It appears that the swine flu that we had in OCTOBER has had some lingering effects. I have a full-blown bacterial respiratory infection! Nathan has been his usual sweet self and allowed me to rest for the greater part of the last 4 days.
Here are a few snipets of conversation that I have either HAD or HEARD from my spot on the sofa:
(a conversation between Ella-age 5 and Annagail-ag 2 1/2 as they were playing dolls on the kitchen floor)
Annagail: I hurt my b-u-t-t (Annagail has learned to spell it from her sibs tattling on her)
Ella: Sissy, you can't say b-u-t-t!!! You can saaaaaaaaaaaaay bottom. You can say fanny. You can even say tushy! You cannot say b-u-t-t!!
********************************************************************
(playing make believe phone call with Annagail this morning)
Annagail: Mama, Aalice is on da phone fo you.
Me: Oh, okay
(taking the phone and trying to livin' up this imaginary convo)
Me: OH! Hahahahahaha! Alice, that is the funniest thing I have ever heard!
Annagail: (taking the phone back to hear the joke) *GASPING and giving me a disapproving look* : MAMA! That is SO not funny at all! Her baby is bleeding!!!!
Me: Oh, whoops.
*************************************************************
I enjoy listening to my babies play. They come up with the silliest things to say.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
I have a new five year old!
Last year Ella (age 4):
This year Ella (age 5):
This year, Ella will:
-start Kindergarten
-graduate from a Cubbie to a Spark
-Learn to tie her shoes
-learn to read!!!!
-be just one birthday away from being allowed on the top bunk of the bunkbeds (this would probably TOP her list!)
I cannot believe it has been a year since I posted her birthday message LAST year from this same hotel in Charleston. Because she was born so close to Thanksgiving, we are always travelling on her birthday. She LOVES it and I think she thinks the complimentary continental breakfast is set out in her honor. Ha!
Although I know she has loved ALL of her hotel birthdays (especially last year's Curious George Scavenger hunt around Charleston!), we wanted her to have an actual, not-just-family, birthday party. We planned a party for her in December this year. (Flexibility, remember?!?!?! Do you sense a theme on this blog?!?!?!)We are headed to my Mom's house for a little ice cream cake and some surprises to mark the day.
Ella has probably grown a foot since last year and her personality has grown as much or more! She is a sweet young lady that has a ton of energy and LOVES to entertain. Her best friend in the whole world is her little sister, Annagail , and they spend hours each day make-believing that one of them is the Mama and the other is either the daughter or the dog, depending on the mood Ella is in.
Last year, her birthday wish was that she was five instead of four, because five sounded like more fun. I hope it lives up to her expectation! It will if I have anything to do with it.
I love you Ella-Bella-Buttercream!
This year Ella (age 5):
This year, Ella will:
-start Kindergarten
-graduate from a Cubbie to a Spark
-Learn to tie her shoes
-learn to read!!!!
-be just one birthday away from being allowed on the top bunk of the bunkbeds (this would probably TOP her list!)
I cannot believe it has been a year since I posted her birthday message LAST year from this same hotel in Charleston. Because she was born so close to Thanksgiving, we are always travelling on her birthday. She LOVES it and I think she thinks the complimentary continental breakfast is set out in her honor. Ha!
Although I know she has loved ALL of her hotel birthdays (especially last year's Curious George Scavenger hunt around Charleston!), we wanted her to have an actual, not-just-family, birthday party. We planned a party for her in December this year. (Flexibility, remember?!?!?! Do you sense a theme on this blog?!?!?!)We are headed to my Mom's house for a little ice cream cake and some surprises to mark the day.
Ella has probably grown a foot since last year and her personality has grown as much or more! She is a sweet young lady that has a ton of energy and LOVES to entertain. Her best friend in the whole world is her little sister, Annagail , and they spend hours each day make-believing that one of them is the Mama and the other is either the daughter or the dog, depending on the mood Ella is in.
Last year, her birthday wish was that she was five instead of four, because five sounded like more fun. I hope it lives up to her expectation! It will if I have anything to do with it.
I love you Ella-Bella-Buttercream!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Bungee Love
I love catchy titles. Anywho...
I was thinking about my love for my children and all that we have in store for us over the next several years. Being the visual person that I am, I began to think about how our bonds would grow and stretch over time and with weddings, births etc. Ya know what it made me think of?
A bungee chord.
Yup. Love is a bungee chord. Ha! Stick with me here.
Imagine a bungee chord in your mind (the kind you use to tie things down to your car or luggage or what not). There is usually a thick chord (usually several strands wound together) that connects to large hooks. Like bonds of love, a bungee chord should be flexible. Also, the chord gives slack or additional pressure when needed. Bungee chord has a unique quality that allows it to redistribute the pressure on itself to accommodate it's current task with no memory of the last task. It has a soft covering that serves as protection for the load. What good would the bungee BE to the load if it damaged it on the journey? Bungee chords are protected from weather and withstand most hard conditions.
The contrast to bungee love would be love that is all roped up. Think about the qualities of a rope- the kind that old cowboys use :o) The chord, although also usually many chords wound together, is very dry, very rigid. It CAN be moved around and FORCED into different shapes or patterns, but they are limited, it isn't easy, and it usually requires much more work than anyone wants to put in. The materials used to make the rope are usually scratchy and uncomfortable to the touch. It even leaves marks on the load and can cause damage just by it's touch. A rope's length is predetermined by it's maker. Rope cannot be stretched or expanded much longer than it's intended use and doing so would compromise the load itself entirely. Don't even THINK about introducing new elements to the load! It can't take it.
As a Mom to five children that I love both equally and uniquely, I have learned A LOT about bungee love. The chords of love between each one of my children and I are strong, flexible, and proven. The connections I have to my children are equally significant, but they can also be flexible to extend to whichever one or two need more pressure, more support, whatever is needed. If my bond with them is like a rope, it's amount is set and I cannot offer anything more. If that were the case, my love for them would be a set amount for each child also and would breed competition, favoritism, and spite.
I hope that Nathan and I are showing them now how to nurture those bonds themselves also, so that they can purpose a bungee-type love for each other AND whomever is added to our family as the years go by and they leave our home. Hopefully, as they do now, they will always know that attention to another does not equal less love for them. Instead, I pray that they will see times like that as times blessings, as opportunities to grow themselves and learn how to stretch themselves into people that think of the person on the "other end" of that connection BEFORE themselves, which is always a valuable lesson.
So, getting back to my thoughts, I have this vision of Nathan and I standing in the middle of this large group of people, all in their own circles around us. Our children make up the first circle and from that sprouts smaller circles, and from that, more...You get the idea. Connecting us all are these strong flexible chords that give and take, that are flexible enough to allow us to ALL circle around one person or even one of the smaller circles to make a completely new center if need be, in times of need or celebrations, but also have the lack of memory to be able to bounce right back and share the load equally. I have this vision of my children helping to connect new chords to siblings-in-laws as they come and being so HAPPY to do so, because it means that they are able to love MORE and deeper. Can you imagine how large this web-o-love of our's could get with possibly 5 sibling spouses and who knows how many grandchildren?!?!?!?!?!?! I get excited thinking about it!!!
So today, instead of an Irish blessing, I wish you a bungee love blessing!
May your family circles grow and may they be circles filled with joy that bounces back to you for years to come! (insert rim shot here.)
I was thinking about my love for my children and all that we have in store for us over the next several years. Being the visual person that I am, I began to think about how our bonds would grow and stretch over time and with weddings, births etc. Ya know what it made me think of?
A bungee chord.
Yup. Love is a bungee chord. Ha! Stick with me here.
Imagine a bungee chord in your mind (the kind you use to tie things down to your car or luggage or what not). There is usually a thick chord (usually several strands wound together) that connects to large hooks. Like bonds of love, a bungee chord should be flexible. Also, the chord gives slack or additional pressure when needed. Bungee chord has a unique quality that allows it to redistribute the pressure on itself to accommodate it's current task with no memory of the last task. It has a soft covering that serves as protection for the load. What good would the bungee BE to the load if it damaged it on the journey? Bungee chords are protected from weather and withstand most hard conditions.
The contrast to bungee love would be love that is all roped up. Think about the qualities of a rope- the kind that old cowboys use :o) The chord, although also usually many chords wound together, is very dry, very rigid. It CAN be moved around and FORCED into different shapes or patterns, but they are limited, it isn't easy, and it usually requires much more work than anyone wants to put in. The materials used to make the rope are usually scratchy and uncomfortable to the touch. It even leaves marks on the load and can cause damage just by it's touch. A rope's length is predetermined by it's maker. Rope cannot be stretched or expanded much longer than it's intended use and doing so would compromise the load itself entirely. Don't even THINK about introducing new elements to the load! It can't take it.
As a Mom to five children that I love both equally and uniquely, I have learned A LOT about bungee love. The chords of love between each one of my children and I are strong, flexible, and proven. The connections I have to my children are equally significant, but they can also be flexible to extend to whichever one or two need more pressure, more support, whatever is needed. If my bond with them is like a rope, it's amount is set and I cannot offer anything more. If that were the case, my love for them would be a set amount for each child also and would breed competition, favoritism, and spite.
I hope that Nathan and I are showing them now how to nurture those bonds themselves also, so that they can purpose a bungee-type love for each other AND whomever is added to our family as the years go by and they leave our home. Hopefully, as they do now, they will always know that attention to another does not equal less love for them. Instead, I pray that they will see times like that as times blessings, as opportunities to grow themselves and learn how to stretch themselves into people that think of the person on the "other end" of that connection BEFORE themselves, which is always a valuable lesson.
So, getting back to my thoughts, I have this vision of Nathan and I standing in the middle of this large group of people, all in their own circles around us. Our children make up the first circle and from that sprouts smaller circles, and from that, more...You get the idea. Connecting us all are these strong flexible chords that give and take, that are flexible enough to allow us to ALL circle around one person or even one of the smaller circles to make a completely new center if need be, in times of need or celebrations, but also have the lack of memory to be able to bounce right back and share the load equally. I have this vision of my children helping to connect new chords to siblings-in-laws as they come and being so HAPPY to do so, because it means that they are able to love MORE and deeper. Can you imagine how large this web-o-love of our's could get with possibly 5 sibling spouses and who knows how many grandchildren?!?!?!?!?!?! I get excited thinking about it!!!
So today, instead of an Irish blessing, I wish you a bungee love blessing!
May your family circles grow and may they be circles filled with joy that bounces back to you for years to come! (insert rim shot here.)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Argh....
I have been busy in photoland. Because I want the Lord to grow this business according to HIS will and in HIS time, I am only spending money ON this business that was made BY this business. So far, it is growing and I am so excited about it!!!! I am still a wife and mommy, so I am grateful that this isn't intruding on that. So far, it blends beautifully and Nathan and I are enjoying seeing the Lord bless our family. Nathan is even photographing an event for a large radio station in NC (an surrounding areas!) tomorrow morning. BIG fun!
My computer, however, isn't getting with the program. I would LOVE to run out and purchase a new computer, but if the last year has taught me ANYTHING it has taught me that the Lord's timing is always right. Until then,
I may need some help resisting the urge to throw this machine off of my back porch.
If you don't hear from me in a while. It may be because my laptop didn't sprout wings when it really needed to.
My computer, however, isn't getting with the program. I would LOVE to run out and purchase a new computer, but if the last year has taught me ANYTHING it has taught me that the Lord's timing is always right. Until then,
I may need some help resisting the urge to throw this machine off of my back porch.
If you don't hear from me in a while. It may be because my laptop didn't sprout wings when it really needed to.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Easy Math Lesson
Flu Bug x Seven Murrays = No dressing up and going to Party On The Block :o(
This is the first time, since we have been parents, that we haven't dressed the kids up in Mama-made costumes and headed out for the wholesome fun of a church carnival on reformation day. I don't know who was more bummed, the kids or Nathan and I.
Remember that post about flexibility from a few weeks ago?Yesterday was just that, a day to teach flexibility and dealing with a little dissappointment.
Instead of moping about not being able to go to the carnival, we turned the day into a GREAT day of fun and rest for our family. Since we decided on Thursday that we weren't going, we had the kids decorate a suggestion box and each put one or two ideas of what we could do instead here at home. Nathan and I went through the box on Friday night and picked at least one from everyone. Here is how we filled our grand day:
-Doughnuts for breakfast (Supposed to be Daylight, but they had a sign the said, "Closed due to illness". I guess this flu math is much more widespread than just seven. Dunkin' Donuts had to suffice)
-Movie Rental#1 (Inkheart- Really good movie by the way for family movie night!)
-Board Games (We had a photo-finish round of CandyLand. We have to use ChutesNLadders pieces, so that all seven of us can play. Haha!)
-Baking (We made some banana muffins for Sunday's breakfast.)
-Watched the GA/FL football game
-Hamburgers/Hotdogs for dinner at a laundry basket picnic.
-Movie Rental #2 (Hotel For Dogs- Eh...it was alright. Wouldn't have spent more than $1)
-Candy Treasure Hunt (the kids favorite part!)
-BEDTIME!
Don't you wish you were here with us, well, MINUS the flu?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
On the bright side
I have been in bed since about 30 seconds after I hit "publish" on that last post. I needed to get out and be upright for a little while or I will NEVER sleep tonight. SO, I thought I would catch you all up on what I have been doing in my blogging absence. I have been doing this:
and this:
and this:
OH! Remember all of the bellyachin' I did about not getting to buy the kids' school portraits, which my sweet Mom and Mom-in-law ended up buying. Well, I needed to get some sample shots for a few big projects I have coming up and I did this also:
I have had such a great time doing portrait sessions again. The best part has, by far, been getting to share it with Nathan again. It is where we met. It is a mutual passion that the Lord used to bring us together in the first place and it has been so much fun to have him with me at a session. He sees things the same way I do and we just have such a great time when we are working together.
Also, I have been working on our company site: Kariseen Images . I am not a graphic designer and I am trying to actually MAKE money in this business vs. spend it, so I utilize as much of my paid-for site features and combined them with some free Internet services. It isn't perfect, but I am proud of it.
I have also been studying the book of Acts with a GREAT group of ladies- going through it verse by verse (expository) and learning SO MUCH about those early church days. (People throw that word around so carelessly.) God is showing me so much through His Word and it has become a Tuesday night tradition for the kids to ask me what I learned in Bible Study and I spend a few minutes at dinner telling them where we are "in the story". It is great!
Nathan just fixed me a big bowl of my favorite soup, so I am going to gobble it up and then try to get some sleep- praying that this flu will go away. It is the PITS.
So now you know why I haven't bee blogging so much. On the bright side :o)
We're a Siiick........Howwwwwwwse.
(did you get that musical reference? HeeHee)
All of the kids stayed home from school on Monday. Even though only MaryEvelyn and Annagail were sick, I wanted to give it another 24 hours before I sent the school kids in to possibly spread the germ to the masses. 24 hours passed. Still, MaryEvelyn was the only school-aged child affected. On Tuesday, Coop and Graycie headed to school. Meanwhile, I started to feel crummy.
Yesterday, while I began my spiral into the flu, MaryEvelyn seemed to be embarqing on her last day of being stuck at home. This morning however, not only did I wake up feeling the full brunt of this flu, not only was MaryEvelyn still running a fever (!!!), but GRAYCEN was burning up the ear thermometer also!
So, I currently have all four of my girls piled up on various couches and recliners, with their bed pillows and rolls of toilet paper at their disposal (can you IMAGINE what boxes of Kleenex would run us?!?!?! I'm just sayin'...) They are watching a little Boomerang cartoons and I am drinking some chamomile with honey.
This too shall pass. I am calling the Doc just to check and make sure I'm not missing something, but I am sure it is just the flu- regular or swine, it is one of them and there isn't much we can do about it other than treat the symptoms.
Nathan is on his way home, so I will be piling up under my covers with my own roll of tp and riding this out myself. I have to finish the kids' Fall Festival costumes before Saturday, so I hope this passes quickly. The Pirates of M cannot be under dressed!
If this flu keeps taking out the Pirates one by one, I don't guess it will matter what the outfits look like, right?
All of the kids stayed home from school on Monday. Even though only MaryEvelyn and Annagail were sick, I wanted to give it another 24 hours before I sent the school kids in to possibly spread the germ to the masses. 24 hours passed. Still, MaryEvelyn was the only school-aged child affected. On Tuesday, Coop and Graycie headed to school. Meanwhile, I started to feel crummy.
Yesterday, while I began my spiral into the flu, MaryEvelyn seemed to be embarqing on her last day of being stuck at home. This morning however, not only did I wake up feeling the full brunt of this flu, not only was MaryEvelyn still running a fever (!!!), but GRAYCEN was burning up the ear thermometer also!
So, I currently have all four of my girls piled up on various couches and recliners, with their bed pillows and rolls of toilet paper at their disposal (can you IMAGINE what boxes of Kleenex would run us?!?!?! I'm just sayin'...) They are watching a little Boomerang cartoons and I am drinking some chamomile with honey.
This too shall pass. I am calling the Doc just to check and make sure I'm not missing something, but I am sure it is just the flu- regular or swine, it is one of them and there isn't much we can do about it other than treat the symptoms.
Nathan is on his way home, so I will be piling up under my covers with my own roll of tp and riding this out myself. I have to finish the kids' Fall Festival costumes before Saturday, so I hope this passes quickly. The Pirates of M cannot be under dressed!
If this flu keeps taking out the Pirates one by one, I don't guess it will matter what the outfits look like, right?
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