I Heart Faces: Tooshies

This week’s themed contest at I Heart Faces is Tooshies…

I had this perfect one of my boys this fall…

Brotherly love.

If you remember right though, it did wonders for Zach’s ability to look more natural for the camera!

Pam

YOUR Gonna Miss This… Moment… Week 61

It’s been an interesting week over here.  Thanksgiving. Busy. Family. Busy. Christmas Tree. Busy. Kids causing stress. Busy. A little back pain. Busy.

Will I miss pushing a shopping cart that looks like this one day?  Weekly??? 

Dealing with some nagging back pain?

Taking pictures of seniors & newborns?

Seeing my oldest son & his girlfriend look like this?

Sitting at ball games night after night?

Wondering if my kids are going to survive the effects of divorce?  Or adoption?  Or both??

Trips to the counselor?

Feeding players?

Watching my kids learn to use chop sticks?  Absolutely!

Dealing with a 5 yr old who doesn’t want to eat?

& is stubborn & pouting in Walmart about the lip gloss that she wants & is still angry about  having to give up in the Christmas Shoe Boxes?

Listening to them argue on the way home? 

Finding distracting games like “how many Christmas trees can we count on the way home?”  Yes.

Until they start to argue about whether a bush counts as a tree.

Sigh.

Which do I choose this week??

Thanksgiving day with the whole family.  And getting a good picture.

Too many to choose from.

Life is a lot of good, a little hard & a whole bunch of prayer.

Pam

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Do you have a moment this week (or 2 or 4) that you’d like to share?  Link them up here with me!!  Get the code for this photo link in the side bar to add to your post!

Happy Thanksgiving From Our Family!

My Family Today!  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Pam

Sun-flares

Many people think that if you take a photo and it ends up with a sun-flare in it you have a poor quality picture.

Did you know that sun-flares are the latest in photography?  And if you happen to get a beautiful sun-flare in a photo it is viewed by other photographers as a true gem?

In fact this week at I Heart Faces the theme was sun-flares!  I didn’t enter the contest, because I didn’t think I had anything to offer.  I’ve been working on some photos and actually trying to add sun-flare to them! 

Today on I Heart Faces they are actually hosting a contest for some really great edits (for Photo-shop) that ADD SUNFLARE to your photos!!  OOOOOOHHHHHH…. so it’s okay to fabricate the sun-flare????  Emphasize the small sun-flares?  I guess so!!

I took this picture last Sunday.  This is Cary and Amy.  They have been in my life in a multitude of ways over the years.

Before:

Nice picture.  Not wild about the color.  Indiana is not real colorful this time of year.  See that tiny spot on Cary’s arm?  A sun-flare!  It was sunny on this day & that gave me an idea!

What do you think of that?

It’s something to keep working on & but I think it is kinda cool!!

Pam

The Man In the Middle

I have a burden on my heart. 

It’s my handsome, smart, clever, 2nd son.

I’ve mentioned he’s struggling.

Last night, watching his first basketball game.

It became quite obvious he’s struggling.

He’s angry.

He’s bitter.

He needs help.

Do I have any choice but to sit back and let him go off? 

His own words on Facebook last night cried out that he knows he’s angry.

Please pray for us to find the help he needs to work through all of this.

He is not the communicator that his brother is.

He has not opened up to Grandpa like his brother has.

He has not dealt with this like his brother.

He’s 15.  15 is hard enough.

Please pray for him.

Pam

Sunshine…

The Sunshine Banquet was last night…

James & Alisen…

Pam

YOUR Gonna Miss This… Moment… Week 60

Yesterday, Kiahna and I had the rare opportunity to drive James’s car…

She asked me, in her own little Kiahna way… (read: whiny why does everyone else get to do that I I don’t)  “why does James get to have a car and we don’t?”

Of course her 5 year old mind didn’t  understand the seating arrangements in a mini van are much more conducive to driving around 5 plus children…  but she seemed happy with the answer that maybe one day it would only be her, Jadon & I left at home and we might get a car then.

Wouldn’t that be strange? 

Think I’ll ever miss driving a mini van?

Maybe.

Pam

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What about you?  What will you miss?  Link it up here!!  Get the code of this link to my blog in the sidebar…

Autumn Beauty… Continues…

I have so many pictures of my own kids that I haven’t even had a chance to edit!  When I was trying to decide which photo to put up for the I heart faces contest I edited a few of them… finally!!

Here are the others I was choosing from…

 

Pam

Haircuts… & headaches…

Leah and I went last night and got haircuts!!  It is always so nice to have a fresh cut!  We both woke up frustrated that it didn’t look this way today!  OH WELL!

If it looks like I have a headache, I do.  It’s a little better now, but I took something for it at 5:30 this morning when I got up to take Zach to basketball practice.

I tried to relax yesterday, I got a massage!  Went to the chiropractor, had dinner in the crock pot & then we went for these hair cuts.

The lady giving me my massage asked if I was stressed out… interesting question… compared to the past 3 years, this year has been a breeze… so am I stressed out?  I am crazy busy!!  Not stressed out.

I think I shared last week that I was taking Jadon to a specialist.  It was a urologist.  He continually is damp when he comes home from school.

The specialist is thinking that it is not a physical problem, at least that is where we are starting, none of his tests show any issues with his kidneys or his bladder.

So, trying to change up some habits.  Helping him to take the time to go to the restroom & empty his bladder.  Helping him with some diet restrictions, like no pop, caffeine, chocolate, citrus.  Giving him stickers for staying on the toilet for 2 minutes so many times a day.

BLAH!

Add to that a water bottle at school so he can drink more water during the day & less in the evenings.

The past 2 days.  At least 3 times damp in his pants.  Changing his clothes at school.  When he comes home.  Scrounging around for something clean to wear when you go through 3 pairs of pants a day!! 

It’s just a little frustrating.

Yesterday he really made some poor choices.  Took some money from Zach’s wallet.  Bought chocolate (which his is not supposed to have) on the bus from a friend of Leah’s (the MS is having a fund raiser), lied to me when he got home. 

And this my friend’s is kindergarten???  Trying not to be concerned. 

Please keep this little guy in your prayers. 

Kiahna and I are going over to play at one of my best friends from school’s house this morning!  She has a daughter Kiahna’s age.  Hoping it goes well!

Pam

I Heart Faces: Autumn Beauty

I have taken so many photos that I LOVE this autumn… when I saw the theme of this week’s contests at I Heart Faces I had to make a choice… a hard choice… Here is the one I chose…

My girls… Autumn Beauty…

Truth be told I have learned the most about photography from this blog, I Heart Faces.  Check them out!! 

And to check out more of my photography, go to my photo blog.

Pam

YOUR Gonna Miss This… Moment… Week 59

It struck me last night that it was Friday and I had not written anything for this carnival.  I was too tired & had no thoughts on what to write about.

This morning my brain was up before my body was ready… & the day is so full of activity and running… I still can’t quite think of anything to write about.

I know it is a long long time until things will even dream of slowing down around here… and by that time I may have been so busy so long, I will be so happy to have a quite house and nothing to do…

Or maybe I will miss it.  I’ll miss running from one even to the next… like today… James already left (thankful he can drive himself) to go cook for a Sunday School fundraiser breakfast that is today… Leah & Lucas both have a friend here… I need to go get the dog at the vet (he has a broken leg from getting hit by something he was chasing on the road, not sure what it was!)… Go to the fundraiser… Make  appt & Take Zach to the chiropractor. Take Lucas’s friend home… Take Lucas to basketball… pick up Lucas from basketball… Take Zach to basketball…Do a photo shoot… Pick Up Zach from Basketball… Shop for our shoebox items… James & Zach go sing at a benefit… oh and James wanted to try to go to the AU game this afternoon…

I am tired… maybe I need to go back to bed… I surely need a list so I don’t forget anyone or anything!!

Maybe in all the chaos of the day today I will find a moment to treasure… the possibility is high… if only I will pause and notice.

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What about you?  Do you have a moment to link up with me here?  Now is the time!!

You can use the link on the sidebar to copy and paste this picture to your post… and tell your blog readers about the carnival you are participating in!

Pack a Shoe Box

A very good idea.

Have you ever done it?

What am I talking about?

The deadline is in One Week.

Better get packing

How to Pack a Shoe Box

National Collection week November 16-23

We are!

Pam

Life is good

I hate that I don’t have the time to give to writing that I used to have.  I miss being over here more and sharing my thoughts & feelings & emotions…

I am enjoying low drama life.  I am enjoying working from home.  Although, I really stink at time management & my house has never been this unorganized, unclean & taken over by the laundry.  My kids are helping more & my mom was over some last week but it really needs me to give it some TLC.  It really needs me to GET RID of lots of junk!!  Maybe next week…

God's Photography Business is doing well!  I have to say I am surprised, pleased, and in awe of God’s Hand… cause I know it ain’t mine!  He is the ONE leading the way, and man am I glad…  I’ll be on a photo shoot, feeling a little frustrated with my camera & praying that HE will provide & He does.  He gives great shots I just push the button!

I made a new header for my photo blog…

And I am enjoying creating custom cards!  I’ve learned so much about photo shop in the last 2 months and there is so much to learn still!!

James has started swimming practice.  He has decided to dive this year.  He has never dove before and he is the only diver our school has… might be interesting… eek!! 

The senior football players had their pictures taken together last week… I decided not to be the photographer, the stress was more than I wanted to deal with!  But, I did take them for some casual shots after the other lady left.

James climbed the goal post…

And we found that they had aerated the field & there were all these chunks of dirt all over it… so the other boys started chucking them at him…

It was funny.

O another funny thing… I got a picture from another mom of myself at that pep session dressed in James clothes…

The things we do for our kids!

James is going for a second college visit at Ander_son on Friday.  He’s applied to quite a few schools now, and has heard back from 2 of them.  He needs to take the SAT’s once more and get a better score.  The second time was the same as the first time (at least in the areas that AU counts) 

Today there is a Veteran’s Day program at the school.  James is part of the History Club this year and will be part of the program today.

Zach is 15.  Fifteen is a hard age.  He’s not especially nice company to have around these days.  Have you been around a young dog & experienced how annoying they are?  How they like to get into other people space, not listen when they are told, & mess with things that are not their own??  Kind of reminds me of young boys… you know if you get your dog “fixed” at this point he calms down… can’t do that with your son now can you… :)

I feel like I need extra patience with Zach these days.  I hate that every conversation we have ends up in conflict. There doesn’t appear to be a way for it NOT to be that way.  Even when there is NOTHING to be in conflict about there seems to become something!  PRAY!

Basketball started yesterday.  They had 2 practices.  One at 6 am and another at 5:15 pm.  I believe they practiced for 5 hours yesterday!!!  Welcome to HS basketball… sheesh!!  2 a days in football, without school tucked in the middle, is one thing!!

Leah forgot her homework on the couch this morning.  I told her last night that she was going to forget it because it was on the floor.  She moved it to the couch and it still sits there.

We looked all over for her poms the other day.  The coach had them.  She left them at the last FB game.

Her room is a disaster area.

Awkward teenage years.  Oh how fun.  BLAH!!

She is cheering for basketball this year too.  Practices are underway for those too.

Lucas is still working hard in school.  Still finding his own way in this large family. 

I told him this morning that his clothes didn’t match.  He told me that he didn’t want them to match.  Matching is for girls.  Okay then.

His heart is so sweet & he brings me so much joy!  I love that he still lets me lay in his bed at night, read to him, & hear his prayers… how many more days will he let me do these things?

Jadon is doing so great in kindergarten!  He loves it.  He plays with the girls & they want to marry him & kiss him (so he says)

I listened to him going on and on last night in the van… kindergarten drama… who hit whom… who got a “flag pulled”… what happens then…

He says he hasn’t had to pull any flags.  I am not sure if that is the truth or not.  I hope it is!

The only struggle that continues for Jadon is the wetting of his pants.  He has had 4 dry days in the past 5 weeks.  It’s bad.  He isn’t soaked.  Just damp.  We have been going to the chiropractor for it.  And Friday we go to a specialist our pediatrician referred us to last summer.  Hoping for some help somewhere & for this to end.  He doesn’t seem to mind, but it has to be embarrassing (he just pretends it isn’t there & I send dry clothes to school every day)

Kiahna seems to be doing really really well in school!  The teacher is impressed!!  YEAH!!!!

I am so thankful!!  Enjoying her last year at home with me.

Although, I did tell her that we might have to keep her home & she can help me open a day care!  MY SISTER LANA & HER HUSBAND BEN ARE HAVING A BABY!!  If you remember they got married last November!  We are all so excited!

Kiahna loves babies!  She talks about babies all the time and asks when she will get to have a baby… go get your doll sweetie…. a long time till you get to have your own baby!!

Feeling blessed… thankful… normal…

Pam

HOMERUN!!!

THERE IS A VICTORY CELBRATION GOING ON OVER HERE!!!!!!!!!

YOU MUST GO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!!!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!!!!!

WAY TO GO GOD!!!

SO HAPPY FOR YOU STELLAN & MCKFAMILY!!!!!!!!

Pam

Somehow…

Somehow life has become “normal” again.

Somehow I am raising 6 children on my own.

Somehow the sun is coming up each day and still reminds me of the promise of restoration God has given me.

Somehow I am taking pictures and people like them and want me to take them of them,and get this... I am getting paid to do something I love!

Somehow our needs are continuing to be provided for in every way possible and then some.

Somehow.

How?

This incredibly mind blowing God I serve.

He is how.

No other way.

None.

Zero.

Any questions?

Pam

YOUR Gonna Miss This… Moment… Week 58

It’s Friday night… and we are not at a football game… I miss them… guess I can’t talk about football this week!!  I know. Your crushed too.

Kiahna got into some markers in their room last night after I put her to bed… she woke up with a nice design all over her forehead.

She asked for hot chocolate this morning with her breakfast, she sat at the island, with her coco, blanket, fingers.  Enjoying the quiet morning after the others all left for school. 

Hard to imagine her being gone at school all day next year.  Enjoying our time together this year.  Her and I went shopping together one day this week.  She skipped preschool… shhh…

Then she read the dog some books…

She is so nice to have around… I am really going to miss her when she is in school all day… or maybe I’ll home school her… you know, just to have her around.  Or maybe not.

Sigh. 

So many changes… trying to keep up.

Pam

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What about you? What’s going on in your world that you will be missing one day?  Or what are you missing that isn’t going on in your world anymore??   You know, like me and football…

Write about it and link it up here… add a link to my blog to your post so others can join in too.  Use the picture code on the sidebar if you want.

Cards anyone?

Continuing to hone my card making skills, not to mention my photo shop skills!!  I’ve made these cards in the past couple days…

See more on my photo blog!  If you are interested in having a card designed by me, I can send you the information through email.  Photographs do not have to be taken by me, I can use your photos to design you a card!

Pam

Soggy Southwood. James Last Game

No Words Necessary.

Pam