Considering the Past Few Weeks

Welp....the jeep is in being repaired and should be good as new shortly. We had to turn in the rental today...kind of sad. I really liked the Impala. I am now borrowing my brother's truck which he is graciously loaning me for the moment. Steve, however, is in a sweet (new to him) F150. It is alot like his old one, but newer, with a few less dings and dents, and few more bells and whistles. It is quite pretty and very manly (do those things go together?)! It is actually the first time since our earliest days that he has picked out a vehicle for himself. I do think it is about time!

In the meantime.....

I have been teaching now for about 2 weeks. YAY...I am making it....whew...lots of sleepless nights right now though as I grade papers and plan lessons. Research, research, research....am loving teacher tube! Today was midterms-and after only two weeks with my kids-wasn't sure how that was going to go. Basically, about 50/50. I had some really good grades and some really bad ones....but none of that was the highlight of my day. My highlight was my first block Algebra class (the freshmen).

I have been stressing to them the importance of teamwork. We are attempting to achieve a sense of camaraderie among our students. I have been teaming them up and calling on the stronger students to aid with the weaker. Yesterday, they took their midterms. Now, from the getgo, I have been shifting responsibility for their learning to them and encouraging them to reach. About half of them were failing when I walked in, and about half of them failed the midterm. Before giving them their midterm results, I passed around a picture of my son (Robert). The picture is from his wedding. (Not related to this story, but it turns out that one of my students dad is a retired marine and his mom is a New York Italian!). I share with them about Rob's struggle his senior year and his decision to join the Marines. I also shared with them the "No man left behind" philosophy and how it relates to them as the Freshmen class. I told them a story he told me about his group getting ready to test and how they helped each other. I couldn't begin to relate here how that came out in the classroom, but it was a teary eyed moment for all of us. After that, I gave them their tests back, worked some problems, discussed with them what they needed to do now, and worked with some individual students. Those making up work went to their desks, and I went about checking on students, grading papers, that kind of thing. I stopped and looked around; several students had pulled up chairs next to struggling students and were helping them. I took in the situation, was so proud of them, and fought back tears. One small step for Algebra....one giant leap for the Freshmen Class. Thanks Rob for inspiring another generation. Thanks Rob for inspiring me. They are fruit to your account too. Love ya son!

Siblings and New Year's Resolution

My brother came by today and had coffee. We have been living in the same area for about 2 years now. When my siblings first came my way, I thought it was a blessing. It wasn't long before I was really wondering if being this close to family was a good thing. We had a lot of up and down moments, lots of clashes of ideology and personality. There were many days when I was reminded to be careful what you ask God for!

However, now that we have had the opportunity to really get to know each other: our strengths and weaknesses, we are learning to live with each other and complement each other. We are becoming more open to listening to each other and to respond positively....all because God has been so at work in our lives-accomplishing the same end through different means: Conforming us into Christ's image...which admittedly will not happen here on earth, but with God's molding, we will get closer.

We both made a resolve, independently of each other, to focus on the positive, to accept our siblings for who they are and love them...keeping the bridges open. Him and I come from an abusive, destructive childhood that left deep scars in our lives. It impacted all of our siblings, manifesting itself in different ways. In our discussions today, we came to the conclusion that we won't get over it, but we can come to terms with it, and doing so will allow us to extend grace to everyone else. No one really understands another person until they walk a mile in their shoes, maybe that is why God says to not walk one but two. We made a date-to try and get together for coffee once a week. This Friday, I am going to go see my sister for no other reason then to spend some time with her. That is how relationships are built: time, effort, sharing of hearts and ideas, acceptance of our difference, and loving anyway. Off to a good start on this New Year's Resolution. Lord, grace, give us grace in our words, in our actions, and as an outpouring of your grace towards us.

A light in our Family!

Sometimes I need a little light, and often that light comes disguised as my daughter. I could never have imagined the difference she would make in my life and the so many other lives she touches.

Ok...she is sitting beside me, Jon beside her, Steve right behind me...I have an audience. Hard to write and hold a conversation at the same time. They are gone now.

A few weeks back I was whining about family members and the lack of thankfulness and how tired I am of trying to do the right thing when obviously no one cares...I wasn't whining to her mind you, but because God definitely has a sense of humor, that very day, she text me wanting my dad's address. I am wondering why, and she tells me she is doing Christmas cards. That would not be remarkable except that for the last 2o years, her entire life, my dad has had opportunity after opportunity to participate in my kids lives and has done little except make excuses. He can't come because.....no birthday cards, no Christmas cards, no phone calls, nothing....in his defense-he HAS had a few positive moments when it looked like he would come around, but nothing ever lasted more than a moment. He isn't the only one in the family that is true of-actually it is true of most of my family. Year after year, holiday after holiday, birthdays, graduations, weddings, the cards go out, the invitations are sent-no response. For over 20 years, I have sent cards out for every noteworthy occassion to every family member hoping that maybe, just maybe it will matter, and it never has.

There is a point when I am just tired of the trying; this has been one of those years. I decided my Christmas card list was going to be alot shorter next year, and then....Kat called for addresses. She sent cards out to all of those family members, all of them. As uninvolved as they have been in her life, she reached out to share hers with them. Conviction....and she gets still sweeter....

Over and over again the last few months, she has risen to the occasion to be a shining light in the lives she shares. The night before her wedding, she is helping with Caitlyn. She is changing her diaper at 11:00 at night and offering to bathe her willing to sacrifice her last few moments before she marries. Her and Jon were at the hospital to see Tonia the day after they were married, right before they left for their honeymoon. They were at the hospital early Sunday morning when Jaden was born. Today....she got up and went with her dad to take Carson to be neutered, at 8 am (that was rough), in the freezing cold when she felt horrible and has felt horrible all weekend. She offered to split the cost with us and planned to go with me to pick him up tomorrow.

There have been so many times when everything we have done in our lives has seemed so futile; as if it really didn't matter. I wonder what if? What if we had chosen differently. What if we had not homeschooled? What if we had both finished our degrees earlier and pursued our own interests while the kids went to daycare and school and afterschool care? What if? I hit those times when I just don't want to reach out anymore. I don't want to blog or facebook. I don't want to foster any more friendships. I don't want to expose myself to any more pain, any more criticism, any more disappointment. The world seems pretty dark...and then Kat steps up to the plate. She prays, she listens, she smiles, she laughs, she cares, she loves, she reaches out....she lights up the darkness. I didn't make the difference in our family I had hoped to make, but maybe she will.

Welcome Baby Jaden

This has been the year for babies! In one month, we have two new additions to our family. Analeigh made her debut 5 weeks early on December 22, and Jaden arrived yesterday at 8:31 am. We didn't get to be there when Analeigh was born as she was born in Alaska-a very long way from here! However, Jaden was born right here and what a welcoming party he had.

My sister went into labor early Sunday morning. She arrived at the hospital around 4 am; an hour later my brother and his wife arrived. We didn't get the message till 7 that morning (we don't sleep with our cell phones). We got dressed for church, grabbed a few dozen doughnuts, and headed to the hospital, arriving just a few minutes before he arrived. We all got to peek at him as he was wheeled down to the nursery, was able to check in on my sister, and watch the nursery workers weigh him, bathe him, take all the necessary measurements, and feed him for the first time. I took pictures, lots of pictures! :)

He is a big boy weighing in at 8 lbs 4 oz unlike his cousin who was only 4 lbs and 9 oz. He has two big brothers to teach him lots of fun things! [smile] Alex is with us, the younger of the two older, and was with us yesterday when we went back up to the hospital. He has been acting nonchalant until we walked into the room and he saw his mom holding Jaden. He wanted to hold him too! Too sweet....he is all tough on the outside but a softie on the inside-who is he kidding!?

Well...a year comes to a close in just a few days...a year that has been absolutely filled with every kind of heartache, every kind of wonder, and amazing joy! All I can say is Welcome Jaden and Analeigh to this family.

Traditions in the making

Sometimes traditions are handed down through generations, other times they kind of evolve quite unexpectedly. We are experiencing an overabundance of the later, ie...potato heads, theme trees, Three Kings, and Nerf wars!

We have had to rethink how we do holidays since our children are no longer the center of what we do. In the past, we mixed traditions from both of our families and added a few new ones here and there for the purpose of maintaining our heritage and establishing our home on a Christian foundation (new to our family which is lacking in Christian roots). We adopted the tradition of opening gifts on Christmas Eve from my husband's family, but not for the same reasons. His family used to get together with his grandmother on Christmas Day so Christmas Eve was the day his immediate family did their own Christmas. We did that too but so we could spend Christmas Day celebrating Christ's birthday. When the kids were little, we did a birthday cake for Jesus every year on Christmas Day. Since we didn't do presents on Christmas Day, the stockings were a big deal. I would stuff those Christmas Eve night and early Christmas morning sneak into their bedrooms and lay the stockings on their beds!

Steve and I have never done stockings for ourselves, but decided, or maybe I coerced him into agreement....that we should start doing stockings. We did that this year. He had to buy for me and stuff mine, and I his. I am a little more experienced with the venture than he his, but he is a quick study! We really had fun filling and opening our stockings, and can't wait to see how we grow in our "stocking stuffing " each year.

We started having groups over Christmas a few years back. I have never liked the idea of people spending the day alone. I looked around our church this year and was burdened by the number of people that are alone. We are so blessed in that we are only alone when we choose to be, otherwise there is an abundance of people that share our lives. We made some dear friends during Katherine's wedding and during the last few months, we have had opportunity to continue with those relationships. Christmas gave us another sweet time with some of our loved ones!

The Christmas of 20o5 we added our nerf gun war quite by accident. That year, Daniel, Robert, and Katherine were home for the last time together. Hard to believe it has been four years since all three of our children spent a holiday together. It was all young people that year, our three, Afton, and Jonathan. We didn't know what to do as far as gifts and somewhere in there decided on nerf guns. Christmas fell on a Sunday that year so we went to church, came home to have lunch, and then everyone opened their guns which prompted an ongoing nerf attack. They carried their guns with them everywhere they went that year. In 2006 Robert and Gabrielle were married so we spent Christmas in New York, but we did buy Gabrielle and Joe nerf guns when we got back which prompted a few scuttles during the holiday season. In 2007 my brother was with us, and I have no recollection of how we celebrated the holiday. In 2008, we had a group over which consisted of several single GI's. Nobody appreciates a nerf war like single GI's! That Christmas Eve, Steve and I were in Toys R Us stocking up on guns and ammo. (A funny memory...us...in line Christmas Eve...surrounded by all these parents with small children....and a cart full of nerf guns!) It exploded Christmas Day like no one could have imagined. That year Jon and Shawna joined our family. Tonia's boys were here Christmas evening and they too got nerf guns and joined in the chaos. (This year they didn't make the war, but we got them nerf tag so they could play.)

We were actually going to take a break from all that this year and have a lazy Christmas. Not so said the family and it turned out that we had about 20 here for Christmas dinner including a few new ones who ALL jumped in on the nerf attack. This war lasted for quite some time Christmas night. Us "older" women who didn't want to participate camped out in the den and tagged it the "safe zone." Well...someone mistakenly left a gun in there which prompted Kaylie and I to defend the zone. Before we knew it, the kids were giving us the flying ammo and we had quite a stash. We attacked anyone who came near us! That in turn prompted retaliation fire so the "safe zone" didn't turn out to be too safe, and they everyone wondered where all the ammo was going and confiscated our ammo! Days later-still picking up darts.

We didn't buy any guns for anyone this year, but everyone went out and bought bigger guns for themselves after last year's skirmish. This year, there were GUNS! Fun times, sweet memories, and a new tradition has been born. Next year, I am getting my own gun! Oh...and Willis family....we haven't forgotten!

Christmas is about upon us....

It sneaks up on me every year! I know....I know....it is the SAME day every year, but time seems to move forward at a faster rate year by year. It doesn't feel quite Christmas time yet here, but we are getting in the swing of it.

Last week, I settled on a Christmas tree theme-something I have done every year except last year (since we moved into this house). Last year, we had open studs, no walls, no floors, and only one room in the house finished. It is really hard to feel festive under those conditions, but we did do alot in the present area. My brother was supporting my sister and desperately short of space, so we did a tree together. That was really sweet and we spent a good portion of the holiday together. Our son was in Afghanistan, and he was our focus. We kept sending care boxes to him-hating that he was spending the holidays away from his family.

This year: our son is back at home, my sister is married, living in her own home, and expecting a son right after Christmas, and we have completed several rooms including the living room where the tree is! The tree is up howbeit the lights are not all working so we are having to restring our pre-lit tree (kind of negates the point of a prelit tree!), and waiting on the ornaments to arrive.

The theme: I found (yay) tool ornaments-too cute. I was beyond excitement! Doing a theme tree is expensive so I have to be created. I look for things that can be made into ornaments. I ordered the tool ornaments, working metal tool keyrings, and working flashlight keyrings. Keyrings make great ornaments-tie ribbon around them, hooks built in, and you can pass them out to holiday guests!!! Caution tape garland, some coordinating ribbon as fillers and presto: A contruction themed tree! This might be better than the rubber duckies...that one is sure hard to top!

All of that Christmas tree planning got me in the mood so to say and started me looking for Christmas gifts for Aaron and Caitlyn. I collect outfits for Aaron in the in between months (since he isn't here) and usually have a collection to sen when I send a box. I think I am up to 5 outfits right now (I sometimes forget how many I have purchases!). This past Saturday my husband and I ventured into Toys R Us (wow-crazy) and walked out with the cutest Saint sweat suit and talk about cute, cute, cute! I have been showing it to everyone! I KNOW his daddy is going to love it!

I text Robert Saturday to see if Aaron needed anything. He responded with, "A train set." LOL..my children's grandparents bought our kids a train set years ago. For awhile, we set it up around the Christmas tree, but it is in need of attention now soit doesn't usually leave the box. I am not even sure where it is, but my husband says he does. Apparently that train made an impression on the kids, because even Katherine was telling me she wants the train. She got to pick through all the Christmas decs I didn't want so I am thinking that disqualifies her from inheritance of the train set! Hmmm...might have to keep the train, repair it, add to it and make that one of our Christmas traditions.

Well...Toys R Us was a madhouse this weekend as is EVERY other store, so I say, shop the Internet in your pjs! I took that to heart on Cyber Monday and ordered Aaron an outfit and Caitlyn a pajama. This morning I opened up my email and saw an ad from CBD so....had to go check it out. We pretty much know what we are getting Aaron, but Caitlyn??? She loves this little peg game we have on our table from Cracker Barrel. She takes the pegs out and puts the pegs in over and over again. As she was playing with that yesterday, I made a comment, wondering out loud if they made something like that for toddlers, and they do!!! I found it today on CBD, so I ordered it for her. I also discovered a magnetic train set so had to get that for Aaron. I am thinking it will go on the refrigerator but not absolutely sure! Fun, Fun, Fun....although my hubbie gets a little nervous when I call him, "Honey, I am ordering from CBD." "What are you buying?" Then I go through the great deals I just discovered and why I want to get that!!!! He sighs and asks for the bottom line!

[Smile]....He doesn't say no when it comes to buying for the children!

Life Management

Just finished Life Management for Busy Women; it took a ridiculous amount of time for me to read it, but the title says it all! My mission this past year has been about prioritizing and managing my time (which by the way the author says we can't really manage time, but we can manage ourselves and how we use our time). I have been talking about balance for years now-but achieving it? Not so easy. I am finding myself in this period of life where I am looking back, looking in, and looking up.

Looking back-that has been filled with sadness, regret, sweet memories, and joy. Our faith has teetered in that area of our lives-because, we believed if we did A, B, and C, then the result would be D, E, and F...but it wasn't, so then the questions, " who is to blame?" Our faith was shaken to the core, and had it not been for God, we would have absolutely hit bottom. No matter how hard I searched, I just couldn't get past the hurt I was feeling during the last few years of my life, until I realized that if I could see everything, where would the need for faith be? God wants my trust even when I can't see or make sense of my life.

Looking in- asking alot of questions, like, "what am I doing?" "What should I be doing?" "...the point?" Must be middle age crisis...whatever it is, I know that my heart's desire is to live my life according to God's plan. The issue is finding His plan in the midst of everything else clouding my view. I am trying to hear Him and follow Him, but getting the priorities of my life in order (that has been rather challenging too).

Looking up-trusting in God to reveal Himself as I seek Him, and not only me personally but knowing and trusting in the truth of God's Word as it applies to people I love. He does promise that His Word will not return void. I hope in Him, not in the circumstances that surround me, not in religion, not in what I can do, but in what He can do.

Parenting is certainly not for cowards (it connects really...it is the area we are looking back on which results in us looking in and looking up!) Not one single thing throughout our entire adult life has impacted us more than having children...nothing...and now we watch other parents interact with their children, and we can see so clearly. Somehow it is so much easier to see from this angle! We notice that parents way too often don't have balance-discipline when need be, but positive and encouraging as well-more positive and less negative. Parents tend to spend more time lifting up their kids' good points to everyone but their kids. The kids hear the "do this" and "don't do this," not the "I am proud of you" stuff. We are guilty too-did that. Spent more time bragging about our kids to everyone but them...just didn't tell them enough... we love you and are proud of the independent accomplished people you are.

Loving It When...

I absolutely love it when God changes my plans to accomplish His. He does that quite frequently, probably because I am definitely a planner. I plan out my days (in my mind usually). For example: Last Thursday was my hubbies birthday. I was feeling pretty down because I had such a full day and wasn't going to be able to spend it with him. I whined a bit and then headed towards conquering my ridiculous schedule. I dropped Caitlyn off at the sitter, headed to SCA to spend a few hours there. That was incredibly productive, but time to go....jumped in the jeep to check off the next box of the to-do list...which was Bryd High. I have a bunch of bunch of bunch of observation hours this term, and Byrd is where I am assigned. I get there, praying for a parking spot because parking there is ridiculous! Yay, a spot, but....it is pouring. I am just not a big fan of being wet. I had class that night and a midterm, and it was Steve's birthday, and there I was sitting in Byrd's parking lot weighing the options looking out at the pouring rain!

The rain wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to walk so far carrying so much "stuff" AND an umbrella in dress clothes KNOWING I am going to be soaked no matter what I do. After a few minutes, abandoned idea and headed home. I got home in time to take some steaks out of the freezer and make steak for lunch for my hubbie. Sweeeeeet....that was amazing...that I got to spend lunch with him and study for my midterm. I was so much more relaxed and probably did better on that test, not to mention, I completed a few assignments which so needed to be done.
Whew...much better plan.

Today, had a similar plan: Get up, get to Byrd by about 8:30 and make up some of those observation hours. I got there, drove around, searched for a parking space (which again-ridiculous!). I ended up parking behind the school, behind the football field, which meant quite a walk, AGAIN in the rain. Hmm...sat there a minute, read my Bible, shot up some needed prayers, and considered my options. I opted to skip out AGAIN! (Only 6 weeks into the quarter, still got time to get those hours in). I get home where it is so quiet.

My plan was to reverse the order of my day, come home and get some stuff done, go to Byrd, then to work, and home again. However, still raining. I have gotten a lot done today including some school reading and a pop in on Gary Smalley. The articles dealt with issues specific to me, which I would not have read if I had not been here. As I am sitting here, my sister pops in. She is off on Mondays and needs to go to LSUM to drop off records. For her to do that, she is going to have to walk a zillion miles in the rain. Darn rain! So...I am here, no immediate plans, think I will run her over there so I can loop the parking lot while she runs in and neither of us get wet!

God's plan much better than mine...loving it....

Life Management

Sometimes I just don't feel like blogging. Sometimes it is because I don't want to open up myself to criticism; other times it is just because life is completely overtaking me, and I can't think straight. This is one of the latter.



I have had so much to do lately that down time has been almost non-existent, but I do steal away for a few minutes to read (something other than education). My "snatch" read selection right now is Elizabeth George's Life Management for Busy Women. I read it when I am taking a bath, sitting in the bathroom while Caitlyn is in the bath, or in between moments when I need a break.



The book is broken into areas important for the Christian woman to manage, ie...marriage, health, family, fiances, etc...Right now, I am in the family section. She references from Titus 2:4 that we are to love our husband and our children, and she uses Biblical women as examples for us to live our life by. She also addresses extended family relationships. Once in awhile, I really question myself. I try to live by the truth of God's Word, but sometimes I am just not sure I have gotten or am getting it right. Sometimes I KNOW I have missed it, but the area of family is so important and the area I have struggled in the most lately-well the last few years anyway.

I had this vision of what it would be like when my kids were grown and married. I raised my kids with the importance of family. I went out of my way, often, to include our extended family-both sides, his and mine, even though we lived so far away. Steve's family left such an impression on me when we were first married. His family was so unlike mine. I didn't even know what our family didn't have until I met his. My brother told me the other day that my problem was that when I saw what a family could be, I was so eager for everyone to have that experience, unfortunately, it is not what everyone wants. Or they want family but in a conditional sense, as long as it doesn't cost them anything. That is the area I have had trouble grasping.

In this chapter as she addresses all these relationships, she says one thing that connects all of them: As Christian women, we must "nurture our relationships..." with our parents, our in laws, our siblings, our children, our aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandchildren. "These family connections, ordained by God, are important to Him. Nurturing them is not optional. No, it is commanded. And our spiritual maturity is revealed by whether or not we get along with parents and in-laws" (pg. 214). "Our relationships with sisters and brothers, with other in-laws, and with extended family are still relationships with family that must be lovingly, willfully, and thoughtfully nurtures and cultivated. Don't worry so much about whether or not you hold the same beliefs or see eye-to-eye on every issue. Instead, spend time in prayer for each one, asking God to show you the how's of love" (pg. 214).

Wow...I haven't always gotten along with my parents, extended family, or inl aws. Sometimes I still don't, but after a moment to regroup, I reach out again. It is my responsibility despite my pain, my confusion, my anger. My inability to set boundaries doesn't reflect them, it reflects my maturity. It doesn't mean I can't have a relationship with them, despite our differences. I don't have to get my feelings hurt. I can accept them, all of them, in God's grace and because of God's love!

I am so proud of Katherine. We were sitting at Starbucks last night discussing relationships, and she reminded me that I have always taught her to be the better Christian, do the right thing because it is right, keep an open door and reach out. She is doing that in her own family and in her in law relationships. She is building a relationship with her mother-in-law even though she is very different from me. I am glad for her, for her husband, her mother-in-law, and her future children who will benefit from those relationships.

Life management....working on that. I am glad God continues to point me in the right direction. I am glad He continues to teach me and enable me to grow in His grace, through every trial and every pain. I am so thankful for my husband and who he is in my life!

Quiet-Just a Moment

It is quiet in the house today. Yesterday, anything but. I was getting Caitlyn fed yesterday when my sister called. Her husband's van broke down and they were stranded. The rest of the day became a "rob Peter to pay Paul" kind of day (as my brother so eloquently put).


He had plans for the day as did I. We had to alter those and make adjustments to accommodate my sister's need. It was crazy chaos most of the day, but the tasks that needed to be completed were.

That day our family came together. Someone had a need, and we did what we could. I, because I am learning to set boundaries and priorities, stopped and called my brother before I made a decision, and then I talked to my husband. Usually, or I should say, in the past, I jumped right in. There is a need-I can meet it-get on it. However, doing so doesn't always help a situation, and often it enables people to live the way they are living, even if not productive to themselves.

Ironically enough, Steve and I were driving home later, and on the radio was a talk show all about setting boundaries. The speaker made the point that not setting boundaries is essentially the same as enabling. I had never thought of it from that angle, and realizing I have done that in my relationships has changed my priorities. I can't be the all in all for anyone. I don't have unlimited resources. I don't have unlimited knowledge. I don't really know how things are going to turn out.

What I do know is the importance of family. I really enjoy having my daughter nearby. I am glad my brother and sister are here. I am glad for the opportunity to spend time with them and share moments with them. I am equally sad that my sons and their wives are not here, and that we don't have the same opportunities with them. I miss watching Aaron grow and explore. I miss watching my sons grow into men. I miss seeing God's hand in their lives on a regular basis. I don't know what God is doing or teaching them. I feel the void of their absence. That must be the essence of empty nest, feeling that void that children once filled.

Quiet...not often around here, and not lately for sure. Once in awhile it is nice, but there is such a thing as too quiet!

How Time Changes Everything

We are all bound by time, and time certainly has dominion in our lives. We can't control it, stop it, or get it back-once it is gone, it is gone.

I spent the afternoon cleaning out pictures which had been piling up on the laptop. While checking mail, and organizing pictures, I got a post that Robert's picassa album had been updated. I popped in over there to check out the new photos. My goodness how much Aaron has grown in a year. He looks so much like a little boy and so much less like a baby.

I know that is supposed to happen, after all, I watched that with my own children. However, you don't seem to notice the growth as much when you witness the little steps every day. It is when you don't see them for awhile then all of a sudden you do (or a picture of), and just have to step back and go wow!

Time...it changes everything. I don't feel old (most days), but sometimes I see a picture of me at just the right angle and think...getting older! My age used to be marked by my kids' birthdays, now it might be marked by my grandson's birthdays. He is already 2! That makes me two years older too!

Loving the New Look

Sometimes I am so lazy...at least that is when it comes to finding answers to my questions. That is where my hubbie comes in. He is really resourceful. I kept trying to figure out how everyone gets all this extra stuff on their blogs. I was using a standard template, but it really didn't represent us very well. My husband set about looking for the solution, and of course, he figured it out. He showed me the options and we chose a beach, because WE LOVE THE BEACH. (I could share a few stories here, but better leave those private!)

Then the header...I created the header by scanning some old photos and making a postcard in Smilebox. We then saved the image and inserted it as a picture in the header box (after some resizing). First attempt showed half my head only! My techno savy hubbie fixed that pretty quick.

So...here I am adding, editing, and creating a space that really represents us, our family, and the resources that are making a difference in our lives.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

(James, my brother, coloring with his daughter, Hailey at the rehearsal dinner.)

We had wedding color sheets, crayons, and cards on the tables during the rehearsal. It was fun to watch

everyone coloring and having such a good time!

 

(Left: Caitlyn peering out the window of Olde Oaks during the rehearsal. Aunt Doreen kept was keeping an eye on her. Right: Don't know, Bro. Ronnie said something funny to Kat and Jon)

(We practiced exiting twice. Left: Steve and I making our exit up the walkway. Right: Kat and Jon dancing out theirs!)

It has been about 3 weeks now since the wedding, and the pictures are coming in. Our photographer came to our family/friends/bridal party barbecue, the rehearsal and dinner, and the wedding. He told us he shot about 800 pictures. So far he has given us two disks with a total of just over 400 pictures up through most of the rehearsal dinner.

He has really got some fun shots, and we are enjoying going through all of those. It is going to be tough to narrow them down for an album, and choose pictures to add to their video which will go out to the family members. One of the things that characterized this entire experience was laughter. Jon and Kat radiate joy, and it is infectious. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Some of my favorite pictures are the laughing ones!

(We had rehearsal at sunset and it was absolutely gorgeous! Made us rethink the morning wedding idea!)

(This one was taken at the barbecue. Big Smiles)

(This is Tami and Noah, also present at the barbecue. She was such a blessing to me that night, and this is one of my favorite pictures of her and Noah so far!)