Thursday, October 30, 2008

crayons




I can hardly believe it's almost the weekend again! It's been a busy week as usual. Last night in church (youth group) it was dress up night for our version of  halloween- but not
really halloween. I am really not into halloween at all, fall yes, halloween no. But in the spirit of the occasion, and also because Jonah really wanted to get dressed up we decided to make our own costumes. We decided to go as crayons! I thought it would be a simple costume- one color add a hat and your done. Well we spent most of the night on Tuesday shopping at a thrift store- to which we had no luck- and ended up at Walmart. Did you know you can find every color in the crayon box (not the big daddy box with like 96 colors) in sweatsuits at Walmart? It was really enlightening, especially considering the fact that we don't wear sweats....we don't even own sweats. But there we were surrounded by every color and hopeful that we could be crayons after all. We wore our one color sweatsuits and bought black felt. Jonah diligently cut out the crayon part that we wore on our stomach, and the other curvy pieces. All these felt pieces were pinned because we didn't want to ruin our beautiful sweatsuits (I swear we will wear them again!) We also found these buckets that look just like a sharp crayon and wore those on our heads. Jonah actually painted his to match the color to his suit. Yes, we are grateful we are artists because who else would color match a bucket to their sweatsuit?
So the finished product turned out great, and everyone got a smile at our expense, so it was worth the work. But next year....I think we're gonna go in with friends and be the whole eight pack box.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Monday Monday

The weekend just flew by it seems....but it was fun! I did make my luscious apple pie- which we are still enjoying. We also spent most of Saturday back at school (we love it so much we can't stay away :)) hardee har har. We actually spent the day and evening back stage photographing the high school production. Which was awesome. It was my first time backstage the whole play and Jonah's second or third or fourth. He helped 'direct' me with lighting and such. It was a lot of fun watching them switch out in between scenes and run back and forth. I never really 'watched' the actual performance because we were so busy avoiding curtains coming down, scene changes, performers running back to change, while adjusting our camera's lighting, aperature, shutterspeed just racing to keep up with light changes on stage. It was a lot of fun and in the end I think I gained some experience with theatre shooting and ended up with some great shots- very dramatic. I love photography and my favorite shooting will always be candid of people, but this was a new experience to add depth to my abilities.
I also had a lot of fun with Jonah- it was another side of him that he is passionate about and knowledgeable as well. I just love that man.
We spent Sunday at church and in the afternoon I did get to work on more of my children's tags for the holidays. Of course everytime I finish one I sit back and think hmmm I don't really like it. So I will keep workin on it. I plan to schedule time since my deadline to finish and have everything printed, packaged and priced is November 13. I have a little time left. I plan on posting the good ones on Etsy too.
Voting is also right around the corner.....we are mailing in absentee ballots to avoid the crazy mile long lines. We sure do need to pray for our president as the days roll by.
That's all for now, just another windy Monday, mmm breathing in the crisp beautiful air.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Windy Wet Friday

It's Friday!!! I always get excited when the weekends arrive. I have visions of so many things I get to do over the next couple days- baking, cleaning, artwork, spending time with my hubby, staying toasty warm and dry. It's actually COLD here in Ga. The rain and wind today are making it even more so. I have a pie crust sitting in the fridge right now waiting for me to fill it with apples. I made it a couple days ago, hoping I could finish it sooner- but maybe tonight! The apples aren't my very favorite northern cortlands, but they will do. I love pie! Especially apple. It's also one of Jonah's favorites. There is something really comforting about baking too very warm and fragrant.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

happy Wednesday

Wow a lot of time has gone by since I posted. How crazy and busy our lives are! The older I get the more I realize time never slows down, you never find more time for things or someone, you have to make it. God has been so good and so faithful to me no matter how much time I waste on myself, and what I choose to do. 
Today was Wednesday, our busy day. On top of a hectic run-around day at work, we both drive over to church to work with our youth group. Teenagers are a lot of fun, a lot of energy and they can teach you a lot about yourself. I remember when we first started helping out in the youth group...it wasn't my idea. But I gave it a try and here we are a couple years later getting to know these kids more and more, and also getting to know ourselves as well. Suddenly what we said or how we acted carried so much more weight in the presence of teenagers. How influential we are I may never know, but I pray we provide that level of trust and love I know I longed for in my own teen years, somehow I'm pretty sure you never lose that feeling of wanting to belong, to be understood and to be loved. My job also allows me to be around young people- pretty ironic considering I was intimidated by them a couple years ago. I sometimes feel like God is trying to teach me a lot about myself....and I think I fail a lot of the tests. I really don't want to turn into that crochety mean adult that everyone gets quiet around! Love is a definite gift from God, a daily choice! 
But tonights message focused on being still. Hearing God. Renewal. I needed to hear it. I run and run until I finally slow down at night and end up falling asleep on the couch next to my husband....sigh. I feel so old when that happens! How important it is to take moments alone with God to hear only Him, no t.v. or radio, no chitter chatter, or cars, just silent blessed peace where you can close your eyes and just spend moments talking and listening to the One who so desperately wants to talk. My Best Friend. How do we remain best friends when I don't spend time together with Him? 
Good thoughts, pushing me to get back on track in my own devotions.

Monday, October 13, 2008

our nephew Pearson






What a great weekend! We stayed over at my in-laws all weekend. The whole family was there and it was so nice to catch up with everyone and just really enjoy the time together. It was refreshing and filling to be with family and to meet the newest little member only a little over a month old-Pearson Cole.What a sweet little one! His warm little body radiated so much heat- I forget how warm infants are! It was fun to hold him and watch him observe everyone. I just leaned over and whispered to Jonah- don't you want one? :) All in time......

Friday, October 10, 2008

something I read

I read different blogs that I have bookmarked throughout my random searches and rabbit trails I tend to get on when I'm on the computer. I read this story this morning and found it to be so encouraging. It reminded me of a very important point-how we are used by God.
Check it out if you feel like it :)
http://avirtuouswoman.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2152926%3ABlogPost%3A31533

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

women in the workforce

We just walked through the door tonight after a pretty long day. Wednesdays are always long days because we go straight to church after work. I was thinking how exhausted I was and I still had things that needed to be put away, cleaned, folded ect. The thought crossed my mind 'would if we had children too?' and that lead me to think "How in the world do women work all day 5 days a week and take care of a family with 2+ children as well?" It is so exhausting physically and mentally working all day, there is a lot of effort that goes into talking and interacting with other people all day and juggling your workload, then coming home to tackle what needs to be done there- dinner, cleaning, togetherness with your husband....so throw in having kids too and it leaves me to wonder, how in this day and age women balance EVERYTHING. Granted you do come home and finish what has to be done, then you do what is needed for everyone else, where is there that time of renewal, to help you feel like you are ready to go again the next day.
I don't know... a small revelation to me tonight. Do I want to have kids? Oh yes, I'm excited about our future family, but at the same time I feel so strongly about staying home to raise them. Maybe I am just weak for feeling I don't have the energy to work all week and have the same amount of work at home. I want to be able to really be there for our kids without feeling so drained and short from being with so many other people all day. 
Just random thoughts I am thinking, but also something that makes me pray all the more for the future and for God to work out a way for us to be able to have me at home. 

submission

I will admit that I can be bull-headed sometimes. Well quite often actually. I get set in my ways, in my mind and in my heart and it can take a lot for me to change. Usually after I am mad about something and I give it a little time, my heart will change and start to feel tender about what I shouldn't have said or done. I have kind of been feeling like that when it comes to a few issues going on in my life. I have felt like my husband is moving one direction and not my direction. Even as I write that I feel the self-centeredness of it all. I struggle with being selfish, I always have....maybe it's that last child-baby-complex of being spoiled. Which I have continually denied to all of my sisters!
But whatever the case God has a way of reaching down and speaking to me, which He did this morning through Ruth 1:16,17. I'm sure everyone is familiar with these verses, but today I really needed to be reminded of them: And Ruth said, intreat me not to leave thee,or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
I know that these verses are used in weddings, but they are reminder to me of whole hearted submission and love. How often I fail in those areas, Ruth is such a good example to me, to each of us as to how we can show devotion, love and submission to not only our husbands, but to our Lord. Laying down our lives to follow Him as He leads.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Jonah's birthday!































































































































































































































so excited about his camelbak, pretending to drink on the couch.












I believe Jonah had a good birthday! It
was an early start in the morning on a school day, but his students surprised him with a little party during class, and brought a cookie cake! After school we went out to eat at his favorite restaurant, and later in the night he opened presents, and had cake. His favorite present? The camelbak you see him wearing, in which he immediately put it on and went into the bathroom to check it out :)
I love this man, what a fun day.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

weekend

I'm so excited that it's finally the weekend, and that my dear husband is home again. I missed him so much this week and I'm happy he is back safe and sound. I'm planning on making no plans this weekend and just really enjoying time together, switching out our winter clothes, and catching up on a little art....maybe. I love weekends.