December 4th, 2008

It was an eventful day, Tuesday, and it ended in many thanks to God for His great mercy and goodness to us!

The first I knew anything about the rat poison was when Seth brought an open box of it into the house asking if it was candy and if he could have some! He told me he had found it in the yard. (we don’t use poison around our house.) I had been out in the yard before Ian’s nap and hadn’t seen anything. It turns out that our little three year old neighbor girl had found it in her garage and brought it up to our yard and left it. (She only handled it and didn’t eat it.) I didn’t see it when I let Seth out to play. Neither did I see that it had spilled in the grass when Seth brought it to me. I discovered it’s origins and took it back down to the neighbors, interrogated Seth, washed and scrubbed his hands and arms, and brought everyone back to school lessons. We were finished by the time Ian woke up and all burst out of the house to enjoy the last of the daylight. As I step outside I see the dog licking the grass where Seth had pointed to me the spot where he found the box of poison. I shoo the dog away and find that she was eating pellets that had spilled. I didn’t think she could have gotten much, but I called Peter and the vet to see what to do. I ended up making her vomit in case she had gotten enough to harm her, and it was bright green and foamy so I made her do it again and it was only faintly green. But making our dog vomit with her skittishness when being messed with was not easy and the light was fading. I’m so grateful that a young girl from church was here to help me watch the boys while I dealt with the dog!I was scared only after she vomited green knowing that her life was in danger and I would not have known had the Lord not ordained that I saw her eating it. And praise be unto God that the children asked before tasting the poison!

Wednesday my friend Erika kept my boys for me while I went out to run some errands alone. (I was amazed how much I got done in so little time!) When I came to pick them up she told me she got to hear a “Seth’s Words”. It made us both laugh so hard! Thank you for remembering his words and sharing them with me, Erika!

The big boys were rolling around on a wheeled contraption on the concrete in their side yard and on one of their runs they noticed they had squished a bee as they were going so fast. Seth heard them exclaiming about the bee and ran over to see it. He leaned close and said “Oh, it’s a bee! And there’s it’s honey, too!” 🙂

**edited to add one more Seth’s Words ~

“We woke up to a heavy fog one morning this week. As I was making breakfast I couldn’t even see the hill behind our park from the kitchen window. Seth was kneeling on the couch looking out a window with his brothers and suddenly he came running to me saying “Mommy! I broke the foggy sky to see the blue!” 🙂

Posted in Personal | No Comments »
November 30th, 2008

That’s the name of the scent my twin sister would purchase for her hand and dish soap when she set up her first home with her new husband…eight and a half years ago. We were seventeen and she was already a housewife in a cabin on top of a mountain in Georgia…and I missed her. They let me stay with them in their little cabin for a week or more at a time! We cooked together to pass the time, and talked, and washed dishes with her amazing smelling soap, and talked some more. Up there the rain smelled better, the dew drops shone brighter, and the view was closer to heaven. Our hands would still smell of her scented soap long after the dishes were done…and when they took me home I missed her before the scent faded.

It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve smelled White Melon and Cucumber, and I wouldn’t have remembered the name of it, but tonight my friend Erika gave me a candle for our birthday with that exact scent and I’m taken back to those days on top of a mountain in a cabin with  my twin sister… it reminds me of dishes and of her thoughtful love in remembering me and inviting me to share their beautiful, new life together.

Thank you, Erika, for the very appropriate candle! And thank you, Vanessa, for your sacrifice of time for your lonely and left behind twin all those years ago. I’m remembering very vividly tonight… because of a candle…and I love you, and still miss you.

Posted in General | 1 Comment »
November 25th, 2008

As the sun rose high in the Santa Monica sky this fall Saturday, these two beautiful people committed their lives to each other with Christ as the center of their marriage and lives with friends and family as witness to their love. They incorporated several unique ideas and traditions into their day and it was truly a special and intimate day.

It was an honor to photograph your wedding, Adam and Savanahsiera! May the Lord bless your marriage!

And here’s a shout out to my wonderful friend and photographer Laura Milner of Moments Not Forgotten, who absolutely made my day and helped me so much shooting this wedding. She got some amazing photographs (I love her angle!) and you can check out her favorites from the day on her blog. Thank you again, Laura! I can’t wait to work with you again!

Posted in Weddings | No Comments »
November 21st, 2008

For our birthday she wanted to give us portraits together, but that day will have to wait. Yesterday Laura took portraits of just me. I had not had my picture taken in a very long time, and certainly never that many all at once! And I LOVE them! Laura did such an amazing job because it is rare that I actually like pictures of myself. I’m really hoping to use some for my new website, and as gifts for my mother and husband. 🙂

To view my portrait session check out Laura’s blog.

Not only is Laura a budding professional photographer, she’s a five star chef! Well, she could be. She brought a mediterrainian chicken pasta salad, hummus with pita, and cargo bars for dessert….AND a brilliant bunch of sunflowers in a unique glass pitcher! I could not possibly feel more loved.

Laura, thank you for spending your afternoon with us, and for blessing me so abundantly!

 Laura rockin’ her Canon! :-) photographing me photographing her :-) cool flash :-) Laura is such a beautifully creative person. and I’m so thankful to have her as a friend!

Posted in General | 1 Comment »
November 18th, 2008

My amazing husband has been working so hard to get my new website up and running. I never realized how much work and time it would require and I’m so grateful to him for giving of his precious time and energy to build this beautiful site for me! I am SO excited about it and really look forward to getting every body’s feedback! So check it out and let me know what you think!

Posted in General | 1 Comment »