A walk to remember

The weather was absolutely gorgeous today, so I decided that the girls and I would walk to church. We live only about a block and a half away, so with the exception of the fact that I walked there in 3-inch red heels, it was a good decision (mental note, throw a pair of flip-flops in purse).

The walk there was stressful. I was rushing out the door (shocking, I know!), the girls just couldn't seem to get their memory verses right, I was hollering at them, Mae spilled some random drink all down the front of her (it's her thing, she grabs a drink, no matter how many weeks old it has been sitting there, and just drinks it), just complete madness. I was angrily telling them their verse over and over (ironically, it was about signs that people are filled with the Holy Spirit, and I was not exhibiting any signs at the time), Faith was near tears, and Maebree was throwing a hissy fit about holding my hand when we crossed the street.

The walk home was completely different with the exception of my tingling, sore feet. The girls were happily walking along together. Mae held my hand the WHOLE time. We were giggly and joking with each other. Em spotted a frog and we stopped and watched it for a minute, not really in a rush to get home. They were telling me about their class, and Mae was in absolute awe of the stars. We never even see stars at our house because the street light is right in the corner of our yard, but BOY could she see the stars! She even swore there were spiders on the stars and said we needed to run faster so the spiders didn't come and bite her new dress. She is so my kid.

I don't know if we all lost our attitudes at church, our maybe we just got filled up with the Holy Spirit while we were there:) But it was nice. Nice to just walk, in peace, and just enjoy my girls.

Happy Birthday Mae-Mae!!!

Today is my baby's birthday. Technically, she will not be 3 until 10:45 tonight, but I digress. I can't even believe that she is already 3. I remember going to the Wal-Mart in Rantoul after swimming lessons and buying 4 different pregnancy tests to "make sure" I was really pregnant. I finally caved and bought the expansive one that literally says "pregnant". I remember (as I hang my head in shame) the selfish week that I cried and cried when I found out it was another girl. I was so mad, all of us were. I just KNEW that God was giving us our boy, our son. Didn't he know the desire of our hearts? Faith even asked the sono-tech if we could "pretend" it was a boy. I remember praying and begging for forgiveness because here I was, pregnant with a perfect, whole, healthy little girl, when many of my friends would give/do ANYTHING just to even have a baby. I remember vividly the day she was born. I remember all the frustration that accompanied it with the hospital. I remember the sheer joy of holding her and nursing her for the first time, and thinking that I wouldn't have traded her for all the boys in the whole world at that point. I remember freaking the nurse out because she stepped out of the room for "just a minute" thinking she had plenty of time and then coming back in to see me holding her. That's right...I can brag....I'm a birthing super-human. Get me knocked up, and I will guarantee to pop that kid out in a total labor time of 3 hours, beginning to end. No pain, no gain I say! It's the one thing I know I can do and do well:)

So happy birthday to my little Tater/Maeder/Mae-Mae/Peanut/Ma-shug-a-nut-butt! (She has more nicknames than any kid should have)

This last picture makes me laugh. She is in one of her many crazy outfits she wears on a daily basis. She looks so cute, it's really a perfect pictures of her..but Glenn Beck in the background (her daddy's favorite show!) and Caleb, picking himself up after tripping....again....just cracks me up!

Random pics

I found a bunch of pictures on my camera that I decided I better post. They are not in chronological order because I am super lazy and uploaded them backwards. We will start with the most recent from this Sunday.

My sister had this awesome idea about decorating those plastic Easter eggs instead of real ones this week and then do the real ones next week and have an egg hunt with the decorated ones.

Mae got some blue paint in her hair. I thought looked like she is a little "high" from the paint fumes.....

Ever wondered what Mae would look like with hair? Pretty stinkin' cute.

New Years Eve....( I know...HUGE time difference, but whatever, it's for documentation purposes)...

Didi cracked me up, we got pics of all the "couples" (mine hubby was working, so my dates were my kids). Millie stood in for her future Hubs or BF....

Mae and her super BFF, Emmitt.....

What the kids did...watched movies all night...

Told ya it was super random!

Fog

I'm in a bit of a fog today....I was REALLY in one yesterday, it's that fog that takes over after you've been up all night hugging the toilet. And that is not something I do often. My body rejects even the prospect of puking. I just can't do it. I've tried even making myself do it because I KNOW I will feel better and sleep better after, but it doesn't work. Boy did it work Saturday night. Whoa....I don't know if it was the massive consumptions of food from our conference at church, or what it was, but I.was.sick. I slept until 3:00 yesterday, woke up, had a bagel, then went back to sleep 'til 6:30 was up a couple hours and back in bed. Today I am much better and in a disinfecting mood.

BUT.....all that to make a SHAMELESS plug for my cousin's business (who is constantly making shameless plugs for me on her blog:) is to say that the dizziness and *most* of the head issues I have been having are so so so so SO much better. I saw an ENT doctor a couple weeks ago who diagnosed me with BPPV (a form of vertigo). She also said I have some fluid/hearing issues that they would follow up with me about later (still haven't). I felt ok for a couple days, but woke up the next Monday with some major dizziness. I had decided to go back to seeing my cousin's hubs, who is a chiropractor. What a difference a cracking makes! I walked out of there feeling like the *fog* I had been in was gone. So....strange.... I've been going back on schedule and keep feeling better and better. I even jogged two times last week (not just around the block, over 2 miles each time!). I still have some hearing issues, fluid in my ears, just nasty stuff. Noise really bothers me. Low noise, like base guitars and drums and low-voiced women;) But I'm doing much.much. better THANK YOU JESUS!

So....if you need a chiropractor, go see Dr. Jeff Melby. He's great, and not just 'cause he's family. I honestly haven't felt this good since last year. Plus, he is probably the cheapest guy around if money's an issue. You can get an adjustment (or as I say "cracking" cause it sounds funner) for $20 which is cheaper than what most insurance copays are anyway!

New lights

An AWESOME, and very supportive photographer friend of mine was seriously generous in giving me not 1, not 2, but 3 lights to have as practice for studio work. HOLY COW! I was SO blessed by that, you can't even imagine. I would probably not even know how to turn on my camera had it not been for him, he has taught me SO much! Having an "eye" is one thing.....knowing how to photograph what you see is totally another!

So I finally had a few minutes this afternoon while the babies were sleeping to take some practice shots of my soon to be 3-year-old. (I know I have a lot of pics of my littlest, but really, I don't love her any more than the other two....they are just gone all day. Wait til summer!) Here's what I've done so far!
I am way beyond excited...seriously! So thanks Steve Hale! I pray God's abundant blessings on your business so that you can become a millionaire and then hire me as an assistant:)

I'll be watching you......

Last Saturday I got to photograph one of my "regulars" new baby...well...he is not super new, but due to the craziness of Christmas and all that followed, I was JUST able to get him in. I ran into a problem I have NEVER ran into before....the kid had the most beautiful and glossy eyes.....not a problem you say? Take a look a little closer......

No...not my man hands holding that beautiful chunky monkey, but can you tell Didi was wearing an orange sweatshirt? Holy COW! I mean, HOLY COW! Pretty freaky. I was able to edit some of the reflections out, but it was not easy. And in some, the finished product had to be as follows:

But I think that sweet baby face makes up for any distracting reflection you might see:) and if you want to see the rest of his finished pics, go on to flickr and check them out!

Living room remodel

We moved into our house almost 7 years ago this June. I had just had Emmy two weeks prior. And it had been the WORST two weeks a girl could have. Debilitating colon infection, two ER visits, tests that shall remain nameless that made me scream for drugs when birthing a child had not......Needless to say, rough was an understatement. We had the house built and had picked everything out in it. I was 7-9 months pregnant when doing this, so pretty much, I was useless. I didn't care, I just wanted in my house. I have regretted MANY decisions since then, and the living room carpet was a-number-one on the list. First of all....it was too light of a carpet in a SUPER high traffic area. Secondly, I have 3 kids. Thirdly, I babysit, and this is the main room for the kiddos. We TRIED to make sure people removed their shoes before entering the house, but that's not always been the case. So the carpet had to go......

We picked out some stuff from Menards and had bought it a couple weeks prior (since it was going off sale). Our awesome friend BK came over and helped my husband (and our wallet since he had all the toys necessary to do the job!) install it over two days. Those boys worked like DOGS for two straight days, and I am so happy, I am literally giddy! If I had not been in a neck collar (another story for another blog), I am pretty sure I would've done cartwheels!

I didn't really have a great "before" shot, but I have taken PLENTY of pictures in that living room. Just check the archives. The afters are.amazing.period.

Thanks BK for two LONG days of help, and thanks E for letting us have him for a weekend when I am SURE you have a "few things" going in your life you could've used him for:)