#8

Today marks our 8th anniversary. I can hardly believe it's been that long! It's even more amazing to think how much our family has grown since - God is good!!! I praise Him everyday for the abundant blessings he's so graciously bestowed upon us. We celebrated with an evening out to dinner sans kiddos (thanks mom for taking them for the evening!) and then headed to the mall to run to a couple stores. It wasn't too eventful, but definitely needed - just Tim and I. It was a good reminder that while we love spending time with the kids we need time to ourselves to focus on our marriage - love takes work!

Debut

My holiday cards have been unveiled! You may check them out on my smugmug site @ http://www.whitneyjillphotography.smugmug.com/ under the Christmas Cards 2008 gallery.

We won the LOTTO!!!

Okay, well, not quite........................but it sure feels like it this past week because Reece finally pooped in the toilet!!! We've been struggling with the PT (potty training) thing for a while with him. He was quite confident in keeping his pull-ups dry, but was petrified of pooping in the toilet. We were even able to get him to tell us when he had to poop and he would head to the bathroom and sometimes even squat next to the toilet. So, in my opinion, he had it all figured out - it was simply a will-power/control issue with us - nice! Now you're probably wondering how it worked, right?!! Okay, those of you with weak stomachs or who just get grossed out easily proceed with caution...............but I'm sure if you're a follower of this blog you're aware I'm a mom of three boys and that's part of life! So, Tim got him to sit on the toilet with a diaper on (but only secured with the help of Tim's hands) so when Reece went to the bathroom, Tim quickly whisked the diaper away and PRESTO! We had poop IN THE TOILET!!! Okay, enough bragging.......it's happened twice since then so we've started a habit (I hope). Stay tuned.....

Couldn't resist!

I'm just about ready to head to bed, but came across this proof while editing my nephew's newborn shoot. That's EXACTLY how I feel - good night!

One MAD MOM at the Frederik Meijer Gardens

This blog post title can be a little misleading.........I'm not referring to myself :) I'm referring to this spectacular sculpture by Tom Otterness. This past Tuesday Tim and I decided (spur of the moment) to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and our FM Gardens membership. I've taken the boys a handful of times this year, but we hadn't been as a family, so we took advantage of their Tuesday extended hours. Of course we were viewing a few sculptures by dusk (and the boys required warm hats) but the place was quite empty. The boys enjoyed just running and exploring! This facility is fabulous and always very interesting (as well as educational). It's great for literally ALL ages (no, I don't get a membership discount for throwing in that sales pitch). Without further ado, here's the Mad Mom herself:


Reece made the comment, as we were leaving, that this sculpture was me - nice.....and that comment was NOT prompted by his father


Marvelling at Jaume Plensa's "letter people" (well, that's not the official name of the sculpture, but it is representative :)


Lucas found part of his name

And if you look close enough you can actually spell his name around his body! That was not a posed picture (well, not besides me telling Lucas to look through the *U*).

Lucas in awe of the beautiful sculpture in the Lena Children's Garden (a beautifully designed outdoor area for children).

Hand carved pumpkins

Treasuring up the last bits of evidence of summer

At the Farm area................I think this is one of my favorite pictures of my boys.......why?.......because this isn't posed (though I really tried, but my assistant wasn't into it :).........it's my babies in the moment!

The pumpkins really were that BIG!!!

Jackson couldn't even climb on them

Guess what type of tracks these were?

Yup! Three deer right smack in the middle of one of the trails at the gardens. I've never seen deer here before - of course I didn't have my zoom lens on, so this is the best I could do!

Gotta love friends!

First of all let me say, "thanks," to this family who's been so patient in waiting for their proofs :) The beginning of the school year sure is crazy (and I don't even have my own full time classroom - outside of Sunday school :) This family of four was a lot of fun to work with (not just b/c they are friends of ours). How can you NOT have fun with a little princess like her?!! I just had to take a break from editing to post this . I love this newfound hobby(talent?) God's revealed to me. It also took a little pushing from another friend of mine (you know who you are and i thank you for encouraging me :) to branch out from just photographing family/friends. It is so much fun just playing around with each new family I meet and capturing some memories along the way!

Putting it in perspective (with a little help)

While jumping from blog to blog (I think the correct term is "blurking") I was encouraged (thanks to Heather) to check out Stephanie Teslaa's (of Miracles Photography) http://miraclesphotography.com/ recent blog post on being overwhelmed with our busy days. She began her post referencing a book she recommends, "Time Out - A quiet-time devotional for busy moms" by Leigh Ann Thomas. Inside she found a chapter on *overwhelmed* which I so needed to be reminded of on a daily basis! I had a rough day with my boys Monday and this just put it all into perspective for me :) Even if you aren't a mom reading this hopefully you can all find some comfort in this passage..................
Psalm 18:32 "It is God who arms me with strength and make my way perfect."
It has happened countless times. I awake with a yawn, a stretch, and a smile. I roll over and hug my pillow, burying my face in its softness. As I relish those last few moments in the covers' warmth, my thoughts turn sleepily to the day ahead. I enjoy several seconds of cheerful anticipation... before it happens.
My brain immediately shifts into overdrive as the weight and burdens of the day's responsibilities settle on me. Resentment seeps in as I think of all the activities competing for my time. Housework beckons. Children demand. Deadlines loom. Promises must be kept. Appointments must be met. Potential joy is shattered as I yield to selfishness. I greet the new day with a grumble in my heart and a discontented frown on my face.
The day then proceeds pretty much as expected. The housework seems endless and the children are unusually demanding. The entire morning seems to be spent taking one step forward and two giant leaps backward. Stubbornly I question, "What in the world went wrong?"
And every time I face the question honestly, I immediately realize that I took the wrong path hours ago. Right after I savor that first morning stretch, my waking thoughts have a choice to make. And the path I too often take is self's. I choose to go my own way - and I end up stumbling around, tripping over worldly thoughts and attitudes. My sense of perspective disappears as I look at life through my eyes.
What's missing is God's way: His thoughts, His eyes. Without fail, when I neglect to give each day's burdens to Him, I inevitably carry them around myself. And the results can be disastrous, including not only the loss of my joy, but the loss of my fellowship with Him and with others.
Of course housework will still beckon and children will still demand, but when the day is given to the Lord, selfish thoughts can be replaced with the joy of servanthood.
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." Psalm 68:19
May we never lose sight of our purpose on this earth! Our God is an awesome God!

Proud!

Where do I begin? I'm already at a loss of words as I'm writing this post on his second day of school (Thursday, September 4). I purposely began this post on Wednesday so the date would be correct :) September 3 was Lucas' first day of kindergarten at Springview Elementary. Mom is so proud of you Lucas!!! I imagined Tim, the boys, and I would drop Lucas off at the bus stop and shed several tears (mostly mine), but I was wrong. Lucas hopped right on the bus and we met him at school to see him onto the kindergarten playground and then into his classroom. His little makeshift id bracelet from the transportation department was a little security blanket (more for me) that he would safely be escorted to the correct bus/classroom during the day. It's AMAZING how independent he's become in only a couple days. Here's just a few of my observations......
*His trust in a complete stranger to guide/teach/take my place as a mother for 7 hours of the day
*He now spends more time at school than he does with us (awake)
*Riding a bus for the first time
*Staying at school a full day (2-3 times/week)
*Choosing to eat only the sweet part of his lunch (no mom lecturing him to finish his sandwich first before he gets a cookie - okay, he didn't quite think that one through when he showed me his lunchbox with the healthy food still in it :) We've got work to do here!
*Meeting new friends
*Experiencing recess 2 times a day
*Learning Spanish
*He can also hold his pee for over 8 hours!!! Now that's talent (or discomfort) depending on how you look at it :)
It's really bittersweet to see this little boy become an independent student. It's hard to let him be "on his own" though I know smothering him will only damage him. I couldn't be more proud of the *big* boy he's become and am so thrilled to see him enjoy his first real school experience. My only wish is that your father and I do all we can to help you become the person God made you to be! We love you Lucas Elijah Meyers!!!



He's not a fan of "smile and say cheese"



And he's independent!!!