A Moment In Time

I'm a Bad, Bad Blogger....I know!!

2009-05-13T21:08:00.011-05:00

I know, it's been more than two months this time. All I can say is, I've been BUSY!!!! I'm not complaining though. I like being busy, to a point. It's better than being bored. But seriously, it's been ridiculous.

Softball season for Alison started the first of March and it didn't stop until this past weekend!! Which is an awesome thing!! During this Softball season, I also had 2 weddings, 1 prom, helped organize and deliver a ladies devotional, 3 softball tournaments, several individual photo sessions, helped my parents plant a garden, raised money for Relay for Life (thanks everyone who donated), Bobby was in Dallas for a week on business and not to mention, there were several Dr. appointments sprinkled in. SOOO, life as been slightly busy and doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon.

The first wedding was a good family friend and a "little" girl I used to babysit, boy do I feel old!! It was a beautiful ceremony that took place in a little chapel on the lake at Children's Harbor.

The Prom I did was interesting, to say the least. It was the first prom I have done and I must say, I like shooting proms!! It was so much fun. It was the area Homeschool Prom, so there was a good mix of personalities and fashion to keep it interesting. The kids were great. I was reluctant to accept the job, but so glad that I did and can't wait to do another one.

The very next day after the prom was the other wedding. Talk about wearing myself out. It went pretty smooth and again was a beautiful, simple ceremony...just like I like them :).

Now, back to Softball. This year was the best year for Faith Christian High School Softball in the history of the school.....which, if you are from around Anniston, you know really isn't saying much. BUT, this year was awesome, seeing as last year's record was like 3-15, which last year was the best in the history. Last year, even with that record, the girls beat the right team at the right time to advance to the Sub-State tournament, only to lose right away. THIS year our regular season record was 11-5. In class 1-A, area 8 we won and place 1st overall. From there we hosted the Area Tournament. And despite the ridiculous "swine flu panic" and cancellation of all high school sport events....after six games that tournament record was 5-1. The last 3 games of the tournament were played from 3:00 pm - 9:30 pm on Tuesday, May 5. The second game went into overtime and after 9 innings, we won 15-13 and had to turn around and play that same team again to determine the seat for the Regional Tournament. We also won that 3rd game.....20-10!! So, two days later we are headed to Lagoon Park in Montgomery, for the Regional Tournament!! I was so happy for the team, but so sad that I would have to miss Relay for Life, which happened to fall on the same weekend. That Friday, we played Billingsly at 10:30 am and lost 8-7. At 5:00 that same day, we played Wadley and won 13-1. The next morning, we played Sweetwater at 11:30 am and in the 6th inning we were behind 9-2, but came back and tied it in one inning, only to lose 10-9. Hard loss, but they played hard to the end. Faith's overall record for the 2009 season, including tournaments is 16-11. Not a bad improvement. Next year, the goal is State Playoffs...way to go Faith Lady Lions....you did good!! AND you got that Area Banner to hang in the gym...09 goal--achieved!!Well, that has been my life for the last couple of months. It's late and one of those Dr. appointments I mentioned earlier, comes early tomorrow morning in Birmingham....so, good night to my blog friends. Hopefully it won't take me as long to post next time.

"If we're not directly displaying the Glory of Christ, then we are useless and ignoring the reason for our existence."

Relay for Life 2009

2009-03-06T12:46:00.012-06:00

I'M BAAACCCCKKKK!!

I know it's been a while. Things have been busy around here. We went to Winterfest in Gatlinburg, TN with our church youth group a couple of weekends ago. There were about 57 of us and we truly had a blast. Several of the 57 were sick with the crud by the time we got home. Luckily, no one in our family were seriously effected.

Softball season is upon us....so there has been practices, ordering uniforms, buying cleats, bats, batting gloves, etc., etc!! The first game is TONIGHT....WooHoo! I'm so ready to see some softball action.

THEN, tomorrow, I have a wedding! So my busyness has just begun. Actually tomorrow is the easy part. Except that it will take place about 2 hours away and that always adds to the stress. This is the wedding of a little girl I used to babysit years ago...ugh! It will be close to Alexander City, AL at a camp for terminally ill children, Children's Harbor. They have a cute little chapel right on Lake Martin. It's is supposed to be a beautiful day, so I'm sure the ceremony will be even more special. Say a little prayer for me AND for the new couple!!

This post is actually about something that is very close to my heart. Finding a cure for cancer....

This year the church my family attend is going to have a Team at the local Relay For Life. This year the event will take place May 8 & 9, 2009 at Fort McClellan. I am so excited and blessed to be able to do my part this year. Last year I attended for the first time to take pictures and observe. It totally blew me away. The Calhoun County Relay for Life is the biggest in Alabama. That makes me so proud. Last year they had close to 7,000 people attend and raised $626,500. How awesome is that??

That brings me to this.....

Dear Friends and Family,
This year, hundreds of thousands of people will hear the words "You have cancer", and there's a good chance that some of them will be people we know and love. Every school day 46 children are diagnosed with cancer. That's just the children. We have all been touched by cancer in some way ... and we all have the power to make a difference. That's why I have chosen to fight back right here in my own community by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life®.
I want to invite you to join me in the fight against cancer by making a donation in support of my efforts. Further down in this message is a link to my personal Relay For Life® web page where you can make an online contribution. If you would rather not make an online contribution, you can certainly mail me a check in any amount, made out to The American Cancer Society. My mailing address is: 3111 Lori Lane, Oxford, AL 36203. Every amount, no matter how small, makes a difference and provides hope. You can also sign up to join my team and learn more about Relay and how it's changing lives. This year's event will take place at Fort McClellan, May 8-9, 2009.

Relay For Life® brings more than 3.5 million people from across the country together each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much. This fun-filled, overnight event empowers everyone to help fight cancer by raising money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission.
I am doing this in memory of friends (Julian-age 4; Coleman-age 5; John Eric-age 2; Dante- age 2; Ethan-age 2; Jay-age 39 and too many more to list) and family (my uncle Charles) who I have lost to this horrific disease. And in honor of family (brother-in-law, Roger) and friends (Kennedy-age 4; Haley-age 19; Lynn, and many others) who are survivors.
Thank you in advance for your support. Together, we will celebrate, remember, and fight back.
For state fundraising notices and the American Cancer Society's Privacy Policy, please paste the following link into your browser: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SU/su_0.asp.
This is the direct link to my personal donation page: You may have to copy and paste the link….. If you have any questions please e-mail me or call (256)832-9987.
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09National?px=9676814&pg=personal&fr_id=15767
Be Blessed,
Gaye H. Phillips
A Moment in Time Photography
www.amitoxford.com
http://www.ghphillips.blogspot.com/

This was an e-mail that I sent out to everyone in my e-mail address book, so most of you have probably already read it, or at least I hope you read it, but more importantly I pray that you will help this monster we call cancer.

Here are the faces of a few that I am doing Relay For Life in memory of...

Coleman Larsen~Born 12/10/03; Diagnosed 9/21/06; Earned his wings 1/5/09...

Julian Avery~Born-5/12/03; Diagnosed-3/8/07; Earned his wings~1/19/08....
John Eric~Born-6/18/06; Diagnosed-9/7/07; Earned his wings~5/16/08....
Dante` Taraborelli~ Born-9/17/06; Diagnosed-12/29/07; Earned his wings~1/6/09.....

I pray that everyone who reads this will take the time to contribute...any amount will help....NO amount is too little. I have faith that my blog family will join me in this effort and pass the word to others. Together, if we all work together, we CAN find a cure for cancer in our lifetime....or at the least the lifetime of our children....This beast must be stopped.

As Coleman said so often....."NEVA DIV UP"....in his memory...we can NEVER GIVE UP!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T14:20:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to wish my blog family a Happy Valentine's day and remind you all that God's love is the perfect love, because HE IS LOVE!! He loves every one of you....it's up to you to receive it....it's free!

"Love doesn't make the world go around....It makes the ride worthwhile"

25 Random things about me, that you know you want to know!!

2009-02-04T14:50:00.003-06:00

Ok, I, like many of you have a Facebook....why, I don't know, but I have one. This little "tag you're it"....tell us 25 things about yourself....has been going around. I have avoided it like the plague, but after about 50 people "tagged" me, I thought, why not? I finally figured out WHERE on my Facebook to do it....that would be under NOTES, for those un-knowing, like myself. So, last night I started the little 25 things about me list. I FINALLY get through and start "tagging" other "friends" and all of a sudden....POOF.....my screen is blank....WHAT????? I worked so hard on this list. I was furious, so, I calmly shut my computer down....and since it was close to midnight, I went to bed. :) Then, today after about 3 additional "tags", I said ok, I'll try it again. Trying to remember the 25 things I had already typed the night before, I began AGAIN. I get to #19, I believe it was, and right in the middle of a sentence.....POOF.....again it is ALL gone! This is beginning to be a challenge, and one that I AM up to....but forget Facebook....I'm going to my blog....where, I think it's safe. We'll see....

25 Random Facts You May or May Not Know About Me:

1) I was born and raised in Anniston, Alabama.
2) I have one brother, 4 years older than me, whom I fought with our entire growing up years, but secretly I have always adored him. :)
3) I had a bicycle wreck when I was in the 2nd grade and injured my teeth, which was the beginning of a lifetime of dental trouble.
4) An old boyfriend who was also Bobby's best friend, introduced us and oddly enough drove us home the night we met, and had to sit in the car while Bobby walked me to the door.
5) My first job was at Hardee's of Oxford, where I worked with Bobby for about 3 years....fun, fun times.
6) Bobby and I dated for 6 1/2 years before we married....and he was so worth the wait :)
7) I went to Faulkner University for 2 yrs., then transferred to Auburn University for 1 year, until I couldn't stand being away from Bobby, and moved back home to eventually get an Associates Degree in Management from Gadsden Business College.....woohoo!!
8) Bobby's mom passed away 3 months before we married....I really miss not having a mother-in-law!!
9) Bobby and I have 2 wonderful daughters, ages 20 and 16.
10) Bobby and I have been married for 22 1/2 awesome years....He is my BEST FRIEND ever and I adore him!!
11) I also have a best friend that I grew up with, who I still consider my best friend today....the sister I never had....Love ya, Lisa!!
12) In the 22 1/2 years that Bobby and I have been married, we have moved 12 times.
13) I have several people I love in heaven who I can't wait to be reunited with....I am SOOO ready!!!
14) My relationship with my Savior has grown stronger in the past 10 years.....He is my HERO!!
15) After 13+ years of being mis-diagnosed, we have a daughter who was finally diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome this past year....at least we finally KNOW!!
16) I have had Epstein Barr Syndrome for about 20 years....95% or adults have it.
17) I also have Osteo-Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, but they're not going to win!!
18) I love my job and I'm blessed to be able to work for myself from home.
19) I love to see God's beauty through the lens of a camera...He is so awesome.
20) I was once in the hospital for 7 days because of a freak infection from an abscess tooth which had to be surgically removed. But I have THE best dentist EVER, David Cummings. He's also an awesome photographer and mentor.
21) I have to wear a "night guard" religiously EVERY night to keep from breaking anymore teeth and I don't mind wearing it!!
22) I LOVE to cut the grass (riding, of course)...it's my alone time to pray, think, organize my thoughts, goals and plans and even vent if I need to.
23) I am a big fan of Nicholas Sparks and have read ALL of his books and even met him a few months back...He is so down to earth....I knew I liked him for a reason.
24) I have read THE SHACK 3 times and formed the strongest bond with 7 other sisters in Christ anyone could imagine through our "Shack Study".....I LOVE YOU WINGS SISTERS!!
25) I am an avid Auburn fan, my husband is an Alabama fan (his ONLY fault, by the way), my youngest daughter is an Alabama fan (she hasn't matured yet) and my oldest daughter is for whoever has the cutest quarterback. WAR EAGLE!!

Ok, done, and no POOF, so far. I tag anyone who is reading this who haven't already participated. If I can suffer through, so can you ;)

I'll leave you with this until next time.....

"Sometimes we need to forget what we want and remember what we deserve"

Our Good Bye is NOT the End....

2009-01-12T12:55:00.004-06:00

Coleman's celebration of life was Saturday, in Callender, Iowa. I'm just going to let Peggy, Coleman's mommy tell you about it. Be sure to click on the link to see the video. The link is in green, (John Deere Green) Coleman's favorite color. Coleman will live in my heart forever. I can't wait to meet him at the gate. There are too many I'm wanting to meet at the gate. I'm homesick....Gaye

One Day At a Time...
"Coleman often asked, “when is it dunna be my enda- teemo party mommy?” My answer was always “as soon as you’re finished, we’re going to have THE BIGGEST party sweetie.” He and Caden planned it many times-

Yesterday’s celebration of Coleman’s life was everything I KNOW he would have wanted his party to be.It was the most beautiful day of sunshine on a fresh snow. Pastor Kent did an amazing job that Coleman would have definitely approved of 100%. It included all of Coleman’s favorites, and such a wonderful message. Thank you Pastor! Yes, there were tears, but they weren’t for Coleman- they were for the rest of us left here missing all he brought to this world and all he would have brought to the party if he had been there in person.

I believe with all my heart that he WAS there, and I know he was smiling. He would want us to smile too. I didn’t want to focus on all we’ve lost- we know that, but instead we wanted to focus on all we’ve been given in the miracle that was Coleman.

Maybe it’s because Scott and I never knew if we would be able to have ONE baby, and how blessed we always knew we were to have TWO. We absolutely knew the amazing gift Coleman was from his first day here, and so we cherished the 1,851 days with him…each and every one of them. We have so many wonderful memories. Boy did we have it all. To say he changed our lives (and so many others) is an understatement.

Many times during this journey, I prayed so hard, “God….. PLEASE SAVE HIM!” I heard a whisper in my ear, “But he’s already saved, and so are the rest of you.” I thought about that so much yesterday. I also thought about the time Coleman was in karate class in New York and the teacher was working on meditating. She asked them to close their eyes as they were doing their breathing exercises…and to imagine the most beautiful thing they could think of. Coleman closed his eyes and whispered with this little smile on his face, “Dod.” Scott and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes and smiled. That memory came to me several times yesterday.

As much as we are in pain, we know we will be together again. Our Good Bye is NOT the end…which was the video played at Coleman’s service…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnDx26D_JuA

I have much to share on the celebration, and I will…its just way too much to type out now, but I’ll get it down eventually- be patient with me…To say we were overwhelmed BEFORE- well after yesterday, we are just plain in shock…. So many wonderful, amazing people! How blessed we are to live in this community! How blessed we are to know how many lives Coleman touched! Thank you to all of you who shared Coleman’s life with us!!!

Many have asked about Caden….Caden is handling things just as well as he can. Someone mentioned he has lost his best friend. I think in many ways Coleman was his ONLY friend, as we didn’t hang around kids regularly for fear of germs and keeping Cman safe with his counts.Caden was Coleman’s caregiver in so many ways and did absolutely everything Coleman asked of him. They were side by side 24/7. He kept Coleman feisty and loved on him every chance he got. They were a team. Toward the end he felt it was his job to “help Coe-man fight harder.” We’re doing a lot of talking about the last night we were all together, and what has happened since, and what’s to come, but just a little at a time. I tried reading him books about it and he held up his hand and said, “SOP! This is too sad and too much for me. I can’t hannel it! We’re gonna make a new rule. When I say SOP you hafta sop talkin, and when I say GO you can sart again.”I said, “okay Caden…” He said, “I DINNIT SAY GO YET!”So I just hug him and hold him as much as he’ll let me. He’ll talk when HE’s ready.

Yes, he’s lost his other half, but he’s doing as well as can be expected.Has he cried? Yes. has he laughed? Yes. Has he asked a lot of questions? Some. More to come I’m sure.

He’s been even bouncier than usual, but it’s just because he doesn’t know what to do with himself. He never was the “talker” of the two- how could he be with Coleman doing all of the talking? :) But he’s opened up a little at a time. He doesn’t like to see people sad…and asked us at the visitation if we could “just a-vite alla these people out to our house so we can have a party wifout anybody cryin?”As we went to bed that night I said, “let's say our prayers.”He said, “I only have ONE prayer” and whispered, “I love you Coe-man. Amen.” He slept in the middle while Scott and I hugged and hugged him. I know he’s hurting so much, but we're being patient with him as he talks about it a little at a time.

When we pulled in our driveway from the celebration yesterday he said, “I miss him already.” I said, “I know, me too buddy.” He said, “but God sill loves us, ann we’re sill TEAM LARSON.” Scott and I both assured him that was so true. We’ll always be a team.

He sat there and said, “well… ONE good thing…… I guess I get his piggy bank!”We couldn’t help but crack up laughing. That’s Caden- looking on the bright side- and wanting us to do the same. I told him Coleman would want him to have it, and maybe he could think of something nice to do for someone else with the money in it.

Some have asked when he’s going to go to school. I told him when HE was ready he could go. His teacher stopped over and wanted to know if he wanted to come to school with her last week. He got nervous and bouncy and said, “I’ll call ya when I wanna.” She asked if he wanted her number, and he said, “……no.”

Cracked me up. Sorry Kim! We just aren’t going to rush him with anything and are going to let him take his own sweet time. I know he'll wake up one morning and be ready. We know it will be good for him and he will love it…but there will be no pushing from us. There’s no hurry.

Will he make it through this? Yes, just like the rest of us… one day at a time, with our faith and the love of our family members who are hurting too. We'll get through it together.

Like I said, there’s so much I want to get down, but I need to take my time here too-One request I do have is for prayers for our church family. Our church – Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church- in Callender was broken into last night! All that I know so far is a flat screen tv with some video equipment was taken. I’m sure other things as well…they were still investigating during church this morning.As our pastor said, we need to pray for whoever did this. It saddens me so much on top of everything else.

As we left the church yesterday, Pastor Kent chased us down with my laptop that I had at the church the past couple of days with the video for Coleman’s service on it. I’m so thankful it wasn’t left last night, as it was the only copy of the video I had…I hadn’t loaded it to UTube yet, or made a copy, so if there’s a bright side for us, it’s that….. still we’re saddened for the other things that were taken. In my heart, I know those things can be replaced and with the community we live in, we’ll see to it they are. Still prayers for our church family would be appreciated.

Also prayers for the way too many little warriors continuing in this fight. Scott told one of the other families yesterday, “we’re still a cancer family”. How could we not be? We’ll do everything we can to continue to raise awareness and funding for Childhood Cancer Research. I have a lot planned for the future…so you’ll be hearing from me again and again-

As the 1,851 balloons said yesterday, “Nev-va div up.” For the so many people who were involved in working so hard on those balloons- our deepest thanks! It was beautiful, amazing, just too much for words and it meant so much to us! THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who has sent messages, cards, etc. Please don’t worry that you’ll say something wrong to us! Believe me, I KNOW I’ve said some stupid things the past couple of days- and will probably continue to do so!We don’t know what to say either… so we would never hold anyone’s wording against them.Just knowing so many people were touched by Coleman means so much to us. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know you care. THANK YOU!

We love and miss you Coleman.You did a great job sweetie. More to come. "

Blessings to you all,

Team Larson

P.S. (this is Gaye's thoughts)....God is so good to bring people like Team Larson into our lives...Coleman accomplished so much on this earth in his short 1,851 days here. We can learn so much from him and his family. God bless you Team Larson.

"OUR GOOD BYE IS NOT THE END"

The post I didn't want to make...

2009-01-06T22:03:00.004-06:00

I am broken hearted....again! January 5, 2009 at 10:45 pm my little hero, Coleman won his fight. He is home, he is in no more pain, he is free!!! As you know, I never met this little fighter in person, but oh how I learned so much from him through his CarePage. If you haven't visited his page, you have missed out on a blessing. You can visit by clicking on his picture to the left. He spent half of his short 5 years on this earth battling the monster we call cancer. Yet he had more faith than anyone I know.

The past month or so has been so hard on so many I love. I've really had to be careful to not question God. My prayer life has steadily gotten stronger in the past couple of years than it has ever been, but my prayers aren't being answered the way I think they should be. Don't get me wrong, I know our petitions to God aren't going to be answered the way we want every time. Coleman taught me so much. He knew where he came from, he was poked, scanned, endured chemo & radiation, took too many meds to count, was told he didn't have cancer anymore, went through a bone marrow transplant, told he had cancer again, endured chemo again, poked even more, scanned again and again, lost his ability to walk or talk or swallow, yet his faith in God never waivered, because he knew where he was going. His lessons will linger on forever in the lives of those who knew him (personally and through CarePages). I am learning (more and more after each heartbreak) that God isn't always going to answer my prayers the way I want Him to. His ways are not my ways, as much as I wish they were. He sees the whole picture, where as I just see bits and pieces. It's so hard, and no, I probably won't stop questioning God....because I'm human, but one day, Lord willing, I will understand. AND because I am human, I am angry, not at God, but because somehow we can send a man to the moon, we can build a house that runs completely on solar power, we can etc., etc., but we still don't have a cure for this absolutely horrible disease that is killing our children (and adults). 46 precious children are diagnosed with cancer every school day. That is unbelievable, but true.

The Larson family, along with several CarePage families have researched childhood cancer research sights and have found that with most, only a very small percentage (2-10%) donated actually goes to Childhood Cancer Research. Only through Curesearch.org does almost all (90%+) goes to CCR. That is where my donations will go from now on.

Coleman's mother, Peggy is amazing also. She said that through this journey, she has learned to pray for God's will to be done in her child's life. She believes that God's will was done through Coleman. The more lessons I learned through this hero of mine, I believe it too.

Caden, Coleman's twin brother is dealing with this the best way he can. Mom & Dad are showering him with love. Keep him in your prayers. I can't imagine what must be going through his mind.

I want to thank everyone who prayed for Coleman's healing. He really did win the battle...he is free. Please continue to keep Team Larson in your prayers.

"While we mourn, others rejoice to meet him at the gate"

Rest in Peace Coleman.....12/10/03~1/5/09

Continuing to catch up...

2009-01-01T15:22:00.027-06:00

Ok, moving on...Another rather exciting event on Tuesday, December 23, was the arrival of our great-niece, AraBelle Nicole Ishee. After several fretful trips to the hospital over the past 9 months or so and a long 23 hours of labor for her mother, Casey, AraBelle decided to make her appearance at 11:40 pm. She is perfect, of course and came out weighing 7lbs. 9oz. and was 21.5 in. long. Welcome to the world AraBelle....

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On Wed., Dec. 24 we celebrated Christmas with Bobby's family at our house. Not everyone was able to make it, but we managed to have a good time anyway. Casey and AraBelle were unable to be here for obvious reasons, just as Alison and I couldn't 16 short years ago. There was food galore. There was a zoo of dogs, including our 2, Lexi & Lola, then there was Shooter (chocolate Lab) who belongs to Bethany & Marc and Lilly (weimeraner, I know that's not spelled right, but she's a BIG dog) who belongs to Chris and of course the lone cat, Zeke. So it was a day of fun for family and pets. Here are a few pictures from the get-together.... Noah & Alison......

(sweet??) Garrett & Alison....

Marc & Bethany.... Brady, Lucas & Piper.....
Marc, Roger (Bob's Brother), Vicki (Bob's Sister), Garrett, Micah & Katie....
Garrett & Eric....
Bobby & Abbey.....
Family is a great thing....especially when they can be together on Christmas Eve.......

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Once everyone left and Bobby went to work....yes, he was on shift and had to work Christmas Eve until Christmas morning :(, So the girls and I went to see AraBelle and Casey for a while. She was still perfect, see........

Once we (actually I) had my fix for the night, we returned home for a warm winter's nap until Santa came and Bobby returned from work....

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Christmas morning I got up to start breakfast before everyone got up (yes, I know, very out of character for me, but hey, it's Christmas:)) I knew once the smell permeated the house, Bobby would show up to finish the task, which he did....Am I blessed or what??? Anyway, once the girls got up and we ate, we all commenced to opening gifts..... Alison seems happy, and that is a good thing... Abbey is happy too....good thing again....
Santa even thought the dogs were good and brought them something....
What? Zeke too....hummm

A few things my sweet husband gave me this Christmas....some of my favorites....Reba (seasons 1-4), Mamma Mia!!, Army Wives (season 1) and The Note...by the way is probably my new favorite movie. Thanks sweetie!! I love you!!

The big gift was this beauty, my new wireless Photoshop Keyboard and mouse. I guess that means I have to learn myself and quit giving everything to my better half. I think I'm up for the challenge.....

THEN, the best sister-in-law on earth, Vicki (Bobby's sister) gave me my now favorite coffee mug. It says "love the moment", and that's exactly what I try to do....life is so short!! And yes, I like a little coffee with my creamer. She always says I'm hard to buy for, but she always comes through with THE BEST gifts!!:) She also made a donation to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, in my name. How cool is that?? She knows how passionate I am for all those precious kids fighting for their lives. I am truly blessed with the best family. Thanks Vicki!!

Yes, Lexi, that's all....

Well, after all of the gift opening, cleaning up, and getting dressed, we kept our Christmas tradition alive and went to the movies. It was very obvious that there are many families in Calhoun County who have this tradition, as the movie theatre was packed. This year we say "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". A very good, very deep and very long movie, one I highly recommend!!

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Moving on to Friday, Dec. 26.....we had to have our AraBelle fix, especially since she is home now. We went to see the best Christmas gift this season, oh, and her mommy, daddy and big brothers. Still perfect and of course another photo shoot....

Big Brother Noah and Princess AraBelle... Well that is how the Christmas season went around the Phillips' house. I pray that everyone was as blessed as we were. I wish you all a happy, safe and blessed New Year.

"May we all count our blessings daily this New Year"

Trying to catch up...

2008-12-31T15:53:00.020-06:00

Even though I have updated several times in the last few weeks, I feel like I'm falling behind on general updates. So, I'm going to try to get caught up now.

First of all, on December 10th our church family had a surprise 40th birthday party for our good friend and youth minister....Kenny. His actual birthday is Dec. 12. Yeah, I know, 40 is kinda old to be a youth minister :). Hey, I must say the kids must keep him young, because he doesn't look 40 and certainly doesn't act 40!! Anyway, I do believe he was surprised...

"2-T", aka..Nancy Morrow made the cake. It shows Kenny trail bike riding and falling. Kenny and Bobby (my guy) are trail riding buds. This bike riding thing is becoming addictive, which is a good thing. Also from the surprise party, I must share this picture of the daughter of one of my good customers, Jessica Gallahar. Here is Harper taking some of her first steps at 11 months old. Jessica better look out...Harper is on the move!! :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Saturday, December 13, we travelled to Leeds, AL to celebrate Christmas with my mother's mother, siblings and extended families. Altogether, there are about 60 of us, so this celebration took place in the fellowship hall at the Ashville Road Church of Christ building, where my mom's youngest sister and her family are members. My mom is the oldest of 6 (5 girls and one boy). One member of the family has ties to the North Pole is "the" official Santa. He always pays a visit to the family gathering. As you can see most of the kids are thrilled, however there are a couple that aren't so thrilled. Here are a few pictures from the day...

Here is Santa with my Maw-Maw.....

Here is Santa with the kids (minus 2 sweeties).......

Here are the 2 sweeties with their "Pop".....

Here is Santa reading "T'was The Night Before Christmas" with the help of one of the angels....

This is Hudson, the youngest of the whole clan-- with his grandparents and daddy (my cousin). The next addition is due in January!!

A fun time was had by all. We are scattered all over the south east, so it's always great to see everyone.

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Moving on, Sunday, December 14 is Kenny's sister, Tammy's birthday. She isn't as old as Kenny :). Anyway, Tammy started the W.I.N.G.S. bible study that I'm a part of on Thursday nights at her home. Well, all of the W.I.N.G.S. "sisters" met at Cracker Barrel and had dinner to celebrate Tammy's birthday. It was really great to be able to get out for a few hours and have fun with the girls. Sorry I don't have a picture, I didn't take my camera :(

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Then of course the next night is when Tammy's daughter, Taylor was so suddenly taken from us. We are all still hurting and will for some time. Here is a link to a tribute here grandfather (Ken Wright) put on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DhnMcMRBZE . Tammy sent me the link with this message..."THIS IS WHY WE'RE STILL RUNNING THE RACE!!! How true! Taylor made a difference in this world during her short 17 years and she will continue to make a difference. We have all rallied around Tammy and her family and will continue to do so, but it will never be enough. We are all looking forward to the day we meet her at the gate!! I love you Newsome and Wright families. Let God be your strength. This picture was taken on the youth mission trip to Mobile inner city we went on the Summer of '06...this is how I prefer to remember her...

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On, Sunday, Dec 21, we had Christmas with my parents and my brother and his family at our house. Below, are my parents....Here are my 2 girls and my brother, Stan's 2 girls, Brandy, Alison, Courtney & Abbey...

It was a nice relaxing afternoon and always great to have us all together.

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On Sunday, December 21, about 20 of Alison's friends from school and church met us at Struts to celebrate Alison's sweet 16. I'm sure they all had a great time. I tried to stay in the background. It looks like they had a good time anyway. Thanks to all her friends for the support. She loves her friends....every one of them....

Moving on, Tuesday, December the 23rd was a big day around here. First of all, my baby turned 16, so there was no question where we were off to first....The Alabama State Troopers office in Jacksonville, AL...to attain her first Alabama Driver's License. I'm nervously proud to announce there was SUCCESS!! I will have to admit, I would not have been disappointed if there wasn't success, but I would have had one sad 16 year old on my hands for Christmas. So, Congratulations Alison. Now for the rest of you, if you see her on the road, please don't distract her, she is concentrating!!! :) Here she is with her birthday crown on while she's still the princess.

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I'm not through yet, but it's getting close to time to start the "party". It's time to welcome the New Year. We've invited my W.I.N.G.S. sisters and families over for a night of fun, food, and games. I really need to get myself in gear and get ready, so this blog will be continued tomorrow, Lord willing, and a new year. For now, everyone have a safe New Year's Eve and remember.....

"How you exit one thing, determines how you enter another"

May you all be blessed in the New Year!! I love you all!

Update on Coleman

2008-12-30T23:48:00.009-06:00

Peggy, Coleman's mom updated his CarePage this afternoon. They were able to come back home for now and are consulting with home-care and Hospice. He is pretty much just sleeping with the help of pain meds. He is still not able to talk, except a word or two at a time. Also, having a hard time swallowing. Caden is very concerned about his brother and wondering what he can do to help Coleman fight harder. Everyone, please continue to keep the whole family in your prayers. If you would like to read the update, you can do so here, (cp: colemanscott) . You may have to create a username and password if you haven't already. Then search for colemanscott (no spaces). The whole family is overwhelmed at all the prayers that are going up on Coleman's behalf. Their faith and strength through all of this is amazing and very inspiring. Thank you for your prayers on their behalf.

Coleman is fighting hard

2008-12-29T02:19:00.004-06:00

Coleman is fighting harder than ever and needs EVERYONE'S prayers. Christmas eve/Christmas day Coleman had to be airlifted to the ER. He couldn't swallow, hold anything in is right hand and he was having a hard time talking. They had to cancel their big family Christmas (which the boys were really looking forward to, since they had not been able to attend the big family celebration in the last 2 years, due to Coleman's low blood counts). There have been no updates on his CarePage since Christmas. Please take time out of your busy schedules to pray for Coleman and his family. They need every prayer we can offer. Thank you for praying for Team Larson. Their "team" motto is "Team Larson Never Gives Up"....let's not give up petitioning God for Coleman's complete healing.

"He will hear our prayers"

The Princess has arrived!!

2008-12-24T11:37:00.005-06:00

Well the long awaited princess AraBelle Nicole Ishee has arrived.

December 23, 2008--11:40 pm--7 lbs. 9 0z--19.5 in.

AND....she is healthy and beautiful (oh, mom is doing great also!!)

Is she precious or WHAT??!!

Here's the dethroned princess Alison with the new princess AraBelle. I think she really does love her. After all, there will always be a bond there....seeing as they share a birthday now :)

Well, that's it for now, I've got to finish cooking for Christmas. Everyone will be here soon.

I pray that everyone has a blessed Christmas. I will post again soon with more pictures. May God bless each and everyone of you.

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." --Carl Sandburg

Pray for Peace....

2008-12-16T08:00:00.004-06:00

I don't have many words, my heart is heavy. Every Thursday night I meet with about 8 sisters in Christ for a bible study. One of those sisters' lives changed forever last night about 8:00 pm. Her oldest daughter, Taylor who is a mere 17 years old, more beautiful on the inside as on the outside, went to be with our one and only Savior. As many teenagers, Taylor had problems, but some of Taylor's problems were deeper and different than your average teenagers. She had the biggest heart of anyone her age and loved her parents and two younger sisters as well as a special young man in her life. But the monster raging inside her took over this weekend. She felt like the world was against her and she set out to run from that. As she was running, she was struck by a car and killed. Please, pray for this family, pray for peace and understanding. Pray that we as brothers and sisters will know what to do for the family. Pray for the Newsome's to be comforted and know that they are loved. Taylor has conquered this beast and won her home with the King. Go about your day in prayer and love those you don't think need loving...we all need to be loved. We love you, Taylor!! And we love you, Newsome & Wright families. John 11:25,26....Taylor lives!!

Be blessed...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

2008-12-15T16:55:00.023-06:00

I'm back....What has taken me a full day, maybe a day and a half to do in past years, has taken me at least 5 business days to do this year....you got it...decorate for Christmas!! I'm getting old or it's taken me longer this year to get in the mood to decorate. Actually, I enjoy decorating for Fall than any other time. So it took a while to take the Fall decorations down and put those away, before I could even think about the Christmas decorations. I've actually been through decorating for a few days now, just had a hard time finding the time to document it with photographs and blogging about it. So, for your boredom, here we go....

The overall view...

Small Santa collection...

Santa Lane....

The Snowman collection...

The mistletoe and what to do when near it...
Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head know what to do!! :0)

Lexi is taking it all in....this is her first Christmas with us...

The parade of trees...The main tree with miscellaneous ornaments from through the years...

The Coke tree...

The trio of trees (Nostalgic games/characters tree, The Photo tree, & the snowman tree)...

Our favorite new addition to the nostalgic tree...the "mooing" barn... So basically there you have the tour of the inside of the Phillips' house at Christmas time. If I can remember, I'll snap a shot of the outside at some point. But it's nothing spectacular.

Well, besides the decorating, it's just been the usual hectic time of the year. Three out of the four of us have had the sinus/bronchitis crud, so that hasn't helped our non-existent Christmas cheer. I think we are all seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the crud thing though, so that's good news.

We did learn that "the Princess" will make her royal appearance more than likely on December 23. Yes that is the date we welcomed the last little princess in the family (16 years ago). Princess Alison will have to give up her throne, and she is NOT a bit happy about that. Just ask her!! She'll forget fast enough, as that is also the day that (hopefully) she will gain her Alabama driver's license, so all will be well with the de-throned princess. I'll keep everyone posted on the outcome!! We are all anxiously awaiting Princess AraBelle!!

Another long awaited and exciting thing that is happening this week is, the church family where my family attends worship (Greenbrier Church of Christ) has been collecting money from the members to sponsor 33 children who attend Golden Springs Elementary who need a little help at Christmas. We met our goal and were able to purchase for each child, a brand new coat, shirt, pants and shoes. These will be presented to the children and their parents on Wed. morning at the school. This is the second year we've been blessed to be able to do this. Last year I believe we sponsored 25 children. So, we have been truly blessed to add 8 more children to that list this year. I will be there to take pictures and hopefully have a couple to post the next time I blog.

This past Saturday, my family travelled to Leeds, AL to attend my mother's side (The Reaves) of the family's annual Christmas gathering. I'll have more about that along with some pictures, hopefully tomorrow or the next day (you know me)...ok sometime before the end of the year.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember Coleman in your prayers. He's hanging in there, by the way, he and Caden turned the big 5 last Wednesday. Please pray that this LAST chance at treatment will rid his body of the terrible beast...cancer. Pray for complete healing. Thank you, I know his family is so thankful for all the prayer warriors out there!! God bless you!!

I'll leave you with this gift.....

And share this thought... **Wishing you a season of beauty**

**Wishing you a season of peace**
BE BLESSED....

An update to my year long resolution

2008-11-25T14:49:00.002-06:00

OK, in my previous post I resolved to be thankful for something every day, not just at Thanksgiving. Well, as you know, I'm not very dependable when it comes to posting here on my blog daily. But I am dedicated to my daily bible study, prayer time, and journaling. Even though I may slip from time to time, hey, I'm human. So, my everyday thankfulness will be written daily in my journal. From time to time, I will also post what I'm thankful for here on the blog, but the big revealing will be November 24, 2009. That's what I want my blog family to hold me accountable for. Yes, it will be a long blog, but you have a year to prepare and make a note of it on your new 2009 calendar. I still want to invite you to join me, so come on....

Today, I'm thankful for the pain in my hands....at least I have hands and can still use them.

Yes, it's short today, but I'll leave you with this....
"Thanksgiving is a word of action"

Thanksgiving....

2008-11-24T15:20:00.003-06:00

Well, it's Thanksgiving week already. I can't believe this year is almost over. I just love Thanksgiving. It's a time to get together with family and friends without the expectation or obligation to give each other gifts. It's just a time of togetherness, fellowship, and being thankful. However, EVERY DAY should be thanksgiving. As humans we complain more than we count our blessings. If you think about it, what we consider to be burdens and complaints would be blessings to many people. I'm forever complaining about our monthly mortgage creeping up every year due to escrow. When I don't even think about the millions of people around the world who don't even have a roof over their head, or their "roof" is made of grass. I complain that my feet hurt, when I should be thankful that I can walk. I complain because I don't have enough money to buy a Christmas gift for everyone who is special in my life. I saw a saying the other day that really made me think...."Being rich is not determined by how much I have, but by how little I need". Oh man, talk about stinging!! Anyway, all this brings me to this...I know resolutions are typically made at the beginning of the new year, but I'm making a resolution today to make an entry in my journal EVERY day for what I'm thankful for each day. By November 24, 2009 I should be able to list 365 things I'm thankful for. So, hold me to it, if I don't have that list posted on my blog one year from today, Lord willing, of course!! Hold me accountable, I dare ya!! Oh, by the way, you all are welcome to join me!!

I'll leave you with this....
"A thankful heart is a happy heart"

Coleman needs your prayers....

2008-11-24T14:19:00.001-06:00

I know it's been quiet a while since I've posted. It's just been busy, busy, busy around here. Which is a good thing. I just wanted to ask a favor of everyone on behalf of my little guy, Coleman......

PRAY! PLEASE! We all have one BIG contact in Heaven...call on Him. Pray for a miracle! If you do NOTHING else...just pray! Coleman Larson is 4, he will be 5 on December 10. His twin Caden has been a trooper for the last 2 1/2 years that Coleman has been fighting a beast known as Medulloblastoma...BRAIN CANCER! Together they are TEAM LARSON! Coleman has endurred brain surgery, chemo, radiation, CT scans by the dozen, MRIs that he no longer has to be sedated for...he is a pro, multiple lines, port-a-caths, a stem cell harvest and transplant and two relapses. His fight is getting harder and there are less and less options for him.

If you would like to, I know they would be very greatful to receive a birthday card. They love to get mail and they are very appreciative of every peice of mail they receive. Again, their birthday is December 10, 2008. Here is their address:

Coleman & Caden Larson

c/o Team Larson

Box 251

Callender, Iowa 50523

How can a doctor look into these eyes and say, "We are out of options."? Coleman and his family are in IOWA. But they are "regulars" at the Ronald McDonald house in NYC. Team Larson needs YOU, those of you who kept reading even though tears are streaming down your face, to PRAY, and PRAY like you've never prayed before! Because if TEAM LARSON has taught me ANYTHING it's to NE-VA DIV UP!

They got back home Saturday afternoon and are going to be able to spend Thanksgiving with their family for the first time in 2 years. However, when they got home, due to side effects of this new treatment, Coleman can no longer walk without falling. So, he is having to be carried everywhere. Can you imagine how frustrating and frightening this is for him and his family? He is still a happy little boy, just very scared and confused. HE NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS.

Coleman and Caden will tell you exactly what they think of Cancer if you ask. Peggy, their mom asked them and this is what they said:

Coleman explains, “It’s hard to be hooked up to a pole all day when it’s a sun-shiny day, ann be in your hos-pita woom all day when yoa don’t wanna be there ann wish ya tould be outside in-said, but NO, ya tan’t. I wish that no more tids would det tancer, tuz it's tewwible to haffa do all-a the suff what ya dotta do. If no more tids dot it, then we tould all yust be no-mal wif no more pokes."

Coleman’s twin Caden chimed in and gave his two cents, “Cancer is the worse day of my wife (life) because you don’t getta pway wif your brudder when ya weally want to. Sometimes the hospital is fun …if ya aren’t froe-in up wike Coleman does sometimes. I wish that no tids ever det tancer, so they tan haff fun all-a their days until they be daddies."

Thanks for hangin' in there and loving Coleman already! How can anyone not love this kid and pray for him continously??

For more info on Coleman Larson and his family, go to http://www.carepages.com/ and register (it's FREE and takes seconds). Click on Visit and type in ColemanScott (all one word). Be prepared to fall in love. This is ONE AMAZING FAMILY!!!!!

Just a Thought

2008-11-04T22:30:00.005-06:00

I received this e-mail earlier today, I can't even remember where it came from, but even though we all know the outcome of the election, I still think this is a great thought provoking message...

Today, millions of people in the United States will cast their votes for a slate of political leaders, including President. After months of campaign speeches, television ads, and debates, each voter has the opportunity to say to one candidate, "I choose you." Not everyone's favorite will win, but every voter has a choice.
Unlike a political election in which the majority rules, each of us is given the opportunity to select our personal leader each day. In the spiritual election deep within our hearts, our choice will stand no matter what others may decide.
After many years in the Promised Land of Canaan, the aged Joshua called the people of Israel together and issued this challenge: "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15). In a great collective response, the people said, "We will serve the Lord!" (v.21).
Everyone serves some kind of god. Whom will we choose to have rule in our hearts today?

Honestly, that's about all I have to offer right now. I'll try to post something again tomorrow. I think I'll go say a prayer and continue to put my trust in God. May God bless this land! I'll leave you with this....

"Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants."
--William Penn

I think Tuesday was actually Monday!!

2008-10-22T11:28:00.008-05:00

Tuesday felt like a Monday to me, that's going on the way the world perceives a "Monday" to feel like, not that I actually know what Monday feels like. The first thing I do when I wake up, before my feet hit the floor, I reach for my glasses. You see, when you're blind as a bat, which I am, grabbing your glasses is a prerequisite to making your way to the bathroom. Well, I went to put them on and something just wasn't right. The left arm was missing!! When I went to bed the night before, as every night the last thing I do is fold my glasses and place them on my nightstand. They were folded when I went to grab them, but obviously when I grabbed them the arm fell to the floor. Well, after scrounging around I finally located the straying arm. This is the first time I've had any trouble with these frames since getting them about 2 years ago. So, as in the past with other frames I assumed the screw just fell out. I go to try to put the arm back in place and try to figure out where the screw actually goes....well, nothing is easy for me on a "Monday", even though it was Tuesday. There is no screw, nor a place for a screw. The arm just mysteriously decided it wanted to strike out on it's own, I guess. I tried, unsuccessfully to insert the arm back in it's rightful position, but It didn't want to stay. Almost running late, I had to put it aside until I could make it to the kitchen to figure out what to do. Actually getting dressed and presentable for the day went surprisingly well. I make my way down the hall with my one-armed glasses resting cockeyed on the bridge of my nose. I arrive in the kitchen and search for some "super glue", what a hero "super glue" is. I squirt a little down the hole where the staying arm is supposed to be, hold it for a couple of seconds, and all is well with the world. On with the morning....

I get back home from taking Alison to school, which went amazingly well, since I am insisting that she drives as much as possible, seeing as she will be "legally" driving in a couple of months and needs all the practice she can get. Now my next task is to get Abbey out the door and to her "job coach" by a certain time. As we're trying to get out the door, of course the phone rings, and of course, I feel drawn to answer it. It is my good friend Jennifer. She and her family (our youth minister), bless them, live next door to the church that we attend. I am assigned to change the marquee sign in front of the church building, which I enjoy doing, since I'm such a quote freak. Well, that task was taken care of Monday morning, the real Monday. Jennifer is calling to inform me that one side of the marquee has been violated sometime during the night. The saying (which I love) that I had put up, said,

Forgive

Your Enemies--

It Messes With

Their Head

Well, some twisted, sicko, I mean some troubled soul, with nothing better to do thought that they would have their jollies and break a limb off a nearby tree and proceed to remove some letters (which several were not recovered--in other words, stolen) to reveal a rather perverted, disgusting phrase (which I will not post here). While out for her morning walk, Jennifer ran into a neighbor who brought it to her attention. She immediately had her oldest son throw on some clothes and go take down the altered message. Well, it turns out that there were a few calls of concern, meaning several people-- members of Greenbrier, acquaintances, and passer-bys --had seen the vulgar message....not good for "business".

Well, I was trying to get Abbey to her appointment, so there was nothing I could do immediately, except fume. I'm thinking, I'll get Abbey to her appointment, then go figure out how many letters were missing (whether it was worth the hassle to report the wrong doing) and what to do next.

I get Abbey to the appointment, not realizing that the appointment was meant for me also. Obviously a lot of "routine" paperwork and acknowledgement of obligations on both the agency and our part. Oh joy, I felt like we were closing on a house.....sign here, here and here, and initial here, here and.....here. Anyway, an hour and 15 minutes (a valuable hour and 15 minutes) later, we're back in the car headed back to Oxford. We stop to get lunch, which thankfully was uneventful). We move on to one of the job sites so Abbey can turn in her job application, again uneventful. Things are looking up....it's actually beginning to feel like Tuesday, instead of Monday...oh, I forgot, it IS Tuesday. Anyway, I run Abbey home, so I can run some errands and she can do some things around the house.

One of those errands is to make a deposit at the bank from a Wedding that I shot this weekend. (Oh, another story all it's own). I must insert here, that I had already been to the bank the day before to make this deposit, which the check to be deposited just happened to be drawn on the same bank I use for my business. Well, you can guess why it wasn't deposited the day before....I had my suspicions, so I wanted to be sure the funds were there.....you guessed it. Again, today, Monday, uh, I mean Tuesday, still not there. I immediately call the customer (they didn't take a honeymoon), at home to leave a message....no answer, no answering machine. At work....she isn't at this office any longer. I get new work number....she isn't here today, she may be off this week, you know she got married this weekend (oh yeah, did she??!!). I head home long enough to fire off an e-mail to her, which she responded late Tuesday night to say she gets paid Friday, and could I wait until Friday and it should be there. Hello, why couldn't you have just told me that LAST Friday, and saved me a couple of trips to the blessed bank. I honestly have no problem with post-dated checks....just clue me in!! We'll see what Friday holds....

I head to the church building to find out what I need to put on the defaced, bare sign. It is suggested what to put, so I go with.....

Our Apologies-

Victim of Vandals

Well to be honest, I wanted to put my favorite previous saying back up there, but I know the twisted, I mean sweet mischievous child, would probably return.... I'll come up with different wording, but the same message and post it again in a few days. "Hakuna Matata"....there are no worries here. God knows who you are.

Ok, now I have to get my equipment ready for a "minor" senior session. Then I'm off to get Alison from school. Once again I get her to drive, to get that all important practice in before the "real" thing. Only this time, a friend (the sister of the senior that I'm photographing) is coming with us. It's soooo much fun to "coach" a 15 year old driving with a friend in the car. What is it, that the 15 year old all of a sudden is a pro and knows more than her mom, who's been driving 28 + years. Anyway, after being in continuous prayer, we made it home safely. We're home for oh, 45 minutes, before we head out to Oxford Lake for the senior session. Once again, I am the driving coach. Student has somewhat of a better attitude. Coach continues to pray and yes, God is good, we arrive safely. The senior session is short and sweet, we are less the friend, who went on her way with her brother and headed home....sweet home.

I must say the evening was uneventful and I enjoyed the peace. God is Good all the time, He just likes to keep things interesting and keep us on our toes. I know my tomorrow is a brighter day, because, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "Therefore we do not lose heart....For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." My worst day here on earth WILL be worth it all...

I pray you all have a blessed day and remember.....

If you find a pathway with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.....

2008-10-13T22:38:00.007-05:00

I know, it's been over a week since I posted. I really doubt this fact affected any one's ability to go on with their life....so, get over it, already! I'm just kidding, of course. I've been a little busy, ok, maybe I should say....lazy.

Also, since my last post, my oldest daughter, Abbey had a birthday...October 9 she turned the big "20". Happy Birthday, Abbey!!! Yes, I know, I'm getting old....and have been for some time now, thank you!!

Please continue to remember my little guy, Coleman. He's in New York again, and started his next round of chemo, today after a second relapse. The kid is a fighter and he deserves our prayers. As he was receiving his chemo today, he was actually praying for the kid on the other side of the room who was having a rough time with mouth sores and throwing up. Coleman is only 4 years old, but his faith in God is HUGE!! We could all learn from him.

Have I mentioned lately that I love this time of year. I love to get a good book and sit in my "air chair" on the screened in porch and escape to another place. Well, I have the book, The Lucky One, Nicholas Sparks' newest novel. And speaking of, yes, I got to finally meet my favorite author...Nick!! That one deserves a post all of its own, so you'll have to wait on that one!!

My sweet niece, Katie tagged me, therefore I must oblige....

10 years ago I:
1. Had a 10 and 6 year old & had been married to my sweetie for 12 years.
2. Weighed about 20 lbs. less than I do today :(
3. Lived in another house.
4. Had a different JOB.
5. Was even more computer illiterate than I am today :)

5 things on today's "to do" list: (seeing as it's 11 pm, I'll go for tomorrow's list)
1. Take Alison to school
2. Change the sign at church
3. Visit the "alteration lady"
4. Go to the grocery store
5. Prepare for the wedding I am photographing this weekend.

5 snack I enjoy:
1. Chocolate
2. Popcorn
3. Fresh peaches
4. Gummy Bears
5. Frozen cappuccino from Joe Muggs

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Give back to God
2. Of course, pay off all of our bills
3. Go back to college and set aside enough for Alison's college
4. Invest for Abbey's future
5. Buy a house in the mountains....any mountain.

5 places I have lived:
1. Anniston
2. Montgomery
3. Auburn
4. Birmingham (Roebuck, Vestavia Hills, Alabaster)
5. Oxford

5 jobs I've had:
1. Cashier (Hardee's)
2. Photographer's assistant
3. Office Clerk (BellSouth)
4. Bookkeeper (Hammett Service Center)
5. Photographer (Studio One, Creative Image, Self-employed)

Ok, Casey's already participated.....so I'm tagging Amanda, Bethany and anyone else who might have time to kill. (By the way, be sure to visit my friend, Amanda's blog, Kughn Watch.)

I hope everyone has a blessed week. Here's my quote for the day....

"If you have never been hated by your child--You have never been a parent"

A Blessed Weekend Indeed...

2008-10-02T12:08:00.006-05:00

What an amazing, spirit filled weekend I had this past weekend. Thursday afternoon, seven of my sisters in Christ (Deb, Diane, Denise, Sue, Wanda, Roberta, & Christie) and I headed to Atlanta for the Women of Faith convention. We absolutely were blessed beyond our expectations. Here's a picture of our group....not a great picture, but a picture....

Friday was the pre-conference where there was free seating (not reserved seats). There were probably a couple thousand women or more there by this time. During one of the breaks, as the lights came on, I looked down 2 rows in front of me and saw a friend of mine from Crossbridge Church of Christ in Birmingham, Wendy Hall. I couldn't believe in that crowd of women from all over the Southeast, there, two rows away was a friend. We visited for a few minutes before the next session started. It was great to see her, but I never saw her again the rest of the weekend.

The Women of Faith speakers were wonderful. Some of them included, Patsy Clairmont, Anita Renfroe, Sheila Walsh, Sandi Patty, Nicole C. Mullen, Jan Silvious, Luci Swindoll, and several more. They all had a message about God's Infinite Grace, either through comedy, music, everyday life experiences, from the standpoint of a psychologist, etc. Each were unique in their presentation.

The main message I got was that at some point in our lives, sometimes it's a one time thing, for others it's continuous, but, our lives will be scorched, burned, destroyed....BUT Spring will come and make that life beautiful again, possibly growing something even more beautiful than before... God's grace is a gift, a gift we can't do anything to earn.....it's God's gift to us, no matter who you are, where you are, or where you've been.....you've just got to accept it. Let God bless you.

Another message that stuck with me was Emotions....There are, of course, positive emotions and negative emotions. It's not the positive or negative that's important, it's how we react to the emotion--good or bad. What determines the quality of your life? Your emotions OR your relationship with Christ? The same way that our negative emotions can control our lives, our positive emotions have that same power. Emotions can do two things: they can bring glory to God or they can make people wonder if I really know God. Romans 12:2 tells us to "not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." It really comes down to the question, is God really in control of my life? Or, am I trying to control everything? Wow, did I need that. I pray daily that I will have the wisdom, to give it all to Him, to allow Him to have control in my life. It's a daily struggle, but God's grace will see me through. He will do the same for each and everyone of us, we just have to accept His grace and seek His will. He is, after all, in control of everything. We were never promised that life would be easy, just that it would be worth it if we follow His plan.

Ok, that's it for the lesson today. Sorry, I got carried away. But the messages from this past weekend and how they were presented absolutely blew me away. The message has been there all along, I realize that. It just really hit home and touched me in a way it never has. Thanks for allowing me to use my blog to put into words what has been swimming around in my head since I got home Saturday night.

Sunday night, my wonderful husband took me to see the movie Nights in Roadanthe. It was nice to have a date with my guy!! The date was great, the movie, no so much. Let's just say I liked the book much more. I do recommend the movie, but if you haven't read the book, I recommend that more so.

And yes, I DID get out bright and early Tuesday morning, to purchase Nicholas Sparks' brand new book "The Lucky One". I haven't been the lucky one and had the time to get started on it, but I plan to in the next few days. Actually, I'm reading "The Shack", (which I highly recommend), for the second time. There is a group of ladies from Greenbrier (WINGS) who meet on Thursday night to discuss "The Shack", so I'm back into that right now.

I don't know about you, but I am so looking forward to this October weekend. I am just loving this weather. We are so blessed....God handy work is so awesome!!

I almost forgot, my little guy, Coleman and his family made it back to New York for his next cancer treatment. Please keep "team Larson" in your prayers as Coleman goes through this new experimental treatment.

"Life is hard, but God is Faithful"

I LOVE FALL!!!

2008-09-23T21:38:00.007-05:00

I know, it's been a while. This is such a busy time of the year. But then again what time of the year isn't busy? This year is just flying by. Anyway, this post is going to be all over the place, so bear with me.

First of all, don't forget September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. SO, please remember, if you are near a Chili's restaurant on Monday, September 29, PLEASE eat there. ALL of their proceeds that day are donated to Childhood Cancer Research. I know there isn't a Chili's around Oxford, AL. But there is one in Gadsden, which is only about a 30-45 min. drive. Our family will be making Sept. 29 a family night out and take a trip to Chili's. I hope others will also. Please spread the word.

Another little guy I follow on Caring Bridge--Cole--earned his angel wings this past Friday. The little guy was just diagnosed July 26, 2008, one month after his 3rd birthday. His family had less than 2 months from the time he was diagnosed, and more than half that time he was sedated. His Caring Bridge site is http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewJournal.do?method=executeInit. Please pray for Cole's family...no parent should have to bury their child!

And please remember Coleman, as they will return to New York next week to begin his new treatment. They were pretty concerned about the date, Sept. 21, this past Sunday. You see that was the date 2 years ago that he was diagnosed, then on that same date 1 year ago, they were told he had relapsed. He is in his second relapse and remember he won't be 5 years old until this December. That little guy has been through more in his short 4 years than most adults will go through in their entire lifetime.

Here is a portion of Peggy's (his mom) post from yesterday.....

One more week before we leave for NYC. We have a LOT we want to fit in, lots to get ready and much to do before we go. It will be a busy week around here! Sept. 21, 2008 It was MUCH better than the two previous years! It started out with us deciding to ‘chance it’ and take Coleman to church with us. We’ve been keeping him home, trying our best to keep him away from germs with his low counts. He was SO happy- and was the first one ready to go in the morning. The boys and I headed out to the van and were waiting for Scott. Coleman said, “ohhhhh, I for-dot bunny!” (I had told him to make sure it was by the door before we got ready, so he wouldn’t forget it) I went into…. “remember when I told you to put it by the door?.....” Caden stopped me and said, “I’LL go get it Coe-man” and took off for the house. He came back and tossed it on Coleman’s lap. Coleman said, “FANK YOU TAYD! You are the bessess bwuver I ev-va had, ann I doan know WHAT I would do wifout you.” Caden answered, “I would do ANYFING for you Coe-man!”
Cman’s prayer when he went to bed last night…“ann Dod, Fank you for wettin us haf the BESSESS day in the woe-ld (world) today. You maked it a DWATE (great) day for me. Fank you Dod. Ann pweeze Dod wet Day-weck (Derek) det outta the hos-pi-ta ann have fun too.” THAT one was already answered! Our little friend Derek got to go home today- YAY Derek! (cp: derekellerbeck2007)
Oh how I love to hear Coleman pray. His prayers are so heartfelt, and he never ends without thinking of someone who needs to be prayed for…often many…)
We appreciate your continued prayers for Coleman’s complete healing. We not letting up…we’re letting God KNOW our desires, and we know He’s listening….we’re praising him for the blessings He’s given us yesterday, today and tomorrow.
This is the link to Coleman's link, if you want to read more of his deep thoughts and prayers....http://www.carepages.com/carepages/ColemanScott. You'll have to create a password, if you haven't visited CarePages before.

Okay, everyone......Are you ready for this Friday, Sept. 26, 2008...it's the opening of the movie.....Nights in Rodanthe, based on Nicholas Sparks' book. Here's a link to view the trailer.....http://nightsinrodanthe.warnerbros.com/ I'll have to wait until Saturday or Sunday night to make my first viewing of the movie (notice I said first), because I will be leaving Thursday afternoon headed here.....
About 8 ladies from church are attending the Women of Faith Conference in Atlanta. The theme is Infinite Grace. We'll be back Saturday evening. So, Nights in Rodanthe will have to wait a day or two. I'm pretty pumped about the women's conference and spending time with my sisters in Christ and meeting other sisters I didn't even know about!! I'll let you know more about that next week.

On to the next news....Tuesday, September 30, 2008 I will be headed to the local Books A Million first thing to purchase this beauty.... The newest Nicholas Sparks book....The Lucky One. Can you tell that I'm an avid Nicholas Sparks fan? Well, on October 9, 2008 I'll even make the trip to Birmingham, along with a few friends, to his book signing. I'm just a little excited! And yes, for those of you who know me well, know that date rings a bell with you. It's my oldest daughter, Abbey's 20th birthday. So I don't get the "worst mom" award, the book signing is at noon that day, so I'll be back in plenty of time to "celebrate" with my (sigh) 20 year old. Talk about time flying....

Well, except for the nip in the air and sleeping with the windows open, I guess that's all the excitement I have for this post. I pray that everyone is feeling as blessed as I do. God is Good....ALL the time!! I'll leave you with this quote....

"Every 60 seconds you spend angry, upset, worrying or mad, is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back"

Tag I guess I'm it....

2008-09-15T12:59:00.007-05:00

Ok, my sweet niece, Bethany was in a blogging slump this past week. So, how does that effect me? Well, she didn't have anything she felt was worthy to blog about, so she goes and accepts a tag. Well, that's fine....for her. But, she can't just leave it at that, she has to go and tag me along with other innocent bloggers. Thanks Bethany, thanks a lot, like I didn't have anything better to do with my time on a lazy, rainy, Monday. Just kidding, of course. I kind of welcomed the break from real work. I will, however, be blog-kind and refrain from tagging any other unsuspecting bloggers. So, here goes....

6 Things You Might Not Know About ME
1. I HATE when I can't just eat ONE piece of chocolate or have just ONE cup of coffee. They call that addiction, don't they? Is there a c & c anonymous support group in town?

2. I love to cut the grass and work in the yard. No, I'm not crazy, as a matter of fact, it keeps me from going crazy. Since no one will help me with these tasks, it's my alone time, when I can talk to God, praise God, think, dream, and scheme, uh, make plans.

3. I am becoming more and more like a mean 'ole mom...just ask my kids. Isn't that my job, after all?

4. I tend to rely on Bobby too much for the computer side of my business. Why learn it myself, when I've got him? I really do need to sit down and learn it, I know.

5. I am obsessed with photographer's websites and blogs. It's a great to look at other photographer's work to get my creative juices flowing. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

6. I love my family...both physical and spiritual. I really don't know how people make it through life without both.

Ok, Bethany, there you have it. Consider that your Christmas gift....that's one off the list.

Oh, another thing.....a few happy birthday shout outs:
September 4th was our nephew, Chris' 35th birthday,
September 10th was our nephew, Logan's 17th birthday,
September 14 was another nephew, Noah's 12th birthday,
September 16 will be another nephew, Garrett's 4th birthday,
AND September 24, will be ANOTHER nephew, Lucas' 14th birthday, SOOOOO.....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GUYS!!!!! See, why I am ecstatic to finally have a little princess added to the mix??

We do have nieces, but it's been a while since we've had a little one!!!

Which reminds me, we do have a niece, Brandy who will be 25 on the 17th of this month.....so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Brandy!!

WHEW.... I think that got everyone....in the family at least. We have several family friends who also have birthdays in September. I know December is a busy month, but come on...these things wouldn't pile up so, if everyone would just do their Christmas shopping!! Just kidding of course.

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on" --Carl Sandburg

Childhood Cancer Awareness Day....

2008-09-13T16:59:00.009-05:00

Today, September 13, 2008 is CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS DAY. Chances are you didn't know that, probably didn't even know there was such a day. That's because you probably won't hear about it on the news or in the newspaper. Everyone has heard of Cancer Awareness and Cancer research, but did you know that Childhood Cancer Research is pretty much on its own. Of the money that is donated to Cancer research, only 3% goes to Childhood Cancer Research. Isn't that sad?

Below is a video of 165 little warriors of Childhood Cancer and heroes who have earned their wings. This video was created by Mimi Avery, the mother of Julian, who earned his wings January 19, 2008 at the age of 4 1/2. All he wanted was to be 5 years old and go to kindergarten, but when he realized that might not happen, all he wanted was for everyone to wear yellow and not black to his funeral. Because yellow reminds him of the sunshine, and he wanted everyone to think of the sunshine when they thought of him. It's just not right....I never met Julian in person, but I have learned so much through him....truly wise beyond his 4 1/2 years. Please click on the link below to view the video.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXTwHtBDqdo&eurl=http://www.carepages.com/carepages/JuliansWorld/updates/1716267

So what can you do? There are a few very easy things!
1. Become a Bone Marrow Donor. Many times the only way to save the life of a cancer patient is through a bone marrow transplant. Now through September 22, The Nascar Foundation is paying the $50 fee so you can sign up for FREE! Be a hero. Be a Bone Marrow Donor.

2. Go out to eat! Seriously! On September 29th Chilis restaurant will be donating 100% of their proceeds to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. What better way to help cancer research?! In the meantime, go Create a Pepper for Kennedy! Be sure to post the link so she can see it!

3. Go sign this petition!!!

4. Check out It's 4 the Kids. Bookmark it and visit often. There are LOTS of ways to help on there!

5. Go to Complete The Cure and watch the videos. For every video you watch sponsors will donate 25 cents to the Children's Cancer Research Fund. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up quickly!

6. Most importantly, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY and spread the word!!! Talk and talk and talk until someone HEARS us.

Here are a few fact about Childhood Cancer: Did you know?
*Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.
*On the average 12,500 children and teens will be diagnosed with some form of cancer each year in this country.
*One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.
*Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
*Cancer remains the #1 disease killer of America's children - more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.
*In the U.S. almost 3,000 children do not survive cancer each year.
*Over the past two decades, only ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.
*Currently there are between 30-40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment in the U.S.
*As a nation, we spend over $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on Childhood Cancer Research each year.
*There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximiately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.
*Research funds are scarce as most money is diverted to well-publicized adult forms of cancer, such as breast and prostate.
*Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.

I believe Julian, at 4 1/2 years old, lived the quote below....we can all learn from Julian.

"It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." ~Abraham Lincoln

Everyone have a blessed day of worship tomorrow....

A Message about September 11......

2008-09-12T20:55:00.005-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Below is the September update from Coleman's Mom that she posted on their CarePages site. I got permission from her to pass it on to you all. So, let me introduce you to Peggy Larson, Coleman's mom........

September 11,

I debated sharing this, as it was just my rambling thoughts I put down earlier today…(of course if you read Coleman's carepage, you're used to my ramblings by now!)
I also didn’t want to offend anyone who lost loved ones in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, or diminish the tragedy of that horrible day. I hope if you read this you’ll know that isn’t my intention at all. Sept. 11, 2001 will be engraved in all our memories forever.
We all remember what we were doing 7 years ago (doesn’t seem like that long!)…when we saw the horrific pictures on the news. Do you remember the feeling in the pit of your stomach as you watched over and over the planes crashing- and first tower crumble, then your breath taken away watching the second? Do you remember??? I remember coming home from work and watching as the stories were read, and sobbing my heart out. I remember the wrongness of it all… Do you remember hearing the phone calls of people stuck in their offices? Calls from innocent people in the planes to their families telling them what was going on? Some saying their good-byes? Imagine how desperate they felt…not knowing what was in their near future. Would they make it out of the nightmare they were in? Some had to be so struck with fear, they froze….some stood up and fought…. Some helped others, only to lose their own lives. What would YOU do in a moment like that? If you found yourself in a situation that chaotic and terrifying-
I felt the same disbelief and helplessness 5 years/10 days later… September 21, 2006. A plane crashed through our lives as we listened to Coleman’s doctor say “We found a tumor”…the breath was knocked out of us, I felt like a spectator watching with my hand over my mouth...watching everything around us crumbled like the towers. Our son was under attack.
We’ve been on our own “floor” or “hijacked plane” for almost 2 years now. Our future is uncertain. We’re picking up the rubble only to be knocked down again and again. We try to stay as positive as we can, (we TRUST GOD is with us) and I know we aren’t supposed to, but we can’t help it- the fear is there. It’s real. We watch the hell Coleman goes through with treatments. It’s like watching repeats of the planes crashing over and over again…time after time…as he fights on. We watch kids around us, in the same ‘burning building’…other parents with the same look of shock in their eyes. We don’t even have to speak words- we KNOW what they’re feeling. We have a bond with them much like anyone who goes through a tragedy together. Seven years ago the nation was hopping mad (myself included) that such horror could come to this country we love…. So many innocent lives were lost; so much taken away from us. I’m hoping our nation and political leaders will realize we’re still under attack. Cancer is a terrorist that doesn’t care who you are, where you’re from, how much money you have, it’s going to strike. It’s just as horrific and merciless as the terrorists were on that awful day. It’s crashing into people’s lives, attacking their world as they knew it. It's taking lives. It’s destroying carefree childhoods, destroying bank accounts, destroying family time, destroying any ‘normalcy’ it's victims once knew. Too many children in our country are crumbling. Families are left standing in the quiet ashy aftermath of this monster, wondering in disbelief what just happened in front of their eyes, and where to go from there.I’m praying we finally take a stand and say "we aren’t taking it ANYmore." Childhood cancer is unacceptable! One new drug for pediatric cancer in the past 20 years is unacceptable. Only 3% of all cancer funding going to pediatric research is unacceptable. We need to fight back!!! We’re banding our own war on this monster, but we can’t do it alone. We need an army.

Here are some ways you can help…

**First of all, if you haven’t signed the petition…PLEASE do it now! Please ask at least one person (I’m hoping you’ll ask more,) but at least ONE other to sign it. PLEASE. Ask people for their email and home address, and if you can sign it FOR them!
click here to SIGN THE PETITION.....http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/CureChildhoodCancer
Did you know there is a junior high girl in Des Moines collecting signatures from teachers at her school? She doesn't have a sibling with cancer, she's doing it simply because she has a good heart. She's willing to stand with us...(thanks MacKenzie!!!) Won't you? Gather some signatures PLEASE!!! Every one counts, and people are willing, if you'll only ask.

**You can wear a gold ribbon- Tell everyone you know (and don’t know) about the kids in this war. Talk about their battles…Talk about the casualties. Talk about the HEROES. Help bring awareness.

**Click on these links…check them out. Don’t think you can’t make a difference, because YOU CAN! We need to start somewhere. Start today. You can stand with us and FIGHT against any more attacks. Together we WILL be heard…we WON’t GIVE UP UNTIL WE ARE!!! Our kids need a voice in this fight.click and join PEOPLE AGAINST CHILDHOOD CANCER
Go to curesearch.org to find out more ways to help

**Eat at Chili's this month- a portion of their proceeds will go toward Childhood cancer research- Sept 29th ALL proceeds donated.

So something- anything to help bring awareness to our fight.
Don’t stand frozen because it isn’t affecting you...because it’s too sad, or you’re too scared. I’m here to tell you, it COULD BE YOU- IT COULD BE YOUR CHILD! Wouldn’t you want someone to stand with you in your fight?We took a moment of silence today to pray for the way too many families who lost love ones on 9/11. Our country was forever changed that day. We remember. We honor those who lost their lives way too soon…it was wrong, plain wrong. September 11th- is a day none of us will (or ever, ever should) forget. This post was not made to take ANY honor or importance away from people who lost their loved ones in the attack of 2001.

Sadly, Sept 11 2008 will be remembered as diagnosis day for 46 families (46 kids diagnosed EVERY single day) A 'terrorist' attacked 46 times today, and there are parents standing in shock tonight.Tomorrow it will happen again….and the next day, and the next, and next... until we do something to STOP it. We prayed for the parents who had to bury their children today- an estimated 2,500 kids will pay the price this year …7 each and every day. WE PRAY FOR A CURE!!! The children of our country deserve it. They need US to stand together and say “ENOUGH”. Won’t you stand with us? Quoting the hero Todd Beamer…“LET’S ROLL.”

Blessings to you all,(and thanks for being on our TEAM!)
TEAM LARSON

http://www.carepages.com/carepages/ColemanScott

There is really nothing more that I can add to that, except, continue to pray for Coleman, his family and ALL the kids fighting this attack on their little bodies. Here's the quote for the day....

"Don't ever give up" --Coleman Larson, age 4

Have a Blessed weekend, Gaye

Yes, I'm still here....

2008-09-08T22:44:00.005-05:00

I know, you thought I gave up the blog world. Well, you're wrong, I'm still here. I've just been swamped. This past weekend I had a 2 day yard sale that went great. Steady shoppers and buyers both days. Friday they kept coming up until 4:00 pm even though we tried to stop around 1:00 pm. I got rid of A LOT of stuff!!! It felt soooo good to clean out and try to simplify. We even sold Bobby's pickup truck....how blessed we are!!

In addition to the cleaning out, pricing, setting up and having the 2 day yard sale, I've had several senior portrait sittings in between. So, needless to say, the 'ole blog was put on the back burner.

Once I get through all of the editing the next few days, things might slow down a bit. Except for the fact that September seems to be THE birthday month for family and friends. We have at least 6 nieces and nephews and 4 family friends who have their birthdays in September. And before we know it Abbey's birthday will be here (Oct. 9), then Alison's big 16 (Dec. 23). Christmas time is coming fast. But, before that is my favorite season of all......Autumn. I love the fall leaves and the crisp air.

A quick update on my C-man (Coleman). Team Larson is back home in Iowa for a few weeks of more chemo, before they head back up to NYC for the new treatment to try and rid little Coleman of the nasty beast of cancer. Also, please remember that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Continue to keep Coleman, his family and all the kids who are fighting cancer in your prayers.

In the next few weeks in between the not so busy days, my goal is to take time to go through a few on-line/personal photography courses. There's always more to learn....it's never ending. In other words, the blogging may be few and far between the next few weeks, so bare with me, I'll be around, just busy. Oh, I almost forgot, I've got a wedding to shoot in October also...busy, busy, busy.

I did find this along the road one morning last week after I dropped Alison off at school.....
Someone (thing) else has been busy. I also found this.....isn't God an awesome creator...... We are so blessed with His ever changing beauty.

I'll leave you with this quote, until next time....

"All art is the expression of man's delight in God's work, not his own."

Election day in Oxford....

2008-08-26T21:28:00.010-05:00

Well, it's a sad day for Oxford, at least in my book. "King" Leon is still the dictator. Enough on that subject. We did all we could do....All we can do now is PRAY!! "Old politicians never die---they just run once too often." That quote won't cost anything!!

I refuse to let the above news overshadow the GREAT news we got today. Our niece, Casey, found out today that she is having a GIRL. Yes!! I love my great nephews, but it is past time for a girl. Well, we do have a couple of great nieces already, but we only see them a couple of times a year, if that. This little princess will be just down the road. Talk about a perfect model for Aunt Gaye's picture takin' fix. Everyone, please do continue to pray for a safe and healthy pregnancy for mom and baby. God is great!!

As most of you know my hubby, has been on a diet/exercise program for about 4 months or so now. He has always been overweight, so have I :o). Anyway, back in April I had some blood work done and I was told to be careful, because I was border-line diabetic and my cholesterol was out the roof, not to mention needing to lose some weight. So, I adjusted my diet, therefore we all adjusted our diet. Bobby got on board gung ho. He started out limiting his calories each day, as I did. He also started using our stationary bike that had been stationary alright....in the corner with cobwebs on it. Anyway, I digress. He also began riding his bike outside when the weather was good. Eventually he rode only outside, about 10-12 miles a day. It quickly became an "obsession"....to say the least. But I'm not complaining, he was dropping the weight and feeling good, not to mention, he wasn't SNORING anymore!!! Yeah!!! All along we were eating healthier and watching our daily calorie intake. I returned to have followup blood work 3 months after the first visit and my cholesterol level had come down over 60 points and I had lost about 12 lbs. I was pumped. Even though Bobby was way ahead of me....he was dropping weight faster, which I know, stinking men tend to have that gift. Anyway, he became so obsessed with this bike thing, I was feeling like a bicycling widow.
Well, he took it even farther and purchased a Cannondale Trail Bike...not your everyday Wal-Mart bike, but a BIKE. I considered this his "mid-life crisis" purchase and informed him of this, in which case he wasn't allowed another "mid-life crisis" purchase in the future. He agreed, (we'll see). So, now, at least until football season starts (in a week) every Saturday or Friday, if he's off, he'll load his BIKE up and take off to the Talladega National Forrest management area in Choccolocco for some serious trail riding. During the week he finds trails around the house, mainly made
from kids on 4-wheelers. Last Saturday, I met him in the management area and took a few shots of him on the trail. Here's my little trail riding BIKE enthusiast...oh, by the way, he didn't get a starting weight, but we estimate he has lost approximately, 54 lbs. Is that great or what!!! We were at Outback the other night and he ordered steamed veggies with his dinner.....WHAT??? I've never been able to get him to eat broccoli!!!??? He said he was "craving" steamed vegetables. Who is this man and what has he done with my husband??? I am actually loving it, even though he's getting a little cocky about it all!! I guess you're all wondering, I've only lost about 15 lbs. and fluctuate with that. I've got to get a bit more serious with the exercise program. I let you know how that goes. I'm proud of you Bobby!!! Your are looking good and I know you are feeling better. Keep it up!! I love YOU!!

A short update on Coleman....they are in NYC and in between scans, MRI's, etc. they are enjoying the Big Apple. They are from Iowa and live on a farm in the middle of acres of corn fields, so NYC is a little different scenery for them. Coleman's twin brother, Caden loves the pigeons and wants to take them home. He also promises he saw a rat in the street one day while they were walking and wants to bring some cheese the next time to try and catch it. Coleman found a little sign from God while out on the town. He found a coin that has the imprint, "With God All Things Are Possible". Then they got word that the tumors on his spine have responded to the last round of chemo. The disease is still there, but not as much. They are cautiously optimistic, because this is exactly what happened the last time. But they are looking forward to meeting with the Dr. on Thursday to discuss the 2 options they have as what route to take next. Options are good. Continue to pray!! Prayer works and it is working. Thank you for praying for my little buddy!!

Good night and may God bless the city of Oxford.

"We must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain"

What a lazy, rainy Monday...

2008-08-25T20:51:00.011-05:00

Did everyone get enough rain today? Well, it's still coming down here. I am actually loving it, except for when it got a little scary around here. Around 11:30 am it got really bad around the Choccolocco area and up through the old Fort McClellan and on to Jacksonville. It was raining so hard here at our house I couldn't see anything beyond the windows. Later I heard that a tornado had touched down in Choccolocco, about 1/2 a mile from where we used to live. I rode out there before I picked Alison up from school. I came up on several rescue, Red Cross, tree maintenance and of course T.V. vehicles. There were many trees down EVERYWHERE. Several houses and vehicles were damaged or destroyed and one auto repair business looked destroyed. I haven't heard if any one was hurt, but I did see several rescue vehicles at a couple of the houses. So pray for these people, I know they can use all the prayers that they can get. And no, I wasn't in the mind to remember to take my camera, so I have no pictures, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Last Thursday, I started in my office and bedroom CLEANING OUT to get ready for a YARD SALE in a couple of weeks. I have never been this serious about a yard sale before, so it's gonna be HUGE!!!! I started in my office Thursday and I just finished late last night, so that should tell you how bad this 13'x7' space was!! But that also means there are treasures to be had, just wait 'til I move on through the house. I am FOCUSED!!! Simplify is the theme!! If I (or any other family member) haven't used it, worn it, read it, played it, etc. in the last year or so....it's out of here!!

Bobby's on nights this week, therefore he sleeps during the day and I can't get back here to work. So, today I took some things that need to be done to the sun room to work on. I did get a few things done, like mounting photos, framing photos, and cleaning out cd files. Then as I finished and walked back through the family room, this is what I found.....
My sweet Lexi and Lola. Were they taking in the lazy rainy Monday, or what. They were definitely chillin'. Then the nosey, "I shall not be ignored" Zeke showed up for his camera time.

Does he have "THE cat look" or what??!! I have never been a cat fan, but Alison, who will bring home any and every animal, if we let her, brought this creature home in her overnight bag from a "friends" house a little over a year ago. Well, after the newness wore off, he became mine, after much denial. He's become my buddy and keeps me company. He is truly a "curious cat" always up in my business, but it's cool. The good thing is, all the animals get along...maybe we humans need to take a lesson from the animals.

One last thing for tonight.....Our niece, Casey is having a birthday today and I want to wish her a Happy Day!! Everyone keep her in your prayers, as she is expecting a precious miracle from God. She is a little anxious for this baby to be healthy, as she had a miscarriage about a year ago. So please lift her up to be at peace. We love you Casey.....Happy Birthday!!

"Into each life a little rain must fall--Who's your umbrella?

The Solo Road Trip...

2008-08-21T08:12:00.027-05:00

As I wrote in a previous post, this past Saturday, I threw caution to the wind, told the family that they are on their own for the day and I took off. The main destination was Wedowee, AL to browse a couple of Antique shops, looking for a few photo props and ideas for Katie & Micah's backyard. However, I knew that wasn't going to be my only stop. That was just the first stop. I love road trips, but only on the back roads, so the "other woman" -- Jill as we call her --(aka the GPS) and I hit the road. This was our first stop, in Wedowee, A Brand New Look. I loved this shop, although it is not an antique store, it did have some antiques, but mostly quaint items that you wouldn't see in just any shop. A little pricey, but then again everything is these days, still fun to browse and dream. My single find here was a picture frame (no doubt) with softball as the theme. I've never found a softball one that I like, they're always baseball. And since Alison doesn't play baseball, I don't have a need for a baseball frame. Next, just across the street I found this shop... Parker House Antiques and Collectibles. It was another ok, but pricey shop. I did find one treasure in here. It is a bracelet with Psalm 46:10 engraved on it...."be still and know that I am God". I really need that reminder to "be still". Ok, that was it for the Wedowee stop. When I went to Auburn, I drove through this greasy spot in the road every time I came home, and I never thought I would drive there for a reason. It's amazing what interests we develop as we get more mature. It really is a cute little town. From here I told the "other woman" I wanted to continue on to Lanette and then I would decide where from there. I chose Lanette because in the first shop, there was this cute little elderly couple browsing along side me, oohing and awing the entire time. The lady said "I could stay in here all day, I want one of everything". The man a while later chimmed in and told me where there was a huge antique mall in Lanette. Then his wife added, "oh, you could spend 5 1/2 or 6 hours in there". Well, that's my kind of place, so off I go, "Jill" is going to get me there....well, this is where she took me.....
She is not so smart after all. So, I find my way back out to hwy. 431, with Jill "recalculating" the whole way. Once I'm back on the main highway, Jill decides that's the correct way to Lanette and instructs me to continue on Highway 431. Well, isn't she helpful. A while down the road after a couple of turns, I arrive in Lanette. I stopped at a couple of thrift stores and "antique" stores along the way, with no success. Until, I finally find this wonderful Antique mall.... Timeless Antique Mall....

This is the one the sweet lady said "you could spend 5 1/2 or 6 hours in. She was right, but I moved at a little faster pace. I was really on the hunt for a couple of specific photo props, of which I found two at this location. One was a bentwood chair, that I wouldn't have to do much if anything to....found it!! I also wanted some kind of cake plate on a pedestal for the 1st Birthday sittings...something to get it off the floor....found it!! The sticker actually said "fruit stand", but it's just the right size in diameter for the mini birthday cakes that I use. Tada.... I also found this accent/night light for our bathroom, which I wasn't on the hunt for, but what would a road trip be if you didn't expect to find things you weren't even looking for?
That is about it for purchases at this stop. Now, I did find some "timeless treasures" that I couldn't resist snatching a photo of, just to put on my blog. I do want to put a disclaimer here, these pictures were taken with my cheap point and shoot, which I loath using, but it is compact and comes in handy at times. I'm sure everyone remembers one of these "timeless treasures".....
Now I'm not sure if anyone remembers the next two, but I found them very interesting. Who didn't need a purple hair rinsing sink at one time or another??
Ok, this next one may look like an ordinary "old" blow dryer. I thought big deal.....until I picked it up....I promise you it weighed at least 8 lbs. Can you imagine having to blow dry your hair waving around 8 lbs., in my case a good 10-15 minutes? Then again, people back in the day, worked sunup to sundown in the fields, I'm sure they where in a lot better shape than, well, I am.
I saw a lot more things from the past, but I'll continue on to my next destination. After I left Timeless Antique Mall, about 2 1/2 hours later, I figured I might need to head back home. But, I thought I'll just see what Jill tells me and she said it would only take about 1 1/2 hours to get home from there. I saw a sign for I-85 right out of the parking lot and thought, I'll just get on and see where it leads. About the time I got on, Bobby called just to check on me. He asked where I was and since I wasn't exactly sure, I just said I-85. He said, "you're in Georgia?" Well, not that that would have been all that bad, but I was confused and said, "well, now that you mention it, I could be." After collecting myself, I realized I had just passed a sign that said Lee County. Now, I knew I wasn't in Georgia! I let him know where I was, although I wasn't sure where I was going. I told him not to worry, that Jill was with me and I was sure I could find my way home when I was ready. After we hung up, I saw a billboard advertising a huge Antique mall in Opelika, just 2 exits away, so THAT became my next destination. When I drove up to it, I knew this would have to be my last stop, because it was as big if not bigger than the one I just left. It even had a sign--"Welcome to Angel's Antique and Flea Mall....You'll love shopping with Angels". Now isn't that special.

They also had a welcome "wagon"...SEE...............

Well, this was another Antique/Junk paradise, but sadly there were no purchases here. Just a couple of pictures of some more treasures. If you know me at all, you know that I have had my share of visits to the "dreaded DENTAL chair" (although I LOVE my dentist!!!!). Well, what else do I come across, but an OLD dental chair. I was mesmerized, to say the least and if it weren't for the $999.00 price tag, it might have been a cool thing to have.

And one more thing, did they really have to post this sign? I mean look at the nasty pillow, WHY would anyone think about sitting there?? I promise I'm going home, but wait!! As I'm going to my car, what do I see next door, but a THRIFT STORE!!!!! Well, I must...ok it was JUNK, but there are sometimes treasures among the junk.....Sometimes. But this time this is all I found.....(didn't buy, just photographed). Of course I was thinking of Bethany (our niece) when I spotted this pair of beauties....

Now I thought of the Wright family when I eyed this treasure. It is just screaming "HOOK 'EM HORNS", don't you think??
Well, it WAS time to hit the road back to Oxford, so home is where I headed. This was the best day I had had in a long time and I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope that you have enjoyed my version of the day. I think I feel another "road trip" coming on in another week or so. I could get used to this. One more disclaimer, as I'm sure you can tell, I'm still getting used to this "blog" thing and I cannot figure out how to move pictures around where I want them. So, please excuse the disorganization, it is DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!!

I guess that's it for now....LIFE IS GOOD AND GOD IS GREAT!!! Happy Trails.....

I'm Back....

2008-08-19T19:20:00.007-05:00

It's been a few days I know!! Saturday I decided to just take off on my own little mini road trip and I loved every minute of it. I'll post more on that later...it'll be a post in and of itself.

Monday, Abbey, Bobby and I headed over to Atlanta and just got back this afternoon. Bobby took Abbey to the American Idol Tour concert, as he does every year. He is such a good dad. I don't have the patience for things like that. Abbey always wants to meet the top 10 "idols" that make the tour. Sometimes that consists of getting there 2-3 hours early and/or staying afterwards. Last year when the tour came to Birmingham was the most successful year for them. She was able to get her picture made with all 10 of them and of course get their autographs. However, when the tour is in Atlanta, they don't have as much success. They did get to meet some of them and got all of their autographs except for 3. But they couldn't get Abbey's picture with them. Just pictures of them signing her program. Despite the lack of success, they still enjoyed their Abbey/Dad time. They didn't think to get a picture of themselves....duh!!

While they were at the American Idol Concert, I attended a Photographer's Seminar on Marketing, and Portrait Art. It was great. I love going to seminars and workshops to learn the most up to date work flow ideas from the best in the business. This was probably the most informative one I've been to. The only thing I don't like about these seminars is that they are only 5-6 hours long. Therefore, I feel like I've been thrown a bunch of random puzzle pieces and now I've got to figure out how to make them all work together to form a finished piece of art. But still, I loved it...the theme was...I refuse to participate in a recession. Wow, did I need that!! Anyway, there will be more about this later.

Right now I am worn out, physically and mentally (no, that doesn't take much). So, I'll leave you with a quote and say good night......

"Laugh as much as you Breathe.... Love as long as you Live"

Wal-Mart~~Oh, the joy!!

2008-08-14T18:49:00.006-05:00

Well yesterday was another busy day for me....sorting, numbering and loading a wedding proof book took up most of the day. It was all worth it though. It turned out pretty good, I think. The customer is happy, which is my goal. A wedding is A LOT of work....it's not just the day of the wedding.....it's preparing for the day, the day, uploading, editing, weeding out the not so good and the duplicates, ordering, the previews and the album, receiving the previews and the album, sorting, getting previews in the proper order, numbering the order sheet for each preview (anywhere from 125-300 previews), loading the preview album, etc....However, photographing a wedding is very rewarding for me. I love it. I only do a handful in any given year, but that is the way I like it....too many and I would probably burn out. My next one is in October, so I've got some time to recover!!

Well, I did my bi-monthly grocery shopping today....yeah?? I don't know, it may have just been me, but I think every child in Oxford under the age of 3 was at Wal-Mart. I think they were all feeding off each other, and I actually started hearing a beat forming with all of the crying--screaming!!! Not to mention it was mainly sopranos! :~} I guess the fact that I really let it get to me is because it has been a while since my girls were that age. I just have never noticed it before or maybe I've been tuning it out, but I do know that going with a mild headache, quickly escalated into a migraine. Oh the joy of a Wal-Mart trip.

I hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend as much as I am. The plan is to hit the yard sales and possibly antique/thrift stores....fun!! In other words, it's going to be lazy one for me.....that's the plan anyway!!

I'll leave you with the quote of the day.....

"If opportunity doesn't knock....Build a door"

2008-08-12T20:51:00.004-05:00

Psych...I'll bet ya thought I wouldn't post today. It has been a long day, but I do want to keep up with my blog this go around. So, here I am. I had a 1st Birthday shoot late this afternoon. It was a little boy I have had the privilege to photograph and watch grow up since he entered this world. It is amazing how quick they do grow up. The 1st birthday shoots are probably one of my favorite events to capture. Here is a couple of shots from today.....

I also don't want to pass up the opportunity to wish my parents a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! They have been married 52 years. Am I lucky or what??

Also, I hope everyone likes the new look of the blog. It'll do for now. Oh, by the way, the Olympics is on t.v. in the background here. Is Phelps smokin' or what? He is amazing....Go USA!!

Well, I know this is short, but I'm still contemplating exactly what direction I actually want to take this blog....personal, business, or both. So, bear with me as I get used to all of this. Don't forget to remember little Coleman (C-Man) in your prayers....he is still waiting test results for why he's running a fever. Right now they are set to head to NYC on Thursday of this week. Keep praying that they will be able to get him there for his new treatment. And, last, but not least, the quote of the day....

"Every new day begins with possibilities. It's up to us to fill it with the things that move us toward progress and peace" --Ronald Reagan

2008-08-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a blessed Monday.

**First off, I want to wish my sister-in-law (Bobby's sister) a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!!!

**Also, everyone please hit your knees for Coleman (see yesterday's post). They were supposed to leave for NYC today for his next battle against cancer, but Sunday he began to run a fever. Any fever in a cancer kid is not good news. He had to be admitted in the local hospital (Iowa) Sunday evening and will probably be there at least a couple of days before they can proceed on to NYC. Please pray that he gets over this soon, so he can continue with the next treatment.

**Another piece of info., if you go to Coleman's carepage via the link from yesterday's post, you'll need to create a password for yourself. It is very easy and you will be blessed.

**One more thing, any picture that I post can be enlarged by double-clicking on it.

Well, I guess that's it for all of the Monday announcements. By the way, if anyone is interested in a very cute little orange tabby kitten, there is one hanging around our house that will not get the message to move along. We do NOT need another animal around here, and the dogs are NOT fond of it. It is very loving and social, we just don't need it, so anyone who wants it, please let me know, I'll even deliver (within a 30 mile radius). Here is picture of the sweet thing....

It's been a pretty uneventful Monday for me. Just went to visit my parents in Jacksonville for a while this morning. I did just hear the doorbell, so that means the wedding proof book I've been waiting on has arrived, meaning I'm about to be busy loading about 275 wedding proofs. Then tomorrow, I have the privilege to shoot a 1st Birthday session. Fun!! So, I guess I need to go work...which this type work I actually love and feel blessed to do.

I can't forget the quote though, so here ya go.....

"Always aim for Achievement and forget about success"

2008-08-10T18:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm on a roll here....3rd day in a row to post. There's no guarantee this will continue though. Well, we survived the "Faith Christian 10th grade back to school bash" hosted (yeah, right) by Alison Phillips. Fun was had by all (as far as I know!). They swam, played volleyball, stuffed themselves on Bobby's homemade salsa, hamburgers, chips and a ice cream dessert. Oh, and we can't forget the constant texting and taking pictures of themselves at arms link. I just don't get it....but I do realize we are blessed that they are good kids and still don't mind having fun with grownups around. So, let 'em text and have an arm growing out of every picture, it's not hurting me...at least since we added unlimited texting to our cell contract....another story for another post...Here is THE photo of the night with a few of the girls acting, well normal....for them! :)

On a serious note, remember Coleman, from a few posts ago? Well, his mom just updated his carepage and said that they are headed to NYC in the morning for the next battle against Coleman's returning cancer. Below is a prayer for Coleman, that I will be praying for Coleman each day, and I hope that you all will join me in this petition to The Great Physician. Also, his carepage link is listed below, if you would like to follow this little guy's battle....he truly is wise beyond his years and has a greater faith than, sadly, I do at times. Please pray for Coleman and his family......

God, we come to You on behalf of Coleman. He has been through a long, hard fight, Lord. We thank You for being with him every step of the way, through his ups, and carrying him through his valleys. He has faced each obstacle with the spirit You have created in him. Thank You for Coleman being a blessing…he is a child of Faith. He faithfully prays to thank You God and cries out to You when he is in need…not only for himself, but for others who need You too. We know You hear his cries and we pray for his prayers to be answered. Please God fill Coleman with the Holy Spirit taking away any pain he may have, we ask that You take away any disease in his little body and restore him with total health and energy, with protection from any harm to him. Grant him peace against any fear as he faces what lies ahead. Let him continue to be a blessing to others. We ask for him to be a testimony of Your healing Lord. And we thank YOU for that healing. We thank you for loving Coleman and for doing what is best for him always. All glory to you Lord. Amen
“The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)
And just because every time we pray, Coleman has us end it by saying, “ann Dod, fank you for letting us pway the pway-er YOU teached us…” (the Lord’s Prayer)
http://www.carepages.com/carepages/ColemanScott/updates/1657410

Ok, I guess that's it for this post, I hope to continue to find the time to post daily. But don't worry, if you don't hear from me for a day or so, I'm still around, just busy.....and that's a good thing!!

I'll leave you with another quote, and hope you all had a blessed Sunday of worship. Continue to praise Him and give Him the glory throughout the week......

"Keep your eyes on Jesus--Start to Finish"

2008-08-09T16:57:00.000-05:00

Ok, everyone, don't faint. Yes, I am posting 2 days in a row. Don't get real excited, as this will be short and sweet, with another quote of the day.

Alison is about to have her little "back to school" bash for her class at Faith Christian, so there will be about 20-- 15/16 year old kids here in about an hour, hence the short and sweet.

I mainly just wanted to leave you with the famous quote of the day and to wish you a fulfilling Sunday of worshipping our Savior.

"Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall"

Be Blessed,
Gaye

Wedding wo's

2008-08-08T22:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I know it's been a while..again! I've been wrestling with the most recent wedding proofs....editing, sorting, ordering and uploading. Uggg. But after 3 days of fighting with the server and lab, it's finally done. Now I just wait for them to come in and spend another day or so sorting, getting in order, numbering, and loading in the proof album. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Well, actually I do enjoy it (except for the "wrestling" part). The finished product always makes it worthwhile.

Well, school started yesterday (Aug. 7), at least for Alison and Faith Christian. All is well, so far.

I know this is a short post, but just wanted to let everyone know that I AM still alive and kicking and trying to fit this blog agenda in my daily, or at least a couple of times a week, schedule. We'll see how successful I am.

I do want to start a "quote for the day" or "quote for the week" segment. I love quotes and I'm always looking for quotes that I've never seen. Currently I change the marquee at our church (Greenbrier Church of Christ, in Anniston, AL), and I really love coming up with the saying. I try to gear it toward what we are studying or the time of year it is, or what's going on in the world at present. The blog quotes will be very random though....ok, the debut of "the quote" portion of the blog.....

"Worry is the darkroom in which negatives are developed"

Appropriate, for a photographer's blog, don't you think?

Have a great weekend and Be Blessed......

Please pray for Coleman....

2008-07-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,
Please take time to go to the "CarePage" site listed below. This is the updates for a little 4 year old boy I have been following on "carepages.com" for about a year now. He was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma on Sept. 21, 2006 at the age of 2 1/2. He went through 12 chemo treatments and one year to the date of diagnosis, he relapsed. They discontinued chemo. And began 7 weeks of radiation, followed by a complete cell transplant. He was cleared of cancer around April of this year and looking forward to kindergarten in the fall. Until, last week, July 23 he relapsed for the 2nd time. This little boy is wise beyond his years... As of now he hasn't been told of this 2nd relapse, but he often tells his twin brother and parents..."never
div (give) up!" I don't know about you, but I can't "div up" either.
Please, put this little guy and his family on your daily prayer list even if you don't have the time to go to his CarePage. His name is Coleman Scott Larson (Team Larson).
Below is the link to his updates and I also cut and pasted a conversation his mother had with him and his twin brother (Caden):
"the worrssest part of sem cell twans-pwant is froe-win up, be -tuz I wanted ta sop ann I tuddint."
"It's weally hard -ta take pills when I dinnit want to, tuz I dinnit wike them...but you doan haf no choice, tuz they say ya haf to, so I do my bessest what I tan do.ann I pwayed." (prayed) "It's hard to be hooked up to a pole all day when it's a sun-shiny day, ann be in your hos-pita woom all day when yoa don't wanna be there ann wish ya tould be outside in-said, but NO, ya tan't." "I doan wike tancer- No, not one bit, but ya dotta do what they say ta do.you yust dotta." "When little boys get tancer, it takes a wong time...they haffa det sem cells, ann then they might start-a det better. Then they tan pway adain wif their brudder." "when [my brother] tame down ta see me, It was the bess powt, then I tould cel-e-bwate my day with him ta-dedder. I wanted him there, tuz I missed him, ann I wiked it when he was wif me.that's the best-est medicine that Dod tudda div-ed ta me!" "I wish that no more tids would det tancer, tuz it's tewwible to haffa do all-a the suff what ya dotta do. If no more tids dot it, then we tould all yust be no-mal wif no more pokes."
His twin brother chimes in and says,
"cancer is the worse day of my wife (life) because you don't getta pway wif your brudder when ya weally want to. Sometimes the hospital is fun .if ya aren't froe-in up wike [my brother] does sometimes."
"I wish that no tids ever det tancer, so they tan haff fun all-a their days until they be daddies."
http://www.carepages.com/ServeCarePage?cpn=ColemanScott&uniq=404935&ipc=pati
entupdatefree

Be Blessed,
Gaye H. Phillips
A Moment in Time
www.amitoxford.com
Check out baby Ethan's web site... RIP....(12/05/06--04/05/08)... Continue the fight against Childhood Cancer
www.ethanipowell.blogspot.com

Maybe one day...

2008-07-24T11:55:00.000-05:00

Well hopefully I might find time to regularly "do" this blog thing. Staying busy with weddings and seniors right now and loving it. I am truly blessed to do what I love. Keep checking back, you never know when I might really get serious about this blog thing.

Test

2008-02-23T00:10:00.000-06:00

Ok, this is a test, we'll see how it goes...