Compassion

The Compassion I'm talking about it not just LOVE, I'm talking about Love for Jesus, Love for helping the lives of children. I'm an avid follower and reader of two Moms, bloggers, who have taken or will be taking a trip with Compassion.... Jennifer and Kelly

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I've been living my life. The ups and downs in my marriage, the stress of finances, and the hope of a second child....it's all something I have to be thankful for!

We have not done a good job of raising Kainen up in a Christian household, nor have we made much of an effort. Recently, more or less, I've been singing hymns to K so he knows about God and the blessed life he has given us. I believe songs are the only way I can get through to K, he's not much of a book person..he won't let me read to him for more than a minute or to. However, he loves music. I remember taking him to the African Children's Choir performance at the church I was raised in, this past summer. Kainen loved the beat of the music and enjoyed watching the children dance around the stage. He was a little too excited, to a point where my grandmother had to take him out to the lobby so he can enjoy it, sing and dance all he wanted...without bothering the people around him. It was a great experience, for me and him.

I've made a new year's resolution, that I need to have a better relationship with God. Not only for my sake, but for my family's too. We are currently in search of a church in our area, one that has an excellent child program..because God knows Kainen does not do well in big church :-) He's all boy! I'm hoping that we will find the right church and get back on the right track!

Now, back to Compassion. I remember when I was growing up, when I thought of having children of my own, the only thing that came to mind was this "I'd like to save a life, then give life". I wish that our finances were good enough to where we could sponsor a child or "save a child" and adopt. Unfortunately, it's not working out that way, but I believe God has other plans for us. Compassion, however, gives you the opportunity to give a one time donation...and I think that's what I'll do! I encourage you to check out their website, sponsor a child if you can..maybe think about taking a trip with the group, or if you're unable financially..just make that one time donation, a little bit can go a long way!

Here's there website, http://www.compassion.com, where you can learn about their ministry and how to sponsor a child. Or even check out http://compassionbloggers.com/ to learn more about how you can become involved as a blogger!

Hilarious Outtakes @ i<3Faces

Have you ever tried taking a picture of your child, your family, or a friend and something just not come out right? Maybe your friend was picking something out of their teeth or a family member had their hairpiece a little offcenter & was in the middle of adjusting....or maybe your child was caught picking their nose.
Well, none of those examples I have yet to experience firsthand. :-)
I do have some other, rather hilarious (in my opinion) outtakes of my son that I can share!

We love to take visits to the zoo, and here K got a little startled by the howling monkies. I was aiming for a cute little smile & this is what I got!

K is always a big cheeser and in this picture I was trying to take advantage of him being a ham. Well, if you haven't noticed...that would be a toilet in the background :-) and my niece decided she wanted to flush it. So, in return I got this from K when he heard the flushing sound!

This is my all time favorite outtake of K. My sister let me borrow her new camera & once again I was aiming for a smile. Well, her camera has this fancy flash & he was totally not expecting such a bright light in his face. I laughed for a good five minutes after I saw the shot I got!

Make sure you head over to iHeartFaces & get yourself a good dose of laughter from all the other Hilarious Outtakes!

December?? Lookout!!

As fast as December approached, it feels like it's going by quickly already. There's lots of exciting plans that lie ahead. These should get me out of my weak state and in the mood for the holidays. I'm hoping to check out the Christmas parade this weekend. It's a tradition that I hope to continue, no matter where we live. I would like to take K to see the dinos at the State Museum on Sunday, mostly because it's the cheapest day to go. They have dollar days every first sunday of the month, so it's definitely worth it when you throw in the extra four dollars for the dinos. I'm hoping that K doesn't freak out, but even if he does it's not too much money wasted.
Then, next weekend is Christmas Keno with the girls..which I miss too much! I've already bought both the gifts, from Hobby Lobby :-) I love that place and I'm sure the girls who get the gifts will love them too. My niece's 6th birthday party is the next day and she's got a them this year... "Under the Big Top". Let me just mention something real quick...my niece has decided that instead of getting gifts this year, she's asked that each child bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. Her birthday actually falls on Christmas Eve, so she gets a ton of presents. Since she's not in need of many new things, she figured this would be a better solution. I am very proud of O and can't wait to celebrate her big day next weekend!
As soon as you know it..Christmas will be here and then New Year's day. I believe we're almost done shopping for K, we just need to get him his big ticket item and some stuff for his stocking. This year was so much easier than last. K has one thing he's interested in, and that's the Disney movie "Cars". It's been fun to shop because we know exactly what to get him. Plus I think it'll make opening presents even more fun, knowing that he'll be gasping with joy over all the Lightning McQueen items...I can't wait!
This year has gone by way too fast for me, but it's been a great year! I'm looking forward to starting a new year with my family and hoping 2009 goes out with a bang (a good one) and that 2010 will be just as great as this year.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has quickly approached us all and it's a time to give thanks to the people (and things) in our life. Each year, J and I head to mine or his family's house for a feast and time spent with each other. This year, we thought it was going to be different. It was supposed to be at our house, since it's our first year living apart from both families. Unfortunately, his parents made other plans and (me being the "cook" that I am) my parents decided it was best to come to them since she was cooking the meal.
I am thankful for my mother, for preparing our whole meal..even if it's just for the five of us. I'm thankful for the relationship we have...I'm very grateful for everything she has done and continues to do. I'm proud to call her my mother.
I'm thankful for my husband, who loves me unconditionally and takes such good care of me. I'm very, very thankful he chose me to be his wife and the mother of his children...I wouldn't have it any other way.
I am thankful for the healthy, little boy who calls me Momma. For seeing his handsome face every morning when I wake up and every evening when we lay to sleep. I'm thankful that I get to see him grow and learn and love. I'm thankful to be a mom.
I'm thankful for the family and friends I have. Even through all the ups and downs in mine and their life, they've been here for me and vice versa. I'm thankful for two beautiful sisters, my many grandparents, my fathers and mothers...aunts and uncles. Thank you for being my family. Thank you for being my friend. Without you, my life is not complete
And last, but most definitely not least....
I'm eternally grateful and thankful for my savior, Jesus Christ, who blessed me with these people that are in my life. Thank you!

And just to throw it in there, for a little humor :-) Here are some "materialistic" things I'm thankful for.

• for the invention of DVR, because being able to go back and have some me-time with my favorite shows is so nice after a day playing with K
• the roof over my head...having a place to call home is a blessing
• the clothes on my back, to keep me warm or cool with whatever the weather is
• cameras, so I can capture all those once in a lifetime shots of K and others
• for the food I eat to stay healthy and alive *even if some choices aren't so healthy ;)*
• for the celebrities who make movies, so my husband and I can have one of those few and far between dates. And for those movies that are made that you love and wish life could just be that easy or love could be so easy. I love movies

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! May your stuffing be tasty May your turkey be plump, May your potatoes and gravy Have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious And your pies take the prize, And may your Thanksgiving dinner Stay off of your thighs! :-)

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

Life...It makes you think!

Life is full of surprises, good and bad. I prefer the good surprises but only some can be so lucky. This past week, life definitely surprised me....and a couple of my friends, too. I'm a part of a playgroup where I live and the moms range anywhere from 21 years old to 38. Yesterday morning, we all recieved the news that one of the moms had suffered a heart attack and was in the hospital on a breathing tube. This woman, who turned 28 today, is a mother of three young children. It was an event that made us all think, She's so young and has so much life left. It definitely made me think, more about what happened if that was me. Have I lived my life to the fullest, of course not. Would I have died happy, most definitely. But there's so many things I want to do before I die.
A movie came out with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson a couple years ago called The Bucket List. It was a film about two men who write a list of things they want to do before they "kick the bucket". I think my list is fairly decent and within reach. Some may seem average and some may seem over the top. Others may seem as if they don't even belong on the list, but realistically it's everything I want to accomplish.

MY BUCKET LIST

1. Purchase a House
2. Complete our Family
3. Pay Off Debt
4. Go Skydiving
5. Go back to Australia
6. Go Back to Europe
7. Go away with my husband to Fiji & stay in a room with a glass floor
8. Have one professional photography shoot or sell my photos of nature
9. Run a marathon
10. Lose some money in Vegas...not alot, just some!
    
    
    This is just a rough draft. I have lots more to add, but so little time. I'll be back to add more and to check items off that have been completed. So stay tuned!
    
    ***As of this morning, the mom who had the heart attack was aware of her surroundings and alert...squeezing hands when asked. They were to take her off the ventilator tonight or tomorrow. No other news as of 11pm est 11-19*** Please keep her and her family in your prayers.***The mother is doing well, sees lots of doctor's now to try and avoid the same situation in the future. Please continue to pray for her!***

Playing Catch Up

It's been a very crazy but fun couple of days and last week was loaded with lots of fall activities and getaways. Kainen and I headed to Charleston last Wednesday for him to see the Imagination Movers, boy was that a fun show. He got to meet each one and even got their autographs. I wish you could've been there to see the smile on his face, the laughs in his belly and the shaking through his bones. My little boy was so happy when they came out that he literally shook with joy and laughter, it was the cutest thing! He had a blast and I enjoyed seeing him so happy!
While we were in Charleston, we had lots of fun things planned. We checked out their local hockey team play their season opener, and we won! GO RAYS! I miss hockey :-( Columbia no longer has a hockey team, so if we need a hockey fix...we have to head down to Charleston. And by golly...I will!! It's my hometown and I always need a reason to go back :-)
More exciting plans included heading out to the pumpkin patch and the park to play with our friend Sara. I picked Kainen up a fun pumpkin with a cool face and some crazy hair while we were there...and to this day, he calls it an apple. I keep telling him it's a pumpkin, but it seems as if he loves apples more. At the patch, we rode the hayride and were quite impressed with the decor. It was fun and Kainen had a blast there and afterwards at the park!
On our last day in Charleston, we went to the annual Children's day Festival. It's all free and packed with lots of fun things to do. We've gone 3 years now and I hope to make it a tradition, as long as it's still operating. Kainen rode a pony, got his face painted and rode a winding choo choo through the festival. It was a fun day and I can't wait for it again next year!
As exhausting as that week sounds, it technically wasn't over yet. I headed back home Sunday just to pack again and get back on the road to Boone, NC. My husband had orientation for work there and I'm so glad I tagged along. It's a very beautiful place and I hope we get to go back one day to visit some more. While Jason was busy, the kiddo and I set out on adventure...to Blowing Rock. It was a very pretty sight, surrounded by all the changing leaves and mountains in the distance. Kainen enjoyed his time climbing the rock and playing on the trails and I enjoyed my time with him on our little adventure in Boone!
As much as I keep telling myself it's Saturday...it just doesn't feel like it. I think being in Charleston and then in Boone, it just messed up my week...but in a good way. It still feels like mid week and I can't believe it's almost over. There wasn't so much planned this week, so I guess it was just slowing me down. However, my hubs and I took Kainen to our local pumpkin patch. Yes, that makes for two visits to a patch in less than 5 days :-) I wasn't too impressed with the photos I got at the Charleston patch, I needed a second chance. It was nice that we did it as a family too, it seems as if Jason misses out on a lot with the hours he works. We had fun going through the cornmaze, picking a pumpkin, going on a hayride and playing in the playground and tree farm.
So, it's been crazy here and that's why I haven't been here to blog. I'm going to blog a post for each outing full of pictures :-) I love sharing!

I'm So Excited @ iHeartFaces

This week over at the theme is Excited!

This picture of Kainen shows his personality, it shines with fun and laughter.

He's one silly, little boy.

It was taken at the zoo, in a walkthrough that houses monkies and other furry creatures.

Let me tell you, this kid loves him some monkies :-)

You can just see the excitement on his face..

I only wish you could've heard it!

I'm beyond excited to share this photo with everyone.

It is one of my favorite pictures of my little, silly boy!

I love him to pieces <3

Make sure you excitedly hop on over the iHeartFaces and check out all the other entries!