When the new year rolls over, I usually look forward and plan what my next year will hold. For some reason this year, I have been looking back a lot. Maybe it's because I'm older, maybe it's because it the end of a decade. Whatever the reason, it's what I'm doing this year.
New Year's Eve was an interesting evening for me. Nothing interesting happened but I had a lot of things swirling through my head about where I was ten years ago. I can remember exactly where I was, who I was with, what I was doing...even what I was wearing! It's sad, I know...I was cursed with a semi-photographic memory. The thing that was so interesting was that I had no idea 10 years ago that I would be where I am now. I had just turned 21 and thought I had it all figured out. Wow, was I ever wrong! I started the decade engaged to my high school sweetheart and thought that ten years from that night I would be married to him and we'd have two boys in our modest house in Murfreesboro. HA! Was I so far off. :) I wouldn't trade my life now for anything. God really does know what he's doing!
In the last decade I have (in no particular order):
graduated college
moved 7 times
sang in two amazing operas
gotten married
went on my first cruise
had 3 beautiful kids
taught middle school (my dream job)
joined an amazing church
started my own business
quit my own business
been to Brazil
lost 2 grandparents
watched my grandfather forget everything
gotten a dog
gained two beautiful nephews and a gorgeous niece
discovered how hard marriage really is
turned the big 3-0 (and I LOVE it)
grown closer to God and pulled away from God
realized how much I love being a mom
...the list could go on and on.
I hope that you have an amazing 2010 and it's everything you want it to be...but keep in mind that you have your plans and God has His. Guess which one wins out in the end??!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Friday, December 18, 2009
Random thoughts
Lots of things swimming in my head today.
-Christmas is only 1 week away!!! It doesn't feel like it. It rarely does anymore. Something about getting older, I guess, but this year it really doesn't feel like Christmas is here. So what's different about this year? We're still waiting until the last minute to buy gifts...we always do. We're still doing the benevolence program at church...we always do. The difference is we are down to one vehicle right now and it's a truck. We haven't been to the malls or shopping as a family or out and about this year. That makes it very hard to get into the spirit, but very easy to remember why we celebrate this season. It forces me to focus on the WHY not the WHAT.
-I am thankful for God's perfect timing. We can look back and see it in the big things, but what about the little things? I'm not talking about money being there just when we need it or something like that. Today I was about to pull my hair out. The two older kids were driving me up the wall because they are bored and want to do stuff and I have stuff I have to do. When I had just about reached my breaking point, my FIL called and asked if he could take the kids. I said sure and he said, "I thought so. I'm in the driveway!" Praise the Lord I have family who is willing to take both kids off my hands during the day occasionally. I don't know how other moms do it.
-Oh...we are starting up a photography business! We have discovered that we aren't too bad at this picture thing! We both have different strengths behind the camera, but put it together and we can shoot pretty much anything. We are focusing on family photography right now but have done a few headshot sessions, too. If you want to see what we've done you can visit our website.
I guess that's all for now. I'm sure I'll have lots more to say in the coming weeks as we move toward the new year. I always have lofty goals and put them on here. I'll try to make them more realistic this year! :)
-Christmas is only 1 week away!!! It doesn't feel like it. It rarely does anymore. Something about getting older, I guess, but this year it really doesn't feel like Christmas is here. So what's different about this year? We're still waiting until the last minute to buy gifts...we always do. We're still doing the benevolence program at church...we always do. The difference is we are down to one vehicle right now and it's a truck. We haven't been to the malls or shopping as a family or out and about this year. That makes it very hard to get into the spirit, but very easy to remember why we celebrate this season. It forces me to focus on the WHY not the WHAT.
-I am thankful for God's perfect timing. We can look back and see it in the big things, but what about the little things? I'm not talking about money being there just when we need it or something like that. Today I was about to pull my hair out. The two older kids were driving me up the wall because they are bored and want to do stuff and I have stuff I have to do. When I had just about reached my breaking point, my FIL called and asked if he could take the kids. I said sure and he said, "I thought so. I'm in the driveway!" Praise the Lord I have family who is willing to take both kids off my hands during the day occasionally. I don't know how other moms do it.
-Oh...we are starting up a photography business! We have discovered that we aren't too bad at this picture thing! We both have different strengths behind the camera, but put it together and we can shoot pretty much anything. We are focusing on family photography right now but have done a few headshot sessions, too. If you want to see what we've done you can visit our website.
I guess that's all for now. I'm sure I'll have lots more to say in the coming weeks as we move toward the new year. I always have lofty goals and put them on here. I'll try to make them more realistic this year! :)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thankful for today
I am thankful for today, November 24. That means that I have survived yet another year on this planet. :) I am thankful and proud to announce that I am 31 years old today. I am not ashamed of my age, I am proud of it. I have come a long way, especially in the last 10 years, both personally and spiritually.
So here's to my birthday! I hope you have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I will. :)
So here's to my birthday! I hope you have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I will. :)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thankful for Juliana
Wow, I have three kids! Every day that sinks in a little bit more. I thought we were done at two. :)
Yes, Juliana was truly a surprise. I was petrified at first...not ready for a baby, overwhelmed at the thought of trying to take care of three, how was this going to work? Now, 6 weeks later, I cannot imagine her not being here.
She is already beginning to show her little personality. Not a high-maintenance princess like her sister, but definitely has her needs. She studies everyone and likes to snuggle...when she's in the mood! She isn't completely resistant to change, but doesn't like it too much. She is our little angel and I am thankful everyday that God decided that we needed another beautiful baby in our life.
We do make pretty kids...if I do say so myself.
Yes, Juliana was truly a surprise. I was petrified at first...not ready for a baby, overwhelmed at the thought of trying to take care of three, how was this going to work? Now, 6 weeks later, I cannot imagine her not being here.
She is already beginning to show her little personality. Not a high-maintenance princess like her sister, but definitely has her needs. She studies everyone and likes to snuggle...when she's in the mood! She isn't completely resistant to change, but doesn't like it too much. She is our little angel and I am thankful everyday that God decided that we needed another beautiful baby in our life.
We do make pretty kids...if I do say so myself.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thankful for Aaliyah
"What's your name?"
"Aaliyah Gabrielle Princess!"
And she is. She is our princess. To be honest, I wasn't too excited about having a girl. Ray would rub my belly and talk about how spoiled she was going to be and how she would be his princess. I could only think about what happens when that spoiled little princess turns 13 (I was a middle school teacher, after all). What I didn't realize was how much having a girl would change me. I wanted to wear pretty clothes and look nice. I wanted my hair to look good. I cared about my appearance and wanted to wear....wait for it....PINK! *gasp*
*side note - before having a girl, I wouldn't be caught dead in pink and much preferred my blue jeans and t-shirts to "fashionable" clothes. I didn't care what people thought of my appearance, including my husband.
Aaliyah is our princess and my tomboy all wrapped up into one. She loves attention. She loves life. Give her happy music and she is content to dance all day long. She is the girl who wants to dress up in her pretty dresses and glitter shoes then go in the backyard and dig for worms in the dirt. She loves to color you pretty pictures (that are really just scribbles, but you get the point) and snuggle after her nap. She's hyper-sensitive to the moods that some music creates and will cry if it's too sad. She is silly and loves her brother with every fiber of her being.
She and I had a love/hate relationship at first. She loved to scream and I didn't like her very much. Despite our rough start, I feel more connected to her than I ever thought possible. My love for her runs deeper than I could have imagined. I am thankful for my baby doll...she will never know how much she changed me for the better.
"Aaliyah Gabrielle Princess!"
And she is. She is our princess. To be honest, I wasn't too excited about having a girl. Ray would rub my belly and talk about how spoiled she was going to be and how she would be his princess. I could only think about what happens when that spoiled little princess turns 13 (I was a middle school teacher, after all). What I didn't realize was how much having a girl would change me. I wanted to wear pretty clothes and look nice. I wanted my hair to look good. I cared about my appearance and wanted to wear....wait for it....PINK! *gasp*
*side note - before having a girl, I wouldn't be caught dead in pink and much preferred my blue jeans and t-shirts to "fashionable" clothes. I didn't care what people thought of my appearance, including my husband.
Aaliyah is our princess and my tomboy all wrapped up into one. She loves attention. She loves life. Give her happy music and she is content to dance all day long. She is the girl who wants to dress up in her pretty dresses and glitter shoes then go in the backyard and dig for worms in the dirt. She loves to color you pretty pictures (that are really just scribbles, but you get the point) and snuggle after her nap. She's hyper-sensitive to the moods that some music creates and will cry if it's too sad. She is silly and loves her brother with every fiber of her being.
She and I had a love/hate relationship at first. She loved to scream and I didn't like her very much. Despite our rough start, I feel more connected to her than I ever thought possible. My love for her runs deeper than I could have imagined. I am thankful for my baby doll...she will never know how much she changed me for the better.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thankful for Kyler
So, I haven't been too good at keeping up with the thankful posts for the month. Something about having 3 kids, a dog, a husband, and a house to run...
Speaking of kids, I thought I'd post about how thankful I am for our three beautiful children that God, in His infinite wisdom, decided to bless us with.
Kyler is our only boy. I never thought in a million years that I would only have one boy! I was all psyched up to have a house full of boys when we got married. He is 5 years old going on 15! He is so smart and creative (he knew how to work the DVD player at 9 months old!). He tests my limits with the way he thinks. He can always find a loophole and a way out of something I have told him to do. He can sit down with a box of K'nex and spend a good hour or two just figuring out different things to create and making up a story to go with each creation. He loves his family and friends so much. He is sensitive but loves to wrestle with daddy. He remembers things I never thought he would (which is great becuase he remembers who his great-grandma was) and forgets things when it's convenient (male thing). :) I love him with all my heart and he will always be special to me. After all, he did make me a mommy!
Speaking of kids, I thought I'd post about how thankful I am for our three beautiful children that God, in His infinite wisdom, decided to bless us with.
Kyler is our only boy. I never thought in a million years that I would only have one boy! I was all psyched up to have a house full of boys when we got married. He is 5 years old going on 15! He is so smart and creative (he knew how to work the DVD player at 9 months old!). He tests my limits with the way he thinks. He can always find a loophole and a way out of something I have told him to do. He can sit down with a box of K'nex and spend a good hour or two just figuring out different things to create and making up a story to go with each creation. He loves his family and friends so much. He is sensitive but loves to wrestle with daddy. He remembers things I never thought he would (which is great becuase he remembers who his great-grandma was) and forgets things when it's convenient (male thing). :) I love him with all my heart and he will always be special to me. After all, he did make me a mommy!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wow, has it really been that long??
So sorry to the three people who actually read this blog! I haven't posted since the summer for good reason. Well, partly b/c I was lazy, but mostly b/c life just gets in the way sometimes. I need an outlet again for my feelings and a place to vent and share life, so I'm back up and running. Let's see...what has happened since I last posted.
Oh, yeah.
I HAD A BABY!!!
Juliana Isaias was born on Oct. 11 @ 4:54 am. She was 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 1/2 in. It was a quick labor and I had her all natural (and almost without the doctor...again). She is now 5 1/2 weeks old and beautiful. She is more of a snuggler than Aaliyah was, but not near as much as Kyler was. Her brother and sister love her so much that they can't seem to keep their hands off her, which bugs me to high heaven! There isn't much jealousy at all and I am thankful for that. We were worried that Aaliyah would have serious problems if we had another girl, but she has adjusted great. We are slowly getting back into a routine around here and I hope to have Juliana on a semi-predictable schedule soon.
What else is going on, you may ask? Well, in August we moved into a nice little house not far from where we were living before. It's smaller, but works great for us. I'm already looking around for projects to do in the spring. :)
We have also started dabbling in photography...and by "we" I mean my husband. I'm learning a little bit from what he's telling me from classes, websites, books, and discussions with other photographers. We will just have to see where it goes, but so far it's looking promising.
I'm on maternity leave from Walmart and looking to get back in the classroom in the fall, God willing. If His plan is to keep me at home, I'm up for that, too (as long as I can start singing again somewhere).
That's all I can think of for now. I have a Thanksgiving-type post mulling around in my head so maybe I'll get that down before next year! ;)
Have a wonderfully blessed fall day!
Oh, yeah.
I HAD A BABY!!!
Juliana Isaias was born on Oct. 11 @ 4:54 am. She was 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 1/2 in. It was a quick labor and I had her all natural (and almost without the doctor...again). She is now 5 1/2 weeks old and beautiful. She is more of a snuggler than Aaliyah was, but not near as much as Kyler was. Her brother and sister love her so much that they can't seem to keep their hands off her, which bugs me to high heaven! There isn't much jealousy at all and I am thankful for that. We were worried that Aaliyah would have serious problems if we had another girl, but she has adjusted great. We are slowly getting back into a routine around here and I hope to have Juliana on a semi-predictable schedule soon.
What else is going on, you may ask? Well, in August we moved into a nice little house not far from where we were living before. It's smaller, but works great for us. I'm already looking around for projects to do in the spring. :)
We have also started dabbling in photography...and by "we" I mean my husband. I'm learning a little bit from what he's telling me from classes, websites, books, and discussions with other photographers. We will just have to see where it goes, but so far it's looking promising.
I'm on maternity leave from Walmart and looking to get back in the classroom in the fall, God willing. If His plan is to keep me at home, I'm up for that, too (as long as I can start singing again somewhere).
That's all I can think of for now. I have a Thanksgiving-type post mulling around in my head so maybe I'll get that down before next year! ;)
Have a wonderfully blessed fall day!
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