Jordy’s Turn

Jordy finally got a chance to get her winter photos taken during our recent family photo shoot. As usual, Tracy had her cracking up while I tried to snap as fast as I could. It was only 2 degrees out so I couldn’t take as much time as I wanted to. I love it when her eyes disappear when she’s laughing. So cute. I purposefully chose NOT to show the best of these kid pics on my blog because the good prints were going to be Christmas gifts. Well, now they are going to be LATE Christmas gifts because I am running out of time to get anything done!

I Smell Like Wisdom

#Reverb10 Prompt: Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

I thought long and hard about this prompt. For like, a whole ten minutes I pondered and pontificated about my own wisdom. You know what I came up with?

Nada.

No big, life altering, drastic decisions to wax eloquent about this year. Just the usual daily decisions that get the job done. This morning I woke up, went through the ritual of getting kids and hubby off to work, drank some coffee, did some chores and finally decided to take a shower.

Always a wise decision.

I am Different

#Reverb10ing about being different today.

I’m so glad I’m past the point in my life were being different was a bad thing and I’m to the point now where I embrace my different-ness. Like the fact that I wish I were a ninja, and that I like to read sci-fi/fantasy books and mushy romance novels. I like to eat frosting out of the container with a spoon and I wish I could take a bath in fruit snacks. Yeah, I said it.

But I’ve decided to dedicate this post about being different - to my thumbs.

I have crazy thumbs.

My thumbs are like bobble heads. They are little round balls stuck on the end of toothpick appendages. People laugh at them. I laugh at them. They are cumbersome and a little annoying because they are too wide for Lee Press-On Nails. I can’t text without adding a gazillion extra letters. I could never fit them into the holes of safety scissors as a child. Gloves are an issue. So are rings.

But nobody, and I mean NOBODY can rock a back massage like I can. Need to use the elevator? I can push buttons like nobody’s business.

I inherited by thumblies from my Grandma Stewart. She called them Cherokee thumbs. We talked about our thumbs nearly every time we saw each other. Over the years I’ve met two other people with thumbs like mine and the actress, Megan Fox (Transformers) also has them.


Megan Fox and her thumbs


While researching Megan’s thumbs, I discovered something fascinating in wikipedia (which is the undisputed authority on everything factual...) They are actually called “clubbed thumbs."

“A clubbed thumb is a term used to describe the genetic clubbing of one or both thumbs. It is characterized by a particularly short thumb that is round in section and bulbous at the end. The thumb nail is very wide and short.

Clubbed thumbs were historically thought of as a sign of royalty. This rare condition was much more common in royal European blood-lines than in the general population and was used as a factor in determining the pureness of the blood.”

As the unofficial family historian, I have verified that our family, is in fact, descended from a European royal line as well as the Knights of Bath.

Now I have absolute, physical PROOF. So, like, thumbs up.


My thumb

Christmas Program

Last night my munchkins performed in their annual Christmas program at church. As usual, Jake was concentrating so hard it didn’t look like he had any fun, and Jordan was having so much fun, she completely forgot to concentrate. Special thanks to my girl, Tracy for assigning my kids to stand next to each other.

Letting Go and Making Stuff

I missed yesterday’s #reverb10 post which was about letting go. I guess I let go of it.

Today is about the last thing I made. Today I made people happy by delivering photos. Today I made myself happy by eating Taco Bell. Today I made my kids and my husband lunches for school and work. Today I made a mess in my living room with 11 boxes of shirts. The last THING I made was a giant batch of oriental salad and the last thing I created was my Fall topiary. Which is awesome. But now it’s in a box until next Fall which is not awesome. Because I like to stare at it and reflect on my own awesomeness.

God of Wonders

Today's #reverb10 prompt is about WONDER. How did I cultivate a sense of wonder in my life this year?

Okay, honestly? I don't think I'm capable of cultivating wonder. I'm barely capable of cultivating a shower in the morning. Fortunately for me, I don't have to cultivate wonder in order to have it in my life. It's just there. My kids cause it. The scenery where I live causes it. My relationship with my husband causes it. I wonder constantly at all the blessing in my life. This time of year I'm struck especially dumb with wonder with all the magic of Christmas around me. Not only the lights, glitter, decor and gifts, but the amazing wonder that God would love me so much that he would send his only son to this world to save ME. Little old me? I am humbled by that. It is a wondrous thing, that depth of love.

"God of Wonders beyond our galaxy, you are holy, holy."

A Moment

My #reverb10 prompt for today is all about a moment. Specifically a moment that made me feel alive this year.

As a photographer, it is my duty to find and capture the moments that happen whenever I'm spending an hour or so with my clients. I keep one eye to my camera and try to stay attuned to the people I'm with, waiting for those little moments, those special interactions between families, new parents, or young siblings. Clients tell me all the time that my ability (and Tracy's) to freeze a special moment in time is what makes our photographs so special and what makes people invite us to come spend time photographing them.

So why is it, if I'm so in tune to moments, that I had such a difficult time pin pointing that one single moment that stood out head and shoulders above the rest in my own life this past year? I think it was because I was aiming too high. I was trying to think of some fireworks event that blew me away and there really wasn't one this year. I didn't give birth, get married, climb Mt. Everest, or sky dive this year.

What I did have though, was a whole year full of little moments that didn't necessarily blow me away, but instead, quietly took my breath away. Listening to Jake read, hearing Jordan sing to Jesus in her bed at night, watching Joshy color so diligently and perfectly, observing my husband playing with his kids and snuggling my babies on the couch when they finally stop running around like crazy headless chickens. All these moments are a blessing to me and they humble me.

And a good, loving mother would have picked one of those moments to write about.

But I didn't because this, THIS was the moment (event) that made me feel ALIVE this year!



The Arctic Thunder Air Show.

My first air show experience. It smelled like hot asphalt, exhaust, popcorn and sweaty people. It sounded like Armageddon. I could not take my eyes off of any of it and I didn't want it to ever end. Even still, whenever I see the F22 fighter jets out doing exercises over Elmendorf AFB, I stop what I'm doing and just watch and listen. On those rare occasions when I venture on base (usually for a photo shoot) and I drive past the F22 hangar, my adrenaline spikes and I have to make a conscious effort not to bounce in my seat.

GAH! I'm getting pumped up just writing about it! WOOOOOT!!

Writing

Day 2 of #Reverb10 is about writing. Specifically, what gets in the way of my writing and can I eliminate it?

I'll tell you what gets in the way, THREE KIDS. And since I obviously can't (or won't) eliminate them, I guess my writing time is just going to have to suffer. Reading also gets in the way but I prefer reading to writing so I'm not going to eliminate that either. Housework, errands, chores, I wish I could eliminate them all, really, but then my husband would give me that look.

I'm writing a book. I have two pages written and I've been working on it for several months. It's not life that gets in the way of my writing, it's myself. I don't know how to write a book. The story, characters, settings, plot, conflict, etc..., they are all in my head, highly developed, but I can't seem to write them down. Someone might see it. Ah, the irony.

One Word

This year I'm participating in #Reverb10 which is a blogworld daily December blog challenge. Today my assignment is to choose one word to describe the past year.

My word is VICTORY!

I chose this word because 2010 was the culmination of so much unfinished business in my life and my family's lives. The most notable being my husband finishing up five years of night school and achieving his college degree. The most frivolous being meeting my year long goal of reading 50 books this year. I doubled that achievement because I'm just that awesome. Not really. I failed to accomplish some important household duties due to my reading marathons, namely vacuuming. My mother in law saved the day on that one though. She bought me a Roomba! Now I really have no excuse.

Another victory for the year is my Photography business just EXPLODING. After seven years of dabbling, taking photos for friends, learning all I could about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, light quality, then combining it all with capturing the moments I see every day, teaming up with my super wonderful friend Tracy and then making the decision to start the BUSINESS of photography, we could only hope for the best. Evidently, the world was ready and waiting for us because we haven't had a chance to breath since January. We are currently booked out months in advance. WHAT?

These 3 photos by the fantabulous Tracy Skipworth

Another victory: My Jordy's kindergarten experience (so far). Of all my kids, she was the one that worried me the most when it came to school. Her free spirited, overly sensitive attitude and general lack of exerting effort seemed to be foreshadowing a repeated kindergarten experience. I could not have been more wrong. That child is THRIVING in school. She gets straight A pluses in every subject and she enjoys being there. Her teacher just commented to me yesterday on how well Jordy is doing in school. My joy runneth over. I completely underestimated this child.

Official School Picture - DISCLAIMER: I only buy my kid's school pics in kindergarten because I can take my own. This is a good example of why I do that. Jordy's hair is actually not the color of urine in real life.

One of the most rewarding victories of the year was FINALLY, finally, finally getting Joshy completely potty trained. The battle was epic, the victory that much sweeter.

Celebrating eleven (and a half now) years of marriage is a victory too!

There were more personal victories as well. Challenges and frustrations and worries that I'd battled for a while, now resolved or close to it.

Of course I take zero credit for any of our victories. The Lord has blessed us tremendously and continually.

"Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" EXODUS 15:11

I think VICTORY is a very good description of 2010

Doobs

The Brow

This afternoon I took Jake out for a few photos in the snow. He promised he'd cooperate if he could have one picture like this...



He learned that look from me.

Let the Decorating Begin!

I'm terribly excited to be spending Christmas in Washington with my family this year, the first time in SEVEN YEARS! But that doesn't mean Christmas isn't going to vomit all over my house this year. Because it already did. I just haven't taken pictures yet. I did catch Jordy in the act of decorating her room tree though. She's so predictable.

Curiouser and Curiouser

Every time I walk past the frozen pumpkins on the front porch I think to myself, "I should really throw those away." But they are cold and slimy and I don't want to touch them.

Due to my procrastination, a moose stopped by for some Black Friday breakfast this morning and now I have a much slimier pumpkin to clean up. How do I know this? Let's examine the evidence, shall we?


Footprints that don't belong to a dog or a husband...


Foliage destruction and Jordy hadn't been outside at all the previous day...


There used to be a pumpkin here...


Oh, here it is. Was. Whatever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Ham Day! We had ham.

Late Night Convo

The following took place approximately a quarter after 8pm on Monday evening. I was in the living room and Jordan was out of sight, supposedly tucked in bed. But I heard a noise...

ME: Jordy, are you out of bed?!

JORDY: No! I'm just going potty!

ME: (pause) In your bed!?

JORDY: No! In the bathroom!

ME: (pause) So, you are out of bed.

JORDY: Yes.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Mommy!



May your day be filled with sunshine and Harleys. And good books.

It's Here.

The snow is here. Yay. I'm so happy.

Lone Survivor

I'm an avid reader.

That may be too mild of a description. Voracious might be more apt. I read a lot of books. I read a lot of different genres of books, my favorite being any sort of uber mushy love story. Sigh...

I keep a list of all the books I've read throughout the year (I've just finished my 87th for the year). I also keep a list of all the movies I've seen throughout the year (over 50 so far!). I like lists. Almost as much as I like books.

I recently read one of those mushy love stories which happened to feature a Navy Seal as the hero of the book. I was mentioning to a friend how I thought Navy Seals are like super heroes considering what they are capable of (assuming of course that my fictional book contained any thread of truth about what they do). Anyway, my friend immediately recommended the book, Lone Survivor, which is a true story written by a true Navy Seal about a true mission that he was a part of. Not to give anything away but he ended up being the LONE SURVIVOR of that mission.

And I was right, they really are just like super heroes.



Very highly recommended by me and I know books.

Halloweenies

Because Halloween fell on a Sunday this year and we have church on Sunday evenings, we weren't sure if we were going to go trick or treating. Darrin called an audible last minute though and we geared up and got out there. We weren't the first ones out either which surprised me. It was 27 degrees so we only hoofed it around the block and came home. We still managed to get quite a haul.


My kids were hilarious as always. After repeated reminders to say, "trick or treat!" and "thank you," Josh started saying, "trick or treat" and then turning to us (usually standing way out on the street) and yelling, "I said it!" Darrin would toss out a thumbs up and I'd remind him to say thank you. Rinse and repeat, over and over.



Because we were out early, many houses weren't prepared yet and either didn't answer the door or handed out popcorn. At one house we could hear a dog barking but nobody came to the door so Darrin and I called the kids back. Suddenly the door opened and an elderly lady came out with a bowl of candy. Jordan went running back up the porch hollering, "You took FOREVER!" The lady laughed and told them she was putting up her dog.

So at the next few houses, when people didn't answer the door right away Jake would assure us that they were coming, they were just "hanging up their dogs first."

At one of the last houses a man and his daughter answered the door and though I couldn't quite hear the conversation from my position out on the street, I distinctly heard Jordan say something about being able to smell something inside their house. I never did get a chance to ask her what she smelled. I could only hope she was discussing a good smell and not a nasty dog pee smell or something.


After church I let the kids stay in their costumes and help me pass out candy to the late crowd of trick or treaters. At first they were into it but they soon got distracted by other entertainments. It got to the point that I would answer the door and one of them would inevitably moan, "NOT AGAIN!" Or Jake would look at the costumed person on our porch and ask, derisively, "what are you supposed to be?"

If I hadn't been laughing so hard I would have pushed them all down the stairs to shut them up.

A Little Bit of Fall

If you know me, you know I love to decorate. Scratch that. I love to REdecorate. Which is exactly why decorating for every single season appeals to me, I have to undo and redo every couple of months. Here a some of my recent fall touches.

This is a topiary that I made. I was inspired by my favorite "scralebrity" when she made a similar topiary using lemons and limes for spring. I desperately (dramatic much?) wanted to copy it but couldn't find the right materials. Spring and summer came and went and when fall hit, I found little pumpkins and the dream was reborn.



I started with mini pumpkins and stuff "filler," a styrofoam ball and a $2 candle holder I found at Value Village.


Commence the hot glueing.


It took a long time. A couple of weeks actually to finish it. I had to go back to the store TWICE for more pumpkins because I severely underestimated the amount needed. It turned out pretty happy in the end though.



My dining room table.


The bathroom.


I just love this plastic pumpkin. I don't know why. I just do.


The living room. I love my $10 red star from Fred Meyer garden section!

Fall Carnival

Last night our school hosted their annual Fall Carnival for the kids. Darrin usually has to work the event with one of his sports teams and this year was no exception. We spent the day making caramel apples and cotton candy and helped set up his booths for the carnival. Later, I went home with the kids to get dressed up and we went back to PLAY!

I have to admit, that I really despise this sort of thing. I'm not a fan of trying to manage my three kids in a big crowd. But I rallied and managed to last about an hour and a half. The kids were awesome so that helped. Love those nuggets.

The following are unlabeled photos from the evening. If it looks like Jake isn't having any fun in any picture, it's only because he knows when he's getting his picture taken and puts on his grouchy face just for me.

Jake was dressed as Jengo Fett (Star Wars of course) without the helmet because like I needed another think to hold while he played games.

Jordan was a cowgirl. Oh excuse me, a cowgirl PRINCESS.

Josh was Buzz Lightyear, complete with swirly beard drawn on with eyeliner.













Happy Halloween!!

YIPPEE SKIPPEE!

It's been a huge week. HUGE!

Not only are both Jake and Jordan on the Honor Roll at school (straight A's!!!) but Darrin has finally, officially, completely and utterly finished college.

After five long, torturous years of night school, five endless years of four hour classes two, sometimes three nights a week, five exhausting years of papers, exams, assignments and lectures, it's finally over. DONE.

Congrats to my sweet Hubbabubba! You make me so proud!

And congrats to my sweet little bubbas too. You also make me so proud!

Kid Quotes

I've been trying for 3 days to post a couple of videos that just won't load. I'm going to take a break from that frustration today and post a couple funnies instead. These were both recently posted as my Facebook statuses but, for obvious reasons, needed to be recorded in a slightly more permanent fashion.

My baby (Josh) is drawing me a picture and just told me, "it is so awesome, when you see it you are gonna burp your mind out."

Last night I told my son (Jake) he couldn't stay up late because it makes him grumpy in the morning. This morning he told me I should have gone to bed earlier last night. Then I tripped him.

Baptism video

I completely forgot that we had taken video of Jake's baptism. Make sure to pause the blog music before starting the video.

All About Doobie

I'm finally getting around to posting Joshy's "all about Doobie" post. Now that he is four, FOUR, this is what he's up to.

It's just Josh and me at home now that Jordy's in school and Josh and I are pals. Every time the kids and Daddy leave for school we turn to each other and yell, "It's Mommy and Doobie day!" Then we dance and smooch.

For breakfast Doobie likes 2 Eggo waffles with syrup (pronounced sherp), or cereal wis milk. His favorite cereals include Chocolate Balls (cocoa puffs) or Frosted Milliweeds (mini wheats). I will call them milliweeds forever and so will he if I have anything to say about it.

He can write his name (with a backwards J), and he loves to color. He is the best four year old colorer on the planet. No, it's true.

Unfortunately for me, he's getting obsessed with Star Wars by association. If I can't sufficiently distract him during the day with other activities, I end up playing Star Wars. EVERY DAY.

He has a toy GloWorm that he calls, Baby Named Jesus. That's it's name. Baby named Jesus. "Mom, can you help me find my baby that is Baby Named Jesus?"

Finally, FINALLY Doobie is potty trained. It was the most horrible time of our lives. Poo everywhere. But we've finally come out the other side (PUN!) and now there are no more diapers in our house. WOOT!

Doobie is an awesome shopping partner because he never complains. He just rides in the cart and carries on hilarious conversation. Usually with me, but sometimes with his zipper.

He recently told me that he likes to crunch his boogers.

He loves water, cabbage salad, seafood and broccoli. He'd be the healthiest kid ever if I'd stop feeding him McDonald's cheeseburgers three times a week.

Doobie loves to watch Scooby Doo, Dora the Explorer and any cartoon movie that is really long. Which, incidentally, works out great for me on those days when I want to sit around and read or do nothing. I mean clean my house...yeah, that's what I mean.

He is my most snuggly, cuddly, affectionate baby and I adore his hugs and smooches. I hope he never grows out of it like his older brother did.

Thinking about sweet baby Abigayl. It's been two years today.

We're a Jeep Family

Because it is worthy of its very own blog post, I waited until now to document Jake's Jeep. Grandma Diana gave it to him for his birthday. It fits right in with the two other jeeps we've got parked in our driveway.

It's a pretty neat machine. It offroads in our backyard very well. The little neighbor girl down the street has a pink one and they like to go cruising together.


Let's ride!


Room for everyone!


Sometimes other people get to drive it.



So fun!