Fall has found us!!

I LOVE FALL! Can I say that any louder? This is, without a doubt, my absolute FAVORITE time of year! I love the colors, I love the "fall" foods and I love the cooler weather! When I woke up this morning it was a wonderful 51 degrees with an expected high of only 65! As Sadie would say, "65, I love it".

I think Sadie is going to have a green thumb (which she does not get from me). I was given the most beautiful rust colored mum and I neglected it! Not on purpose but life happens and plants cannot beg for food or water (unlike my dogs). Spencer is surprised that the kids are still alive considering my track record with plants! Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Sadie! She was helping me revive the mum yesterday by picking the dead bulbs of the ends. If we would have done this Sunday there would have only been 5 blooms left but yesterday there were over 50 that were still trying to survive so we cleared the dead ones away and she gave it some water and we set it in the sun to see what happened! This morning when we got up it looked like a totally new plant. It was alive and colorful and ready to be put back out front with the other mums (it had been taken to the backyard to be rehabilitated).

I think that people are like my mums, sometimes they just need a second (or third or forth) chance to show us what they can do! I know several people like this and sometimes they are hard to care for because they have become ugly and withered by life, all they need is a little pruning, a little water and a lot of TLC! Sound like someone you know? Let's all try a little harder to cultivate our relationships today who knows what will happen, someone just may surprise us! ;)

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

The Battle of Wills.

Okay, I am going to assume that you have all seen a nature show where two male deer are going at it full force. Locking antlers, twisting, turning, fighting for what each one wants. I expect that this is much what the scene at my house looked like Saturday evening between Spencer and his daughter who, by the way, has a will that matches her fathers. Let me set the stage:

We were at the high school for the final performance of Zach's play and Sadie was becoming restless and wanting "down, down". I settled her with crackers and her sippy cup and prepared to watch the first act of the play but as soon as the lights dimmed I knew that she was NOT going to cooperate in the least. So.............Spencer volunteered to take her home and then I could ride home with his mom who also came to see the show! I settled in and watched the show without concern for my husband and young daughter who were probably home watching Noggin or reading a book.

When the play was over and I was on the way home I called to make sure everyone was OK only to find out that our little princess had been "testing" her daddy all night long. She hit the TV and then laughed when Daddy told her no. She then proceeded to climb on the ottoman to the rocker glider all the while laughing because she knew daddy was getting frustrated with her games. He finally had to move the ottoman to another room so she wouldn't get hurt. The final act of this battle of wills happened innocently enough. Sadie was playing with her toys and daddy was looking at a magazine with his feet propped up on the coffee table when suddenly, with out warning, she bit his leg! She has done this to me several time so I thought it was funny that she finally did it to him. He didn't think it was funny at all!

When I arrived home the house was a mess with toys strewn everywhere! I could tell there had been a battle! Everyone was happy to see me especially my little angel, whose devil horns (pig tails) were crooked.

A very sad day!

Today is a sad day in our house because Zach's pet rat, Socks, passed away! I was not partial to Socks or his cage mate Salt but to see my eldest crying because his pet died is hard for me as it would be for any mother! Even harder yet is Sadie who cried because "bubby" put the "wat" in a Wal-mart sack to take him outside to prepare for burial! She kept saying "wat, wat, wat", we finally had to show her Salt and Lumina (Breanna's pet rat) to get her to stop crying.

Socks may you rest in peace in rat heaven and have all the food you can hold and lots of space to run. I also pray that there are no snakes in rat heaven!

Sorrow and sadness.

This is a serious post because there are serious things going on that I really need to get out. They say things come in threes and I believe it! This week we have lost 3 really good people.

1. Barry Bolsen, 50. He sang with the Broadway Boogie Band for years and was a very talented vocalist.

2. Angela Wochner, 56. Great Christian woman.

3. Tracy Lindenmeyer, 48. Volleyball coach and mother.

Please keep their families in your prayers as they say goodbye to their dear loved ones. Remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed so make sure you tell your family and friends how much you love them.

To my family and friends, I LOVE YOU ALL!

What is considered work?

I was working at the computer the other day when a couple of Zach's friends rang the doorbell. I let them in, got Zach and went back to the computer to complete whatever task I was working on when I was interrupted. Cody then asked me if I worked at home and my immediate response was no, but I really think that is a loaded question. No I don't get paid to do what I do, which by the way, is quite a bit!

Things I WORK at: cleaning, laundry, cooking, taxi driver, accountant, personal shopper, child care, EMT, dog walker and more that I am sure I am forgetting. Ok, yes, I am a stay at home mom but that, in no sense of the word, means that I don't work because I DO! I am on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without sick or personal days and there certainly are no vacation days that are accruing for me to escape to a tropical island!

I love staying at home with Sadie but she has her daddy's temperament and can be a tad difficult, especially when she is tired! Routine is the key to keeping this little spit-fire happy which means that I have to give up activities that involve being gone during her nap time and I really don't mind, most of the time. There are, however, occasions when I NEED adult conversation without Noggin in the background. And.................I'll admit that I am sometimes jealous of other moms who can escape for 8 hours but then Sadie screams and reality sets back in......my reality.

I AM A STAY AT HOME MOM AND YES, I DO WORK! Next time you come across a stay at home mom you might consider offering to babysit for an hour during the day (if you are able), call and let her know you are running to the store and does she need anything, or better yet just call and ask her how she is doing! You will be more appreciated than you will ever know in a million lifetimes!

God bless the stay at home mom! Give her all the strength, patience and love to be the best mom she can possibly be and please let family volunteer to help out once in a while. Ok, the latter may be too much but thanks for trying!

Need to Know Basis.

I am out running errands this morning, namely, getting my son a shirt for his costume for the play this weekend when I get a text from number 1 that says: "Is there any way you can pick me up some stuff to make my lunch and buy some day old bread for me to snack on during the ROTC trip?"

My first thought is what trip, to where and more importantly WHEN!? I really was clueless (not something new). So I text him with my questions and in response I get a ?. To which I reply details please. Now he is starting catch on to what information I am needing or at least I hope he is. Finally we are on the same page and I learn that the trip in on Friday and they are going to New Salem (which they do every year). I am now fully informed even though I had to pull teeth to get the info.

This is much like the rest of my life in dealing with a teenager, it is all on a need to know basis. He keeps us at arms length and only tells us what he wants us to know which usually requires money or consent or both. All this from my sweet, little adorable blond baby who USED to tell me literally everything even if it meant that he got into trouble! I am having some difficulty dealing with his new found independence. I know I need to let go a little at a time but this overnight thing is tough to handle. This is my firstborn we are talking about here. Oh, I know that I still have Sadie but there is something special about your first child that makes it hard to let go especially when you are not sure that they are ready to be on their own and make good decisions. (Sigh....) Letting go is hard, holding on even harder and learning to accept the inevitable is a must! We do the best we can and then it is up to them! Fly little birdie, fly!

Turn up the music!

Anyone who really knows me will tell you that I will sing anytime, anyplace for anyone who will listen! Music is my very first passion in life and is something that I will have until the day my Maker calls me to be with Him! I am always working on a new song that has touched my heart and soul to the very core of my being. It is just who I am and what I do. My newest project is a Point of Grace song called "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)". I had never really heard the song until the other day! Up until this day I had only heard part of the chorus but this particular day was very different! You see, I had been questioning God about some of the things that have recently happened in my life and the live of my family. This song came on and I'll admit that I had no idea what it was until the chorus, however, the song stuck such a deep chord with me that I knew I had to find it and sing it! Thanks to the internet, I found a download of the performance track and I found the video on YouTube. Wow, what luck! No it wasn't luck, God planned it that way! The lyrics speak for themselves! See what they do for you!

How You Live by Point of Grace

Wake up to the sunlight

With your windows open

Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken

Wear your red dress

Use your good dishes

Make a big mess and make lots of wishes

Have what you want But want what you have

And don't spend your life lookin' back

Chorus: Turn up the music Turn it up loud

Take a few chances Let it all out

You won't regret it

Lookin' back from where you have been

Cuz it's not who you knew

And it's not what you did

It's how you live

So go to the ballgames

And go to the ballet

And go see your folks more than just on the holidays

Kiss all your children

Dance with your wife

Tell your husband you love him every night

Don't run from the truth '

Cause you can't get away

Just face it and you'll be okay

Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been

Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy

And pray for the grieving

E'en when you don't think that you can

'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you

So think of your fellow man

Make peace with God and make peace with yourself

'Cause in the end there's nobody else

Turn up the music Turn it up loud

Take a few chances Let it all out

'Cause you won't regret it Lookin' back from where you have been

'Cause it's not who you knew

And it's not what you did

It's how you live

'Cause it's not who you knew

And it's not what you did

It's how you live

You can go Youtube to hear the music and see the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1eCBy9HGJs. I promise you won't regret it!

Things I Like About Me.........

One of my sorority sisters from Millikin recently posted a scrapbook page that she had made about the things she likes about herself and I personally think that all women need to do this. It is not meant to brag or boast but to affirm who we are and that we are "comfortable in our own skin". I am finding out the hard way that this is not an easy task and I am undertaking this publicly so maybe you can make your own list. OK, (deep breathe) here goes:

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT ME (in no particular order).
1. My hair. Don't ask me why but I have always liked my hair.
2. My voice. God gave me a talent and I use it everyday from singing to voice overs.
3. My ability to learn. I have a 4.o GPA and have had for the last couple of years.
4. My ability to multitask. I can feed the baby, make dinner, do the dishes and help my teenager memorize lines for his upcoming play, all at the same time.
5. My legs. When I workout they lean down first and look good!
6. My ears. They are great for listen when a friend really needs it.
7. My heart. It is big enough to love my family and others.

This is hard to do! We, as people, usually do not like much about ourselves at all. We, as women, are overly critical of our appearance, our hair, our clothes, our shape and our size but none of these truly matter if we are a good person and look past ourselves into the big world that we call home. My challenge is for you to make a list of the things that you like about yourself. Accept who you are; change what you can and be happy for the person that God has created you to be.

The Mother Load!

Let me just get this out of the way first! I LOVE MY HUSBAND very much but he is not the kind to change diapers especially the really (and I mean REALLY) dirty ones. He has finally agreed to keep the baby on Thursday nights so I can attend a Beth Moore Bible study at our church, I mean really, this is the least he can do since I have NEVER been away from her in her 18 months of life (except to go to the gyn). I am serious here, I have not had a minute alone to do what I want to do! Anyway, last night was night number 1 of 7 and I was very apprehensive as I pulled out of the driveway and headed to the church without my precious Sadie in tow. I just knew the house was going to fall apart as soon as I left, ok I am exaggerating but you know the feeling! Anyway, I am 2 blocks from the church when my cell phone rings and it is my husbands ring tone. With much apprehension I answer the phone "hello?" On the other end is a frazzled dad who has just changed his FIRST poopy diaper. She warned him before she did it! "Potty, potty", plops on the floor (squishing the contents of her diaper), sticking her hands in her pants and now he finally gets the hint. To make matters worse, he couldn't find the diapers even though they were on the changing table. Next, he took her diaper off to find "the mother of all loads" which she proceeded to stick her hands in. And to make matters worse, he doesn't like the brand of diaper wipe that I buy (he says they are too flimsy) but I buy the toughest ones that Huggies makes! By the way, this man has never used baby wipes on anyone but himself (while in Iraq). He finally has her all wiped off and is ready to put the clean diaper on but gets it backwards all while trying to keep her still long enough just to get the darn thing on! When I get home a couple of hours later all are glad to see me and no one looks any worse for the wear!

And YES, I enjoyed the Bible study very much and am looking forward to next week!

My teenager never ceases to amaze me!

Let me start this post with a disclaimer: I in no way advocate for teenagers standing in the middle a busy intersection for hours on end during a very busy Saturday! However, that is exactly what I allowed my 16 year old son to do last weekend. Zach is in JROTC. Last year he considered it JUST a class and did only what he needed to do to pass. This year, however, is a totally different story. He has decided that he is going to be involved in the community projects that the JROTC supports, to which I reply "Yeah Zach". You see, my teenager is just like any other teen out there, in that, if it does not benefit him, he will not do it. Maybe he is starting to see that there is more to the world than just Zach. For the last TWO (yes I said two) weekends, Zach has stood in the middle of several busy intersections collecting money for the Shriner's and the VFW, both very noble causes. I am amazed that he would give up his Saturdays for these groups but I am very happy at the same time. He is growing up so quickly and it is a joy to see him become a caring young man.

The Winds of Change

The winds of change they are a blowin', literally. We are already getting winds from hurricane Ike, they are warm and swift. I know that the rain will soon follow.

This is much like my life right now. Things are constantly changing every day. Sadie is growing quickly; Zach thinks he is full grown and Spencer wants to go back to school to make our lives better. So where does that leave me? Trying to do it all to make sure that everyone else is satisfied and fulfilled in their life, but is that all I am destined to do or is there a change in store for me as well?

Don't get me wrong, I am happy as a wife and mother but I have outside interests as well. I think my guys forget that sometimes. They take for granted that I will always be here to serve them and make sure that they are taken care of.

My photography business is starting to take off so that is a change. I am ready for the challenge that is owning my own business. I am excited at the prospect of creating art from peoples lives and sharing it with the world.

Sometimes I think we all get to feeling like this flag I captured today......A little tattered and tossed about by the wind but still in tact. We can weather the storm and come out on the other side a little worn but no worse for the wear if we just batten down the hatches and hold our ground.

Change is not always easy and neither is chasing your dreams, but in the long run it is all worth the effort.

Cleansing Rain

I am sitting at the computer still trying to figure out the paypal mess and listening to the sound of the rain. I love the way everything looks and smells after a gentle rain. My roses and tomatoes look so much brighter and more alive, the grass is greener and the sidewalk is clean again.

Once in a while I think my soul needs a good cleansing rain to dust off dirt that life deposits there. This happens for me through reading and music. I love to read uplifting stories of people who have overcome more than I will ever go through in a million lifetimes. Right now I am reading "The Final Lecture" by Randy Pausch. I know what you are going to say! His story did not have a happy ending because he died and his 3 young children no longer have a father. Yes, I know, but he accomplished everything he wanted to do in life even in the face of the ultimate adversary. I want to live like that; I want to die knowing I did everything I set out to do and more.

My other "soul cleanser" is music. I love Chris Tomlin's music. I can be in the worst mood possible and pop his latest CD in and boom, I am transformed. I sing and dance and I don't care who sees me, although, usually Sadie joins me in the fun. At 18 months old, singing and dancing are among her favorite activities in the world and I am greatful for that.

Yes, pictures are a big part of my soul cleansing also! All the pictures on this blog are mine and I am proud to say so. I can't help but love taking and editing photos. Grab your camera and try it just for fun, you might be surprised at what you see!

I guess I said all that to say that we all need to let that cleansing rain wash our souls once in a while. I know it sure makes for a more peaceful life.

Life is a picture.

It has been a trying week that I will not detail since I really don't want to stress about it anymore,however, over the past few days I have found that I can escape the turmoil just by getting behind my camera and capturing the lives of others! Happiness is just a click of the camera away (for me at least). I like to take pictures of people, plants and anything else that will stand still long enough for me the capture an image! Sometimes I just shoot while on auto-pilot and I really don't know what I have until I get home and download the images to the computer to review them! Life is truly captured by the lens of the camera and reminds me of those moments of happiness that makeup this crazy little thing called.......LIFE!