so...i had to share :)
click on the image to enlarge...
we have a tree
yes! i got to develop my negatives last night & my negs of my TREE came out perfectly!! i think they look a little dark, but the teacher says "better too dark than too light", so i guess i did a good job. now i just have to make prints {i have to turn in 2 of my best prints}. i also need to redo my photogram because i am not really liking the ones i started. i may have to go to photo lab on Saturday because my projects are due on Monday after lab! yikes!! that boo boo really set me back, but i think i'm going to be alright. ;)
i can't wait to show you my print!!!
i cannot believe today is the very last day of January. this month has really flown by! tim says the months fly by when you go to school and i think he's right.
today haylee took in some money for a book fair they are having at school. it's so funny...it seems like everytime you turn around they're sending something home asking for money. :) at least i don't mind giving since it's helping haylee out! she went to see the books at the fair yesterday and they had this Hannah Montana book she is dying to have! she was quick to tell me yesterday when i picked her up that she needs money for that book fair! too funny!! so hopefully between the trip to TLC and school she will get her money to her teacher. you never know at this age, LOL. she also has completed Sight Words chart #10! so she only has 2 more sets to go (hopefully we can turn them both in next week!) and she's complete.
haylee's teacher emailed me {when i talked to her about Child of the Week - see haylee's blog} and said she thinks haylee will be the FIRST GIRL to complete all of her sight words in her Kindergarten class. this made my day!! she is really doing better in reading than i expected her to! maybe all those months of reading to my pregnant belly & reading her books for the past 5 years has paid off. ;) yay! i hope she loves to read when she's older too, i know i do {when i get the time that is}. i'm so proud of her.
well this weekend i might get my haircut! it's been awhile {last time i blogged about it was the last haircut!} and my hair is SO long right now. it's the longest it's been probably since high school, LOL! i don't really like it this long...not my fav style. so hopefully i will take the time & get it done, i'll post a pic. :) i wanted to go to photo lab on Sat AND i NEED to clean my house and haylee has vocal class {tim might take her to this}. whew getting tired just thinking of it all! on Sunday i believe we're going to Mark & Kathy's for Super Bowl Sunday...woot woot! :)
okie dokie, gotta get off of here & actually do some work!
have a great Thursday everyone...
Mel
i can't wait to show you my print!!!
i cannot believe today is the very last day of January. this month has really flown by! tim says the months fly by when you go to school and i think he's right.
today haylee took in some money for a book fair they are having at school. it's so funny...it seems like everytime you turn around they're sending something home asking for money. :) at least i don't mind giving since it's helping haylee out! she went to see the books at the fair yesterday and they had this Hannah Montana book she is dying to have! she was quick to tell me yesterday when i picked her up that she needs money for that book fair! too funny!! so hopefully between the trip to TLC and school she will get her money to her teacher. you never know at this age, LOL. she also has completed Sight Words chart #10! so she only has 2 more sets to go (hopefully we can turn them both in next week!) and she's complete.
haylee's teacher emailed me {when i talked to her about Child of the Week - see haylee's blog} and said she thinks haylee will be the FIRST GIRL to complete all of her sight words in her Kindergarten class. this made my day!! she is really doing better in reading than i expected her to! maybe all those months of reading to my pregnant belly & reading her books for the past 5 years has paid off. ;) yay! i hope she loves to read when she's older too, i know i do {when i get the time that is}. i'm so proud of her.
well this weekend i might get my haircut! it's been awhile {last time i blogged about it was the last haircut!} and my hair is SO long right now. it's the longest it's been probably since high school, LOL! i don't really like it this long...not my fav style. so hopefully i will take the time & get it done, i'll post a pic. :) i wanted to go to photo lab on Sat AND i NEED to clean my house and haylee has vocal class {tim might take her to this}. whew getting tired just thinking of it all! on Sunday i believe we're going to Mark & Kathy's for Super Bowl Sunday...woot woot! :)
okie dokie, gotta get off of here & actually do some work!
have a great Thursday everyone...
Mel
blue skies!
yes!! it has been raining all week & dark & cloudy & cold. well, it's still chilly (50's) but when i went home on my lunch break today to re-shoot my tree - the sun was just a'shinin'! awesomeness!! i was so stoked. i even got the tree shadow just like i did last time {maybe even better!}.
i could definitely tell a difference between now & the first time i shot the film. i can tell the camera is feeding the film this time. ;) yipeee skipeee! so i'm thrilled to see how my project will turn out. i think we will not process all 36 exposures, that would be a lot of photo paper. :) but we will choose the best photo of all the negatives we took & print one {maybe two, not sure}. at any rate, i'm excited! ohhh i hope i got some REALLY good shots! at least i know what everyone took pictures of yesterday...and so far none of them shot a tree like i did! my tree is kind of special too. it's a normal enough looking tree, but sometimes out here {so the yard workers don't have to rake leaves} they cut the branches off, the larger ones & the branches with leaves. kind of sad. it's a kind of sad looking tree to be quite honest, but it's unique & that is why i liked it. :) i could've shot my palm tree but that's probably a little cliche being in California. ;)
ok so anyway...i hope i learned from my mistake & look, now i know how the dark room works so i won't be AS nervous loading my film! yay!!
tonight is going to be a relaxed night. tim is going to have dinner with a friend & haylee & i will probably just do homework, eat dinner & hang out. :) i love my hang out nights...i am appreciating them more now that i'm in school!
i could definitely tell a difference between now & the first time i shot the film. i can tell the camera is feeding the film this time. ;) yipeee skipeee! so i'm thrilled to see how my project will turn out. i think we will not process all 36 exposures, that would be a lot of photo paper. :) but we will choose the best photo of all the negatives we took & print one {maybe two, not sure}. at any rate, i'm excited! ohhh i hope i got some REALLY good shots! at least i know what everyone took pictures of yesterday...and so far none of them shot a tree like i did! my tree is kind of special too. it's a normal enough looking tree, but sometimes out here {so the yard workers don't have to rake leaves} they cut the branches off, the larger ones & the branches with leaves. kind of sad. it's a kind of sad looking tree to be quite honest, but it's unique & that is why i liked it. :) i could've shot my palm tree but that's probably a little cliche being in California. ;)
ok so anyway...i hope i learned from my mistake & look, now i know how the dark room works so i won't be AS nervous loading my film! yay!!
tonight is going to be a relaxed night. tim is going to have dinner with a friend & haylee & i will probably just do homework, eat dinner & hang out. :) i love my hang out nights...i am appreciating them more now that i'm in school!
bummed!
well i had class tonight & it was AWESOME! we learned how to develop negatives!! mine actually came out BLANK though. :'( i guess i didn't "advance" my film in my camera & it didn't take, i was SO embarrassed! BUT another girl did the same thing, so i didn't feel AS bad. now i have to reshoot my film...i wasted $6 for that roll of film. oh well, i guess ya live & learn!
thankfully i brought my camera to school so my teacher showed me {he actually did it FOR me} how to load a roll of film into the camera. you laugh, but it's not as easy as it sounds people! :) really, it's not. developing isn't either! but it's a learning process and it might be expensive, but it's fun. ;)
so sometime between NOW {Mon} and Wed i have to take 36 exposures of my tree. it's been POURING RAIN all week too & i HAVE to take pictures outside. so i am praying for the rain to subside for me!! PLEASE LORD! i am thinking of going home either tomorrow or Wed afternoon for lunch {i'll be at work, but it's a short distance to my house} to take my pics. i'm kind of bummed, but on the other hand i'm kind of glad i made a mistake so early on. ;)
thought i'd let you all know in case you're wondering! :) it's just ditzy me!!
hope you all are having a GOOD week so far. i have pics of yesterday at Noah's bday party, it was SO MUCH FUN. even for the adults! i climbed the rope & slid down the big slides & got in on all the action. i love stuff like that.
okie dokie, gotta get going. :) love -- mel
thankfully i brought my camera to school so my teacher showed me {he actually did it FOR me} how to load a roll of film into the camera. you laugh, but it's not as easy as it sounds people! :) really, it's not. developing isn't either! but it's a learning process and it might be expensive, but it's fun. ;)
so sometime between NOW {Mon} and Wed i have to take 36 exposures of my tree. it's been POURING RAIN all week too & i HAVE to take pictures outside. so i am praying for the rain to subside for me!! PLEASE LORD! i am thinking of going home either tomorrow or Wed afternoon for lunch {i'll be at work, but it's a short distance to my house} to take my pics. i'm kind of bummed, but on the other hand i'm kind of glad i made a mistake so early on. ;)
thought i'd let you all know in case you're wondering! :) it's just ditzy me!!
hope you all are having a GOOD week so far. i have pics of yesterday at Noah's bday party, it was SO MUCH FUN. even for the adults! i climbed the rope & slid down the big slides & got in on all the action. i love stuff like that.
okie dokie, gotta get going. :) love -- mel
here i am again!
hi there! i feel guilty for not updating but life has just been a whirlwind to say the least lately. i think i feel the added pressure of going back to school & i'm still a little under the weather. i just wish this weather would make up it's mind is all...that is why i get sick. one day it is 80 and the next it's 50 and raining! :)
so i actually have some pics for you tonight too. ;) yay! let's just start with Wed night at class - i don't know if i mentioned it but didn't get to develop my film of the tree. we did photograms {i think i mentioned it below}. i am a LITTLE worried too because i tried to wind my film back up in my camera {it's an older SLR} and you have to wind it manually. well i heard something click & I AM SO SCARED that i did something wrong like turn it too hard & the film broke off the thing. i just left it and didn't open the camera because i know if i do, the film will be fogged, so i'm going to take it to my professor on Monday & see what he says. Oh God PLEASE say i didn't ruin my project. i will be heart broken i think. pray for my film, LOL! {seriously though}
here are the photos of the photograms i did. i wasn't expecting to do them on Wed, so i didn't bring anything exciting to experiment with - i had to use what i could find in my bag which was a penny, a hair elastic, my drivers' license, a bracelet Haylee had made me when she was in preschool {i don't even know how it got into my bag!} and one of my rings. in the other i just formed my hands into the shape of a heart & put a turtle bead in the middle. i am hoping to bring some cool things to experiment with next week...we shall see...it was pretty fun! :)
so i actually have some pics for you tonight too. ;) yay! let's just start with Wed night at class - i don't know if i mentioned it but didn't get to develop my film of the tree. we did photograms {i think i mentioned it below}. i am a LITTLE worried too because i tried to wind my film back up in my camera {it's an older SLR} and you have to wind it manually. well i heard something click & I AM SO SCARED that i did something wrong like turn it too hard & the film broke off the thing. i just left it and didn't open the camera because i know if i do, the film will be fogged, so i'm going to take it to my professor on Monday & see what he says. Oh God PLEASE say i didn't ruin my project. i will be heart broken i think. pray for my film, LOL! {seriously though}
here are the photos of the photograms i did. i wasn't expecting to do them on Wed, so i didn't bring anything exciting to experiment with - i had to use what i could find in my bag which was a penny, a hair elastic, my drivers' license, a bracelet Haylee had made me when she was in preschool {i don't even know how it got into my bag!} and one of my rings. in the other i just formed my hands into the shape of a heart & put a turtle bead in the middle. i am hoping to bring some cool things to experiment with next week...we shall see...it was pretty fun! :)
So yes, that was fun! i really am worried about my film. worst case scenario would probably be re-shooting the film one day on my lunch break one week day. oh well, no need to stress about it! :)
ok ~ now FAST FORWARD to yesterday, FRIDAY!!!!
let me explain for those of you who do not know. right after i gave birth to Haylee i was a stay at home mom {for 3 yrs actually} & i didn't get out of the house much. :) i belonged to an online forum while i was pregnant with her & one of the girls formed an August 2002 Babies forum that i joined when Haylee was about 2 months old. i "met" online one of my GREAT online {meaning i haven't met her in person & now that i think about it, haven't even talked to her on the phone! Mindy...we should really work on that, LOL!}. BUT, she has really been there for me as well as many other girls on that forum. we don't really belong to the forum anymore, but i still have good friends, some i've even met & still talk to - for the past 5 years!
when Mindy created her blog on blogger i just thought that was a GREAT idea to keep my family/friends "in the know" with what is going on with my life & Haylee too. so i also created a blog {well 2 now...LOL}. through Mindy's blog {Alec & Mikayla's mommy} HER family started talking to me, leaving me comments & emailing me also. she has the GREATEST family. i mean that from my heart. her mom is the sweetest, most giving person i haven't {yet} met. {Mrs. Jones aka Mrs. J} her sister-in-law Brandy is also very sweet & yesterday i had the opportunity to MEET Brandy! she also lives in CA, just Northern {far away from me} but happened to be in town for a conference. so yes, Brandy, her friend Heather & I had lunch at Olive Garden yesterday afternoon. i think i was really shy...sorry Brandy. it's so easy to be open on my blog - but i tried & we really didn't have a whole lot of time. :( but i really hope you guys had a good time here Brandy! today was supposed to be a RELAXED day, but it ended up NOT being one {i will explain in a minute}. but i wish REALLY badly i could've stayed & chatted with you a bit more. :) Brandy is SO SWEET & pretty & i really admire her for all she has taken on in her life. it was great to meet you!!
here we are :)
we had a great time!
today ~ oh wow today...LOL. well let's start at 2AM this morning shall we?
Miley starts whining LOUDLY downstairs {she sleeps in her kennel and does VERY well usually!} and she is crying so loud i run down to see what is wrong. nothing. so i let her out thinking she's got to relieve herself & she tinkles just a tiny bit. so i put her back & off to bed. 20 mins later, she's at it again! so this time i wake up Tim to see if he can figure it out & he goes down & yells at her, thinking maybe she was just locked up all day {because she was pretty much - we went out last night as a family}. so he spanks her and actually puts her in a different room so we can't hear her crying.
but he comes back up and 20 mins later she is at it again!! so i think something's terribly wrong because she has NEVER done this. so i go down & i am terribly feeling sleep deprived by this time {and i NEED my sleep or i am horrible...i really am}. so i go down & yell at her some more {awful, i know}. and i start crying out of frustration & she's looking at me like she's sorry, so i lay on the couch with her for a bit & then i put her back & i actually fell asleep on the couch for about 30 mins? maybe a little less. then i hear Tim coming down stairs & says, "what IS that SMELL?".
we go to Miley's kennel, she has pooped (runny - sorry for details) ALL OVER her kennel. apparently she had a tummy ache from something. i am not sure if it's because Tim bought the small niblets in the same exact food (Iams) or if it's because she hasn't being "going" because of all the rain. i let her outside & she did it 3 more times! she was full of crap! :) literally! so after that we all cleaned up & went back to bed, it was probably 3:30am before i could fall back asleep, Tim and i actually carried on conversations so maybe it was more like 4? and Haylee woke us up at 7am. i had to take her to her vocal class this morning at 9, so i had to be up. *yawn!* i am so tired!
so needless to say...i'm pooped! {no pun intended}
this afternoon - after Haylee's class we had to do grocery shopping, shoe shopping for Haylee {her school shoes actually had HOLES in them! she's SO rough on shoes!!}, then we went to the sale at Chick's & got her a Roxy sweater...it is so cute, then we went out to lunch with Tim's Dad at a Mexican restaurant & came home - Haylee & I worked on her project for school {the Child of the Week poster...she was stoked}, then we got ready for church & went to church tonight!! Tim's Dad goes to the Sat night service & we wanted to try it again. it was great, really laid back. i really liked it, only 150 people on Sat night, verses the 1,000 we usually get on Sun mornings, LOL! Tim went over to our friend Jimbo's house to meet Tucker, Jim's new puppy {a husky!} - i have a bad sinus thing going on so i'm at home "resting". ;)
tomorrow we have laundry in the morning, then i have a bridal shower & we are going to my nephew's bday party afterward. it's going to be another crazy day...i just want to rest! i would probably skip the shower if i hadn't promised to go...i just feel icky today. i pray i am refreshed & ready to go & feeling GOOD in the morning!
thanks for reading my blog...if you got this far. ;)
love to you all...i want to blog about our sermon tonight maybe i will do that tomorrow. happy weekend!
yes! that's right!
i opened up my email and read this today:
What is in your heart today? What are the dreams and desires deep on the inside of you? Maybe you want to start a business, or ministry, or go back to school. Whatever is in your heart, ask the Lord to confirm it to you. God leads us by desires, but we have to first submit our desires to Him. Sometimes we have to allow Him to change our desires, but know that He is always out for your good. It says in the book of Psalms that God gives us the desires of our heart. That means He places desires within us then brings them to pass so that we can live a fulfilled life here on earth. I believe David did this very thing. He was known as a man after God’s own heart. He submitted His heart to the Lord, and then Nathan came along and said, “Yes. Do what is in your heart. God is with you.” Whatever is in your heart today, submit it to the Lord. Trust that He is out for your good and working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you put your faith and trust in Him, He will guide you in the life of victory He has in store for you!
i have to say....AMEN! 100% true!! i didn't even realize this until 2008...and it's amazing i truly learn something new every day. i have so many desires and sometimes i think to myself - "well, YOU could never do that Melissa, are you crazy? WHAT are you THINKING?". but i've decided to leave those crazy NEGATIVE thoughts behind. i serve a God that is capable of ANYTHING. there is NOTHING He cannot do. if he planted the seed in my heart for me to be President, by golly I COULD DO IT! {that is NOT my desire by the way}.
i am just saying...sometimes our thoughts hold us back from truly reaping the benefit of God. don't let them tear you apart. if you feel it in your heart, DO IT. more than likely it is from God {if you are a true believer}. and if you fail...well try again. or seek His guidance, maybe He's telling you to change your positioning. it's truly awesome when we take time to listen to Him and HEAR Him...and our next step...to OBEY Him. {i'm not saying i obey Him all of the time...i'm human...i err}
ok...enough preaching. ;) last night i had my class & it was FUN! we got to do hands on stuff. i made a few Photograms. basically you put photo paper underneath a light enhancer and you place objects on top, put the light on for a few seconds. then you develop through chemicals & it creates a picture. :) it's pretty simple & it's neat! on monday i get to develop my film of the tree...i'm so excited!! although i cannot figure out how to wind my film back up in the camera, so it's still sitting there. ;) LOL! i'm so new to this!
alrighty...my lunch is over ~ i will post some pics of my sweet niece EMMA and her big brother JORDAN later on hopefully...i have to get back to work! :P have a great day everyone!
What is in your heart today? What are the dreams and desires deep on the inside of you? Maybe you want to start a business, or ministry, or go back to school. Whatever is in your heart, ask the Lord to confirm it to you. God leads us by desires, but we have to first submit our desires to Him. Sometimes we have to allow Him to change our desires, but know that He is always out for your good. It says in the book of Psalms that God gives us the desires of our heart. That means He places desires within us then brings them to pass so that we can live a fulfilled life here on earth. I believe David did this very thing. He was known as a man after God’s own heart. He submitted His heart to the Lord, and then Nathan came along and said, “Yes. Do what is in your heart. God is with you.” Whatever is in your heart today, submit it to the Lord. Trust that He is out for your good and working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you put your faith and trust in Him, He will guide you in the life of victory He has in store for you!
i have to say....AMEN! 100% true!! i didn't even realize this until 2008...and it's amazing i truly learn something new every day. i have so many desires and sometimes i think to myself - "well, YOU could never do that Melissa, are you crazy? WHAT are you THINKING?". but i've decided to leave those crazy NEGATIVE thoughts behind. i serve a God that is capable of ANYTHING. there is NOTHING He cannot do. if he planted the seed in my heart for me to be President, by golly I COULD DO IT! {that is NOT my desire by the way}.
i am just saying...sometimes our thoughts hold us back from truly reaping the benefit of God. don't let them tear you apart. if you feel it in your heart, DO IT. more than likely it is from God {if you are a true believer}. and if you fail...well try again. or seek His guidance, maybe He's telling you to change your positioning. it's truly awesome when we take time to listen to Him and HEAR Him...and our next step...to OBEY Him. {i'm not saying i obey Him all of the time...i'm human...i err}
ok...enough preaching. ;) last night i had my class & it was FUN! we got to do hands on stuff. i made a few Photograms. basically you put photo paper underneath a light enhancer and you place objects on top, put the light on for a few seconds. then you develop through chemicals & it creates a picture. :) it's pretty simple & it's neat! on monday i get to develop my film of the tree...i'm so excited!! although i cannot figure out how to wind my film back up in the camera, so it's still sitting there. ;) LOL! i'm so new to this!
alrighty...my lunch is over ~ i will post some pics of my sweet niece EMMA and her big brother JORDAN later on hopefully...i have to get back to work! :P have a great day everyone!
oh boy - it's a busy one!
i can tell you right now i probably won't be online so much this week - for the remainder anyway! it's been a busy week already. :) yesterday i was sick - sinus pressure headache! ugh!! today was a bit better, but i'm very disoriented. which wasn't good for the kind of day i had, LOL.
anyway - i work in an accounting firm, so we're ALL getting busy these days. it'll be that way until May. i'm not looking forward to yucky attitudes flying - just praying everyone is nice. ;) this will be my first busy season.
i wanted to blog about this chapter i read in Joel Osteen's book {yes, i am STILL reading it! just a few pages left actually...LOL}. it's really good so i will post that later - maybe tonight.
i have so much to say and such little time lately! ha ha! this week will be busy with work & tomorrow i have school. i can't wait to develop my film! this weekend will be busy - on friday i get to meet BRANDY (the CA ousley clan). saturday i have haylee's vocal class, a bridal shower and my nephew's birthday party to attend. wow! :) we also are making a picture poster board since haylee is "child of the week" next week! she's super excited. :)) so am i! it'll be fun to put the pics together with her. yay! i'll take a pic of that. ;)
ok...so now that i am rambling...i better go give haylee a shower, get her ready for bed, do dishes, finish folding the laundry & clean up the house a little.
have a BLESSED night! oh and i have a request...my good friend at work just had a miscarriage. if you could please pray for her - her name is Lisa & this is her second one (she is my age and she has no children). i feel really sad for her & it just broke my heart when i found out today. she had one last year this time too. anyway, lift her up please.
ok gotta go! love ~ mel
anyway - i work in an accounting firm, so we're ALL getting busy these days. it'll be that way until May. i'm not looking forward to yucky attitudes flying - just praying everyone is nice. ;) this will be my first busy season.
i wanted to blog about this chapter i read in Joel Osteen's book {yes, i am STILL reading it! just a few pages left actually...LOL}. it's really good so i will post that later - maybe tonight.
i have so much to say and such little time lately! ha ha! this week will be busy with work & tomorrow i have school. i can't wait to develop my film! this weekend will be busy - on friday i get to meet BRANDY (the CA ousley clan). saturday i have haylee's vocal class, a bridal shower and my nephew's birthday party to attend. wow! :) we also are making a picture poster board since haylee is "child of the week" next week! she's super excited. :)) so am i! it'll be fun to put the pics together with her. yay! i'll take a pic of that. ;)
ok...so now that i am rambling...i better go give haylee a shower, get her ready for bed, do dishes, finish folding the laundry & clean up the house a little.
have a BLESSED night! oh and i have a request...my good friend at work just had a miscarriage. if you could please pray for her - her name is Lisa & this is her second one (she is my age and she has no children). i feel really sad for her & it just broke my heart when i found out today. she had one last year this time too. anyway, lift her up please.
ok gotta go! love ~ mel
time flies!
what a good weekend - FULL of family, friends & fun! :) the way i like it. i am still feelin' sick though. :( i don't know...my head is REALLY feeling stuffy & i just think i'm getting a head cold or whatever it is Tim had. i think it's going around again. :( my body feels a little achy too. sorry for complaining!
friday night we went to a movie {Clover field....eck!}
saturday we cleaned & cleaned, Tim got his tire fixed & that night we went to see Hobo Jazz - this band is so cool, i LOVE it! we had a great time but i didn't bring my camera this time...my digital doesn't work well without lots of LIGHT ~ so hopefully Kathy will post pics on her blog {i know you took some!} so that i can steal them & add them to my blog. ;)
today ~ sunday, we went to breakfast with our friend who moved to Northern CA (from SoCal). he came down to visit with his girlfriend. some other friends also joined us. it was a lot of fun getting together with them. this afternoon/tonight Tim's sister's family came over which was great!! i'm so glad they got to come over to see our new place - this was their first time seeing it. we are planning a lot of fun family events this year at our new place! we got to go in the jacuzzi & we played guitar hero & ate & talked & just had a lot of fun.
oh yea, i also did my 1st project for school today!! i had to take 36 exposures of ONE object outside today - from 36 different angles. :) that was interesting. i chose this tree in my front yard. i have 2 trees, a nice big PALM tree & this regular looking tree {don't know the term for it, LOL}. anyway the palm tree would've been ideal, but i didn't think 1.) it would look THAT good in black & white and 2.) it was in the shade. i have learned that cameras LOVE LIGHT. so i chose the small, funky (leaf-less) tree in our front yard. the neighbors OFFICIALLY think i am crazy now. no doubt about that. ;) i was all up on a ladder taken pics from above and laying down underneath the tree taking pics looking up the tree. HA HA HA! i'm laughing just thinking about it. well, i would've thought i was weird if i saw myself. ;) i hope they come out wonderfully! my 1st time using a 35mm SLR. i hope my film took, i just want to open my camera to make sure...but i know i can't do that. oh well, we shall see on Wed when i go back to school & do my lab. i can't wait!
here are some pics & then i'm going to go relax. if i feel this way in the morning {i have been for the past few mornings} i may have to call in sick tomorrow. :( i need REST!
ok...pics....
Nicki...if you read my blog *wink*...don't kill me over this one!
My beautiful sis-in-law - Nicole & her hubby Brian :)
I thought this was a cute pic of Miley...what a GOOD girl she is!
I *LOVE* this pic of Tim & I ~ I might have it printed to put in my office :))
We are one cute couple huh? ;)
And of course we made this beautiful thing!
She wants to be a rock star, surfer, soccer player cheerleader DOCTOR {that is what she told me this weekend}
2 pretty girls:
Oh! Make that 3 pretty girls!
This is Emma LaRae...she will be 2 months old tomorrow!!!
Happy 2 months old little Emmy!
She LOOOOOVES Auntie Mel...because I buy her pretty pink bows :))
She's probably thinking "who the heck is this crazy lady mom?"
Yea...probably. ;)
friday night we went to a movie {Clover field....eck!}
saturday we cleaned & cleaned, Tim got his tire fixed & that night we went to see Hobo Jazz - this band is so cool, i LOVE it! we had a great time but i didn't bring my camera this time...my digital doesn't work well without lots of LIGHT ~ so hopefully Kathy will post pics on her blog {i know you took some!} so that i can steal them & add them to my blog. ;)
today ~ sunday, we went to breakfast with our friend who moved to Northern CA (from SoCal). he came down to visit with his girlfriend. some other friends also joined us. it was a lot of fun getting together with them. this afternoon/tonight Tim's sister's family came over which was great!! i'm so glad they got to come over to see our new place - this was their first time seeing it. we are planning a lot of fun family events this year at our new place! we got to go in the jacuzzi & we played guitar hero & ate & talked & just had a lot of fun.
oh yea, i also did my 1st project for school today!! i had to take 36 exposures of ONE object outside today - from 36 different angles. :) that was interesting. i chose this tree in my front yard. i have 2 trees, a nice big PALM tree & this regular looking tree {don't know the term for it, LOL}. anyway the palm tree would've been ideal, but i didn't think 1.) it would look THAT good in black & white and 2.) it was in the shade. i have learned that cameras LOVE LIGHT. so i chose the small, funky (leaf-less) tree in our front yard. the neighbors OFFICIALLY think i am crazy now. no doubt about that. ;) i was all up on a ladder taken pics from above and laying down underneath the tree taking pics looking up the tree. HA HA HA! i'm laughing just thinking about it. well, i would've thought i was weird if i saw myself. ;) i hope they come out wonderfully! my 1st time using a 35mm SLR. i hope my film took, i just want to open my camera to make sure...but i know i can't do that. oh well, we shall see on Wed when i go back to school & do my lab. i can't wait!
here are some pics & then i'm going to go relax. if i feel this way in the morning {i have been for the past few mornings} i may have to call in sick tomorrow. :( i need REST!
ok...pics....
My beautiful sis-in-law - Nicole & her hubby Brian :)
I thought this was a cute pic of Miley...what a GOOD girl she is!
I *LOVE* this pic of Tim & I ~ I might have it printed to put in my office :))
We are one cute couple huh? ;)
And of course we made this beautiful thing!
She wants to be a rock star, surfer, soccer player cheerleader DOCTOR {that is what she told me this weekend}
2 pretty girls:
Oh! Make that 3 pretty girls!
This is Emma LaRae...she will be 2 months old tomorrow!!!
Happy 2 months old little Emmy!
She LOOOOOVES Auntie Mel...because I buy her pretty pink bows :))
She's probably thinking "who the heck is this crazy lady mom?"
Yea...probably. ;)
Hmmmm
so tonight tim & i had a DATE NIGHT! it was great! well, initially it wasn't so great. tim pulled up {from work} into the drive way & his tire was HISSING because he popped his tire!!! (looks like car trouble runs in the family liz!) so THAT wasn't so great.
we dropped haylee off with tim's step mom & dad {she looooooooves it there!}. we headed off to find some place to eat! we didn't want to wait for a long time so we went to The Stadium. it's nice because you can say you're going to the bar, but they have all this outdoor (heated) seating...so NO WAIT! :) we went there & had our food & some drinks.
then we went to the MOVIES and saw CLOVERFIELD. ok. this movie was HORRIBLE. on so many levels. it was NOT worth it ~ so if you're thinking of going to see it, don't. ;) i think it's about the same level as The Blair Witch Project if anyone remembers that nightmare. :P
anyway...we had a great time just being together. dinner was the best. i love the Stadium. it's such a typical hang out laid back bar type setting, but i like it. the service is GREAT - every waiter(ess) is willing to help you & the food is amazing (for bar food) - i mean i like it better than a lot of the restaurants we go to, wait an hour for and then the food is just so-so. LOL! i don't think they are a franchise, because we've only found ONE, but it's not too far from where we live (its alot closer to our old place). anyway....yeah. :)
***i'm finishing this post this morning on Saturday b/c i was so tired last night! i woke up this morning with a STUFFY head. ugh! it's been this way for the past few days. i woke up at 7am and started cleaning b/c i just found out one of our friends from North. CA is coming to visit today {found this out last night!}. so i'm a {stuffy} cleanin' FOOL! :)
today {Sat} tim is getting his tire fixed, i am cleaning then going up to THE ONLY camera store i could find that has the type of FILM i need for my 1st camera class project - the store is about 20 mins away which is annoying, i think i'm going to buy some of my supplies on Ebay. ;) then later on tonight we're going an hour up to tim's brother's house, dropping off haylee & then going to his other brother's. we're all going to go see HOBO JAZZ! i love them, it's so cool. i've never seen a band quite like them. :) they're pretty comical too. hopefully i'll be feeling up to it!! oh our friends are going with us too (the one that is visiting & another friend of his out here, that sounds confusing, sorry).
i hope you all have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!! i was going to try to take it easy this weekend, but i feel like i'm going to be BUSY! :))
we dropped haylee off with tim's step mom & dad {she looooooooves it there!}. we headed off to find some place to eat! we didn't want to wait for a long time so we went to The Stadium. it's nice because you can say you're going to the bar, but they have all this outdoor (heated) seating...so NO WAIT! :) we went there & had our food & some drinks.
then we went to the MOVIES and saw CLOVERFIELD. ok. this movie was HORRIBLE. on so many levels. it was NOT worth it ~ so if you're thinking of going to see it, don't. ;) i think it's about the same level as The Blair Witch Project if anyone remembers that nightmare. :P
anyway...we had a great time just being together. dinner was the best. i love the Stadium. it's such a typical hang out laid back bar type setting, but i like it. the service is GREAT - every waiter(ess) is willing to help you & the food is amazing (for bar food) - i mean i like it better than a lot of the restaurants we go to, wait an hour for and then the food is just so-so. LOL! i don't think they are a franchise, because we've only found ONE, but it's not too far from where we live (its alot closer to our old place). anyway....yeah. :)
***i'm finishing this post this morning on Saturday b/c i was so tired last night! i woke up this morning with a STUFFY head. ugh! it's been this way for the past few days. i woke up at 7am and started cleaning b/c i just found out one of our friends from North. CA is coming to visit today {found this out last night!}. so i'm a {stuffy} cleanin' FOOL! :)
today {Sat} tim is getting his tire fixed, i am cleaning then going up to THE ONLY camera store i could find that has the type of FILM i need for my 1st camera class project - the store is about 20 mins away which is annoying, i think i'm going to buy some of my supplies on Ebay. ;) then later on tonight we're going an hour up to tim's brother's house, dropping off haylee & then going to his other brother's. we're all going to go see HOBO JAZZ! i love them, it's so cool. i've never seen a band quite like them. :) they're pretty comical too. hopefully i'll be feeling up to it!! oh our friends are going with us too (the one that is visiting & another friend of his out here, that sounds confusing, sorry).
i hope you all have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!! i was going to try to take it easy this weekend, but i feel like i'm going to be BUSY! :))
if we'll only listen
i got this in my inbox this morning...nothing like these inspiring notes to get your mind thinking...
"Have you ever started to do something when you had a little nudging on the inside of you telling you to do something completely different? Sometimes it’s easy to override that little inward voice, but that small voice deep on the inside of you is how God speaks to you. It’s how He leads you by His Spirit. When you follow the Spirit’s leading by faith—even when it doesn’t make sense—you are making a declaration with your actions that you are a child of the Most High God. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons and daughters of God. The more you yield yourself to His leading, the easier it becomes to follow Him. You’ll hear His voice in the midnight hour giving your direction about which steps to take. You’ll hear His voice affirming you and guiding you into everlasting peace. Remember, God lead’s us by peace and joy. He’s never condemning but He always leads you into Truth. Take time today to tune out the other voices so that you can be led by His Spirit into the life of victory the Lord has in store for you!"
i have to say - i've only woke up once in my life & felt inspired to do something (in the middle of the night)...but i have had a hard time going to bed some nights. i think from now on when that happens i'm going to whip out the ol' Bible! i'm going to pray! i'm going to seek His guidance. ya know? i never actually thought of it before. :) i've heard people (Mrs. J...my sister Liz...) recently say they woke up and started praying for so-in-so in the middle of the night and that just tugged at my heartstrings...how awesome the way God uses people that way!!
i'm going to try to listen more and open my EYES (my spiritual eyes that is) to what's going on around me. we only get SO MANY chances and opportunities in life to do things. God puts us in the RIGHT places at JUST THE RIGHT times to assist people. many times i felt sad because i felt like i could've helped that person, but didn't. i'll be honest (i'm all about honesty on here! like it, or not!! i don't care!). or sometimes i felt MY needs needed to come first. but we were BORN and CREATED to be GIVERS (not takers).
i've decided that i'm going to GIVE more this year. with my heart full. i want to give when GOD wants me to give. :) i think we'd all be a bit more happy if we just gave instead of TAKE TAKE TAKE. don't you?
ok...on another note ~ i just wanted to comment about school. my 2nd night was last night AND I LOVED IT! we were only there 1.5 hrs, but to me it went by SO fast. i guess because i enjoyed learning about the lecture. :) i have SO much to learn when it comes to photography...that is one thing i learned! LOL! but it's exciting to me. i think i'm one of the older people in that class and i think i have one of the oldest 35mm cameras...but i don't care. and God blessed me with parking last night!! i left EARLY...i got to school at 6:20 (class starts at 7) and the 2nd row of parking i went down - a car was in front of me and i saw a guy walking out to his car. he looked at the first car & didn't make eye contact. then he looked at me, smiled and pointed to his car parking spot!!! AMEN! i smiled and nodded at him, took his spot & prayed that God would BLESS him last night. LOL. seriously!
i can't wait to show you guys my work. this is a black & white photography class, i will try to take pics of the pic i take if that makes sense. :)
have a GREAT day!
love to you all
mel
"Have you ever started to do something when you had a little nudging on the inside of you telling you to do something completely different? Sometimes it’s easy to override that little inward voice, but that small voice deep on the inside of you is how God speaks to you. It’s how He leads you by His Spirit. When you follow the Spirit’s leading by faith—even when it doesn’t make sense—you are making a declaration with your actions that you are a child of the Most High God. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons and daughters of God. The more you yield yourself to His leading, the easier it becomes to follow Him. You’ll hear His voice in the midnight hour giving your direction about which steps to take. You’ll hear His voice affirming you and guiding you into everlasting peace. Remember, God lead’s us by peace and joy. He’s never condemning but He always leads you into Truth. Take time today to tune out the other voices so that you can be led by His Spirit into the life of victory the Lord has in store for you!"
i have to say - i've only woke up once in my life & felt inspired to do something (in the middle of the night)...but i have had a hard time going to bed some nights. i think from now on when that happens i'm going to whip out the ol' Bible! i'm going to pray! i'm going to seek His guidance. ya know? i never actually thought of it before. :) i've heard people (Mrs. J...my sister Liz...) recently say they woke up and started praying for so-in-so in the middle of the night and that just tugged at my heartstrings...how awesome the way God uses people that way!!
i'm going to try to listen more and open my EYES (my spiritual eyes that is) to what's going on around me. we only get SO MANY chances and opportunities in life to do things. God puts us in the RIGHT places at JUST THE RIGHT times to assist people. many times i felt sad because i felt like i could've helped that person, but didn't. i'll be honest (i'm all about honesty on here! like it, or not!! i don't care!). or sometimes i felt MY needs needed to come first. but we were BORN and CREATED to be GIVERS (not takers).
i've decided that i'm going to GIVE more this year. with my heart full. i want to give when GOD wants me to give. :) i think we'd all be a bit more happy if we just gave instead of TAKE TAKE TAKE. don't you?
ok...on another note ~ i just wanted to comment about school. my 2nd night was last night AND I LOVED IT! we were only there 1.5 hrs, but to me it went by SO fast. i guess because i enjoyed learning about the lecture. :) i have SO much to learn when it comes to photography...that is one thing i learned! LOL! but it's exciting to me. i think i'm one of the older people in that class and i think i have one of the oldest 35mm cameras...but i don't care. and God blessed me with parking last night!! i left EARLY...i got to school at 6:20 (class starts at 7) and the 2nd row of parking i went down - a car was in front of me and i saw a guy walking out to his car. he looked at the first car & didn't make eye contact. then he looked at me, smiled and pointed to his car parking spot!!! AMEN! i smiled and nodded at him, took his spot & prayed that God would BLESS him last night. LOL. seriously!
i can't wait to show you guys my work. this is a black & white photography class, i will try to take pics of the pic i take if that makes sense. :)
have a GREAT day!
love to you all
mel
my headliner
FAITH is based on TENACIOUS OBEDIENCE....have you ever thought about it? i didn't until the pastor preached about it last Sunday. he is SO right, it's true! if you do not fully obey God, it is impossible to have faith! i honestly think God is trying to teach me a lesson in FAITH this week - scratch that - this YEAR.
i say that for many reasons and not too many that i am willing to share at this time in such a public place. :) but i will say, He is growing me. just from putting an idea in my head to start school and little things that happen at work each and every day. this morning was a crazy one! i just had to have total faith in God that He would work things out for this meeting that got mixed up (the room was double booked & set up a totally different way, much chaos, too much for that early in the morning actually, LOL). but things worked out for the good, because i tenaciously obeyed God by believing He would make everything work out! and IT DID - what do ya know! :)
i've started laughing at the little things that happen (except last night when i couldn't find a parking spot at school - i cried) ~ when God wants to teach you something, when He wants you to grow & improve - you will know it. i think it's THEN you need to take a GOOOOOOD look at yourself to see what exactly you need to change/improve. for me i think it's patience! i used to be SO patient! at least i thought so. until i had Haylee. :) now my patience is out the window, but hey i'll admit it and i'm working on it. i'm working on having faith - it's hard for me because i am a control freak. i stress to the utmost on the smallest of things, but God tells me i don't need to do that. leave the worrying to Him (well, He doesn't worry, but you know what i mean!).
i'm so excited to see what God has in store for ME (and YOU!) this year!! for my family! for my life.
have a great day everyone!
love
mel
i say that for many reasons and not too many that i am willing to share at this time in such a public place. :) but i will say, He is growing me. just from putting an idea in my head to start school and little things that happen at work each and every day. this morning was a crazy one! i just had to have total faith in God that He would work things out for this meeting that got mixed up (the room was double booked & set up a totally different way, much chaos, too much for that early in the morning actually, LOL). but things worked out for the good, because i tenaciously obeyed God by believing He would make everything work out! and IT DID - what do ya know! :)
i've started laughing at the little things that happen (except last night when i couldn't find a parking spot at school - i cried) ~ when God wants to teach you something, when He wants you to grow & improve - you will know it. i think it's THEN you need to take a GOOOOOOD look at yourself to see what exactly you need to change/improve. for me i think it's patience! i used to be SO patient! at least i thought so. until i had Haylee. :) now my patience is out the window, but hey i'll admit it and i'm working on it. i'm working on having faith - it's hard for me because i am a control freak. i stress to the utmost on the smallest of things, but God tells me i don't need to do that. leave the worrying to Him (well, He doesn't worry, but you know what i mean!).
i'm so excited to see what God has in store for ME (and YOU!) this year!! for my family! for my life.
have a great day everyone!
love
mel
Thank you Thank you!
I just wanted to thank you for ALL of the emails (there were a lot too!) & the comments to my blog about good wishes for a 1st day {night} of school! It REALLY means a lot to me that you guys would email and reply to me like that. :) I feel so loved! Thank you!!
Ok so....ha ha - well....it didn't go as wonderfully PLANNED as I had it in my mind. ;) But it turned out just fine! I got to school at 6:25pm and thought I would stand in line at the bookstore for my text book since I tried to get it at lunch today & the line was wrapped around the building (I didn't get my book then, I'm sure it would've taken at least an hour to just get through the line). So I tried tonight. I stood in line for 25 mins. I got up to the front because I ordered in online and just needed to pick it up. Well the girl told me I stood in the WRONG line because I needed to go to the back of the portable building! I almost cried. But I just chalked it up to God showing me how to be patient & decided to drive over to my class.
HOLY MOLY COW. I could NOT for the life of me find parking. :( I almost gave up and went home, I promise you. Poor Tim I called him all stressed out & we ended up arguing. So frustrating!!!! At 7:05pm (5 mins AFTER CLASS STARTED) I found a parking spot -- at that point I was crying and asking God if He REALLY wanted me to go back to school or was He just kidding? But I found one, right after I asked God that question to be exact. :) He found a CLOSE one for me, up front! Amen! So I'm RUNNING to the building I think my class is in and the room is locked and dark!!
I saw another girl looking just as lost, so I asked her if by chance she was looking for Photography 50 and SHE WAS! So I introduced myself to her, nice girl named Winnie. :) Then we were lost together. Ha ha!! Then another guy asked us if we were lost because he was too. So we found a teacher & he walked us to another classroom. Finally...well at least I didn't go to class LATE by MYSELF!!! Amen!!! And I even made a friend! :)
The teacher has a sense of humor and he seemed really nice. An older man. There are probably about 20 or so students in the class...but I'm sure some will drop out. There always are right? He went over the syllabus and a few things we'll be learning and that was it! We got out at 8:15pm! I go back on Wed. At least I know what to expect (get there for early parking!!!) and I can sit by Winnie! LOL!!
Thanks again for your prayers ~ I wasn't nervous at ALL going in! Not one bit! I was nervous when I couldn't find parking. ;) Yay! I'm a student!!!
Ok so....ha ha - well....it didn't go as wonderfully PLANNED as I had it in my mind. ;) But it turned out just fine! I got to school at 6:25pm and thought I would stand in line at the bookstore for my text book since I tried to get it at lunch today & the line was wrapped around the building (I didn't get my book then, I'm sure it would've taken at least an hour to just get through the line). So I tried tonight. I stood in line for 25 mins. I got up to the front because I ordered in online and just needed to pick it up. Well the girl told me I stood in the WRONG line because I needed to go to the back of the portable building! I almost cried. But I just chalked it up to God showing me how to be patient & decided to drive over to my class.
HOLY MOLY COW. I could NOT for the life of me find parking. :( I almost gave up and went home, I promise you. Poor Tim I called him all stressed out & we ended up arguing. So frustrating!!!! At 7:05pm (5 mins AFTER CLASS STARTED) I found a parking spot -- at that point I was crying and asking God if He REALLY wanted me to go back to school or was He just kidding? But I found one, right after I asked God that question to be exact. :) He found a CLOSE one for me, up front! Amen! So I'm RUNNING to the building I think my class is in and the room is locked and dark!!
I saw another girl looking just as lost, so I asked her if by chance she was looking for Photography 50 and SHE WAS! So I introduced myself to her, nice girl named Winnie. :) Then we were lost together. Ha ha!! Then another guy asked us if we were lost because he was too. So we found a teacher & he walked us to another classroom. Finally...well at least I didn't go to class LATE by MYSELF!!! Amen!!! And I even made a friend! :)
The teacher has a sense of humor and he seemed really nice. An older man. There are probably about 20 or so students in the class...but I'm sure some will drop out. There always are right? He went over the syllabus and a few things we'll be learning and that was it! We got out at 8:15pm! I go back on Wed. At least I know what to expect (get there for early parking!!!) and I can sit by Winnie! LOL!!
Thanks again for your prayers ~ I wasn't nervous at ALL going in! Not one bit! I was nervous when I couldn't find parking. ;) Yay! I'm a student!!!
busy day! another birthday too!
it's been so busy today! at work and now i'm getting ready to leave, go pick up Haylee, make dinner, wait for Tim to get home, go to SCHOOL! i am thinking i'll get out early tonight so if i do, i will get online & tell you all about it. :) if not, or if i'm too tired i'll hop on first thing in the morning when i get to work. ;)
anyway! wanted to wish MY MOM a Happy Birthday today!!!! i hope you have a GREAT day Mom ~ i still have your present sitting in my bedroom. :)
okie dokie, better get going!
love
mel
anyway! wanted to wish MY MOM a Happy Birthday today!!!! i hope you have a GREAT day Mom ~ i still have your present sitting in my bedroom. :)
okie dokie, better get going!
love
mel
nerves!
ok so i start school TOMORROW (Monday) and i'm a BIT nervous. :) i have a nervous problem, i will probably not be the most friendly person tomorrow just waiting for 7pm to arrive so i can "get it over with". i think it's just the fear of the unknown.
i am EXCITED to take this class, but now i'm thinking, i've never taken pictures with a 35mm SLR camera - EVER. so now i'm freaking out a LITTLE. i'm sure it's not rocket science, but at the same time i'm worried. but i just know God has put this class in front of me for a reason. :) i just know it. so i'm going out on a limb a little and reachin' out into the unknown with God on my side. :)
please pray for me tomorrow at around 7pm! i am going to TRY to go at lunch time to get my school book, i hope i can get it. that is another thing i'm worried about, getting my book. i want to have it on the 1st day of school for sure!! but i'm sure i won't even use it. Tim doesn't think i'll have class for the full night on the 1st night, but i don't know. i'm also worried about being on time. i'm ALWAYS early, but the class starts at 7pm. so i get off work at 5pm, i'm usually picking Haylee up by 5:40pm and home by 5:45pm. and Tim gets home around 6-6:30pm....and school is about 15-20 mins away....so that's cutting it close. i hope he can get home more like 6-6:15 to give me SOME peace of mind. see this is how my mind will run all night/day long!!! LOL! silly little things!
thank you in advanced for your prayers...they are GREATLY appreciated. :) it's been awhile since i've been to school {and i've never been to school AND worked AND had to take care of family at the same time!}.
i can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me....Philippians 4:13
i am EXCITED to take this class, but now i'm thinking, i've never taken pictures with a 35mm SLR camera - EVER. so now i'm freaking out a LITTLE. i'm sure it's not rocket science, but at the same time i'm worried. but i just know God has put this class in front of me for a reason. :) i just know it. so i'm going out on a limb a little and reachin' out into the unknown with God on my side. :)
please pray for me tomorrow at around 7pm! i am going to TRY to go at lunch time to get my school book, i hope i can get it. that is another thing i'm worried about, getting my book. i want to have it on the 1st day of school for sure!! but i'm sure i won't even use it. Tim doesn't think i'll have class for the full night on the 1st night, but i don't know. i'm also worried about being on time. i'm ALWAYS early, but the class starts at 7pm. so i get off work at 5pm, i'm usually picking Haylee up by 5:40pm and home by 5:45pm. and Tim gets home around 6-6:30pm....and school is about 15-20 mins away....so that's cutting it close. i hope he can get home more like 6-6:15 to give me SOME peace of mind. see this is how my mind will run all night/day long!!! LOL! silly little things!
thank you in advanced for your prayers...they are GREATLY appreciated. :) it's been awhile since i've been to school {and i've never been to school AND worked AND had to take care of family at the same time!}.
i can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me....Philippians 4:13
BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT!
I just wanted to hop on here this morning to send a BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT to a few of my family members!
First of all...my SISTER ~ Liz! Happy 26th birthday Liz, I love you!
You've always been there for me, through the good times & the bad & I love you so so SO much for that. :))
me & Liz (this was taken in 1982, the year she was born...LOL!)
Yes, this is pretty normal for us! ;)
Awwww my sister! I love you!! Move to CA :)
All dolled up & ready to GO!
We're so cool in our shades...
Haylee says "Happy birthday Aunt Liz"! We so wish we could be there for you today to take you out on your special day! We love and miss you dearly!
First of all...my SISTER ~ Liz! Happy 26th birthday Liz, I love you!
You've always been there for me, through the good times & the bad & I love you so so SO much for that. :))
me & Liz (this was taken in 1982, the year she was born...LOL!)
Yes, this is pretty normal for us! ;)
Awwww my sister! I love you!! Move to CA :)
All dolled up & ready to GO!
We're so cool in our shades...
Haylee says "Happy birthday Aunt Liz"! We so wish we could be there for you today to take you out on your special day! We love and miss you dearly!
Jan 12th is a very special day for a few other members in my family as well! It is my half sister - Courtney's birthday. I believe she will be 13 today! I haven't seen her since she was 6. :( But I know she's out there & I just hope she knows that her big sister is thinking of her. I love you Courtney.
And last, but CERTAINLY NOT least! My nephew Jakie's birthday is today! Oh my gosh, I'm horrible with keeping up with the nephews (I have 6!) ages - but if my memory serves me correctly....Jacob is turning 8. My memory IS a little rusty.....so I hope I'm right. Sorry Jake! I love you dearly anyway!! :) Jacob is a very special kid - he is not ONLY super SMART, but he's super CUTE too. ;) He has already started his career - acting! He has been in numerous tv shows like Dexter, Las Vegas and he's also just finished filming a movie with Eddie Murphy which will air this summer! I'm so proud and happy for him. Happy Birthday Jacob! We love you!!
Have a GREAT weekend everyone!
And last, but CERTAINLY NOT least! My nephew Jakie's birthday is today! Oh my gosh, I'm horrible with keeping up with the nephews (I have 6!) ages - but if my memory serves me correctly....Jacob is turning 8. My memory IS a little rusty.....so I hope I'm right. Sorry Jake! I love you dearly anyway!! :) Jacob is a very special kid - he is not ONLY super SMART, but he's super CUTE too. ;) He has already started his career - acting! He has been in numerous tv shows like Dexter, Las Vegas and he's also just finished filming a movie with Eddie Murphy which will air this summer! I'm so proud and happy for him. Happy Birthday Jacob! We love you!!
Have a GREAT weekend everyone!
yipeee for FRIDAY
it's friday! it's friday! it's friday! hurray! :)
today's been great actually. i'm looking forward to a nice night at home with my family too. tomorrow we are going to take Miley to the vet for her 5 shots (wow! ow!) and then straight over to the groomer's for her hair cut. i'm really excited about that because she will actually LOOK like a miniature schnauzer now. after that we're all going to the beach/jetty so that i can take some pictures. i hope i get some GREAT ones! i hope the weather is nice to us. i think we'll take Miley too, depending on her disposition after getting poked five times and whacking off all of her hair. she might not be in the mood. ;)
i got to order food for a meeting today & pick it up...which means for ME - free lunch! they always tell me to order whatever i want too, so of course i do. that's two free lunches in a row! yay (yesterday was a co-workers bday so we took her out on the company's bill, hee hee)! lucky me! i split a panini with one of my good buddies, Lisa. :) then Lisa and i went to my college to pick up my schoolbook, but they closed down the bookstore until Monday due to the building's roof falling off. it looked fine to me, but there was a sign that the wind was blowing off the roof shingles & they were repairing or something RANDOM. this kind of stuff always happens to me, so i wasn't too surprised. oh well! guess i'll just get the book on the 1st day of school (Mon). i'm sure it's going to be a MAD house. we drove around & i found the building my classes will be in, which was nice. :) yay! i'm a student! :) i can't wait to start taking photographs and developing them in a dark room - i just know i'm goint to LOVE it. i love photography!!!!!! (as if you didn't know...and YOU only see half of what i take, LOL)
when we get home i'm hoping to finish working on that pesky duvet stain of Haylee's. then i'm going to wash some clothes. then make dinner & maybe even play a little guitar hero. i get so addicted to it and once i start it takes me a few hours to get off of it! i'm nuts! :))
yay it's the weekend! be safe everyone!
love,
mel♥
today's been great actually. i'm looking forward to a nice night at home with my family too. tomorrow we are going to take Miley to the vet for her 5 shots (wow! ow!) and then straight over to the groomer's for her hair cut. i'm really excited about that because she will actually LOOK like a miniature schnauzer now. after that we're all going to the beach/jetty so that i can take some pictures. i hope i get some GREAT ones! i hope the weather is nice to us. i think we'll take Miley too, depending on her disposition after getting poked five times and whacking off all of her hair. she might not be in the mood. ;)
i got to order food for a meeting today & pick it up...which means for ME - free lunch! they always tell me to order whatever i want too, so of course i do. that's two free lunches in a row! yay (yesterday was a co-workers bday so we took her out on the company's bill, hee hee)! lucky me! i split a panini with one of my good buddies, Lisa. :) then Lisa and i went to my college to pick up my schoolbook, but they closed down the bookstore until Monday due to the building's roof falling off. it looked fine to me, but there was a sign that the wind was blowing off the roof shingles & they were repairing or something RANDOM. this kind of stuff always happens to me, so i wasn't too surprised. oh well! guess i'll just get the book on the 1st day of school (Mon). i'm sure it's going to be a MAD house. we drove around & i found the building my classes will be in, which was nice. :) yay! i'm a student! :) i can't wait to start taking photographs and developing them in a dark room - i just know i'm goint to LOVE it. i love photography!!!!!! (as if you didn't know...and YOU only see half of what i take, LOL)
when we get home i'm hoping to finish working on that pesky duvet stain of Haylee's. then i'm going to wash some clothes. then make dinner & maybe even play a little guitar hero. i get so addicted to it and once i start it takes me a few hours to get off of it! i'm nuts! :))
yay it's the weekend! be safe everyone!
love,
mel♥
yes, today was a better day :)
wow! thanks for all of your prayers today! i could feel them. :) and guess what? i didn't wake up TOO sore after all and i was very surprised. with the way i feel, i should've bruised up worse than this. my left side of my bottom is bruised (right next to my tail bone, thankfully that isn't hurt!!), my left foot is sore, i have two small cuts on my right hand & a small bruise (can't barely see it) on my left wrist! it's amazing and i felt GREAT when i woke up, LOL!
anyway, yes, MUCH better day -- thank you!
i am working on getting Haylee's stain out {see her blog with pics, ha ha!}. Jackie & Liz, if you know of anything else in that book of hers, please let me know! i'd love to have any stain removal advice because honestly we stain up a lot of clothes in this household. ;) no grease stains Liz....but Haylee gets all sorts of stains from school & play.
i can't wait for the weekend! it should be nice & hopefully relaxing. then on Monday is my very 1st day of school (at night, after work). I AM SO NERVOUS but very EXCITED! i have to pick up my book at the bookstore still, they are holding it for me. maybe i'll do that tomorrow at lunch or even Monday at lunch. this weekend i'm going to drive around the campus so i know where i'm going. i want to be OVERLY prepared. :) that's just me. have to have IT ALL planned out!
speaking of planning...ALOT of exciting things in store for us this year! we will be going to BIG BEAR in a few weeks and then going to NEW YORK this Spring!! i'm so excited. :) i won't be saying exact dates because i feel weirded out by doing that, not really knowing who reads my blog and all. :) but i will take MANY pictures & it's going to be great. we are all so excited!
oh and March 4th Tim & I & my friend from work - Lisa & her husband Jason are all going to see my FAVORITE BAND ever - Linkin Park (GC is my fav band ever too...they're about tied up in my book, LOL)! i'm beyond words excited. i LOVE LOVE LOVE LP live. they're SO great. i am in LOVE with their newest CD because a lot of the songs are slower. i like their faster stuff too, but i'm lovin' the new songs. :) some of them are below on my player if you want to check them out. Yipeeeee! we just bought out tix yesterday! i hope i can sneak my BIG camera in....if not, i'll be so sad. :P
i hope you all are having a blessed day! as always, i'm still loving reading the Joel Osteen book. i think i am going to read the newer one after i finish this one. i'm almost done with it. i haven't been reading it everyday, because there are so many things to get done around here --- but it's SO nice to read a little bit here and there and have time to myself. :)
goodnight!
anyway, yes, MUCH better day -- thank you!
i am working on getting Haylee's stain out {see her blog with pics, ha ha!}. Jackie & Liz, if you know of anything else in that book of hers, please let me know! i'd love to have any stain removal advice because honestly we stain up a lot of clothes in this household. ;) no grease stains Liz....but Haylee gets all sorts of stains from school & play.
i can't wait for the weekend! it should be nice & hopefully relaxing. then on Monday is my very 1st day of school (at night, after work). I AM SO NERVOUS but very EXCITED! i have to pick up my book at the bookstore still, they are holding it for me. maybe i'll do that tomorrow at lunch or even Monday at lunch. this weekend i'm going to drive around the campus so i know where i'm going. i want to be OVERLY prepared. :) that's just me. have to have IT ALL planned out!
speaking of planning...ALOT of exciting things in store for us this year! we will be going to BIG BEAR in a few weeks and then going to NEW YORK this Spring!! i'm so excited. :) i won't be saying exact dates because i feel weirded out by doing that, not really knowing who reads my blog and all. :) but i will take MANY pictures & it's going to be great. we are all so excited!
oh and March 4th Tim & I & my friend from work - Lisa & her husband Jason are all going to see my FAVORITE BAND ever - Linkin Park (GC is my fav band ever too...they're about tied up in my book, LOL)! i'm beyond words excited. i LOVE LOVE LOVE LP live. they're SO great. i am in LOVE with their newest CD because a lot of the songs are slower. i like their faster stuff too, but i'm lovin' the new songs. :) some of them are below on my player if you want to check them out. Yipeeeee! we just bought out tix yesterday! i hope i can sneak my BIG camera in....if not, i'll be so sad. :P
i hope you all are having a blessed day! as always, i'm still loving reading the Joel Osteen book. i think i am going to read the newer one after i finish this one. i'm almost done with it. i haven't been reading it everyday, because there are so many things to get done around here --- but it's SO nice to read a little bit here and there and have time to myself. :)
goodnight!
can't win 'em all i guess!
i've been bloggin' all about the GOOD things that have been going on & then a day like today happens. i can only say i KNOW it is because "someone" is trying to get my down. but it's not gonna work!! LOL!
well this morning started off pretty normal ~ although i must say it probably started last night. i picked up Haylee from school last night and without holding my hand she RAN through the parking lot (her little friend was with her, but her friend stopped at the sidewalk and Haylee kept running). my heart stopped beating at that VERY moment i promise you. all i could visualize was my BABY getting hit by a CAR pulling into the parking lot. i started yelling at her in the parking lot and then i started crying! wow, God had his hands on her because usually cars fly into that parking lot. she got lectured the whole way home. ;) how scary!!
ok and then this afternoon, after lunch i had the WORST abdominal cramps (maybe a little too much info, but it's MY blog...LOL). i mean, i get them a lot but they were horrid today. almost brought me to tears and it hasn't stopped since and it's almost 9pm. i have taken some Imodum AD and my friend gave me these green pills that were supposed to help me and then i took 2 "Gas-X" when i got home. i almost wonder if i am allergic to lactose or something i've been eating. whatever it is, it's NOT agreeing with me and i'm going to have to eliminate some foods from my diet. so i've been dealing with THAT today (and tonight).
then i was putting Haylee to bed tonight and she had just cleaned up her VERY messy room - i noticed a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE hot pink MARKER STAIN on her brand new Roxy duvet! i lost it. i just started crying uncontrollably and i was beyond words mad. she started crying and i usually don't cry in front of her like that. i had just had a bad day and everything was agravating me. poor girl. but she got a mouthful from both Tim and I. she is in BIIIIIG trouble. she didn't color on it, she left the UNLIDDED MARKER on her BED! i paid almost $100 for that duvet. i am still beyond angry at the situation. Haylee knows it too. She has money she has been saving & Tim & I are thinking of taking it out of there to buy her a new one. I know she has about $200 saved up. Ugh. it's just SO frustrating. Satan is really trying to pull one over on me today.
OH but that's not all....
as i was walking downstairs tonight to meet Tim in the living room, guess who FALLS down the stairs??? THAT WOULD BE ME. :( you guessed it. i cried! my bum hurts and my foot hurts and i'm pretty sure i'll have a big bruise in a few different spots by the morning. :( wah!
when it rains it POURS.
i am going to go read my book here in a minute and relax. hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
well this morning started off pretty normal ~ although i must say it probably started last night. i picked up Haylee from school last night and without holding my hand she RAN through the parking lot (her little friend was with her, but her friend stopped at the sidewalk and Haylee kept running). my heart stopped beating at that VERY moment i promise you. all i could visualize was my BABY getting hit by a CAR pulling into the parking lot. i started yelling at her in the parking lot and then i started crying! wow, God had his hands on her because usually cars fly into that parking lot. she got lectured the whole way home. ;) how scary!!
ok and then this afternoon, after lunch i had the WORST abdominal cramps (maybe a little too much info, but it's MY blog...LOL). i mean, i get them a lot but they were horrid today. almost brought me to tears and it hasn't stopped since and it's almost 9pm. i have taken some Imodum AD and my friend gave me these green pills that were supposed to help me and then i took 2 "Gas-X" when i got home. i almost wonder if i am allergic to lactose or something i've been eating. whatever it is, it's NOT agreeing with me and i'm going to have to eliminate some foods from my diet. so i've been dealing with THAT today (and tonight).
then i was putting Haylee to bed tonight and she had just cleaned up her VERY messy room - i noticed a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE hot pink MARKER STAIN on her brand new Roxy duvet! i lost it. i just started crying uncontrollably and i was beyond words mad. she started crying and i usually don't cry in front of her like that. i had just had a bad day and everything was agravating me. poor girl. but she got a mouthful from both Tim and I. she is in BIIIIIG trouble. she didn't color on it, she left the UNLIDDED MARKER on her BED! i paid almost $100 for that duvet. i am still beyond angry at the situation. Haylee knows it too. She has money she has been saving & Tim & I are thinking of taking it out of there to buy her a new one. I know she has about $200 saved up. Ugh. it's just SO frustrating. Satan is really trying to pull one over on me today.
OH but that's not all....
as i was walking downstairs tonight to meet Tim in the living room, guess who FALLS down the stairs??? THAT WOULD BE ME. :( you guessed it. i cried! my bum hurts and my foot hurts and i'm pretty sure i'll have a big bruise in a few different spots by the morning. :( wah!
when it rains it POURS.
i am going to go read my book here in a minute and relax. hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
EXPECT good things!
i am a true believer in speaking your blessings...i thought it was a little....hmmm....crazy? At first. but the more i do it, i'm a firm believer!! i wake up and say at least 5 positive things every morning and now i have Haylee doing it as well. :) come to find out, when you start your morning off that way, GOOD things fall into place!!
for instance yesterday, out of the blue the school calling me to tell me i could go ahead & start on Monday. my "old" way of thinking would have just started thinking of another time i could start school (summer time, next fall maybe...) but my positive outlook, i just kept believing i would start next week. and, i will be!!
yesterday after i found out i would get to start school on Monday, i started looking online for 35mm SLR cameras because i have to get one for the class. i only found ONE at Target, it was $199. i was just searching the internet and one of the guys from work walked by and asked me if i was buying a new camera. i told him about the class and that it's hard to find 35mm SLR's anymore since everyone's going digital. he then said, "i have one at home you can have for your class if you want it". i couldn't believe it! can you say blessing??????
he brought it in this morning and said i would probably be able to keep it and if i accidentally break anything not to worry because it's old and he would probably never use it again. he paid over $200 for this thing a few years ago. WOW! i'm so excited and of course this just makes me believe that God wants this for me more than ever. He knows i want to do this. :) i'm so blessed!
i wanted to share this i received in the inbox today:
What are you expecting today? Are you expecting to rise higher in life? Are you expecting good breaks? Are you expecting goodness to follow you everywhere you go? If you are expecting to get the short end of the stick, your own wrong thinking will keep you in mediocrity.
Remember, God will meet you at the level of your expectations. Pay attention to what you are thinking about and make the choice to believe God for good things. Every day, imagine there are blessings, favor, increase, and promotion in your path. They already have your name on it! It’s just a matter of time before you come across them.
Start confessing everyday “Something good is going to happen to me today.” Stand strong when trouble comes, knowing that your best days are ahead. Believe that God's blessings will overtake you! Expect goodness and mercy to chase you down. If you'll learn to raise your level of expectancy, God will pour out His blessings and favor on you. You'll rise to new levels and live the life of victory He has in store.
for instance yesterday, out of the blue the school calling me to tell me i could go ahead & start on Monday. my "old" way of thinking would have just started thinking of another time i could start school (summer time, next fall maybe...) but my positive outlook, i just kept believing i would start next week. and, i will be!!
yesterday after i found out i would get to start school on Monday, i started looking online for 35mm SLR cameras because i have to get one for the class. i only found ONE at Target, it was $199. i was just searching the internet and one of the guys from work walked by and asked me if i was buying a new camera. i told him about the class and that it's hard to find 35mm SLR's anymore since everyone's going digital. he then said, "i have one at home you can have for your class if you want it". i couldn't believe it! can you say blessing??????
he brought it in this morning and said i would probably be able to keep it and if i accidentally break anything not to worry because it's old and he would probably never use it again. he paid over $200 for this thing a few years ago. WOW! i'm so excited and of course this just makes me believe that God wants this for me more than ever. He knows i want to do this. :) i'm so blessed!
i wanted to share this i received in the inbox today:
What are you expecting today? Are you expecting to rise higher in life? Are you expecting good breaks? Are you expecting goodness to follow you everywhere you go? If you are expecting to get the short end of the stick, your own wrong thinking will keep you in mediocrity.
Remember, God will meet you at the level of your expectations. Pay attention to what you are thinking about and make the choice to believe God for good things. Every day, imagine there are blessings, favor, increase, and promotion in your path. They already have your name on it! It’s just a matter of time before you come across them.
Start confessing everyday “Something good is going to happen to me today.” Stand strong when trouble comes, knowing that your best days are ahead. Believe that God's blessings will overtake you! Expect goodness and mercy to chase you down. If you'll learn to raise your level of expectancy, God will pour out His blessings and favor on you. You'll rise to new levels and live the life of victory He has in store.
powerful thoughts!
there's a lot going on right now! my mind is spinning just thinking of it all. so this weekend i read a lot of chapters in my book by Joel Osteen. i'm tellin' ya...if I never recommend another book in my life, i'm recommending you read this one. it's powerful. i get leery of reading books by preachers. i mean, there are so many quacks out there. to be honest it's hard to put my trust into most of them. but i have been watching this guy on tv on Sundays for awhile now, a few years. from the first time i saw him on national television i just felt a connection. i call it the God connection. :)
anyway - things i wouldn't have ever expected starting happening since i've started this book. first of all, out of the blue almost i decided to go back to school. i want my associates in Photography to begin with. after a rocky start with registration and much prayer and just POSITIVE THOUGHTS and saying my words out loud (i am favored, i deserve good things, i will prosper and succeed at everything i do!) -- i got a phone call today from the school i would like to attend. they are going to let me start next Monday!!!! my first day of school will be Jan 14th. i'm nervous but excited to get this ball {finally} rolling. i almost didn't think it was going to happen, but then it did and now i'm going. wow!
also, i get my church's prayer chain emailed to me weekly. now, if you click on the website on my sidebar of my church...it's not a small one. in fact, it's rather large compared to the churches i grew up in. they have 3 services on the weekend and well over 1,000 people at each service. well this request i read on the latest prayer chain...well...it was definitely geared toward me. i don't know who could've sent it in, but it specifically said "Melissa" and "her sister" in it and it was just touching and amazing and i couldn't believe it. if you want to know, email me but i don't really feel like blogging too much about it. kind of personal. :)
i'm feeling like God is preparing me for something great this year. i don't know what, and usually i'm NOT spontaneous at all (ask Tim, lol!) ~ but i'm beginning to like the "not knowing" of it all. i really am! it's like i'm being led by someone who knows EXACTLY where i need to go. it's truly hard to explain and yet amazing!
anyway - things i wouldn't have ever expected starting happening since i've started this book. first of all, out of the blue almost i decided to go back to school. i want my associates in Photography to begin with. after a rocky start with registration and much prayer and just POSITIVE THOUGHTS and saying my words out loud (i am favored, i deserve good things, i will prosper and succeed at everything i do!) -- i got a phone call today from the school i would like to attend. they are going to let me start next Monday!!!! my first day of school will be Jan 14th. i'm nervous but excited to get this ball {finally} rolling. i almost didn't think it was going to happen, but then it did and now i'm going. wow!
also, i get my church's prayer chain emailed to me weekly. now, if you click on the website on my sidebar of my church...it's not a small one. in fact, it's rather large compared to the churches i grew up in. they have 3 services on the weekend and well over 1,000 people at each service. well this request i read on the latest prayer chain...well...it was definitely geared toward me. i don't know who could've sent it in, but it specifically said "Melissa" and "her sister" in it and it was just touching and amazing and i couldn't believe it. if you want to know, email me but i don't really feel like blogging too much about it. kind of personal. :)
i'm feeling like God is preparing me for something great this year. i don't know what, and usually i'm NOT spontaneous at all (ask Tim, lol!) ~ but i'm beginning to like the "not knowing" of it all. i really am! it's like i'm being led by someone who knows EXACTLY where i need to go. it's truly hard to explain and yet amazing!
great weekend so far!
this weekend is great so far! it's been rainy & cold & i am just LOVIN' it. i love when it rains - i used to hate thunderstorms, but i love them now. the sound of rain is just so soothing to me. last night i read 4 chapters of my book in bed, all snuggled up with my heating blanket & the window cracked so i could hear the rain on the rooftop. it was just great!
today we've just been running errands & cleaning. we just spent the day together as a family & i love it. it's been drizzling off and on today. i hope it RAINS again soon!! it's been gloomy out. tonight i made CHILI. what a PERFECT night for it. :) then after dinner tim went upstairs to haylee's room & built a "fort". i was trying to help him but he said i didn't have the "fort building skills" that he does. ;) so haylee & i went downstairs to make ice cream sundaes instead. :))) yum!!! we made them with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate syrup & strawberries (no strawberries for tim though, he doesn't like them)....wow they were yummmmmmmy. we ate them in the fort that tim built. we all laid down in the fort in haylee's room & watched the movie HAIRSPRAY. it is the cutest movie & although it was one of my Christmas gifts, haylee LOVES it and watches it more than i do. it's because she has a crush on the main boy (Zac Efron - who plays Troy in High School Musical) - his name in the movie is Link. :)
we had a GREAT night & memories that'll last forever. we are definitely going to work more on making these kinds of memories in 2008. these are the times haylee will start remembering when she gets older. i want to make such GREAT memories with her and us as a family. i think that is really important. the look on her face tonight as we snuggled in the "fort that Daddy made" tonight will leave an impression on my heart and mind forever. what a wonderful gift to be a Mom.
i'm praying for a RAINY day tomorrow! we are planning on going to Newport Beach ~ not to the beach (too cold for that!) but hopefully to a restaurant we've been wanting to go to for awhile. haven't been there in awhile (Liz, haven't been to Newport since you came down!!).
alrighty...i hope you all are having a great weekend too.
love always,
mel
today we've just been running errands & cleaning. we just spent the day together as a family & i love it. it's been drizzling off and on today. i hope it RAINS again soon!! it's been gloomy out. tonight i made CHILI. what a PERFECT night for it. :) then after dinner tim went upstairs to haylee's room & built a "fort". i was trying to help him but he said i didn't have the "fort building skills" that he does. ;) so haylee & i went downstairs to make ice cream sundaes instead. :))) yum!!! we made them with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate syrup & strawberries (no strawberries for tim though, he doesn't like them)....wow they were yummmmmmmy. we ate them in the fort that tim built. we all laid down in the fort in haylee's room & watched the movie HAIRSPRAY. it is the cutest movie & although it was one of my Christmas gifts, haylee LOVES it and watches it more than i do. it's because she has a crush on the main boy (Zac Efron - who plays Troy in High School Musical) - his name in the movie is Link. :)
we had a GREAT night & memories that'll last forever. we are definitely going to work more on making these kinds of memories in 2008. these are the times haylee will start remembering when she gets older. i want to make such GREAT memories with her and us as a family. i think that is really important. the look on her face tonight as we snuggled in the "fort that Daddy made" tonight will leave an impression on my heart and mind forever. what a wonderful gift to be a Mom.
i'm praying for a RAINY day tomorrow! we are planning on going to Newport Beach ~ not to the beach (too cold for that!) but hopefully to a restaurant we've been wanting to go to for awhile. haven't been there in awhile (Liz, haven't been to Newport since you came down!!).
alrighty...i hope you all are having a great weekend too.
love always,
mel
My thoughts are this
well today was a GOOD day! although i have tired mommy mind right now...i'm just sitting here listening to Haylee read her new sight words and Tim playing guitar hero 3. it's hard to concentrate. :) oh and Miley is crying in her kennel because she pooped on the floor for the 1st time ever this morning (i don't know why!) and i am just not ready to snuggle her right now. call me tempermental. ;)
work was very very slow today and the fact our server went down didn't help in the least! but at least i had the chance to do some personal things!! i got online and called Admissions for the college i want to attend this Spring and figured out that i don't have to do matriculation until this Summer! PRAISE GOD! HE seems to work things out for the best. i don't know why i even worry. :) but i do! silly me! so i went ahead and registered for my photography class online...i am going to call tomorrow to make sure it went through...it just seemed much too easy to be true for me. ;) oh ye of little faith! hee hee. not really, i know God can do ALL things, but really it was SO easy! i also have to inquire on my payment...the government is supposed to pay and i'm trying to get those little things squared away. keep your fingers CROSSED and PRAY that i get in before Jan 14th! that is the start date of my class!! yikes i'm cutting it close!
i decided tonight would be my 1st night getting back on the exercise wagon. so i pulled out my Billy Blank's Boot Camp. i am so embarrassed to say i can only make it through 15-20 mins before i am panting so loudly that Haylee walks in the room to make sure i'm still breathing! my face is beat RED. my muscles are already SORE and it's only been less than an hour that i worked out. i hope i can roll out of bed tomorrow! hee hee heeeee!!! i feel like i am at a GREAT body weight (i'm not sure what that is though but i know i'm happy with my weight) -- but i seriously need to firm it up. none of it is muscle, that's for SURE. ;)
okie dokie better go check on my (store bought) lasagna and talk to Haylee because she just said "Mommy, do you love me? Are you listening to me? Listen to me sing!"...yes she is lacking attention right now. better go smother her with my mushy mommyness.
love you ALL and THANK YOU for those believing in me. :) i do appreciate your comments - you know who you are (even email comments!).
xoxo,
mel
work was very very slow today and the fact our server went down didn't help in the least! but at least i had the chance to do some personal things!! i got online and called Admissions for the college i want to attend this Spring and figured out that i don't have to do matriculation until this Summer! PRAISE GOD! HE seems to work things out for the best. i don't know why i even worry. :) but i do! silly me! so i went ahead and registered for my photography class online...i am going to call tomorrow to make sure it went through...it just seemed much too easy to be true for me. ;) oh ye of little faith! hee hee. not really, i know God can do ALL things, but really it was SO easy! i also have to inquire on my payment...the government is supposed to pay and i'm trying to get those little things squared away. keep your fingers CROSSED and PRAY that i get in before Jan 14th! that is the start date of my class!! yikes i'm cutting it close!
i decided tonight would be my 1st night getting back on the exercise wagon. so i pulled out my Billy Blank's Boot Camp. i am so embarrassed to say i can only make it through 15-20 mins before i am panting so loudly that Haylee walks in the room to make sure i'm still breathing! my face is beat RED. my muscles are already SORE and it's only been less than an hour that i worked out. i hope i can roll out of bed tomorrow! hee hee heeeee!!! i feel like i am at a GREAT body weight (i'm not sure what that is though but i know i'm happy with my weight) -- but i seriously need to firm it up. none of it is muscle, that's for SURE. ;)
okie dokie better go check on my (store bought) lasagna and talk to Haylee because she just said "Mommy, do you love me? Are you listening to me? Listen to me sing!"...yes she is lacking attention right now. better go smother her with my mushy mommyness.
love you ALL and THANK YOU for those believing in me. :) i do appreciate your comments - you know who you are (even email comments!).
xoxo,
mel
Do you understand your VALUE?
It NEVER ceases to amaze me the little things God puts in my life. I do NOT believe in coincidence either. Even simple little things such as BOOKS God puts in my hands to read. They just bless me SO much.
Tim bought the book on the sidebar by Joel Osteen for me for Christmas. He knew I liked to read & it was really unexpected. He's actually getting into reading also. He's reading "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy (the Indiana Colts coach).
Anyway ~ with every chapter there is a sweet surprise in it JUST for me. The words alone just make my heart flutter because I know God is thinking of ME when HE put that book in my hands in the very moment I needed it. :) How sweet is His love!
I just wanted to share a little paragraph from the chapter titled "Understanding your value". It really touched me today:
"It is vital that you accept yourself and learn to be happy with who God made you to be. If you want to truly enjoy life, you must be at peace with yourself. Many people constantly feel badly about themselves. They are overly critical of themselves, living with all sorts of self-imposed guilt and condemnation. No wonder they're not happy; they have a war going on inside. They're not at peace with themselves. And if you can't get along with yourself, you will never get along with other people. The place to start is by being happy with who God made you to be." --Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now.
Doesn't that paragraph describe someone you know? Maybe it describes you. I know for a LONG time it described me. But I know too that I overcame my fears about myself and started living up the expectations that I set for myself. I am still learning too....this book is amazing. I just think this guy is a GREAT motivational speaker and a Godly man. I watched his service last Sunday (instead of going to church...I was strongly convicted to stay home on Sunday morning which is totally NOT like me) -- and the tears just started POURING out of me uncontrollably. The words he spoke, they were ME. I knew at that moment why God had us stay home. I NEEDED that message. Maybe one day I will talk about it. But for now I just am so happy that I am a child of the KING (yes Brandy....I LOVE that song too).
Be blessed tonight. Love ~ Mel
Tim bought the book on the sidebar by Joel Osteen for me for Christmas. He knew I liked to read & it was really unexpected. He's actually getting into reading also. He's reading "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy (the Indiana Colts coach).
Anyway ~ with every chapter there is a sweet surprise in it JUST for me. The words alone just make my heart flutter because I know God is thinking of ME when HE put that book in my hands in the very moment I needed it. :) How sweet is His love!
I just wanted to share a little paragraph from the chapter titled "Understanding your value". It really touched me today:
"It is vital that you accept yourself and learn to be happy with who God made you to be. If you want to truly enjoy life, you must be at peace with yourself. Many people constantly feel badly about themselves. They are overly critical of themselves, living with all sorts of self-imposed guilt and condemnation. No wonder they're not happy; they have a war going on inside. They're not at peace with themselves. And if you can't get along with yourself, you will never get along with other people. The place to start is by being happy with who God made you to be." --Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now.
Doesn't that paragraph describe someone you know? Maybe it describes you. I know for a LONG time it described me. But I know too that I overcame my fears about myself and started living up the expectations that I set for myself. I am still learning too....this book is amazing. I just think this guy is a GREAT motivational speaker and a Godly man. I watched his service last Sunday (instead of going to church...I was strongly convicted to stay home on Sunday morning which is totally NOT like me) -- and the tears just started POURING out of me uncontrollably. The words he spoke, they were ME. I knew at that moment why God had us stay home. I NEEDED that message. Maybe one day I will talk about it. But for now I just am so happy that I am a child of the KING (yes Brandy....I LOVE that song too).
Be blessed tonight. Love ~ Mel
1st post in 2008!
I hope you all have a GREAT 2008! What a great opportunity for new beginnings. :)
I am really excited to see what God has in store this year. So many GREAT things happened in 2007 for us, it was a really good year. Praying many blessings in 2008 for everyone.
Last night Tim & I rang in the new year by having a nice dinner (Haylee too, she fell asleep at 9pm though...LOL) and a glass of wine. We watched the ball drop & concerts on tv. Then I text messaged a lot of people & went to sleep. It was a nice quiet night. Well our neighbors did fireworks, it was fun!
I wish you many wonderful things for this new year. I challenge you to step outside the box & do something you'd NOT normally do. I know I have a few things in store for myself. I have set a bunch of goals, written them down & plan to follow through now.
The book I am reading by Joel Osteen is AMAZING. I love it. If you haven't had the chance to hear this man preach, you should watch him on Sunday mornings (I think he's on USA) at 8:30am. He is a great inspiration! You can even listen to messages online at www.joelosteen.com
Happy New Years' Day!!
Love,
Mel
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