Thursday Thoughts

Right now, my thoughts all involve bluebonnets. I adore living in Texas, especially since everyone and their dog (literally) wants pictures in the bluebonnets.... I have regular honkers.... like, people that see me in the same place on the side of the road almost daily and honk, smile, and wave as they drive by. It's great for business! I am coming up with some new marketing ideas, a really SUPER COOL kids 'series' that is going to be appealing to parents, as well as children and will create some amazing pictures! Now, off to edit some more...

Tuesday Ten

I am done being fat. I want to comfortably go into my closet, put something on and not try to look at myself in the mirror from 10 different angles to see if my shirt is clinging to my fat rolls or my butt is as wide as a semi... I am just done! I started my new lifestyle today... notice I said new lifestyle, not diet. Eat less, move more, be aware. Below are the ten things I am doing to make this goal a reality.

10. walk at least 3 nights a week

9. NOT eat past 8pm

8. set short term, realistic goals

7. drink lots of water

6. NO sodas during the week

5. chew gum if I feel hungry

4. three meals a day, 3 small snacks a day

3. NOT eat in front of the tv

2. use friends as support

1. take pictures of everything I eat/ keep a food journal

What do you think???

Manic Monday

No Soccer this past weekend due to Easter :)

Sunday:
Stacey- OFF
Charly- OFF

Monday:
Stacey-OFF
Charly- Brookwood
Ryan- 5:00, Sandstone

Tuesday:
Stacey- 8:30- 5:30
Andrew- 4:45, Sandstone

Wednesday:
Stacey- 9:30-6
Charly- Witte, 3:45, home
Morgan, 6:45, BBS
Ryan- 5:00,SWVAC
Grace- 5:15, Sandstone

Thursday:
Stacey- 11:30-8:30
Charly- Reed, BBS, 6:45
Andrew- 4:45, Sandstone
Grace- 5:15, Sandstone

Friday:
Stacey- 9:15-6:30
Charly- Theis, BBS, 6:45

Saturday:
Stacey- 12:30-8:30
Charly- J. Smith, BBS, 7:30am
Grace- 9:00, SWVAC
Ryan- 10:15, SWVAC
Andrew- 10:30, VP
Lucas- 4:00, Aggie soccer

Sunday Sweet- bluenonnets

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Saturday Songbook

I don't care who you are, you are LYING if you say this isn't one tasty piece of man candy.... I LOVE me some George Strait and, all kidding aside, really adore his music. He isn't a writer, that's just not where his talents lie, but he is an ordinary person (yes, I know this from personal experience, thankyouverymuch) with an extraordinary voice and I smile the second I hear his song come on the radio.

I Saw God Today

George Strait

I just walked down the street to the coffee shop
had to take a break
I'd been by her side for eighteen hours straight
I saw a flower growing in the middle of the sidewalk
pushing up through the concrete
like it was planted right there for me to see
the flashin' lights, the honkin' horns
all seemed to fade away
in the shadow of that hospital at 5:08
I saw God today

I've been to church
I've read the book
I know He's here, but I don't look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I'd just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

I saw a couple walking by they were holding hands
Man, she had that glow
yeah I couldn't help but notice she was starting to show
I stood there for a minute takin' in the sky
lost in that sunset
a splash of amber melted in the shades of red

Chorus

I got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She's sleeping like a rock
My name on her wrist wearing tiny pink socks
She's got my nose, she's got her mama's eyes
My brand new baby girl
She's a miracle
I saw God today

Family Friday

My boys are out frogging right now... together. They are 8 and 9 years old.

I had 4 kids in 5 1/2 years.

That was God's plan, not mine, however I am seeing now that this is the perfect little family for our lives. My kids have friends in their siblings and prefer to be together. The WORST thing I can do to any of my children is isolate them from their brothers/ sister. They are so incredibly close.... all of them, different combinations, different ways.

Grace is at a sleepover tonight. The dynamics around here are totally different and as we sat down to dinner out on the back porch, no one said it, but we missed her. It's not the same without all my ducks, but I think it's interesting that the other kids noticed it too. Lucas doesn't know where to sleep tonight, because every non-school night Grace makes him a bed on her floor and they play house until they crash. I love that my kids love each other.

This particular subject popped into my mind after an hour long phone conversation I had today with one of my brothers. I hung up, after he filled me in on his life, school, son, etc. and thought 'I hope my kids do this with each other'... I hope they grow up to mean as much to each other as they do now.

That is my job as a parent... to bond them together, teach them to love and respect one another and yes, there are times they want to rip each others heads off, but I am quick to remind them that I had much younger brothers and that was it... I had NO ONE with shared interests and even to this day, there are sibs I can go MONTHS without seeing or talking to. I am responsible for making sure that isn't the case with my kids. It is my job and I take it very seriously.

This post is brought to you by the letter 'R' for RANDOM RAMBLINGS!

Thursday Thoughts

Perfectionist

I would venture to say that this word has never been used in a sentence with my name... EVER. I am the exact opposite of this... a non-perfectionist, one might call me. This almost drove my mother to drinking when she was trying to teach me to quilt. Let's just say, my corners didn't meet up and the rotary cutter was NOT my friend, especially when it came to triangles.

I admire perfectionists, I do. I have them in my class every year and marvel at their determination. I just don't feel the need to be 'perfect.' Maybe it's because I don't like to set unattainable goals. I will NEVER be perfect, so I won't try to be. My children, house, husband, car, classroom, etc. will never be perfect, so why try to kill myself trying to make it so?

College was my major exception. Someone once told me that I couldn't do it. I saw that as a challenge and aside from a few minor blips (*cough* Dr. Kaplan's reading 411 *cough*) college was, indeed, pretty close to perfect.

I am starting to see that 'college' mentality with my photography. I am so far from perfect when it comes to my pictures, I can't even see where perfect would begin if it one day decided to just be mediocre. But I want to be... I want to take classes, I want a mentor, I want more lessons on lighting, software, composition.... I just don't know where to go.

Do you know how frustrating it is to want to improve yourself, but not knowing how to go about doing it?