07/31/08

How fun are these jellybeans? I photographed these a few weeks ago. These are some we got at a candy store in the mountains and they called my name!! Steve couldn't believe I had photographed them. lol







We have recently had a murder in a neighborhood near us. It was quite shocking because where we live we just don't think of it happening near us. The woman supposedly went out jogging and never returned. The authorities found her body a few days later after a call from a man walking his dog said he found a body. It is quite sad and the authorities are keeping things very "tight-lipped."

While watching the news the other day, it seems our local news station is going to court against the authorities in this case because the records are sealed and will be sealed for a while. The news station says that "the public has a right to know" about what has happened.

I don't agree with that.

WHY do we have a right to know about what has happened to this woman? The authorities have already stated this was not a random act of violence from the evidence they have received. We are not in danger of someone stalking and killing people. In my opinion, the news only wants this just to make more news and to be nosy. While I like to be informed of what is going on, I don't think a news station should demand information to a case just because "the public should know." I would rather have those records sealed for the month while those investigating it can get out and find more information than have "he said/she said" plastered all over the news. We see enough of that anyway. The information should come out when the authorities feel it is time.

Steve and I just kind of shook our heads over this. Let the authorities do their job without the media constantly sticking their nose into it. While I want to see whoever did this to the woman to be brought to justice, I don't need to know every detail of her last moments.

Enough of that....

Off to have a picnic in the middle of the den floor tonight. We are watching The Incredibles while eating homemade pizza. (The kids put it together) We are supposed to get bad storms tonight. I pray we get some rain... we truly need it.

07/30/08

My first picture of the day is the one you waited for from the last post.... the bird poop on my shoulder. Oh, the joy. I cannot tell you the thoughts that ran through my mind the minute it "landed." I knew I had just made a memory! Isn't that what I am always talking about, though?

Lovely, isn't it?

The following pictures are of my "treasure" I found at Goodwill last week. I think I mentioned it, but wanted to show it all "before and after."

Now, this is all new to me. Some of the other bloggers I read do this often and they inspired me. :) I have creativity, but not as much as others. Sometimes I am a little too linear for my own good. My best friend has been after me for a long time to get something for all of my notes, reminders, etc... that are always on my cabinet doors in the kitchen. I have to see things for me to remember them so that is the reason they are everywhere.... especially during school. We had looked at some in specialty catalogs and those things were rather pricey. I, being the cheap no spending money person that I am, didn't want to spend a lot on that! I have been waiting and wondering what to do. Well, I decided last week to hit Goodwill for a special find. I truly had no idea what I was looking for and stumbled across this little thing! I actually could envision it being something different than it was. I was tickled, too, because it was only $1.99 compared to around $50.00 for the other ones I had seen. :)



After applying two coats of paint to cover up the natural color and then changing out the hooks I now have a "new" message center by my phone in the kitchen!! Steve and I found those silver flower decorations at Lowe's and used them instead of the hooks. I was quite afraid my telephone cord would get wrapped in those hooks and tear the thing off the wall!! I was pretty tickled with my first "used to new" find. What do you all think?



I think I may go to another Goodwill or Thrift store and see what else I can find. One of my "older" fruit/flower arrangements in the kitchen came down last night.... in pieces. I put up the small plates Wesley and Mikayla had made for me in Kindergarten. I love them there. Now everyone can see the sweet treasures my babies made for me! The poor arrangement, however, is not going to be "whole" again. There are parts than can be used again, but overall that is a "done deal." I think lovingly hanging it on my wall for almost 12 years is getting good use out of it, right? Now I have to find a new something for my counter top where the plates once held residence. We'll see what I find! :)

On another note, Ashes is not doing well at all. Last night she tried twice to jump up on the bed to be with me and couldn't do it. That broke my heart. I truly thought I would have more time with her, but I see her going downhill fast. She just isn't acting like Ashes did 2 weeks ago... even a week ago. I can't stand the thought of what is approaching quicker than I imagined, but I have learned to see it that I have had time to love her and say goodbye.

One of my new blogger friends (Rhonda) does an "Encouraging Words Wednesday." I love to see what she has written that will lift my spirits each Wednesday. I desire to do that myself, but am not sure if I'll remember every Wednesday, especially with school starting, but thought I'd give it a go for today. (In fact, mine may be an encouraging word day whenever I can remember! lol)

Tonight there was a problem on our road and the police had it blocked off. We found out later it was due to a power line falling. Well, when we didn't know what was going on, Wesley said "Mom, God knew all about what is happening and we don't need to worry, right?" How true. He is such a thinker and I continue to be amazed at how deeply he thinks a matter through sometimes. We didn't know if someone was hurt or it had been a wreck or something, but God knew... and He was taking care of the situation! It really was something simple, but it could have been more severe.

How many times do we worry and stress out over something when all we need to do is stop and realize we are safe in the Lord? The kids devotion tonight went along with that quite well. I even talked about Wesley's comment with both of them as I read it to them.

Deuteronomy 33:27a

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:

What a blessing that was to read tonight! I have found another favorite verse!! I think I am going to copy this down and put it around (on my new message center!!!) and have it to remember that God is my refuge and He is holding me each step of the way.

It caused me to think of this old hymn: "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

In the next week I am going to begin again the craziness that comes with what I do for a living. I know there will be many days I will need to remember this verse and sing this song to myself.

Here are a few quotes I have found that deal with this:

God, the eternal God, is our support at all times, especially when we are sinking into deep trouble. There are seasons when we sink quite low.... Dear child of God, even when you are at your lowest, underneath are the everlasting arms. - Charles Spurgeon

However low the people of God are at any time brought, everlasting arms are underneath them to keep the spirit from fainting and the faith from failing, even when they are pressed above measure... everlasting arms with which believers have been wonderfully sustained and kept cheerful in the worst of times. Divine grace is sufficient. - Matthew Henry

May you feel the comfort of God's everlasting arms today!

07/28/08

I've been MIA the last few days....

Took these pictures of a shell not long after I got my new macro lens. I love the first one especially. I showed these today because....

Today I spent the entire day with my best friend. Her daughters and the kids and I all went to the beach for the day and it was SO much fun. Now, I will admit that I hate the sand and how it gets everywhere, but I love the sounds of the ocean and the peacefulness that comes from it. It is another opportunity to be a part of the Creation we have been given by the Lord. I am so thankful for its diversity.

On a funny note... and a picture that will have to be shown when I upload them... we had sea gulls "attack" us today while eating lunch. They kept swooping down to try to capture any bread crumbs that may have fallen. I figured this would be a wonderful opportunity to capture nature shots so I am reaching for my camera and trying to take pictures of these birds right above our heads. Well, in the process of taking a few shots I felt something... it wasn't something I wanted to feel. You guessed it, one of the stinking birds pooped on me. HA!!! I was actually quite calm and my best friend took a picture of it, but I have now been "christened" by a bird. My brother knows how it feels so I called him after we finally got it off. What a highlight of my day. he heee....

The kids are burnt in spots even after SPF 50 and so are parts of me. I look like a bit of a raccoon where my sun visor didn't quite cover my face, but, hey... gotta love the beach.

Off to get to bed. It has been a long day but we made lots of memories. Hope you did, too. :)

07/25/08

The first picture today is from our barrel around the back of the house. I thought the colors were so pretty together so I figured I would photograph it. :)

Today is Friday, so therefore, we cleaned. I could not get over the amount of spiders that have inhabited our household since I did our main cleaning last Friday! I was sucking them up left and right today. I know it is getting towards the end of summer... I am still battling the ants, but they are not as severe as they were yesterday. Hopefully Steve can spray tomorrow.

Speaking of my sweet guy... he didn't get in till 2:00 this morning and then had to turn around and be at work at 6:30. He wasn't feeling really "with it" today. Hope he gets better rest tonight. He'll be working almost all weekend. We were able to spend some time with him tonight. We were going to go to school and work on arranging my room, but we never made it. Time spent with my family is more important right now.

We went to the new Walmart (in Garner for those of you who would know) and can't believe how huge that thing is. Had to buy a few birthday presents before we went to school... but never made it to school. lol

We were all a bit "ADD" today with our cleaning routine. We all had moments where we were in the middle of cleaning and became sidetracked by something we really wanted to do. lol
The kids began exploring outdoors before they were done. (We eventually got it all done....) Can you guess which one of my children started exploring outdoors first???? They found a caterpillar who was green.... and according to the child who was outside first it was stated that the color was "John Deere Green."

I decided it would be fun to photograph that little guy. They found him on a petunia bloom so that is where he stayed. Photographing a moving creature up close is not as easy as it seems. I took a zillion pics of him because he kept moving all over the bloom. What was interesting, though, was watching him EAT the bloom! If you saw all of my pictures right after the other one it would look like one of those flip books people used to draw to create a cartoon or something. It was the neatest thing to watch! His mandibles were moving quite rapidly. I could not get over how much of the petal was gone in a short period of time. Click on the photos to view them larger and see the details on it. Oh, the minute details that are such evidence that we have a Creator. Check out his spots... all different colors and shapes... as well as his "hairs." It makes me wonder what kind of butterfly (or moth!) he will eventually be. He ate enough today to be on his way, that is for sure! lol

I also decided to photograph my silly ones again this afternoon. I wanted some "serious" black and whites. They didn't always cooperate.... and I have a totally silly one to prove it, but I didn't show it today. Mikayla never does a serious face as well.. she either looks mad or sad. lol She did better today, though. I loved watching them be silly together even though it was driving me crazy at the same time trying to get the shots. I love the bond between them. Wesley has started calling Mikayla "M".... I have been pretty "picky" about her name and I don't like her having her name shortened. Well, when he calls her "M" it is the sweetest thing to me. I don't say a word.

Off to spend some time with Steve. Enjoy the day!

07/24/08

Today I am showing pictures of gardens. Now, I do not have a green thumb, but the other part of my family does. I don't take any credit for anything grown in our yard except for an occasional grass cutting event. Steve is our "Master Gardener" and he does an awesome job.

The first pictures are of the garden at Mom and Dad's. They have re-worked this whole area and made the raised beds bigger and longer. It took them a while to get it done... and a lot of work! I decided to photograph their garden this year. It has already changed and grown a lot since I took these first two pictures! I have pictures of blooms and vegetables from their garden that I'll save for another post.

I can remember the summers as a child when we would have to go pick vegetables out of the garden. One year we had our garden down below us on the road we live on when our road was dirt. Yes, that was a while ago! Our okra that year was over 7 feet tall... huge stuff. It had wonderful fertilizer from the farm. lol We had purple hull peas that would not quit. Since I have an aversion to insects and any thing that creeps and crawls, I never did well in a garden... and still don't. I also remember going to one of our neighbors houses who like to plant rows and rows of vegetables that were about a mile long. I can remember my Mom picking butter beans and picking a bushel basket full before I even got the bottom of my bucket filled. I so admire my parents for their hard work and what it showed me as a young child. I still don't do well in a garden..... lol

BUT... as I said above, I LOVE to see gardens growing. This past spring was so wild and crazy on the weekends that Steve didn't get our garden planted. At the beginning of summer he decided he just wouldn't have a regular garden but would plant tomatoes and peppers in pots near the deck. They haven't done well and Steve has been a bit bummed about that. A couple of weeks ago, Steve couldn't stand not having a garden any longer and began talking about tilling up the garden area and getting it looking better. He planted cucumbers, okra and squash because it was so late in the season to plant much else. It has rained a bit this week and I am amazed at how much it has grown in the few days since I took these last three pictures on Sunday. I love to watch the plants growing. I love to photograph them. I am not the greatest at getting out there and working IN it. lol

Can you see a pattern in this post? I wish I was a go-getter in the garden pickin' department. I wish I just loved the outdoors so much that all of the dirt and insects didn't bother me... but that just isn't me. Maybe I need to learn to become "ONE" with the outdoors... Maybe not.

I got home from my class tonight and we found ants had now invaded another part of our kitchen.... and they are everywhere... AGAIN. I hate ants.

Off to "chill" after being gone again all day. Steve is working late. Hope he's home soon.

07/23/08

Had a class today and am tired.... had to travel a little over an hour away to get there. I have it again tomorrow. I find I am not a good student!! I am not used to sitting all day long.

I did take a "test" today and found out I have a "dominant" personality. For those of you that know me, I know that is such a SHOCK!!! ha!! God made me the way I am and He isn't finished with me yet.... that is for sure. I still have lots of learning to do... I just don't enjoy it as I sit all day long. :)

Enjoy this daylily today. I took many different angles. :)

07/22/08

Hi.

Lazy days of summer.... that is what I call this photo even though I technically took it during the spring. Which "version" do you like better? I am thinking I like the black and white but the acid wash is pretty cool, too. I saw this at Wesley and Mikayla's end of the year picnic and it called out to me to photograph it. I just liked the whole scene...

Yesterday we went school supply shopping. That time already. I like to allow the kids to get things they like but within reason. I remember the joy I used to get over picking out a new school bag, pencil pouch or even notebooks!! I was young when Trapper Keepers first came on the scene. You knew you were "it" when you had one of those! As a teacher, I hate those things now. lol They are too bulky and the kids in the lower grades don't need all of that room and "stuff." We had an interesting time with my best friend and her girls. Interesting because we were everywhere in the school section at once. Interesting because we kept "losing" Wesley who was off checking out something and didn't realize we had gone to the next area. Interesting because I teach second grade and should know the list by heart but I was in a "panic" wanting to make sure I got everything "just so!" HELLO... chill, Kellie, chill...

Wesley and Mikayla got to choose a few things that I was thinking needed to be a bit cheaper. I wanted to get the $.97 three-ring binders instead of the ones that cost over $2.00. Really, all they are using them for is for paper storage. BUT... the little bell went off in my head that those cheap ones were dependable and useful, but they didn't really have "spizazz" to them. I gave in and allowed for some color to come forth with a notebook that cost over $2.00... but under $3.00. Can't be spending ridiculous amounts of money for storage, now, can we?

On to the folders. Having experienced folders as a teacher 24 times a day/5 days a week, I am good in the folder department. Folders need to be sturdy and boys need their own special kinds of folders because they seem to do strange things to them without even touching them. They need the "Hefty" version of folders. I hope I found those for Wesley. I got him the ones that are a plasticy material and they came in the basic colors of blue, green, yellow and red. Wesley being Wesley we used tractor terms to describe them. "Wesley, let's get the John Deere green folder for your daily work. You can use the John Deere gold for your book bag and the Farmall Red can be for Spanish." Wesley: "That is good, Mom... Farmall Red looks like Spanish, you know." Mikayla chose the cute and cuddly folders. I don't worry about her folders... hers held up so well last year that I just replaced the one with our extra we had bought because I got tired of seeing it. lol

Art boxes, crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue, etc... all of those were thrown into the cart as well. I get a bit obsessive over the wide ruled notebook paper. I want to get it now cheaply and have it on hand so when they come home and need some I can just plop it right in their book bag. You wouldn't believe the stack I still have from last year and they never really used it in first grade!! I now have around 10 stacks to add to my five I still have... you think I'll have enough????

Glue... oh, the glue. I bought tons of the stuff. Now, in my defense, a lot of it was also for school for ME, but I really became obsessive... again. I don't want to be worrying about going out and buying them new glue when they run out. And, believe me, they'll do so much with glue this year, it will be often that they will need some.

Pencils... Oh, goodness. I bought MORE pencils and have a drawer full right now. Again, though, seeing as I teach the grade, I know they'll be going through a lot of pencils this year, too. Again... goes back to that experiencing it first hand thing I mentioned above.

I've got to find my green and purple electrical tape I bought last year. This will be used to wrap around the ends of every pencil, marker, etc... so my children will know those are their items! Apparently last year I caused a bit of embarrassment by doing that. Do I really care? Not really. I see too many pitiful crayons, markers, glue sticks and pencils that cry out my name each afternoon after school because no one knows whose they are. Poor things... they have to go to the Lost and Found can only to be thrown out eventually. Not for MY children! Oh no.... they'll be able to spot theirs a mile away with the green or purple electrical tape.

They really are going to "hate" me for that one day, huh?

Off to sort all of this "stuff." We just got it out of the van this afternoon. I am in no rush because that means I'll be back to rushing again. Not ready for that. Shhhh.... let's just not talk about it.

07/20/08

My picture from today was taken two years ago. I haven't gone to the beach yet this summer. Will go for the day next week.

I decided to post this picture today because of something we saw on TV last night. We were watching the National Geographic Channel talk about how the oceans were formed. I usually sit back and "grit my teeth" waiting for their explanations when I see science documentaries like this one.

I have been teaching the kids Geography this summer. I have been showing them different parts of the world and trying to give them a Biblical view of how it all began. I've actually been doing that for a year or two, but now they are building on all of that knowledge. Well, last night was interesting to continue the learning experience.

The documentary was based on evolution, of course. One of their main points was that the ocean has so much water on it because of a huge comet that hit the earth some billions of years ago when it was just a mass of volcanic action. :::: rolling eyes :::::

As we watched and I was verbally disputing the words that were said the Lord began to say to me "Teach them from My Word"...

I listened.

I reached for the Bible I use in their nightly devotions and began to read to them from Genesis. I am amazed at the number of people today who think the Old Testament has no relevance to us today. Oh, how they are wrong. It is the basis for everything we see today! I began to read from Genesis 1:1-31 and take time to explain it further and ask for them to "explain" it back to me. We did this during commercial breaks so I could show them why what was just said was not correct.

There was a point where the host of the show began to talk about how fossils of these ancient animals were found on mountaintops in Italy and he was trying to explain it through evolution. He tried to say that at one time, through some part of evolution, the oceans covered the earth. I began to go further into Genesis and began reading to them about the Great Flood. Something that really DID happen but evolutionary scientists do not want to believe that!

I read to them Genesis 7:11, 12 - In the sixth hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

When the "fountains of the deep" broke open that was when those waters we now see began to cover the earth. That is when rain, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, geysers, etc.. began. Before this time there had never been a drop of rain falling from the sky. God had "watered" the earth by the mist from the earth. (Genesis 2:6) That is why the people laughed so much at Noah because they had never seen rain. I wonder what they thought when it actually began and they had nowhere to go.

When all of this happened, lots of rain and water was going to cause lots of mud. Mud gets heavy and slides. We still hear of mudslides around the world today. That is going to cause anything in its path to be "frozen" in time, so to speak. Whatever was destroyed became hardened in the form it was at the sudden time this happened and over time the actual plant or animal decays away, but the "imprint" is left. That gives us fossils of what was destroyed. The only ones that were safe were Noah and his family and all of the animals God sent to him who were on the ark.

Thinking of how fossils, then, could be on a mountaintop, I turned to Psalm 104. I read to them these verses that David wrote through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit pertaining to Creation and the Great Flood:

Psalm 104:6-9
Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou has founded for them.
Thou has set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

When the waters receded from the face of the earth, God allowed the land to rise up higher and the sea basins to grow deeper. Thus, the water went down in the valleys to the place God had made for them. The earth has so much water because the Flood waters are still here!

As I continued to watch the program, I began to think of Psalm 14:1a - The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. We also shared this verse with the kids, Romans 1:22 - Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. To me it takes more faith to believe in the evolutionary jargon than to believe God's Word!! How easy it is to see God's Hand in the beginnings of the world! Order cannot come from disorder as the evolutionary world likes to depict.

As we continued to watch the show I noticed Wesley and Mikayla kept looking back at me when the host would say certain things. They also asked if certain things were true or not. I don't want my children to have a belief in something ONLY because of what I say because I am just as human as they are. The Lord pressed upon my heart to begin telling them what I tell my own students, that God's Word is where you should go to find the answers. We can learn about things in many different ways, but God's Word should be where we search to find the truth. I am not a scientist. My brother helps me understand a lot of things in the science world, but I am still learning as well. As I have said many times, all of life is learning but we should always begin with God's Word when we hear of something we may not fully understand.

It was neat to see how our Pastor's message today dealt with that. He shared Acts 17:11 that talks about how the Thessalonians "searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so" that had been taught to them by Paul on his missionary journeys. We also should continue to search the scriptures to find out the truth.

If you have never really done it, take the time to search the Scriptures in Genesis to see how our world began. Read all of Psalm 104 as well. God's Word is truth!

John 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

07/19/08

These pictures of the sunflower and vegetables are in honor of my nephew, Austin. He grew these and gave them to Steve's Mom today. He was so proud of his accomplishment, and rightly so. As soon as I saw it all and realized he had grown them I knew I had to do some photography!! It was so sweet that he grew these and gave them with such a sweet heart to his grandmother. Those veggies look awesome!

We had Steve's family over to celebrate his Mom's birthday today. Her birthday was actually on Wednesday. We were glad to have everyone over. It was a really nice afternoon and I think everyone had a good time.

I have been thinking the last couple of days on how special and wonderful our times as a family are around the dinner table. The summer is when we have more "quality" time around it because we aren't so tired or rushed to get finished and get ready for bed/ grade papers. I love sitting and talking about our days, or even not saying much at all, but being together. We're together when we go out to eat (which, unfortunately we do a lot during the school year) but being at home is a time that is sweet. Everyone pitches in to get the table set or cleared and we are just enjoying the moment. I remember driving through a subdivision years ago and one family had their front door open and you could see through the foyer to their kitchen. That family was sitting around the table enjoying a quiet supper together. It brought a smile to my face. Too many families today don't seem to have enough quality time around the dinner table. Everyone is going so many different places that it isn't always feasible. It happens to us, too, but I hope it won't happen often. I realize as the kids get older that things will change, but I hope that will always stay.

Sitting around our dining room table with Steve's family today caused me to think on this again. I enjoyed hearing the laughter and the "remember when..." as well as seeing everyone enjoy the meal.

You all know that cooking is not my most favorite thing to do... BUT, when I do cook I try to do my best. I made potato salad today for the first time in a LONG time. Boy, is that a time consuming dish! I enjoyed the process, I must say. I added onion, egg and bell pepper to it. I felt just like Rachel Ray as I used one of her knives. They'll be wanting me on the Food Network, I just know it. My show would be called the "Slowest Cook in the Kitchen." As I was cutting up those onion and bell pepper pieces I was not the quickest. lol I have not mastered a knife with the skill that I observe on those shows. In fact, a few of my fingers almost "got it" today. Thankfully, I have all ten fingers... and fingernails and we all enjoyed the potato salad. The only thing missing was a bit of celery salt. Oh well... cook and learn. lol And, yes, I did have to call my Mom to make sure I was doing it right. ha!!

On the other hand, Steve amazes me with his cooking. He cooked chickens on the grill for today and they were beyond good... they were lip smackin' and finger-lickin' good. He makes his own sauce and does all kinds of stuff to them the night before. He also wanted to "whip up" the baked beans. He loves to cook and overall does an awesome job. He has had a few moments in his cooking career that we look back on and chuckle. His barbecue/spaghetti sauce concoction was one of them, but he is always willing to help me out in that area and I appreciate him very much.

He is a talented man. I am so glad he's mine. :)

Off to spend time with that sweet guy and my little munchkins. Have a super evening!

07/18/08

I am showing off some toadstools today. :) The kids and I saw these on our hike around Yates Mill the other week. They were so cute, actually! We thought it looked like a table and "chair." Wesley and Mikayla thought a lot of toads enjoyed that for their meals. They are pretty neat. I have no idea exactly what type they are. I had fun photographing the big one.




I hate ants.

They are back again with a vengeance. Oh wait... they have never LEFT!

We have issues with those critters all year but certain times they come out of nowhere and just stay. Last night was one of those times. Steve was in the kitchen while I was working on washing some clothes and he told me to come look... They were ALL over our pantry floor and making their way through each shelf. YUCK.

Now, I have been wanting and needing to clean out the pantry, but you have to be in the right frame of mind or you will just keep stuff and shuffle it to another spot. Last night, I had no reservations about keeping certain things! Our pantry has been cleaned but not in the way I had wanted! We sprayed and then wiped down everything. They are just annoying beyond words.

This morning while I was cleaning I looked in the laundry room where we keep Ashes' food bowl and there they were again.... fighting for that scrumptious cat food. I had to throw that out as well. Poor cat! That's ok... she got fresh food after I vacuumed up and sprayed all of them.

You know the song "I found my thrill... on Blueberry Hill..."
Well, our "song" goes like this "We have critters to kill.... On Our Ant Hill...." I think of that song everytime we have an outbreak. I sing it often.

As mentioned above, we cleaned today. May I just say how proud I am of my children? They know what to do when we clean and when to do it...and are working on how to do it correctly. They just "know" when it is time to clean and they work very hard, for the most part. I have been giving them different jobs to do that I could do myself but know they need to learn. It is wonderful watching that maturity take hold and it become something they know is expected. It also is precious to see them do it with the right heart attitude.

I sat back at lunch today and just watched both of them. They are growing up way too fast, but what I am seeing is making me thankful for how far I have watched them grow and mature. I have thoroughly enjoyed this summer with them. I won't even type right now what is in my head. Can't go there quite yet.

We went swimming this afternoon... at least the kids did. One of Wesley's friends from school invited us. It was a fun afternoon. Storms came up all of a sudden right when we were getting ready to leave. Wesley is better about storms, but the boy was ready to go. lol After they had worked so hard today I was glad they had that time to play.

Not sure what we're doing tonight since the rain came a bit early. We'll see if our nightly walk will happen. :) Have a great evening... and I hope you don't have any ants your way....

07/17/08

I took these pictures at Yates Mill the other week. This log was so interesting and I figured why not photograph it, too! I used different settings but it is the same picture. One is metered for the water, the other is metered for the wood on the tree.





I am a bit better about Ashes today, I guess. I have still shed tears this morning and I didn't really sleep well last night. I kept waking up and she was the first thing that would come to my mind. It was a comfort to wake up to her beside me this morning.

The kids are already talking about another kitten. While I know we will... I am just not ready to talk about that a lot right now because I want to savor every moment with Ashes. I have "resigned" myself to the fact that she won't get better, but I won't let that stop me from enjoying her. I just don't know if I'll ever find another cat like her, though. She is one in a million.

Thank you for all of the comments about Ashes. With love sometimes comes pain, which I know is a part of life. I am thankful for the ability to love! I went out to lunch with some of the teachers from school and that helped me get my mind off of her sickness. Laughter is good medicine for the heart!

On a more pleasant thought...our weather this summer has actually been quite nice. We have had less humidity and lower temps than last summer. We were "cooked" last year this time. We are supposed to have a chance for rain every night for the next week. I'm thankful for that!

A lot of my online blogging friends have been making these wonderful "finds" at Thrift Stores with which to decorate their homes. Now, I really am clueless and NOT talented when it comes to decorating or seeing potential in things like that. Of course, maybe I've just never thought to do it, I don't know. All I do know is that they have inspired me to try to find some "treasures" that can be turned into something quite neat. I've always been working on thinking outside of the box with my photography so maybe it is time I do that with some decorating. Our wall behind our couch is in need of updating. The same picture has been there for almost 12 years. Now, while I love the picture, I feel that wall is yearning to do more than just hold one picture. It needs a bit more character to it. I'm learning through my friend's blogs that a can of black spray paint can do wonders. I may be seeing what I can find.... If I do get creative I'll share that with you all. :)

07/16/08

I've cried today....

We have noticed a bump on our cat Ashes' back now for about two months. The bump has gotten bigger. I took her in today. I have put it off for a couple of weeks because I kept hoping it would go away. I kept hoping I could just "ignore" it.

Not so...

She has cancer.

As soon as the doctor said it, what I feared the most for her, I cried.

I had a feeling that was what it was.

It didn't help when I actually heard the word.


My heart is breaking at this point. She has been with us since we had been married a year so she is one of our "children." She is the sweetest cat I have ever known. I don't think I've ever really seen her get mad. She loves unconditionally and always wants to be near me. After the kids go to bed is usually when she follows me around. When I tell her I'm ready to go to bed, she jumps off the couch, where normally she has already been sleeping in my lap, and joins me on the bed. She sleeps right beside me for most of the night. In the morning when she realizes I am about to wake up she scoots in tighter.

The doctor wants to do surgery ASAP. We can't afford it... bottom line. Steve also doesn't see the need in spending so much money on a cat. There is also the factor that the kind of cancer she has will come back.

Now, I realize she is just a cat. She is not one of our human children, but that does not mean it doesn't hurt. I know I haven't shed the last tear for her but I am going to love her for as long as the Lord allows her to be "normal" and not in pain. She hasn't acted any differently... just has the bump growing. I guess we'll watch for any sign of change in her and make the decision then.

The dreaded decision.

Another blog I have recently started reading had a post today from the old hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" and it was what I read right when I got back home from the vet. It helped me to see that, even though I love my cat dearly and will miss her, I need to turn my eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, by the light of His glory and grace. It helped me to put in perspective that Ashes IS a cat. She is not a human family member who has just gotten this devastating blow.... I just need to keep it all "real."

My heart still hurts, though.

07/15/08

Here are more gerber daisies today. These are when my red gerber was just beginning to open up again. I was actually concerned that it had stopped producing blooms, but was pleasantly surprised one night when it began again. These are the "beginnings"... I love these. I think the second one is my most favorite.

OH... Kevin did help me identify the little bird from yesterday. It is a Northern Mockingbird. Now I know why "Mama Mockingbird" was angry with me! I wasn't near the baby at the time, but I guess she thought I was a bit too close. I've never seen a baby mockingbird up close so this was a neat experience for us all.

Did anyone catch the All-Star Baseball Home Run Show last night? I did only because Steve got home and turned it on. lol I am not up on the latest sporting events. However, I appreciate and admire Josh Hamilton. He has come back from choices he made that were not the best and turned his life around with the help of his Savior, Jesus Christ. What a witness he has been! I loved watching him "do his stuff" last night as well as show a bold witness and give thanks to the Lord for the abilities that he has. He knows that without the Lord he is nothing. HE is a sports role model I would not mind my children looking up to. I hate he didn't win the home run competition but the way the fans were reacting in Yankee Stadium last night, and the way he has allowed the Lord to turn his life around, he has already won.

A few weeks ago I was sent an email from an online friend to describe her in one word and then send that email out to see what people would say about me. One of my other friends told me I should put the "results" in my blog so I thought I'd do that today.

I was amazed at the different ways people "viewed" me and my personality. I asked Steve the same question but he hasn't come up with one yet. lol Not sure if that is good or bad! ha!! Anyway, here is the list of what people said:

Fun

Sweet

Loyal

Real
(explanation she gave was "real funny, real faithful, real spiritual" like that)

Determined

Talented

Dedicated

I appreciated each and every one of these thoughts. It is humbling to see how people view you. I want to follow Proverbs 22:1 - A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. I can only do that with the Lord's help!

Today was another beautiful day and we enjoyed our walk as a family tonight. Off to read to the kiddos. I already hear the "All-Star Game" on TV so you know I'll be seeing that after I read. he hee :) Have a terrific night!

07/14/08

Quiet

Rain Falling

Cooler (for summer)

That was my day today! It was actually shocking to wake up to clouds and have them hang around most of the day. That is just not a normal summer day here in NC. It began raining softly in the later morning and rained until mid-afternoon. It was wonderful, soaking rain. I just thanked the Lord for it. I also just "had" to photograph the moment. :) (click on them to see the rain better...)

I had been doing some things around the house, as well as finally scrapbooking after many months, and began to watch it fall. When the rain started coming down harder I decided to go out on the front porch and "soak" it all in. It was so peaceful... so relaxing. I am cherishing these times because in a month, that will not be the case. When I walked back inside I decided to stop listening to my CD's and just listen to the rain. It was nice "music" by which to scrapbook.

After the rain ended, Wesley wanted me to come out and see a little guy he had found. I believe this is a baby bluebird... not sure, though. (We have a nest and looked in it the other day to see the baby bluebirds were almost big enough to learn to fly.) Of course, looking at these pictures again I am truly wondering if this isn't a mockingbird. I checked it out enlarged on the screen. Hmmm.. I am sure Kevin will tell me!! He was scared to death of these big people coming to look at him... especially the one with the large black thing with legs. lol (my camera and tripod) I had a mockingbird flying low around me while I was photographing some of the flowers with water droplets... I truly wasn't sure if this little guy belonged to it or not, but it finally calmed down a bit. He finally went to a different part of our flower bed. I heard him later on but could never find him again. I was pretty impressed that Wesley was a nature detective today and found the little thing. He was so excited. Both of the kids love finding more of God's Creation.

I love water droplets on things after it rains. I am a "sucker" for getting out and photographing them often. I will show those pictures later. I have too many to show today. lol I did want to show the red gerber daisy, though. :)

Above I had mentioned I was finally scrapbooking today. I got the kids albums caught up as far as getting the pics in for first grade. I still have to journal, but at least they are in there. I am not doing fancy smancy pages. I just don't have time for a lot of those anymore. I still am so linear, though, so they definitely have some straight lines. I did go out on a limb on a couple of them today and go a little "catywompas." :) I am now on Easter in our family book. I feel really good about what I accomplished today. I would really love to be "caught up" with what I haven't done yet by the end of the week. We'll see.

I have been uploading my vacation pics to be printed today. Let's just say I am only on day 2 and it has taken me alllllll day. I'll do more tonight. I know my system is a bit slower right now because I am backing up my files online. After what happened to one of my online friends the other day, I felt it would be best. :)

Below are the pictures I was telling you about with the sparklers. I was pretty tickled with them for our first try. The kids are in the first one just running around the yard. That was when I was trying to get my settings right. I am doing the heart, star and zigzags. (Behind my picture of the heart you can see a car went by... the headlights keep going! Kind of cool!) Mikayla is doing the "figure eight" looking thing and Wesley did some but they would not upload for some reason. Maybe I can try his on another post. We had so much fun doing those. Steve originally said we would only do one pack of six. I think I had maybe eight packs of six, but by the end of it all... we had done them all. ha!! It was great fun and I wish we had had more.

I did this heart for my SWEETHEART, Steve. :)

This almost could have been a Christmas tree. lol

Mikayla :)

This last picture is of the moon. I am trying to learn how to take moon shots... and it isn't easy. This is the best I have ever done, though, because my camera was on my tripod, but it still doesn't "LOOK" like the moon. I thought it gave it a neat look, though. It kind of looks like a starburst.

The kids and I went for a walk later this afternoon. It was so neat to watch and hear the birds more active than I normally see them this time of day. I think the rain caused them to stop and enjoy the moment as well. I also noticed the grass looked greener and "perkier"... it is amazing how the plants perk up so much when it rains. It is totally different from when you water them yourself.

Steve had to work late so the kids and I ate supper "picnic style" in the middle of the den and watched Finding Nemo. We love that movie. :)

I hope you have a wonderful evening. :)