365 Project...Photos of Faith, Family, Friends

day 44 thru 59 (2/13-28/09)....gotta get caught up!

2009-04-03T00:43:00.008-04:00

Ok so this is going to be one hellaciously long post. I will keep commentary to a minimum lol. I have been taking the pics, but haven't taken the time to post in almost 2 months so the following is a quick run down on my 365 project in Feb.

Day 59....2/28/09
We met up with a friend and her girls for lunch...700 and some miles from home! lol These 3 hit it off like they had been pals for years and years :)

Day 58....2/27/09
Heading out on our first long trip...Just me and Li'l T headed on a 1498 mile trip to go to my biological father's funeral.

Day 57....2/26/09
"NONE shall pass...." do we have any monty python fans in the house?....well this is our hillbilly troupe Monty Garder Snake

This is how we spend much of our afternoons...Li'l T putting on "puppet" shows with her toys and me snapping pics of it so that when HER lil ones do this day in and day out I can pull out the old pics *bwahahahaha*

Day 56....2/25/09
Just a day at the park with the kids and the nephews :)...it was really warm when we left home but by the time we got to the park (about 4 miles away) it was sooooooooo cold! They had fun anyways ;)

My friend's son used to call these Sweetgum fruits "baby elephants" because he was convinced that they were elephant eggs and that baby elephants hatched out of them lol.

I think they have seen The Polar Express one too many times....keep in mind they are both 10 yrs old....lol

Just being her pretty self for a moment before running off to play.

He was trying to control the runaway train I think....Goozie is hiding, he was right beside Middle E when I got the camera up lol.

Bubba lost a tooth :D

Day 55....2/24/09
WHOOPS, the whoopi cushion had a blow out and Li'l T had a meltdown....that girl loves her gas jokes....

Day 54....2/23/09
I love the irony of this pic....that scratch on Li'l T's wrist is a direct result of a previous poking endeavor.....go figure

Day 53....2/22/09
it snowed....again.....

Day 52....2/21/09
Tippy & Jillybean looking adorable as ever! (that is my baby brother and his girl ;) )

Bubba's 6th bday party (his bday was on the 18th)....I can't believe how big he is getting....

reach for it!!!!!

Day 51....2/20/09
Middle E was convinced that he could build a remote control car....all you need is a matchbox hummer, 2 batteries, 2 oversized paperclips, a bit of yarn and a remote control from a car that broke....he couldn't figure out for the life of him why this wouldn't work!

My newest "grandbaby"....Li'l T loves these chubby little babies

Just a pretty day and a pretty girl :)

Day 50....2/19/09
Even my cat Zoe gives me the mean mug when I try to get a decent pic! She's much cuter when she isn't staring you down like this....sigh

And Middle E's "Gov. Blagojevich" hair do.....seriously...it is getting a bit out of hand...

Day 49....2/18/09
Rockin' out with your big brother is the best way to spend a lazy day :)

L-dest used my tripod as a makeshift mic stand lol

Day 48....2/17/09
Ok so maybe even the kitten is done with pics now....

Not all pics are of those happy smiling moments....I was trying to do an impromptu shoot with Li'l T and Bubba and Li'l T's fingers got mashed between the fence and Bubba's back...she wasn't too happy but it made for a cute shot none-the-less lol

Malachi got busted trying to dig out from under the fence (probably to go visit the family who took him in for 2 days when he came up missing a couple yrs ago....he visits them every few months when he escapes)... He tried to play it off like he was innocent, but the mud on his paws...chest...neck...belly say differently!

Day 47....2/16/09
What do you do when the kids are hiding from the camera, the kitten is mad at you and you need a pic for the day? You wing it....

Day 46....2/15/09
Li'l T loves goin' swimming but when the weather is this cold and momma doesn't feel like toting the whole crew to the YMCA sometimes the bathtub just has to do :)

Silly Jofehfeen....she is the only pet or human in this house that doesn't run from the camera...in fact she thinks that it is some sort of toy...or maybe she thinks it holds food by the looks of this pic!

Day 45....2/14/09
Isn't it weird how time seems to stand still when you are the one with the ball? :) This was Middle E's game on Valentine's Day....the day that marks the 14th anniversary for mine & Mike's wedding :) Seeings as how I am 32, that is a pretty big accomplishment now days! Praise God for His love and mercy and the blessing of marriage!

Day 44...2/13/09
My first try at a night shot with my new camera....not the best but I am learning :)
I now know that I need a tripod for night shots....I need a tele lens or need to be closer...and it needs to freaking be warmer when I try it!

day 43...2/12/09

2009-03-05T10:43:00.006-05:00

:) It is Thursday and Valentines Day isn't until Saturday, but since the pre-k only goes to school Mon-Thurs they celebrated Valentine's Day today! I love hair blogs and this is a style that I saw on one of them! isn't it cute?! The little girl that they showed it on had long straight beautiful hair. As most of you know my sweet Li'l T has beautiful hair, but it is curly and coarse and kinda shortish so I was not sure if it would work....well IT DID!
Everyone LOVED it (including me and Li'l T!!!) and so many people commented on it! So Happy Valentine's Day!

day 42...2/11/09

2009-03-05T10:34:00.002-05:00

The weather warmed up and brought with it a pretty cool storm front! There were these HUGE clouds (like this one) that seemed to touch the ground (note the house in the lower left corner for a size reference)! Then if you turned around the sky was blue and clear in one direction, full of whispy cirrus clouds, yet in another area of the sky you had these little floofy clouds...it was crazy and beautiful! Is it any wonder that people have marveled at the sky and weather from the beginning of time?!

day 41...2/10/09 in the trenches & on the battlefield...

2009-02-11T00:57:00.004-05:00

Earlier today, I told Goozy (oldest nephew) & MiddleE that they could set up today's pic. I had pics of snow that I complained about on facebook and my cousin said "it's better than mud" so I decided to get pics of the rain/mud we are dealing with now that the snow has mostly melted.... oh yes, even after 4 days of 50*+ weather there is still some snow lingering in corners and on street sides!
So the boys (both 10) set out with their bucket of military men (they are no longer army men, they represent all of the armed forces lol) in search of the perfect dirty battlefield. These are the photos that resulted ;).
The one is of a lone soldier in the trenches, perhaps covering a scouting commerade. The 2nd is of a surrounded enemy (you can barely see him in the background, he is the tan figurine). You can see the mud and sludge thrown up on the barricade, possibly from a recent mortar round exploding nearby?.... You would absolutely understand my descriptions if you would have heard those boys setting these scenes up ;) (complete with sound effects, I might add).

day 40...2/9/09 signs of spring....

2009-02-11T00:48:00.005-05:00

Here in the land of odd, our weather is crazy madness from week to week and day to day.... -8*F as a low one morning, 2 mornings later 41*F was the low, and highs hitting 60*+..... So our pre-spring spring has come to the land of odd and there are some definite evidences of it, an open upstairs window adorned with a sun-loving smelly cat, and a discovery that the spring sprites have decided to knock a hole in our fence to better travel from one part of odd to the other (without having to go around). I know it was the spring sprites that caused this mischief because none of my kids did it, just ask them..... they are completely innocent ....darn sprites....

day 39...2/8/09

2009-02-10T23:37:00.002-05:00

Remember these friendly li'l monkeyish critters? The Monchichies? I had several of the figurines when I was little. Mom would go every few weeks and splurge on a new one for me and a new smurf for my sister (early 80's) from Hallmark. I only have one of my original collection, but a couple years ago I bought a small lot of the figurines off of ebay. Among them was this lil cutie. She was one of my favorites when I was little because I discovered that I could use her tail and lil pony tail hair as a crayon lol (if you rubbed them on white paper the paint would rub off lol so mine was tail and pony tail "bald"...this one is not ;) ). Do you remember the rhyme/hand jive with the surprise ending?!
something along the lines of
Monchichi Monchichi I'm so soft & cuddly,
Monchichi Monchichi I can play atari,
Monchichi Monchichi I can do "the fonzy",
Monchichi Monchichi OOPS I'm sorry!

(you hugged yourself for cuddly, you did the joystick move on your hand for atari, you did the slick "ehhhhh" hand move by your head for "the fonzy" then it was a dash to see who had the quicker hand to smack your "friend" on the cheek for the oops I'm sorry)....sheesh we were such suh-weet kids!

day 38...2/7/09

2009-02-10T23:25:00.003-05:00

The economy is so bad that even the little birds have turned to thievery to keep warm... They stole a long yarn thread out of our snowman's scarf, but the bumbling li'l tweeters that they are, they got their loot stuck on the front perch of their home. Li'l T wants them evicted for their behavior... I told her that they were cold and needed warmed up too and that they only took as much as they needed lol...she is still mad.

day 37...2/6/09

2009-02-10T23:24:00.003-05:00

Don't ask...just know that this is the ONLY pic that was on my camera for Feb. 6th, so I was forced to use it....and that IS a defensive position on the cat's part....

day 36...2/5/09

2009-02-10T23:15:00.003-05:00

There is so much to say about today's pic, I just don't know how to say it.... I love it, but it hurts my heart to see my Ldest so grown looking....ouch....

day 35...2/4/09

2009-02-10T23:10:00.003-05:00

Personally, I think that the Snow Meiser needs to be shot.....I am having nightmares about this stuff now....seriously....

day 34...2/3/09

2009-02-10T23:03:00.004-05:00

Needless to say, I was very surprised with this photo. Keep in mind that I do not have a "big girl" camera yet so this was shot with a point and shoot! I was surprised at the detail! This was yet MORE snow here in our town. In the 20 minutes it took me to pick up Li'l T from pre-k, a nice little pile had accumulated on the side mirror of the truck and I thought "hm ok might try that for a pic" and this was the result! Now I can't wait for a big girl camera to see how much better shots like this come out! The only thing I tweaked was the contrast just a little! No matter how much I am sick of snow, I think that each little flake is a minor miracle unto itself!

day 33...groundhog day

2009-02-03T08:34:00.004-05:00

I was so upset yesterday because I drew an absolute blank when I was trying to decide on what to take a pic of for the day... Of course there is always the fall back of Li'l T, but honestly sometimes I just want to show off my other 2 or I want to take a dramatic pic... SOMETHING other than my cutie pa tootie 4 yr old lol.
I put my problem in my tagline on facebook and a friend from high school said "why not do something with shadows? It IS Groundhog Day."

So I thought and thought, then it hit me! I had seen a photo on myspace or somewhere, then I had seen a version a friend did for a wedding she photographed and LOVED it .... soooooooo I decided to try it....
I did it with 2 different lightsources and got 2 totally different effects :). The spotlight effect turned out really neat though because the light itself made a heart shape too!... This was really fun and really easy to do and has pretty cool effects. I am really trying to think of some other shadow photos to take... could be interesting!

day 32...

2009-02-03T08:29:00.003-05:00

Ah yes, finally the snow was packable (as it got up to 45*F on Sunday). Hubba & the boys had a good old fashioned snowball fight while Li'l T and I made a snowman. I love this pic because it shows how their snowball fights usually go....Hubba obliterates the boys (note Middle E laid out in the background), boys exact revenge (note cocked back hand of L-dest), Hubba runs for safety (directly behind me because the boys know better than to chuck a snowball anywhere near my camera)...and this repeats itself over and over lol.

day 31....

2009-02-03T08:26:00.001-05:00

Not much to say about this pic except that it was late and I suddenly realized I had not gotten a pic for the day...Ranch flavored sunflower seeds are my weakness so there is always a bag nearby so that is what I took a pic of ....

day 30...

2009-01-31T20:35:00.003-05:00

Diamonds in the sky... Although I hated having to chip and scrape and hammer all of this ice off of the truck yesterday, it was gorgeous to see on the trees! No matter how old I get, I don't think I will ever be able to keep from being awed by the beauty that God has put all around us :)

day 29...

2009-01-31T20:28:00.002-05:00

The look of dejection...Middle E snatched a game out of Li'l T's hand and she was less than happy about it...She came in my room telling me how mean her big brother was and how she didn't want to be his friend again EVER ;)
Um as I am typing this they are in the other room playing video games and goofing off, I am guessing she changed her mind lol.

day 28...

2009-01-28T23:21:00.003-05:00

I apologize for having so many photos for day 28...but it was so beautiful after the ice and snow that I couldn't help myself and couldn't chose just one pic! I am not sure why, but the one of Li'l T is one of my faves right now :)! I love the expression on her face, the snow on her sleeves, the way her bright jacket looks against the snow...it just really epitomizes simple childhood joy to me! lol The one of Malachi (our lab) is a retake of a pic I got a couple years ago, it always seems like he is saying "are my boogers froze?" when we go to let him in during snowy days :) I have to admit, I love the snow!

day 27...

2009-01-28T22:47:00.002-05:00

Ok...this is definitely a big part of my life....yes, I admit, I love to "embarrass my offspring" (as a piece of facebook flair so aptly says)!
L-dest came downstairs from his room and stuck his head out of the stairwell like this. I ordered, yes ordered, him to freeze...I had to grab my camera.
I promised him not to tag him in it on myspace, but I did let him know it WOULD be my pic of the day lol.
His response when I came back laughing, camera in hand was "I know...I know...it's my hair isn't it? It's ok, I know that it is SPECTACULAR!"
So whether you are dazzled by his "spectacular" hair or the fact that my son appears to be a disembodied head floating in the stairwell, don't feel guilty...we are all amazed at his greatness ;) bwahahahahaha

day 26...

2009-01-28T22:32:00.005-05:00

Honestly, I did take a photo for day 26...a photo of Li'l T's "Curious George" pajamas that are actually sock monkey ones...it wasn't a very good photo, kinda overexposed and just crappy. I wasn't feeling so hot so I took a nap and Li'l T took one with me...She obviously woke up before I did because when I went to take my photo for day 27 there were about 15 extra pics on my camera...hm....the first pic was a GREAT pic of her jammie foot (more the shot I was trying to get but I didn't take it)....Then the telling photos....
One was of me sleeping....a couple of various parts of Li'l T's bedroom...a shot of the top of Li'l T's head....and a couple "self portraits" of the camera thief....in this one you can tell she is giggling....so technically Li'l T provided the pics for day 26 :)...not bad for a 4 yr old lol

**her eye doesn't always look like that, only when she has a cold or allergies**

day 25...

2009-01-25T22:55:00.002-05:00

This is definitely not one of my favorite pics, but it was getting late and I hadn't taken any photos for the project today...I meant to take my camera to church and get a photo there, but as usual we were running late and I left my camera sitting on the couch.
So, since this game was out on the bed, again, I decided to snap a shot for future use. When my sweet Li'l T is grown and has a 4 yr old of her own, I am going to pull this pic out and say "paybacks my dear...paybacks" when she complains that her sweet li'l preschooler is fixated on certain board games and can never get enough of them...
She literally asks to play Chutes & Ladders, Candyland or Hi-Ho Cherry-O no less than 5 times a day (no exaggeration). I often feel like Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow when they walk into the dark forest...only here it is walking into the living room, where the games lurk beneath the couch...Chutes, and Ladders, and Candyland OH MY!

day 24...

2009-01-25T22:48:00.002-05:00

Much the way that all elephants are "Lumpy"s and all baby dolls are "John Michael"s (my cousin's baby's name) in Li'l T's world, all monkeys are Curious George. Her favorite bedtime items at the moment are her Curious George stuffed animal, her monkey blankey and her "Curious George" pajamas (only they aren't Curious George, they are are Nana and *Somebody* sock monkey jammies...you can't see it in this pic but they have a sock monkey on the front and the toes are sock monkey faces). If asked which one is George you are likely to get the response "They're All George"...ah to be 4 again ;)

day 23...

2009-01-25T01:07:00.002-05:00

My li'l brother's car that he is wanting to sell :(....I credit hub with Tip having a Mustang lol.
When Tip was only about 9 yrs old, he used to go on dates with hub and I in hub's Mustang (um and yeah **I** normally sat in back when Tip went with us!). The first time he went with us, hub (boyfriend at the time) said something to the effect of "Let me show you what a Mustang can do..." then floored it, which totally delighted my 'tweenage brother... I took this pic for Tip to put with his listing for the car, but it is also kind of a little piece of the past too, or at least brings back fun memories!

day 22 two...

2009-01-24T19:59:00.003-05:00

This rainbow has started showing up on my wall every late morning/early afternoon. I rotated the photo (it is normally vertical), but every day this lil bit of sunshine brightens my day and makes the kids smile.

day 22 one...

2009-01-24T19:54:00.002-05:00

Yes it is the return of the smelly cat...but for as smelly as she is, she is also beautiful :)
She LOVES sitting by the radiator type heater in the living room, so close in fact that her ears and face get very very hot to the touch! She puts up with a lot from li'l t, so I guess she deserves a calming rest by the heater :) so long as she keeps the stink to a minimum :D

day 21...

2009-01-24T19:51:00.003-05:00

The photo that wasn't....lol oh well 1 miss out of 21 days isn't too bad is it?
my "photo" for today reads:
Rush rush rush rush...get the house clean get the kids off the bus get the garbage out wait for sis to come pick up her kids and mine haul butt to get to the clinic, rush rush rush...get to the clinic sign in wait wait wait...go back, get weighed in gained 20 lbs fight back tears find out blood pressure is up nurse messes up testing my glucose go back out wait wait wait wait some more go back to see doc have most meds doubled others upped oh yeah and add an antidepressant go back and wait for prescriptions to be written out...rush rush rush to pharmacy wait wait wait wait some more again for them to be filled check still not filled finally filled but missing main med...rush rush rush to get to sis' to get kids rush rush rush to get home rush rush rush for bedtime...oops i forgot to take a pic...
I have to go to the clinic once a month until we can get my bgl in check and until I can lose a bunch of weight...sigh

day 20 part two...

2009-01-24T19:40:00.002-05:00

Just a dusting....that is all we have gotten so far....I know that the cars driving by on the 20th thought I was nuts half squatting/half laying on the cold walkway up to my house lol.

day 20 one....

2009-01-24T19:37:00.003-05:00

This little bud seems determined to hold its own until the frost and snow melt away. This tree is always the first to bud and the last to lose its leaves in the fall.

day 19...

2009-01-24T19:31:00.002-05:00

I love the relationship that Hubba & Li'l T have! They both need their evening snuggle time or they are grumpy and feel like they have missed something :D They both look kinda funny in this pic (his mouth her eyes lol) but I love how it shows their love for each other :)....you can tell they are both absolutely happy when they are together!

day 18 two...

2009-01-24T19:25:00.003-05:00

There once was a little girl, who had a little curl...
Only this one is not in the middle of her forehead, but still when she is good she is very very good but when she is bad she is horrid! :D
I love li'l T's perfect baby ringlets....

day 18 one...

2009-01-24T19:18:00.001-05:00

My Li'l Miss Rain Cloud...she definitely knows how to pout, stare it down, and be a somber li'l stinker....

day 17...

2009-01-24T19:15:00.003-05:00

Sis took all 3 kidlets for a game night with their cousins and hubby and I got a rare treat! This is one of those little tiny restaurants that if someone doesn't tell you about, you probably would never try. They have some of the yummiest food and the owner is a hoot (sometimes a bit much, but a nice lady all the same :) ). The only asian food I have had that I liked better than this was when Mr. & Mrs. Park owned Golden Gate back when Mike and I were dating and newly married....other than Mr. Park's cuisine, this one is pretty good!

day 16...

2009-01-24T19:06:00.003-05:00

"Put another log on the fire, cook me up some bacon and some beans..." :D This is one of only 2 fires we have made this year. I had to make it while Mike was at work because he swears it lets more heat out than it creates. I love a fire in the fireplace...the smell, the crackle, the ambient glow...sigh...
I remember laying in front of the little pot bellied fireplace in the living room of my childhood home in Tennessee (on Raccoon Valley Road lol). I think that is why I am still so enchanted by a warm roaring fire...it brings back safe warm feelings :) I was kinda impressed with this pic for some reason or another :)

day 15...

2009-01-24T19:04:00.003-05:00

You know it is cold when **I** turn my heating blanket up to high! It was cold! The only thing that was heating up that night was my blanket!

day 14...

2009-01-24T18:58:00.003-05:00

We have gotten so little snow this year so far...plenty of cold but very little snow...
Our poor spruce tree has seen better days, and I worry that our seasons with it are limited :(...
So this one is for our tree...the tree that sets our yard apart from the others on our street (I always say "we are the house with the big spruce tree in the front yard").

day 13...

2009-01-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

Who ever knew that The Tales of Peter Rabbit could be such an intense little story?! Middle E won a prize out of the treasure box at school for accomplishing top score on a quiz at school and he picked out a dvd for Li'l T :) It is naptime and she asked if she could watch it before she had to go to sleep, so I gave in.....She has chewed her nails, sat up with the blanket covering one eye, and exclaimed "oh no!" at several different parts (like when Mr. McGregor nearly caught Peter in his basket).I was giving her a hard time about it and she just turned her head and flashed a cute grin before going back to her intense story line :D Is it any wonder I love this li'l stinker so much?

day 12...

2009-01-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

L-dest had a game last night...well "game" would be a bit of a misnomer...they had a brutal, unbelievable beating lol.
The refs were fair and decent in their officiating, we were just truly out skilled and under-height (the average boy on the other team was as tall as the tallest on our team...and the tallest on our team is like 6'1!!!!)
Keep in mind these are Jr. High kids! What are they feeding them now days? Is it the growth hormones in cows? Is it the miracle gro on the veggies?! :D
I am not sure if L-dest is praying or if his head is bowed in utter discouragement! The final score was 3-39.....oh the agony of defeat....

day 11...

2009-01-13T13:43:00.002-05:00

L-dest only got one big gift this past Christmas and it was a gift from both sets of grandparents. It was an Ibanez guitar. It is definitely not the most expensive by any stretch of the imagination (less than $300) but it is a huge upgrade from his little $99 fender that we bought him 2 yrs ago. He is playing on a borrowed amp right now (lol no extra money for a new one to replace his 2 yr old broken one), but he has a birthday coming up and I think that is what he has asked his grandparents for as a gift for his birthday...He really is talented and loves playing...so Rock On my son...Rock On!

day 10...

2009-01-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

The Daily Snaps! prompt at the Scrap Orchard for day 10 was "something that smells"....
There were photos of flowers and detergents and all the like, but the smelliest thing in our home on a day to day basis is Jofehfeen (Joey) our kitten. She is the gassiest cat I have ever had the misfortune of holding! Every time it happens all I can thing of is Phoebe Buffay's song "Smelly Cat" (what is funny is that I never have been a huge fan of friends and even I know the Smelly Cat song...)Although Joey is not fat, she is definitely one smelly cat!

Smelly Cat by Phoebe Buffay (from Friends)
Three, four...

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
It's not your fault

They won't take you to the vet
You're obviously not their favorite pet
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
It's not your fault

You may not be a bed of roses
You're not friend to those with noses
I'll miss you before we're done
Or the world will smell as one

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
It's not your fault

(Phoebe) Oh are we done?

One, two, what's that smell?

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
You're getting fat

I think that I'm gonna be sick
It's your ears, and nose and pick
Part of it, tempt me

One, two, what's that smell?

All the dogs in the neighborhood
Are saying this for your own good
What, you're fat, so you can't run
No fun, I bet, No fun

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
Porno makes you eat like that
I saw you in the shopping mall

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
It's not your fault,
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
It's not your fault
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,
It's not your fault

We know what was in your food
They say it might affect your mood

You smell like something dead (3x)

One, two, what's that smell?

(Phoebe)Yeah, that's not the song

day 9...

2009-01-13T11:15:00.001-05:00

The prompt for day 9 at the Scrap Orchard's Daily Snaps was things that are NOT so pleasurable...things that are part of our day to day life that do not make use think "yay! I get to do this. again. today."
For me that par of my day actually comes 5 times a day...
Whoever the sadist was that coined the phrase "ultra comfort" for ANY needle must surely get a good laugh every time they see me get clammy and teary eyed when I have to inject. I will say that out of all the sizes I have used, these really are the most "comfortable," but seriously, ULTRA comfort with a needle? never gonna happen!

day 8...

2009-01-13T11:05:00.001-05:00

These 2 didn't turn out as well as I would have liked but they are, none-the-less, representative of 2 of my most loved "simple" pleasures (which was the Scrap Orchard prompt for day 8)...
Every morning (except Sunday morning), I get the wonderful pleasure of getting to just spend a few quiet moments snuggled up under a warm down blanket reading my Bible. It seems to set the mood for the entire day! I love my little Bible...it is too big for your pocket but small enough for a medium size purse, there are many dog-eared pages and

side notes from my hours of being immersed in the amazing words and promises and guidelines for a full and happy life and every single one represents an "ah ha! Ok, I get it now" moment. One of my favorite ones is James 1:2-9....
It truly is my pleasure and my privilege to be able to spend some time with God every day!

day 7...

2009-01-13T10:56:00.001-05:00

My sweet E is all about the Wii he bought himself for his birthday. He worked so hard to save up all he could in order to buy it 2nd hand from a friend of mine. He got an "allowance" from my mom each week for getting his homework done and for helping me around the house. He saved every penny of his birthday money. Finally he was able to buy it :D. He only had one game for it (the one that came with it) but just knowing that he had worked for it himself makes it his pride and joy! After Christmas, I was able to get a couple pre-used games from Blockbuster for like 13 dollars for 2! Anyway, he loves his Wii so much...probably only 2nd to his love of Christ and his love of his family (and the 2nd one is a very close 2nd ;) lol). For Christmas this year my mom bought him this shirt that I think is just too cute! It is kinda hard to see but it is a Christ Wii figure :D with the words "Hii Saved Me" :D He loves this shirt and wears it all the time :) I have to admit, I would wear it all the time too if I had one!

day 6...

2009-01-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

Definitely not the best photo of my sweet baby girl, but a photo none the less. I snapped it real quick that morning only to find out a few minutes later she had a stupid stomach bug that has been going around. This was first thing in the morning, pre-hair fixed, pre-dressed for the day, pre-everything ....good thing I got the pic when I did b/c the rest of the day was pretty much a waste ;).

day 5 post 2

2009-01-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

Ok I had to post this shot because it was a moment of pure unabated excitement for lil T....
I won a blog giveaway from Jamie's Precious Peas, the sponsor was Wendy from The Couch Sweet Potato. After MUCH debate over which apron we wanted (she has SO many cool things in her shop, but I knew the moment I saw them that I wanted to get a half apron for lil T), we went with the cherry one. It arrived yesterday addressed to li'l T herself! She squealed with excitement and pointed to each of the letters in her name telling me that spelled her! The second it came out of the envelope and paper we put it on her and she took off like a flash saying "That's a BIG pocket for LOTS of stuff!!!!" When she came back she already had the cat brush, a li'l rubber ducky, and a mini book in it :). She LOVES this apron, shoot I love it...hm wonder if Wendy does adult ones....lol Anyway, I wanted to post our lil bit of total excitement ;) and to let you know that this photo does NOT do this apron justice! If you are in the market for some wonderful, high quality, gorgeous quilted/hand-sewn products check out Wendy's store!

day 5...

2009-01-06T18:41:00.001-05:00

White eggs and egg whites....THIS is why we go through so many eggs. A while back I decided to try to eat healthier so I often make scrambled eggs or egg sandwiches but it is always with just one egg yolk (b/c I can't get used to eating totally white cooked eggs...they NEED some yellow!)
This is kind of a "treat" to have white eggs though because normally we eat farm fresh eggs that my mom gets for us from a friend's farm. I might have to take a brown egg pic at some point...but for now, here it is breakfast day 5....

day 4...

2009-01-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

I was looking through my pics and something was WAY off (as in the dates saved in the memory) I just checked my camera and sure enough, when my batteries went dead I set it to the wrong date!
This was another prompt from Bec at The Scrap Orchard...take a pic of the inside of your fridge...no cleaning it up or anything, just as-is...I did it and was immediately sent into a state of panic...ONE...only ONE can of diet dew in the whole shot!...PANIC!!!! Directly after this pic was taken, I rushed off to the store to get more...phew, disaster avoided all thanks to Project 365...

day 3 sort of....

2009-01-06T15:33:00.000-05:00

I actually took this 10 minutes before Jan 3rd, so essentially I am kind of cheating but this is, none the less, my day 3 photo. The prompt for day 3 at The Scrap Orchard was to take a photograph of something you can see from your computer desk...you could get up to get your camera, but had to take a pic from your computer desk. I got up, quietly because Mike was already asleep, to get my camera. When I got back THIS was IN my computer chair....so I didn't follow the prompt exactly but Joey made it very clear she was not in the mood to move....I had to take this without a flash so forgive if it is not quite in focus, but this is my day 3....move your feet, lose your seat....no savies where this cat is concerned :D

day 2

2009-01-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

Here is my day 2 photo. Not necessarily the best photo ever, but it marks a stage in li'l T's life....so far a 4 yr stage...yes 4 yrs...and she is 4 yrs old....she has ALWAYS had her own sense of style. As a baby she would SQUALL if she didn't like the feel of a certain outfit, she would shush in a store any time you walked through the shoe department (no joke, it was kinda embarrassing pacing the shoe aisles with a 6-8 week old just to settle her down during grocery shopping), and she swings from tomboy to goth diva to proper princess almost daily. For Christmas her Mamaw (my MIL) got her several pair of knee high socks and leg/armwarmers! She is in LOVE with them! When I have the money I am thinking about buying her another pair of each to match the ones she has so that she will at least match (she wears these rainbow ones with her brown and soft pink ones that are on her legs in this photo...cringe). This photo says so much about her...the book in the background reminds me of her love for writing and drawing (she can only write 2 words..."mom" and her name but she will use the letters in those 2 words to make up many stories....any combination of those letters might actually mean "it was early one morning and the girl woke up and put on her armwarmers"). The cat she is holding is Jofehfeen "Joey," her first ever cat...we got Zoe when lil T was a year old so she has never really known life without Zoe, but Joey is a different story...that is HER cat and is as fickle and different at lil T herself. T is always trying to give the cat a shower because T believes that if you fart, you need a shower, b/c you need a shower when you stink and when you do that you stink! And that is the stinkinest cat I have EVER owned in that regard...You can barely see his feet on the left hand side of the photo, but Curious George is also in the pic. She ALWAYS has some sort of stuffed animal or baby doll with her. Whether it is going from room to room in the house or going to church or to the store, we always are accompanied by one or more of my adopted grandbabies (I am a "mamaw" to about 100 different ones...I babysit. I change diapers. I have to scold and put on time out or put down for naps when they "are bein' mean"). This is my lil T in all her glory. She too loves church and Bible study (she does a Bible study with me every morning and even got a Princess of the King Bible for Christmas...imagine a pink glossy blinged out Bible and you have the Princess Bible lol). So far lil T has proven to me that 1 little girl = approx. 5 little boys when it comes to maintenence and attention, I fear it doesn't get any better as they get older ;)

Day 1

2009-01-06T08:47:00.000-05:00

I am having to play a bit of catch up since I have not been blogging these as I have taken them, but here we go! Sometimes I will use prompts found at The Scrap Orchard, sometimes I might pick up prompts from other participants, and sometimes it will be just glimpses of the quirks and oddities that make up my quaint li'l life with God, my family & my friends :)
Some days I may become a total rebel and post more than ONE pic! Which would make it a 389 or a 675 or a 928...but for now, let's just try to get day one posted....
So here we go....day one....

This is my sweet stubborn silly sometimes stinky 10 yr old. I think the reason I picked this one to represent him is that contrast. He is a walking talking contrast. We often see more of his light carefree side, but he definitely has a less light, less upbeat side. His feelings are so easily wounded and his battle cry is often "I don't KNOW!" (whether it is when asked why he didn't finish a task or why he was mean to his siblings, he never knows why...ever). Yet within minutes he is helping his little sister with a game or is snuggling up next to his older brother. He is the type of kid who will turn his nose up and swear he doesn't like a food, only to minutes later ask for 2nds....sigh
The one thing he is unwavering on though is his faith and his desire to learn more about what the Bible says and how God works in our lives. He is unashamed of all things he believes about God and Jesus Christ.
He is the epitome of the strong-willed child, yet he is also a rock in this family. You can always count on him to love you regardless and pray with you whenever you need it. He is a sweet kid with a big heart and an unmoving faith in our Lord. He is a friend in need and a friend indeed. He is simply mine...and I love that about him :)

And yes, I came back to edit this when I saw this pic in my Jan 1st group of photos of him. It reminded me of a quote I saw a year or so ago "It used to be that I could look at you and see traces of the baby you once were. Now I look at you and instead catch glimpses of the Man you will become..." When I see a pic like this of him I definitely see glimpses of the man (or at least teenager) he will be.