ChickyMomma

Days 49-50/365

2010-03-12T11:22:00.002-05:00

I just cannot seem to stay caught up on blogging. With so much going on, I keep getting behind. I didn't take a single picture yesterday. So here are the pics from Tuesday and Wednesday.

Day 45-48

2010-03-08T17:44:00.003-05:00

I got behind on my posts because of a really busy weekend! But here are the photos from the last four days:
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Day 44/365

2010-03-04T19:37:00.001-05:00

The sweetest little tappin' toes ever!

Day 43/365

2010-03-03T18:16:00.003-05:00

Books are one of my loves, especially old books. I found this 1902 nursing book on ebay. It is so beautiful. It is even signed by its original owner, Mrs. G.A. Cooley on February 1, 1903. I wonder what Mrs. Cooley was like. Was she a nurse like me? Or did she buy the book to help her take care of her own family? It amazes me how far nursing has come in the last 100 years.

Day 42/365

2010-03-02T15:52:00.002-05:00

Another snowy day in Maggie Valley...

Day 41/365

2010-03-01T21:12:00.002-05:00

We played "Life" for the first time as a family tonight. It was so much fun! Emma was so excited to have all those little babies. Anna won by over a million dollars!! Beginner's luck! :)

Day 38, 39, 40/365

2010-02-28T14:03:00.002-05:00

These are some pics from this weekend!

Day 37/365

2010-02-25T17:35:00.002-05:00

My girl taught herself to cast on and knit today just by watching me! I am so proud of her!!

Day 36/365

2010-02-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

I am really knitting!! I know it's far from perfect, but I am knitting and purling away!!

Day 35/365

2010-02-23T20:32:00.004-05:00

My friend, Vicki, taught me to knit today. I ran right out and bought some beautiful yarn! I am so excited!!

Day 34/365

2010-02-22T18:51:00.001-05:00

My skater chick enjoyed the sunshine today!

Day 33/365

2010-02-21T18:31:00.001-05:00

I am crafting!!! Love this fabric I picked up yesterday!

Day 32/365

2010-02-20T15:56:00.003-05:00

This is the beautiful pitcher I found yesterday while out antiquing with my BFF! I love it!

Day 31/365

2010-02-19T19:48:00.003-05:00

Today Selena and I had our first (of many, hopefully) antiquing trips! It was so fun! I love old bottles!!

Day 30/365

2010-02-18T12:33:00.002-05:00

With three daughters, I do a lot of nails. I love little pink toenails!!

Day 29/365

2010-02-17T16:39:00.000-05:00

This is my oldest daughter! She is so beautiful!!

Day 28/365

2010-02-16T20:16:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love Nutella. So imagine my delight when I saw a huge 26.5 oz jar at the grocery store!!! This is exciting stuff!

Day 27/365

2010-02-15T17:39:00.002-05:00

My sweet snowman bird feeder

Day 26/365

2010-02-14T19:15:00.002-05:00

HaPpY VaLeNtInE's DaY!!!!

Day 25/365

2010-02-13T12:25:00.004-05:00

This is the view up our road. I am longing to take pictures of flowers, green grass, and sunshine.

Day 24/365

2010-02-12T18:55:00.002-05:00

My wild child riding a motorcycle at Fun Depot!

Day 23/365

2010-02-11T14:55:00.001-05:00

This is Nellie, the other half of our goat girl duo. She is as sweet and friendly as her sister!!

Day 22/365

2010-02-10T13:52:00.001-05:00

This is one of our sweet goats, Lucy. She and her sister, Nellie, are so precious! We love having goats as pets! We hope to breed them next year so we can have goat milk!

Day 21/365

2010-02-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

Poor little thing...Just watching and waiting on more snow! :)

Day 20/365

2010-02-08T14:12:00.003-05:00

This is one of my sweetie's standing in our living room right by the window. I kinda like the catchlights created in her eyes, by the window. She does have some amazing eyes!!

Day 19/365

2010-02-07T19:39:00.000-05:00

Emma and I are having a SuperNot party!!! This is one of our snacks.

Day 18/365

2010-02-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

These are a few of my favorite things!

Day 17/365

2010-02-05T11:46:00.000-05:00

We got a lot of ice last night!

Day 16/365

2010-02-04T16:00:00.003-05:00

Anna got this really cool fashion design kit for Christmas from my sister-in-law. It's kind of a new spin on paperdolls. Anna loves it!! She has all her stuff spread on out on the floor today.

Day 15/365

2010-02-03T22:09:00.000-05:00

Emma's pink Chucks. <3 them!!

Day 14/365

2010-02-02T12:33:00.001-05:00

My oldest daughter, Anna, is reading The Littles aloud to her little sisters. I love being a mommy!!!

Day 13/365

2010-02-01T12:42:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite birdhouse. It is hanging on a tree in my front yard. The funny thing is that no bird dares to build a nest in it because my cat is so fierce. LOL

Day 12/365

2010-01-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

This is the view from my porch. After days of dark skies and snow, this beautiful blue sky came out today! I love it!!

Day 11/365

2010-01-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

This beauty is hanging from my house today.

Day 10/365

2010-01-29T12:09:00.002-05:00

This is our wild, sweet, adorable, crazy kitten named Polly. She loves to sit on the table and watch us do school. And this is the way she looks at me all the time. I can't figure out if she is admiring me or plotting on me. LOL

Day 9/365

2010-01-28T15:13:00.005-05:00

This is so much fun!! I am having a lot of fun playing with Photoshop Elements; something I'm not always comfortable with when I am editing photos for clients. I love the actions at Coffeeshop. They are easy to use, beautiful, and free!

For this picture of my sweet angel, I used the Pink Glow action with the pink B&W option. I love the effect!!

Day 8/365

2010-01-27T16:28:00.001-05:00

I did my first maternity shoot today! Here is a sneak peek at one of my favorite shots.

Day 7/365 New business cards!!

2010-01-26T15:04:00.002-05:00

I am so excited about my new business cards! I was so blessed to have Kim from madilu design a custom marketing set for me. She is so talented. The set is absolutely amazing!!

This is the front:

This is the back:

They are so beautiful! I can't wait to order more marketing materials!

Day 6/365

2010-01-25T19:41:00.003-05:00

This is my favorite boy, Odie. He is a border collie mix, and we adopted him last summer from SARGE's animal resuce. He is the very best dog I have ever known. He loves to sit on the porch and guard the house. But he also loves to cuddle!

Day 5/365

2010-01-25T08:27:00.001-05:00

I couldn't post this yesterday because our power was out! I cranked up my camera's ISO and took a picture of the only well lit thing in the room-the candle. LOL

I kinda like it.

4/365

2010-01-23T13:12:00.003-05:00

Can you tell she is ready for summer??? She has spent the morning in her bathing suit, "swimming" in the living room floor!

Day 3/365

2010-01-22T14:37:00.002-05:00

My girls were in the floor playing with their My Little Pony horses, and I got this pic. I remember playing with My Little Ponies when I was a little girl. They bring back a lot of memories.

Day 2/365

2010-01-21T14:14:00.001-05:00

I love this picture!! This is my oldest daughter, Anna, and her kittypet, Oliver. They are two peas in a pod. She keeps saying he wants to be a "warrior". :)

365 Challenge

2010-01-20T22:00:00.005-05:00

I have been feeling the winter blues. I haven't been inspired to be creative or take pics at all. Thanks to my dear friend, Heather, I am changing that. I am going to do the 365 challenge. Of course, you are supposed to start at the beginning of the year, but I like to do my own thing (and plus I just decided to do it today!). This is a photograph of my brother's cat, Beauford. He was sitting up on the counter, and I know he was thinking about pouncing on my camera. I love cats!!

~In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this. Terry Pratchett~

iheartfaces "Pink" Week!

2009-10-19T10:13:00.004-04:00

What girl doesn't love pink?? I know I do! This picture of my oldest daughter was made at Haywood Community College. Isn't she beautiful?!?!

We use the color pink to represent hope and courage in the battle against breast cancer. This month, make sure you do your self breast exam, get a mammogram, and tell someone you love to do the same!

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. ~Maori Proverb

iheartfaces Completely Candid Challenge

2009-09-21T21:02:00.004-04:00

This week the challenge at iheartfaces is "Completely Candid". I LOVE this picture of my father in law reading to Cora.

From Drop Box

A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart. ~Author Unknown

i<3Faces "Contemplative" Challenge

2009-09-14T17:44:00.016-04:00

This week's theme at i<3Faces is "contemplative". The entries for this one are especially amazing! It is interesting to see the faces and imagine what they are thinking! Here is my entry:

From Drop Box

In this picture, Cora is seriously contemplating a dirt pile she was working in. I love how serious she looks and how her eyelashes brush her cheeks.

i<3Faces Jewelry Giveaway

2009-09-09T10:22:00.002-04:00

This is exciting!! Over at I<3Faces they are having a jewelry give-away. Today was the first time I had seen the jewelry at The Vintage Pearl, and it is absolutely beautiful!! Check out the contest here http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/2009/09/vintage-pearl-jewelry-giveaway.html

My first real attempt at editing...

2009-09-02T19:03:00.000-04:00

I downloaded Picasa (a FREE photo editing program from Google) a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't really played with it much. Lately, I've been looking at a lot of photography blogs, and I've seen that I really need to learn to edit my photography. So I played with it a bit today. I would love to have your opinions on what I could do better or differently!

Here is the before:

Here is the after:

i <3 Faces "Before and After"

2009-09-01T15:20:00.001-04:00

This week's i<3faces photography challenge is "Before and After". I got my DSLR, a Nikon d40, last fall, and I've learned a lot since then. I've learned to turn off the flash whenever possible, to get in close to my subjects, and to pay attention to backgrounds! Another really important thing I've learned not to do is "pose" my girls; sometimes the best photos are the ones that I make when they aren't looking at the camera! I am still not really doing any editing, but maybe that will come next.

Before:

After:

Nostalgia

2009-08-25T09:40:00.001-04:00

This week's theme is "nostalgia". I took this photo at a church picnic this summer. This beautiful woman is one of dearest friend's grandmother. Miss Georgia just turned 90. She is such a remarkable woman, and I feel very blessed to know her!!

Thematic photography Assignment

2009-08-13T17:21:00.000-04:00

I missed a week, but I'm back this week. :) This week's assignment is "Abandoned". When I read about the theme, I knew that I had my subject. This abandoned little garden cherub always makes me sad. I was going to post it in black and white, but there is something really wrenching about those piercing blue eyes.

Another photography challenge!

2009-07-20T23:07:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Heather, for showing me another photography challenge. This one comes from www.iheartfaces.com This week's contest is Feet! Here is a cute one I made of Emma's sweet feet last fall!

Thematic Photography

2009-07-20T14:38:00.001-04:00

I am trying something new! I am going to start doing the assignments posted here on Thematic Photography. Lately I haven't been inspired in my photography, and I think this is just what I need!!

This week's assignment is ODD! I don't think you can get any more odd than a goat on a bench. LOL!

Workboxes!

2009-04-14T11:23:00.000-04:00

We are using a modified workbox system from www.workboxsystem.com. We haven't actually bought the clear boxes and carts yet because I wanted to make sure that the system would work for us. Instead we had everybody we know collecting cereal boxes for us, and we decorated those. They have worked ok for short term, but I can tell we need to get something sturdier. We only have six weeks of school left, so for next year, we will be upgrading to carts and clear boxes like Sue Patrick recommends. Using this system has really blessed our homeschool. We are adding more fun to our days instead of just "getting it done". The girls are taking the initiative to get their work done, so they can play games and do more arts and crafts. I cannot recommend it enough!!

A few of Emma's workboxes

And some of Anna's workboxes

This is Anna's cat Oliver. He loves to lie on the school stuff. :)

Davey Week 6!

2009-03-25T11:15:00.001-04:00

Davey is so cute!! He has long back legs, and today you can just barely see his front leg buds. Our entire family has enjoyed watching him change so much!!

2009-03-22T13:13:00.001-04:00

Do you ever feel like a worm? I do! Some days I really get down because I'm not skinny or beautiful or rich. My children are not perfect angels. I haven't baked a pie in a very long time. Some nights I don't even cook dinner, and, more often than I should, I go through McDonald's drive-thru. I am often plagued by anxiety and I have nightmares and fears. My house is often a mess, and I never fold socks. That's right--I have a huge basket that is the "sock basket". If you are looking for a pair of socks, you have to dig through the sock basket (that's one reason I love summer-flip flop weather!!).

But I digress. Anyway, I am a mess. I know it, and those that love me know it, and they love me anyway. But, the best news is that God isn't finished with me yet! He has a plan for me and for you!! I am already a new creature in the Lord, but one day I will be perfect. That's what His plan is. Just like our painted lady chrysalises that are becoming new creatures. They might look like they are just hanging around, but a miracle is taking place!! God isn't finished with them yet! So in the meantime, I am going to keep praying, keep loving, and keep looking for the Lord. I am going to live in that peace that surpasses all understanding.

Here are four these little miracles:

Caterpillars, and Chrysalises, and Butterflies, oh my!

2009-03-13T14:45:00.000-04:00

Emma is learning about Butterflies this week in school! We have been reading about different kinds of butterflies and the life cycle of butterflies. Today Emma made a life cycle chart for school.

Here she is working very hard writing the names of the different stages!

This is her finished life cycle chart! She did such a great job!

And here are our very own Painted Lady caterpillars. We get them every year from www.insectlore.com. It is one of the highlights of our year and great spring kick-off project!

Davey has legs!

2009-03-12T17:00:00.000-04:00

I can't get a good picture of Davey because he keeps swimming away from the camera. But he has back legs!! Emma discovered them yesterday morning. They are so cute! I will try and get some pics soon!

Davey Week 2!

2009-02-23T18:14:00.000-05:00

Davey is growing! We put him in his new aquarium today, and he is staying busy. We are really enjoying watching him grow, eat, and breathe. The girls are thrilled and can't wait until we have a new little frog!

Tadpole...take 2!

2009-02-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

I didn't post when it happened, but the day after the first Davey arrived, he died. :(

But, yesterday, we received Davey Jr. And he is a junior! He is half the size of the first tadpole. He is a cutie! I will post every week to let you know how he is growing!

The tadpole arrives!

2009-01-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

We've been waiting! The tadpole arrived today for our aquatic habitat. His name is Davey (named by Anna after David Archuleta). We are super excited and can't wait to watch metamorphosis! I will update weekly so you can watch his change with us. If you want your own tadpole check out www.growafrog.com

Davey

The Little Things...

2009-01-13T17:48:00.000-05:00

~Sisters are different flowers from the same garden. Author Unknown~

What a blessing it is to see my daughters together. They love, they fight, they laugh, they cry. All within 5 minutes. And in this picture I caught them trying to listen in to a conversation they weren't supposed to be hearing. So they conspire together too. But seriously, I am in awe of their relationship. It is a beautiful thing!

~Resolutions~

2009-01-05T14:56:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. Time for resolutions. Here are mine for the year:

1. Be thankful. Always. For everything!

2. Learn more about photography and my new camera. I just bought a field guide specifically about my camera, so I have a good start!

3. Go on more dates with my sweetie. We only went on one date in all of 2008, and that was for our 10th anniversary. We will spend more time together--just the two of us.

4. Enjoy more nature study with the girls. I will be honest, I am not a big time nature girl. I would rather curl up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. But they love nature, and I am thankful for the beautiful world God has given us. So we will explore it more.

5. Read good books! I read a lot anyway, but this year I am going to read only good books. If I read a few chapters, and hate it, I will not feel guilty about putting it aside and picking up something else. I am also going to read some of the classics that I skipped in high school.

Wow! That should keep me busy.

Any my word for 2009 is ENJOY! I will enjoy my husband, my children, my home, my life. I will always take the time to smile, laugh, and have fun! I will embrace one of my favorite quotes from Emily Dickinson: To live is so starling it leaves little time for anything else.

Irrational

2008-11-03T13:37:00.001-05:00

I am a pretty rational and brave person, I think. I love to fly on airplanes, have never turned down a roller coaster, and blood doesn't even make me flinch. I have 3 children, for goodness sake. But there is one thing that will put fear into my heart faster than a dog comes running when you open a pack of bologna. As soon as I see the brightly colored top, or smell the distinct smell, I am done for. I don't care that it can be shaped into anything, or that it can entertain a child for hours. I don't care that it is cheap and has been around for years. I wished the person who had invented it...well, hadn't.

I HATE PLAYDOH!!!! I admit it. I would rather my children had an expresso or an entire craft store of acrylic paint. And guess what? Some nice grandmother-type-person gave them little tubs of play-doh on Halloween. Why, oh why, didn't they just get another dum-dum or hershey's bar? At least I could eat those. But no, I now have play-doh all over my house. I swear that stuff multiplies. Who knew a little half ounce tub of colored clay could conjure up such emotion. I am waiting for them to go to bed so it can mysteriously disappear. BBBWWWAAAAA!!!

Rainforest!

2008-10-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

We are having a blast with My Father's World curriculum this year. Emma is using the kindergarten level, and Anna is doing Exploring Countries and Cultures (ECC). These past 3 weeks we have studied Brazil and the rainforest. We decided to do a rainforest box. Here is a picture of the box. As we looked at National Geographic magazines for pics to cut out, Anna's only requirement was "no naked people". HaHa!!

All About Spelling

2008-09-12T18:03:00.000-04:00

Finally!!! A spelling program that really works! It is possible.

At the end of last year, I knew we needed a better spelling program. Even before the standardized test at the end of the year, I knew Anna was weak in spelling. She is an excellent reader and very creative, but was still misspelling words like "girl". I have never had trouble spelling, but a lot of people in my family, and some of my very close friends, really struggle with spelling. I do not want that for my girls. So I asked some of the gals over at FIAR (www.fiveinarow.com) and The Well Trained Mind, and I was bombarded with recommendations for All About Spelling. I looked at it and, to tell you the truth, I was put off by the price a little. But I bit the bullet and ordered it. Oh man, am I glad I did!! It has been a blessing. Anna has progressed by leaps and bounds already in 6 short weeks of school. It is not just teaching her a list of words, but it really teaches how to spell. And it doesn't matter what kind of learner your child is. All About Spelling teaches using a fabulous multi-sensory approach. With built in review and a pick-up-and-go teacher's manual, it is all I could have wished for. Best of all, my daughter looks forward to spelling!! Click here for more information.

THE ONE

2008-07-18T17:59:00.000-04:00

This is going to be really honest and really hard to write. But I need to get it out there. I have the worst feeling that I am disappointing God. I don't talk to Him enough, read His word enough, or give Him enough glory. I wonder how I would feel if I really want to talk to one of my children and be with them, and they kept ignoring me. Or just calling me for a minute and then saying, "Oh, I gotta go. Someone else is calling me." I can't imagine the heartbreak. And I know God loves me more than I love my daughters.

Of course, I have all the best excuses: I don't have time, I'm too tired, I just need to make this one phone call, I just have to email so-and-so. Well starting today, those excuses are not good enough.

I am making a commitment to spend time with THE ONE who gives me time. THE ONE who blessed me with the children that make me too busy and too tired. THE ONE who loves me so much that He sent His precious son to die an ugly, painful, beautiful death so that I can have eternal life. THE ONE who promises me "Through His mercy, I will not be consumed, His compassion will not fail and is new every morning. And that His faithfulness is great." (Lamentations 3:22-23) THE ONE who is my rock and my strength. THE ONE who always has time for me.

I have been tagged for a meme!

2008-06-22T00:32:00.000-04:00

This is something new to me! Sarah at www.wakingsophie.blogspot.com, one of my FIAR friends, tagged me to do a "meme".

The rules are: You have to link the tagger, list the rules, share 7 weird tidbits about yourself, and tag 7 other bloggers. So here goes:

7 weird things about myself:

1--I have never been out of my timezone (Eastern) and until this past May, I had never been on an airplane.

2--I tried very hard to learn to knit a couple of years ago, but I failed miserably. Just ask my friend Kindra who tried to teach me. LOL!

3--I have no idea how to work an ipod, a Wii, or a nintendo ds. I probably couldn't even tell them apart if I tried.

4--I have the coolest tattoo. Ok, that may not be really weird, but I had to throw that in there!

5--I have an irrational fear of spiders. If I see one in my house, and Patrick isn't home, I have to ask my 7 year old to come get it. Stop laughing!!

6--I love old buildings and history. I get a weird, spiritual feeling when I am in a historical place like a building or a battlefield.

7--I practice extended breastfeeding, love our family bed, homeschool my kids, and absolutely adore my husband. May not sound weird to some of you, but most of my family thinks I am nuts!! HeeHee!!

I am tagging:
www.luv2praisehim.blogspot.com
www.knit3purl1.blogspot.com
www.shaunarumbling.blogspot.com
www.wordygirl-itsawonderfullife.blogspot.com
www.deleise.blogspot.com
www.stephanie-thingsfallapart.blogspot.com
www.heatherpreckel.typepad.com

Letters to my daughters:

2008-06-11T12:06:00.001-04:00

I am feeling sentimental...

Anna,

To my independent, strong willed, no-nonsense daughter. You amaze me every day as I watch you grow. I am in awe of your spunk, your zest for life, and your love for all creatures great and small. Our late night talks and early morning snuggles are some of my greatest moments. Thank you for making me a mommy. I love you more than the sun shines.

Emma,

To my love bug. How can anyone be in your presence and not smile?? You always have a song in your heart and a dance in your step. I have never met a more loving child. Your life is a joy to watch and a treasure to my heart. Thank you for always being quick to forgive and forget. You have taught me so much. I love you more than the stars twinkle.

Cora,

To my baby. You keep me on my toes. I watch you follow your sisters and then make your own path. You see something you want and go for it. I hope you never stop doing that. You don't know it now, but when you were born, a hole in my heart was filled. Thank you for being my cuddly baby. I love you more than the moon glows.

A visitor!

2008-05-29T19:49:00.000-04:00

This little guy was on our porch this evening. The girls loved him. Actually Anna assured me it was a female because it had a light colored throat. Anyway, it was so adorable!!

Oh, rats!

2008-04-24T19:07:00.000-04:00

For the past several weeks Anna and Emma have been begging for a pet rat. So on Tuesday we headed over to Petsmart and adopted 2 baby girl rats. Their names are Marly and Carly and they are AdOrAbLe!! I am amazed at their sweet and friendly personalities. Now we are up to 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rats, and a saltwater fish aquarium. Plus 3 daughters and a husband. Now wonder I am tired. LOL! ;)

Here they are:

Carly

Marly

Field Trip!!

2008-04-23T10:30:00.000-04:00

We just took another field trip to Balsam Mountain Preserve in beautiful Jackson County, NC for a wildflower walk. We saw about 13 different wildflowers.

The kids had a great time with Miss Blair as always.

Trillium

Wild geranium

I feel so blessed to live in an area where we can see sights like this everyday! You can see more about Balsam Mountain Preserve here

I stink at blogging!

2008-04-03T18:52:00.000-04:00

I was never good at keeping a journal. I remember I had a diary in the 7th grade. The only thing I ever wrote about was the cute guys and then my first kiss, which completely horrified me, BTW. I am going to be better about keeping this blog up to date. And I promise not to write about cute guys or kisses. Just cute little girls and my days as a chickymomma.

I thought I would post a picture of us from Easter. It was such a beautiful day to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord! And I think we look pretty darn good too! I think my sweetie was especially handsome. I know I promised not to write about cute guys. :)

Legacy 2008

2007-12-27T17:38:00.001-05:00

Very soon it will 2008 here in Maggie Valley, NC. I am looking forward to a new year, as I do every year. But this year I am starting a little different. Instead of making a resolution to lose weight, eat more veggies, or keep in touch with old friends better, I am going to take some advice from a friend on the Five in a Boards that I frequent. Jackie suggested we each choose a word for 2008. My word is legacy. I am going to focus on the legacy I am leaving to my daughters. I have been thinking about this for a while now, ever since the precious Ruth Graham passed away and I heard the speeches her children gave at her memorial. Oh, how they adored their mother. She taught them so much about motherly love and grace. I have been thinking what people, particularly my daughters, will say when I die. I know it may sounds morbid, but I am not trying to be morbid. Of course, I don't want to die right now, but I am certainly not afraid of dying. I am afraid of not leaving my loved ones with the absolute certainty that I love Jesus and them. That people are more important than things. That I am who I am because God chose to sacrifice his son for me. That I am nothing without Jesus. And I want them to know that my life has meaning because God has been so good to me and given me so many people to love. That is what I want my legacy to be. And I want them to know a few more things.

I want to be like Jesus in everything I do. I want to love the unlovable. I want to take up my cross every day and honor God in my every word and action. I want people to see me and know that I love Jesus. I want there never to be a doubt as to who I serve.

I want my husband to know how much he means to me. I want him to be left every day with the knowledge that I recognize and appreciate every hour he puts in at work, every bath he gives the girls, every burger he grills. I want him to know that after all these years, his smile and his touch still warm my heart. I want him to never doubt he is the love of my life.

I want my daughters to know they are my heart. I want them to know they are more important than my cell phone, my computer, and whatever book I am reading. I want to read to them and laugh with them every day. I want them to know I love playing with them. I want them to know that all I ever dreamed about when I was a child was being a mother. That they have made my dream come true.

I want my parents and my brothers and 2 sisters-in-law to know they are so very important to me. That when I spend time with them, they bring me such joy. I also want the members of my family who don't always bring me joy, to know that I love them. I want to know that I love them and that God made us all different for a reason. I want to appreciate the differences.

I want my best girlfriends to know that I am thankful for them. They have been there for me through good and bad, and I never want them to doubt my gratefulness for the part they play in my life.

I want the patients I take care of to know that I get so much joy from being their nurse. I want them to never doubt I truly care about them and their baby.

I want to treat every stranger that I encounter as a beloved child of a King. Even if they don't know it, God loves them. I can help them know how important they are.

It sounds like a cliche, but the truth is, we never know if our next breath will be at the foot of God. I want to leave a legacy that brings glory to God. I want the people I love to know how much. I want no regrets. That may sounds like too much, but I have never done things the easy way, so why start now?!?! Like my favorite song "Legacy" by Nicole C Nordeman says "I want to leave a legacy, how will they remember me? A child of mercy and grace, who blessed Your name, unapologetically. I want to leave a legacy."

My tattoo

2007-12-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

I got a tattoo for my 30th birthday. It is so beautiful. I wanted to post a picture of it and tell its story. Each of the birds represent my daughters. The egg represents my baby in heaven. The magnolia represents strength. I love my tattoo!!

I am blogging!

2007-12-24T12:58:00.000-05:00

Finally! I am so excited! A big thank you to Stephanie for helping make my blog beautiful!