Embrace the old photos

Its Thursday
Time to link up with Emily from The Anderson Crew for Embrace the Camera again this week
Like many mommies, i have an obsession with taking pictures (i was like this before i had kids though).
Anyhoo, about a year ago our laptop died (with ALL of my pictures on it..and most of the pics were not backed up on another site, zip drive, etc-DUMB)

To make a LONG story short..my awesome husband got my pics back for me last week

I am embracing some old photos..because i missed my pictures while they were gone.

Jon and I. My BFFS wedding 2007. I think i need to go blonde again.

 

Brady & I- Easter 2005. My first babes first easter.
He is 5 months in this picture.

Bradys First day of Kindergarten, waiting for the bus...2010

2007, love this pic

Luke & I apple picking Fall 2010- my cute little bug is 5 months there.
He looks a lot like his big bro did at 5 months...
Brady took that picture, a photographer in the making

I love it that i can look at a picture and it takes me back to that moment.

    

 

Her voice. Her struggle. Her second chance.

i have mentioned in previous posts about seeing loss in pregnancy and how horrible it is.
i cannot get a mommys voice out of my head. a mommy who was told the worst, a mommy who did not get reassurance with hearing her babys heartbeat. a mommy who thought she was going to become a mommy in a different way that night. a mommy who has to go down a path she never imagined.
i can hear her screams, her cries, her pleads.

i also see another mommy who has been down this road before. she can have this baby in her belly for a short while. then it is over. again and again.
this time there is a better chance. this baby snuggles into the womb and begin to grow and grow but her body is telling her that this might not happen. there are signs of extremely early labor. this blessing might not come home here on earth but might go home to heaven.

one more mommy. already a mommy trying again to become a mommy is now blessed with more than one growing in her belly. she, too has a body that is telling her it might not happen. she is told these babies will not make it home. they will not meet their sibling. right now she is getting a second chance. her road is long to that day if they make it to her earthly home.

i always have prayers for the moms and the babies i meet at work. i see many mommies in pain.
 but tonight i pray for these three mommies.

Believe

Brady came home from school today with some papers from the week.
They have a journal where they write the meaning of the word and draw a picture of what they think it means.
One of the words this week was Believe.


This is his picture
It says-
If you believe in something it means you think something strongly.

I believe in God.

i. LOVE. this.

im sure

today 4/17/2012 these are things that i am sure of-
*i cannot resist bacon, when i make it, i make the entire package and put whatever we don't eat in the fridge to crumble up for salads, etc...it usually doesn't make it to the salad. i open the fridge..i see it.  i eat it.  i cannot resist. (BUT its turkey bacon, that has to count for something)

*we are dirty. today i cleaned the baseboards in my kitchen and bathrooms, we are piggies. i was so grossed out at myself after cleaning today that i took a Silkwood Shower.  (Remember that movie...1983, Meryl Streep worked in some plant- she discovered they were exposing them to neuclear radiation, SHE got exposed to it, they scrubbed her down in the shower with scaldling water to decontaminate her...?) ANYWAY- i had to take a silkwood shower.)

thats meryl streep, not me.

* i cannot always protect my kids, i cannot always fight their battles, no school, no place where they go during they day is going to be perfect. home is not always perfect either....i just want to wrap them around me and do my best to protect them but give them the tools to spread their wings and cope with the real world. WHY is that so hard?.

*i have great friends. seriously, i do. somedays wish i could cuddle with my BFFs all day and talk forever and ever (like we did in high school or when we were little girls)

some of those great friends.

*our 10 yr. anniversary is in less than a month and we are going out of town WITHOUT the kids and i could not be more EXCITED.

* i start too many projects at once and im so ADD that i cannot finish them in a timely fashion or i cannot priortize what needs to be worked on next. UGH

...going to work on a mothers day for mi madre and hermana now...

Women and Children First!

I have mentioned before in previous posts (here and here) that Brady has a love for all things TITANIC.
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the greatest ship ever built so we had to have a party  (i know...odd thing to celebrate but its fun times with my boys).



 entrance to the party- on our front door..
that plastic life ring was a left over decoration from his 6th birthday (which was Titanic themed party)



He made a Lego Titanic for the centerpiece of our dinner table.



Honey Lime Tilapia via pinterest, mash pots, corn....
all on my gramdmas china....Love
Boarding pass is from the Titanic Museum in Branson we visited yrs ago.



Looking in his glass for an iceberg?



My little Captians!

We also played Titanic trivia  (directed by Brady), while luke tried to sing to Celine Dion's "my heart will go on", looked at all Bradys model boats and watched a history channel special on the great ship!

During this Titanic bash, i began to think about Women and Children First as these mommas boarded one of the 20 the life boats  (not enough for all on board and they were not filled to capacity. 16 were real lifeboats and 4 were inflateable, by the way) ...just a little Titanic trivia for ya

Anyway..can you imagine the horror of possibly putting your little one(s) on a lifeboat without you OR leaving your husband behind OR not knowing where your family was as everyone ran screaming, pushing and clawing to get off of this UNSINKALBE ship?

Embracing the last few weeks

linking up with Emily for Embrace the Camera again!

The last few thursdays ive missed it so here are some pics embracing the last few weeks-

i love this b/c my mom and i are both next to luke (lukes bday party)

the fam (too bad J's head is cut off-sorry)

Embracing my mom and my sister

Its like J and B are getting ready to face the firing squad- could you smile boys?

yeah im playing wiffle ball in my Easter dress-so?

i know im not Embracing it in this one but but...be still my heart

Love

my big man

While going through pics of the last few weeks i realized that im still not embracing the camera enough...gotta get out from behind the lens.

Good and Shameful

Today is Good Friday.
 (techinically yesterday since it is after midnight but im still awake..so for me it's still Good Friday)


Anywhoo...
I was reflecting tonight on my week while i was getting easter baskets ready for Sunday ...
It was not a good week.

Work was SUPER busy.
I was SUPER tired and not feeling that great this week.
I didn't get much time with the kids.
House stuff, chores and errands were becoming a mountian in front of me.
J. and i were cranky with one another.
 then this...and then that.

In my reflection, i was thinking about good friday, the day we as christians commerate Christs death on the cross for us AND i realized what a shameful turd ive been this week.


Serioiusly, Christ DIED for us. He was rejected, beaten, spat upon, mocked and all ive cared about was myself.
I know im a sinner.
I know sometimes life gets in the way of my relationship with God.
I know this week (with the exception of prayer i have not given Him the time i should)


I know there will always be days, weeks, moments when i can do better. Im not unrealistic about the roadblocks that are thrown in front of me, of us...
I know for His sacrifice for me, i can let that mountain of things that is growing in front of me go sometimes.

brady painted this a few years ago. love.

busy bee

i feel like i have been M.I.A.
busy, busy with a whole lotta nuttin..

Had a sick little man (finally better after breathing treatments for almost a week and steroids for almost 5 days)
UGH my little hurricaine luke on steroids...AVOID the ROID. He was a maniac!

did a little thrifting, i have big plans for an old wooden tool box i bought and a printers tray!! AND i have a giant thrifting expidition headed my way this weekend! So excited!

Easter Egg hunts

cooking, baking (adorable baby chic cupcakes- that i adapted from a pinterest recipie)

Work (i was off for 10 days b/c B. was on spring break and luke was sick, it was SO great but did i mention before how much i really do love my job?) i love the mammas and the babies. I could just eat those tiny little babies up- BUT i won't b/c then id get fired

spring cleaning of clothing- BORRRRING.

playing outside like crazy

AND working on planning our 10 year anniversary weekend away.

i want to post pics and share more but i am falling alseep.
more later.