Belly Full of BABY!

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb."

Psalm 139:13

Art Class Revisited!

In preparation for Luke's 3rd birthday! We got the artistic juices flowing and whipped out the fancy "Crayola" paint. After all, I did meet their dad in art class! As many of you know Luke is crazy about "McQueen" so this mamma got to drawing and Makayla and I came up with quite a masterpiece!

Luke was absolutely delighted with the whole project and now has McQueen hanging up in his room to greet him every morning! He came up with quite a masterpiece of his own too!

I love you Little Lukster... you are forever my Bubby!

So Much Sacrifice!

We went to the cemetery today as a family...

Thank you to all who have served or continue to serve in the military...Thank you for giving us freedom...thank you for your courage, your love and your sacrifice, your lives..

We are grateful for you!!!

Thank you...

Over the past century, more than 35 million men and women answered the call to arms in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and countless unnamed military engagements. More than half a million of them never came home. Some died in battle, others in captivity;

all died too soon.

Recent military action in Afghanistan and Iraq has offered fresh reminders of the human reality of war: ordinary men and women leaving homes and families and all they know to risk their lives for an ideal of honor, or duty, or just to protect the soldier next to them.

People of patriotism and goodwill may debate the merits of any given war, police action, or humanitarian mission. But there should be no debate about our debt to the hundreds of thousands of our citizens who have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives heeding the nation's call to service.



May we always remember those who have given so much...
and pray for our nation and those still serving!

Take time to pause and remember the sacrifices --
remember the gallantry and bravery--remember the fallen.

And One More Makes FIVE!

It was such fun photographing this loving bunch...Baby makes 5!

This post is dated on the very day baby #5 arrived!

Congratulation's! She's absolutely beautiful..

Pictures of the newest bundle of love...coming soon!

The Day Came!

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud,

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

- Anais Nin

Capturing Silhouette's!

Half the fun of having kids is that their are lots and lots of toys around the house. I have been playing not only with the kids toys but also my grown up toy- My Camera. My object in this play time was to learn how to capture silhouettes. What better objects than dinosars and horses! Two of my kids favorite things right now! This was alot of fun and I wanted to post the effects I was able to get. The post from a few days ago was also my hand, plus a little photo-shop magic.

Recipe for capturing silhouette shots.

1. For starters I set my camera on AV mode at a 5.6 to 8.0 Aperture.
2. Then I focused on the sky beyond my subject to see what the camera would say my shutter speed should be.
3. Next I took a shot. The camera gave me exposure to the sky as well as the subject/ so I could see both.
4. The final step is how I ultimately got the silhouette effect. I switched to Manuel mode and sped my shutter speed up from where it was on the last shot. I looked at the back of my camera to see if the subjects where darker. I just kept speeding the shutter speed up until my subjects where dark and the sky was bright.

Here are the dramatic effects I came up with.

I vow to never stop playing, especially with my horses!

Festival Fun!

We went to a festival a few weeks ago and got a little silly...

I Love this man...Yes, the one on the left!

Miss Patriotic...

Mr.Bugs

Our climbing monkeys...

Jumping for Glee!

THE BLACKSMITH'S SHOP

The Blacksmith's Shop

by Max Lucado

In the shop of a blacksmith, there are three types of tools. There are tools on the junk pile: outdated, broken, dull, rusty. They sit in the cobwebbed corner, useless to their master, oblivious to their calling. There are tools on the anvil: melted down, molten hot, moldable, changeable. They lie on the anvil, being shaped by their master, accepting their calling. There are tools of usefulness: sharpened, primed, defined, mobile. They lie ready in the blacksmith’s tool chest, available to their master, fulfilling their calling. Some people lie useless: lives broken, talents wasting, fires quenched, dreams dashed. They are tossed in with the scrap iron, in desperate need of repair, with no notion of purpose.


Others lie on the anvil: hearts open, hungry to change, wounds healing, visions clearing. They welcome the painful pounding of the blacksmith’s hammer, longing to be rebuilt, begging to be called. Others lie in their Master’s hands: well tuned, uncompromising, polished, productive. They respond to their Master’s forearm, demanding nothing, surrendering all.


We are all somewhere in the blacksmith’s shop. We are either on the scrap pile, in the Master’s hands on the anvil, or in the tool chest. (Some of us have been in all three.) From the shelves to the workbench, from the water to the fire…I’m sure that somewhere you will see yourself.


Paul spoke of becoming “an instrument for noble purposes.” And what a becoming it is! The rubbish pile of broken tools, the anvil of recasting, the hands of the Master- it’s a simultaneously joyful and painful voyage. And for you who make the journey—who leave the heap and enter the fire, dare to be pounded on God’s anvil, and doggedly seek to discover your own purpose—take courage, for you await the privilege of being called “God’s chosen instruments.”


From On the Anvil: Stories On Being Shaped Into God’s Image

Happy Mother's Day!

It's so fun to have little hand made "Just for Mom" Surprises!

This one curtousy of my precious 6 year old Makayla...

Hugs and kisses curtousy of my (now 3 year) old Luke!

Hope all you lovely mom's out there have a

Wonderful Mother's Day!

Luke's 3rd Birthday!

Yippie... Look Who's 3!

Today is Luke's 3rd Birthday... He still loves "CARS" (as you can see from his jamies.) His other favorites things to do right now are playing with balls, bugs and showing off how high he can jump and do somersaults. Luke you are an absolute Joy to our family and we wish you a very Happy Birthday...Let's go see what fun the day will bring!

Spencer...Class of 2008

Spencer is an amazing and very talented young man that attends my husbands youth group. I had the privilege of taking his Senior High Portraits recently and it was an absolute blast. His mom came along and between the three of us we got the creative juices flowing. Lisa you are officially hired to carry my camera bag any time you want to tag along. Spencer it has been a pleasure getting to know you...You are one very cool dude! Congratulations!

Best Wishes and Blessings Always