About Me

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I love Jesus. I love my family. I love photography. I love books. I love thinking. Probably in that order. I have a wonderful husband, five beautiful daughters, a house, and a camera. I enjoy spending time talking to my husband, playing with my girls, redecorating my house and shooting things with my camera. In my spare time, I sleep.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Cute Things My Kids Have Said-Part 16





11/14/18    Talking about the trapped feelings they’d get exploring the deep ocean or space. Jasmine: “I’d rather go in the ocean because at least it’s still on earth.” Russ: “I’d rather go to space because I’ve visited the ocean.” Kira: “I wouldn’t want to go to space because I don’t want to get hit with the balls.” Eden: “I’d rather go to heaven than either of those places.” Kira: “You probably would go to heaven if you went to either of those places!”

11/17/18 Overheard: Kira-“Let’s pretend we are just kids having fun.”

11/21/18   Kira: “You look old, mama. You look old like a grandma. You look really wrinkly right now.”

11/23/18 
Me: “Kira, why are you naked?”
Kira: “My shirt was wet....I like chewing on it.”

11/25/18 Eden: “If I was ever in public school and someone was bullying me, I’d just say ‘So’s your face!’”

12/3/18  Bria woke me up this morning, “Where Daddy go? Daddy back at work?” I told her, “Yes. Daddy’s back at work.” Bria: “That’s mean!”

12/17/18 
Bria snuggles up to Russ, looks up at him and says, “I love you!” 
Russ: “ I love you too!” 
Bria: “You are the worst.” 
Russ: “What? No, you’re the worst.” 
Bria: “So’s your face.”


1/7/19 Bria put her hand on my shoulder, looked up at me and said, “You’re my hero.” ๐Ÿ’•  

2/14/19
Kira: “You have a very jiggly butt!”

2/14/19
Tonight I said to Bria: “Are you going to go to bed now?” Bria: “That’s not going to be happening.”

3/4/19
Today while I was on the phone, Bria was in her room coloring. She comes out and walks up to her sister and says, “My hand is bloody!” I look over and she had colored her entire hand and half her arm completely with a bright red marker! She had written on her leg yesterday also. So tonight I’m giving her a bath and I asked her, “Are you supposed to write on yourself?” Bria: “No.” Me: “Are you going to do that again in the future?” Bria: “Yes” Me: “Why?” Bria: “Because. I’m going to do it again in the future.”



3/13/19
Eden: “Mom, what’s higher than a trillion?”
Jasmine: “A trillion and one.”

3/16/19
Acacia:  "The lights are on but they're not very bright."

3/16/19
Jasmine (about wasabi):  "It's like the smell of nail polish remover only spicy."

3/17/19
I asked Bria what her favorite part of the day was... “Umm, this.” (As she shows me her ring finger on her right hand.) ๐Ÿ˜‚

3/22/19
I groan to myself. Bria, who sitting nearby playing, says, “What, Mom?” I said, “My phone is dying.” Bria: “Oh! I get it.” *resumes playing*

3/25/19
Jasmine: “If I had a husband, I’d want him to be quiet.”

4/8/19
Overheard:
Kira: “Bria put down the pencils! We are not cat drummers!”

4/19/19
Bria: “Mommy. You look like Bob.”
Umm...thanks? #whoisbob

4/26/19
I randomly asked Jasmine “Why is life so hard sometimes?” She insightfully answered, “If it wasn’t we wouldn’t learn anything.”

5/5/19
Getting ready to watch “Crazy Rich Asians”. Bria says, “That guy is ugly.” Me: “What about her? Do you think she’s pretty?” Bria: “That girl almost looks like you.” ๐Ÿ˜‚

5/8/19
I was kissing Bria’s cheeks and said, “I could kiss your cheeks all day! They are so sweet and soft.” Bria: “And healthy!”

5/15/19
Bria came up to me and said (as she often does), "Mom, What do you want?" I answered, "Same thing I always want, Brain." Bria: "Ewww...Mommy said she wants brain!!"

5/21/19
Jasmine: “Bria, what are you doing?”
Bria: “Trying to get you!”
Jasmine: “After you get me then what are you going to do?”
Bria: “Pick my nose.”

5/23/19
After Acacia & I were talking about the extra tax on fast food—-
Bria: “I don’t like tax. I like dinosaurs.”

6/4/19
I was snuggling with Bria and asked her if she was ready for and excited about the summer reading program. With a hopeful smile with a hopeful voice, “For dancers?” I told her “For readers.” She acted like she was disappointed and so I said, “Dancers can be readers!” She held her hands out like a book and said, “Like ‘Once Upon a Dream’!” And she started singing!

6/8/19
Bria: “Can I have a Rice Christmas Tree?” (Rice Krispy Treat)

6/8/19
Bria came up to me and lifted her arms up for me to pick her up. I said, “I don’t pick up dinosaurs.” Bria said, “But you pick up Brias.”

6/26/19
Getting in the car this morning...
Bria: “Mommy are you sick?”
Me: “Yeah.”
Bria: “Can you drive?”
Me: “Yeah...I think I can handle driving.”
Bria: “You can drive. You are amazing at driving!”

6/26/19
Jasmine:  "You don't realize how much your parents do for you until they stop."

6/29/19
Kira (after playing at the park): “I thought I had lice but it was just rocks.”

7/24/19
This morning Kira was walking around on her tiptoes and Jasmine asked her why. She said “I’m trying to be like the Beast from Belle.”

7/25/19
Looking at a picture of sets of markers on Facebook...Eden: "The rainbows make my eyes happy."

7/27/19
I was up watching the sunrise and Bria ends up sitting outside with me.  At one point I told her how sometimes God uses the bird to talk to me.  That's often how He says, "Hi!"   Eventually I had to come in and lay down because of my rib hurting in my back.  A little bit later Bria comes in and says to me, "The birds say you have to come out here."

7/27/19
Bria: “I had a dream about a spider in my boobs!”

8/14/19
Bria: "Mommy, can I have a sandwich? I want Peanut Butter & Honey and Ham."

8/26/19
Kira: “I was make-suring no one goes in the kitchen.”

10/1/19
Referring to Pluto
Jasmine:  "Once a planet; always a planet."

10/9/19
I was telling Bria that Russ was going to fly home tonight. Bria: “Is he gonna be a bird?”

10/16/19
Jasmine:  "I don't know who I'm going to marry but I know what kind of guy I'm gonna marry.  I want him to be calm, not crazy.  Kinda shy.  But not too shy.  I want him to stand up for himself.  I want him to be smart.  That's a necessity!  He can't care too much about 'that stuff' because that's gross!   I just don't really care what he looks like.   I just don't want him to have long hair.  And I don't really want him to have a mustache."

11/7/19
Reading funny kid tweets on Facebook and laughing; Bria asks me what I’m laughing about.
Me: “Kids. Toddlers are funny! Are you a toddler? Do you say funny things?”
Bria: “No.”
Me: “Really? You’re not a toddler?”
Bria: “Nope. I’m the captain!”

11/18/19
This morning I was awakened to Bria standing next to my bed saying, "Cockle-doodle-doo!" I asked her why she was doing that... "Because it's morning time!"

11/19/19
Jasmine: "When I study in my room--study for real; not kissing--I don't like listening to music."

11/19/19
Bria:  "I want an ice cream of my own."
Me:  "But you had a tummy-ache."
Bria:  "I wanted a tummy-ache."

11/23/19
Today at lunch I was chatting with my parents when Bria grabs my head & whispers in my ear. I didn't understand what she said so I asked her to repeat herself. She pulls my ear to her mouth and whispers "Don't go chasing waterfalls."

11/26/19
Watching ‘Elementary’; Bria comes in and sits next to me. A scene comes on where Sherlock is at a doctor’s office. Bria turns and whispers in my ear, “I think he’s pregnant.”

12/12/19
Saw a picture of an Elf on a Shelf on Facebook. Bria was looking over my shoulder and saw it. “I want one of those creepers that hide!”

12/24/19
Bria: “My tummy hurts because I feel constipated.”
Russ: (Trying not to laugh) “Really? I’m sorry.”
Bria: “What does constipated mean?”


Friday, June 28, 2019

Today was my Grandpa's birthday


Today was my Grandpa's birthday...

He died three years ago and we celebrated his life and his passing on this day 3 years ago.

Tonight...when my mind finally calmed down from all of the burdens of today, my mind turned to  the moments with him that I miss most.

I remember him sitting in his corner, right near the trash and how he would always smile when I walked in.  And how whenever I needed to throw something away, he'd open the lid as I'd lean over him to toss it in and as soon as that lid dropped he'd grab me and hug me and say that he was never gonna let me go and I'd breathe in the scent of his cologne and say, "That's okay--you don't have to. I'm staying right here."  The more years that passed the scratchier those hugs got from all his whiskers and we'd joke about his "scratchy hugs".  

A couple weeks ago, my 6 year old daughter came home from VBS and said, "I miss Jesus. I wish he was here right now so I could give him a hug."   And I said, "Me too, baby girl.  Me too."

These two memories collided tonight and I imagined Jesus getting a scratchy hug from my grandpa and grandpa joking with him the way he did with me and saying, "I gottcha!  I'm never gonna let you go!"  And Jesus laughing and saying, "That's okay--You don't have to.  I'm happy to stay here with you forever."



Sunday, February 3, 2019

My Personal Manifesto




My Personal Manifesto
2/3/19

I am a Daughter of the Creator of the universe who sacrificed Himself to secure my adoption.
I conduct myself with Integrity & Character.
I follow through with my Commitments.
After my relationship with Christ, my husband is my priority followed by my children.
I value Honesty and Understanding.
I make Plans to ensure success but am Flexible to life's ebbs & flows.
I do not demonize my Emotions;  nor do I honor them as truth.
Life is full of Blessings and I choose to focus on the positive and not the negative.
I fill my mind and body with things that Nourish and not deplete.
I treat all people with Dignity & Respect.
I hold no grudges, forgiving freely and loving lavishly.
I am a Light in this world;  
I am a Garden bearing good fruit 
and I am a Citizen of heaven.



Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Books I read in 2018

Books I've read in 2018

  • 01) "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett 1/2
  • 02) "Firefight" by Brandon Sanderson (audio) 1/6
  • 03) "Calamity" by Brandon Sanderson (audio) 1/21
  • 04) "A Door In the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli 1/30
  • 05) "Free of Me" by Sharon Hodde Miller 2/22
  • 06) "Will Save Galaxy for Food" by Yahtzee Croshaw (audio) 3/8
  • 07) "Snapshot" by Brandon Sanderson (audio) 3/9
  • 08) "Crispin: Cross of Lead" by Avi 3/18
  • 09) "Sweetbriar Cottage" by Denise Hunter 3/19
  • 10) "Anabel Lee" by Mike Nappa 3/20
  • 11) "Cry in the Night" by Colleen Coble 3/28
  • 12) "The Testing" by Joelle Charbonneau 3/29
  • 13) "Independent Study" by Joelle Charbonneau 3/31
  • 14) "Graduation Day" by Joelle Charbonneau (audio) 4/1
  • 15) 'The Lost Husband' by Katherine Center 4/2
  • 16) "Love & Respect in the Family" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs 4/4
  • 17) "Where We Belong" by Lynn Austin 4/8
  • 18) "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare 4/12
  • 19) "The View from Rainshadow Bay" by Colleen Coble (audio) 4/17
  • 20) 'The Raven' by Mike Nappa 4/21
  • 21) 'Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish: A Novel by David Rakoff 4/22
  • 22) "Love's Pursuit" by Siri Mitchell 4/25
  • 23) "Promises to Keep" by Ann Tatlock (audio) 5/3
  • 24) "A Murder, A Mystery, and a Marriage" by Mark Twain 5/9
  • 25) "Differently Morphous" by Yahtzee Croshaw (audio) 5/24
  • 26) 'A Study In Scarlet Women' by Sherry Thomas (audio) 6/16
  • 27) "The 49th Mystic" by Ted Dekker 6/27
  • 28) "Ascend Online" by Luke Chmilenko (audio) 6/28
  • 29) "Out of Spite, Out of Mind" by Scott Meyer (audio) 7/2
  • 30) "Because You're Mine" by Colleen Coble 7/12
  • 31) "Kill the Farm Boy" by Kevin Hearne & Delilah S. Dawson (audio) 8/8
  • 32) "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster 8/12
  • 33) "Girl, Wash Your Face" by Rachel Hollis 9/20
  • 34) "The Introvert's Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone" by Matthew Pollard (audio) 11/3
  • 35) "Rise of the Mystics" by Ted Dekker (audio) 11/7
  • 36) "Talking As Fast As I Can" by Lauren Graham (audio) 11/8
  • 37) "Beyond Belief: My Secret Life inside Scientology and my Harrowing Escape" by Jenna Miscavige Hill with Lisa Pulitzer (audio) 11/14
  • 38) "Warcross' by Marie Lu (audio) 12/28