Friday, October 29, 2010

Costume Contest!

Two posts in one day.  I'm on a roll!  Just wanted to pop in real quick with a couple of pics of me for a change.  That's right.  We had a costume contest a work today and I won.  Wanna see?....................



Sexy thing, aren't I?
It was pretty funny though.  Some people laughed right away, some just looked at me and the woman who works next to me and sees me every day asked a co-worker who the old lady was!  When she was told it was Karen the woman said 'Karen who?'  Ha!  I got a kick out of that.
Michelle just called and asked that I pick Bella up at school because she is running late.  Woner what she'll think

Photos



Not quite sure what is going on with my computer, but I can only upload two pictures to my blog per entry.  So here are two from my photo shoot with Bella on Sunday.  I love the pink and brown!  She lost another tooth yesterday at school.  That makes eight for anyone who is counting!  Eating is becoming a challenge for her - one she doesn't need.  Though a few are beginning to make their way to the surface so hopefully she will have some teeth soon.  In the meantime, we enjoy her toothy grin!

Love this girl!
She is excited for Halloween and Trick or Treating.  I am excited for the weekend and some sleep time!  Yay!  Might even get something done, but we'll have to see.
Hope you all have a great weekend!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Wordless Wednesday

Our Little Fan!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Weekend Re-Cap

Friday was Michelle's big night at work, something that she has been working on for quite a while-the Fall Fun Festival.  Each year their pre-school puts on a festival to raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation and Michelle is in charge of this effort.  She worked tirelessly on it and it showed!  Each school in the region is given a goal to reach and Michelle's goal was more than double that of every other school in the region.  They had pony rides, a moon bounce, a mineral dig, pizza, a bake sale, a silent auction and a raffle as well as games and treats for all the children in each of the classrooms.  She got one of the local radio stations to create an ad and air it for the couple weeks prior and lots of local business donated items for the auction and raffle.  The cost is $5 per child and adults are free.  Bella couldn't wait to go, she was so excited.  I was truly so proud of Michelle and the effort that she puts forth on behalf of this cause every year.  It was a huge success!  Here's Bella playing one of the games:
Saturday, Michelle and I took Bella shopping for clothes as she has grown out of many of hers.  The stinker!  She grew about two inches since school began and so we really needed to fill in her wardrobe.  She mostly needed pants as the growth was mostly in her legs.  We headed up to the outlets and had quite a bit of success up there.  The drive up was beautiful too!  The leaves are really magnificant right now and the weather was just perfect.  Such a nice day to be walking around. 
That evening, Jim and I went to dinner with our dear friends the Prichards.  We have not seen them in a while and it was wonderful to have an opportunity to catch up with them both and just enjoy each others company.  We really need to make a point to do that more often.
Sunday was another beautiful day.  We took advantage of the weather and went downtown for a little mini photo shoot with Bella.  I wanted to play with my camera a bit and she's my favorite model, so it was an opportunity not to be missed.  I also cut about four inches off her hair before we left, she wanted it shorter but that was as short as I could go!  Hopefully I can add some pics later, blogger is acting up and won't let me  do it now!  I even got a little crafting in-very little but I got a two page spread done.  Again, I'll post when I can. 
And to top it all off-the Steelers won making my hubby and son very happy!  Having said that I have to add for my parents and sibs- Go Giants! 



Thursday, October 21, 2010

Slacker!

Sorry about my absence, but I have simply been too tired to write.  I know that it is not much of an excuse, but it's all I've got.  I really can't say what has gotten into me, I can only pray that it is not here to stay.  I feel like I am constantly moving through a morass and I can't find my way out.  The exhaustion is something that I wake up with and it stays with me all day long, keeping me company throughout the day threatening to engulf me if I dare to let my guard down.  My eyes burn and drip with tears, yearning to close and find solace in sweet sleep.  I am comforted by thoughts of rest and hope that in sleep I can get a temporary reprieve from the discomfort that haunts my days.  But it is not to be.  In sleep it follows me.  Chasing me.  Bringing with it strange dreams, images and sounds.  I toss and turn, mumble, speak, cry out, yell and sometimes even sing-all while under the cover of sleep. 
In my naiveté I had thought to pray for normalcy.  It is not to be.  For this is my new normal.  It is not a punishment or a denial but it is different and something to get used to.  My prayers are different now too.  I've come to realize that my prayers are less selfish, less me focused.  Less of the: Heal my pain, help me with this or show me that and more of the Thank You Lord and Praise You God.  I've learned to put my trust in Him.  Completely.  And I am so Grateful for all that He has given me. 
Like this:
A visit from her son sure can warm this Mom's heart!
Yes, last night Tim came home for a visit.  Far too long in between, but I'll take it when I can.  So good to see him.  Bella was happy too as you can see.  He and Jim picked Bella up from school, it was like noone else was there, only her uncle existed at that moment for Bella.  They walked the dogs and afte they got home, they took a hike into Gambril State Park.  Bella said it was one of the best days of her life and it was the best hike of her life!  (It was the only hike of her life, but who's counting?)  They did a short one mile trail, but it was long enough for her little legs.  We had dinner together, talked and laughed and caugh up.  It was good, it was nice.  Then Tim had to go home.  Bella was sad.  Truth be told, so was I.  I love having my kids around.  Let's make it a shorter time between visits next time!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

   Kids can be funny. You never know how they are going to take something that you tell them or teach them. Will they understand? Really understand or just go through the motions and act like they do to get through the conversation or the lecture.
When my son was little he would agree to anything just to get me to stop talking to him! Every once in a while though I knew that I had gotten through to him and that I had made a point. He would show me by his response to something that somehow something we had tried to teach him had in fact made an impression.  And it felt good.
With Michelle it was always much easier to tell because she made a habit out of making her feelings known, being more forthcoming with her emotions and her behaviours.  (That only started to change when she hit those teenage years and she has since reverted back to her 'original' self!)
Now we have a unique chance to see our daughter raising her daughter and to see some of those lessons being taught again.  And, being learned again.  Bella is an interesting combination of different personalities.  In so many ways, she is so much like Michelle, but  there are other ways in which she is a curious blend of Jim and Tim and others as well.  And of course, she is a unique individual.
But her sensitivity and her compassion never ceases to amaze me. I may have talked of this before, but it bears repeating in my opinion.  She has demonstrated acts of compassion since she was very young, maybe 3 years old.  It amazed me at the time and it amazes me now.  She can be empathetic and really try to understand someone else's suffering and pain or their happiness.  Sometimes though, it can make for what Michelle will describe as a 'High Maintenance' little girl.  She feels deeply.  For instance, our neighbors had a dog named Chloe and several months ago, Chloe passed away.  Monday night as Bella was saying her prayers (which she has to say in private,facing the outside wall of her bedroom), she began to cry.  Michelle heard her cry and went to her to find out what was wrong.  Bella told her she was saying her prayers and included Chloe and that she was just so sad that Chloe had to be in Heaven and not here with the people who love her so much.  She wasn't sad for Chloe, but for her people because they would miss their dog.
The tears quickly turned to a torrent and Michelle felt useless to stop the storm. 
Bella knew that Chloe was in Heaven, she knew that she was in a better place and she was free from pain, yet she was still sad.  Her sadness was for those she left behind.  Isn't that how most Christians feel when a loved one dies?  How do you help to ease the suffering born from grief and pain? 
I can only say the best way I know how, with Prayer and with Faith.
Sometimes though, it can be a dificult lesson to learn.



Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to GOD.     
Philippians 4:6


Monday, October 11, 2010

Weekend Recap

Okay, it's that time again, time to recap my weekend for all (or both) of my faithful blog readers!  Can you guess?  Go ahead, I dare you!  Yup, you're right-it was busy!
Between bookfairs, bugs, and birthdays, festivals, fun and friends, we shared clicks and crafts and quick, cozy, naps, but we somehow fit it all in.
So without going into every dirty detail, I'll just rewind a bit and give you the highlights.  On Saturday Jim and I went to Dutch's Daughter to celebrate our friend's 80th birthday.  I had a chance to see a lot of friends that I don't get a chance to see too often and that was great.  It was also so special to be a part, however small of such a special birthday event.  Happy Birthday Olive!  Here's to many more! 
On Sunday we had tickets to the Great Pumkin Patch which is something that the Frederick Co. Parks & Rec. Dept. puts on every year.  We had not heard of it before but somehow found our way there this year and boy, was it crowded!  There were lots of things for the kids to do like, moon bounces, pony rides, a trick or treat trail, hay rides, crafts, that kind of thing.  Bella had a good time.  When we were done there, Jim thought that since we were so close to Gaver's farm we should stop there and go to their pumpkin patch, so we did that too.  They had lots to as well and in addition to the rides and games had farm animals too, which is always an added bonus for Isabella.  When we got to the pumpkin patch and were sitting taking a picture, Jim heard someone calling his name. He turned around to find our friends who were there with their grandson Kyle, who happened to be the ring bearer in the wedding with Bella last weekend.  She was thrilled to see him again and they had a great time playing together as the following picture will attest:
It really was a wonderful day!  The weather was just perfect.
But I am surely feeling my age today, I can assure you. 
And we had one tired girl in the house last night that is for certain, Bella was beat too.  Ha!  We all slept pretty well last night.
But I am sure this is going to shock and amaze you.  Guess what I did when we got home from all of our outings yesterday?  If you guessed crafted you would be right on!  That's right, it wasn't much, but I did get a few cards made last night. 
 I am pleased with how this one came out, I love the Terra Cotta Tile color from PaperTrey ink.  So rich and great for Fall.  Goes great with their Leaf Print set too!
This is from a Hero Arts Cling set that I just got.  Playing with an idea for a Christmas card.  Not too wild about the blue though.  I like the snowman and thought I could use him for more than Christmas which made me get the set.  I'll play with it some more and use different colors.


Another Snowman Card.

Oh one more thing, look at this:

Notice anything different? Yeah, the other 10-11 inches of her hair went to Locks of Love.  She waited until after the wedding and then chopped it off!  I think its so cute!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Bullying

This subject has been in the news a lot lately and it has been on my heart.  There have been several instances that we have heard of where young people have taken their own lives because of the abuse that they have endured by the hurtful words and deeds of others.  Why?  Needless lives lost because someone doesn't live up to anothers' image of what is 'normal' or 'right'.  It all seems so wrong, so senseless and so terribly sad.

I can't help but wonder when it will end. We know that the persecution goes back to the days of the Bible.  We read about different types of prejudices throughout the Bible.  But when will it end?  We must teach by example.
As I sat in church on Sunday and listened to our Pastor's sermon, I thought about his words and how they related to me.  He spoke about Pauls 2nd letter to Timothy, when he encourages Timothy to be Faithful. 
He speaks of being an example of Christs' love and to not be ashamed.  And it reminded me that we all need to be an example of His love, and that has to start with me. 
I have to give thanks to my parents for being such good examples of His love for me and my siblings.  Although we did not always make it to church every Sunday, in fact it was  more often than not that we were not at church,in word, action and deed, my parents were stewards of God's Love.  They led by example.  Teaching us to be tolerant, to love others, to follow God, to Cherish family, to value learning, and morals, and right from wrong and they taught us understanding.  These are the lessons that I have strived to pass along to my children and that I hope in some way they have learned and that they have come to value and that in turn they will pass along to their children.  Maybe by doing so in some small way, we can help to carry on the gifts of Faith and Love that can be found by believing and be an example.
                           Re-kindle the gift of faith that is within you and pass it on. 

Teach our children that we will not tolerate intollerance.  Guide them through your example.  And put and end to bullys.  And if you know someone who is being bullied, let them know that there is help.  They don't have to feel so alone and lonely, there is someone they can talk to, someone who can help.  Don't let one more young person feel like the only way to put an end to it is to end their life.  Their life is worth so much more...

      "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
                                            2 Timothy 1: 7

Monday, October 4, 2010

Wedding Recap

Because the wedding was such an even, I can't do a weekend re-cap as usual so I am just going to give you some highlights of the wedding.  It was beautiful!  I loved it being in the evening and it worked out so  nicely to be on Friday because then we had the rest of the weekend to recover.  Ha! 
The girls started getting ready bright and early Friday morning and they made a whole day of it.  Bella went to school and I picked her up at 1:00 (they all got out at 1:30 that day so she didn't miss much) and took her to get her hair done.  She loved that and was so excited.  By the time we got home it was time to get her dressed and take her to the church where I dropped her off and then went  home to get myself dressed.  The older girls were running a bit late but that wasn't a big deal and I asked someone I knew to keep an eye on Bella till they got there. 
When Jim and I got back to the church Michelle had asked to have me come back to the room they were waiting in to see them.  This is what I saw:
My two beautiful girls!
I got to see Brooke too and she was breathtaking.   So here are some pictures:
Then came the reception.  Bella just couldn't wait to dance, but she wouldn't do so unless Aunt Brookie said it was okay.  Once Aunt Brookie said it was okay, she went at it no holds barred! 
This was the best, she put a rose in her mouth and said she wanted to Tango!
It was a great night and a beautiful wedding. 


Friday, October 1, 2010

Friday-Wedding Day!

Well, today is Brooke's wedding.  The excitement is building.  Michelle and Bella went to the rehearsal last night in the middle of a monsoon!  All went well despite the weather.  Today started early.  Michelle picked Brooke up at 7:00 and headed for the MOH's house for hair and make up.  Michelle was going to have her hair done in a french twist but she couldn't get it to stay because Michelle has too much hair, so on to plan B.  This is the result:
Brooke just sent it to me from her Blackberry.  Look at all that hair!  She may have a headache by the end of the day. 
I'm going to get Bella in a short while and take her to get her hair done and then get her dressed and take her to the church for pictures with the bride and then its show time.  I'll be sure to post pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I forgot to post any from our walk.  Here are a few:

Nice hats, huh?
She's ready to move!
About 1/3 of the way...
At the end.
The Finish Line!!