Quiz of the Day

Who knows the answer:
Did this little thing like, or dislike, me putting her in my bucket? :)

I Am One (32 years ago)

I just had to show off this little thing.....she is our little neighbor, and will celebrate her 1st birthday in a few days....

Watch out beachers!

The swimsuit model has arrived for the '09 season! You would have found her sporting it all day yesterday......73 degrees and sunny....today she wants to sport it too....50 degrees and rainy....mean mommy said no....whiny swimsuit model cried!

Job Description

Does this make anyone else exhausted just reading this?

PARENT Job Description

POSITION:Mom, Mommy, Mama, MaDad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION:Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include
evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:None required unfortunately.On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

** AND A FOOTNOTE **

THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!!
If you are fortunate enough you will become grandparents!

Whoot Whoot !!

Your chance has come !! Two very talented woman, two very cool websites, and LOADS of very cool (and cute) items. These woman work their tails off, and they are mighty good at what they do. I have had the privilage of working with both of them, helping them display their products on their websites. If you ever go to any area art fairs, you will see these two woman sharing a booth, displaying their items together. I ohhh and ahhh everytime I see what they have come up with next.....

Well, now to the reason for this post (other than to sing their praise!)....
These 2 woman, kBella Bambino Designs and Dani Bags Boutique is giving anyone who finds my blog interesting (ha), a special discount off of ANYTHING on their websites. Simply click on their link above, and pick your pleasures...then when you go to check out, type in "tina15" and you will automatically receive 15% off anything you purchase. Think spring/summer/Easter/beach bags/summer photoshoots/diaper bags/kids backpacks....endless!


To see more of Dani's Bag's, click here.


To see more of kBella's Designs, click here or here.

I am Still Alive!

I seriously should have never made it public that I was going to "try" to do the photo a day thing....ahhhhh...I knew it wasn't going to happen :).

We are finally able to venture outdoors here in the midwest...not quit sure it was shorts weather today, but I "made" Thys put them on anyway, since he either has holes in the knees of every pair of pants he owns, or his pants have become such floods from him growing over the winter.

Of course, Elli was in school again today, so she missed out once again on a photo shoot! She woke up this morning and was not feeling 100%. She complained of a headache. After deciding if she was trying to "punk" me and was not as sick as she was saying, I finally just decided to let her stay home. Within about 20 minutes, she was running around the house. So, I said..."ok, get your booty in the car little girl!" Once we got to school, I told her that I was just going to drop her off at the door since I still had my jammies on, and asked if she could walk herself into her classroom? She said that she would be really embarrassed walking into the classroom and having everyone stare at her. I said, "Elli, mommy still has her jammies on, I really don't want to walk through the halls of school in them." She looked at me with these sad eyes...so, I thought to myself, suck it up Tina, just walk her in, don't make eye contact with anyone, and literally RUN back to the car.
"Fine, I'll walk you in."
We got to the front doors of school, and Elli stops me. She says, "wait mom".
Then I see her scan me over from head to toe.
"Ummm, you don't have to walk me in...I think I will be more embarrassed of how you look, than walking into class."

NICE!!!

Day 4...still rolling

First she asked for her toenails to be painted....then she asked to wear the tutu....then she asked to wear mommy's shoes....then she asked to have her picture taken....the result of all her demands!

Day 3....Grandpa

My Grandpa went HOME yesterday. What an amazing example he was to all of us. I will always remember him, and thank him, for the true Christian example he was. I know I have talked before about how thankful I am for having such a strong Christian legacy in my family. In my lifetime, it starts with him. I did not know my great-grandparents, so to me, the personal knowledge of that legacy starts with him (even though I know it started many generations before). The strong Christian example he set for his kids (my dad) trickled down to me, and I pray everyday, that I will pass that trickle down to my own kids. Thank you Grandpa for passing on that legacy...a legacy that will allow us all to meet again someday!

Day 2....

I caught her trying to check out her belly button tonight, while taking a tubby...

Day 1...numero uno!

I am going to try really hard, to do this "Photo-a-day" thing. I don't know if you have seen other photogs doing it, but the whole plan, is to take and post a picture a day....hmmmm, sounds easy, right? We'll see...and I promise they won't all be of this monkey...she just so happens to be the only one that is tied to my hip ALL day long, and the only one that wants to do "tricks" for mommy!

The sole male in the house everyday from 8am-6pm.....quit the responsibility for the little man :).

Clothes Swap

A little fun....I am loving this dress by kBella Bambino...I use it for a dress for Tessa, and then pair it with jeans and a shirt, for the older girls...I am all about multi-purpose clothing for the girls, even if they frown on sharing. I am sure this is not the last time they will fight over sharing clothes. Oh how interesting our life will be 10 years from now when we have 17, 16, and 14 year old girls....I have a feeling Dean will move out!

I *Heart* Faces

I found this blog while browsing through blogs....ok, stalking blogs :). It's a really neat blog for photogs of all different levels. And, they were having a contest titled "The Eyes Have It"....As I have said before, I absolutely adore my kids crystal blue eyes...so, I found it fitting to enter this one of Tessa into the contest (my first photo contest I have ever entered)...

Go Check them out!!

Makeover

Check out my new logo....The very talented Gina from Peahead Prints designed this for me. If anyone is in need of an amazing logo and wants a slamming deal...visit her site. She is running an amazing special till the end of Feb., so HURRY!!



Check it out on the website.

Just the Kids!

Just a few pics of the kids....making them "perform" again!! See, they get suckers at the end if they cooperate!

Clothes are from the new spring line of kBella Bambino Designs
More to come on that later....stay tuned....you won't want to miss what she has to offer!


Does not take photo sessions seriously!!
The girl knows how to whistle....and she does it GOOD!! Too funny!

A Mom's Version Of I Corinthians 13

I was reminded of this by a friend. Reminds us to "chill" as moms, and remember what our real job is...I SO NEED THIS REMINDER DAILY!

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love,
I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love,
my children learn cleanliness, not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction,
and fault them for every mess they make,
but have not love,
my children become people-pleasers, not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy",
the taxi-driver to every childhood event,
the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my children.

All the projections I had for my house and my children
have faded away into insignificance,
And what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture,
dishes with missing place settings,
and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings,
But the greatest of all is the Love
that permeates my relationships with my children.

-Adapeted by Jim Fowler

2008 In Photos

Every year (I try) to make a short video of the kids pictures for that year. So, even though I am a week later....to much further ado....here is our 2008 video....enjoy!

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

"Mommy, don't look at me!!"

Apparently, closing the eyes, makes the dreaded mommy go away.....

Until you actually open your eyes and realize she is still there....then you have to come up with other tactics....wow, someday (probably not till I get to Heaven) I will be that flexible again!

Bedtime Questions

This is an email that Dean wrote, after a night alone with the kids. I was gone, and this is how bedtime went...enjoy your guest blogger!



So…my kids are not old enough yet to be asking about the birds and the bees… which is good, I’ll leave that one for Tina.
That said, raising kids as Christians presents as many, if not more perplexing questions. Dad is supposed to know everything right?
Eishck.

Bed Time Questions tonight…

Dad, was God ever born? (ummm… no sweetie… but that is a great question.. God always was…)
What do you mean dad? (Crap… how do you explain that one?)

Dad, did God ever die? (well, yes, Jesus died for your sins, and he is God…)
But dad, if God was never born, how could he die? (keep in mind this question is from a 5 year old, and I don’t know an 85 year old that can nail this one)

Dad, we pray for poor people, are they all in China ? (ummm… no… sweetie… there are poor people everywhere).

Dad, are poor people around us? (yes sweetie… there are poor people everywhere that don’t have clothes to keep them warm, food to eat, or even a house to live in)

Dad, if a poor person came to our house and needed a place to sleep, would we let them in our house? (finally one I could answer yes unequivocally)

Dad….. (PLEASE JUST GO TO SLEEP, I LOVE YOU!!!!)

I’ll take the birds and bees and pass them along to their mom any day. Easy one. “You came as a miracle from God, through mommy and daddy, and if you end up being a really good kid, God used a little bit more of daddy.”

#2

Well, child #2 (or #3...see previous post) had his day. What else do you do on a snow day, right? If your sick of seeing my kids....sorry! Cold, snowy winters give us little else to do around here! Make this "For Grandma's Only" then!