anita wilson photography

2009-12-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess you could say I'm still blogging...in the broadest sense of the word! I still have so many pics from Christmas to post! UGH!! Anyway, here's a few of some sweet people and some CUTE kids! I am still taking pictures and truly enjoying it! So, I'm so glad you all are still coming to my blog.

Beautiful kids!

Such a sweet family!

Proud Grandparents!

New Fall pics

2009-11-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

I've had the opportunity to take so many pictures recently. I really love this time of year! The weather is perfect, and it is a treat to get to photograph fall's gorgeous colors, and some sweet people too! Here is one of my latest fall photo shoots.

I met her!

2009-11-13T08:19:00.001-08:00

My sister-in-law and I got to go to the Pioneer Woman book signing on Monday. There were SO manay people there, and we were almost at the end of the line (4 1/2 hours worth of line!) But we had a great time and made lots of friends around us!

I saw some familiar faces!

Here we are in our positions...end of the line! Eventually there were some behind us though!

This is the first tier of the line...

We made it around the corner! Here's the next stretch!

Marlboro Man came along too!

More sweet babies, and a beautiful girl!

2009-11-05T06:12:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of some super sweet kids taken at the Old Mill.

Little A

2009-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to photograph this cutie a few months ago. She was such a sweet baby! But I am little partial to kids whose names begin with 'A!'

Almost Famous

2009-10-22T20:04:00.001-07:00

If you aren't a reader of The Pioneer Woman, you should be. It's a great blog for recipes, photography posts, funny stories, and GIVEAWAYS! Anyway, recently she had a photography assignment to post photos on flickr of fall bokeh. There were hundreds of photos submitted and mine was one of about 30 that were featured in a blog post. I'm shocked, honored, amazed, excited, etc., etc. Here's a link to the post with my pic: http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2009/09/your-fall-bokeh/

Of course I think my photo looks pretty pitiful compared to all the great pics on there, but oh well...I had a moment of fame and had to share it with you all!

Wedding Pics

2009-07-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm FINALLY getting around to putting the JUNE wedding pics on my blog! I know, I know....I don't know what my hangup is about blogging. I guess I have to think of something clever to say when I blog, and not so much when I put pics on Facebook.

Anyway, here is my dear friend and beautiful bride, Beth, the not-so-newlywed.

Love this pic! They had gone into the hallway behind the doors immediately after the ceremony, and I was able to sneak this one in.

I had to put some of these cuties in!

...and one of the groom!

Bridal Portraits

2009-07-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

I'm FINALLY posting the bridal portraits of my friend Beth (the wedding was the beginning of June!) She was such a beautiful bride! I was so honored to get to capture her wedding day in pics for her. Here are just a few of my favorites from our portrait session together. I'll be posting pics from "the big day" soon!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

2009-06-22T05:32:00.001-07:00

I can't help but think of this song when I look at these pictures! These girls were so much fun! We had a great time downtown taking some pics of them and their sweet mom, Dana!

Dana said I needed to get a picture of their true personalities...
with their phones!

Now, time for some serious pics!

I love this one of the three of them! Pretty girls!

Can you believe this is the mom! Isn't she beautiful!!

2009-06-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

I've got so many pictures to put on here. So, HOPEFULLY in the next few days I'll get my poor neglected blog updated. For now, here are some pics from a great day at the Old Mill. Cute kids and an adorable baby!

I love these cheeks!

2009-04-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to take some pics of some beautiful kids. They are the children of one of my good friends from college. I was so glad to get to see her, even if it was just for a short time.

I LOVE this little guy in his super sharp hat and tie!!

Thanks Kim, for sharing your beautiful family with me this weekend!!

One of these things is not like the other...

2009-03-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is Pete. He's been with us for about two weeks now, and we are all getting a little attached to him (even me!) The girls are enjoying him too, as seen above. They were taking care of all their little animals one day, and decided he needed to join in the "fun." Poor Pete!

The M Family Musicians

2009-03-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

This is such a great family! They are all so sweet, beautiful AND talented! It was so fun taking their pictures and getting to hear them play inside the capital! The acoustics inside were amazing!

Traditions

2009-02-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

Remember this? And this? I guess Ava wanted to relive those days, and took a tumble at the zoo. I was pretty far away from her, and heard the thud of her head hit! But it didn't seem to phase her for too long. Pretty soon she was back up climbing on the rock ledge that she had just fallen off of! A good mom would have stopped that!

And while at the zoo, I took about two pics before the battery went dead on my camera. Just paint a large "L" on my forehead for the day! So here you go, two zoo pics. And then a TON of Ava acting the fool, while I try to get just ONE of her being serious with her banged up forehead.

The first one: A sickly giraffe. Seriously, he looked ill. Have you ever seen a giraffe sitting down? And then he couldn't hardly get up, it looked so weak!

Then one of the tiger getting into his water. That's all folks!

I told Ava I wanted to get a picture of her boo-boo, and she suddenly wants to hug her sister, and make a cheesy smile! I think all she heard was "PICTURE!"

Another try. Oh dear, I should have left her at the zoo with the monkeys. I just love those lips too much though!

Cheesy again!

So this time I said "Open your eyes!" They're open alright!

We've totally lost it now!

I think this is a serious as she gets! That's what I love about this girl though!
She makes me smile!

2009-01-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

So, I finally got a new header up (thank you Aaron!) now I just need to do a new post! I'm just feeling uninspired about posting! I've started a post with more pics that I took before Christmas, so hopefully that one will be up soon.

Aaron surprised me recently by ordering a new lens that I had mentioned to him (thank you again, Aaron!) I used it to take the pics in my new header, and I must say....I'M IN LOVE!! Speaking of love, this picture seems "Valentiney" to me with the pink and red in it!

So I'm still here! Thank you if you're still coming back!

Under Construction...Still!

2009-01-15T13:52:00.001-08:00

.....really just a remodel, but I apologize for the mess here! If you were notified yesterday and today, that I had updated my blog, like, 20 times, you probably knew that was a mistake. I don't think I've updated my blog 20 time in the past YEAR! This has taken longer than I thought since my husband has taken over the computer at nights working on his 20 year high school reunion. So, my computer time has all been limited to during the day when there are kids to homeschool, noses to wipe, fights to break up (and reconcile!), meals to make, diapers to change, books to read to little ones, etc, etc, etc, and blogger freaking out on me! Oh, and that laundry! It keeps on popping up! Didn't I just wash those same clothes two days ago? And putting up the clean clothes that my children put in the dirty clothes basket when they are "cleaning" up their rooms....oh, I'm digressing!! What was my point...oh, I have about five minutes here and there to get this blog put back together, and I'm not getting very far, very fast. Bear with me. Hopefully soon it will be new and improved!!

One the plus side, I did bake two loaves of bread, cook 10 lbs. of hamburger meat to freeze, and am smelling a huge pot of chili cooking for dinner. Ahh...something productive!

Conversation with my two year old

2009-01-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight I had the funniest insight to what kids really think of parents. It went something like this:

Ava: "Mommy!"

Me: ignoring

Ava: "MOMMY!!!!"

Me: "What?"

Ava: "COME HERE A SECOND!!"

Me: noticing there's no real urgent sound to her call, "I'm busy!"

Ava: "NO YOU NOT, YOU MOMMY!!"

Can I change my name to "Busy?"

Praise be to God for His great gift!

2008-12-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:1-14

Finally....

2008-12-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been so busy taking other people's pictures, that I'm just now getting around to taking my OWN kids picture for a Christmas card. BAD MOM! So, about 1:00 yesterday afternoon (December 18!-cuttin' it close!) I decide to rush the kids outside for a quick (heh, heh) picture! Honestly though it was the first day that we've been home, that it wasn't freezing, raining, or icy....so, seize the moment. Basically, I put everyone in red shirts, and fixed hair, and we ran out to the back yard for a picture (or 10).

Here's one...kinda cute...but Anna's a little squashed and Ava's off doing her own thing (typical!)

...And another. Two good kids, two goofy kids...

...getting better. Now only one goofy kid. I think it's kinda cute how Ava's looking adoringly at her older siblings though. I'm sure that's what she's doing.

Oh, we've digressed. Back to two goofies (notice it's the SAME two as before)

So, I say "Everyone lean in close together" Aaron Job interprets this as "Fall on your sister" UGH!!

Okay...I think this one will work.

I decided to straighten it up and touch it up a bit. This left Anna pretty much as just a floating head on the side, but oh well...We couldn't let everyone see that she had pink pants on, right! And, don't mind the holes in Abby's jeans. I think it adds some coolness the pic doesn't it! We'll just say it does, for the sake of making me feel better about not wanting to try to photoshop them out. :) Yes, that's it, coolness.
Merry Christmas Everyone!

Cutie Pie!!

2008-12-18T06:07:00.000-08:00

This girl is so adorable I can hardly stand it!! Here are a few pics of Michelle's sweet family. Thanks so much Michelle!

Awww!

2008-12-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

Here's Beth and Paul...aren't they so cute!! I really love these pics of them on the train tracks.

Rock Stars!

2008-12-05T07:02:00.001-08:00

Okay, maybe not. But that's what I think of when I look at this picture. Doesn't it look like an album cover?! I think I just dated myself... Anyway, I can't decide which one I like better. What do you all think?

click to enlarge

2008-12-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

I've been busy, busy with pictures lately! Which is good!! Here are some pics of Kim and her beautiful family. They are all so sweet, and so photogenic!

Boys!!

2008-11-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to take some pictures, on Saturday, of some handsome boys. Their parents were friends of mine from college who had seen a few of my pictures on Facebook, and asked me to do some of their kids. It was so much fun, and some good practice for me. Getting four boys to sit still is no small task!! I think we managed to get at least ONE good group shot, but we definitely got some good individuals. They were all so cute!

I love this little guys eyes!

I had to add this one! I got a LOT of these, but I love these kinds of pictures too!

Jason and Jen

2008-11-04T14:51:00.001-08:00

I've been venturing out a little bit more into photography.

After practicing enough on my kids; our friends,

Jason and Jen, let me take some pictures of them

and their sweet boys.

He was so happy with these pumpkins!

Anderson and family

2008-11-04T14:44:00.001-08:00

This is my new adorable nephew! He slept through

almost all of the pictures! Which made is easy for me!

"Little Prince"

Already a Hogs' fan!

Finally some eyes open!

Oh...and here's mom and dad!

My kids all cleaned up! :)

2008-11-04T14:35:00.000-08:00

Please Pray

2008-11-03T06:13:00.001-08:00

I know I haven't updated my blog in forever, and I promise will soon-I promise! That is, if anyone is even checking over here anymore...by the way, let me know if you are! But just quickly for today, I wanted to send you over to my husbands blog to read a post he wrote about our friends Scott and Jill Attebery. Jill passed away Sunday morning from injuries in a car accident. Please pray for our dear brother Scott, and his three month old son Bryce.

Back to Life.

2008-10-13T05:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got home from Chicago (really a suburb of Chicago) and had a WONDERFUL time at the True Woman conference! I had a great time with good friends, but the Lord was so good to show me so many areas in my life that have been long neglected. I would highly recommend listening to the CDs if you have the opportunity.

Can you believe that I only took about three pictures! So, nothing really to post here.

And lastly, one quote by my kids. Last night after I was home, Aaron and I were sitting and talking, and I hear from the next room:

Abby: Aaron Job, your breath stinks!
Aaron Job: Well, then stop following me around!

Oh, I feel the love already!

Help for a New Day

2008-09-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Taken from the Girl Talk blog...this is exactly how I was feeling yesterday. But the Lord, in His kindness, let me read this today, on another day of drudgery (from my sinful perspective) that I was not anticipating. I hope it helps others as much as it did me.

Compared to Sunday, Monday’s duties can often seem so unspiritual. Yesterday I worshipped and received teaching at church, practiced hospitality, and had a delightful time of fellowship with new friends. Today began at 4:45 am with a change of wet sheets. Then there was breakfast to make, a doctor to visit, a grocery store run, lost car keys to find, a splinter to extract, (lots of) correction to bring, and then lunch to prepare and clean up (er, well, it's not actually cleaned up yet, but soon). I’m not feeling particularly spiritual right now.
Apparently Sarah Edwards had a different (and more biblical) perspective of daily duties than I often do. When her daily business was done “as part of the service to God” Sarah noted, “it was found to
be as good as prayer.” If I truly “serve with joy and gladness” and for the glory of God, today’s work is as “spiritual” as yesterday’s worship. “Oh how good…it is” Sarah exclaimed, “to work for God in the daytime, and at night to lie down under his smiles!” That’s the kind of enthusiasm I should have for Monday’s chores! I must remember that I’m a forgiven sinner who now has the privilege of serving the Almighty God. And because of the perfect life and sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ, I can lie down tonight (in spite of my sin) under His gracious smiles.

A few sweet pictures.

2008-08-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few cute pics of a day at the zoo with some friends.

Gina has put this pic of our girls on her blog too, so, sorry if you've already seen it. It was just too cute not to share again!

yada, yada, yada...

2008-08-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've been watching way too much Olympics around here. But, it's kind of been a bonding and educational experience for me and the kids. The older kids are really getting into some of the sports. And during the opening ceremonies Aaron Job and I talked about all of the different countries, and where they were located. He keeps asking me when they are going to show fencing, and I don't have the heart to tell him that they probably won't show that on T.V. because no one cares about that sport. I guess he thinks it looks like light saber fighting, and REALLY wants to see some fencing! So anyway, we're making the most of this. And I only watch this much television every four years.

It all started when I had my wisdom teeth pulled last week. I pretty much laid on the couch, in a drug-induced Olympic coma, for three days. This started my addiction. Not to pain-killers, but the Olympics. It's so bad that I'm getting all emotional about it. When someone wins or loses, I'm feeling their pain and joy-like I KNOW them personally. When they have the medal ceremonies, and I hear the "Star Spangled Banner" I feel that lump in my throat of pride and joy. I know, I know it's bad!!

Anyway, the wisdom teeth thing... I guess I was hoping for instant relief from the pain I've been having in these teeth. But I didn't think about the fact that now there are some gigantic holes in the back of my mouth that need to heal now. They let me keep one of my teeth ('cause I'm sick like that and wanted to see them) and let me tell you, that thing is HUGE!

So that's the latest around here. Gotta go now, the 100M Freestyle, Heat 10 is about to start!

*Update here: I just saw that fencing was coming on today! There's one happy boy here!

Around here...

2008-07-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

I guess it's time for a little update here! So much has been going on this summer with travel, kids, figuring out what to do for school next year, sickness, injuries, etc., etc I'm tired just thinking about it!

Ava has fallen four times on the same place. Right in the middle of her forehead! The other day her head was so swollen, that Aaron kept calling her "Vulcan Baby." It hasn't slowed her down a bit though! She's acting fine, which is the only reason I haven't rushed her to the Dr. But she really looks pitiful! The swelling is moving down, and has turned into two black eyes! So, I kept her at home this Sunday, to prevent any more injuries (and strange looks!), until we can get this one healed!

This is the swollen forehead!

Here's the black eyes the next day.

We've decided to home school Aaron Job and Abby next year, so I'm still trying to decide on a few more things that I want to do with Aaron Job. So, with that, and nursing an infected wisdom tooth, that will be coming out soon, I've been a little out of it lately!

And here's one more pic for fun. Abby trying to jump rope.

Textile Management

2008-06-18T05:10:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday I was lamenting the fact that I cannot keep up with the never ending laundry. So, the Lord, in His kindness, let me read this from The Flourishing Mother this morning:

Even so seemingly non transcendent an act as putting clothing away can be a gesture of memory or of hope. We put laundry away in drawers and closets in the expectation that another day or season will come when we will need those things again. We pack away baby clothes in boxes in the hope that another child or grandchild will be added to the family or that an opportunity will come to pass things along to others who will use them. We save articles of clothing that belonged to a loved one who died, remembering the body that used to be clothed in these things and hoping for the day when our bodies and theirs will finally be truly, gloriously clothed.~Margaret Kim Peterson, Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life

Doing laundry is symbolic of hope in our family. Hope that a body will be here tomorrow to wear the folded garments. After reading this quote, I see laundry for my family is a privilege, not a burden. I may still not enjoy it, but I will see the good in it.

Home Again!

2008-06-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

After two long trips about a week apart, we are finally home and getting settled in for summer! (Not that you would ever know I was gone from my blog!) We just got home this week from a family vacation, and really had a good time. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, the kids were great, and we all really enjoyed our time together.

The kids were totally excited about our trip to the beach, and on the way there, we stopped at Lake Village to eat lunch. Now, if you're from AR, you may know that Lake Village is not the vacation hub that it's name portrays. It's a pretty barren street, lined with gas stations and fast food restaurants. So this was our first stop, on our venture to the beach. We found a McDonald's with a "playplace" in it, and thought that would be a good spot for the kids to stretch their legs and eat lunch. As we were getting out of the van, Aaron Job exclaimed with much joy, "WOW!!! This really will be a vacation to remember!" If we'd only known that's all it took- we could have gone back home right then!! But we went on, now they'll never go back to just McD's playplace; they've tasted real vacation.

Oh, I just happen to have a few pics! I feel like Judy here saying "Hey! Wanna see my vacation slides? Let me get out my projector..."

We were actually staying in Fairhope, AL, visiting and house sitting for my aunt during our trip. So...here we go!

We had a great pool with a slide and waterfall close by to go to.

Here's a few shots of the marina in town, with great sunsets!

Some cool pics Aaron took

"A day at the beach" It's not all it's cracked up to be. Whoever came up with that phrase didn't go with four little kids.......just sayin'. I think I counted to four a million times that day making sure everyone was accounted ~~four~~for.

Such a cutie!

She's going to hate me for this pic one day...but it was too cute to resist!

Oh, the sand....you could have built a sand castle with what was in her swim diaper at the end of the day!

She found the chips, and was a happy girl. Who cares if they're a little gritty.

He loved the waves coming in!

She sat like this most of the day and just let the water come up over her legs...that's my girl!

...and that's the first half of the trip! More to come later!

Grandma, this is for you!

2008-06-03T04:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone else can ignore this, unless you really like watching beginner piano recital videos! It is terribly cute though, maybe just because it's my kid!

Kids behind bars.

2008-05-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have already seen this picture on Aaron's facebook, but I wanted to put it here. This is one more (I promise!) from our outing at the Historical Museum.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

2008-05-13T12:37:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we went to a Territorial Fair at the Historic Arkansas Museum. So here are a few pictures from our little outing. When the kids found out where we were going they had to wear their cowboy hats and boots. They really had a great time, and the people there were so friendly and fun. I know Aaron Job was really the only one who understood the history behind it and the houses, but the little ones still loves exploring the place. So here we go...

As soon as you walked in, this guy was playing the fiddle, so they had to stop and dance. Yes, right by the front door.

Ava dressed up in prairie clothes again.

Playing "Arkansas Twister"

Making Mother's Day cards. Abby looks like she wasn't enjoying it, but she really was!

Abby's card

Here, they are making dolls out of corn husks and yarn.

Looks like Aaron Job doesn't want to get too close to this guy!

The kids had a lot of fun with these guys. They were playing music and doing some clog dancing, so the kids joined in with them too, and gave everyone a show.
Abby and Aaron Job taking a break.

Whitewashing the fence with Tom Sawyer

More music. The guy in the middle looks a little scary, but he really wasn't!

Anna letting her horse eat some grass

Plum' tuckered out! (as we say in the South!)

And a good time was had by all.

For Mother's Day, I got a new baby....

2008-05-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

Isn't she beautiful!

Now, my birthday is next week, so this will be my birthday/anniversary/Christmas/Groundhog Day/year 2008 present. But that's okay, I was so surprised!! I've taken SO many pictures with this thing, that I could post one-a-day for a year, and still not post all the ones I've taken in two days! So, for kicks, here's one, (or ahem... four) for now, but more....oh, so many more to come!

Killer eyes!!

I just thought these were cute too. I played with the color (obviously) in the cowgirl pic.

And, I was starting to feel partial to one child, so I put a picture of Ava up too!

Readers beware, if you hate looking at blogs with pictures of kids, or you're looking for a blog with real depth and content, over the next few days, this isn't the blog for you (not that it ever was!) Thanks for indulging me for a bit!

She's two!

2008-04-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

...and acting every bit the part!

A face only a mother could love!

She (and her siblings) got a really great gift from Grandma and Grandad-- a swingset! Aaron and my dad spent Saturday putting it together, and then we had a birthday party after.

Supervising

They made their own toys while they waited.

Cake decorated by her sisters!

Happy Birthday Ava!

Free Photoshop!

2008-04-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

Photoshop not in your budget? Try this:

Taking cover for tornados...

2008-04-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

This is what it looks like in our house. Camping out by the toilet!

Remember in elementary school when you had to practice tornado drills? You had to squat down on your knees as low as possible, and put your hands over the back of your head to cover it, with your face lying flat on the tops of your legs. (is everyone completely confused now?) So now your suffocating, but a tornado will not kill you. Anyway, the kids thought this was great fun, getting to get out of bed and bring every bedding accoutrement down to the bathroom.

Praise the Lord that there was no damage in our neighborhood! Seeing of the damage all around us is just another reminder of the power and yet kindness of our great Lord. He does all things for His glory, and is good, even in a terrible time of storm.

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam,though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;God will help her when morning dawns.

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,how he has brought desolations on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;he burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth!”11 The Lord of hosts is with us;the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Ladies, start your engines...

2008-04-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Easter Pics

2008-03-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

2008-03-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

My big girl!

2008-03-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

She had the most fun playing with these rocks!

Only at Grandma and Grandad's can you climb trees in your Easter Clothes!

Snow pics

2008-03-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

I guess I'd better put up my snow pics before it's spring! Although it may snow again after the tornadoes are through- you just never know here!

The building of the snowman.

This is the child who can live on air. You know, the one left sitting at the dinner table after everyone else is done. She just does not eat, but suddenly took a strong liking to snow. Great, now her two main food groups are air and snow!

Trying to sneak up on me in the woods with a snowball.

Well it was fun while it lasted. But I'm always happy with just one good snowfall, then I'm ready for spring.

Hannah, this is for you!

2008-03-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here's the dress you made for Ava when she was born (almost 2 years ago), it finally fits! Nothing against your sewing abilities (which are fantastic) but the pattern ran a bit large, which you knew when you made it! When I put the hat on, our three year old, said, "Hey, she looks like Little House on the Prairie!"

Observations from my children #2

2008-02-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

*This story is being shared with permission from my DH*

So we're going out the other night for a little family dinner. As we're driving along, Aaron decides to put in a Bob Dylan CD. After listening for a few minutes, Abby, our five-year old, proudly exclaimes:

"Hey Dad, I didn't know you could sing like that!"

I don't know which was funnier, the fact that she noticed the strageness of Bob Dylan's singing, or that she thought it sounded like Aaron!

Sorry honey, you really don't sound like him, but it was too funny not to share!

Observations from my children

2008-01-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

While I have actually been eating healthier and exercising lately, I didn't think my kids had really noticed until I read over Aaron Job's spelling sentences recently.

*Note sentence #5
I'm afraid in this case that words speak louder than actions. Oh well, I'm a champ in my kid's eyes (enter Rocky music). Well, I guess not really a champ, he didn't say that I WON the marathon, but maybe I at least FINISHED it, since I am a marathon "runner." I'll take that.

WOW!!

2008-01-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

I just received the coolest surprise EVER from my dear sweet hubby! Go here to check it out.

Anyone want to go to Chicago with me?

Happenings

2008-01-12T06:59:00.000-08:00

Sickness!! That's about the latest to report around here! One with double ear infections and pneumonia, and all three others with on and off fevers and nasty coughs. It sounds like a Dr.'s office waiting room around here! The blessing in all this is that we're not all throwing up. I'll take fevers and coughs any day over throwing up! So this is a good sort of sickness to have if there is any. We're all just lying around taking it easy, and the baby is all snugly and cuddly when she doesn't feel good. Sweet!

I was actually able to read an entire book! I usually have about three or four books going at one time and it takes me a year to finish them all, but I started this one while Aaron was home on Christmas break, and just finished it since we've all been vegging with sickness. It was the first book of the Shiloh Legacy series by Bodie Thoene, In My Father's House-so good!. It's a historical fiction. I couldn't put it down and now I'm ready to start the other two, but they may have to wait awhile.

Also, I just taught myself to knit! It's really a lot of fun once I got the hang of it. I hadn't realized an added benefit too, is that if I ever sit down to watch t.v., I want to knit instead of eat! My first project will be a scarf for Abby, since she won't mind too much what it looks like! Maybe I'll put up a picture of it when I'm done. We'll see what it looks like first! I got a sewing machine for Christmas too, so lately I've been feeling very domestic!

Other than me going grocery shopping at 10:00 last night (woo-hoo!) that's about all the excitement around here. Maybe there will be something more interesting next time!

So This is Christmas

2007-12-29T06:04:00.000-08:00

2007-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Joy to you on Christmas

2007-12-26T05:53:00.001-08:00

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-21T05:16:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd post these Christmas pics of the kids before Christmas is OVER. I'm so behind this year!! I just now sent out cards out and never even put up all my decorations. We did put out the nativity and tree, but that's about it. Oh, and Aaron put lights on the house this year-that's something we've never done before and they look really great.

But really, all that Christmas "stuff" sitting in boxes doesn't bother me at all. This is such a blessed time of year to me regardless of the decorations. Singing with the choir, doing special things with family, and telling my children about the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior is all what makes this such a special time of year to me.

Here's some pic of the kids. We try to get at least ONE good one to send in cards, but this year it was quite a challenge! We pretty much had to chase Ava all over the yard to get a picture of her.

All but one child behaving/looking at the camera here.

This is pretty much how the entire photo session went.

I even made it into a few shots!

Ava was quite the escape artist!

Finally! One good one!

Now some individual pics.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

"God has sent His oly begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him."

1 John 4:10

Dancing Elves

2007-12-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

This is too funny not to share!

Click here or on the image above to see our dancing elves!

Make your own and leave the link in the comments! I would love to see some of you dancing! (I need a good laugh today ;)

Sadness is...

2007-12-03T05:37:00.000-08:00

If ever I were a superstitious person it would be now.

My last post was about my three year old and her blankie (a.k.a. the love of her life right now). Well, that was posted on Wednesday night, and then, THE VERY NEXT MORNING we lost the blanket. Now, blankie has been lost before, but always somewhere right under our noses. You know, stuck in a hiding place somewhere, outside on the swing set or wrapped around a baby doll, but always in a place where we knew it would eventually be found. But not this time. After retracing all of our steps on that day, I've concluded that it is in the great black hole of Wal-Mart.

Gone. Forever.

It is heart wrenching to see your child hurting over the loss of something that seems so unnecessary to us grown-ups, but very precious to them. So in my weakness, I produced ANOTHER blankie to try to substitute in. It was reluctantly received at first, thrown on the floor a few times in an attempt to go to sleep that night, but I think it has finally been accepted.

She knows the one she loved is gone. And this, I guess, is the first of many heartaches to come. But isn't it good to know that this world is not our home. I pray that I can use these moments, even at three years old, to teach my children the truth in Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

And no, I'm not superstitious.

Love is

2007-11-28T19:31:00.001-08:00

A blankie of your very own to wrap around your neck or to wear on your head.

She has it worn out and smelling just right, so that no other blankie will do.

Online Shoppping for a Cause

2007-11-28T05:13:00.001-08:00

Just some Christmas shopping info to pass on to you.

If you or any of your friends/family members plan to shop online this holiday season, please encourage them to start their shopping from www.capmin.org/Donate/Shop.aspx.

At no extra cost to them, a portion of their purchase will benefit Capitol Ministries—and the spreading of the Gospel!

Participating retailers include, but are not limited to, the following:
Amazon.com
Best Buy
Dell
eBay
Expedia
Gap
Home Depot
HP
Kohls
Macys
Nordstrom
Office Depot
Overstock.com
Sears
Staples
Target
Travelocity
Walmart

Ava's Top Seven

2007-11-13T05:36:00.000-08:00

7. You have the most infectious smile EVER. Even when you're tap dancing on the coffee table, or using my roll of wallpaper as a plunger, it's so hard not to laugh at you on the inside, because you do it all with such joy and enthusiasm.

6. You like to try new things. Especially when it comes to eating. Whether it's cucumbers or the paint you just stuck your hand in, you like to taste everything to see if it's edible.

5. You are low maintenance. You have no hair. Which means there's one less ponytail, bow, barrette, and tangle that I have to worry about.

4. You love books. You go for the big stuff too, like the one's on Daddy's shelf. You are especially fond of John Piper, John Macarthur, and any others that have attractive dust covers.

3. I know you love me, even though you call me "Da-Da." Because when anyone else tries to hold you, you cling to me as if you wish you could crawl back inside.

2. I love your baby words. You have the sweetest little voice when you say "ha-doe" (hello), or "pit-a-boo" (peek-a-boo), and "a-morming" (good morning).

and...

1. You bless my heart. Your personality is pure sunshine and it always makes me smile.

The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Psalm126:3

Call off the dogs!!

2007-11-07T06:44:00.000-08:00

After a not-so-subtle hint from my friend :), and some others, I've finally decided to update my blog! ARE YOU PEOPLE HAPPY NOW?!! BUT, in my defense, although we moved to our new house almost two months ago, we are just now getting our Internet up and going. So, even IF I had the time to post, I wouldn't have been able to! Seriously though, I am happy and humbled that you've continued to check in on me.

I can't believe it's been five months since we've packed up our belongings TWICE and moved four children with us (yes, they all got to come!) We're finally settling in (somewhat) and getting our new house into a livable state. Things are going unbelievably slow though. We still have boxes to unpack and many house projects to finish up. I hope to one day show you all some "before and after" pics of the house. It was a "fixer-upper" and we really had our work cut out for us this time. Some of the things we did before moving in was painting in EVERY. SINGLE. ROOM., pulling up old flooring and replacing it in the kitchen, den, entry hall, half bath and laundry. We did some remodeling in the kitchen- new counter tops, and appliances, redoing and moving some of the cabinets, and knocking out a wall. I say "we" like I was doing all the work, but honestly, Aaron and many kind and gracious friends helping us, did most everything. My main job was keeping kids out of the way and keeping the food for the workers stocked!

Some projects still left to do are painting kitchen cabinets and trim :(, putting up baseboards, replacing the bathroom floors and a lot of touchup painting; just to name a few things. The outside needs some paint and getting the yard looking nice will come next year.

I am really loving our house though, despite the mess it's in right now. The Lord was so kind to us, in giving us such a wonderful place to live. Our house is at the end of a dead end street, we have a huge fenced in back yard, and the our neighbors have all been so kind to us. There are many sweet children on our street and it's not uncommon on a nice night, to see 8-10 kids out playing and riding their bikes.

The kids are all doing well and growing up so much. I will update more on them next time. And I promise some pictures next time! You'll also have to check out my son's blog. There are some funny pictures there.

And last but not least:
Moving tip #1: NEVER, EVER attempt to pack and unpack boxes with an 18 month old. The things that you have unpacked and strategically placed around you home, will be instantly moved, thrown onto the floor, into the trash, or back into the box that it just came out of.
Just sayin'.

Movin' on up!

2007-06-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

...well, really we're moving out. We have sold our house-Praise the Lord! There will be an inspection done on Monday, and then after that, if all goes well, we can breath a little sigh of relief -for about half a second- after that we will have one week to move, yikes!! Our buyers want to close by the end of the month!

Now our next major hurdle is finding a new house. Yes, you read that right-we haven't found another house yet! We will be moving in with my parents until we find something. So you all could really be praying for them!! This will be quite a change for them to go from two people in one house to eight! They have three extra bedrooms and two bathrooms we can use, so we won't be terribly crowded, but we still don't want to drag this out any longer than we have to. Aaron will have almost an hour commute to work, so between that, and church on Sundays, these will be long days.

Also, I don't think we will be able to have our internet there, so if I don't have my usual monthly posts :) in July or August, you'll know why! I'm going to feel a little bit detatched from the world, (not that that's a bad thing!) but I will miss keeping up with my blog friends!

I'll update you all as soon as I can!

2007-06-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is my two-year-old unloading the washer and loading the dryer!
They could totally sell more of these front-loaders if the people in advertising would take this approach!

Happy Birthday To Mommy!!

2007-05-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

WHOO HOO!

GUESS WHO'S THIRTY-TWO??!!

Please join her husband & children

in wishing Anita a Happy Birthday!!

May 17, 2007

A card from Abby (4 yrs)

And another from Abby
This one's from Anna (2 yrs)

And this one is from Aaron Job (6yrs)

A special song for Mommy!!

Feelings

2007-05-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

Two quotes from Abby after beeing in a particularly grouchy mood and not getting to ride in the buggy at the grocery store.

One was said about five seconds BEFORE she burst into tears...

"I think my feelings are coming!!"

The second was said about five seconds AFTER she burst into tears...

"My feelings are HERE!!"

It didn't help her mood one bit when I started to giggle at her drama.

Happy Birthday to you!

2007-04-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

My sweet little Ava turns one today! It's so hard to believe that a year ago she was this tiny little five pound baby.

Now she is this chubby happy baby! She is such a joy!

Happy Birthday Ava!

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! Psalm 127:3-5

We Will Rock You!

2007-03-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

So on with my story from our weekend trip. It actually happened before leaving town, while we were on our way to drop off Aaron Job with the family he was staying with. Now, this was a nice family, a really nice family. You know the kind whose children never misbehave-that kind of nice family. So we're driving along in a fun car that we rented for the weekend, and I hear a fun song playing lowly on the radio, and I'm all about having fun right now because I going away for the weekend with no diaper bag attached to me!! So I crank up the radio and we hear:

"YOU GOT MUD ON YOUR FACE, BIG DISGRACE, SOMEBODY BETTA PUT YOU BACK INTO YOUR PLACE!!"

Now, Aaron is by no means stuffy and uptight, but he quickly, but quietly, said "Turn that down! We don't want him walking into these people's house singing that song!" And you have to admit, once you get to the chorus, it is a pretty catchy song. You're probably singing it right now just from reading my post title! Aaron tried to say this casually and quietly, but the keen ears in the back seat heard him anyway. So our son says "Why don't you want me to sing that? Will they think they have mud on their faces?"

All we could do at that moment was just go along with him like "Yeah, that's right! We don't want to embarrass them!"

My sweet son! Always thinking of others first! But his parents? NOOOO, we're thinking about the mud on our own face!

Stayin' Alive

2007-03-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

Well I guess it's time for a quick update from us all!

One random thought first though. I wonder if you can tell what kind of day you're going to have by what song is going through your head when you get up in the morning? For example, I woke up this morning singing Still Crazy After All These Years. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those days!

And another thought: I wonder if I can title all my posts with song titles! I'll give it a try, I mean, surly I can think of one song title a month for ALL my posts! I was one of those people growing up that my friends would HATE riding in the car with me. As we would flip through radio stations they would say "You know EVERY word to EVERY song!!

Well, Aaron and I just got back from a weekend trip to Dallas. All by ourselves!! It was just enough time to relax and to miss the kids enough to want to be back. I thought that I was all charged and ready to be a better mom on Monday, but it seems it seems as though I may need another weekend already!! :)

We went to a FamilyLife Weekend to Remember, did some shopping, and got to eat out at restaurants without having to pull out high chairs and sippy cups! Ahh, so nice!! I REALLY missed my kids though. In fact, the first night, one of my girls had A LOT of trouble going to bed for the sitters. She was so upset that we weren't there, that she couldn't get control of herself for almost an hour. So then I was upset! Apparently, I was so obviously shaken, that after our dinner that night, our waitress brought us this HUGE piece of chocolate cake "just because"! This cake was just like "The Great Wall of Chocolate" from P.F. Chang's-raspberry sauce and all!! So, then Aaron commented that I should cry everytime we go out to dinner! Isn't he so caring and sensitive! :P

(btw, there's 89 grams of FAT in this piece of cake!! I just found that out while looking up this picture! This is good to know AFTER I've eaten it! But it wasn't all in one sitting, and we shared it!)

Seriously though, we had a great time. It was a great reminder of why I married Aaron. He really is my best friend. We had so much fun this weekend. He likes to shop a little more than most guys, and I like to shop a little less than most girls, and we just enjoyed not having to act all grown up and all for a little while!

I have one more story that I'll share later. Oh, that means I'll have to think of another song title!

Sing it Sista'!

2007-03-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

Abby seems to be providing me with all my blog fodder lately! Here she is "swinging for the Lord!"

Still Alive

2007-03-06T05:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything! I don't know what to blog about-I have Blogger's Block! I guess you could sum it up best with something our four year old, Abby, said the other day.

"My thinkable just can't think of anything."

Works for me Wednesday

2007-02-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

I've been lurking around for awhile over at Rock in my Dryer and I have finally decided to add my own "Works for me Wednesday" tip. Go check it out for more great tips!

I was thinking the other day about how much I hated changing the crib sheets, because it kills my back, and wrestling with the bumper pad is a real pain. Trivial, I know, when you put it into perspective, but none the less, it's like I'm fighting with something that has no arms, and it's beating me.

So, what I have done, ever since the 6 year old was a baby, is to put a sheet on the crib, and then I put the baby quilt or a crib-sized blanket on top of that. I then tuck the sides in and that is what the child actually sleeps on. Then all I have to do when I'm ready to wash sheets is pull up the blanket. It's so much easier!

I still do pull up the bottom sheet occasionally and wash it, but not on the weekly basis as the other sheets. The only thing I recommend is that you DO NOT do this with very young infants. Only do this with older babies who can lift their heads, roll over, sit up, etc.

So, maybe this will save your back-works for me!

To my two-year-old: 10 Things I Love About You

2007-02-08T05:30:00.000-08:00

10. I love your cute little two-year-old words, like oh-tay (okay), ah yah you (I love you), and day-doo (thank you).

9. Your a faithful companion. You will go to the bathroom with me EVERY TIME I go, because you know I don't want to be alone. You sit on the little step stool in there and say "Done?" over and over again, and even clap your hands and cheer for me sometimes.

8. You can sing songs now. You sing with confidence; and even though I can't understand a single word you said, I can recognize the tune.

7. You love to help. You're always willing to go and get things for me, and pick up what that I've dropped, and even take things to the trash. You don't mind at all that I'm being too lazy to do it myself.

6. Reading books to you is still fun. I don't even mind if you pick out the longest book on the shelf, because you never correct me or notice when I've skipped a couple of ~~pages~~words.

5. We can still cuddle. You're still young enough for me to hold you and rock you at night before you go to bed; yet, you're old enough to not wake up in the middle of the night with the need to be fed.

4. You're still sleeping in your crib. Even though you can climb out of it, you still like the safety of the bars surrounding you, and for that, I am grateful.

3. You're learning to take care of your baby dolls. I love watching you attempt to bounce, shush, and even nurse your babies :). It tells me that you have compassion and gentleness for little ones.

2. You can eat by yourself (when you want to!)and even get dressed sometimes. You readily let me know you can by saying "I DO IT!" or "NO, ME DO IT!"

And the number one thing I love about you:

1. You are genuinely happy to see me, quick to forgive, and give me the biggest hugs and kisses, no matter how terrible of a mother I've been that day. You bless my heart.

Worship services with children

2007-02-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

I borrowing a post today from Aaron's blog. He wrote it a few days ago on what to do with children during church services, so I thought I'd post it over here to give my "mom" readers some ideas.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I thought I'd share a simple idea we use with our 6 year old to make the most of his time during the preaching service of our church. I've designed a sheet in MS Excel with blanks for the sermon notes - things such as Sermon Title, Preacher, Date, etc. (most of this info is found in our church bulletin). Then, I list 20 blanks for 20 words or phrases that he is to write down during the sermon.

Here's a sample:

The notes above are for a sermon that our pastor preached from Romans 12:4-8 (listen here, search by date or text). We try to discourage him from writing words like "the" or "he" or "God" - you know, frequent words; but rather to listen for key words or phrases. He's still not catching all the "key" words just yet, but this is a start.

Speaking of starts...we didn't start with 20 words. Here's how it progressed for us: at the age of 4, our church no longer offers child care during the evening service. So, at least twice a month, Aaron Job would sit with us during the evening service (on 2nd & 4th Sundays, we meet in small groups around our city). This is a good & gradual adjustment to "big church". We have our 4 year old daughter coming in on Sunday evenings now as well. For Sunday morning worship, five years is the transition age from children's worship to "big church". So when he turned five, he began attending the main worship service with us each week. We also will bring some of our children in during special services - missions, choir concerts, etc. as another way of slowly getting them accustomed to sitting with adults (our children's worship is also designed to prepare the children for this transition).

Once Aaron Job began to learn to write (I think it was when he was five...that's something my wife would remember) I would make a simple list of just five blanks for him to write words. Soon it grew to 10 words, then 15, and finally 20 (you should've seen the faces he made each time I'd increase the number of words!). Gradually, I hope to train him to listen for outline points and other key words & phrases.

Here's a list of 18 characteristics of a godly man found in Proverbs 16:16-33. The list was easy to follow, so I had Aaron Job listen for the 18 characteristics. He got them all (with a little help from mom & dad) and even included two extra at the end.

Of course, in his mind, the goal is to finish as soon as he can, so he can work on what he hopes will become blog fodder.

To get you started, you can download my form here for your own use. Of course you can customize your list to meet the needs of your children.

Ta-Da!

2007-01-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

I have to show you all my first major sewing project (for me, it's major!) I made some curtains for my dining room, and WOW! What a huge difference they made in that room! I just like to sit there and stare at them sometimes and say, "I made those!" :)

We have lived in this house for two years, and I bought the material over one year ago. I was tired of looking at bare windows, so finally I asked my sweet friend Hannah to come and H-E-L-P M-E. She graciously did, and we knocked them out in one day-well almost. She stayed and helped me as long as she could, and we had all but one done. So, after the kids went to bed, I picked it back up, and got to my LAST row of stitches and ran out of thread! Anyway, I finished them a few days later, and I think they turned out pretty good!

Stay tuned for another year and I may have a new project to show you!

Testimonial from a baby

2007-01-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

For all you moms with babies- there's a conspiracy going on between them! This was too funny!

Sleep Training...

OK, here's my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost 7 months. The first few months were great--I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night). At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse. I've talked to other babies, and it seems like it's pretty common after Mommies have had us for around 6 months.

Here's the thing: these Mommies don't really need to sleep. It's just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleep--they just don't need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle. It goes like this: Night 1--cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it's hard. It's hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it's for her own good. Night 2--cry every 2 hours until you get fed. Night 3--every hour. Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights.

Some Mommies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don't give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT'S HARD! But she really does not need the sleep, she is just resisting the change. If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it.

Last night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for any reason I could come up with. My sleep sack tickled my foot. I felt a wrinkle under the sheet. My mobile made a shadow on the wall. I burped, and it tasted like pears. I hadn't eaten pears since lunch, what's up with that? The cat said "meow". I should know. My Mommy reminds me of this about 20 times a day. LOL. Once I cried just because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the monitor in the other room. Too hot, too cold, just right--doesn't matter! Keep crying!! It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am. Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset your Mommies' internal clocks.

P.S. Don't let those rubber things fool you, no matter how long you suck on them, no milk will come out. Trust me.

SASS-SAY

2007-01-13T06:29:00.000-08:00

Abby recently had her hair in braids for a few days, so when we took them out, her hair was all wavy. Aaron Job kept staring at her and quietly giggling to himself at her poofy hair. So, finally he couldn't stand it anymore, he said "Abby, you...look...kinda...um...different!" She looked at him, and with her hand on her hip, in her sassiest sass, she declared, "Well I'm STILL in this family!!"

New Addition Announcement!

2007-01-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

Did I get your attention? No, it's not that kind of addition announcement. We have a new addition to our blog family! Aaron Job has started a new blog.

Okay, really it was started by Aaron, but the six year old is the contirbutor. It's called Aaron Job Draws, Original Drawings and Stories by Aaron Job. To get the whole story you'll have to visit my husband's blog. Check it out!

Favorite Pics of 2006

2007-01-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

...yes, I meant for that to rhyme:) Instead of posting anything with real content, which is way too time consuming for my brain right now, I thought I would just post some of my favorite pictures. They're mostly from the holidays

Aaron Job is growing up so fast. He loves to read, draw, and play with Legos. He really has made homeschooling a joy for me. He loves to learn and is very bright.

Abby is such a happy girl. There is never a dull (or quiet) moment when she's around! She loves to talk, and is the social coordinator of every event! She always makes us laugh.

Then there's Anna! With her beautiful blue eyes, she's normally the serious child. She's not easily amused, but loves to be tickled and has the cutest laugh. She also loves making messes! She really only has three needs in life: her thumb, her blankie, and her mommy!

Sweet baby Ava. She is pure sunshine, and is almost always smiling! She just turned 8 months old, and about a week before Christmas, she sprouted two teeth, began sitting up, and started crawling!

Here we are in Hot Springs on a trip to Mid America Museum. Aaron Job took this picture, and it turned out really well, considering the subjects he had to work with!

From our whole family, we hope you have a blessed and happy new year!

Check this out!

2006-12-19T06:10:00.000-08:00

This is a funny retro site-hey, and the guys from AR too! You need to go and look at his "Twelve years of Christmas" posts. Scroll down and start from year one though. Hilarious if you're a child of the 70's and 80's. Makes me want to dig out my old photos...hmm, I might just do that! Stay tuned...

2006-12-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

So, I'm trying to get ready to go somewhere the other day and noticed that the house was uncomfortably quiet. I asked Aaron Job to go check on Anna and see what she was doing. The next thing I heard was "MOM, ANNA'S ALL BROWN!" Honestly, the first thing that went through my mind was something brown that comes out of a diaper, so I was a bit relieved to see this instead:

Whew! It's was only lipstick. A LOT of lipstick- like, almost a WHOLE, BRAND NEW tube of it on- not her lips, but her cheeks!

Once I cleaned up the thick layers, her face was STAINED with lipstick. Then we left to go meet Aaron, and the first thing he said when he saw her was "Why's her face so pink?"

This world is not my home

2006-11-28T05:14:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been reading A Passion for God by Ray Ortlund, Jr., during my quiet time. It's a book of prayers and meditations on the book of Romans; and since our pastor is preaching through Romans right now, I thought it'd be a good companion to that. At the rate I'm going, with my quiet time being very limited these days, we're on the same track, as it will probably take us both a few years to finish the book! He's been preaching on Romans 12:1,2 for a few months now, but it's been great!

I've been wanting to blog for a while on this last passage I read because it was so good. It's from Romans 8:18-21.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

I love the poem that Ortlund put with this passage. It's written by Henry Francis Lyte, 1793-1847, (don't know him, but I like what he wrote). It's from a book called Hymns as Poetry by Tom Ingram and Douglas Newton.

My rest is in heaven; my rest is not here.

Then why should I murmur when trials are near?

Be hushed, my dark spirit! The worst that can come

But shortens thy journey and hastens thee home.

It is not for me to be seeking my bliss

And building my hopes in a region like this.

I look for a city which hands have not piled,

I pant for a country by sin undefiled.

Let doubt then and danger my progress oppose;

They only make heaven more sweet at the close.

Come joy or come sorrow, what'er may befall,

An hour with my God will make up for it all.

I struggle with rejoicing in trials, but for me, this poem has really put a tangible meaning on it. The writer is saying that suffering only makes heaven seem sweeter and nearer, so let it come! I confess, I am too weak in my faith to ask for trials, but reading this passage has given me a peace, and yes, even a joy in suffering.

Happy girl at six months!

2006-11-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

This is one of those smiles that makes me love being a mom!

Why I love Halloween Reformation Day!

2006-11-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

Costumes at 75% off!

Here's Anna doing her impression of Ralphie.

What we're not reading.

2006-11-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

A recent trip to the library yielded an interesting treasure. Usually I look at all of the books that my kids pick before we check them out. All kids books are not created equally!! I want my kids to read what is interesting to them, but I don't like for them to get books that have characters who are disrespectful to parents, siblings, and friends; or a storyline that encourages or promotes sinful behavior. But I digress.

Like I said, I usually I o.k. everything before we check out, but this time I didn't, and we made it home with this book:

YES! THIS IS A KIDS' BOOK!! Here's a description of it from Amazon:

It's a fabulous floating palace, and everybody on it is having the time of their life until a mysterious and terrible odor begins to permeate the splendid ship. What can this awful odor be? All signs point to Walter, and so he is banished down below, with the stinky cheeses. Walter doesn't mind at least he has something to snack on. But not even the cheese room can contain Walter's powerful farts. So they lower him onto a lifeboat, and he is forced to travel alone behind the ocean liner. Then catastrophe strikes! The liner loses its power. How long will the great cruise ship and its frightened passengers be marooned on the high seas? About as long as it takes Walter to digest that cheese...

Okay, I have to be honest...from the little bit of Jr. High mentality that's still left in me-it's really kinda funny. I can't help but giggle everytime I read the title. I giggle out of humor, and out of disbelief at the same time. I can't believe there is a children's book in the library with the word fart in it... I can't believe I just typed the word 'fart' in my blog!!

So the day after going to the library, I discovered the book. I secretly read it to see what it was about, giggled to myself, and then hid it on a bookshelf until we could return it. But what really cracked me up (pardon the pun) was my son's reaction. He noticed the change.

He got up early the next morning and I told him that he could lay on the couch and read his library books. He looked at the stack of books and said

"Hey! I had four books here yesterday, and now there are only three! And by the way...what's a fart?"

I gave him a brief definition (which he giggled at too-but he's six, not 31) and told him that it really wasn't a nice word to say, and then I quickly changed the subject so that I wouldn't have to explain the missing book!

I would really like some input here. Am I being too uptight? I don't want to be a prude, but it seemed kinda crude for a kids' book. I dunno....what do you all think?

Oh, by the way, there are more Walter books if that one wasn't enough! There's the original "Walter the Farting Dog" and "Walter the Farting Dog: Trouble at the Yard Sale."

Well, I'll wrap this up with some reviews here. Here's a quote from ALA Booklist

"All in all, it's a gas." (hehehe)

And, one that's more for my liking, from Publishers Weekly,

"Yes, this lowbrow endeavor could be a crowd-pleaser but, like its topic, its disruptive effects will tend to linger."

Excuse me now :)

By request

2006-10-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Someone, who's name shall go unmentioned, has requested more pictures of the two year old's B-Day bash; and it started making me feel a little guilty for favoring one child over another. So, in the spirit of fairness to all, (I'm such a middle child!) here's more pics:

Here's a cute one with Grandma (my mom)

Programing her favorites in the new cell phone. Complete with duckie slippers.

Still in the baby swing.

She did the best, by far, at blowing out candles at the age of two. We practice the day before, and when I told her to blow, she blew her nose (sans tissue) so we had to be more specific on WHAT to blow when it came birthday time.

Just because

2006-10-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's time to post something, if for nothing else than to get rid of the chocolate chip pancake sausage picture!

Nothing new going on here. The weather's beautiful, so we've been going outside as much as possible. We're doing a little bit of school here and there. We'll do more when it gets too cold to go outside (for me that's about 65 degrees!) With Reformation Day coming up, we're talking about Martin Luther and others for the next few weeks. That's pretty much the excitement around here!

We had a family birthday party for DD #3 who turned 2 on Saturday. She's now in two year old mode- full force! It's so hard being two and having to share all of your birthday loot with an older brother and sister! But isn't she sweet!!

A little bit of business now. I'm going to try to at least keep my sidebar updated more often since I can't post much. In case you haven't noticed it yet, under the "good reads," I try to put up some articles or websites of interest. So, anything funny, encouraging, and/or theologically astute will be linked on my sidebar. We'll see if this goes better than my posting!

What's grosser than gross?

2006-10-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

This is breakfast gone bad!

Sorry, but just looking at this made my stomach turn a little! Hey, you might as well take two Chips Ahoy cookies and put a piece of sausage between them, and call it breakfast!

Oh, then dip it in syrup!

Family Pictures

2006-09-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures as promised:

This was the best one of the kids.

Really...it was.

One of the out takes.

And, after almost 80 pictures, (seriously) there were a few that turned out.

Back by popular demand!!

2006-09-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe not so popular demand, but people have been asking when I'm going to blog again! I know it's been a month since I've blogged anything, but things have been CRAZY around here lately. I'll just give you a run down of what we've been up to lately.

Aaron spoke at a parenting conference two weeks ago. He had four messages to preach there, so he'd been working like a wild man trying to get those done. That led to my involuntary sabbatical from blogging. Any time I had a minute to type up a post, he would be using the computer, and I couldn't very well say "stop preparing your sermons so I can blog something!" I was also speaking to the ladies in two breakout sessions, so I felt a little guilty spending time on the computer when I had two talks to prepare. I still crammed it all in at the last minute anyway! The conference went very well, there was great feedback from those who attended, and Aaron did a great job.

It was very obvious to Aaron and myself that while we were preparing for this parenting conference, Satan was tempting us in that very area of our lives. Our kids were going crazy, and giving us ample opportunity to "practice what we preach." :) So, now it's time to slow down a little bit and get back into normal life again.

In the midst of all this, I have had several doctor appointments to go to, which is no small feat, when you have four small kids to arrange for. Thankfully, Aaron's job is flexible enough that he was able to be here for most of them. I have just not been feeling well, and I've been having a lot of dizziness and light headedness for about four months, so I finally conceded to going to the doctor. Four doctor visits, an MRI, and a lot of $ later, we still don't know what's going on. But a huge praise is that the MRI was normal. I was starting to think that something was seriously wrong after seeing my Dr. and talking with nurses, and I'm normally not one to go to the extreme on stuff like that. Now we're thinking it could be something like blood volume and/or pressure problems or maybe just hormones or fatigue. I would really appreciate you're prayers through all this. It has been very discouraging to me at times. To not feel well, when you have so much to do can seem a bit overwhelming.

Through all of that, and starting school and awana, we still had time to squeeze in a family picture. I'll leave you with a couple. Thanks for not giving up on my blog!!

(four hours later)
Okay...maybe I won't put up some pictures! Blogger isn't letting me upload any right now. I'll try again tomorrow.

Blogger Tip #1: Don't let your husband know your blogger password.

2006-08-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is Anita's husband (otherwise known as "DH"). Anita has invited me as "Guest Blogger" today.

Ok. Not really. She's in bed right now. I should be, it's late.

But instead, I've found myself looking for pictures of an old high school teacher in her old yearbooks. That's when I came across this lovely picture of you know who!

Seems this photo was on a page, underneath the caption/question "What do you hate the most about your daily responsibilities?" Anita's response was one of several from various high school students.

I post Anita's response and photo here - of course - to embarass her. But more importantly, to give praise to God for His sanctifying work in her life over the years as a mother and wife. Remember, the girl below, is the same girl who wrote these words.

So here you go:

11th grade - 1992

(she's still looks just as young & beautiful today, I might add!)

PS: If you leave her lots of nice comments, I might find some other incriminating photos of her to post! :o)

A girl and a marker...

2006-08-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

How could this sweet and innocent :) little girl, who sits quietly reading a science book to her teddy bear, ever do anything mischievous...?

The demon in her comes out... (enter Psycho music)

...I was only out of the room for a second.

That was all she needed.

Notice she now has a crayon in the last picture.

It's the little things...

2006-08-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

While I'm tempted to be overwhelmed at times with the many little voices calling me, (and calling me, and calling me, etc.) there's something strangely special about them needing me, and only me.

Take for instance, lunchtime. Not to brag, but no one can make their lunches the way they really want them but me, the first time. While I'm no short order cook, there are certain things that just make a meal go better. Like having all your little quirks worked out. The six year old likes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cut into two big triangles, apple slices with the peel on and juice in the tiger cup. On the other hand, the three year old likes a peanut butter only sandwich, with the crusts cut off and it "left big," apple slices with the peel off, and water in the fish cup. The one year old doesn't like peanut butter sandwiches at all, (she may starve one day) she likes grapes cut in half, and little blocks of cheese and ham, and lots of milk. And then there's the three month old. She doesn't ask for much. Just my total, undivided attention every three hours.

You're probably wondering why in the world I'm blogging about my children's eating habits, but the point I'm trying to make is that while I'm making their lunches especially for them, it is also a joy for me to be there, to do this job. When I'm tempted to run away and not come back for a long, long time (at least until the baby needs feeding again) I think about these little things, and it causes me to treasure, almost savor these moments.

There is no one else who can make a lunch with as much love as a mother can; and I wouldn't want any less for my children. I wouldn't want my children calling, (and calling, and calling) to any one else but me throughout their day. For now, they have entrusted their little hearts to me, and they depend on me for comfort when they're hurt, and food when they're hungry. These are the children that God has chosen for me, and they are wonderful blessing from the Lord. He has given me this job to do, and I must do it to the best of my abilities (which He supplies) and for His glory.

No, this is not an attempt to boost my ego in any way. I know how to make their lunches, but there are some things I'm still trying to figure out, like how to contain the legos into one room of the house. This is just a meager attempt to encourage moms. It's a big job. It's a hard job. But it's not mundane. You hold much responsibility in your hand, when you seek to shepherd your children's hearts.

Sometimes it's just good to know that you're doing the right thing. Like cutting off the crusts.

On turning six, and feeling great...

2006-08-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that I'm still alive. Here's a little quote from the birthday boy.

DH: So son, how does it feel to be six??!!
DS: Um..... Kind of sixy.

That's all I'm going to say about that! :)

And a quote from the three year old...

On Sunday we had the privilege of having John MacArthur preach at our church. As we were getting ready that morning, Aaron told the kids "Hurry and eat your breakfast, we're going to hear John MacArthur preach!" The three year old, doing her own version of misheard lyrics, asked "Dad, what's a karma parcher?"

I wonder if John MacArthur and karma have ever been used in the same conversation before.

I wonder what kind of Goggle search will bring up this post.

Disclaimer

2006-08-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

UUGGHH!! Blogger is really provoking me to anger! It's not letting me put any spaces between my pictures and captions. (I know- a poor workman blames his tools.) Anyway, as you read the post below, the caption is underneath the picture that it is supposed to go with. Sorry it looks all jammed together.

My baby is six!

2006-08-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

My sweet boy turned six on Monday! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. It seems like we were just at the hospital having him.

Here's a few pics of the birthday bashes. We had a family get together on Saturday, and then went to Purple Cow on Monday. He was a bit confused as to when he could officially declare that he was "six," since we had two celebrations.

It was a Batman/Superman/Rescue Hero kind of birthday. We are now supremely protected from the forces of evil around here.

Getting ready for the Batman cake. This was the first year he successfully blew out the candles without spitting all over the cake. The guests were all relieved as well.

All's well that ends well.

Purple Cow Pics

Aahhh. Milkshakes from Purple Cow. Notice the purple drool coming out of their mouths. DH wiped his off before I took the picture :) The one year old was hanging on to that straw for dear life. It never left her mouth the whole time we were there!

The new six year old showing us his chest of steel.

Photography by the six year old.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

Vamanos!!

2006-07-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

I ~~hate~~love how people look at you when you enter a store with many small children! I never can tell if they are looking at me with sympathy or adoration. Do they think I'm insane for having so many children, or do they think that I'm God's gift to children?!

I'm sure it's the latter:)

My DH took DS on a "guy" trip last night to a drum and bugle corps competition. So, since I was with one less child, I thought we would venture out. DS's birthday is coming up, so I told the three year old that we would go to the dollar store, and she could pick something out for him. I had the three month old in my Snugli carrier, the 21 month old in the basket, and the three year old walking happily by my side the whole time:)

All was well.

Really, it was. I don't know why all the stares. Could it be the 3yo singing "Dora the Explorer" at the top of her lungs? Seriously, every time we would stop to look at something, she would burst into song. "VAMANOS, LET'S GO!!! D-D-D-D-D-DORA...." It really was kinda cute, and she was HAPPY, so I let her go.

So, she's trying to pick out something for her brother's birthday. After this trip, she must think I have terrible taste in gifts, because EVERYTHING she picked up I had to say "No, I don't think so," or "No, he wouldn't like that."

What six year old boy wouldn't want pretty pink dress-up high heels for his birthday?

We finally settled on some plastic dinosaurs and turtles. The real challenge here was trying to find something that wouldn't fall apart in one day. You know how those dollar store toys are equivalent (if not worse) to happy meal toys! And the three year old got some new headbands. She loves headbands now, but the mortality rate of those in our house is high. The life cycle of headbands here, would rival that of a housefly. So for one dollar, she got a "happy" too!

We left the store without an incident and made it home. The three year old played with the dinosaurs for about 30 minutes. She was content, so I let her (I won't tell her brother that he's getting a used toy.) Not a single one broke, so we wrapped them up and hid them. The birthday isn't for five more days, so we'll see how long she can keep a secret. The guys got back at about 3 a.m. this morning, it's 8 a.m. right now and she hasn't squealed yet. So far, so good!

Getting to know me

2006-07-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

A dear friend sent me this little quiz and so I thought I would post it here to give you a chance to get to know me a bit more. I know that you all were dying to know more about me! This sounds like a very self-centered post, and basically, yes, it is.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life
1. Checker at Wal-mart
2. Lifeguard
3. Hostess at El Chico
4. Surgical Tech. at an outpatient surgery center

B) Four movies I would watch over & over...and have (This was a hard one to answer since I usually fall asleep in movies. A better question would have been: "Name four movies that you have seen in it's entirety." The ones that I listed, I only put because I have seen them more than once. I'm also, adding as honorable mention The Sound of Music, and The Music Man.)
1. 8 Seconds
2. St. Elmo's Fire
3. Grease
4. A Christmas Story

C) Four places I have lived
1. White Hall, AR
2. Sheridan, AR
3. Guy, AR
4. Little Rock, AR

D) Four TV shows I love to watch (This was also difficult. I wouldn't necessarily say that I love to watch these shows with the exception of American Idol. The others, I like and try to catch them on occasion.)
1. Jeopardy
2. Without a Trace
3. American Idol
4. Martha

E) Four places I have been on vacation
1. Gulf Shores/Destin
2. Disney (as a child)
3. Skiing in Colorado & New Mexico
4. Wyoming (Old Faithful and the Grand Titans)

F) Websites I visit daily/bi-weekly (I could have put a lot more on this one. There are a lot of people's blogs that I visit regularly. These are just the ones that are usually updated when I check them. I also have to add mine to the list. I like to check the counter:) you'd think I'd update it more as often as I check it!)
1. Amy's Humble Musings
2. i am chief
3. life in' saw
4. Girl Talk

G) Four of my favorite foods
1. Cheese dip from Senor Tequila
2. Papa John's Pizza
3. Anything from P.F. Chang's
4. Hershey's kisses with almonds

H) Four places I would rather be right now
1. On a beach
2. In my bed sleeping
3. In a quiet cabin in the woods
4. Heaven

I) Four people I think will respond (A lot of people responded! Thanks to Rachel J., Summer, Phoebe, Amanda, Hannah J., Candy, Wendy, and Krista so far!)
1. Amanda (my sister)
2. Hannah J.
3. Kelsey (my niece)
4. Courtney

Okay, for the sake of newness, I am adding one more question to the list and you all can leave your answers in the comments. I am baring my soul to you on this one, so you all better be honest with me too!

J)What was your nickname as a child?
Skeeter-yes, skeeter. I played softball growing up, and my coach, who was also my pastor and my best friend's dad, gave me that name and it stuck until I was a teenager!

Although, after this post, my new nickname could be
The link miester!

My answer

2006-07-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

I'm just posting my answer to DH's question here. Only because it became long enough to be a post :) and I had been thinking about blogging on Crunchy Cons anyway:

"it's funny that you should ask this question (What book would you recommend to the President?), because the book that i am reading right now is Crunchy Cons, and as i've been reading, i've thought many times "i wonder if the president has read this?" it's a very thought-provoking book. it's not bashing government, but makes some good points about the republican party and politics in general.

one thing that has stuck out to me is that we, who say we are conservative, will scream and cry when it's comes to pro-life, gay marriages, pornography, etc. but sit quietly when we see perfectly good houses and land bulldozed for big businesses and bigger houses. all this is done in the name of making and saving more money. aren't greed, envy, and covetousness sinful too?

this book needs to be read with some discernment, but it does have some good ideas. i'm coming away from it with the fact that we, as conservatives, need to really be conservative in all areas(put our religion and our life/business together), and be good stewards of what we have been blessed with- our families, homes, food, money, land, and community.

no, i'm not turning into a tree-hugger, but it does make me want to grow a garden. :)"

A good question

2006-07-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

My DH has put up a good question on his blog. Go check it out- I'm interested in reading your comments!