gotta love a little competition and goal setting!!

Day 265 - hello fall!!

it's true fall is officially here!  as we drove up 31 to ludington this afternoon, for yet another soccer game, i couldn't help but be in awe of all the colors and beauty.  it is a bit bitter-sweet to know summer is over but fall is sure beautiful!

know what else is beautiful?  this boy!  lukes team won their game today.  actually to say they won is an understatement - they slaughtered the poor team they played.  it's weird when that happens, although you want your kids to play their best and win, at some point (like when you 14 goals ahead) you start to feel bad. 

lilly and i after the game headed over to our friends house for a Create-A-Frame party.  we did one much earlier in the year and had sooooo much fun.  tonight did not disappoint either - we had a ball crafting and making our frames.  mine isn't quite finished (i spent a bit too long on the flowers) and lilly's is awaiting a photo to complete hers and affectionately referred to hers as "a tornado of art". 

 we took a picture of lilly with two of her dear friends to clip on her frame.  she worked diligently for at least 2 hours putting it all together.  she kept leaning over and say, "thank you mom". 

like i said, i spent too long making the flowers and drinking sangria and chatting with friends that i didn't finish my frame.  my goal is to put a metal clip to the right of the flowers for a photo and then paint a simple inspiration along the bottom.  did i mention how much a LOVE creat-a-frame.  i am planning on hosting a party in the coming months. 

Day 264 - a day of soccer, family and art

there is nothing like a day filled with family activities (although i could have done without the headache in the middle of the day).  both luke and lilly had soccer games.  we were able to hang out with jess and rita for a bit and had a super fun dinner at fuji yama in grand rapids and then headed to art prize downtown GR and met up with stephen.  watching the kids around art prize is the best!

luke had a 8am game - ouch!!  the sun broke through and made for an absolutely gorgeous morning for soccer (despite the time).  it was a great game and the boys won!

lilly's game was a bit later in the afternoon - the chill in the air reminded me that fall is FOR SURE here!  this was the girls first official game of the season and unfortuantely they lost - by a lot.  the girls spirit seems to be good and i'm looking forward to them coming together as a team.  lilly has improved in her ball handling skills by leaps and bounds.  she is so fun to watch.

i can't wait to make our way back to GR for more art prize fun!!

Day 263 - it never gets old

i ran into meijers real quick this morning to grab a few items and as i walked through the home decor section this was on display...

it really never does get old to see your designs as finished product for sale.  i circled all of my pieces.  it makes me even more excited (and nervous) for the misty michelle line that will be coming out in december!

Day 262 - pink unicorns

tonight we did a lot of screaming and cheering for the pink unicorns!!

Day 261 - proud mama

most days i can say i am a proud mama.  my kids continually amaze me in how they interact, what they say and do, how creative they are....the list could go on and on. 

wednesdays are game day - today was caleb's first home football game and it's homecoming week.  the boys have one more win under their belt and caleb did great out on the field.  but my "proud" hat didn't appear until later in the evening...

after lilly and dave were home from soccer practice, luke was back from youth group and caleb and i had returned from his game we sat around the coffee table in the family room talking about our day.  caleb, very nonchalantly says, "i prayed for the team before the game".  dave and i both look at each other and then back to him for further details.  he then proceeds to share with us that him and a few other guys had decided to pray together prior to the game - once the other players saw what this small group of guys was doing they asked caleb if he would pray for the team.  caleb didn't hesitate and had everyone gather around as he prayed for their safety, good sportsmanship, and fun!

i shouldn't have been surprised this is the kind of kid he is - but i was.  i pray he will continue to stand for Jesus and continue to be bold in his faith on the field, at school, at home - wherever he may find himself.

Day 260 - getting excited for snow!

ok - many of you may want to punch me in the face or at the very least give me a noodle lashing BUT our family is REALLY excited about snow.  of course that was magnified today as we loaded up the van with all our ski and snowboarding gear and headed in to Bill and Pauls in grand rapids to take advantage of all their deals in september as well as their 70% buy back program for the kids gear.

bill and pauls knows how to do it right - the kids walked away with all this swag AND season passes to caberfae and crystal mountain. 

 another area our pocket book feels the love is with the $20 coupon (the month of sept.) for a tune-up!  like i said - bring on the snow!!

Day 259 - this is where we live

i had an appointment today in grand haven and took advantage of being in the area to walk along the boardwalk and pier.  wow.  the beauty of it all took my breath away more times than i can count.  it never ceases to amaze me what a beautiful part of the world we line in and what a joy it is to call this home.

day 258 - tourney day 2

i wish i could say we finished off the tournament with at least one win.  unfortunately the boys lost 0-2 which means they not only lost all three games but never scored a single goal.  the bright side is that the boys played like a team - they played with aggression - they played hard!

 way to go boys!  we are proud of you and excited to watch you play and grow this season.
after the game we packed up and headed out for further adventures around traverse city.  we stopped for a picnic at one of the state parks at the bay and then headed out to the end of the peninsula between the west and east bays.  it was a beautiful drive and we stopped and stacked stones along the shore.