06/11/07

We are off to Savannah, Georgia later this afternoon!! We are going with my parents and brother... my brother gave this trip to us as his birthday gift to all of us!! We have been cleaning and making last minute stops before we are off. I am SO excited and am looking forward to learning about the history as well as see some beautiful things. You KNOW I'll be taking lots of photos!!

This past weekend was busy making preparations for the trip. We are all packed for the most part but I do have a few other things to throw in. Yesterday was my brother's birthday. We celebrated as best as we could without having too many leftovers. ha!! We didn't want a lot of food in the fridges for when we all are gone!!

Mikayla lost her third tooth yesterday.... one of her top ones. She looks so cute with it missing. We were calling her "gappy" because she had a space where the tooth was loose and moving already. Well, now we call her "spacey"... hee hee... Her permanent tooth is already coming in. That tooth had been needing to come out for around 2 weeks now. It was literally hanging on by a thread!!

I took the photos of the 2 month old last Wednesday. The "session" went as well as could be expected, I guess, for my first one. The Mom loved the photos so that is all that matters. I do have some improving to do, though!

On Friday I took my best friend's daugther's Senior pictures. It took me quite a while to go through those because I took around 168 of them! I have given her the CD of them so when I get back from Savannah she can tell me which ones she wants. I was so in my "element" when I was photographing her. It is hard to tell a two month old what to do but I can tell a young child to an adult! LOL

Well, I need to finish cleaning and packing for the trip. Have a great week, everyone, and I'll be posting when I return!! Enjoy today's summer flower picture!! It is a poppy that Steve planted in our new "perennial garden." I liked the way this looked. :)

06/05/07

This picture today is of the daisies by our front porch. I am not as impressed with this shot as it wasn't clear enough. It was one of the first flowers I took with my new lens when I was trying it out. It's not horrible but it isn't that great either. lol

Another day of cleaning but I think we are done with the heavy stuff!! We worked on baseboards and doors today. I also took care of a few walls that needed some fingerprint smudge taken off. lol The kids were in charge of the baseboards... and I checked behind them on some of them. I was glad to get that behind us and it was good for the kids to learn. Wesley goofed off more than Mikayla but that is so him right now. We are constantly on him to "calm down" because he is so goofy. I know it is his age...

I had to go to the dentist today at 2:00. I was so involved in getting the doors and baseboards cleaned that I looked up and it was 12:45 and I hadn't showered or eaten lunch yet! My dentist is around 30 minutes away from us!! I threw some lunch on the table for the kids and jumped in the shower. I was barely presentable but I figured they were going to be looking in my mouth not at what I looked like. lol I had to get a filling replaced. I was numb all the way to the bottom of my eye and half my nose because the tooth was in the upper back part of my mouth. It felt really weird! I ran a few errands after that and got an iced cafe mocha for "lunch" and had a few issues sucking through that straw. LOL

We went to Bath and Body Works while we were at the mall. They are having their Semi-Annual sale so I went to get some deals on some of the shower gels they no longer carry on a regular basis. I also wanted some new perfume. I went around that store I don't know how many times spraying different scents into the air. I even sprayed one I liked on Mikayla's arm and another on my arm and kept trying to figure out which one I liked better. lol I decided on one called "Breathe - Romance" or something like that. After it stayed on my skin a while it seemed to smell nicely. You never know about perfumes, you know... they can smell great in the bottle and then not mesh with your body chemistry. ha!!! I didn't want to stink! I inhaled so many different scents, though, that I didn't know which was what. Thankfully I figured it out with my trusty helper Mikayla. :) Wesley was just along for the ride.

Wesley and I had already cooked supper this morning. We had tacos tonight so Wesley helped me make the sauce and then we put it in the crock pot to "soak in" all day. It was quite yummy. :)

Have I said lately how wonderful it is to be home and have a clean house? Just didn't want you to forget it. hee hee

Tonight I have to iron. I am quite proud of myself because normally it gets stacked up for a while but I decided to do better about that, at least for the summer when I have time. I just hate to iron so that is why is piles up a lot.

Tomorrow I am taking photos of a 2 month old. I had told the Mom before the baby was born that I would do this as her gift. I really hope they turn out. I am getting more and more nervous about the wedding and all so I hope these turn out for her the way she wants them... and the way I am envisioning them.

Well, I need to get Wesley out of the tub and Mikayla IN the tub. :) Have a terrific evening!

06/04/07

I was trying to think outside of the box today. Y'all know I am so in the box I need seriously sharp box cutters to get me out. Well, I had put some flowers in this vase and LOVED the way the air bubbles were all around the stem. It reminded me of a photo one of my online friends had done in her blog (Just Being Aimlyss -------->) and I thought I'd give it a shot. I took the first one straight on and the second one I stood in a chair to get a different perspective. What do you think?

We cleaned again today. I have pretty much finished with the deep cleaning of the vacuum. I would have done the kids rooms but there is so much stuff in there I just didn't have it in me today. LOL They had to continue to help me clean but also got some play time. Unfortunately for Mr. Wesley he didn't clean his room and hang up his clothes like I told him so he missed watching a movie this afternoon. He had to clean instead. He was NOT happy but I had warned him enough times. I think it hit home. :) Mikayla enjoyed watching Charlotte's Web. That is really the sweetest movie.

I cooked again tonight. I just can't say enough how nice it feels to have the energy and desire to cook for my family. Mikayla Girl helped me cook (see picture!). I told Wesley he could help me with tomorrow's supper. She loves to help and she loves to wash dishes. I know I need to start teaching her these things (Wesley, too!) so I know this is the summer to begin it.

I am loving looking around my house and seeing it clean. It brings much joy to my heart. :)

I took a picture of a hummingbird today. It wasn't the greatest but not bad for my first try. The wings were going so fast that they didn't even show up in the picture!!!

Earlier today when Wesley and Mikayla were working on their summer books they began to have a conversation about what they wanted to name their kids one day. Mikayla likes the name Grace (wonder why??? ha!) and then Wesley said "I like Arlena. I think that is a pretty name." I didn't want to laugh but that was too cute. He was dead serious. I am sure his wife will help him change his mind. Of course, I may have to eat my words, too!!

Well, I am off to eat a little snack. I need to iron, too, but may do that in the morning. Enjoy your evening!

06/03/07

Today's flower is an amaryllis I took in Mom's yard last week. I was excited that I could get up this close with my new lens. I love these flowers!!

Whew...there has been some cleaning going on at this house!! I still am not finished but am feeling better about certain areas. I'll begin again tomorrow.
Last week was a combination of cleaning and a little bit of play time. I took the kids to the park on Thursday with one of my friends children. They had a great time. The humidity was low and that made the day even nicer. :)

I have been working with the kids on helping me clean. I must say that overall they have had a great attitude. They helped me by cleaning out the van Friday. The only problem was they left all that was inside the van all around the outside. ha!! They had to clean that up yesterday.

I went to get groceries yesterday and since we were out of most things I almost had to mortgage the house to pay for the bill!! Don't you just hate that? I was glad to get stocked up on a few things. I plan on cooking some for my family this week. That really is a nice feeling to want to do that again.

We have enjoyed a day or so of rain around here thanks to the tropical storm the Lord sent our way. We have been enjoying the sound of rain and thunder. That is part of what makes summer so memorable. It seems as if the garden and flowers have perked up a bit since the rain. We received over an inch. We just thank the Lord for all He sends.

You know, speaking a bit on that... you hear so much about global warming. I have been reading up on it from The Institute for Creation Research (link on my sidebar) to see what they have to say. Basically, it boils down to this: God did not make this world without "checks and balances" and is not going to let this earth go. He is still on the throne, He is still in control (whether evolutionists want to believe the truth or not) and I am going to put my faith in HIM. Not in what some evolutionist scientist has to say about the world's demise that they really have no clue about what will happen. I know that the Bible talks about this earth will one day be burnt away with a fervent heat and there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth. Do we need to take care of the Creation God has made for us? ABSOLUTELY. It doesn't mean that He has left us or the Creation to fend for ourselves. I don't have to worry either way because I am safely and securely in the palm of God's Hands and I know He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Coming from a person who does her best to understand science through a Christian world view that is my take. I don't claim to know all of the answers but I know Who holds all of the answers and where to find them: The Bible.

Ok...off my soap box now.

On Thursday we had the joy of seeing a bunny in our back flowerbed! I was making up the bed in our room when I saw it. It was the cutest thing and Wesley and Mikayla were quite excited. I tried to take some photos of it through our bedroom window but they didn't turn out great. We did get to go out and sit on the deck and I took these. They are with my new lens. I am still learning with it, but was tickled that I could get this close.

Well, off to spend some time with our friends. We are celebrating their daughter's 17th birthday. We can't believe she is that old... Enjoy your day!

05/30/07

Oh my goodness...I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted!!! I knew life was wild and all but I really thought I had posted more this month. It is all that time flying stuff...

What a month it has been!! I think May is sometimes even crazier than December because of all of the end of the year things. Wesley and Mikayla OFFICIALLY graduated from Kindergarten on May 17. I didn't think I would cry, but I did. I am so thankful we are ready to move on now, but it is also bittersweet. I am fine now but, boy, did I cry the night before they graduated. What am I going to be when they graduate from highschool???? No one ever prepares you for the emotional roller coaster of being a mother.

The last week of school was last week and it was busy but good. I am really going to miss my students. They are precious to me. I shed a few tears over them last week as well.

I am SO GLAD to now be on summer break. I am enjoying a slower pace and getting some cleaning done. It is nice to de-clutter. I have been working on it yesterday and today and still have a ways to go, but it is slowly getting there. After being neglected for 9 months my house isn't going to get spotless and de-cluttered in a day. I am dreading our room for some reason. Maybe it is the weeks worth of laundry piled on my dresser???? It felt so good to actually feel like cooking for my family last night. I enjoyed that as well as cleaning up the kitchen and going to bed with my kitchen clean. I am always amazed at how much more energy I have when I have not been drained from school.

Weight loss update... I am now down 23 pounds as of last Saturday when I weighed!! I am tickled with myself but I also know I want to be careful because I don't want to go back where I was. I still don't have a "goal" as everyone keeps asking me. I just want to be less than I was before I had the kids, I guess. I think that will mean another 7 pounds or so. It has been fun knowing I can't fit in clothes that were getting too tight on me last summer. Of course, now I have the problem of finding exactly what size I am now. LOL I have enjoyed getting to buy new things that fit me and moving other things out of my closet!!

The kids have been working on their summer fun books and reading to me. I want them to be well prepared from the summer when they enter first grade. They are doing pretty well with it, but I haven't given them a choice. I am also teaching them how to fold their laundry and things of that nature. I want to increase their responsibilities around the house to teach them as well as be of help to me during those school days.

Yesterday was my 14th anniversary to the love of my life. This past weekend we celebrated since our anniversary fell in the middle of the week. I kidnapped Steve on Sunday and took him to a five star hotel nearby called The Umstead. I also took him out to eat at our favorite restaurant. He was QUITE surprised and I was very glad I pulled one over on him. hee hee On Monday we went to see Pirates 3 before we came back to reality. It was VERY nice to just be with him with no distractions from the house/yard. I miss those days when I was his only focus. lol (The picture is of the fountains in the lake behind the hotel. I was pretty tickled with my photography here!!) He made me cry at supper because I asked him what he has learned in these past 14 years. One of the things he told me was that he used to think people were silly when they said they loved their husband/wife more now than they did when they first were married. He told me now he sees how true that is and that his love for me is stronger than ever. I was so touched by his sweet honesty. Those that know Steve know he is a laid back silent kind of guy so this was precious to me. I have felt that way myself. It is a blessing to know that God has given me such a wonderful man. I cherish him.

My sweet husband also did something to surprise me, though. On Saturday night he presented me with a new lens for my camera (see pic) ! It was my anniversary/birthday gift from him and Mom and Dad also chipped in with him. I was SO excited over it. I dreamed about it all night and couldn't wait to start using it. I will share some photos that I took with it in the days to come but enjoy these from today. All of these flowers I took with my new telephoto lens and didn't have to get right at the flower to take them!!

We have all kinds of daylilies blooming in our yard right now. I think they are becoming one of my favorite flowers along with the Siberian/Dutch Iris. They are so elegant. Today will be orange daylily today on my post. We have a lot of these so I went to town photographing them.

My kids are quiet so I need to go see what is up. I also need to get back cleaning. I just wanted to show that I was still here. I really am sorry it has been so long since I posted. Hopefully my summer will allow me more time to sit back and enjoy the life God has given to me without being busy every moment. I enjoy those times greatly.

05/06/07

Today's flower is my favorite. I love love love Siberian or Dutch Iris. (purple, of course...) We are growing these for the first time this year and I was so excited to see them blooming.

OK.... today is one of those neat days because the date goes 5,6,7. :) One of our local channels said this week that at at 2:03 with four seconds this afternoon it would have been 2,3,4,5,6,7. Just thought that was neat.

OK..what do you think of my new look????? A friend of mine (THANKS, AMY!!!) helped me figure out some stuff and then did the header for me because I just couldn't get it. I still have so much to learn in PS. lol Anyway, I am so tickled to be able to create my own look and enjoy my photographs more than once. The ones I chose are some of my favorites. It should always remind us of God's beauty in the creation He has made for us.

Today was Homecoming at church. We had a great turn out. It was our church's 205th anniversary. My family has basically been there from the beginning. It is a blessing to know such Godly heritage is a part of my background. I am also thankful for my church's unwavering stand for the Lord. It has not changed in all of those years. I ate a lot of great food and we got to see people we haven't seen in a while. It was a special day. :)

OH...the latest on the weight loss...I weighed this morning and I am now down 19 pounds!! Yahoo!! I am pretty tickled with that accomplishment.

This afternoon we had to run all over the place getting some stuff for school. I thought we'd never get back home. I had so many papers to grade but I finally got all of that done. The house looks quite neglected again even though I cleaned the other day but I just can't help it.

Today was extremely windy. Steve and I couldn't get over how windy it was. It feels like we have had wind most everyday since March 1. I'll be glad to have some days of less wind to help with the rain issue. We really are needing more rain. The wind just dries everything out so quickly.

I was reading to the kids tonight and I was loving the moment. I find it gets harder and harder to have those times with them. I have been reading the "Little House on the Prairie" series to them for a while and it is so enjoyable for us. Tonight as I lay on the couch they sat around me and we just enjoyed that close time together. If only every day could be a little more like that. LOL

This morning on the way to church Wesley said something that cracked us up. He was talking to Mikayla and he said he hopes the girl he marries lives on a farm so he can drive a tractor all of the time. His love for tractors has never gone away. I am thankful for that. I know that sounds silly but that is what I always associate with my little boy and I love that he still loves them.

Mikayla Girl has another loose tooth! This time it is one on the top and it is really moving! I was shocked yesterday when she showed it to me. It won't be long before we'll have a snaggle tooth. Want to know something horrible? I can't remember when Mikayla lost her first tooth!! I remember Wesley was July 23 and hers was around 3 months later but I don't remember the exact date!! Maybe I wrote about it in my blog...I'll need to search for that.

Well, I need to go put some clothes in the dryer and get ready for tomorrow. This weekend has been super busy and I don't really feel like I had one. Next weekend will be the same. Oh well. :)
Enjoy God's Creation that you see all around you!!

05/05/07

I am back. The last couple of weeks have flown by with busy stuff for school and I had forgotten to get on here. Today's photos are of some gerber daisies I photographed at the strawberry patch the other day. The kids had a field trip out there and it was great. It had rained some the night before and all of them had beautiful rain drops on the petals. I would have taken more but didn't have the time! :) ENJOY!!!

Well, we had Wesley and Mikayla's "big" birthday party two weeks ago. It went great and the weather could not have been more beautiful. I think we are still trying to get over it. ha!! They had a blast with their friends and I enjoyed having everyone here that could come.

School is coming to a close and things are spiraling downward into more than busy times. There is so much to do between now and then. I am not looking forward to parting with this class of mine. They have been precious.

Yesterday I took off the whole day to go to the strawberry patch, but I stopped in for a few minutes to get some papers to grade and what not. I went to my "mailbox" and found a note from a former student who is in the tenth grade. He wrote me the sweetest note about how much he appreciated me and all I did to keep him straight. He said I have always been his favorite teacher even now as he is in highschool. It touched my heart deeply. I am going to keep that always. He will never realize what that means to me. This has been Teacher Appreciation week. The kids have showered me with precious things and the cards are the things I cherish the most. A handwritten note from a child or parent can do more for your soul than anything. I am truly blessed to do what I do and I know the Lord gives me the strength I need each day to get it done.

Wesley and Mikayla had their first sleepover at our house last night. A couple of their friends from school got to stay and it was great. I was quite tired when they finally went to bed, but I was also trying to clean the house while they were in the midst of "destroying" it. lol They were all really sweet, though. I am thankful Wesley and Mikayla can have such wonderful times with their friends.

Today I was able to visit with some of our friends. I hadn't planned on staying long because I just "popped in" but it had been SO long since we had gotten to visit. I had plenty to do at home (a load of 2 week old laundry for one..lol) but I felt that sitting down with my friends was so much more important. I find sometimes we get so busy in life we truly do not stop to smell the flowers. It was so wonderful to sit and talk about life and the things of the Lord. We both were discussing how God uses things in our lives and continues to mold us into who He wants us to be. God is so patient and I am so thankful He loves me. I am so thankful for my friends that no matter how long we go without being able to talk we are able to pick right up where we left off. That is the joy of a true friendship.

Speaking of how the Lord works, today I was balancing the checkbook again. Last night, I had tried to balance it and between four children and being tired it wasn't "clicking." Well, this morning I was dreading trying to work on it again because of how many times I tried last night. I just prayed over the checkbook before I started and asked the Lord to show me what I was missing. Do you know that IMMEDIATELY I removed something from part of the checkbook and found my mistake!?? God is so good that He takes care of us even in the small things. I know it wasn't a world crisis but He cared enough to answer my small prayer. He continues to show me to lean on Him and not try to do it all by myself. When I try to do it all by myself I get all worked up and nothing is right. The minute I give it to Him, He takes care of the situation. :)

Well, I guess those clothes aren't going to fold themselves so I need to get busy. Have a wonderful day!