2/24/07

It has been a long time again. ....I have just been so busy and tired. My weeks are not my own anymore and by the weekend I am pooped. ha!

We have had some fun things the last couple of weeks. I was able to take pictures of my best friend's daughter at the Winter Court at school. The first pictures in the post today are of the pink rose her daughter held during the Court. She gave that to Mikayla and Mikayla was so tickled with it. I decided to do some creative photography with the rose. I like the first one the best for whole picture perspective but the second one is neat because of the closeness. I just wish my lamp hadn't been in the background. lol My friend was really tickled with the pictures. I had wanted to have crisper images but you can only do so much with flourescent lighting in a large auditorium and gym. I am just happy they were happy but I over-analyze my pictures. :)

We also had Valentine's Day...over a week ago! Steve gave me beautiful roses. He even brought them to school to surprise me. He was coming anyway to see Mikayla get the chapel award that day so he thought he'd do that for me. I have shown the pictures of them here today. They were just beautiful and were of all different colors. He was so sweet to do that for me. We gave the kids some large balloons and some Floam. Let's just say that FLOAM is a cross between slime and playdough times fifty-five and I didn't realize it was as messy as it was. They got it ALL over themselves. It was not the easiest thing to get off of hands and I was a bit worried it wouldn't come out of the clothes but it did. Little balls of this stuff were all over their bathroom. Oh well.... Overall we had a great time and enjoyed the day as much as our schedule allowed.

Speaking of my husband, have I said lately how much I love him and appreciate all he does for me? I am blessed and he is so precious to me.

Wesley has had serious issues with his health this winter. He just got over a sinus infection and two days later was showing symptoms of cold stuff again. On Monday I took him in and found out he had another ear infection!! I am taking him to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor in a couple of weeks. I am hoping they can shed some light on what is going on with him. Mikayla is getting over another cold herself but hers goes away with cold medicine.. Wesley's just lingers.

Last weekend we had our family pictures taken. It took us forever because there were some people who took quite a bit of time deciding on their pictures. lol I am a bit more understanding of that seeing as I know what it is like to try to photograph people but I know those photographers were ready for some of those people to get out of there. lol I was pleased with the pics and will have to send them out to our friends soon.

Yesterday we had a half day at school and so we went to eat lunch with Mom and Daddy. It was wonderful. I really needed a break from the busyness and stress of school. We went to Wendy's and then went back to the clinic to watch Daddy de-horn a bull and clip its hooves. (The bull had to be de-horned on one side because that side was damaged and broken.) There were actually two he worked on but the first bull was something. It was a cross between three very high strung bovines and let's just say he wasn't happy in that holding area. I rememeber Daddy de-horning calves when I was little and remembered the smell of it (yuck) but I never realized what all he did. I watched yesterday and was in awe. It was truly amazing. I also didn't realize a horn would cause bleeding. I always figured it was like our fingernails or hair that had grown out. I was wrong there, too. ha! I asked to keep the horn and will show it to my students on Monday and then allow the fleshy part to rot out so I can keep the outer covering of the horn. Like I always tell my students.... everyday is a learning experience. Mikayla and Wesley weren't grossed out by it but they were asking questions about it. Wesley wanted to see what the bulls face looked like after Daddy de-horned it. It looked kind of odd with only one horn, but the other horn was fine and because these bulls were in the rodeo.

The kids wanted to spend the night with Mom and Daddy again last night. After the week I had experienced that was fine with me. I could use some quiet but I must say I don't know exactly what to do with myself with ALL of this quiet. :) I cleaned up part of the house and folded some clothes. The kids have to do a lot of cleaning when they get home. I know they won't be happy about that, but, oh well. :)

I bought PhotoShop yesterday. I installed it last evening and found that I have SO MUCH to learn about that program!! I tried to play with it a little this morning but I had so much other stuff to do I didn't have the time to give it. What I have played with I have liked so that is good. :) I have to get one of my friends to help me out with it. I am also anxious to take more photos of other people's kids so that I can improve. I am just constantly realizing I have so much to learn and don't feel adequate in a lot of ways. The older I get the less confident I become in some areas. When you are young you think you can conquer the world but when you get older you realize there is more to conquer than you ever imagined. I also realize how small I am in this world and how the Lord is the only One Who can help me through it.

I am now realizing there will probably be no snow for us again this year. I really can't count those small traces we received although I am tickled we actually saw some. I am beginning to feel the need for spring. I love all seasons and appreciate them for what they are but now it is time for me to stop looking for white and start looking for the new growth. I mean that in my life as well. I know the Lord continues to prune me and make me depend on Him more and more for my responsibilities in life so that I can bring forth color and fruit for Him. I look forward to more photo ops. :) I am sitting here looking out the window realizing the maple tree is budding. I have now closely watched the landscape around me for a year and it is amazing to watch how the Lord shows us the seasons. There is no stopping of them... God is faithful and that continues to help me know God is in control.

I guess I need to go scrap some. I still have lots to do to get ready for the kids birthday party in late April. I am listening to The Ten Tenors again(and soon Il Divo) and loving it. Those CD's really are great and I look forward to the weekends when I can hear them again. It is not common for me to listen to them throughout the week because of being so busy.

Have a good one. :)