Seriously?

We got our pictures taken yesterday...

When I say WE, I do infact mean my entire family...even my husband who puts up with my endless "ideas" for poses even into the setting sun...

And so with prodding and pleading, I got everyone over to the farm where AM met up with us to snap a few shots so that I could get my christmas card finished (for heavens sake!!!)

I wish I could adequately verbalize the type of friendship/relationship that Anne and I have...there are times that we could be identical twins and then there are times that we are as different as night and day...

the one thing that we do share...VERY strongly I might add...is our love for a good picture...infact it is very difficult when one of us has a camera and the other doesn't...

Therefore, these family photo sessions, though relatively painless, do cause me some nervous reactions at times...this is why she and I work so well together at weddings...we're bouncing all over the place, each one of us "seeing" different views...

So, it shouldn't surprise me that once our "family" shots were done, I went back and grabbed my camera as if I had lost my right arm and started shooting "other" things...

What I didn't realize, is that I had now become the "view" for her...

She sent me these today:

I suppose I have a bit of fun while shooting...no?

Thanks Anne for the reminder!!!  Love ya!

I prayed for a barrette

Remember the pile of leaves?

Little Munchkin not only enjoys leaves, but she has a fascination for anything in her hair...barrettes being one of those such things.

She had them on in these pictures b/c we had just purchased them that morning...

She needed something to keep it out of her eyes so that she could run full blast down any aisle of any store as fast as her legs could carry her...

And so, I didn't really think much of it while playing in the leaves...she could see, she could jump...I figured they were doing their job and all was right with our world...

What I failed to recognize is that when pieces of sticks and leaf stems get caught in your hair, you often have the uncontrollable desire to just start pulling and yanking things out...including barrettes.

Now...she LOVES those things, so even though she had yanked them out of her hair single-handedly, she wasn't about to surrender them over to Mama...nope!  "I hold 'em Mama...I got 'em"

Alrighty then...and so I diligently continued the raking...and she continued the jumping...

UNTIL...

her sad little cry..."Oh no Mama...I dwopped them...in the leaves!"

And there sank our dear hot pink barrettes...

Daddy, sisters, Mommy raked and looked for 2 days in the grass, and soaked leaves after the rain...to no avail...

Today, she awoke from her nap (knowing we were going to try getting some family photos done) and asked if I could please find her barrettes...

What's a mom to do after spoiling her child with hot cocoa from Starbucks and a chick fil a milkshake in one day?  What's a mom to do for a little girl who awakens and her only care is her hot pink barrette?

Well...I headed outside for the umpteenth time to try to locate the things in the trampled bazillion leaf pieces in our back yard...and in doing so I prayed...

"Lord, you know that I have a hard time with prayer...I don't ask for a lot of things b/c I don't like being disappointed...normally, I'd just ask for wisdom in how to parent this little 3 year old who is waiting inside for me who is really sad about her barrettes...and I'm not thinking that you're some magic genie who's going to give me anything I wish for...but, we've been looking for these things for 2 days and even if I could just locate ONE of them, I'd surely be thankful..."

Not more than 5 seconds later, I looked down and there was one barrette.

I was floored...

Now, call it what you will...maybe you think it's just a coincidence...maybe I raked harder and looked with a set of eagle eyes this time around...but, I have a feeling that He was just giggling up there..."Watch this everyone...I want to surprise her...she's going to love this!!"

Well...I didn't stop there...although I told Him I was perfectly content with just one, but I said, "I've heard that if you don't ask Big, you're not gonna receive big...and this is about as "big" as I'm capable of asking at this point...I'll keep looking for just a tad longer, and if you have that other one show up...well, I can guarantee I'm going to have a blog post at the least!"

And there appeared the 2nd one...

Maybe He's teaching me something...He knows how to best teach me...and it does take me awhile to learn...and I'm a tad cautious along the way...

And then again, maybe He just wanted to see me smile!

Either way...I had a tiny blessing today...and it was sweet!

Things That Make Me Happy...

1. A clean house...or at least a semi-, almost, pretend-esque clean so that when someone pops in, it looks like I've actually DONE something and not been sitting at my computer eating cookies and drinking Pepsi while surfing through all my favorite blogs.

2. Painted toenails in a really pretty color that are not chipped or peeling away because of an awful hangnail that you just can't quite fix b/c doggone it if it doesn't hurt like the dickens...throw in a toe ring to finish off the "ensemble"!

3. My camera ('nuf said)

4. Crunchy leaves that make a really loud noise when Little Munchkin jumps into them and then rolls around so they get all caught up in her hair, but because they are crunchy they'll just slowly dissenigrate and you don't have to worry too much about them...unless someone asks if you've checked her head for lice and then you freak out until you realize, oh yeah, it's leaves and then you can give her a bath and it's all better anyway...

5.  A Starbucks coffee ('nuf said)

6. Apple pie a'la mode

7. the smell of a spice/cinnamon candle burning all evening on a brisk fall day...especially when my husband has turned on the heat at least being able to keep the house in the 60s so that I can actually breathe without nose hair-cicles.

8. talking on the phone uninterrupted for at least 15 minutes...doesn't even matter who it is...to just be able to carry on a conversation without having to stop at least 30-gazillion times.

9. reading silly books to my girls in which they laugh and I laugh and then we start snortin' b/c we're laughing so hard...yeah, it makes me happy!

...just a few of my "happy" things...
What makes YOU happy?

Little Munchkin and Fall

A tradition at our house is to rake all the leaves in our yard into a huge pile around this time of year and wait for all the kids to get off the bus and then the whole neighborhood comes and jumps in it...In years past, I've had Sweetpea and Peanut there to help me...

they drag the blanket from one corner of our yard to the next as Mama rakes up dead leaves from our 22 trees...then we drag the blanket to a most appropriate spot on the premises and await the unloading of cooped up school children...

This year however, a couple of things are different...#1 I only have a 3 year with whom to work...and therefore the task of raking up leaves from, said 22 trees, is a workload that only a realistic task force can really tackle.  Not to mention, Mommy is getting older people...Mommy can't hack the sweat and trudging an acre to pile the leaves...in a word (or two) Mommy is a wimp and she's old...plus, when she's ridiculous enough to scarf down the amount of food she did this past weekend, well, it takes some time for her poor ole heart to recooperate!

Therefore, our pile is a tad smaller than in years past...

But it turned out okay...b/c Little Munch and I had a great time 'swimming' and 'sleeping' in the leaves together...I'm learning to savor those moments...not only because living in the midwest does not afford you the luxury of knowing that your leaves will not be plummeted by rainfall within 24 hours and thus all your hard work was for naught...

but it wasn't for naught really, because we had a blast together...and it was worth the sweat dribbling down my back and the wet armpits b/c I have some issues with perspiring that obviously is NOT managed by clinical strenght Degree as the commercial promises!

Happy Fall everyone...it's my favorite time of year!

Whipped into shape

This is happening in so many areas of my life right now...

WHIPPED into shape...

It rather feels like just plain ole WHIPPING, but I'm going to hope for the positive and regard it as merely "training exercises" that will further my ability to grow.

Let me mention that the above stated "whipping" did not occur in the area of nutrition and proper health on Saturday evening as I managed to scarf down a crispy chicken sandwich, a double cheeseburger, fries and then finished it off with an icecream drumstick all in the matter of about 20 minutes.  Glutony, would be another term that might have satisfied the situation...it doesn't matter that I hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch due to soccer games, drop in visits from friends and the ever lovely downpour of rain changing the attire for the family as we headed to the 2nd soccer game of the day...

Nevertheless...who eats that much?  who NEEDS to eat that much? 

Well...I paid for it with nightmares of old boyfriends, tornadoes, and wacky alien people from the Electric Company again...I need to find another program for the kiddos to start watching...it's just plain getting ridiculous...

So, I got WHIPPED all night and got up at Oh Dark Early to run...and run and run...I didn't feel like eating again for awhile...at that point, Italian Stallion raided what is left of the garden and had ourselves a nice, home grown salad. 

Next on the Whipping Post and much more importantly is my heart and mind...

If you remember, I'm simulataneously reading about a gazillion books...funny how they are kinda all fitting together...a little spooky if you ask me...and yet, perfectly logical when it comes to what God can orchestrate. 

So, if Isaiah doesn't speak it loud enough when he prophecies, "woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left..."

Mamarazzi translation, "Man, you are in heaps of trouble people if you focus all your being on having a perfect home, and the latest fad toy for your kid, and only choose to wear name brand clothing whether you trick yourself into thinking you're getting a deal cuz you're getting it on sale or handed down from someone else, etc. etc....you're fillin' your life up with STUFF and there ain't no place left"

back up to Isaiah 1 when he starts shouting, "stop bringing meaningless offerings!" 
Mamarazzi translation, "Just stop it...you all are religious and sweet and say just the right thing and profess a sweet and loving God, who He is, but stop thinking you've got it all together and that you have arrived and have it figured it out and falsely believe that you are basking in his approval"

I promise to stop in a sec...but this is just hitting home...I'm not moving to Africa and selling all my possessions...but I want to know where my heart lies...cuz if I couldn't do anything for HIM, then my heart isn't where it should be...He doesn't love me any less because of it, but He WANTS me to 'get it', get what it means to Love Him...and not just try to fit Him into my box of comfortable with a side of "what's the least I can do so that I can feel like I'm giving to the mission"?

WHEW!  I'm sure there are some of you who may stop by my blog every 5-7 days or so, cuz really...you never really know if I'm gonna post anyway, so I don't blame you...but still, stopping by and reading this crazy, loud, Italian (bymarriage) spoutin' off a bunch of religious stuff...well, it's gotta be a little, "umm, can you just go back to posting pictures of you in goggles and trying to make it appear that you can cook?"

Yeah, I don't blame you for that either...

well, maybe...because seriously...goggles?

But, I get ya...and I won't do it all the time...but, I'm learning some things here...and sometimes it's easier to just get it out...talk my way to the conclusion of the matter...so I hope you'll offer small amounts of grace as I  hash through my "stuff"...and I won't be hashing it out online all the time either...b/c that gets dull after awhile...and personally, I enjoy me some photography and parenting cliche's...

Have a great start to your week...

Book Interjection #1

My plan was never to use this blog as a platform by which to "preach"...

It still isn't.

However, as I'm reading about 4 books simultaneously:  Crazy Love by Francis Chan, Radical by David Platt, the book of Isaiah by...uhhh, GOD, and some historical fiction ABOUT the book of Isaiah by Lynn Austin called Gods and Kings.  I have lots of thoughts going around in my head.  And if you even have an inkling as to my personality by now, you realize that it is nearly impossible for me to keep my mouth shut when trying to come to a conclusion about something in my brain...it's as if "talking" gets me to the finish line...

Therefore, periodically, you may see the little above post title of a "book interjection"...this is my arena by which I can spill what's on my brain...however, if you're not interested or not reading those books or really don't  have an interest in the deep thoughts of crazy, picture-taking Mama who may or may not think Spaghettios is part of the food pyramid...then you can feel free to just by pass the post for that day and come back when I'm writing about more interesting things like how much laundry I was able to accomplish in a single day or how I was miraculously able to get the toothpaste goo off the ceramic tile...

the choice is yours...

and with that I begin:

I missed out on Lifegroup last night because I had "Creative Arts Team" practice...(there's a whole story behind the fact that we do not title it as Worship team, but that's really for another post, another day and at least a few weeks after I've tackled the plethera of remedies to disposing of fruit flies and getting ground oreos out of the carpet...)

where was I?

Yes...so, I missed the first Chapter of Crazy Love Discussion... I thought I"d just share MY thoughts on the chapter here...on my blog...cuz I can:)

There were 3 things that struck me in this chapter...right after the title:  Stop Praying
I want to say that right here, it got me...because you know what?  I struggle BIG TIME with prayer.  It goes back to my perception of God...which if we travel back in time to specific experiences in my life where GOOD things were asked for and denied...well, it just makes for the whole, "why bother asking anymore?" 

So basically, "you had me at...Stop praying"

He had us watch a couple of "awe" videos to get the idea of how big is, etc etc...and although it WAS awe-inspiring...all of His creation...what rocked me was this statement:
"If your high view of God doesn't affect how yout hink of Him, then He's just another word in the sand."

See, I "think" I get how big He is...He's CREATOR, He's almighty, He's all-powerful, He's bigger than I can imagine...you can put a million titles in here...

The problem is, is that though I may "know" it...I stuff it into my little box b/c to be completely, vulnerably honest:  I don't want Him to disappoint me...

There I said it...

and therefore, I don't often LIVE as though God is really that big...sure He's big enough to handle all my problems, my parenting questions, my fear of the children getting hurt or sick, the worries of abillion things...but, then I think, "I can handle this one, I mean He gave me a brain right?  so I'll just use it and not tap into His power for me today..."  And I feel like I'm being strong and brave and courageous...when in reality, I'm just scared...scared of trusting.

Here's where it's even more scary for me:  God is all-powerful right? (umm..yeah, you just said that duh) F.Chan states, "Don't we live instead as though God is created for US, to do OUR bidding, to bless US, and to take care of OUR loved ones? versus Col. 1:16  Can I worship a God who isn't obligated to explain His actions to me?  I'll admit to you that this is difficult...I'm a communication person...I want reasons adn explanations...I like to understand the whys...I ask my girls and my husband all the time, "why did you do it that way?  what makes you think it will work?..."

He doesn't HAVE to answer me and that makes me a little mad...it's scary to give that control to Him and trust that He loves me...does anyone else even have a clue what I'm feeling like?

lastly...I liked this last statement even though it frightens me...I know that once I start to take to HEART who God is more and more, statements like this will be EMPOWERING instead of frightening...

"God cannot be contained in this world, explained by our vocabulary, or grasped by our understanding"

So there you have it...those are my "thoughts" for the moment.  I will be back to discussing raking leaves and flu vaccines in the near future...until then...hope you have a GREAT weekend!

Nose Hairs, cold and chili

It's been a little chilly here lately.

I'm not complaining.  I like me some jeans and sweatshirt weather.  I enjoy the smell of a fire outside and burning an autumn candle on the inside...

It's the frozen nose hairs in the morning as I inhale b/c my Italian Stallion deems it non-economical to put the heat on in September.  It may also be the fact that my children like to put their cold hands up my shirt just to hear me scream...

But, as I said, it's been a little chilly here lately...

Chilly enough for big pots of chili for dinner and hot coffee in the morning.  Chilly enough to start wearing socks with my birks...fashion faux-paux #264 I know...Chilly enough that I needed to purchase another sweater because as I said, our heat isn't on yet:)  So, what better way to put that "economy" to good use?
plus, I had just a bit left over from birthday moneys...yippee!

And so with cold fingers I tap away on this keyboard to bring you earth-shattering news from the Italian household...

*silence*

yeah, there's nothing really earth-shattering goin' on over here...lots of soccer practice, life group started up again, studying the book of Isaiah, helping in the classrooms at school, workin' on a cool soccer slideshow project for the girls, continuing my "office decor"...

just stuff...

stuff I thought I"d share...

cuz, you know...you come over here to read the blog and I gotta be writing something...

Have a great Tuesday...I promise to think up some more intersting things to type about here in the near future...

as soon as my fingers warm up...or maybe I'll just go get some gloves...

Happy Tuesday!