Sunday, March 30, 2008

an Easter reflection...







Looking at these photos from Easter and thinking on that day and on service today...

"Give your life to God."
"Let Jesus into your heart."

These are misconceptions. There is nothing that we can do, like "give" or "let", to gain salvation. It is there for us. He is there for us. Always. Even when we forget that we really need him. Even when we think we can take care of ourselves. Even when we get hurt by others and think it would be easier alone. He is there. He waits. It hurts Him that we try to hide. He is sad that we pretend. Sad. And yet, He loves us. Even when we think we are doing alright. He knows what is ahead. Even when we are just going through the motions. Even when we are trying to move on. Even when we are happy. Even when we are growing. He celebrates our victories. He cheers us on as we face our trials. Even if we don't acknowledge His presence. I am so speechless when it comes to how amazed I am by His love for me. I am so grateful to know that I have eternity to spend with Him in His Kingdom. Salvation isn't a date when you decided that "okay, I understand this." Salvation happens in an instant. It happens when you Believe. Really believe through faith. When you really believe that Christ is the son of God and He died for our sins on the cross and He rose again... When you believe that. When you believe, it changes who you are, who you were and who you will become. It changes how you live your life. It changes how you love people. It changes how you view your time here on earth.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

and they grow...


Oliver and his cousin Andrew... aka Bach and Beethoven

OLIVER.
About a month and a half ago, Oliver was playing the piano and singing (like he does daily) and all of sudden I hear this...

"Momma, see the S.
Momma...Momma..."
I then hear, "S...T...O...C...A...K..."

I have a Story and Clark piano...He was pointing to letters on the piano and saying them!
You would have thought that I hit the lottery that day! I was jumping and clapping and then we went to the kitchen.
He has those magnetic alphabet letters and the Leap Frog thingy that pronounces them for you. We we just held up the letters one by one and he knew about 13 of the letters! I was astounded! (I think it is all of that PBS SuperWhy and Word World)

Anyway, we practice a little here and there... and now he knows all of his letters except L, Q, R, and W. I mean this little booger amazes me. Justin and I have been taking the boys on our walks this past week. (It has been reasonably nice.) And when we come within a block of a stop sign... Oliver starts it up...
"Momma. Daa-eee. Do you see P?" We then point to the letters and sure enough S. T. O. P. Man, they grow up fast.

LIAM.
Speaking of growing up... on March 19... he got his first 2 teeth. I love his little all gums grin. But he has got some character now buddy. I can't believe it... 2 teeth! He didn't get teeth until late. So, I guess I just thought they weren't coming. I knew they would. But I just don't like my baby growing up on me so fast. My parents were right, time does fly the older you get. He says mama and dada too. Dada on March 6 and Momma on March 8... Both of my boys said dada first! Drat!



All of these things are great and dandy. But none of them would be possible if God weren't so awesome and merciful. He takes care of this little family. He loves us. He was more proud of Oliver than I ever could be. He helped nudge those little teefers of Liam's out. He takes care of the big things and the little things. Thank you Lord, you and I both know that I don't deserve this life. Thank you for loving me.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

chugga chugga choo choo

He screamed the entire time we sang to him.
and I mean screamed!
My mom made the awesome train for the party, she also decorated!
I think I look handsome.
Oliver hated facial hair.

Ruth Harkelroad made this awesome cake!
Oliver got to have the whole train off of the top!
These are the party favors. I made the little bags out of hankies... there is a train whistle, conductor duckie, chocolates, and an engineer visor inside.
I think Justin looks like a cop!
All aboard!
He wasn't too sure about the train at first... but he got used to it!
Lots of presents!!! and clothes for summer!

It went from...

...hoping that maybe just maybe he would sleep through the night tonight...

...watching as he started to crawl, backwards!

...hearing momma for the first time...

...surviving the first fall off of the bed (I think it was harder for me to go through honestly)...

...rocking him to sleep at night on my ever growing pregnant belly...

...seeing those first clumsy steps...

...going to see Dr. Miller AGAIN for another ear infection...

...getting those tubes, it wasn't so bad...

...walking, just Oliver and me, during those summer days, and explaing to him how God made the trees...and then calling Justin to come get us because I was too pregnant to finish...

...laughing my head off when he tried new foods...

...him teaching me how to play...

It went from me being so excited at how fast he was growing up, to me just begging God to let it all slow down...Oliver has turned 2.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

the 9 to 5...







I went and worked at the local salon, Finishing Touch, on Tan Free Day this week. I worked there all during high school and she always gives me some hours if I need some cash. Cathy, the owner and my stylist, has always been so good to me. It is hard to believe that I get paid to be there. It is so much fun anyway... And we always have great food on Tan Free Day also. Yum!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

question...

Does anyone in cyberspace know of any grant money available for starting a woman owned business?

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

i do...






just a few photos from a wedding from a couple weeks ago...

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

ranting alert...

First of all... I am not an advocate of prostitution. For the record. I am just trying to make a point.
So, with all this media attention on the NY governor getting caught with a hooker... it just got me thinking. Our society is jacked up. (Yes, that is a technical term.) But seriously, how is it that we, as a human race, have come to the conclusion that it is acceptable to kill an unborn child by means of tearing the baby into shreds and then smashing the skull (because it is typically too large to fit into the suction tube). This is acceptable?! www.silentscream.org And women are doing this multiple times?! ARGH! This is okay... the mother decides the fate of this unborn child. (The father doesn't even have a say, which I think is a joke, considering without him that child wouldn't exist either.) All of this is common and accepted in our nation. Even if you don't agree with it, most people just take the stance of "Well, I wouldn't do it... But who am I to tell somebody else what to do..." We just keep turning our heads away from the problem. All of this is okay... and the country goes ballistic over a woman and a man consensually having sex. I realize that prostitution may well be a leading cause for the high number of abortions. I don't think that prostitution is morally okay. My point is that we are focused on the drama of this nation and not the real issues. Britney Spears and her escapades are more the focus rather than the abortion genocide or global warming or the fact that there are millions of people dying and going to hell everyday. As a nation, we need to grow up, put on our big girl panties and get to work. Because I sure don't want to leave this mess to my children.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

fruity goodness


love.


I found this strawberry in my little crate of Meijer strawberries. I had to document its existence on film. Well, digitally anyway.


I don't think I could ever grasp even the slightest fragment of how much God loves me. I think I get it, and then He shows me that I have no idea. I was scolding Oliver the other day. He looked at me from his crib and I knew that he wasn't really getting the point. And I was just hurting his feelings. So, I took him and sat and rocked him. I began singing... " I love you Lord and I lift my voice to worship you, Oh my soul, rejoice. Take joy my King, in what you hear, let it be a sweet sweet sound in your ear." As I sat crying, singing, rocking, and worshipping. I realized that Oliver was worshipping with me. There we were, and it was so simple and yet so revolutionary. God spoke to my heart. He tries to scold us into doing what we know to do, and we just aren't getting it... He holds us. And rocks us. And wipes our tears. Until we have calmed down enough to listen.


love.


Sometimes, when I am playing with the boys, I want to just squeeze the dickens out of them. I just love them too much. I always say to them, "Don't you know, I love you so!"





My amazing spouse... I tell him, I just want to unzip his chest and crawl inside where I can be close to him. I just don't think I can ever get close enough.

Monday, March 3, 2008

closing lids

Okay okay... it was vain of me to insist that people announce themselves as readers of this blog. I wanted to know that I was loved. I am so insecure it is stupid. However, I think the mood and the style of this blog is gonna change a bit. I watched a dinky little sitcom whatever, called well I can't even remember the name of it...but it had to do with a girl's blog. She called them as she saw them. Very open and honest. And that is how this is gonna be. So a fair warning friends and family, nobody is safe. I am just gonna air it all out from now on.


And so, things that I noticed lately.

Shel Silverstein is a genius.


Complainin' Jack


This morning my old jack-in-the-box

Popped out--and wouldn't get back-in-the-box.

He cried, "Hey, there's a tack-in-the-box,

And it's cutting me through and through.


"There also is a crack-in-the-box,

And I never find a snack-in-the-box,

And sometimes I hear a quack-in-the-box,

'Cause a duck lives in here too."


Complain, complain is all he did--

I finally had to close the lid.


Sometimes, you just have to close the lid, or the "Complainin' Jacks" in your life just might make you crazy... or depressed... whichever comes first.


So, I closed some lids.


On a brighter note... I have been kinda a little busy with some photography stuff. Here are some of the maternity shots I did this week. It's so easy when your model is already pretty.