The perfect Christmas picture!!!

Every year we try, and I mean TRY to get a picture of the grand kids in front of Nana and Papa’s tree.  Every year we have such high hopes of how the picture will turn out.  Every year we come up with a game plan, who will shoot, who will pose, who will do the funny dance in the back to get them to smile, etc. 

And every year, well, just see for yourself. . . .

92

93

95

97

98

96

100

101

103

104

105

106

107

Sooooo, yea, you pretty much get the idea, huh?  Well, there’s always next year . . .

Not Me Monday!

 
Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
 

I have NOT put off finishing up my Christmas shopping until the week of Christmas.  And now the kids are out of school and I have 3 days and no idea how I am going to finish.  Hoping the stores have “extended” store hours this week!

I did NOT completely crash yesterday after having Nate’s family over for Christmas dinner on Saturday.  I would never totally space out and basically need a day in bed after planning and hosting a dinner for 10 adults and 8 kids.  And I did NOT leave the dishes from the dinner until last night before I washed them.  Besides just being gross, it makes your job twice as hard when trying to scrub dried broccoli off of a bowl!

I did NOT just say to my children “The next person that asks me for a piece of candy is going to get their fingers chopped off!!!”  Really, I find much better ways to explain to my kids that candy at 9 am is just not healthy and that mom is a little stressed and the same question asked 24 times in 6 minutes might cause her to lose what last bit of sanity she has left.  I would NEVER just shout out something that would make my kids run and hide in the other room!

Happy Monday!

Photo of the Week!

jon 8

 

I think this was summer of 2007.  Playing in the fountains at Seacrest Beach is one of the kids favorite things to do!  I just love how you can see the excitement on J1′s face.  I love summer!

Not Me. . . Tuesday?

I admit.  I AM a day behind. 

I did NOT make a pot of coffee this morning, but forget to put the coffee in AND forget to pour the water in the back of the coffee maker.  If I had done that I basically would have just warmed up a pot of water!  And I am NOT that scatter brained that I would forget the 2 essential steps to coffee making!!

I have NOT put off ordering my Christmas cards until today.  Other people have probably already sent out cards with pictures that I took!  So, being the photographer behind others cards, I would NEVER have neglected ordering my own cards!

Nate and I did NOT sneak in a quiet meal at Texas Roadhouse this past Sunday while we were supposed to be out Christmas shopping.  We would never do that!  But if we did, it would have been awesome, and sooooo deserved!

I promise I will try to do my next “Not Me Monday” post on, well you know, Monday.

WHY???

Why do people think that they need to verbalize their opinion on how many children another family has?

Of course this is coming from the story about the Duggar family and that they delivered baby #19 at only 25wks gestation.  Baby Josie weighed in at 1lb and 60z.  Wow!!  Just the thought of that is completely breathtaking!

I will admit, I have made comments such as “How in the world do they give each of their 18 children individual time and attention?”  But then I have to admit that just because I can’t do it doesn’t mean that the Duggar parents are not able to do it.

I read with sadness this morning that baby Josie was born so early.  I felt sad for the mom and family and mostly for Josie.  But then I began to read these awful, judgemental comments about how others feel about this family.  And again, my question is “Why?”  Why do you care???  Are you being asked to care for these children?  Do you have to feed them?”

The Duggar family is a Christian family who believes that children are a gift from God.  Michelle Duggar suffered a miscarriage after her first child was born and was told that the miscarriage was most likely caused by the birth control pills she was taking.  So, heartbroken over the loss of her child, her and her husband decided that they would no longer try to prevent conception, and would welcome any child that God blessed them with.  I can understand her decision.  I myself have had to research birth control options because of my blood clotting issue. 

Even with only four children I have experienced the raised eyebrow  and the “what were you thinking”  and the famous “You do know what causes that don’t you?”  expression and comments.  I also feel the same frustration because I just want to say, “What’s it to you??” 

From what I know about the Duggar family:

- they have strong moral values

- their children are well behaved and respect authority

- they live a structured life and are taught the importance of self discipline

- they are all well fed and clothed

- they live in a house much nicer than the average American

- they helped build the house they live in.  This helps give them a sense of pride about their home, and therefore a respect for property, theirs and someone elses.

- they have no debt.  Everything is bought with cash and as far as I know they do not receive any government assistance

This is not a family that is continually having children and relying on the government to support them.  This is not a family who has numerous, rebellious children that are a threat to society.  This is not a family who is leaving these children to raise themselves with no guidance.

So again, I ask “Why do people care so much?????”

Again, I don’t think that I could raise 19 children.  But just because I can’t do it doesn’t mean that they can’t do it.

Prayers for the Duggar family and baby Josie.  We all know that pregnancy complications and premature birth can happen whether it’s your first or 19th baby.

Any given day . . .

Now that I am a mom of four I have to admit that I hear myself say things that I thought I would NEVER say!  I always thought I was going to be this totally in control, organized, graceful mother whose children adored and respected her.  Well, lets just say that sometimes life has a way of taking what you “thought” was going to happen, and what “actually” happens and making you look rather silly!  But either way, I have decided to make a little list of some of the things that may come out of my mouth on any given day. . .  

“If there is no blood or vomit involved then you better not get out of that bed!”

“Would someone please get J4 out of the toilet?”

“What is that on the wall?  Yes, that brown stuff.  IS THAT POOP on my wall??”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t care if you are hungry, thirsty, scared or want a hug.  You didn’t need or want any of those things before bedtime, why do you need them now?” 

“Do we still have a dog, and if we do has anyone let her out or fed her today?”

“Did you poop today?  What was it like?  Did it hurt?  Do you need some poopy medicine?”

“What do you mean the glass just fell off the counter?  Really, all by itself  it just jumped off and broke into hundreds of pieces?”

“How can you NOT know how YOUR markers, in YOUR room, colored on YOUR wall?”

“What do you mean J4 is stuck in the toy box?  Did you help him before you came to me, or is he still upside down with his feet stuck in the air?”

“Exactly how many days have you had on that pair of underwear?  You do know that when you take a shower you are supposed to put on clean underwear, right?  That’s part of the deal with showering!”

“What do you mean J4 threw up on your face?  Just try to keep it on your face and not let it get on the carpet please!”

 

Yea, so anyway.  An example of a real life mom in all her glory.

Not Me Monday!

Aaahhhhh, confession time again!

I so did NOT serve peanut butter sandwiches for dinner two nights last week.  I know how important balanced nutrition is for a growing child and I would never compromise the health of my children by serving something like peanut butter sandwiches.  And, if I did serve that for dinner, which I did NOT, I would NOT have added a side of cheetos to go with it.  And to top it off  I would NEVER put them all at the table and turn on Noggin while they ate those peanut butter sandwiches that I did NOT serve.

I did NOT neglect my poor husband almost every night last week because I was working on pictures and learning new techniques in photoshop.  I am so organized that I can do that sort of thing during the day while I am home with the kids!  I would NEVER have to wait until they are all in bed because I can NOT think while they are running through the house and screaming.  But even if I couldn’t do that during the day, I would NOT leave my poor husband to watch TV alone while I stayed up until almost 1 am every night.  That would NOT be the good wife thing to do!

And, I did NOT force my kids to put on their jackets and run 10 laps around the backyard when it was 40 degrees outside.  What kind of a mom would do that?  I love my kids, and their laughing, screaming, chasing, crying, name calling, throwing toys, breaking ornaments, spilling drinks, all in the span of about 10 minutes, would never get to me so much that I had to lock them outside!  But, if I had made them run laps, which I did NOT, I would NOT have been happy when they came in exhausted and cold and just wanted to cuddle with me on the couch! :)