Big shoulders....

It's been a tough week here on the homefront....  emotionally and physically draining.

Two with ear infections, one with a ruptured eardrum, all four with fevers, and now one with diarrhea..... and ...

my Mom being so sick with pneumonia back in Missouri.

(she's in ICU now, but I *hope* she'll be out soon)

I've run the gamut of fear, worry, guilt, frustration.... and in between....

should I be with my Mom?  should I be here with my children?  should I be in a loony bin?

It is in times like these that I find the emotional baggage of the past comes to haunt me.....

like a disparaging ghost to shroud my soul in a thick mist of confusion and angst.

I can't find my way.... what should I do..... what are my motivations?

A blogging friend of mine (who just happens to share my name) posted this video on Friday.
And like a breath blown from God himself.... the fog lifted and my way seemed clear.
I need to focus on the family God has given me.... to care for them... to put aside the debilitating worry and guilt and find my way so that I can lead my children, and be a good wife.
(My mom is in good hands... and if I'm needed, I will know.)
And to do this... I need Him to lead me.
.... I cannot do it on my own.... my shoulders are not broad enough to be everything to everyone...
....but His are....

And then... YouTube (as it is want to do) led me to this video....

Wow!  Gut punch. Forgiven.

I'm glad He has big shoulders.

****Regardless of your personal beliefs... these videos have amazing videography.****

The images, colors, settings, and photographs spoke to me as a photographer....

I watched the videos over and over again just for the beautiful images, not just the words.

I hope they bless you as well.

(I have a new favorite group to listen to now, thanks to Wendy!)

An interesting video....

If you haven't already heard this story.... it is well worth the 10 minutes spent watching.

How amazing that her work was not found until days after her death.

Her photography is inspiring. Enjoy.


I just found this on You Tube... more of her work.
Interestingly enough, at approx. minute 4:08 of this slideshow, you will see a little boy in a cowboy sweater.....
just like these little boys!  Amazing!
These sweaters were made for my dad and his brother.... back in the early 50s.
(please pardon my very sad photography skills from a few years back)

Ok.... I'll quit with the Vivian Maier now...  ;)

Just kidding.....

One of my friends sent me this video...... I hope you enjoy it.

My kids laughed and laughed  (and so did I)

Just had to share....

Believe

Do you believe? 

I believe..... in things unseen to my eyes...

...like a little boy believes...

...in the wind that takes his kite...

...higher and higher...

...like a little girl believes she can use the potty...

(one full year before her brothers believed)

...like my kids still believe.... 

...in the magic of Christmas...

Belief....it does a body and mind good.

One last Christmas....give it away

(I'm not sure why it won't load on here.... but you can watch it on YouTube here)

This is an amazing story....  of  love, of grief, of giving.

In this time of year when the "give me's" get overwhelming..... a little reminder of what is really important in life.

Family. Love. Community. Giving.

(we know a bit about a community stepping up in our time of need... and for that we are still humbled and thankful)

How do you intend to give back this holiday season?

This might not be a bad idea......it is something my kids want to do.

{Operation Samaritan's Purse}

(if the video won't load, you can watch it here)

For mothers, mommys, moms, and mommas.....

....a sweet video for you today.

{my fav: google doesn't have children}

*smile*breathe*love*

Finish Strong -- inspirational video

Ever have one of those days....

... a million and one household chores to do....
...cranky, sick children....
...cranky, sick momma....
...cranky, sick momma snaps at cranky, sick children...
...laundry, duck poo patrol, dusting, vacuuming, and toys to corral...
...falling... down.... miserably?...

...me, Me, ME!!!! {raises hand}...

What an awesome witness.
Life check. Finish strong.

Remembering

Today..... I'm remembering...

...and pondering...

...the many reasons we can never forget...

...the blessings we have in this country...
...freedom to congregate, and celebrate, and worship the way we want...

...freedom to wear what we want to wear...
...freedom to dream and work hard and believe...

...hope for the future...

Today... I hope you'll take a moment to remember with me...

It's been 9 years.... but it seems like only yesterday.
I believe.... love will find a way... and He is the source of Love. (JMHO)

A video I'd like to share....

Photography centers me...
it reminds me of all the beauty that I can find around me...
it captures the dancing eyes, the tear stained faces, the dirty fingers, the contented smiles...
it helps me walk through stressful and sad times...
it excites and thrills me...
it gives me peace.

This video of Ann Curry really touched my heart... and it about sums up how I feel about photography.
I hope it will touch your heart as well.

What thing (or things) fills this spot for you?

Birth of Bull's Eye the Calf

Here is a short (30 sec) birth video of Bull's Eye. (I apologize for my poor videography skills!) Luna had been in active labor for a few hours, and down and pushing for about 15 minutes before he was born. I never tire of watching calves being born..... although I must admit, I am a nervous watcher.... torn between letting nature take its course and giving nature a little helping hand. But Luna was awesome... she needed no help. The boys were standing next to me watching.... as you can tell.

Write a Good Life

First, some items of business: as you can tell, my blog has been changing a lot lately. I am trying to find my groove. As you have you witnessed, I learned how to make my own blog backgrounds........ went a little crazy with the last background. I think I am happy with this background and hopefully it will stay for awhile. I may tweak or change the header every so often, but right now I am loving my new header. You will see more of those roses later.

Second: I am trying to find my central reason for keeping this blog. Of course, the main purpose is to keep a journal of our day to day lives -- a "mommy blog" as they call it. But I keep feeling that I need to have another thread continually running as well, that ties it all together. I have some ideas, but no one idea shouts louder than any other. For some time I have considered melding my two blogs together, but I really don't think that is the answer, (although it would be easier ;). As the children get older, they will not want their faces plastered all over my blog everyday, and so I will need to have another purpose. During the growing season, the answer seems obvious -- gardens and flowers. But during the winter, I jump around from cooking to weight loss, to scrapbook pages to cooking .... and back to weight loss. (Do you see a pattern here?) Do you, any of my loyal readers have any ideas? I would love to hear from you. Why do you visit my blog? What would you like to see more of?

Maybe it's just me.... I have been wanting a haircut, too. Changes, changes, changes. At least I don't rearrange the house every weekend. (I do have a couple of fun, new ideas that I will begin soon and I hope you will play along). Anyway, on to number three.

Third: This is a lovely video that I found yesterday. It is from {here -- the Mom Summit 2.0}. I do believe in the power of women -- to love fiercely, to nurture and teach, and to be entrepreneurs when the time allows. With all my uncertainty about blogging, I do have one thing sure and unchanging: I hope to teach my children how to write a good life.


Here is what it says in case you cannot view/don't have time to view the video-- I love the last three lines.......

WHAT I WOULD TELL HER: (If I knew what to say.)

You are a miracle.

And I have to love you this fiercely: So that you can feel it even after you leave for school, or even while you are asleep, or even after your childhood becomes a memory.

You’ll forget all this when you grow up. But it’s okay.

Being a mother means having your heart broken.

And it means loving and losing and falling apart and coming back together.

And it’s the best there is. And also, sometimes, the worst.

Sometimes you won’t have anyone to talk to.

Sometimes you’ll wonder if you’ve forgotten who you are.

But you must remember this: What you’re doing matters.

And you have to be brave with your life so that others can be brave with theirs.

The truth is, being a woman is a gift. Tenderness is a gift. Intimacy is a gift. And nurturing the good in this world is a nothing short of a privilege.

That’s why I have to love you this way. So I can give what I have to you. So that you can carry it in your body and pass it on.

I have watched you sleep. I’ve kissed you a million times. And I know something that you don’t, yet:

You are writing the story of your only life every single minute of every day.

And my greatest hope for you, sweet child, is that I can teach you how to write a good one.

Christmas Baby Boogie

On Christmas Eve we turned up the Mannheim Steamroller and the kids just did what came natural to them. I wish I could keep from laughing when I am taking videos...it is really annoying but I can't seem to help it. Of course, when your husband is sitting next to you and laughing too........

Here are a couple other videos that I uploaded to YouTube so that the large files wouldn't eat up my allotted blogger MBs. One is of {Wyatt "doing his moves"}, and the other is of {Nona and the boys dancing to the Nutcracker}. Enjoy.

Mannheim I
Mannheim II

More Baby Boogie

I don't know about this girl......
....she's got rhythm
....she's got moves
.....I don't know where they came from
.....but I'm pretty sure she'll be break-dancing by three.
Heaven help us!
(and this was 9PM after already jiving for 5 minutes--
I wish I had a video of the first bit)

Birthday Peek

A little teaser for tomorrow's post. Enjoy.

Need a Laugh?

This is SO hilarious! I about died laughing...three times!

Good thing nothing phases Randy.

I Will Remember

I would be remiss to not post about 9/11. I remember. I cry everytime I see footage from that tragic day. I will not forget. Shame on those that claim it was all a hoax staged by our own government. I will teach my children to love and not hate. But I will also teach them that there is evil in this world, evil that hates everything that we are and what we stand for.
God Bless the USA.

Wylie and Baxter

Today we are going to the little town of {Hooper} to watch two great cowboys perform --Wylie Gustafson and Baxter Black -- on the same stage for 2 hrs. What a treat.

We have been very lucky to have Wylie as a local celebrity, neighbor, client, and friend for many years. Unlucky for us though, he has recently relocated back to his Montana roots. We will miss him. Here is a song that Randy and I love to dance around the kitchen to.



I first became familiar with Baxter Black when I was in Veterinary school, for Baxter is not only a cowboy poet, but he is also a large animal veterinarian. We have several of his books--they are a good read--thought provoking, fun, hilarious, and true (although with some tongue-in-cheek).



Looking forward to a fun-filled afternoon. Maybe we'll see you there!

Life is Wonderful

This is going out to all the wonderful people in my life -- you know who you are. Thanks for making my life wonderful.





{Here is the Jason Mraz website} if you are interested. Jenny pointed out that he will be in concert in Spokane-- Sept 25th (If I remember correctly). Sounds fun!

Like, you might think this is cool, ya know?

I found this on another blog I frequent. It is amusing and true. I often find myself speaking in question marks, searching for another person's declarative words. I need to speak with conviction. (mouse over the block below and play)

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Baby Boogie

I don't know how many times I have watched this.
I about die laughing every time!
I am afraid, very afraid.