Falling into Blue

It just keeps SNOWING..and SNOWING..so what do 4 boys do when it snows?

2010-02-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

They go SLED RIDING!!

Some recents..

2009-11-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Portrait even with J..

2009-10-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

So we went for a drive yesterday through the Cuyahoga Valley. Let's just say the COLOR was GORGEOUS. You would think this post would be related to the Valley, right..Oh No.. I'm interested in more than the trees and such. I love this little guy and his expressions I love to capture.. so here's J.. (you even get a treat to see a self-portrait of J and me down by the falls)..

Crazy...

2009-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

That's how things have been for us..CRAZY..

FUN with FOUR!!

2009-09-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

My wonderful boys.. They are so fun, so loving and I adore them..

Tooth..

2009-09-02T15:25:00.001-07:00

It figures, I say that I want them teeth to stay in his mouth and what happens? He wiggles one and it comes out!!!

He's SOO cute...I'm NOT biased either..

Enjoy..

School..

2009-09-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

The first day of school was last Tuesday. Our house is settling into a nice routine for the boys and their new schedules. We are a BUSY house in the morning. We are also a quiet household a little after 9PM, YEAH!!

D is now in the 7th grade and attending our local Junior High School! It's unbelievable how fast time has gone by and just how much he has grown in that short time.

B is now in 5th grade and still attending the local Intermediate School. He has his own 'style'. His clothes are not matching this year and he likes it that way.. In fact he says 'I love my clothes and I love that they don't match!'.. You'll see his entire outfit further down as I snapped a quick one out the window of the car as he was heading to the school building.

L is now in 2nd grade! He is a bundle of energy as well. We figured he'd do nothing but talk throughout his days at school and surprisingly he's a nice quiet pupil in the classroom, eager to learn and achieve all he can. I've been blessed with well behaved studious boys, or actually their teachers have been blessed with them.. This was L's first picture, he really wasn't looking forward to being away from home, but it only lasted that morning, now he's fine!

He's such a cutie.. Notice in the picture above his two bottom teeth are pretty loose and are sticking 'out' instead of up! If he spent time wiggling them, they'd fall out, they're barely hanging! His top two are loose, not wiggly yet. I'm hoping they all come out around the same time though. Such cute pictures that will make!

And last, here's B on his way into the school building. Showing off his own style! He's worn the hat everyday since school started..

Have a great day!!

Melissa

June - Early July 2009

2009-07-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

To those who have been patient for an update thanks!! To those who have been IMPATIENT and emailed me a couple times and mentioned a couple times that I need to update THANK YOU for the encouragement.. HeHe..

Things have been pretty busy and well, not exactly exciting for us lately. I'll share what we have done..

In honor of our Independence Day:

Last evening after my birthday dinner we went to the lake and enjoyed a beautiful sky and scenery.

Daddy and J on the floating dock at the lake..

J loves 'ribbits'.. (I mean Toads) He runs around the yard till he finds one and catches. It's so cute. He'll carry it around for quite sometime too before he tires of it.. Poor toads..

Here's B and L with Camille the Kitten.. (When B gave me my birthday card yesterday he also handed me a curled up little Camille and said HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!)..

A couple weeks ago Grandma and Grandpa took the family out to Berlin to let the boys play on their favorite play set. Isn't it HUGE? I love this State Park/Campground, can't wait to get out there and camp later this summer...

Ya'll have a great weekend.. I'll try to post again, soon..

Mis

4-Wheeler Fun..

2009-06-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

These explain themselves..what FUN the boys had!!

To Aunt Sharon from D and B: When can we come back over?

Tire and Cone...

2009-06-10T18:54:00.001-07:00

Okay.. I admit it.. My J is spoiled. It's been recently announced to me that he is very spoiled. I've been in denial.. But I think after watching this a few days ago, J is indeed spoiled. (Spoiled with LOVE, that is.)

Not too many kiddos get their 74 year old Grandma to go outside and push them on their favorite swing. As well as enjoying an ice cream cone from said Grandma, while being pushed on the swing.. She loves this kiddo..

Have a great evening...

Swing time fun with L...

2009-06-09T20:14:00.001-07:00

Some swing fun with L... Grandpa has the best swing in the world.. FOR sure ask any of his Grandkids, they've all grown up swinging there.. He has the highest swing and of course kids love to swing high!

I'll post more tomorrow of J on his favorite swing at Grandpa's....

Mis

I have a SIXTH GRADE GRADUATE!!

2009-06-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

The Class of 2015!! Yes, that's right.. the Class of 2015! I'm so proud of D. He is an excellent student. His teachers always have kind remarks to say about him, his behavior and his desire to learn. D doesn't like to admit it, but he enjoys learning. He reads everyday for fun and enjoys searching the browser on his DSi for little known factoids, then of course he enjoys when others don't know what information he now knows..

He received several awards yesterday, including - Principals Math Club, Honor Roll Achievement throughout the year and Perfect Attendance.

(OH, and so you know, I did blur out some faces, since I don't have permission from parents to put their pictures on the internet..)

The pictures loaded backwards... Here he is receiving his 6th Grade Promotion Certificate and his D.A.R.E Certificate.

He must have been bored??? LOL!

So, D (since I know you have my blog in your 'favorites' on your DSi.. I LOVE YOU!! I'm VERY proud of who you are and what you do.. Keep up the good work love!!

Have a great weekend all..

Melissa

These are for you MOM!!!

2009-06-03T08:23:00.001-07:00

Thanks C and E and of course my brother Matt for cooperating.. I think you'll really appreciate having portraits with your kiddos!! And I think they turned out GREAT!!

Have a great day..

Melissa

Awwww..SO cute!!

2009-06-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

This one is Isabelle Christina.. she reminds us of our cat Tina (we miss her).. So we couldn't name her Tina Marie but we could include a little bit of Tina in her name since she looks SO much like Tina..

We've nicknamed her Izzy, though..

Enjoy..

Ah Mom... Can we? Keep them, PLEASE???

2009-05-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

Aren't they ADORABLE???

Zippy Roo and Sylvester too...

2009-05-29T22:14:00.001-07:00

The CUTEST Mom and Baby Portrait I've ever taken!!

2009-05-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

A fun ride with Daddy..

2009-05-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

I can never decide which one to share..so I'll share these 4 because I love their expressions..

Enjoy...

Quite a few from the last week or two..

2009-04-29T20:40:00.001-07:00

There all mixed up...

The kitty is Sylvester, our cat that thinks he's a DOG.. Seriously, the dog may bark but it's the cat who scares everyone away..

On B's 10th Birthday we went down to Sugarcreek to eat dinner with Grandma and Grandpa R and our Pastor and his wife. I found these tulips in the parking lot and had to take some pictures.. I just loved the blue sky with the flowers and greenery..

And J...he's cute with a messy face or without a messy face.. (Of course I think that, right).. But you know it, he's a cutie..

And we had J and D's birthday party (combined it for a big group party).. We all met at the park while we enjoyed some wonderful 80 degree weather here.

The L enjoyed posing for me while I was playing with my macro lens as a portrait lens. Oh I so love the look of his portraits with that lens..

And Aunt Linda was up awhile ago and she brought a book to read to the boys.. J loves this book..

And finally...my crocus' have come and gone.. they sure are pretty while they last...

Enjoy..

22 days late..

2009-04-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

On April 1st, Daniel turned 12. We he spent his birthday evening with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Linda. Daniel picked out his own cake and what he wanted written on the cake. Though I'm not for sure there is a word spelled awsomest.. DQ cakes are the yummiest cakes ever! So here's my 12 year old sweetheart and his Awesome cake.

We're nearing the end of the school year.. He'll be a 7th grader in Junior High next year..

Enjoy!!

Melissa

PB+J Smile..

2009-04-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today's lunch..YUMMY!!

And my Easter Lily..
Enjoy..

Melissa

Listen to this song..

2009-04-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

This song is by John Waller and is called While I'm Waiting. The video shows scenes for the AWESOME movie Fireproof.

Enjoy..

All 4..

2009-04-17T21:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday...

2009-03-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

As many know, my Dear Father-In-Law has been going through treatment for Lung Cancer. It's been a rough battle, words cannot describe how rough. Well just recently he started losing his hair. So we decided to do some portraits before his hair loss. Here are 2 of Grandma and Grandpa from Sunday afternoon..
And this is quite a bit dramatic.. Fun drama before the big trim.. (by the way, Daniel was the photographer for this)..

I think you can tell Grandpa wasn't hurt..

He could reach up and just grasp his hair and it would come out..

So Grandpa asked me to bring my hair clippers up and 'finish' his hair loss..

Grandma had to help 'ease' the situation with some her humor.. you'll see that in the next few frames.. (though in the first one, I think it's quite visible how hard this really is on Grandpa)..

Grandma noticed how much Grandpa looked like his father now..she went and got the portrait and 'posed' Grandpa the same way to see the resemblance..

A little love..
After Grandpa's hair trimming, he went down in the basement.. while he was gone, Daniel sat in the chair and said "My turn, Grandpa and I will have matching heads and we'll wear matching ball caps."...

So here's some more love..
A lovely Grandaughter.. (this wasn't 'posed' this is completely Julie when around her Grandparents)..
Later in the evening, Nick came by and asked Grandpa to trim his hair.. Grandpa obliged.
So, here's some more love..

And more love... This time from Timmy and Jake..
We all LOVE you so much Grandpa..

I just want to Thank everyone who has been praying for our family. You have all certainly shown us your love and God's Love.. We know He's here.. I Praise Him this day for his Grace and Mercy over our lives, I know He has so much in store for ALL of us..

Have a great evening.. God Bless..

Lamb of God..

2009-03-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

PRESS PLAY on this picture..it's a video of the boys singing Lamb of God...

A Confession of an Addiction..

2009-03-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. This involves an addiction of mine. I've had this addiction for a LONG time.

Here's my King Size addiction:

Yeah..it's a writing utensil addiction. I have them ALL over everywhere. This set was found in the basket in my van. There are 30 there, YES 30!!

I don't know really when this started. Maybe it was because of those 3R's tests we had to take in elementary school. You remember the ones. You were not allowed to get up after the test started, so you had to have all your NO. 2 pencils sharpened.

All I know is that I've never been without a pencil nearby. My backpack in College had several compartments full of pencils. My mechanical pencils always had at least 2 extra packages of refillable lead! And now, I have 2 shoe boxes FILLED with pencils and pens, just in case the boys need extra pencils throughout the school year.

If you have any ideas how to help this addiction, let me know. The pens, pencils and markers are back out in the basket in the van- you know just in case I need to write while I drive...

Have a great evening..

Melissa

How to play with toys you've outgrown...

2009-03-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

His favorite CARS!!

2009-03-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Watching little boys grow in their play is wonderful. Using cars as an example.. When they start they suck on them, they have to feel them in their mouths.. then start 'rr-ing' the motor as they pretend play. Then they'll start to line them up in parking lots, but noone would be able to get out of the cars because they are literally side by side.. Then they take them outside and create roads in the driveway or dirt and then the cars each get their own parking spaces and the passengers can actually get out of the car..

These are J's favorite CARS. He has a collection of the Disney CARS. These 3 though are what he enjoys playing with..

Enjoy..

I guess I really do ROCK as a MOM...

2009-03-16T16:45:00.001-07:00

Number 1: He's wearing a shirt that says My Mom Rocks!!
Number 2: Check out how I cut their hair.. They love it..

I didn't cut L's like his older brother's... but he did get a trim. He was out riding his bike around the house with B, well B wasn't riding he was running..and WINNING!!

Have a great day..

Melissa

Sylvester..

2009-03-10T17:34:00.001-07:00

Mama bought a brand new drop..

2009-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Check out my new background, it arrived today so of course I had to play.. I need to get the wrinkles out but I LOVE it.. I'll add more later..

Have a great evening..

Melissa

What a sweetheart..

2009-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

I set up my strobe and background and L was happy to let me photograph him. He's such a sweetheart. J had to get in on the first few, so I'll share one of the two together.. Both have little scratches on their face somewhere. I didn't edit them out..

Have a great day..

Working Men..

2009-02-24T08:10:00.000-08:00

First.. AHHH... These boys surround Grandma while visiting. LITERALLY. J has to have Grandma take care of him while we're there. He can use the potty by himself, but he likes Grandmas attention so he insists she has to help him..(Just the last couple days though she's decided to give him sweets when he goes by himself..LOL I doubt she 'bribed' Dan when he was young..)

The following pictures are out of order. Starting from the last first....

So Grandpa recently decided to remodel his kitchen. Everyone jumped in to help. From the big guy to the littlest guy.. L helped in many ways.. He helped Grandpa move the fridge back..Helped Grandpa remove some stuff from the wall..
D and L helped remove a board from the wall...
J helped carry wood from the kitchen out to the garage..
And watched Daddy as he prepared the new flooring for cutting to fit in the space needed..
And L laid down some of the new flooring..
And J, just looking so cute waiting for his next job..
Daddy and L working together..
Grandpa down there working in some tight corners..
Daddy working hard to get the job done right..

I'll have more in the next couple days or so... It's looking so nice in there..

Mis

Flashback Friday...

2009-02-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

J April 2006 (nearly 5 months old)

J February 2009 (3 years, 3 months old)..

L's Valentine's Day School Party..

2009-02-18T11:49:00.001-08:00

L is in First grade...of course from this picture you'd think he was in Preschool!! LOL.. Like many parties, there were SOOOO many sweet treats for these kiddos. They had chocolate chip cookies with frosting b/w and sprinkles on the side of the frosting, 2 cupcakes, jello, pretzels and brownies!! WOW. We told the children only eat what you want and we'll bag up the rest. They all went home with bags of sweet treats and then a candy treat bag. I need to convince one of the boys to go in dentistry, eh?
Enjoy..

Emotional J..

2009-02-17T20:19:00.001-08:00

Looking through the old Blog posts J's been, happy, giggly, happy, etc.. Now I give you smiley J and then sad J..

While talking with J during his little 'photo' time, I pretended to be sad Mommy. Of course today was opposite day so I wasn't really being 'sad mommy'.. J told me that's not 'Sad'..this is Sad.. and he gave me that look.. He's such a happy boy and obviously an 'expressive' child..

I'll share more later.

Mis

Sleepy J...

2009-02-09T20:25:00.001-08:00

Giggly J and outside together...

2009-02-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

I Praise you, Lord..

2009-02-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

In this storm, I will Praise the Lord. Will continue to pray that He takes hold of and touches our hearts during this time. He is an awesome God Who can do what cannot be explained by some and TO many people. He is a God above ALL. He WILL Love us and hold us. Though are hearts are torn, we will Praise You, Lord.

Psalm 121:1-2 (King James Version)

Psalm 121

1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

Praise You in this Storm - Casting Crowns - Words by Mark Hall

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

J sledding.... and some of B...

2009-02-04T21:19:00.001-08:00

Sledding with big brother..

2009-02-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

The other day when all the boys went out to sled ride, J insisted he could only go down the hill will L. Well, L isn't the greatest for steering with little brother on board. ALL of the times they went down together they would steer off to the right and then crash.. And each time I told J go down with someone else. He declined. SO, I told D, to just grab him and carry him to your sled and make him go down with you. So, kicking and screaming J went with Daniel. And then..they went to the bottom. And J was HAPPY.. And they went again and again and again..

I'll post more of J going down by himself later...

Enjoy..

Me

Snowtunnel...

2009-02-03T20:25:00.001-08:00

Remember you can click on these and view them a little larger if you'd like.. Color is wonky..oh well..
Stay warm

Standing on the snow..

2009-02-03T19:07:00.001-08:00

From today...

Another from yesterday...

Enjoy..

Happy boy again today..

2009-02-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Little Snowman.. and a snowball thrower..

2009-02-02T06:42:00.001-08:00

While waiting for Grandpa and Grandma to arrive yesterday, L spent some time putting together a tiny snowman..

Have a great day..

Melissa

More happy J..

2009-02-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

Enjoy..

Happy J..

2009-01-31T12:14:00.001-08:00

Have a nice day..

Sylvester..

2009-01-30T15:46:00.001-08:00

Mis

JUMP...

2009-01-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

All 4....LOOKING..

2009-01-29T09:13:00.001-08:00

Enjoy..

Melissa

More Snow Day FUN..

2009-01-28T17:48:00.001-08:00

So, here's some more from today..Warning there are LOTS of images here.. Figure I haven't shared anything (well, I haven't taken any, really) for weeks, so I'll try to make up in one day... I do have another of the boys all together..but I can't seem to find it right now..I'll look through in a bit and add it later..

Yeah, we all have done this before.. J catching flakes, looks like he succeeded..

What's with the tongue??? Maybe it helps him balance.. He could make it completely down the hill. Not too bad for a 6 year old..

The boys have tomorrow off as well. I hope to sleep in. B and I cleared our drive way out. That took time and work.

Enjoy.

Melissa

One more for now.. My four guys..

2009-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

You really didn't expect they'd all look at the camera, right...

Me

SNOW Day..

2009-01-28T07:36:00.001-08:00

Job 22:26 (King James Version)

For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

I'll try to update again later..they're out sledding right now so I'm gonna run out quickly and grab a few snaps..

Melissa

Love and Fun..

2009-01-27T10:23:00.001-08:00

With Grandparents the words Love and Fun go hand in hand..

Grandma made J a new hat..I'll have to brave the cold to get some better pictures of it.. These don't even show how cute the hat is..but they do show how cute J is..
For we walk by faith, not by sight..II Cor. 5:7

Mis

My happy, smiley, little man..

2009-01-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today I took a few test pictures, just messing around with my flash mounted on the camera. I was taking few of D and J came over and said his turn.. He was sticking his tongue out at me (little STINKER), then he giggled and I captured this..
Have a great weekend.. STAY INSIDE and WARM..

How to get your own child to look at the camera??

2009-01-16T07:10:00.001-08:00

Take a picture of something else and let him know how much you enjoy taking the picture.

So I was asked to take a picture of a teapot. So, Ann and I set out to get the picture. We were having fun, giggling and moving around the little table while doing this. So, J comes running up several times and gets in front of the camera. He WANTS me to take a picture of him, but he chose the expression, LOL..

J during his quietest time of the day, LITERALLY. This kid talks and talks all day long. Well if he's not talking, he's making some kind of noise -growling, roaring through the air with his planes, whining, singing, you name it. I'm surprised the kid isn't hoarse from all the noise that comes out of his mouth and the LOUDNESS of that noise. He definitely doesn't get asked to speak louder!!

L unwrapped a DS Christmas Day, so this is how we see him many nights..
Have a GREAT weekend, ALL!!!

Melissa

A couple Snaps of B...

2008-12-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

For those wondering where I've been and why no blog updates..hmm..Let's see.. I've been SHOPPING!! Okay not entirely, since I've only gone out to a store like 3 times in the last 3 weeks.. My Grandma taught me how to make her YUMMY delicious Raisin-filled cookies. I did tell you they are YUMMY, right?? Mom, Grandma and I made so many cookies this year. Sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, these yummy Cherry Chip cookies and MANY more. J also got into the sugar cookie making, he has his own little cookie cutters and made some cute little cookies. I'll photograph them Christmas day.

Only 2 pictures to show.. My handsome B..

Have a great weekend!!

Mis

Little J's birthday weekend..

2008-12-01T14:55:00.001-08:00

We celebrated J's birthday down at Aunt Linda's (THANKS, Aunt Linda!!)... She decorated her dining room and made it into a nice 'Birthday room'.. J found the cupcakes but insisted he didn't get his fingers into the frosting..Hmm I think these pictures prove otherwise..we must have the conversation with J about telling the truth..

Grandma and Grandpa brought J a balloon, and it rarely left his side while he was awake!! And right now J is walking around holding his balloon.
He's such a happy boy..
And here's his Aunt Linda whom he adores!!

And Aunt Linda bought J an adorable Hot Wheels bicycle, complete with a horn, mirror and bicycle helmet. We couldn't leave the bike in her house all weekend, but J insisted on wearing the helmet- ALL WEEKEND!! When his helmet was on he was 'Hot Rod' - nickname given to him by Uncle Larry. While J was 'Hot Rod' he drove his race car around her living room, dining room and kitchen. The next couple pictures show those that J got to race him.. (Aren't they CUTE?)

J with Uncle Tim.. Doesn't Uncle Tim look like a great race car driver??? I just giggle when I see this one..And J with Daddy.. If I knew how to post the video, I would post what Dan captured on video. Me running around J's track with him, helmet and all..Yeah, right!!
Have a great evening..

Melissa

Let's Say Thanks!!

2008-11-30T17:43:00.001-08:00

Thank our Troop Members for FREE through Xerox... All you do is pick which postcard, type in your name and home town and the kind people at XEROX will send your post card to a member of our military stationed overseas. HOW COOL is that.. SHOW your support.

Let's Say Thanks

Have a great Day. And thanks Jill for the idea and link..

Melissa

Thanksgiving..

2008-11-25T10:40:00.001-08:00

I'm supposed to be packing the van, but I had to escape from that work to put up a quick blog post. I'm glad Dan has NO clue how to do anything on the net except peek at ebay and look up info on the cars. I've had this blog for years and he hasn't a clue what the name of it is... anyway, he doesn't know I'm here instead of out there..

Anyway.. as we near the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I wanted to make a post. I want to tell everyone how much I care and Love them. I have so many awesome family and friends that mean so much to me.

I have my mom who laughs with me and we're able to just sit and chat and spend such great time together, obviously where would any of us be without loving moms? Sorry for making you feel guilty earlier Ma', I know you still love me. ;)

My wonderful in-laws are such awesome grandparents to my children (so are you Mom!! But this is their line).. J-bear can't wait to see you two. He has absolutely missed Grandma reading to him in her chair with a warm snuggle. He's missed Grandpa crawling on the floor to 'get him'. We've all missed you immensely and can't wait for you to return home. (Oh by the way, if there's dishes in the sink, DAN did it!!)

My big sis and my sisters-in-law, wow, I don't know what to say about them. God really knows and has a plan for you when he provides your life with these built in great friends he gives. I just love having all these big sisters (yeah, I'm the youngest in the group, but I'm glad that we all have a unique relationship despite our age differences).

I also have a Secret Sister to be Thankful for. She has spent the last year praying for my family. She has provided me with wonderful words of inspiration through out the year by the way of cards, notes, music and awesome gifts. I thank you for my basket of goodies I received Sunday. I enjoyed reading the card with the 'message' you gave about all the goodies. Thank you so much for all you have given.

And my dear sweet friend in Georgia with Baby A. I look forward to seeing you in January. I miss you so much. Know that when we're sitting around our table with our family and friends I'll be thinking of you, Chris and Baby A and all that we have to be thankful for this year. Baby A is such a dream come true, not only for you, but for me. To know my best friend has a wonderful baby girl in her life now, an absolute answer to prayer, just gives us so much more to hold in common and bond over. (I can't wait for our next coffee morning. 'Tis sad that we have to wait so long to enjoy it together).

Of course I won't forget Dan and my wonderful boys. Growing up I never imagined marrying and having 4 children (I always thought 6!!).. I didn't imagine they'd all be boys. I pray these boys grow to be strong men, strong in their faith. Grow to know their time here is limited, and this is not their home. Each of them gives something. D gives his time, he works hard to be the helper I need. B works hard to do things we need done. L is our love, he spreads so much love in all the cards, drawings and such that he creates to tell us how much he loves us. And J, he's our cutie right now, he says things when you need a smile or laugh. He loves you and tells us often. He also loves everyone he says. These boys are just so sweet and I am so Thankful for them.

And what's a post without pictures??

So Rejoice in the Lord Always...

And Love one another...
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Give Thanks in Everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Melissa

Injured..

2008-11-24T15:14:00.001-08:00

Poor guy. He just happened to be in the path of a moving train track piece.

Enjoy..

Melissa

1 week later..

2008-11-20T14:21:00.001-08:00

Exact SAME location..

Last Thursday..This Thursday.. BRRRR.....

I don't know about you all..but I sure like that pretty ORANGE/Yellow FALL background.. Sniff, Sniff, Sniff..

Melissa

Hello snow, Goodbye Fall..

2008-11-17T14:36:00.001-08:00

We'll sure miss you. The gorgeous colors you always share.
The happiness we get from a tickle..
We loved the hats that you would bring..
We could lay in your warmth daily..
Playing in your leaves brought so much fun..

Goodbye..

Reflections of Christ..

2008-11-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here is an AWESOME Godtube video. View it and take it all in. Though you'll recognize the song, really listen to the words and feel them. Take in the reality of Jesus through these artists' eyes.

Amazing use of light to reflect the Light that still shines. Reflect on these images. Feel them. Feel the love, power and grace that Christ has given for you. Be moved. Be inspired.

Here's the web-site if you'd like more information.

http://www.reflectionsofchrist.org/

You can view the gallery here.

There are some powerful images of Jesus' ministry in there..and powerful words in the song they chose:

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be.
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, Lord take and seal it, seal it for they courts above.

Hope you enjoy. Grace and peace be with you.

Melissa

Sad...

2008-11-13T10:29:00.001-08:00

So J comes to me the other day and says in such a sullen voice, "Mommy, I'm sad. I'm very sad." So I ask why is he sad? His response: "Because I really want one those pieces of candy".. He was wanting a couple Hershey Mini Kisses. So I made a smiley face with them and let him pick which ones he wanted out by color.

And today, he really is sad. My J-Bear isn't feeling very well. He's planted himself in Daddy's chair, all covered up with his favorite green dinosaur sweatshirt on (wearing the hoodie of course) and his green cuppie..
Check out that eye..Poor little guy. The good thing is, he should be feeling great for our Thanksgiving trip to visit Aunt Linda and Larry. Aunt Linda has a wonderful surprise for him, but I'm not telling because I don't it to get back to the little guy. So just make sure you check out the blog after Thanksgiving.

We're praying to see Grandma and Grandpa at Aunt Linda's too. They're down with Uncle Eddie in Florida. Unfortunately Uncle Eddie won't be making the trip to Georgia. We will REALLY miss him and we pray he gets all better real soon. We miss you ALL so much. After J talks on the phone to gma and gpa he thinks they're home and wants to go up to their house to see them. He LOVES and adores them.

Have a great day.

Melissa

FINALLY, I can post again!!!

2008-11-11T20:53:00.000-08:00

We've celebrated another birthday here.. Little J is now 3 years old. Can you all believe that? I know I can't. It really feels like Dan and I just left to go that birthday party that we never made it to. Seriously. (For those who do not know, J was almost born in our mini-van. No pain before we left, drive about 30 minutes and BOOM labor hits, water breaks and well you know you have very little time after your water breaks especially with a 4th baby.)

He has been such a wonderful addition to our family. We've called him Baby J since day 1..Literally. I call him Joe-Bear, Baby J, I've thrown in a JJ, Bug, JoeBug..well he has lots of 'pet' names. I'm so glad that he will not be of age to begin school until 2011, I get all that extra time to take in this little guys cuteness and love.

I have an adorable post for next time. Right now I just wanted to share Baby J on his birthday.

Brotherly love and FUN..

His favorite birthday present came from Grandma M..
Elmo and J rolled around and were buried in the leaves several times. Can you see the leaf fragments in his mouth..Poor guy was spitting them out for quite sometime afterwards.
Check out how dirty he was. L gets home from school around 3:45. We went out to play to soak in our last day of warmth for a little bit. We were out there, MAYBE an hour!! He got this dirty JUST in the leaves..
And the beautiful sky on his birthday..

Love you, J-Bear..

Me

Free Falling..

2008-11-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

Enjoy..

Mis

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Enjoy..

Red Hair, Orange Shirt and Fall Colors all around..

2008-11-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

Sweet J in the leaves this afternoon...

And for that individual who wanted to see a LEAF in the picture..here you go..We love you Uncle Eddie!!

Melissa

Smiley J...

2008-10-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Jeff hosted a Hayride and Bonfire this evening.. It was quite fun. In the beginning the kids were all playing in the leaves. I think J enjoyed it..Here's his happy little face.. He was using his stick to move the leaves around (shown in the second pic, BUT he knew my camera was aimed at him so he didn't look at me)..

Yummy hot dogs roasting on a very warm fire..
When we returned home we dug into our Halloween costume container and J found this wig and had to try it on..
Enjoy..

Melissa

L's FIRST school Field Trip..

2008-10-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

L's first field trip was today. I was fortunate enough to be asked to go along to help with his first grade class. This field trip was great. They went to our FAVORITE apple orchard! We've been going to this orchard for years. Here's a link to their website: The Stotler's Orchard and Apple Store .

If you are out their way you should stop buy and pick up a bushel of apples and a gallon of the BEST APPLE CIDER!! REALLY it is the BEST!!

My pictures of L picking his apple didn't turn out that great, so I'll just share one of him enjoying riding on their peddling tractors they have available.

Have a great evening..

Melissa

Little J..

2008-10-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

We went over to Aunt Sharon's house today and I was able to play around with the light and brown paper some.. J gave me 2 pictures, LITERALLY!! 2!!!

So, I'll share half of them with you..
Have a great night..

Melissa

Costume fun at Aunt Monica and Uncle Ken's Campground!!

2008-10-18T21:38:00.001-07:00

Aunt Monica and Uncle Kenny belong to a campground (some resort near Salt Fork)..it's a very nice campground, too.. Each year in October they host some Halloween fun. Trick or treating each Saturday, a costume contest, hayrides (we missed this) and a Spooky Cabin (one spooker was Hank and another was Brandon, so you should know it wasn't the big scare them so they cry and run), all the events were made for the fun times for kids. Well, and fun times for the adults, so many of them (young adults and older adults were in costume as well).. I went as the football fan in my red hoodie!! LOL..

So the boys and I headed down to Salt Fork. It takes about an hour and half to get there. We went through all 3 Casting Crowns CD's. Then we sang some other songs like I've Been Redeemed (echo), Amazing Graze, Sanctuary, The Littlest Worm and we went back and forth with the Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar game (which Luke each time yelled out the cookie was good). J was so cute, when someone called out that it was him, he would say "Who ME?" and then we'd say "Yes, YOU" he would repeat so CUTELY "It COULDN'T be"..

Anyway back to the campground.. Monica and Kenny have this permanent site now down there and behind them is the BEAUTIFUL sky. I left my camera at home, but I borrowed moms little point and shoot..

B was an Astronaut (thanks Aunt Linda for the ADORABLE costume)..

Then B was stung by a bee.. Poor guy!! His right side of his face swelled up quickly..
And for some reason, my kiddos like to stick their tongues out at me.. Here's J as a CUTE LITTLE TEDDY BEAR (thanks to Cousin Chrissy and Aunt Sharon for this costume)..He will definitely stay nice and warm in it..

And here's the whole gang outside the Campground Church.. We listened to a wonderful message concerning each of us being SPECIAL. God made us all with different fingerprints, looks, thoughts and speech. "We are a one-of-a-kind creation"..God knew how we would look long before we were born..

Here you will see Hank, Aunt Monica and Grandma in the back row. Brandon, Daniel, J, Bri and Luke in the front row..You'll even notice Daniel carrying Zippy Roo (the Spiderdog doing whatever a Spiderdog does)..D went as a dogwalker!! And L went as last years dragon costume, notice it doesn't fit him in the legs this year!! He won't be wearing this to around the house trick or treating, he wanted to wear this so Grandma could see him wear it.. Isn't he sweet, grandma bought this for him last year after Halloween because he wanted to be a dragon instead of a mouse..
Then J had enough and snuggled up on Grandma's lap and fell asleep. What a great way to end our day, huh??
So then we left and it was then dark. We saw two deer as we got on 77 but then NONE after that.. of course that doesn't mean they weren't there, but hey, we didn't see them and I LIKE that.. We did get to see the moon rising in the sky. It was absolutely breathtaking too..

Enjoy your Sunday..take a break..relax with the family..have fun with friends.. and remember YOU ARE SPECIAL!! GOD made you and He LOVES you!!

Melissa

I want to be a ZOO photographer..

2008-10-17T21:14:00.001-07:00

I have always enjoyed going to the zoo.. and now I want to go and photograph the zoo babies!!

Check out these cuties..

Zoo Babies

D would absolutely LOVE seeing these babies in person. He has become quite the little animal lover. It all started with Dogs, then he got Zippy and then he became interested in all animals. Who knows maybe he'll be a Zoo Keeper, Veterinarian or whatever else has to do with animals..

Speaking of D..I'll post a recent one of him. I took him out one day last week for some quick pictures.. Well I asked him to take his glasses off so I could capture his beautiful green eyes.. Well I SHOULD know better, being blind as I am without glasses..BUT D couldn't NOT look at me without squinting..and since I was trying to capture mainly full body poses I couldn't see this through the view finder.. Lesson learned!! So here's a NON full body and NON squinting picture of D..
Enjoy..

Another SENIOR!!

2008-10-14T22:57:00.001-07:00

Meet A!! We traveled to 4 locations and used all the light we could, until the sun was GONE, GONE, GONE! What a fun time. His mom had the pleasure (hmm, hmm) of talking to my boys during some of the time and that reminded her why she only had 1..(HAHA)..

Thanks Sharon and Thanks A and mom...

Melissa

Our Friend and a SENIOR!! Miss A!!

2008-10-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Miss A will be a 2009 High School Graduate!! Dan and I have known her since she was around 9 years old..WOW, doesn't seem that long ago.. Recently she asked me if I would take some Senior Pictures for her and of course I had to oblige..

So I picked Miss A up this afternoon and we started off looking for some perfect spots. We found a nice run down building, a great field of color and we went to one of my favorite parks in the area as well. Soon we'll be doing some studio pictures with her to do the more 'formal' type senior pictures, and some fun ones with her 65 pairs of shoes!!

I LOVE the colors in this first one.. (OH, remember to click on them so you can see them a little larger)..

Have a great week everyone!!

Will talk to you later..

Captain Larry's Boat..

2008-10-10T21:57:00.001-07:00

Luke really enjoyed his time with Uncle Larry. He talks about our boat ride and our stay in the cabin often. So today he asked for some tape and he made this boat with construction paper and tape. He said he is going to give it to Uncle Larry. In the first picture he is 'vrooming' it around the yard.

Enjoy..

Do you know these people??

2008-10-10T15:06:00.001-07:00

Photographer Child Syndrome???

2008-10-10T15:03:00.001-07:00

B in Grandma's chair....outside!!

2008-10-06T10:01:00.001-07:00

Grandma R has had this chair in the playroom for sometime.. I asked her if I could just borrow it to take a few photos in.. I doubt that she though I would be taking it to a field to grab some pictures....

It was a little brighter than I would have liked it to be outside, and we had to use a reflector to help us. My reflector holder/assistant did an excellent job, I'm so proud of him. (D is a GREAT listener and hard worker and is always so wonderful with assisting me)..

I'll be borrowing this chair again sometime soon. So keep checking back you never know where I'll be putting it or who I will be capturing in it..

Have a great day..

Oh P.S...Now, MOM, don't you think you NEED to let me take your RED chair outside??? There's a beautiful green field near your house that it would look just lovely in?? PLEASE??

Now all my blog readers will know if my mom lets me take it or not..and to those who know my mom, drop her an email or phone call to let her know she needs to let me borrow it..

Melissa

One guess...

2008-10-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

for who did it?? Who tossed the grass in his brothers' faces??

Enjoy..

Mis

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMA!!

2008-09-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hey MA!! So, I know you are sensitive about your age, so I'll be real nice and NOT tell your age. I'll just say Happy Birthday to my Mom!! I hope the celebration of the 20th anniversary of your 39th birthday is GREAT!

Love,

Mis

Happy J..

2008-09-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

J has been such a happy bug lately!! He gets Mommy all to himself now and then 2 days a week he gets his Grandmas' attention all to himself.

Today after school, the light looked lovely in the field next to the house, so I took him over there for a few pictures. Here's the one I had to post for you. I just love this Happy Little Guy of mine. His red hair, his dark brown eyes and that infectious smile, Love it all!!

ENJOY!!!

Melissa

The Indians Game: The Tribe vs. the Tigers, September 20, 2008

2008-09-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, our D is a VERY BIG Indians fan. He has enough Tribe shirts to wear a clean shirt for WEEKS!! Well last evening we took the boys out to the BallPark- we went to Progressive Field.. Give you one guess who the field was named after..(I'll share the answer late to those who may not know)..

So I of course took the camera out to just document from my seat..

The Guys:

Like Father:

Like Son:

Grandpa and his buddy:

GRADY SIZEMORE!!

A little Tribe cheering excitement!!!

The view from my seat:

To be continued:

The Indians Game: Post 2!!

2008-09-23T16:52:00.001-07:00

The Self-Portrait:

Waving the Rally Cap for the WIN!!Hi Grandma:

Okay..so for the answer to the question, who was Progressive Field named after??
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Jacob's Field, Progressive Field was named AFTER Jacob's Field.. HaHa.. Dan asked the boys this question and this was the answer. I thought it was funny, and I am NOT a funny person!!

Have a great evening!!

Melissa

More of the Praying Mantis and a spider..

2008-09-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

So, if you don't like the bug pictures you may want to skip this posting! Here's more of the cute little Praying Mantis we have in the rose bush.

A little bit of grooming to make sure his legs are cleaned..

Here's a spider in our Yucca Plant near the back door. OOO YUCKY!! Spiders aren't my favorite but I sure do enjoy photographing them..Enjoy!!

Melissa

Zippy and B...

2008-09-12T19:27:00.001-07:00

This dog is so spoiled!! He loves to be held, I think he was trained that way by the boys. His exercise comes from walks outside, walking to get his food and then walking to hop in someones lap because the lap he's in is now walking in a different direction than him. Yeah, he's spoiled!!

Enjoy..

My ornery L...

2008-09-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ornery is one adjective used to describe him. Yeah, we call him ornery, adorable, silly, happy, all those great and wonderful adjectives. Yet, to know him is to love him. How can one not. He's the little guy that sends me letters, gives me big hugs before he heads on that bus every morning. He is the one that runs to me everyday when he gets off that bus. So today, after school my goal was to capture him, in as few frames as I could. So we sat in the grass and chatted. The chatting didn't last long, he's a first grader and all first graders need time to play when they come home.. So I snapped a few and let him go. Off to ride his bike around the house, then to play in the hole. L is still my little sweet heart though, ornery, stubborn, yet still Happy Little L.
I won't even tell you what we were talking about to get this giggle out of him. I am sure mom of boys know though!!
I TOTALLY love this one...(Don't even care about the blades of grass by his face)..His eyes are so wonderfully lit, that little mouth is so perfect and that chin..This one simply looks like my little L....

Enjoy your evening!!

Mis

4th of July...

2008-09-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

I was reminded recently to load some pictures from the 4th of July party at my Mom's house. We had a nice little get together where the kids got to have fun and just relax and enjoy the company and food.

L love helping Grandma shuck the corn..

While J enjoyed swinging on the hammock..

He also got a Zippy Roo kiss too..

The kids found a cute little tree frog up on the hillside..

J and Daddy with Great Grandma in the background..
The Grandma got out the little bubble toys and the kids enjoying blowing up these 'plastic' bubbles and holding them..

Enjoy your evening..

Melissa

More from vacation...

2008-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some more from vacation... These are from our last day, spent at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky..

J at the Overlook standing against the wall..

A goofy D grin..
Little L posing on the wall..

This is a tree that we have pictures of the boys in over the years..
And a bug..

This man was playing Sunday Morning Worship..awesome to hear while walking through a beautiful park..
J with the Falls in the background.. He just looks so much older here to me..

And the beautiful Falls we love visiting year after year..sometimes several times a year, too... the park and Falls are just lovely.

That's a lot of pictures..

Enjoy..

Melissa

Another Praying Mantis..

2008-09-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

So now there are 2 of them in the rosebush.. I like this one's eyes a little better than the other one.. They are so cute and fun to take pictures of.. This one did fly to my leg which was kind of neat, but I did tell Dan to quickly get it off of me.. I like taking pictures of it, but touching, NO..

Mis

The kids Aunt Linda...

2008-09-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Even though she lives nearly 700 miles from us, J still knows his Aunt Linda. They enjoyed playing together. Whether it was playing with legos, doll house people or even using coasters as pretend dishes, they enjoyed each others company.

This was right before we left. He kept trying to get Aunt Linda into our van to come home with us..
And yeah, Aunt Linda when you agreed to me putting a picture of you on my blog, I imagine you didn't think I'd put 4!!

Enjoy

Melissa

Last night's visitor lives on our rose bush...

2008-09-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

So since he lives here, he must become my next subject for torture, right.. Of course his posing capability is phenomenal considering this was only our second session.. I'm so proud of our little praying mantis...

Enjoy..

Melissa

A nice visitor last evening..

2008-09-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

Dan and B found this praying mantis last evening. When I came home from grocery shopping they both told me to go out and take pictures of him. Well, this was just as the sun had set behind the trees, so the lighting is poor, so my settings were ones which cause grain (high ISO), I had to shoot with a wide aperture too, so that means, that little of the Mr. Praying Mantis would be in focus..but hey, I did get quite a few good ones of the guy, so all was worth it..

He was adorable..

Have a great day..

More of Sweet Baby A...

2008-08-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of Baby A, my dear friends Chris and Cathy had me to come and stay with them for a day while we were on vacation. The boys enjoyed time alone with Daddy and Aunt Linda. I enjoyed catching up with Cathy and holding Baby A as well as capturing quite a few pictures of this special baby girl. She truly is a miracle baby, meant to be. (I miss her family so)..

Have a great Labor Day weekend..

Melissa

More from vacation....

2008-08-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

J absolutely loves Teddy Bears.. He wanted to take this huge teddy, but B convinced him to take this little teddy bear that he regularly sleeps with anyway. (Of course J is now napping with the Huge Teddy bear).. He carried this teddy bear around just like this..

And here are some of my guys, doing just what they do best..GOOFING around, and all led by the big guy...

Enjoy...

Some vacation photos..

2008-08-29T07:25:00.001-07:00

Okay... so first we went to the cabin overlooking Carters Lake. Dan, B, Captain Larry and I went out fishing Sunday morning..

I have WAY too many pictures of my kids doing this very thing..NOW I know and have visible proof to show WHY they do it..

Toby Tyler was even fishing...

Dan was so excited to see this boat out on the water with the sun setting behind hit. They sky was this beautiful color. By the time I made it down to the water the sun was very low..but still made for a nice photograph..
I'll do my best to post more as I get them..

Enjoy..

Melissa

L's first day of school..

2008-08-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

L had his first day of school yesterday. When he woke L wasn't very excited. Then he saw that he a cool SPIDERMAN lunch box and that made him happy. Here he is in front of the house yesterday before we left to take him to school. He did get to ride the school bus home yesterday. You should be able to make out his cute little head in one of the windows..

These 3 are from this morning. His first morning ride on the school bus. Aunt Linda should love that he chose an Atlanta Braves shirt for his second day of school..
And this was the look he gave me when he see the bus rolling down the road towards are stop.

He had a great first day of school. He said he enjoyed playing a game similar to bowling. L also enjoyed recess where he got to swing the entire time. He's going to do just fine I am sure. This morning he woke up and was ready to go quickly. J thinks we should go pick him up from school though, he misses him.

Have a great day... more vacation pictures soon, I promise..

Melissa

Back from Vacation..

2008-08-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a wonderful vacation to Georgia.. Visited with family and friends.. Stayed with Captain Larry (Uncle Larry) and Aunt Linda. Baby J enjoyed Aunt Linda's company so much he wanted her to come home with us and asked us several times during the trip home to turn around and pick up 'Aunt Inda'.. We always have so much fun when visiting them. This time was no exception. We went to northern Georgia and stayed in a cabin overlooking Carters Lake. Everyone enjoyed a boat ride with Captain Larry. Monday we attended an Atlanta Braves game. Tuesday we kind of had a lazy day.. Wednesday we traveled down to see Baby A and her parents. Thursday we stayed and visited with them some more. Then Friday we went down into Florida and viewed some of the winds from Hurricane Faye. Then back up to Uncle Larry and Aunt Linda's house. We left for home Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the Cumberland Falls area in Kentucky late Saturday and early Sunday. Whew, what a vacation.

So, while visiting Baby A I took some pictures (that's a given, right?)...she's darling and beautiful. Baby A is my dearest friends daughter. It's so sad to have her so far away from us...I am thankful we were able to take this time to go down and see her while she is still so tiny.

So I'll introduce you to Baby A..

Have a great day..it's so nice to be back home, though I'm yearning to be in Georgia around our family and friends there, too.. We miss you all already... Can't wait to visit again..

Will update the blog with more pictures of all our activities throughout the week. This is an exciting week.. Little L will be starting school this year. So, look forward to those first day of school pictures soon, too..

Melissa

One of D's pictures and a few others....

2008-08-10T17:19:00.001-07:00

The top picture is D's..he had so much fun using my camera. It will be nice to go out and 'shoot' with him..The next are mine.. We had so much fun taking pictures of the dragon-flies, the butterflies and whatever the third picture is?? Anyone know?

Enjoy..

Melissa