Christmas shopping

so I believe I am done with Devin . Brenden, we have been working on his list.
This year will be free of video games, I stand on my soap box to state
"they make my kid a duhdiduh" not a nice thing to say I know, but he gets spacey, sometimes mad, even sad, or just aggravated when he plays those games and well since being off them, he has detoxed nicely.
So I told him think of things you enjoy doing, he likes to and is good at drawing. I have him requesting some sketch/drawing kits and easels. He also loves imagination play with action figures. I pointed out a large castle that could replace his robin hood forest he has had forever, just this plastic play thing that could truly be upgraded.
Brenden can make imagination out of anything really, would be neat if he could build and glue something easily, such as a castle.
So I want him to tap in to his creative inner person and build on who God is creating not what the game systems are smothering.
Devin would still rather get in to all my stuff than play witha toy, he now has his portable DVD player. He also loves the lap top, cooking, vacuming, driving his four wheeler, and the wiggles!
I want to get Brad a GPS, he has been talking about it for some time, but I need a coupon for Toys R Us, they have them there on sale and with a coupon I could afford it, so I am on the hunt for that.
For me a new skillet, 10in would be nice, I have a 12 inch that we love, but its a bit big and a bit worn out so its time to get a new one and lay the pampered chef to rest.
Devin and I are going to the bank and Walmart, they have a great v8 smoothy there that Devin LOVES, I admit its good, a banana coconut pineapple, yummy.
Then we are off to see our friend Leah and her mommy, they painted the house recently so we are off to have a look at it.
Halloween is tomorrow are you all as excited as I?! I was hoping to take kids to boo at the zoo in the afternoon, we shall see how it all works out!
we are outty for now!

oh PMS and the aging body

ok,
I have a zit
a crink in my neck
my sciatic nerve was bad this week
that lead to the back ache I had the other day
I am tired
hungry
pmsing
I need to get my tits mashed in one of those machines for a baseline
I took my new xanax I think it did nothing
I am trying to breath
trying to smile
trying to find some time for me to do the million things I hope to do
trying to keep up with Devin and his potty chair
a friend called with a sign from God, she says to pray about it, but I think she was my sign already
so I will wait it out to see what else God thinks
I wish I had more time to do the things I am passionate about
this week with doing hair has been good and bad one busy night and Devin was perfect
one busy night and Devin was a terror with no help from Brenden, but why should he its not his problem, I yelled at him anyway
Brad called home and I told him not now, well he was then not thrilled, it was just a call to say he was on his way, but at that moment I just wanted to say "good for you"
I just did 3 clients on top of one another with color cut and eyebrow arching with Devin in the middle of it, trying to focus on what I was doing, in my small room, that had another friend in it and a husband waiting out in the family room.... JOY JOY JOY
today I finally picked up an ice maker we bought over a month ago
I finally got a nap in, that was much needed
I am trying to quit smoking, even though I hardly smoke, I should not smoke at all, so one is bad. today I had one, someone should slap my hand.
I wanted to work on Halloween stuff, but it will have to wait
tonight my ghost shows are on, and I am pumped about that.
Halloween night I am torn, there is a live ghost hunters on for like 7 hours andI have a court Halloween gathering starting at the same time, oh what to do, I will have to tape it or get a tv outside!
so my potatoes are boiling and I still have to cook my Salisbury steak patties so I should run for now. Lets hope and pray PMS passes fast, and God protects the family that has to live with me, LOL

Trunk or Treat

Devin on his first real trick or treat outing, one where he did it on his own even stating "twick o tweat" precious, took about 2 cars then he was on a role, but still handing candy back, you give me one I will go to the next car and give it to them, then he was like ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I get from each car ok, then the trick or treat verse came in to play, by the end he was eating candy and getting goodies and moving along with no problem at all.
This is his cousin Hailey whom joined him for the fun.
Brad and I took the two of them out while my brother and his wife did their church duties preparing for the dinner that was to follow.
Brenden and Jake went out together and Tyler well that little alien had his own set of dudes he went with, they are all so big and do their own thing so not many photos of them.
I did photo what I could the kids move so fast so they are more snap shots than anything spectacular.
It was such a great and safe time!

Its a Potty, join in!!!

Well I decided to buy Devin his own potty chair, this was not something that worked for Brenden, but once again they are totally different kids in so many areas that why not give it a try, Devin HAS been going potty at the big potty for some time now, we wont tell you he has to use it, if you ask he will go pee there, and it can be a mess.....
the start and stop while standing up is not so pretty with a boy.
If he pees in his diaper or poops for that matter he tells you, I go POOOOOOOOOO!
It will all be a matter of teaching to try from time to time.
Well in the mean time I thought why not save some clean up and get his own size, well you still have to show him how to tuck his pee pee behind the pee shield.
We opened it last night, my 3 year old niece Hailey was here too.
and I told Devin (as he is starting to straddle it) take your diaper off and sit, here like this, well he sits, grunts, stands and sure enough he peed!
well then Hailey says "i go too", sure thing sister. We cleaned up Devin's pee and set it down and she sure enough Miss Hailey peed. We washed hands and kept playing, well turns out Hailey has not peed on a potty I guess since my brother and sister in law were surprised at this news.
Devin has used his potty at least 3 more times I guess since that introduction, this morning he did his BIG morning pee in it, he got up and said more, I thought, if you pee anymore than you have a big daddy of a bladder brother.
So now if I can get him to poop on it.................. okay we are in edit mode, I missed the poop, he already did it. So we went to change it an he said I poooooo
so I put him back on the potty and well he peed again so we got some pics. I know in a few months the clapping and photos will stop and it will be one more thing I have to clean, for now we are celebrating though, its like a party around here...

first born

Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born!


1.

Were you married at the time you got pregnant?
few months in to it, thank goodness , I had insurance for what was to come


2.

What was your reaction?
shocked

3.. How old were you?
22?


4.

How did you find out you were pregnant?
after hours at the dr office, we took a test the girl could not say fast enough when was your last "OH my goodness you are pregnant" I freaked

5.

Who did you tell first:
Brad but his mom and her boyfriend took me to her office for an after hours test, she worked for the obgyn as her nurse



6.

Did you want to find out the sex?
yes

7.

Due date?
August 4th
..

]8..What is your baby's actual birthday?
July 5


9.

Did you have morning sickness?
the very begining, with both kids

10.

What did you crave?
Way to go for memory Kathy
I was not allowed sugar so that was out,I dont remember during, I crave different things even now so this is hard for me.
I did after I have Brenden fall in love with cantalope, didnt eat it before, so Brad's mom would cut up big things of fruit for me and bring it with cottage cheese, it was the first thing I ate after having Brenden and I was hooked

11.

Who irritated you the most?
well when you know you are getting fatter and people around you say oh you look so good like you arent even pregnant, so you are saying I look like I am getting fat?


12.

What was your child’s gender?
boy

13.

Where's question 13? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I dont think thsi one I can answer


14.

Did you have any complications during your pregnancy?
that good ol heart condition I have but this is when it was discovered, the pregnancy brought it all to a head and well it was a blessing and the scariest time for me, for all of us. We made it as you can see.
There were different things I had to go through with platlets, rest, meds, tests, dr visits. It was in all though a good pregnancy, just soooo much new info to take in.



15.

How many hours were you in labor?
induced so by the time they induced in the evening, I had him the next morning at 10:31, not too bad, Hours I dont know I am not that kind of a person (not detailed) I just go with the facts, its a fact he came out!



16.

Who drove you to the hospital?
Brad, maybe his mom was with us too

17.

Who watched? GOD
Brad, Pastor Dave, Eileen, 2 dr, 3 nurses, ummmmmm the others I could not see, there were a LOT of people in the room and door way dad judy, prayer team

18.

Was it natural or c-section?
natural and then some, it was a high risk delivery so it was sort of special, LOL


19.

How much did your child weigh?
5 lbs 10 oz

20.

Did your child have any complications?
premie and jaundice, I had to go to ICU heart unit for 24 hours, it was such a wonderful experience let me tell ya,


21.

What is your baby's name?
Brenden Frank

22.

How old is your first-born today?
12 years old

Will of God

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'
When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence...
'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

this was an email from my father in law this morning, what a nice reminder!

Sick by Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

Chili and Bonfire and Pa Pa Bud's house

we had such a good time, wonderful weather, great food, the kids played catch football and woofle ball. Devin and Hailey ran around. Devin was so aware of the fire and stayed well away from it.
We had wine and snacks by the fire and chili, chicken wings and hot dogs at dinner, wtih some apple pie and pumpkin pie on the side, YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!
The oloder kids were able to melt marshmellow's at night in the fire, they are getting so big these days, amazing how time just flies right on by.
My sister and other brother and step sister where not able to join us, could you imagine the sitting around that fire, my goodness, that would have been 10 more kids total and 6 more adults, not that EVERYONE would have shown, but still. We were just perfect with our little group I think.
Here are a few pictures since I cant post them all, hard to pick from the 50 some I kept. Kristy and Brad took a few so I could be in the photos too, I am learning to hand the camera off and say take a picture, Brad says I am ready when I flip my hair. I guess its a girl thing, we have to primp a little. LOL

This is the family
My step mom Judy and Dad (Bud) my oldest Brother Ken and wife Kristy their 3 kids, Jake, Tyler and Hailey (I love to photograph her)
My neice Shelby (her mom is my older sister)
and then my gang
















This is the lake after sunset, an overexposure allowed me to capture all the light on the lake, along with some fog for one awesome photo, a few less drinks in me and this could have been even better, LOL!

full contact sorry

have you ever played full contact sorry?, you know the board game sorry!

Well this is how it goes around my house. Two big boys get out a board game of sorry, and set up shop. Once game is under way, enter boy #3. This one should be of much smaller size and even less ability to make good decisions.

Now this boy #3 will want to join in the game and count his own men or the other players men around the board.

He will want to have a turn out of order or at a game he is not even a part of.

He will steal cards, steal players game pieces, even sit on the game board and more.

Before too long all the rucus will turn in to full contact sorry board game.

If you still don't understand maybe the photos will help paint a clearer picture for you how this is played.

You have a voice, learn to use it

raising children with the ability to communicate is harder than I thought. You say what you feel, those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
That's one motto I like, not that I always feel that way, I do think sometimes it matters, but in most cases when we speak up and speak out, we are most importantly "Heard"
"God gave us voices and we should use them" (something I have been telling my kids forever) We are advocates for ourselves, we are to be sure to get the most out of this life HE set before us and learning to have a voice is important. In learning to have a voice you also learn to communicate with those around you. Letting someone know your feelings, about yourself, a situation, or about someone that is around you.
Then to top it alllll off, teaching a male, a soon to be man to speak up for help, for explanation, for healing, for release.
When you start to speak you need SOME thought behind your words, but more important those words will have feelings attached to them, and power, energy, they can have wisdom and healing. What you say can break someones spirit or change the world for good.
If you feel it then say it. Speak the truth, speak it often when you are in my home children. "honesty is the best policy" (another one of mom's sayings, I have many) Know that if no one else can handle what you have to say, then you can say it to God. He knows it already, your words are not going to fall on deaf ears with him. Your words can also bring healing to yourself once spoken, amazing how you can move past pain when you speak out, bring the feelings from deep inside up up up and out into the world to let go of, to lay it out.
I am trying to teach my children that your words are for you to use. Use them wisely and know that we are here to hear you, sometimes you have to speak louder so that I am with you, a whisper for help in a loud world will not be heard.
This world is our playground and we all deserve a chance at it. I pray that we all have the words we need when we need to use them. I pray God shows us how to use our words for promoting us in our lives, to bring us closer to him. Bring us closer to who HE wants us to be.
My children can have pain and as I teach and show them how to work through life with words and communication and see that pain can and will work its way out of their mouths. I saw honesty come from Brenden, one he had been holding on to and as he said the truth, let the honesty come forward, the tears fell down his face, and a relief washed over him, let me tell you it is a like a beautiful sunrise. A new day to begin again, a fresh start. It was healing, and instead of punishment I used it as a teaching, the truth can set you free, you can always tell me the truth. I pray he will continue to do so.

A New Blog!

I started one just dedicate to my photos, why? I don't know one more thing for me to keep up with I guess, really I don't want to bore any one with my sidewalk chat about what I am doing and how its rolling, so I decided to separate the two, seems the photos are taking up so much of my time right now and I have much to say about my thoughts and where I am going and what is happenin with it, so I will keep the photography journey over there and my family antics here. KEEP UP NOW! yea right, I cant even keep up!
Peace
I am off to cut hair now, the camera is resting and I am outta here kids
(link to sites on your left)

The Pumpkin patch

photo and video of guys four wheeling