Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sunday Snapshot~What! A family requested photo shoot?

You heard right folks! My family requested a photo shoot. It's amazing. As you may have read in the past, my family despises the dreaded family photo, especially when I want one taken on the beach or for the Christmas card, but today....my family has turned over a new leaf and actually wanted to get their photos made! What?!?! I say really! OK! Let's go!

What started the whole desire for photos was, Karlie said she needed a new photo for her facebook profile. Ok! and Karl said he could use a new one too, plus Karl and I both needed new photos together for our Advocare website. And when Shek realized we were headed to the barn he was excited that he could crawl up on the barn roof for a photo..it sounded  like and adventure to him. My oldest is away this weekend at a Youth conference in TN, he is a youth worship intern at a church, so he is a chaperone. So he missed out on our family photo taking frenzy. Maybe next time.

I think we got some pretty neat shots.

Daddy and 3 outta 4 of his kiddos...
We got on the shady side of the barn so we could at least try to hold our eyes open without squinting.
Dad and Mom
LOOK! Color coordination! How about that?
Karl liked me on this side, I liked me on the other side, it has something to do with those blonde roots...lol
Looking toward the house...
Looking toward the bigger barn.
Looking down...lol
Everyone needs a little sugar...especially this momma!
 Karl
Ain't he cute?
 I think this will be a nice new fb profile photo for Karlie...
Or this one...
Shek and me
 We are making that huggy noise here.

me
Shek got his wish...a photo from on top of the barn...
It was a great day for some photos of the family outside by the barns...and everyone remained happy and cooperative through the entire ordeal.
Amazing.
Simply Amazing!





Sunday Snapshot

Saturday, January 14, 2012

the shekster...

My 3rd born son, Shek, is the comedian of the family. He keeps us doubled over in laughter all the time. And he loves making us laugh! He is also the residential weatherman and sports commentator as well. Sometimes, while he plays his video games, he commentates as he plays. It's quite entertaining to see and hear. So maybe one day he'll be in broadcasting, reporting the weather, the sports, telling jokes, but no matter what he does he will probably make folks laugh while he does it.

See! Isn't that the face of a comedian in training?
Here's another photo of someone cutting up for the camera, followed by a, "Mom, don't post that!"
Shek! my sweet boy...he's one of my favorite kids...I have 4 favorites, ya know!?

Friday, January 13, 2012

you're gonna do what to my tooth?

Jolie had an appointment at the cleft dentist this morning at 8am? YES, 8am...that means I had to wake up at dark 30 and get us ready in the dark, to go. WHY, did I sign up for an early appointment...that far away from the house???

Jolie is usually not awake until 9am. By awake I mean happy, alert, all those good things that make a morning go nicely. BUT today, the alarm went off at 545am...and I jumped out of bed (very uncharacteristic of me, and got ready, soon she followed me and wasn't so grumpy. In fact, she was excited when I said we were picking up Gam on the way. I like to have a navigator when I drive through the big city, even when I am pretty sure of where I am going...

Jolie was in an uncharacteristically good mood too...so I know it was just GOD answering all the prayers. I told her where we were going, I called myself preparing her for what was going to happen...I even pointed out the tooth in the front where the hole was and said they are going to look in your mouth and fix this ...with a buzz buzz buzz...and then it will be over, you'll get something out of the treat box and THEN I will take you to the store for a treat.

So she was ready, she was psyched, she was stoked...it's not everyday you get the treasure box and the treat from the store...

SO we arrived at the doc office at a749...do you know lots of  people have appointments at this hour before the roosters are crowing...it's unbelievable...

Because it's a NEW YEAR, I had to fill out all of that paperwork again, Can I just ask this? How many different times must I write our address, all our phone numbers and our insurance numbers? Can I just do it once and you guys xerox it or something...and her name and birthday on each page...MAN it took 15mins to get that done.

SO

They call us back...

She goes back. She used to start the waterworks as soon as we went to the back!  But we have been to the doctors' office 3 times this week and she didn't cry..we looked at books, and were ok...then they had her sit in the dentist chair...

oooh oh...waterworks. I sat on the edge of the chair and showed her book..she still knew something was up...I said remember, treasure box, and the store? the dentist folks agreed...and said let's take a look...water works increased...she held my hand...they showed her cat and the hat on the paper bib thing...I said you like dr. seuss? They said, she does, I said the Grinch is her favorite so she says you know cat and the hat are friends with the grinch...Jolie stopped crying...

for about 5 seconds.

 So they said she's already upset we can't use Novocaine, They worked very quickly, I mean why couldn't my filling go this quick...we are talking less than a minute and it was done. Dentist said, I don't know if we got it all, so we will see her in 3 months and take a look. Doc didn't want to stress her anymore than necessary. She said any questions? I said, that didn't hurt her, right? She said, no...I was just remembering my own recent filling and all the numbing I had...She said the numbing would have been more traumatic on her and that it was in the front and yadda yadda yadda...so I took her word for it.

Soon as it was over, I grabbed her up and the crying mostly stopped...they brought her 5 dolphins to pick from...she chose the yellow one.  We go to checkout, make a 3 month appointment...of which my choices were morning or afternoon...I went with afternoon! Then we got Gam out of the waiting room, went downstairs to the gift shop. Do you know what she picked out? M&M's and a fruit drink...could have had a toy or something, but M&M's was her treat of choice.

Jolie and her yellow fish....the M&M's? they are already gone!



Thursday, January 12, 2012

One of those days

Today has been one of those days.

One of those days...when I throw up my white kerchief in surrender and say

God just speak to me...

And He does...



The words from an old spiritual echo in my head...Trust and never doubt He will surely bring you out ...He's never failed me...yet... ( to clarify the yet is just words to the song...God will never fail me...there's no yet to it).

I see encouraging words on a computer screen smiling back at me saying..."God's truth is greater than our facts."

I find scripture that says, "God is watching over His Word to perform it." Jeremiah 1:12
                                       "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

I receive a general email from a prayer warrior, Germaine Copeland, that says, "To look expectantly for God to answer your prayer-often He surprises us with expected answers in unexpected ways."....she went on to say Commit to pray and never give up...Continue to Believe God for His best in every situation...

I read words from Ann Voskamp's blog A Holy Experience...that defined Epiphany  as the manifestation of God. She goes on to say in that post that "Our God manifests Himself in our mangers, muck, and our mundane and mess. Ours is the God manifesting Himself in the unlikely and unbearable, in the surprise and the second chance. The God who bears the burdens and brings the Hope...

I saw the blog title finding enough from the going beyond blog in my blog list...and I read on and I agree....He is enough!

I did get some answers in some unexpected ways today...