this is miss merideth getting into the tin foil and straws....she had so much fun!!
the big news is that dale can say the Lord's prayer. when we picked him up from ss he had on the new shirt and was the only one who did. from what we know about his ss teacher...he really does know the verses!! she is so awesome with the kids which is what they need!!


more later...
e

So here is my dilemma...I have no idea what photo to use for the Christmas card. Stephen wants one with us ALL in it. I say...goodluck finding a photographer this time of year!! I may re shoot the kids again we will see.
Here they are just hanging out...I love it. So sweet together.
She even offered him a baby. Notice we have two now!! One is Walmart baby, the other is "Bobby" and was supposed to be the first cherished one. At least she finally figured it out!!



Yes that is a gun behind his back!! Crazy boy!!













Okay so let me know what you think, should I re do them?? Get the full up face, probably will yes I am okay I AM. But these are so cute aren't' they!

It is COLD here finally! Okay I will type more later..I promise..really.

love, e

Wow what a morning. I have been up since 5:41 AM! Had my coffee and QT. Made muffins, and Dale's party invite. It is really cute. I will post it on this in a minute. But don't look if you want to be suprised when you get it in the mail. My lab has better quality cards than I have been getting printed so I thought I would "try" them on the boy's b-day card. I could have printed them at home on "stella", my new printer but wanted to try these out. Who knows I may be on to something!! Here it is...

Well lots to do today. I have 2 big orders and 2 clients I need to work up. Then it is date night. My goal is to get 1 worked and 2 ordered. Ohh pray I get it all done. Gotta dash...e

any suggestions for date night?? we have already seen the taking on the giants movie...GREAT! by the way! RUN GO AND SEE it....

Okay so I know some of you have been wanting some new photos of the kids...here they are!!





Dale and I at the dinosaur park in Glen Rose. And Dale and Merideth at a photoshoot they came too.


Now here are some random thoughts I had...

It's the funny little things that bother me...it is weird. Just hit me.
For example I don't think anything but hot things should be drank from "coffee" cups, or I don't really like the sound of clapping. Anyway just a couple of really odd things.

I hope that you have a great weekend..I am off to Graham tomorrow for a couple of photo shoots and proofing sessions. I love going there. I get to see Bob and Sonja and the girls.

Sorry no photos!! I will get some from this weekend of both kids!! We are going camping in a CAMPER. Sounds funny I know but I have wanted to do this for a LONG LONG time and we are finally doing it..Yea! I have a couple of photo shoots in Graham so we are going to "camp out" at Possum Kingdom. Should be loads of fun!

Things are going good here. Dale is planning his 3rd birthday party. When I say he is planning it, I mean HE IS PLANNING it. Down to the party favors. I wonder where he gets the zest and zeal for these yearly events?? So far we started with a shark theme and have moved to a super guy one and are now to pirates. We will keep you posted!!

Merideth is so funny. She is getting into EVERYTHING! Like the trash! She loves to eat and evidentially we don't feed her enough because we often find her in the trash just "helping" herself! Also she has started to pack purses and carry them around. She is so girly with a dinosaur growl.

Ya'll have a great weekend!
e

Wow, or should I say whoa. We have had a long week. First of all thanks for all the prayer and also a big thank you to Nonnie for coming to take care of my babies!

Stephen had some test run yesterday, the scope on the lower part! Thankfully nothing was found that we didn't expect it just does not explain what is going on. So on to more drs and more wondering and more waiting. I am sure he is fine, just pray in the mean time!

I have decided that I need to do less. Well I think that the needs of my family and friends require that, as do I. Still will do it all...just not as fast. So no more 5 shoots in a week!! Oh and no new businesses for...well can I just say till after the holidays!!

The sewing is fun and we sold our first thing!! A burpie, but hey people are looking! I will post some photos soon of the clothes.

Okay here is a verse I know you have all ready a million times, but this week it really spoke to me.

"He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine." Eph 3:20

Good Stuff!!
e

I need some comments!! You know the kind that are nice and affirming...Kind...Words of affirmation I think is what they are called! Also to be held accountable to how I spend my time, just ask...I will be honest...Okay so I need to get some gas and a sonic drink!

Well long time no post huh!! Things are going ninety to nothin' here!! Dale and Merideth started going to a Mother's Day Out once a week at our church. This is their first day, Dale is a duck and Meri is a Bunny. They both do really well with it. And I have found more things to do than I can possibly manage with the "free" time!

Photography has been SUPER busy which is a blessing! I had five shoots in one week and will not do that again. Stephen was off work so that helped a lot. He was super Dad and bathed and fed the kids way more than he normaly does. We are seeing the light at the end of the Financial Peace Plan and are really focused on being debt free so that is the reason for taking on so much! We really feel blessed by the work and are so excited that this time next year the only "payment" will be the house!

Well Cha Cha is on her way so I am going to ready the house. She is Stephen's Mom, which by the way according to Dale hung the moon!

We hope that everyone is doing GREAT!! Love to all!!

e

Where one is the other is close by.

Dale and Merideth have so much fun together. He is so patient with her. And Kind. And Loving. I can learn a lot from this little guy.

Here he is teacher her how to make "cake".

We are off to feed the ducks. Hope you all have a great day!

Love,
e

So here is what was in my quiet time today. This comes from CloserWalk and is distributed by the Navigators. I really recommend it for daily devotional and prayer. My parents have used their resources for years and where introduced to the Navigators in their early 20's. The organization has made a deep, meaningful impact on all our lives. The photo today is from Eagle Lake, a camp held by them. My sister and I went there as teenagers, Heather Belle was camp nurse for several years, and now my nieces attend. Dale and Merideth will someday get to go there also. It is a lot of fun and offers a place of growth, not only spiritual but also in character.

So back to the QT for today...

"As Jesus grew, He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men"(Luke 2:52)
Take note of the four essential areas of growth:
Mental. Physical. Spiritual. Social. Every day as you look intently into the mirror of God's Word, ask yourself what you can do to promote healthy growth in each of those areas of your like."

Wow makes me look twice at the mirror of God's word and what is reflected back...

what do you see?

e

I have to say that Merideth LOVES to eat. She has really started to want to feed herself more too. Which is good/bad. She gets very MESSY! Here she is eating spaghetti, and enjoying every bite!! Yesterday we had a tea party, she even poured the tea for me! It is so hard to believe how quick she is growing up...

Psalm 90:12 "Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!" This is from the message. Makes me want to SLOW down and really be more diligent in spreading our time out! I tend to over schedule...With good intentions of course!! So I am challenging all 2 of my readers to be diligent and prayerful over how we spend our time so that we will live "wisely and well"!

Now here is Dale...He is really enjoying his gymnastics. We have class again today. His favorite thing to do there is this harness that they hoist into the air and let them do flips! He just laughs and laughs and tells them to go higher! Every time he was not in line they found him on the trampolines...he was using up all that energy and jumping.

Have a great day!
e

So today we went to a birthday party. I have to say that there has never been a party quite like this at our house. They had a jump castle and a CLOWN! A professional clown at that! He is a cousin to the family and is very talented even though Meri did NOT like him!!


Anyway cake, balloon animals, jump castles, pinata, and lots of fun! The party was a blast! Now I have a new level to live up to when November rolls around...I wonder if the clown will be available!! If I remember right Nonnie and Poppy have clown outfits...Mmmmm!




So now we are off to my folks for the night. My sister is in from Colorado and we are going to visit and laugh and paint toenails. I enjoy living closer and being able to visit family more often and we are super glad HB and Dave live a few states closer as well. Just wish that Dave and Stephen could be there too.

Stephen in at an air show in Illinois this weekend. Pray he will have fun, that is won't be too hot and that he will impact the lives of the crew he is with for Christ.

Okay I am outa here!!

e

We are home...I think I have said that before.

Dale and Merideth are still getting back on a schedule. They are so sweet and so good. Merideth debuted two new teeth, and Dale has announced that his stinky feet are that way " because that is just how God made them". Wow, isn't he smart!

I have already done one photo shoot and proofed two since being home. We are trying with all our might to be debt free by December, with the exception of our home. So send me clients Lord!! I am trying to come up with a "package" for clients for Christmas so it will bring more business our way. Any suggestions? I don't think I want to do Christmas cards as far as "selling them", I would like to sell the image to be printed. There just is not enough of a markup for it to be worth the time away from the family. I do want to be busy but balanced!

Well I better go and get the princess! She is still not walking on her own. But she is putting two words together. She says "Hi there" and "I toot"! Too funny!!

Talk soon!
e

Okay so we are in Colorado...we are headed home in the morning. We have had a lot of fun. We are tired. We are ready to be home! Dale is fun to be with, he loves his "Unca Dave". Merideth has figured out the fine art of "how to get to sleep with mommy all night". And I have really enjoyed being with my Mom and Sister. I will update more later about the trip. We head up the mountain to get Jordan and Meghan from Eagle Lake Camp and then on to Texas. Back to the heat but home to Stephen...I can hardly wait...
e

So I was TAGGED by my friend "S" in Mississippi to do this and since she said I would probable be the ONLY one who did it I feel guilty not...so here goes...

Four jobs I have had in my life
1) Office Assistant while in High School
2) Made and sold hairbows with parents and family at craft shows, along with other "crafty" things!
3) Doughnut cook and seller!
4) Banker

Four Movies I would watch over and over
1) Legally Blond
2) Sweet Home Alabama
3) Paws and Tales
4)

Four places I have lived as an adult
1) Wichita Falls TX
2) Mexico Beach Fl
3) Abilene TX
4) Columbus MS

Four TV Shows I love to watch
1) Lost
2) Invasion
3) Law and Order SVU
4) Flipped

Four Places I have been on Vacation
1) Taos
2) Hawaii
3) Padre Island
4) Colorado...

Which leads me to my kids and I are about to head out to go on an adventure with my Mom to Denver. We are going to see my sister Heather Belle and her husband Dave and their dog Lucy. Then we are going to pick up the little girls from Eagle Lake camp. We will be gone a week. It will be a lot of fun, we are going to Focus on the Family, The Navigators, and I get to reconnect with a great friend and I get to smell my sister. I am looking forward most of all to being with my Mother. It is funny this time I am bringing the CD's to listen to! Normally she brings Moses along by Chuck Swindoll. But I have some from FOF that I want to listen too!! Pray we have safe travels and make many memories! e

New day new way of looking at things. I am thinking that the to do list was so that we could "evaluate" if we spend our time wisely...duh! I think in many ways I do. We don't watch too much tv. I do talk on the phone too much but it is ALWAYS to get prayer requests and to help others....ha ha. No I am working on that...seen any progress parents!!

Anyway.

The kids and I are off to a homeschool playgroup this am. I really enjoy this, I think they do. The Moms are outstanding and I always come away refreshed and renewed by being with them. I am going to talk with one of them today about purchasing her used curriculum for Dale's pre-k. We have decided on Sonlight. I am really excited about it.

Okay so I am rambling....more later...

maybe?? e

okay so no today list earlier today...but here it is...late

make Stephen lunch
QT
make beds
get kids up
breakfast
counseling
going away lunch for military friend
grocery shopping
nap time for kids
laundry
make phone calls
play/read with kids
proofing of photos
supper prep
supper
photo shoot (engagement session)
home get started on proofing
spend some time with Stephen

man I am tired just typing it!!

I am down to the supper part and we are waiting for Stephen to come home. LONG DAY here. Hope he gets here soon enough for the photo shoot!!

e

Summer fun and friends. Dale had a few of his pals over on Saturday and we had some fun. The house they are in is Merideth's. She doesn't seem to mind that he "shares" it with her! They had a lot of fun this weekend. Dale is growing fast before we know it he won't be able to stand up in the playhouse! I think he has made the transition to our new home finally with his new friends. It is neat to see how my friends in Mississippi prayed for us friends here in Texas and how we have them. How they are what we needed as a family, what Dale needs, what I need. Our God is Awesome!!

The photo of Merideth was taken on Friday BEFORE her haircut. I will post one of that later today....did you realize it is Monday already!! Let me update you on our little girl and then I will get on with the week. Meme as Dale has been calling her is so funny. She is pepieing all the time. She "loves" a good game of "pat a cake" and enjoys eskimo kisses a lot. But if you want her to walk FORGET IT! Now remember she is 14 months old! O well...she even has hissy fits, don't know where she gets that, when I try to work with her on it! She will blow kisses, says DOG all day and eats anything she gets her hands on or in!! She is a JOY all around!

Okay so friend S has challenged me to post my to do list this week from some other blog she reads....friend S is also tp://deuteronomy6.blogspot.com/ try her blog out....(WOW I DID SOMETHING TECHNICAL!!) So here it is

Monday

Quiet time..while drinking coffee

Check email

8AM Dentist pray for me I get scared!

Clean floors and dust

Process photo shoots and orders proofs while kids are napping/make potential client calls

make supper

4pm counseling

6pm supper

7pm baths for kids

8pm bedtime for kids

hope this is what it is what it is supposed to look like....HOW DO I GET THE double space thing off??????

Talk more later!! e

oh ask me about grape syrup!!!

I must be on a roll...well maybe I will start one anyway! I got up before 7AM!! Got the coffee started, made muffins, got Merideth up, played with her, ate breakfast with Stephen, played with Dale when he got up, fed kids, put Merideth up for nap, had quiet time, talked on phone, now I am bloggin'! Whew I need a NAP!!

Todays BIG event is to make grape jelly here is photo of Dale and Poppy getting the grapes from my parents vineyard.

I know it is just their hands but WOW isn't it something. I am going to get this one printed!!

e

Just take a "refreshing" 30 minute nap is what my friend CC suggested to me yesterday. I thought that this sounded reasonable, I was having 20 women over for a fellowship Bible study in which I needed to cook the main course, finish cleaning house, and get the kids ready to leave. But hey CC had NEVER steered me wrong before! Well the nap was REFRESHING and it was 30 minutes but I added another HOUR to it!! I did get everything done. The meeting was wonderful, food great, fellowship outstanding. Thanks S for the recipe I could not find! On a side note I do not recommend cleaning the shower while actually taking a shower, the fumes can get to you!!

Since I am breaking the LAW and blogging without having my QT (quiet time) I better run and spend some time in prayer and the Word. I pray you all have a great day! Just to explain this LAW, my friend S and I have decided no calls or blogs till time in His presence! Great LAW don't you think!

Wow we had fun at the zoo! The girls were so sweet to play with my children and show them all of the animals. The zoo here is really small, but that is great for my young kids. We had a picnic and saw all the animals in under 2 hours!

Stephen is on his way home, I hope. Supper is in the oven...Yea! King Ranch Casserole! I made 2, one for tonight and one for the freezer. I will blog more on freezer meals later.

Tonight I have a photo shoot that could lead to more senior sessions...Pray all goes well. I always have fun on these!

e

Wow! What a couple of days here we have had. Yesterday we went to Graham and helped to celebrate birthday's in our family. (photos to come later!) My Sister in law's parents and my parents. This weekend the 8th is my Daddy's 60th birthday. Seems really young to me! We did something really fun for him. Each of us kids, meaning my brother, sister and I and our families came up with 20 memories, attributes, character traits that we appreciate about him. It was really special and brought back a lot of fun memories. I really enjoyed seeing my brother and his family share theirs. He and his wife had their kids do some also and it was so moving. We have an awesome family!

Okay well I am off and running! My nieces came home with us so I am going to spend some time with them...They are fun.

Tonight we went and watched the fireworks with some good friends. It was a lot of fun. Dale was so funny. He and his "buddies" were really loud and laughed and giggled. My friend and I felt sorry for the people beside us for about 2 seconds until we remembered that they came after we got there and saw we had 4 kids. I said it was like pulling in next to the "Griswalds". Dale and her kid's where sharing apples and Dale kept YELLING "I need to go peep" which means potty. I am sure noone will forget this 4th of July!! Merideth would say "oooh" and yelled "daddy" the whole time!

Okay so this is one of my favorite photos of the kids. Merideth is patting her Dale on the head.

From the minute I told Dale we were having a baby he told me it was a girl. And it was his baby! Well I think it is HER brother!

They are so special, Stephen and I realize this. It is so hard to be all the things I think they need me to be. I want so badly for them to know Christ through me, I realize that is in many ways wrong. I can model His love. But I am a sinner. So I strive to show them His perfect love. To be patient and kind; to love their Daddy, to have a home open to people but most importantly to honor God with the precious gifts we give back to Him everyday named Dale and Merideth.

Okay so here I go again. Well at least I have been consistent on commenting on some blogs lately with the same name...Maybe that will help me to keep up with this. Not that any one person will want to read about me..well here I go...

So tonight we or rather I decided that Dale could watch a movie with Stephen and I. If you don't know we have removed all television, videos, DVD's, etc from said boys life. (more on that later) We watched "Dreamer" it was a really good movie. Of course Dale talked the ENTIRE time but it was fun to all sit together and watch it and eat homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Okay so we have been having some issues with Dale being to excited, hyper, or not able to focus on things. A sweet friend said that she doesn't allow her kids to watch TV and that it helped them out a lot...O WOW does it ever!! It even helps me too. I don't know how I ever had time to watch all the poo poo I did and get anything done. I am really trying to get to a schedule where I get up before the kids and read my Bible, drink my coffee, and unload the dishwasher. Makes my day better...Anyway I digressed from the TV thing. So anyway before we had Merideth; Dale didn't really watch much TV. When I was in the beginning of my pregnancy in Mississippi and was so sick and he was about 18 mo old he began upon the road of a lot of TV watching! We had read "Bringing Up Boys" and it suggests that children don't watch any television until age 2 and that they will have more of an imagination and such. It is true, we had seen that in Dale.He has a great imagination and he plays really well by himself in his room. He is getting back into that routine since we turned the box off again. So anyway that is why no TV...Maybe some in small doses later....Merideth doesn't need to watch it either and hey what is wrong with music and listening to CD's and reading books together! I highly recommend "Paws and Tales" by Insight For Living, they are great!

Okay have a great night!!