Yea that is me alright. I am all about keepin' it real. Fo sure. If you grew up int the 80's and you were not a New Kids on The Block fan then you are one of two things: a man or a liar. I guess back then you either dug the pop music or the head banging music, so I guess if you were not rocking it with NKOTB then you were with Def Leopard. I am a self professed NKOTB fan. I still am. I will shout it from the roof tops. I had their posters plastered all over my bedroom walls. I promise, you can ask my mom. I attended three of their concerts. I bought every Bop and Teen Beat with them on the cover and let's face it, one of them was always on the cover. I had their shirts, their buttons and all their CD's. I had their videos. I watched what was back then MTV's TRL to see if their newest video was number 1. Oh yes my friends. I was going to be Mrs. Jordan Knight. Or Mrs. Joey McIntyre. Trust me. I, to this day, still remember the words to the songs and yes even the da...

I know I have been MIA. I suck. Life got in the way. I got my new camera and am learning how to fiddle with it. I also got an adapter ring stuck on it already, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to get that booger off, let me know. It would not be a huge deal except the filters I got go right on the camera and do not seem to fit on the extra lenses. And the lens cap for the camera does not go on either. Once again, I suck. Anyway, here are some pictures with the new camera. Bear with me, I am still learning how to operate the thing. Cereal is yummy. Especially when you get to eat it on your sister's bed while watching Tom and Jerry. Only a REAL man can wear pink and purple SpongeBob jammies handed down from his sister. I actually think Mark may have taken this picture. He does not usually want to take pictures, but he is a man. It was a new toy in the house. He had to try it. "I am off to pick up chicks in my hot red car. I am soooo stylin'!" The girl is too big ...

Amanda has been doing 365 at Flickr. She is taking a photo of herself every day that reflects who she is. As I have been watching her journey through photographs, it has caused me to pause. No, I am not going to start taking photos of myself and most certainly not ones like Amanda has taken. It will be a cold day in hell before you will see a picture of me in anything close to underwear with my leg sticking out of a curtain. That is not what I am getting at. Just go read what I am trying to say here .

I am wrestling with a new issue here and it is not something I can put into words yet. I went to read Jeff Adams' blog and I am reading and feeling sad about the fire in Waldo too. I was reading along and waiting. I knew Pastor Adams would have something really good at the end to say. I also knew I needed something, though I was not sure what. I got to the last paragraph and had my answer. "Here’s what I’m asking myself. In case of unexpected tragedy, fire, hurricane, tornado or what have you, how would I respond? Can I prepare myself mentally against that eventuality so that even in grief I would have a practiced mental path to follow? Are there records I should keep in a safe place or all together? While living in a civil war many years ago, Cheryl and I had a box of important papers and other irreplaceable items that we could throw in the car if forced to make a getaway. What can be replaced and what cannot? And, even if we lost every thing we had, what are those th...

I sat down today with my toast and coffee to do some reading. The current book I am into is Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World . My dear friend Rachel gave it to me for my birthday. I set it aside for a bit while I finished up another book. After I was done with my other book, I was looking through all the Christan literature I have sitting around, deciding which one to go to next. It never ceases to amaze me. I am given a book or recommended a book my someone. I set it aside most times and get to it later on. The part that never cease to amaze me? That the book is sitting there and at the exact time I need to read what it is in, I pick it up. God is always working, isn't He? I had already read the first Chapter. This book is more intense. It has a study guide in the back. Now this study guide is not like what you find in the back of most books. This one is INTENSE. I did it over the course of a week. The questions require that much. Excellent. Today I sat dow...

I will preface this by saying that Mark is a much more private person than I am. Big shock. It was ten years ago today that Mark asked me to be his wife. We were young, I was 20 and he was 19, and we were in love. You know what I am talking about? The "I can't stand to be away from you because it hurts too much" kind of in love. Three months later we got married. Fast yes. To this day though, I will tell anyone that it felt right. I was not nervous or scared. It just seemed like the most natural thing to do. That was ten years, two kids, and two dogs ago. We have weathered many storms. Ones that threatened to take it all down. It has not been easy. At times it has felt like it would not make it. We somehow muddled our way through life and here we are today. I would not change a thing. Today Mark sent me this verse: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him ...

Davis was up way too early this morning. I knew he would likely take a nap today. I did not, however, think he would put himself to bed. Which is what he did. I thought he was being quiet in his room and when I went to check on him this is what I found.... And while Emma's camera may not take the greatest pictures, it is more fun. You can put Disney characters in the picture with you or Mickey ears or a princess crown on your head. So while I do want a new "grown-up" camera, how fun is that?

I know I have been missing lately. Today will just be a quick overview of life here. Nothing fancy or thought provoking. My mind is wiped. My mom came through surgery fine. We will know more Thursday once she gets results back. To those who are wondering, my mom has bladder cancer and they were removing the tumor yesterday. Now it must be biopsied to see what stage she is in and figure out if she will require more treatment. She had some chemo put straight into her bladder yesterday. The prayer now is that she will not need any further treatment and that she is in Stage 1. Now we have to get her to quit smoking...... I am missing my camera. It is funny how when you have it you can forget to take pictures for days, even weeks. But once you no longer have one, you see all these opportunities to take some really awesome pictures. We are shopping around and trying to find a good camera for a good price. I am wanting something a little more fancy that my last one. Something m...

All I have for today is this: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15 In other words, be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks why you have hope. Do so with a gentleness and with a certain respect. My mom is undergoing her surgery today. I have hope and I have it because of God. Right now, it is all I have to go on. Always praying, never ceasing. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ~ Colossians 1:3

My mother is having surgery on Monday. I made a post about it over at 451 Press . I promise I am not abandoning this blog. Over at 451 Press I can only write about certain things and I do not want to post pictures and such. This will still be my main blog and the same goofy, odd things I come up with will be posted here. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

If you want to know, go check it out!

When I grow up, I want to be able to see the world as Pastor Adams does. This is a man who can and does see God in everything. Pastor Adams posted on Anna Nicole Smith and her untimely and shocking death. I could not say it any better than he does and he sums up my feelings exactly. Beautifully written and full of truth. Go read what he has to say, because he said it all.

I am writing somewhere else for fun. You can check it out here . Once I figure out things a bit more, I will let you know. Right now, it is just a thing that I can do whenever I want. It uses Word Press and I am trying to figure it out still. Hoping maybe I will get some more traffic to this blog and who knows where it all will go???? The link for 451 Press is where you can find my other writing. They are channel blogs and I can write on any of the topics. I will post on here anytime I jump over there for something.

Today is Love Thursday and I am not feeling the love. Maybe it is because the weather is cold and yucky here. (The sun? What's that??) Maybe it is because Emma has been a little under the weather. Maybe it is because it is tax season and Mark is once again putting in an insane amount of hours. Whatever the reason, not feeling it. However, though I am not feeling the love in any profound way, my kids can not keep one from feeling loved. Even in her not feeling so hot state, my baby girl is loving me. (Yes, I am aware that she is almost seven. She is still my baby girl.) Yesterday, she finally told me that her head and throat were hurting a bit. I told her that she was supposed to tell me if anything was bothering her so we could keep an eye on it. Her response? "I know. But I did not want you to worry about me mom." I almost cried. We try to protect the ones we love, don't we? Of course in return, we worry about those that we love. So while I may not have anything eart...

My camera has died. At Christmas, the USB thing broke off into the camera. Mark bought a card reader though and I was able to happily go along taking more pictures and just removing my card and putting it into the reader. The other day I was taking a picture of the kids. I sat my camera down and when I picked it up it was turned off. I thought maybe the batteries were dead. So I changed them. About ten times. My camera has died. Now to some people, you may think so what? To others with kids you may think oh no, there are so many little moments to capture. Photography has long been a passion of mine. I took photography in school and learned on an old school SLR camera and developed actual film in a darkroom. I loved that. My uncle sent me an old Pentax SLR just like the one we used in high school. I still have it to this day. I also have another SLR film camera that is a bit fancier. It took me some time to give into the digital age. Mark had to force me into it. Hence...

Even as a Bible believing Christian. Even as someone who whole heatedly and 100% believes in God. Even as someone who knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is in control. Even as someone who knows that God has a plan. Even as someone who knows God gives us more comfort than anything or anyone else. Even as that person, I sometimes ask why. I know that the Bible tells us there is a reason for everything. We find that in Ecclesiastes 3:1 ~ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: I know that the Bible tells us that we can not lean on our our understanding for things. This is even my life verse. We find that in Proverbs 3:5-6 ~ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. I know that the Bible tells us we will have trails and tribulations. We find in 1 Peter 3:17 ~ For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doin...

Do you ever have days where you just feel like crying? For no real reason. Or maybe there are so many things that you finally decide to just cry and get it out? I think sometimes in life we go along and refuse to let ourselves feel anything. I know I have had trouble controlling my emotions. Anywhere from crying to depression to anger. It is hard to get a handle on them. I have spent a lot of time in prayer to God over this very issue. I think in all of that, in the fight to keep everything at bay, I forgot one part. Emotions are a good thing. God gave them to us for a reason. We just need to learn to control them. I think in my battle to control my emotions, I took it to the other side almost. I decided it would be best to not feel anything. Maybe I needed to do that in order to feel in a more healthy way. I am not sure. Today it seems a lot of things hit all at once and a part of me wants to curl up in bed, pull the covers over my head, and cry all day. Not for any on...

The boy can not get up as early as Emma. If he does, he passes out at some point in the day. Yesterday, he feel asleep in only his diaper, after finishing off his Spaghetti O's. I covered him with a nice warm blanket and let him snooze. Such sweetness in him....

Sometimes life slaps you in the face. Assuming you are one who does not enjoy being slapped in the face, it stings. More often than not, it also catches you off guard. In life there are moments that take your breath away, both good and bad. Such as the first time you held your newborn baby. Or the first time someone broke your heart. Both of those moments can take your breath right out of you but in very different ways. Both of those moments can change your life forever and also change your view and definition of love. As we gather these breath taking moments in our lives, we change and grow. As we change and grow, our view becomes very different than it was in our teen years. We learn that life and love are not what the movies make them out to be. We learn that losing someone breaks our hearts and that putting that back together is not as easy as it looks. Sometimes love means having to do and say things you would rather not do or say. Sometimes love means having to put yourself last....