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Mornings…

Most mornings my husband takes our second born to school. But this week he’s freezing his butt off in Utah and Omaha so I’ve got the early shift. There are a lot of weeks I’m worn out by the time he gets home but this week I’ve napped in the afternoons before supper and so the mornings have been quite enjoyable. We’ve had rain and clouds for the past 3 days but today the sun is shining and it’s supposed to reach 70 degrees. Have I said I’m beginning to LOVE Florida??

This morning I took my camera, laid down on the side walk and was in awe of the dew on the bushes in the front. I’ve lost my macro photo capability so I shot in RAW and cropped.

Here’s this morning’s treat from God.

And this one…..

Although not quite as in focus as I’d like I love the sky in this one…

Sometimes it is so nice to stop for a second and look at the minute beauty that surrounds us.

Have a blessed day!!!!

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Posted: December 14, 2011 by Julie |Category: Photography and Tips | Tags:

No words…just pictures.

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Posted: December 11, 2011 by Julie |Category: Photography and Tips | Tags:

The Joy of a Jeep

When I met Rocketman in 1994 he had a sweet Jeep. He loved that thing. But even before kids he sold it and we bought a Suburban. (We have a strange car history.) If I remember correctly we sold the Suburban before Child 1 was born.

For years a Jeep has been in my husbands heart. He has endured Custom Vans, Minivans, a couple trucks, and a small SUV. So when we changed jobs a couple years ago I got a computer and he got his Jeep.

While my family was here visiting over Thanksgiving Rocketman took them to the beach. He taught my niece how to drive his beloved Jeep there on the open sand. All this took place while my brother-in-law, my other niece and I were at the Apple store having regretted my decision to purchase another PC years ago. Black Friday at the Apple store and we were still in and out in 15 minutes having spent a load of money. ……..beautiful photos of my new MAC to come!

Here’s the gang who went to the beach……

My sister tried to get one of those photographic moments with Rocketman and his Jeep…

But there was something (one) that kept sneaking into the picture….

She loves her daddy!!!!

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Posted: December 9, 2011 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Tags: beach, family, Jeep

LearningRx – Another benefit

If you read my blog at all you know that I am totally sold on braintraining at LearningRx.

My daughter who is seven just recently performed her first Christmas musical. She only visited the church with a good friend of hers and went to choir maybe a hand full of times. By Sunday night she knew every word to eight different songs and stood on stage for an hour and a half while she performed. I was incredibly proud of her. I can’t imagine standing for that long myself but my girl did it!!!

I really think the work she is doing in Memory Hold at LearningRx is what helped her to remember the songs so quickly. I was amazed.

We are in our 13th week at LearningRx. My daughter is now asking to write in cursive and can read five and six letter words. She sounds them out by herself!! When we started she was struggling with three letter words. I’m so excited with her progress! My youngest son is only on week 5 or 6 and is knocking it out of the ball park. The main area we are working on with him is his processing speed and his memory hold.

I’m so thankful God led us to a place where I feel like I am pouring into my kids tools they will use for a lifetime. And I’m proud of their progress and determination. The best part of all is they are having fun!!!!!

To read more LearningRx reviews and stories from other parents visit: http://www.learningrx-reviews.com/

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Posted: December 6, 2011 by Julie |Category: Homeschooling | LearningRx | Tags: brain training, cognitive brain training, exercising the brain, Learning RX, Learning Rx reviews, LearningRX, LearningRx Jacksonville Florida, LearningRx review, memory hold, processing speed

Adoption Story – Part 9

After my first week at home since my birth mother died I have felt the prayers of the saints around me.

I’ve had a few good weeks of functioning as a somewhat normal mom, wife and human being.

The last couple of days have found me really missing my mom again. Maybe it was having my family here for Thanksgiving that has brought her to the forefront of my mind again or maybe it’s just another season of grief.

In my post (Part Eight) I think I told you about me asking her to send me a telegram from heaven. But I think I’ve forgotten to tell you about the beautiful Magnolia tree that arrived the same day the flower arrangement arrived from my husband’s business associates in Utah.

My mom’s favorite flower was a magnolia blossom. People up north often referred to her as Ms. Magnolia because she was from the south…born and raised in Lexington, NC.

I was stunned when the plant arrived. It was what it took that Saturday to cause me to totally break down. Since the breakdown I’ve smiled when I think about the plant now.

Please believe me when I say this because it is with nothing but love that I do….my mom was a whipper-snapper. She was a pain in the butt. She was stubborn. She was frustrating. She was sarcastic. But she loved with the love of Jesus. I am so much like her in personality. I am all of those things plus a “know it all”. She was too. It was nothing for us to be together and her tell me to shut up or ask, “Who birthed you?”. It was all said in humor and laced with love but she could really be a pain. She was stubborn that way. And I think now of how that relates to that Magnolia tree. They are beautiful, hardy plants that are also messy and a pain in the butt. They drop their leaves and their dead blooms which sit around like large annoying seeds just waiting for you to step on one and break your ankle. The leaves pop when you throw them into a fire. It’s like a mini fireworks sound display. And there I find my mom. Sweet, beautiful, nasty, a pain, full of fireworks and laughing as she looks down at me knowing God will show me and remind me of her over and over again when I plant that annoying but lovely tree.

So as for that telegram. I got it. And I’m still reading it.

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Posted: December 2, 2011 by Julie |Category: God Breathed | My Adoption Story | Tags:

Thanksgiving

Seems like my Host was having some issues and I’ve lost something I thought was already out there in bloggy land.

Oh well…

I wanted to share some Thanksgiving photos with you anyway…

My family (except for my brother who lives in OHIO) came to Florida to visit for the holiday. It was so nice to have everyone here. We had 12 in the house and it was wonderful.

Here is my, my sister and THE BIRD

She’s a beauty isn’t she??

Here’s my crazy daughter. She SO takes after her daddy…

And here’s almost half the gang….

And finally Rocketman carving the bird……

What a feast! Food, Family, Faith.

What more could you ask for???

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Posted: December 1, 2011 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Tags: family, Thanksgiving, turkey

Another Improvement and a Challenge

I have linked the above to LearningRx’s blog, just click on their logo to be redirected. Their website can be found here.

For a while I did not know they had a blog but now that I have found it I love reading about all the success stories other families are having with the centers.

This week (Week 11) I saw my child transform right before my eyes.

My oldest took the initiative to clean up the house before his daddy came home from work. He straightened up the kitchen, vacummed the floors, wiped down the counters and straightened up all our homeschool work from the day.

I had to do a double take. I thought aliens had abducted my son. But I realized I am beginning to see the success he is experiencing at LearningRx trickle down into his everyday life, not just his school work.

Can I just say “floored” doesn’t even describe what I saw two days in a row from my son. On the third day we decided together that the house looked pretty good so we wouldn’t clean before dad came home.

This child has never taken the initiative to do anything like this. His closet looks like a train wreck. His room is slightly better, but not much.

With that said I have a challenge for you. Leave a comment and let me know how you do. What I’m asking of you will get harder each day.

This is taken from LearningRx (just so you don’t give me any credit):

Follow the directions below as a fun way to improve your attention skills. Each level increases the difficulty by adding a second mental challenge. This exercise will actually map new neural pathways in your brain!

Directions: From the top row, left to right, call out the color of each of the arrows without a mistake. Time yourself and see how fast you can do it. Pretty simple, right?

Now call out the direction of each arrow. Do it without error in 40 seconds. Keep trying until you can do it in only 20 seconds. A little harder, huh?

Next, call out the direction of the arrows as if they were turned a quarter-turn clockwise. Get that time down to 20 seconds without error.

Next…..comes the fun!!!!

Let me know how you do! My kids can wiz through this after twelve weeks at an alarming rate! They are better than I am at it.

To read more LearningRx reviews and stories from other parents visit: http://www.learningrx-reviews.com/

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Posted: November 18, 2011 by Julie |Category: Homeschooling | LearningRx | Tags: brain training, cognitive thinking skills, LearningRX, LearningRx Jacksonville, LearningRx review, LearningRx reviews, neural pathways

Life through a different set of glasses – Adoption Part 8

When I think of life since last Tuesday when my birth mother died I am faced with my own mortality.

What do I want to do before I leave earth? What does God want me to do before I leave earth?

What will my own death be like?

Will I fight as courageously as my birth mom did? Will I stare death in the face and say, “Not now.”

She fought brilliantly for as long as I had her in my life. As I have gone through the last week I’ve been amazed at the people who actually read my blog and whose lives I have touched even though they never leave a trace that they’ve been here. Hello all you ghost readers!

The last few days have been good days. At first I thought I’d never survive the sadness I felt. But I feel the prayers of the saints around me….. lifting me up, allowing me to function, to serve my family.

This beautiful arrangement from my husband’s work associates in Utah arrived on Saturday. It reminds me so much of the seasons of life. Although generally a fall arrangement reminding me that all things end it also reminds me of the blessing of being raised my adopted parents. The cattails remind me of carefree days spent in my childhood by the lake with my aunts and uncles. The details are sketchy of the house or the exact lake but oh how I remember the cattails. The greenery reminds me that I still have work left here today. This is the season of my life. The yellow daisies remind me of the sunshine brought into my life by the Father, my parents (all four of them) and the orange and yellow flowers remind me of the brilliance of heaven.

Can you imagine what awaits us? I asked my birth mom that if God allowed her to break the rules and send me a telegram I wanted to know what heaven was like. And then I thought to myself, “Why would HE ruin the surprise and the splendor for any of his children?” And does He greet us all the same? I’m kinda thinking he doesn’t. Since he knows each one of us and he made each one of us I’m thinking he’s got something spectacular planned for each one of us. Can you fathom that?

For any of you reading who do not know Jesus, may I introduce you to the most wonderful person in the universe?

He really is here. And all it takes is you turning to see Him.

He’ll be the gentleman waiting at the front door of your heart.

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Posted: November 16, 2011 by Julie |Category: God Breathed | My Adoption Story | Our Family, Our Lives | Tags: adoption, death, salvation

Adoption Story – Part 7

I wrote this to a friend today:

Just yesterday someone from my husband’s work sent a Magnolia tree in memory of my mom. It was her favorite flower and tree. Who sends a Magnolia tree but God? I was floored. I miss her terribly, even tho I know where she is and that she is without pain and with Jesus.

It is the thought of never being able to talk to her again or email with her that hits me in the gut.

God is already sending me reminders…..

It’s just that those reminders are so hard right now.

The connection feels gone. Now it’s through the Lord.

I have two voice mails from her on my phone. I wish I had saved more.

I have her socks, a few things from her house and photos of us over the 8 years we were together.

I loved taking care of her when she was sick. That was a blessing. I slept at her feet for three nights before I had to leave Green Bay.

She died the next day.

The memorial service was last night.

My sister and brother were there.

And I have my uncle and his family left too.

So I’m blessed in the sadness, the ache, the pain.