Thursday, December 2, 2010

Kids Card

Lovely Branches Green 5x7 folded card
Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.
View the entire collection of cards.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Power.


Christmas music is usually light.
Christmas music is usually happy.
Christmas music is usually jolly.

This Christmas song is powerful.
This Christmas song is heavy.
This Christmas song gives me goosebumps.

Christmas is a jolly time.
But it is a serious time as well.
It is when our Saviour was born, only to die for sins.

When you think of the weight of that moment.
The moment that Christ took His first breath in a manger.
The moment the world changed.

It is powerful.
All of this time, God knowingly gave us His son.
Because of His love for us.

Mary, exhausted, gazing at her newborn son.
Fearful for the life that lay before Him.
Surrendered to be a servant to her God, no matter the cost.

This Christmas I want to remember what the true meaning of this holiday season is.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

In a blink.















Ewiza Jane.
wittleone.
hungry bird.

You started growl-huffing this week, and it cracks me up.
You speak fluent "baa" and "uh-oh".
Blowing raspberries and smacking your lips.

Brothers are hugs and clapping.
Smash-face time is my favorite.
(When we squish our faces together and you try to bite my nose.)

You climb stairs with ease.
You crawl on one knee.
Cruising around the room holding onto furniture.

Bananas, yogurt drops, and cheerios are in the top 3.
You like just about all foods.
When you don't want something, you shake your head no. (this kills me!)

I still smell your hair.
I still pat your bottom.
I still rub your cheeks as you fall asleep.

You know the meaning of "no".
You cry generally every time you hear the word "no".
You have this face where you make the most heart breaking frown...

I wonder what you will be like a year from now.
I can't believe a year has gone by already.
I want you to forever be momma's little birdie bird.

I love to watch you and Daddy play together.
I know that you have a very special place in his heart.
I can't wait to watch you grow into the woman that God wants you to be.

Eliza Jane, you are beautiful in so many ways.
You have a wonderful story to tell.
I am so blessed to be your momma.

I love you.
I love you.
I love you.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Happy Halloween... late.













Wow... things have been crazy in our home! I have been blessed to be quite busy with my photography. Which is great. But... I miss just being "momma". So, going out Trick-or-Treating with the kids was a sweet treat. (get it...)

A little background on Halloween in our home. Liam is terrified of it. Period. He seriously freaks out. We have zero decorations. Except a pumpkin that I painted to look like Thomas and one like Olivia. I have had friends that have had to take down their decorations because he wouldn't stop crying. And these decorations weren't even scary. But, we decided to try and go trick-or-treating again anyway. We parked the van downtown Attica, and started to unload everyone. We were walking toward the businesses that were passing out candy when Justin and I heard Liam whispering to himself... "I can do dis. I can do dis. I can do dis." We immediately looked at each other, trying to hold back our laughter. It was just too sweet. He had a grip on Justin's hand and wouldn't let go. Needless to say, he only made it for about 5 minutes. Then he said, "I wanna outta here. I'm ready to be done." So Justin took him to the van while Oliver, Eliza, and I finished for about 15 minutes or so. We went to my mom's house for some chili and my nephew Andrew was there. Liam wanted to go trick-or-treating with Andrew. He did great!!! He went for over an hour. No problems! We were so proud of him and kept cheering him on. It is such a great feeling to witness our child overcome a fear. I was thinking that this must be a very small comparison to what God feels when we trust Him and take a step of faith and conquer a fear, trial, or situation.
I know I have totally sucked at keeping up on blogging. And I don't predict it will get better anytime soon. I am swamped over here. :) But this winter I plan to do a lot more.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Whooo are Yooouuu?


Infant Owl Costume from Pottery Barn Kids
I love this costume. But not the $50 price tag. So, I attempted to make my own for Eliza. There were some adjustments made... and it is far from perfect. But I think it will be lovely for Halloween. And it only cost me about $7.00 to make it and the matching dress underneath.

I basically made a very amateur hooded cape. Very amateur. (lots of seam ripping took place in the making of this costume.) The ears and the beak look red in the photos.. but they are actually a fushia pink. I also made a very basic dress with ruffled reathers on the front. By using the fleece, I didn't have to fuss with hems or armholes. That was nice. And the fleece will be nice and warm for Halloween night! Brilliant, I know. My biggest bummer... they didn't have tan fleece. So I had to use cream. So, she is a little white owl. Still adorable. I have 2 more costumes to make before Halloween... Liam = bat. Oliver = dragon. I also have about umpteen million photos still to be edited... And here I am blogging. Ugh.

Farewell world.







Monday, August 23, 2010

Not Me Monday!

It's that time again...
Not Me Monday!

Motherhood is loaded with judgment and criticism. And I must say that I am the epitome of a glorious shining example of mother of the year...

I most certainly did not help my 3 year old put on his underwear, see the skid marks in them, and continue to put them on him anyway. I would never do such a disgusting thing.

I would never feed my children cold hotdogs for lunch, 3 days in a row. All because I am not hungry enough to actually cook something. Never.

What kind of mother would force her child to try a bite of a bell pepper from the garden only to see moments afterward that there was a worm in the pepper... and then gag... not this mom.

Mother of the year would not wake up in the morning with one boob freezing due to its exposure to the chilly air because she was too lazy/tired/exhausted to simply put her bra back on after an early morning feeding for her daughter.

Loving, tender, and sweet mothers would never completely flip their lids and begin yelling at her 2 young boys that if they don't pick up the million train tracks and thomas the tank engines, then she would smash them with a hammer and throw them in the garbage... all of this occuring while her 9 month old daughter is puking all over her and the living room floor. After the chaotic moment, her oldest (4 year old) son would look up at her hold out his little hands and say, "Momma, We're gunnaneed you da calm down wif us." A good mother would never lose her cool to the point that the 4 year old is the logical thinker in that scenario. However a good mother would ask for forgiveness. :)

Being the fantastic mother that I am, I would never just turn on Max and Ruby so that I could write a blog post and hope for the best for the 3 kiddos in the other room.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Are you a proud or a broken person?

Proud People

Focus on the failures of others
Self-righteous; have a critical, fault-finding spirit; look at own
life/faults through a telescope but others with a microscope
Look down on others
Independent/self-sufficient spirit
Maintain control; must be my way
Have to prove that they are right
Claim rights
Demanding spirit
Self-protective of time, rights, reputation
Desire to be served
Desire to be a success
Desire for self-advancement
Driven to be recognized/appreciated
Wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked
“The ministry is privileged to have me!”
Think of what they can do for God
Feel confident in how much they know
Self-conscious
Keep people at arms’ length
Quick to blame others
Unapproachable
Defensive when criticized
Concerned with being “respectable”
Concerned about what others think
Work to maintain image/protect reputation
Find it difficult to share their spiritual needs with others
Want to be sure nobody finds out about their sin
Have a hard time saying, “I was wrong; will you please
forgive me?”
When confessing sin, deal in generalities
Concerned about the consequences of their sins
Remorseful over their sin—got caught/found out
When there is a misunderstanding or conflict, wait for others to
come and ask forgiveness
Compare themselves with others and feel deserving of honor
Blind to their true heart condition
Don’t think they have anything to repent of
Don’t think they need revival (Think everybody else does!)


Broken People

Overwhelmed with sense of their own spiritual need
Compassionate; forgiving; look for best in others
Esteem all others better than self
Dependent spirit/recognize need for others
Surrender control
Willing to yield the right to be right!
Yield rights
Giving spirit
Self-denying
Motivated to serve others
Desire to be faithful to make others a success
Desire to promote others
Sense of unworthiness; thrilled to be used at all;
eager for others to get credit
Rejoice when others are lifted up
“I don’t deserve to serve in this ministry!”
Know that they have nothing to offer God
Humbled by how much they have to learn
Not concerned with self at all
Risk getting close to others/willing to take the risks of
loving intimately
Accept personal responsibility—can see where they were wrong
“Easy to be entreated”
Receive criticism with a humble, open heart
Concerned with being real
All that matters is what God knows
Die to own reputation
Willing to be open/transparent with others
Willing to be exposed (Once broken, you don’t care who
knows—nothing to lose!)
Are quick to admit failure and to seek forgiveness
Deal in specifics
Grieved over the cause/root of their sins
Repentant over sin (forsake it)
Take the initiative to be reconciled; see if they can get to the
cross first!
Compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel desperate
need for mercy
Walk in the light
Continual heart attitude of repentance
Continually sense their need for a fresh encounter with the filling
of His Spirit!


Proud. Really displays an insecurity. A need to make up for something that we feel we are lacking. We feel a need to prove ourselves competent and successful.

Broken. Actually shows that we are aware of our need for our God's hand in our lives. We happily depend on His guidance and long for His will.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Liam is turning 3!






Liam. Moo-zer. Miam.
My baby boy.
Who sucks his bottom lip while tickling Momma's belly.
Who loves Thomas, Buzz Lightyear, and Spiderman.
Who has at least 2 band-aids on his little body at all times.
Who eats "coo-cumbers" with "dips".
Who doesn't like ice cream.
Who dances and knows the words to most Regina Spektor songs.
Who draws fantastic illustrations of trains and monkeys.
Who wakes up at least once a week from a bad dream.
Who isn't afraid of beetles.
Who wrestles the dog.
Who doesn't like bathtime.
Who is "kinda fweezin'".
Who loves to be sang to.
My baby boy.
Who makes me happier everyday.
Happy Birthday.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Eliza Jane






She...
*rolls
*babbles
*plays patty cake
*weighs over 20 lbs
*is more than 28 inches long
*feeds herself fruit puffs
*moves around in her walker
*laughs so much she gets the hiccups
*loves all orange babyfoods
*is quite ticklish on her neck and thighs
*loves her brothers the best
*is growing growing growing
*is my sweet sweet "baby why-za", my "punkopoodledoodle", my "wittle one"