Wordless Wednesday (just the past week's scrapbook pages)...which I totally forgot about until right now

Praying for Carly

Not too long ago, I became facebook friends with a fellow photographer from Jacksonville, Florida. Her name is Brittany and her photography is simply beautiful. As I was browsing through her photos, I came across some senior photos of a girl named Carly. She is a young woman who's beauty definitely catches your eye. The other thing that catches your eye as you look at these amazing photos is the fact that Carly is without any hair. Of course, the first thing that you think of when you see anyone without hair is cancer, and especially since cancer is sooo very common here locally. Since hearing Carly's story, I have kept up faithfully with Brittany's updates and continued to pray for Carly daily, if not more frequently. So, this being our family blog, there are so many of our family and friends who follow this. I wanted to reach out to you, to keep this young woman, her family, her doctors, nurses, & hospital staff, and all those who love her in your thoughts and prayers. All of us have been an 18 year old young woman or have been close to an 18 year old young woman at one time or another in our lives, and I can't imagine, as I'm sure you can't, enduring what she has and will continue to endure.

Below is part of a post that Brittany had on her blog, Miss Bell's Sweet Tea.

"Well Saturday, Carly was sent to the ER for nausea and headaches. She then started having seizures and was moved to ICU. After many tests were run, Carly was told her cancer is back and has spread, she now has Brain Cancer & the cancer is also in her spinal cord. Carly has been given options and she has decided to STAY STRONG and fight this. She will begin INTENSIVE treatment thursday, which is very painful and will make her very very very sick... I AM ASKING YOU TO PLEASE pray for this child, she is 18 with a long life she has yet to live. Please, please pray.... As often as you can..... The bible says For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20 Please pray for God's presence in her life now, more than ever, so that she feels his peace and she knows he is here with her, watching over her, and comforting her, and please pray for her family, you can't image what her mom is going thru and if you are a mom, try to put yourself in her shoes. Then lastly pray that the hands that touch her are healing hands, they are the hands of God and that they make the right decisions to help her beat this sickness"

The strength is beyond amazing, beyond belief, beyond anything I think I would ever be able to possess. She is truly an inspiration.

Photographs are courtesy of and posted with the permission of Brittany Bell Photography

Another whirlwind...

This past week was another whirlwind week at our house. I always rolled my eyes when I was younger when anyone older than me would say “As you get older, the time goes faster”. Did anyone believe that when we were little? Or better yet, how many of us have realized it, have seen it everyday, and now have children of our own rolling their eyes when we recite that same quote?

Monday, Tim and Tiff left to go back to Florida. That is always a sad day in our house. Rod & Tim are super close and it bothers both of them very much to have to say good-bye. Anytime Tim visits, he and Rod have some big project to complete. This time is was a video game project. Their visit this time obviously made quite an impression on both of our boys. Gauge has said several times this week that he wishes they lived closer so he could play Legos and Wii with his Uncle Tim anytime he wanted. Reid also took a big liking to Tim this week. Several times he crawled up on the couch and cuddled with Tim and when he was sleepy, Reid laid right beside him and stroked Tim’s fingernail, just like he does with Rod or I. And after they left, Reid went up into the boys’ bedroom and pointed mattresses on the floor where Tim & Tiff slept, looked up at me and said his little “huh?”, and went off searching for them. Too cute!

This week was a busy week for the photography business. I completed baby shower invitations for Angel, a co-worker and friend of mine. I completed Kyle’s senior photos and when I took them to work to drop them off to him mom, Lisa. I was so happy with her reaction to the photos. We created a storyboard of her favorites and she was pleased with the way it turned out. The funny thing about it was that Lisa left Kyle’s photos out on her desk all day to show him off (as all mothers like to do) and everyone asked who did the photos. When Lisa would tell them that I did them, they all pretty much said “Jess? The Jess from your office?”. I guess I was a little surprised at the reaction because after these past few years, I assumed everyone knew about the photography business. The good news about it is I already have a family photo shoot, a senior photo shoot, and two wedding inquiries. I guess I should pay Lisa for all the advertising she’s done for me!

Wednesday was Gauge’s weekly night to go to XOO with Aunt B and it was also First Wednesday at New Pointe. I felt like I hadn’t seen Julie in forever so getting to visit with her a little before the service was a definite bonus to the evening. As far as the service goes, I hate to say it, but I was a bit disappointed. First Wednesday is usually so moving and so emotional and this service was lacking both. I can count on less than one hand the amount of times I have been disappointed there, so I think that is why I am so surprised when it does happen. We start a new series at church on Sunday, so I’m sure it will be awesome as usual.

All Gauge has seemed to talk about this week is Grandparents Day at school. His class isn’t in the program this year so it will just be the Grandparents visiting their classrooms and then taking them out to lunch. Meme will be taking him to McDonald like last year. Gauge told me that his whole class is trying to get their Grandparents to go to McDonalds so they can all play together. Yikes! Every parent who has spent any amount of time in a McDonalds play place knows how loud it can be in there when there are 10 kids in there. Can you imagine the noise if there were close to 100 kids in there?!? Obviously they won’t all be going to McDonalds, but I hope the Grandparents all brought along their ear plugs or turn down their hearing aids…whichever the case may be. You just gotta love kids and their big ideas!

And lastly...here's a couple super cute photos of Jake & Reid. Jake was trying so hard to take Reid's binky and put it in his mouth, even though Jake doesn't take a bink. I just thought it was so funny! And they both wanted to sit on my lap, so we all cuddled together on the chair for part of the evening.

Friday Fill Ins

1. Sweet dreams …dreams, what’s that? I’m too exhausted most nights to dream!
2. Caffeine is a daily necessity for survival, especially for me.
3. Silliness is abundant in our household, especially where Reid & Guido are concerned.
4. We will have a farmer (Gauge) and his farm animals, a chicken (Reid), and a horse (Jake) in our crew this Halloween.
5. Outstanding or not I appreciate each and every message in the sermons at church.
6. Lots and lots of time to scrapbook is what I want right now!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to scrapping with Julie from 7pm-2am, tomorrow my plans include Paetyn’s Birthday Party and editing photos and Sunday, I want to go to church and enjoy taking the boys to Jaide’s birthday party!

Wordless Wednesday (just the past week's scrapbook pages)

Big Boy Bed Success

I stuck to my guns on Reid sleeping in his own bed after Tim and Tiff went back to Florida. I took him to bed last night at 8:00p, he went right in, I put him on the bottom bunk and I laid down beside him. I couldn’t believe that he just laid there and didn’t make a peep. I should have known that this was just the calm before the storm! It was about 8:30 and the dumb dog, Guido, to be precise, came flying into the room and scared us both half to death. And then the screaming began. Oh he got himself so worked up and cried and cried. Rod came up at a little after nine to relieve me, since we both knew that this would have to be a tag team parenting event. And the screaming continued…and continued…and continued. Finally, at 10:30 Rod came downstairs and said he was asleep. He said that Reid threw the biggest fit he had ever seen. He was holding on to the railing and jerking it back and forth and screaming “ma, ma, mama” over and over. I’m so glad I had the tv up loud enough that I couldn’t hear him. The tv volume was obviously on purpose. No mother can stand to hear any baby of hers cry, for any reason. I fell asleep shortly after that, and when I woke up this morning and realized I didn’t hear Reid all night, I about had a heart attack. I went flying into his room, and there he was, sound asleep. SUCCESS!!! All night in his own bed! So tonight, Rod said he would take the first shift while I edited photos. He went up at 8:00 again tonight, and Reid was asleep before 9! Oh can this really be? At the age of 19 months, he is sleeping in his own bed for the first time. Rod is thrilled…but I have to admit this tiny little secret…I loved having my baby sleeping right beside me every night (and I already miss him). Shhhh…don’t tell Rod.

Wordless Wednesday (just the past week's scrapbook pages)