Archives for May 2008

The Birthday Girl

Several years Mama June (hubbie’s mom) bought our daughter this baby doll. It’s very nice and looks so real. This year we thought she was old enough to take care of it and so we presented it to her Wednesday evening. We explained to her what a nice doll that it was and how it needed to be treated. We also told her she was the baby’s mommy and so she had to take care of her. It’s been so fun to watch her play mommy to “Nona” (named after a food friend’s child). So, here’s the new mommy in the house!
(Think I could get her to do house work too??)

3 Comments

Posted: May 30, 2008 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Tags:

Theme Thursday – Flowers

Stacy at The Land of KA had a theme for today of flowers.
My challenge to you is to name all these flowers because some of them I know and some I don’t.
So here’s what’s in my yard and in my neighborhood’s yards Stacy!

8 Comments

Posted: May 29, 2008 by Julie |Category: Photography and Tips | Tags:

Birthday Girl and the movie Prince Caspian

Today (the 28th) the baby of the family turned 4. She’s out of pull-ups, took her booster seat out of her chair at the table this week and has made her daddy promise not to quit singing songs just because she’s a “big girl now”.

Here are some pictures from this morning. It was ultra cloudy today so my indoor photos are quite ‘blah’ but I captured the birthday moment which was the important thing.

Here’s her tray of goodies….a barbie movie, two coloring/sticker books, gum, flowers, a flower pot, a watering can, a princess mirror, gifts from her brothers, a book and a couple other goodies…
(Note the pink water pistol to shoot brothers)

Here’s her big brother with her. I accomplished the unposed smile from him after much persuading…

Here she is posing beside her presents with one of the flowers, her lei and her princess dress and crown on….

Trying to open her Barbie Mariposa movie (that her brothers have watched with the twice now) Shhh…don’t tell anyone.

Daddy’s homemade card for his baby girl…..

Mom’s artsy photo of some of her flowers and her princess mirror…

On a side note I went to see Prince Caspian the other day and loved it. I had heard that it wasn’t as good as #1 but I liked it just as much. Of course when Aslan arrived on the scene I did nothing but cry until the end of the movie. I can’t wait to curl up with Jesus as the lion.

My babies are growing up…….
sniff, sniff….

4 Comments

Posted: May 28, 2008 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Tags:

Works for me Wednesday

I’m struggling to come up with something inspiring for today…my biggest secret was our housekeeper (angel).

I’m trying to think of something we do that just makes life easier/better/simplier.

This is the best I’ve got today….we homeschool and send kids to school. My middle sons both go to school this year. But both will be homeschooled next year. We’ve homeschooled our oldest son (9) for the last two years but for 1st grade he attended school.

We try to look at each kid each year to see what they need and to see how it will work for our family as a whole. It works for us. Knowing that if one needs school outside the family for a year (or two) we just do it! It works for us.

Here’s hoping you are flexible and true to what you believe all at the same time! Blessings……

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Posted: May 28, 2008 by Julie |Category: Happenings | Tags:

Memorial Day Fun

Just to show you the range of our weekend I’ve put together the extremes of our weekend in a 4 part picture show starring my husband.

The weekend began like this…..

Part One

Part Two

Part Three and Four

…….And ended like this!!!

side note: (As I was trying to get a picture of my very brave hubbie jumping from a 40 story cliff and landing in the water this boat full of people came cruising by right in front of my perfect shot!!! Oh, how rude!!! Not to mention I was trying to hold the camera steady with 14 other people in or around the boat, riding the jet skis and I was just a little nervous about one of the kids knocking my arm and me dropping my camera. Yep, I was a just a little nervous)

4 Comments

Posted: May 26, 2008 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Photography and Tips | Tags:

Simple Sundays

My hubbie is singing at church today so I’ve got a few minutes before showering to post…yippee. I wanted to share with you how we are spending our Memorial Day weekend. Last night we made ribs on the grill. If you’ve ever been to the Rendevous in Memphis TN that is the way we do our ribs! Memphis style!

Then we watched a not so good (definitely B rated) movie called For The Love of A Dog in the camper and everyone slept out there! Yep, our favorite camping is done right here in our yard/carport/driveway.

So here’s my blurry unprocessed photos for you to see because it does my heart good to see other’s just the same.
The view from our back yard.

Our youngest still asleep in the camper…I was trying to be quiet and it was just about pitch black in there. I’m surprised even got this picture.

Our daughter has fallen in love with riding the tricycle this spring so here is where it was left last night before our lovely movie.

Blessings galore…..

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Posted: May 25, 2008 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Tags:

Parenting….not for the weak at heart!

I don’t know how many of you guys that read my blog have ever heard me speak of my oldest son’s birth. He was born on Christmas Day 9 years ago. I was admitted into the hospital at midnight Christmas Eve.

Fast forward to today. Our oldest son has been our hardest son to raise. He’s very emotional, strong-willed and just down right pig headed (I’m sure he gets it all from his dad – NOT!) We have days that both my husband and I are ready to throw up our hands, throw in the towel with certainty that we have NO IDEA what we are doing as parents.

Yesterday was one of those days…..a rough one.

So I pray and I pray hard for this son of mine. I pray that God would chase him down with all that He is and grab a hold of his heart and make it His own. I pray for a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and to others. I pray for a child who loves the Lord with all that he is.

And I fall back on the words the Lord spoke to me that night in the hospital when he was born. I knew God had chosen Christmas Day for a purpose. I was 11 or so days late and had such a peace that he would come when God wanted him to. The night after he was born I was awake, trying to figure out the nursing thing, and asking over and over, “Why Christmas Day Lord? I know you chose it for a reason”. I had praise and worship music playing, it was dark, my first born was in my arms and I felt God’s answer to my question as if He was standing beside my chair……”Because he is my gift to you. I never want you to forget that He is MY gift.”

I began to cry. Wow. For God to speak to me so clearly, choose a night so holy, and orchestrate it all for me to know……

Indescribable….

God knew that 9 years later I’d still be relying on those words from Him. Our first-born has been our most difficult child since day one. He had colic as a baby and didn’t sleep for almost 3 months. We prayed, the church prayed, we cried, begged my mom to quit her job and come stay with us and had lots of help. Friends helped with him for most of the first year of his life. It was a blessing.

Still today I remember the Lord’s words to me as I struggle with parenting my first born. When I’m in the aftermath of a hard day of parenting knowing I have no idea what I’m doing I remember the words…

“He is MY gift to you.”

And I’m encouraged to keep fighting the fight and doing battle on behalf of my son because I know there is one out there who wants his heart and hates him with all that he is. And I know the one I serve is bigger, stronger, mightier, holier and is all about changing me, my husband and our family as we raise one of “His gifts to us”.

5 Comments

Posted: May 23, 2008 by Julie |Category: Parenting | Tags: parenting

YESTERDAY…

Yesterday a friend invited us to come and swim at her pool. The other mom and I didn’t get in the freezing cold water but the kids had a blast. She even made dinner for us….
Homemade biscuits, fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream…can you say yum, yum?
It’s a family tradition of theirs, one I’m glad she let me in on.

When we got home last night I tried to do some work with my 18% grey card outside. It’s awfully hard to get a accurate reading with moving targets. I didn’t post process any of these pictures but wanted to share some with you.

This was taken at my friend Lisa’s house when we took a break from swimming. I love the bokeh (background blur).

This one turned out a little blue despite my attempts at using my gray card but I’ll process that out later…..I love her sly expression.

And this is what I got from #3 son when I asked him to stand beside his sister…..

I loved this one….despite the Propel bottle!

We caught a turtle and had fun watching it cruise around the yard. He had a broken shell that had mended. It was really cool to look at how the shell had healed back together. Here’s Thomas the Turtle…

And last but not least, flowers picked by all my kids just for mom…

3 Comments

Posted: May 22, 2008 by Julie |Category: Photography and Tips | Tags:

Works for my neighbor Wednesday

As my three year old daughter and I were walking yesterday I noticed that my neighbor (who has 3 teenage or above children) had these in his driveway, parked in front of the house or parked beside the house. I got the biggest chuckle thinking, "You know you live in SC when your neighbor has 4 of these in his yard and no one’s home."

Number one

Number Two

Number three
(this one’s for pulling the camper)

Number four
(this ones for ‘coon huntin’)

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