(Part 1 below) Tate is truly a blessing, from the moment she was born. She was the most amazing baby, from sleeping to flexibility of environments, she has been nothing but delightful. I stayed home to look after her as Anthony continued going to school at the University of Texas, as well as working as a designer at a big data company. I love being a mother but a part of me was still mourning the fact that I was not furthering my education, having to completely surrender my former desires in life for the new found desire of my family's well being, and making sure we have a welcoming home (this includes cleaning, laundry, cooking, and making sure our home is a place where we can relax and unwind together). Being a mom has made me really prioritize things in my life and school had fallen low on my list now that I have a family to think of.
I made the decision to continue my education at UT in 2016, but how transferring in the spring works at the university, I ended up not being able to apply to the visual arts college and had to enter the liberal arts program. After a year of attending school, I realized that I was not even on a path to be an artist; I was just getting a degree for the sake of getting a degree, and it was a waste of my time and a waste of money. It was time to do what I really love doing: art. I had given up that dream of becoming an artist for the past 2 years, but God works in mysterious ways.
Kid you not, I spent months actively praying about what to do about school, consulting both my church and my missional community, trying to figure out what I was going to do the following fall. Well April comes around, and our lease at our apartment downtown was about to be up and we decided to start looking to rent a house. We start looking and everything is either too expensive or way too small for our already small family. We then find a house, that is everything and more of what we were looking for. Great location, extra rooms, a backyard, and so much more; it was also BELOW our budget. Well, one of the two extra rooms made a perfect studio/ office. I felt it was time to revisit my dream of being an artist, to create.
Even though in 2014, it seemed my dreams were always going to be just dreams, this journey has actually made it possible for me to follow my passion. Since I am mom, I have to stay home all day with my beautiful toddler, but now I have a studio in our house so I have the most ideal environment for me to paint. GOD IS SO GOOD! I thought my dream was forgotten, but no, God did not forget about me, he just had a very different path in mind to get me here. His plan is always better. Thank you for being a part of this dream, I am so excited what other plans God has for me, and I cannot wait to see where The Flea Market Funky takes me.