tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-345910012024-03-23T12:11:41.358-06:00Monkeys, Trees, and all these things...lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-10096897713023629242011-02-14T15:15:00.000-07:002011-02-14T15:15:48.735-07:00V Day 2011I guess I really am one of those people who just doesn't get into Valentine's Day! <br />
<br />
I completely forgot about it all weekend long, and then this morning was woken up by a beautiful, MASSIVE bouquet of roses from Niles! I am really in shock and can't believe he got up so early and ran out to grab them! He also got Reese a really cute pink and red turtle. I guess Cameron just has to get used to V-Day being about the girls. Although... I suppose that was where I did an epic "mommy fail" because I totally didn't do anything for either of my children for Valentine's!! Welp. There's always next year!! <br />
<br />
I may try to cook something... That's a gift around here. <br />
<br />
Realistically, what I would LOVE to be doing right now, is driving out to Borders. Because my new BFF in cyberspace and fake reality, is the Pioneer Woman and I LOVE and ADORE her, and she is literally 40 miles away from me, RIGHT NOW!!! <br />
I would really, really, really like to be in the car with my children right now to obtain a signature and photo. =)<br />
BUT, alas, it s Monday. A workday. For me and my husband. I also have two children, one that requires two naps a day, one of which would be right now, as we speak... the same "right now" in which I should be standing in line at Borders to meet my BFF. <br />
<br />
Fingers crossed... maybe we'll head out after naptime, and just maybe the line will be dwindling, and just maybe she will stay until the store closes because I imagine she is that kind of awesome friend. =) <br />
<br />
Stay tuned!!!lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-5293527697327505772011-02-12T21:57:00.000-07:002011-02-12T21:57:23.033-07:00Ahh, A Successful Day of Parenting...So I usually think of myself as a pretty good parent. I love and adore my kids with a fiery passion and even with my full-time job, still feel like I make a massive effort to put my parenting as a major priority - structuring my day around how I can get them out of doors to play, how I can work in a playdate with friends, trying as much as I can to limit the TV-babysitting to as much of a minimum as I can at all times (which I fail at quite a bit, but which I also really, really try to do!!!). <br />
<br />
Today was a beautiful day of spending an amazing amount of time really, really playing and enjoying my babies. Lately, as Reese is speeding towards the terrifying time where I have to send her to kindergarten at public school, (a system of which I have never personally had any sort of issue with until faced with the reality of sending my precious baby there... now I feel like I'm losing her to "the world" - judge me if you must. But I spent each and every year and school day of my life in a school where we prayed, read our Bibles, learned Bible stories and talked about Jesus... EVERY DAY. Openly. In public and without any opposition or "tolerance" issues) I realize how sweet, special, and priveleged I feel that my sweet little girl really, actually wants nothing more than my unbridled affection, attention, company and love. A few hours of playing Barbies and coloring when what I really want to do is read Pioneer Woman's story of her romance to Marlboro Man and his chaps, has now started to hold new meaning for me. And in actuality, playing with Barbies actually goes by remarkably fast, and truthfully, I don't have to create any imaginary scenarios because Reese really just tells me exactly how the whole thing will go. I basically just have to repeat after her. =) <br />
<br />
So today we started off, as we do almost every Saturday, with daddy's pancake breakfast, cheesy eggs and sausage! Niles has become sort of a pancake aficionado. He tries to get creative - red velvet pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, strawberry/banana pancakes, chocolate, etc - but really, Reese and I get most excited over the basic chocolate chip (butterscotch chips for me!) variety, much to his Food Network-loving chagrin. Today was basic chocolate. Reese had a minor fit, as there were no additional chocolate chips... but we moved past it. She ate and then immediately resigned herself to the couch for a round of Barbie. Since this week was Reese's big old 5th birthday bash, we were kindly bestowed about 10 new Barbies, along with a Barbie pool, Barbie equestrian set complete with horse, Barbie "glam purse" complete with a mock iPhone with fake apps, and several other Barbie sets I can't even remember. Our big focus today was on the Barbie/horse combo. She also got a few My Little Ponies. So, as most horses do, her large Barbie horse laid eggs, which hatched little My Little Pony babies. Interesting... But I digress...<br />
<br />
I totally played Barbie/horse for at least a good 45 minutes or so I believe, before we moved onto some reading of her new books she also received this week, and then after Niles left, we did science experiments!! One of her classmates gave her a science kit for her birthday, and we put it to good use. It was actually really fun!! We made "lava", and combined different sets of citric acid and baking soda along with colored tablets, etc. while playing Taylor Swift radio on Pandora all morning! I can honestly say that I enjoyed every moment of play time with my precious girl. <br />
<br />
We had a great morning completely absent of all television, so I took the kiddos to the library and let Reese pick out like 10 movies, tons of books and she played on the computer forever while I ran after my son who was adamant on climbing onto every chair available, pounding on every vacant keyboard, pushing his stroller aimlessly into walls, cabinets and tables, screaming (really cutely) every time I removed him, and raced as quickly as possible away from me as soon as he saw me coming. Oh wow. He's adorable. Seriously though, he was exhausting me. Completely. But when I try to get upset with him, he stops, looks at me with the cutest most mischievous little look and I melt into a little puddle which I'm sure he would promptly jump in the middle of if he weren't taking off running in the opposite direction. <br />
<br />
After the library, Cam took a great nap, and Reese and I did her schoolwork, read books, and jumped on the trampoline until dinner time. <br />
<br />
I sincerely, most genuinely, fully and completely am in love with my children. I cannot even imagine my life without those two little beautiful babies. <br />
<br />
Cannot. <br />
<br />
And thanks to the HEAVENS, will never have to. <br />
<br />
My. Kids. Are. Awesome. <br />
<br />
Jealous?!?! =))lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-35037708724283418402010-12-29T21:01:00.001-07:002010-12-29T21:18:55.309-07:00Christmas EveWhen Niles and I got married in October 2002, I honestly believe our first major fight (<i>as newlyweds, that is</i>) happened on Christmas Eve of that same year. You see, in Niles' family, there is a calm exchanging of gifts after a nice dinner at the local Olive Garden. The participants are his parents, his brother, his sister, and himself. They go out for dinner (a tradition I found altogether weird and yet, once I started engaging, found really nice and relaxing - no cleanup or setting of tables) to the OG, then return home where they each get 1 or 2 gifts each. Then they may stay up, watch a movie, play with their new gifts (b/c even now the boys actually get things they can PLAY with - our first year it was remote control jeeps and foam swords, last year it was Nerf guns... ahh boys), snack on Christmas food from neighbors and students from the University, and then go to bed.<br />
<br />
Calm. Laid back. Fun, but also not too loud considering there are only 5 or 6 people involved, now that I'm in the picture.<br />
<br />
Not so in my family.<br />
<br />
Christmas Eve in my family means there are my dad's two sisters and husbands, their four children, two spouses of those children, and five grandchildren. Then of course, my mom, my two brothers, my sister-in-law and our kids as well. Usually someone involves at least one dog as well... It is not calm, it is not laid back, it IS fun, but it is definitely LOUD. Like, LOUD. Lots of chanting ("presents, presents"... and then when it's someone's turn, "Lindsay, Lindsay..." and such. But we also make other variations of the chanting. Sometimes there may be some banging involved, sometimes a little "under-chant" of the person's middle or last name... maybe a nickname. Usually clapping, and sometimes we've been known to do the "wave" as well. The wave one does at a baseball game with a full stadium - not the wave one does with their hands), dancing, decorative bows being placed on heads, bodies, babies and children, etc. We usually potluck the meal and scatter all over the house to eat without a lot of etiquette or placing of silverware or napkin rings. We do always read the Christmas story, I mean, we <i>are</i> Christians after all... The presents usually involve something passed down from my grandparents who are no longer alive, a gift that my aunt found at Sam Moon or from a street vendor on a local trip, and then usually some Starbucks gift cards. Seriously, it's really a crazy night of fun, noise, laughs and general hysteria. In other words, awesomeness. This is what I'm used to.<br />
<br />
When Niles and I got married and he came to his first Christmas Eve with my family, I thought he might curl up in the fetal position under the tree and cry tears of fear. He was so completely overwhelmed and exhausted within the first 10 minutes of it all. And if you know my husband, you should understand that the words "loud", "hysterical", "fun", and "exhausting" are not foreign to him. They are, in fact, part of his general make-up. Ironically, though, he is exhausted by the collective force of my family's ability to celebrate in high gear. We fought, not because he did anything wrong, or I did anything wrong, but because I could not understand why he was not enjoying and participating in the madness. I was so hurt and offended by his lack of comprehension and ability to celebrate up to Cole par, that I told him he was ruining Christmas for me. HA!! Oh, the newlywed days. =)) We really should have discussed holiday traditions in our pre-marital counseling. We may have waited another year. =)<br />
<br />
But seriously. Nowadays, I know not to get offended when Niles disappears at various points of the evening to sit in some quiet corner (bathroom, closet, 7-11 down the road...). I know just to carry on as I normally would with my loud, crazy family members, and eventually Niles will rejoin the party, rejuvenated, and perhaps even ready to participate. Although, I don't hold my breath. =)<br />
<br />
Without further ado, and before I write another post about Christmas Day and the general vacation time I've enjoyed... Here's Christmas Eve 2010.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0TFhXLkjAZb6pQvAPJCCZs0YtSk4uREdWeM-PRqlSZQMKxRQeC4f6sPgNTU92MhOStz5pLOnbmx0uO0SzA4x7-1q0xevARRTDpsOLlbOI_0bKYd190D1fChpdCWn7T6s73WC/s1600/_P7A5834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0TFhXLkjAZb6pQvAPJCCZs0YtSk4uREdWeM-PRqlSZQMKxRQeC4f6sPgNTU92MhOStz5pLOnbmx0uO0SzA4x7-1q0xevARRTDpsOLlbOI_0bKYd190D1fChpdCWn7T6s73WC/s320/_P7A5834.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Reese getting hot rolled for the first time. Of course, it's totally dramatic and she looks like Mommie Dearest without the face mask, martini or wire hangers... =) </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinH-tDbZ7Two6Uvc2jrhyafsvnWQoqKu-S8aJOnRaGR81HlEzv_9T_BDTCY_WZC-XtQm7xkLnejk3CxI7Zi7NPJ6kUxuO_1jJ3FfhLoPg3qmeNILE1AYXO0NHe5JOI-BG65BLX/s1600/_P7A5841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinH-tDbZ7Two6Uvc2jrhyafsvnWQoqKu-S8aJOnRaGR81HlEzv_9T_BDTCY_WZC-XtQm7xkLnejk3CxI7Zi7NPJ6kUxuO_1jJ3FfhLoPg3qmeNILE1AYXO0NHe5JOI-BG65BLX/s200/_P7A5841.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvlwFug0oepwRCBr7_vNh-Q697qV5dl4RQ3ThT7QFOCY1RdPcQ0Vp2FkjGPuDOYiLRb2A9KrsmYFm1-qji1BpNLnsgaw5u0RcAN6fjOlxlpv1j7hTsPUUn4PIWC6QDmxheyPd/s1600/_P7A5863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvlwFug0oepwRCBr7_vNh-Q697qV5dl4RQ3ThT7QFOCY1RdPcQ0Vp2FkjGPuDOYiLRb2A9KrsmYFm1-qji1BpNLnsgaw5u0RcAN6fjOlxlpv1j7hTsPUUn4PIWC6QDmxheyPd/s320/_P7A5863.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYRpAdM911VXzsJ836oT7x5g2aNGV4V-vKjS-lkadhyKjBVtubXAKcsl7_Guyp3IaEfRvZduqGsv5V71_KQ-Q95RDinDDsys5UqpaUd9m95EFocTYHOQP-jd6E8-dsa5pVG5P/s1600/_P7A5873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYRpAdM911VXzsJ836oT7x5g2aNGV4V-vKjS-lkadhyKjBVtubXAKcsl7_Guyp3IaEfRvZduqGsv5V71_KQ-Q95RDinDDsys5UqpaUd9m95EFocTYHOQP-jd6E8-dsa5pVG5P/s320/_P7A5873.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MfGB7Heeiyfi5pK__7_3kF_uGbpPwuvHWPlja-X0U7IizU60w8sbNvLl4klQNwD-D2dm_xsMvmoSzyAiVZbi7fNuNXnNzCCXDIil3LGYXnckoyjHYrellyKwC1YZ8oT4pAQo/s1600/_P7A5893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MfGB7Heeiyfi5pK__7_3kF_uGbpPwuvHWPlja-X0U7IizU60w8sbNvLl4klQNwD-D2dm_xsMvmoSzyAiVZbi7fNuNXnNzCCXDIil3LGYXnckoyjHYrellyKwC1YZ8oT4pAQo/s320/_P7A5893.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Banging</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwqrhiou4Tx4CGSZmOwuUAUZsE3V9ZjaFjsQ9frIep6nqt5bJb5cKxdPiFxqhiOkeGhfkDD6irKZNUfv0p14hHqlR_ithdmhrWxz-C5O_SGZddxbYic3vqZJ7XqLf41s-2OOs/s1600/_P7A5898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwqrhiou4Tx4CGSZmOwuUAUZsE3V9ZjaFjsQ9frIep6nqt5bJb5cKxdPiFxqhiOkeGhfkDD6irKZNUfv0p14hHqlR_ithdmhrWxz-C5O_SGZddxbYic3vqZJ7XqLf41s-2OOs/s320/_P7A5898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXixdVj83hZ91wSP-avMVQsmy2wQf-FAdNPPZTlWnvPiBDdWDUYyeI8WvdOeHO13-vu3WSru_HLLJuARZmPQXbfmizzx7w8l8XMvi4Elmxi0I2u2DuLxslEFRnyhBV2J1HWmfZ/s1600/_P7A5902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXixdVj83hZ91wSP-avMVQsmy2wQf-FAdNPPZTlWnvPiBDdWDUYyeI8WvdOeHO13-vu3WSru_HLLJuARZmPQXbfmizzx7w8l8XMvi4Elmxi0I2u2DuLxslEFRnyhBV2J1HWmfZ/s320/_P7A5902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Reese's cousins, Coco and Portia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uRyAcnB0TzeOI9pjz0qYk-hWuVwzd9YrcY-w99-24tdcyyPOzjDE81WwPQvTPXY9vAeOXwc0R9euNSsITiYoQAV6D5PrHWofCTOADjEsg2prilClxaPvbo54eTu_m6goRhrp/s1600/_P7A5908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uRyAcnB0TzeOI9pjz0qYk-hWuVwzd9YrcY-w99-24tdcyyPOzjDE81WwPQvTPXY9vAeOXwc0R9euNSsITiYoQAV6D5PrHWofCTOADjEsg2prilClxaPvbo54eTu_m6goRhrp/s320/_P7A5908.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB12GXcWGf2GbBbqQdnBgXgyEHmIbZgeed-dQjBAlztkmgSVowrEC8R9CF9V2hXammsZWpH8143iN2qom9bghf0jPDjIPkraOCenxlp3r451qp3t_PK2tDhhuP1m1j34FEjakL/s1600/_P7A5918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB12GXcWGf2GbBbqQdnBgXgyEHmIbZgeed-dQjBAlztkmgSVowrEC8R9CF9V2hXammsZWpH8143iN2qom9bghf0jPDjIPkraOCenxlp3r451qp3t_PK2tDhhuP1m1j34FEjakL/s320/_P7A5918.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjuQinJIKl_Q3drSfbK1LZOEN40vuN6pUzUKckrDHMKFZ_CsgBpqkcqIy9EVtEzh225_ckVNnOwL_ZJ84gOvTV5YP-Pwg5EXdz8fo1QRZ-HRV3_IMdAYFGTSRblyVRHGPxA48/s1600/_P7A5926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjuQinJIKl_Q3drSfbK1LZOEN40vuN6pUzUKckrDHMKFZ_CsgBpqkcqIy9EVtEzh225_ckVNnOwL_ZJ84gOvTV5YP-Pwg5EXdz8fo1QRZ-HRV3_IMdAYFGTSRblyVRHGPxA48/s320/_P7A5926.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The girls getting ready to lead us in a round of "Twelve Days of Christmas". They assigned us all 'parts' =)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjz0HPKnGjQa4kKjHX3m2V7g7Af5Tsnu7MubqU9qc49sMF8wbfkUI57Wd_UvRgmgw97GCnkp1idtZG-wnhY-sheNlwWnaUeBmVDmdH1bYXu0Ah3_PvWnQNOZTzkym7B01qhyphenhyphenGb/s1600/_P7A5936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjz0HPKnGjQa4kKjHX3m2V7g7Af5Tsnu7MubqU9qc49sMF8wbfkUI57Wd_UvRgmgw97GCnkp1idtZG-wnhY-sheNlwWnaUeBmVDmdH1bYXu0Ah3_PvWnQNOZTzkym7B01qhyphenhyphenGb/s320/_P7A5936.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Coco, Portia and Kiana</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUQi95OXRJ33BRumOG1VS6DIFm4TICkIZX3KtwVnkC2hjhsEN7hGzCL_vykCHX7Plc4Ba12f47npubZENazsPeQ2nxXpzVccxnRHnoXfPNAP41zhOKFuXwP2hEDNl8GPhm19t/s1600/_P7A5946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUQi95OXRJ33BRumOG1VS6DIFm4TICkIZX3KtwVnkC2hjhsEN7hGzCL_vykCHX7Plc4Ba12f47npubZENazsPeQ2nxXpzVccxnRHnoXfPNAP41zhOKFuXwP2hEDNl8GPhm19t/s320/_P7A5946.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Three French Hens!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTrPSRMas9e_847m3r_hc85wJEGAGu2NeSr6EWuj7N6TpymWKs7NSkOjsgXENYG7Brtd5di12Ua1PwXE5RXsGfz86JN4RxlKJfjyEgOaXf2KUEMkkuBT0EyI0LXOtIOVO0UgZ/s1600/_P7A5956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTrPSRMas9e_847m3r_hc85wJEGAGu2NeSr6EWuj7N6TpymWKs7NSkOjsgXENYG7Brtd5di12Ua1PwXE5RXsGfz86JN4RxlKJfjyEgOaXf2KUEMkkuBT0EyI0LXOtIOVO0UgZ/s320/_P7A5956.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm quite obviously a Partridge in a Pear Tree. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAE-i1EIFhvWgvn5tpBO5hYdX_-V-mRT6kFjBQ4VT6fKWQecIJ9fw0pu9oK1fLb5a_6N_sx24q-zE1PzSID_htMGeVbbCzHC5J-K8ZPSVI5gLy2F7bNeOUZ15n27J2OfEvjLhz/s1600/_P7A5960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAE-i1EIFhvWgvn5tpBO5hYdX_-V-mRT6kFjBQ4VT6fKWQecIJ9fw0pu9oK1fLb5a_6N_sx24q-zE1PzSID_htMGeVbbCzHC5J-K8ZPSVI5gLy2F7bNeOUZ15n27J2OfEvjLhz/s320/_P7A5960.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bryce and mom are also partridges. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KduVWCELF4BPKWv7Lxq6SsBNNdk9rifMIhzO6zvgiib1wGKHMyKdl0ZWlUPjbqTYvdCnpAjOXU6uez76Nbc_i49tde-XC6BMZuldvBoCjN9TiDOpcL3USxkWMduZ163C0AhD/s1600/_P7A5962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KduVWCELF4BPKWv7Lxq6SsBNNdk9rifMIhzO6zvgiib1wGKHMyKdl0ZWlUPjbqTYvdCnpAjOXU6uez76Nbc_i49tde-XC6BMZuldvBoCjN9TiDOpcL3USxkWMduZ163C0AhD/s320/_P7A5962.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-LlzOAOibOPvvvNyVm5DLRNzxPZkVUW8aoluZFPtIUBt28UFSbMGP7g2YHN5lggG2bfJweu56kepQa4c1DBmy4QR-g3NB-7b6HhyaMIQN4t1Pr4ouptcszIeM-z84g7jztn3/s1600/_P7A5968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-LlzOAOibOPvvvNyVm5DLRNzxPZkVUW8aoluZFPtIUBt28UFSbMGP7g2YHN5lggG2bfJweu56kepQa4c1DBmy4QR-g3NB-7b6HhyaMIQN4t1Pr4ouptcszIeM-z84g7jztn3/s320/_P7A5968.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Reese is a Lady dancing. She played her part beautifully. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YA1FFziaT-bEpU3Hr4QKHpwtoLj35BL2pPeXkQ8RobaisFC3KDRdn_o6KPEabWGaW-als0lX7lLmMXcjEgnFiVLCYhDk6ykZ3mSGM_0oNuqBYOwKSlkuPSBNOOCSQKvu1ork/s1600/_P7A5983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YA1FFziaT-bEpU3Hr4QKHpwtoLj35BL2pPeXkQ8RobaisFC3KDRdn_o6KPEabWGaW-als0lX7lLmMXcjEgnFiVLCYhDk6ykZ3mSGM_0oNuqBYOwKSlkuPSBNOOCSQKvu1ork/s200/_P7A5983.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Drummer/Pastor Drumming. There might as well have been ten. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZSM1sANzgqusxJSGRjAgyS7DclUANtS-tlVLV30X21IeeGoVSoQoFdpSw9DUtV53R5TkYKTTD8DrqimLMdOhOc7xZwZGODJF5raFddDCAsGoCxuZm8ScckNohBSCoMW1ZqRk/s1600/_P7A5984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZSM1sANzgqusxJSGRjAgyS7DclUANtS-tlVLV30X21IeeGoVSoQoFdpSw9DUtV53R5TkYKTTD8DrqimLMdOhOc7xZwZGODJF5raFddDCAsGoCxuZm8ScckNohBSCoMW1ZqRk/s320/_P7A5984.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">FIVE GOLDEN RINGS. LOUD ONES. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-n2uVRIm03oWsK2J0nT_Su13WoFIYXug7c6mRzdg3fma-bOxwSFj59pEe1CmP5RafsjNwLvF2eAJzG3WKMS9NFy6TX7n9sX2X48tyaH4R7NthZNctv9nmXeKm1HIfFh0OCiIU/s1600/_P7A5992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-n2uVRIm03oWsK2J0nT_Su13WoFIYXug7c6mRzdg3fma-bOxwSFj59pEe1CmP5RafsjNwLvF2eAJzG3WKMS9NFy6TX7n9sX2X48tyaH4R7NthZNctv9nmXeKm1HIfFh0OCiIU/s320/_P7A5992.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My beautiful boy with his gammy!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmRoC1Fc28FPS1fSDLxCWBOTQaw920FuE85OnPhNcIpeBrGy5dX24Pk-5AKAuHUZqrzeJ-dOqPF4dbrLyLYdLvU6k1jFqWdze3FMLCwNwrRzUuTZJQ8azFOpWCZazhQkbpHbq/s1600/_P7A5994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmRoC1Fc28FPS1fSDLxCWBOTQaw920FuE85OnPhNcIpeBrGy5dX24Pk-5AKAuHUZqrzeJ-dOqPF4dbrLyLYdLvU6k1jFqWdze3FMLCwNwrRzUuTZJQ8azFOpWCZazhQkbpHbq/s320/_P7A5994.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Count on Reese to get comfortable right in the middle of everything. =))</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQFI0thm3XoqWU9imLMkj64GcCQdNFyfOiCJOCVySTHxeINo1boxdcW4lEVrrVDbnwAg5pdm7y27UAYtwjjH5WR3mC5zEK9nLyijqvwpU24D7-NtS2RU1pMMCpZc-evGrtWZn/s1600/_P7A6001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQFI0thm3XoqWU9imLMkj64GcCQdNFyfOiCJOCVySTHxeINo1boxdcW4lEVrrVDbnwAg5pdm7y27UAYtwjjH5WR3mC5zEK9nLyijqvwpU24D7-NtS2RU1pMMCpZc-evGrtWZn/s320/_P7A6001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KMyiQLv7dB9C6ZziK4I0rPJArFoiJagaOCu1U8_xoIAWJddtkJcRrrcVWsDknb9j9yIjcY1kBHzsZ2Lj0l9KQoxxBNRm71A1_o_CLPspxP2tsmIzMXMyyYMMbNbj_UTnbwJX/s1600/_P7A6014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KMyiQLv7dB9C6ZziK4I0rPJArFoiJagaOCu1U8_xoIAWJddtkJcRrrcVWsDknb9j9yIjcY1kBHzsZ2Lj0l9KQoxxBNRm71A1_o_CLPspxP2tsmIzMXMyyYMMbNbj_UTnbwJX/s320/_P7A6014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wa ha Ah say Ah say Ah say... </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPVyhmj5a9YSZuPFJUuZi_P073IXmFZyQKE4hzgaARykyRCahVaq6AxZecquwxOEMDsN_evHfy6Pr32VUAsRO-qa3I3w92soukR2lFCuh4Kd7yRoEIjTJGeVNrasDxrKL8RU1/s1600/_P7A6017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPVyhmj5a9YSZuPFJUuZi_P073IXmFZyQKE4hzgaARykyRCahVaq6AxZecquwxOEMDsN_evHfy6Pr32VUAsRO-qa3I3w92soukR2lFCuh4Kd7yRoEIjTJGeVNrasDxrKL8RU1/s320/_P7A6017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOecP9tS4ldtzjLhd-tvsPJSSdHoO5LTF7eN51N4Y40uDVnqvQOqp9EuIhC9R8RV2dtKH6qJupMTF5hAJLDmcqzoFE5n18jRbhuW5DSVB6FEWuytVouWOuYsZNMkvP7mRzG0iS/s1600/_P7A6018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOecP9tS4ldtzjLhd-tvsPJSSdHoO5LTF7eN51N4Y40uDVnqvQOqp9EuIhC9R8RV2dtKH6qJupMTF5hAJLDmcqzoFE5n18jRbhuW5DSVB6FEWuytVouWOuYsZNMkvP7mRzG0iS/s320/_P7A6018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDzIgy2f902vtnprWLDQ_EYt_-7ugvfd1DVlbs-ozf0gja6T8JTT83F3Rr6yDEfSuVlYzvIwtaodCG8WFUy7Lz9_m0nec99fE080HmrKDSc4FqCL65A06IUmROMVPFJKvsEts/s1600/_P7A6019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDzIgy2f902vtnprWLDQ_EYt_-7ugvfd1DVlbs-ozf0gja6T8JTT83F3Rr6yDEfSuVlYzvIwtaodCG8WFUy7Lz9_m0nec99fE080HmrKDSc4FqCL65A06IUmROMVPFJKvsEts/s320/_P7A6019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4w8tR_Qvc-0-yqQjlRR8RgY07lSbqTY4TLMSD_uajzEiCXSxZwuugauYwQSXURvjFkIPvOtNT3jw-YAUv29CRTf1mm7YFrwVM0kYmKV6fd3NPC1kVX54EEVOvcI5mDeAdBhA/s1600/_P7A6024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4w8tR_Qvc-0-yqQjlRR8RgY07lSbqTY4TLMSD_uajzEiCXSxZwuugauYwQSXURvjFkIPvOtNT3jw-YAUv29CRTf1mm7YFrwVM0kYmKV6fd3NPC1kVX54EEVOvcI5mDeAdBhA/s320/_P7A6024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is a pretty good image of the chaos that ensues when we try to figure out how we will start the round of present-passing-out.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0NdghfMvSV0H_ohASfkhdXWgX6S3O_MXYvvy6ZKrPKqaEc9M8P4yg7Q9m3cOy9i-gZE5aYoZnrXWo0-chBveXbqNFzkudbuYiLiLb-3c2L4J7czVrp12x99vIEmTwDYcg_LK/s1600/_P7A6029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0NdghfMvSV0H_ohASfkhdXWgX6S3O_MXYvvy6ZKrPKqaEc9M8P4yg7Q9m3cOy9i-gZE5aYoZnrXWo0-chBveXbqNFzkudbuYiLiLb-3c2L4J7czVrp12x99vIEmTwDYcg_LK/s320/_P7A6029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwJY9mDDZIvBSlLrY6STGo5_MBrqoGCxUH-w8HuqHjJ0m7I8-VEUzjKPDDCxEdahmqvdaA23qQb6qFfbMXCow1lIcbPvTNgGKNC-7ZZYaCJU6d1v8fi3FY5f5t3q1fEobVWEB/s1600/_P7A6033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwJY9mDDZIvBSlLrY6STGo5_MBrqoGCxUH-w8HuqHjJ0m7I8-VEUzjKPDDCxEdahmqvdaA23qQb6qFfbMXCow1lIcbPvTNgGKNC-7ZZYaCJU6d1v8fi3FY5f5t3q1fEobVWEB/s320/_P7A6033.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Best way I can think of to end this post. He's pretty spectacular.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-11185357814754051232010-09-19T08:54:00.002-06:002010-09-19T09:14:19.384-06:00My Church. =)So I'm missing church this morning because Cam is getting his first tooth, and is feeling pretty crappy - whether it's because of the tooth or allergies, or whatever, this poor boy is red, watery, snotty and teary. It's so sad. So I'm keeping him home just in case.<br /><br />But I'm so glad I did. I have needed some really good, maximized alone time with the Lord. And it seems so difficult to find these days with work, children, no sleep, church activities, and just LIFE responsibilities. I have been so tired, so overwhelmed by emotions (probably because of being tired!), and just completely drained, that I have been absolutely no fun to be around. I'm always whiny, overemotional and sensitive, and pretty much intolerable probably. To be at home this morning has been a tremendous blessing in disguise. Even though I've been taking care of my boy, I've had time to play my worship music loud and uninterrupted; read one of my devotionals during his bath time, while sitting in the presence of God listening to Eddie James sing about the name of the Lord. It has been one of the most refreshing times I've experienced in quite a few weeks. <br /><br />What I've learned over these past few weeks is that not only can I not survive without the presence of my Father, I cannot function without His peace, victory, and hope. The knowledge of the victory and authority I have over my emotions and my personal frustrations/concerns/issues that I have been reminded of this morning, is utterly indescribable for me right now. I have sat on some things for a while, praying casually but sincerely, that the Lord would help me submit them to Him; but I have not paused to really sit in His presence and reflect on His Word for me, reflect on His nature, His love for me, and I have especially not paused to thank Him and bring worship to Him for what He has already done for me. <br /><br />But this morning I have had that time.. And here's what God immediately showed me through one of my many, many bedside table books. =) <br />"You are more than a conqueror!"<br />Romans 8:17 - Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us.<br />This is not a new verse to me, but because the Word of the Lord IS actually inspired, living and active, it has ramshackled my spirit this morning!! IT's like, I just forgot about His SURPASSING VICTORY!!! How?!?! How does one forget that they are given a surpassing and everlasting victory over their life circumstances and their insecurities and pains?!?!? Because I've been too busy for Him to sit and remember. I've been too busy to rest in Him, abide in Him and find peace in Him. Totally unacceptable!! And I've paid the price for it. (So has Niles ;)<br /><br />Here's more...<br />"True victory for the child of God comes when there is still peace in the soul right in the midst of the raging storm - when tragedy strikes and one can still say, "it is well with my soul." This can only happen when you are looking at Jesus instead of your circumstances." <br />DUH!! I know this. But how easily, quickly I've been shaken... How simple it has been for the world to take that confidence and peace from me because I've felt like everything I've been doing has been too important to let go of in order to give the Lord His time with me. <br /><br />"The key to having victory is understanding it only comes 'through Him who loved us.' If you are facing problems that seem insurmountable, remember you are a conqueror through Him. Allow God to strengthen your inner man. When you are strong inside you can defeat anything that comes against you."<br /><br />BIG SIGH. <br />Thank. You. God.lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-38242667661305591942010-05-23T12:21:00.001-06:002010-05-23T12:24:54.430-06:00Mind of Monkey, ed 2Sometimes words just can't explain... <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMOZ0xZQHUQXGGAnMt3U3nB1NLQ8BL0E_afhWycqZsFFdh4QZzHgjyqrs3emP53-qJ56DYS1X2e-uKkqdS_Ek1yt5BFfdwDhbwl1rsdtOr0czuWpQcE7qV_BDlnJmt88JR9PU/s1600/IMG_3060.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMOZ0xZQHUQXGGAnMt3U3nB1NLQ8BL0E_afhWycqZsFFdh4QZzHgjyqrs3emP53-qJ56DYS1X2e-uKkqdS_Ek1yt5BFfdwDhbwl1rsdtOr0czuWpQcE7qV_BDlnJmt88JR9PU/s320/IMG_3060.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474533113913897394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXbPDQNfdg9JUbGsl_ukmhuqDjP0-89xSxC6hbQ1B4VDAh9nOY00scImNvzIOtk87nBbFdVCWIwKVE4fs0Fffaod6slcct2XxrpqFgrgZHohUVZa_mvjh_8BiJLmOKNdJLfTV/s1600/IMG_2998.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXbPDQNfdg9JUbGsl_ukmhuqDjP0-89xSxC6hbQ1B4VDAh9nOY00scImNvzIOtk87nBbFdVCWIwKVE4fs0Fffaod6slcct2XxrpqFgrgZHohUVZa_mvjh_8BiJLmOKNdJLfTV/s320/IMG_2998.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474533107846981970" /></a>lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-50625451744348933842010-05-14T15:16:00.004-06:002010-05-14T15:47:08.219-06:00The Mind of Monkey...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JuJiVtuLhUR8S381WYExK60neicpGflU7OnCaLd6l5nvxVTaB7BcjK_TqRB55Bis-yM3U3PKPg3dvwzcqHua51WliREKjE8bJ413wI_-yJhDNOvp9r-jLTutu2Jyac9uoKK8/s1600/IMG_2946.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JuJiVtuLhUR8S381WYExK60neicpGflU7OnCaLd6l5nvxVTaB7BcjK_TqRB55Bis-yM3U3PKPg3dvwzcqHua51WliREKjE8bJ413wI_-yJhDNOvp9r-jLTutu2Jyac9uoKK8/s320/IMG_2946.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471245500621938514" /></a><br />So, Reese is always giving me fodder for blog-talk, but I'm horrible at actually blogging it! Well, no more! <br />Welcome to the Mind of Monkey... Edition 1. <br /><br />Sunday morning, Reese and I decided to treat me to a Mother's Day sleep-in/church-skip. <br />Niles came in to say good-bye and asked us if we liked the shirt he was wearing... Reese promptly replied, "No. Dad, you need to change." As we both started laughing, she looked at us stone-faced, and said, "Daddy. I'm not joking."<br />When it comes to fashion, girlfriend is not playin' around. <br /><br />Sunday afternoon (Mother's Day), Reese was racing through the house, running as she always does to some unknown emergency, and she tripped and ate it on the floor. She was bawling her eyes out, and through her heartwrenching tears, said to me (equally heartwrenching), "Mommy, I fell... on <span style="font-style:italic;">Mother's Day!!!</span>"<br /><br />And<br />Scene.lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-22434042125313549922010-03-21T10:32:00.002-06:002010-03-21T11:18:34.257-06:00Life is good. It's good I tell yaSo, in the interest of updating this blog, if only to make the first thing you see something non-Twilight-related, I will go ahead and write about actual life happenings in the Holsinger home! =)<br /><br />It is busy. <br /><br />It is very, very, let me say it, crazy busy. <br /><br />Reese, my beautiful, charming, funny toddler is now a "big girl" at age 4. She is practically a teenager in her mind's eye. Sometimes I find this extremely unnerving, especially after a recent conversation I had with an actual teenager. If you know me and we have had a conversation about my children, you know that the years from 12 to 18 are especially terrifying to me. I literally have visions of horrifying parties, raves, Reese waving glow sticks, sneaking out her window and wearing mini-jeanskirts with ripped up fishnet stockings that she pulled out of her backpack after leaving my home in a plaid jumper over a turtleneck. I can't even tell you the atrocities that start to form in my head. But I refuse to be the "cool mom" who lets my kids drink underage b/c "at least they're in my home"... and all that business (channeling Amy Poehler in Mean Girls). However, I'm dying to learn the secrets of those parents who raised their children to be open and honest with them, meanwhile keeping a safe distance from their social lives so as not to embarrass them, etc. Does this mean I have to stop yelling at the kids who are mean on the playground?! I don't know... I actually find a lot of satisfaction in disciplining those kids at Central Market - that's where they usually hang out. <br />Okay, so anyways... back to reality. <br /><br />Reese remains funny, charming and beautiful, and I absolutely love and adore her. She is quite emotional/sensitive these days and has a hard time with listening, which is to be expected for a 4 year old. But I do think this personality has something to do with the craziness of our busy lives, and the decrease in attention I can give her between my job and the new baby. She had me to herself for almost 4 years, and we literally did EVERYTHING together up until 5 months ago. So, clearly, she has had some major transition to get used to. Bless her heart. I'm making a concerted effort to take her with me for a couple hours at a time to do things, and hopefully the more often we can do this together, the more normal she will start to feel again. <br /><br />CAMERON, the most precious, handsome little man, with a smile that completely melts your heart, a laugh that reduces me to a puddle on the floor, and eyes that are just out of this world... What can I say?!!? He is just remarkable. I adore that little boy and am over the moon in love with him!! I just want to put him in my pocket so I can have him with me all the time. He has brought so much joy to our family and it truly shows me that when it comes to kids, your heart truly stretches and the love you never thought you could possibly share for another child, just kind of rocks your world. Cam slept in our bed with us for 3 months, half because I was nursing and just needed SLEEP, and half because I just fell in love with my little cuddle-buddy and didn't want to move him. haha... He is totally a light sleeper, so our biggest issue with him has mostly been sleep-scheduling and just a total lack of consistency. He does his own thing, albeit, with a beautiful smile on his face so I can't get too upset with him! He is constantly moving, kicking, standing, flailing... He watches his big sister like a hawk and is so ready to do everything she does! He laughs at her all the time and she is always talking to him and trying to make him laugh. They are absolutely hilarious together. <br /><br />Me and Niles find ourselves with nary a night to relax or lay low, as responsibilities at church and work and home continue to grow. God has us in a really unique and fabulous time in our lives, but it definitely has its new and exciting challenges! Scheduling our lives on a day-to-day basis has become a necessity, and to plan anything fun or friend-wise is either a totally spontaneous in-the-moment decision, or planned a month out! I love to be busy, but a vacation would certainly be welcome right now. Or realistically, 3 nights of uninterrupted sleep would do, too. Under-eye concealer is my new best friend. But as life and schedules have become so busy, God's grace and presence have become more real than ever before! It's probably because daily, I have had to lean on Him and trust Him with each concern, each and every issue of frustration or worry... I have experienced His movement in my spirit and heart like never before and am literally finding joy and peace beyond comprehension through simply knowing I am His child and He is my King, my Counselor, my friend and above all, my SAVIOUR!! It excites me to feel such a growing desire for Him, and for relationship with Him. I know it means that I'm walking in truth and in step with Jesus and knowing that allows me to lean on Him even more, and trust Him even more with the issues of my heart. <br /><br />So, essentially, this is an overview of life as WE know it. <br /><br />And, as I write this, I AM watching "New Moon" which Niles went out at midnight to buy for me on Friday. Don't you dare judge me. I'm fully going to go read Henri Nouwen and maybe watch a little March Madness this afternoon. I'm cool okay!! <br />And, if I feel like it, I just might make up a dance routine to "Party in the U.S.A." after all that!lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-49901795487385515962009-11-21T19:20:00.004-07:002009-11-23T09:09:10.477-07:00Okay, duh, I already know I'm a ridiculous 30 year old teenager...So yes, after thousands of weeks of counting down to New Moon via my New Moon Countdown App (thank you all-knowing, all-resourceful, all-powerful iPhone!), Thursday night brought the highly-anticipated evening of my 2009 thus far. (Oh yes, besides the birth of my son... haha.. which I will clearly blog about in the near future - too much to catch up on, I have to start small) <br /><br />Me and some of my fellow die-hard (or Twi-hard if you will...) Twilight friends caught a lucky break thanks to Awesome Jackie, and went on Thursday evening at 6 pm... A full 6 hours before it was really released to the public. We all spent one night at my house decorating T-shirts and watching the first Twilight which was a blast. Here's the rundown of our artistic expressions:<br />"They call me Spider Monkey" - me<br />"I'd rather be in Forks" - Jackie<br />"Edward prefers brunettes" - Julie<br />"Edward... 'nuf said" - April<br />"Team McSparkle" - Rebekah<br />"How long have you been 17" - Virginia<br /><br />So, Thursday we met exceptionally early to head out to the theater and waited from 4 until 6 in line, FIRST in line I might add. By the time they pulled back the rope to let us down the hall to the theater, we literally took off running down the hallway. We didn't even look back. As we got some awesome seats in the theater, we then proceeded to engage in fits of screaming, hand-grabbing, and yes, even spirit fingers!!! It was such a rush of excitement to finally be in the theater!!! We sat through what felt like endless amounts of unnecessary previews for movies we cared less about, before... finally... the Summit logo crossed the screen and it was TIME!!! <br /><br />New Moon nearly met all my expectations, and absolutely raised the bar from the sub-par, albeit still much-loved, Twilight. There are, as I would think any avid Twilight lover has to admit, some things that were definitely lacking in the movie, but I don't know that any movie can ever truly satisfy your readers' expectations. They are just too great and fantastic to be translated. However, I am so happy with the final and overall product that is New Moon!!! In fact, so happy that I'm going to see it again tomorrow night, which will be followed with many more viewings I'm sure. <br /><br />I do obviously wish there had been more Edward, but that was to be expected. Kristen Stewart was such a better Bella this time around and so much more likable. Jacob was so great that I nearly could have switched "teams". Nearly - but not quite. =) I do wish Edward would not have gotten his butt kicked in the Volturi fight scene... That was really frustrating. Especially since he can READ MINDS and therefore ANTICIPATE ALL FIGHTING MOVES!?!?!??! So, seriously, that was a problem. Also, from the point Alice shows up and the Italy trip ensues, the movie moves way too quick for my liking. There was sooo much for Edward and Bella to discuss after they got back together and there was none of that in the film, which I'm not happy about... But like I said, OVERALL, sooo wonderful and fabulous and lovely. I can't wait to see it again!!!<br /><br />TEFL!!<br /><br />(team edward for life, duh)lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-66856603959732024052009-03-20T17:35:00.002-06:002009-03-20T17:47:44.424-06:00Do you even KNOW?!<em>Do all of you even know what is happening tonight?!</em><br /><br />TWILIGHT is out on DVD!!<br />Midnight. <br />Midnight, people. <br /><br />Let the hysteria begin!!!<br />Can't wait to have a watching party!!lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-49346403982011280102009-02-19T19:28:00.002-07:002009-02-19T19:41:48.142-07:00PregnantYup. That's me!<br /><br />We found out two weeks ago today, so February 5th... <br />I took EIGHT tests this month for various reasons. I think obviously I knew something was different this month, but the first four tests all came back negative. Of course, I did buy two of them at the Dollar Store and two of them on clearance at Tom Thumb. But I figured, a test's a test, right?! Well, apparently the days between tests 4 and 5 clearly were a landmark moment. =)<br /><br />My first REAL clue was a few Sundays ago. I was on my way home from church and ALL I WANTED WAS TACO BUENO NACHOS! Like, more than anything on the planet and I wanted them YESTERDAY. So... weird. I actually took my 4th cheap test that day, and it came out negative. <br />The next day, same thing. Taco Bueno nachos on the brain. I was obsessed. So I literally ate Bueno nachos for 3 days straight! I mean, they're good, but really?! for 3 days?! <br />Each day I felt weirdly nauseated, which is very unlike me, as I do not have a weak stomach and I rarely get sick to my stomach. <br />So Thursday, on my way to staff meeting, I could immediately tell that if I did not EAT right then, I was going to be completely sick!! I walked in and said this, and my friend Katherine looked at me and said, "Are you pregnant?!" She, being pregnant, feels like this very often. So, that was a major red flag. <br /><br />I bought the first digital test that day, and sure enough, PREGNANT! <br /><br />Niles and I have actually been planning for this sweet baby for several months, and I was right at the point where I felt like maybe this was going to be a long road. Thank God that His timing is the best for us and that only He knows His plans and His plans are best! I'm so excited about this journey and about adding this new little blessing to our family!!<br /><br />We went to the doctor yesterday, and against my hopes of being almost 9 weeks, we found that we are only 6. =( Oh well. I really love the "bigness" of being pregnant and that whole experience, so I was hoping it was happening sooner rather than later. But, it's okay. If we base this experience on the last, I should be showing in about 3 weeks. =)<br /><br />Due date for now? October 16!! Three days before our 7th anniversary!! <br /><br />SO exciting!!lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-8817026221255052162009-02-15T17:58:00.002-07:002009-02-15T18:00:25.926-07:00Submission.Since I finally decided to give in and do my 25 things on Facebook, I figured I could at least put all that effort to good use and double up on my bloggage for the day. <br /><br />Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.<br /><br />1. I love anything involving making some type of list. Hence my submission to the 25 things craze... <br /><br />2. I love hearing the sounds of my daughter singing and playing in her room absentmindedly... She makes up her own songs. <br /><br />3. I.HATE.TALKING.ON.THE.PHONE. <br /><br />4. I'm completely in love with Twilight, and you probably are too. <br /><br />5. I spent an entire day of my life in a movie theater when you count up all the times I saw Titanic. <br /><br />6. I could spend days on end reading and be completely content. I could spend days on end just reading Twilight and be totally content. As long as I have at least 10 books on my bookstand, I can be content. I'm a book junkie.<br /><br />7. I eat Sour Patch Watermelons at least once a week<br /><br />8. I love going dancing!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Except country dancing.<br /><br />9. I could really go for having 4 kids. I love being pregnant, and I LOVE my little girl. <br /><br />10. We have a demon cat named Lola, who I'm starting to love, because she's actually only nice to me. <br /><br />11. I take a bath almost every night, so I can finally get some reading time in before I go to bed. And it just seems easier to wash my face that way... <br /><br />12. I despise having to go to sleep and end my day. No matter how tired I am!<br /><br />13. I get extremely ansty and cabin-fevered if I stay home for too long - which usually ends up in me going to Target and buying something. <br /><br />14. Barnes and Noble is one of my favorite places to go. And I could stay there for hours. Oh and Half-Price books too, but B&N is much more cozy.<br /><br />15. I really want to do a whole trip through Europe; backpack, hostels, trains, whatever... I'm not scared! I just want to see it all. I especially want to go to Italy, Greece, and Turkey. <br /><br />16. I could very easily eat pizza with extra cheese and/or cheese fries with ranch EVERY SINGLE DAY. A meal without cheese just does not count. <br /><br />17. I love jigsaw puzzles, but I have to do them few and far between, because it literally takes over my life until I finish. Not to mention that it takes over our entire table, and makes Niles none too thrilled. <br /><br />18. I love music. I have to have music with everything I do. Can't work out without it, can't have a get-together without it, need it when I walk in the door. I will make a playlist for everything and I LOVE burning CDs for people!!<br /><br />19. I really do enjoy cooking, but it seems rare lately that I ever get creative. When Niles and I lived in Florida, I pulled out my cookbooks every Sunday, picked out an entire meal plan for the week, and made a new dinner every single night. <br /><br />20. I only let Reese watch shows that I enjoy having on in the background. Excluding Dora.<br /><br />21. I waited tables for 3 years at Rockfish, and nearly 2 total years at two different Chilis. I actually really loved waiting tables!! <br /><br />22. I LOVE my job, love the people I work with and LOVE going to meetings!!<br /><br />23. I love Christmas and everything about it. This year was the first time in a long time that I didn't send out Christmas cards by Thanksgiving and didn't have my tree up by mid-November! It was so sad!<br /><br />24. I love working out, being busy, having a lot of things on my plate. Otherwise I feel completely unmotivated and useless.<br /><br />25. I have still not gotten my degree... I have only 7 classes left!!lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-85295325647782302702009-01-23T08:31:00.003-07:002009-02-14T16:59:08.911-07:00Marathon PicsHere you go... Finally, White Rock Marathon pictures. <br />Remember, I just ran 13.1 miles, so I look a bit crusty. (I hate that word, but I think it's the most fitting)<br /><br />The Starting Line at Victory Plaza or Park or whatever it's called.<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=finishline.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/finishline.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Me with the white sweatshirt tied around my waist, running at Mile 11<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=mecloseupdata.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/mecloseupdata.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />My two friends Virginia and Erin came down to cheer me on at the 11 mile marker, and it was the PERFECT timing! I was in PAIN, and I was so encouraged to see some familiar faces in the crowd. <br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=meVErin.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/meVErin.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />This is after the race, with some of our team, Tina and her husband did the race together, and Jackie helped coordinate all the racers... She was supposed to run... long story. =) haha<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=metinajackie2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/metinajackie2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />I know I have to do another one of these at some point in time, but until then, these will suffice to make me proud for a while. =)lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-30832881324068642992009-01-03T23:34:00.002-07:002009-01-03T23:54:22.265-07:00working my way out......of the TV addiction that is.<br />And, I honestly have to give a little 'what-what' to Stephenie Meyer and her highly addictive crack cocaine, a.k.a. Twilight, for seriously getting me off of TV for a record 10 days in order to fall back in love with reading. <br />Okay, that's a little dramatic... I am always in love with reading, BUT, with CARES business, work, toddler, husband, new church, oh yes, and my <span style="font-style:italic;"></span>other<span style="font-style:italic;"></span> work, reading kind of took a back seat for a while. I'd say I read pretty steadily the entire year until July when our whole world seemed to change in about 10 seconds. SO, in November when I really picked up Twilight and was sucked into a black hole of awesometown (yes, I think I'm rapidly turning into "Comic Book Guy" from the Simpsons...), I remembered just how wonderful it is to lose yourself in a book... or any hobby I suppose that doesn't involve a lot of "No, stop doing that" or "Hola! I'm Dora!". <br /><br />So, I have set some pretty strict restrictions on myself for 09 as far as entertainment goes. <br />I really am going to try to limit myself to following only a handful of shows:<br />24, Lost, Fringe, Office, Gossip Girl (duh) and maybe Grey's. This is a big deal, people!! But, I am determined to work on my brain, soul, and body this year, and I don't think TV can really assist me towards that end. I'm sure we could sit and debate that, and I'm not going to be anal about this; I'm sure I will cheat. BUT, the goal is to read more, educate more, work out more, look out for my health a bit more (w/o veggies of course) and spend as much time cultivating my relationships with family and friends as possible. <br /><br />Here are a few of the tangible goals for the year:<br />1. Another Half-marathon - probably the Austin Half, or the Big D in April<br />2. FULL Marathon - White Rock or something earlier in the year, not sure yet<br />3. BOOT CAMP - starting next month!<br />4. Set a reading list and actually finish each and every book (working on compiling that at the moment... feel free to offer suggestions!!)<br />5. VOLUNTEER in some way or another. I am going to get our apartment community to help out once a month at Genesis Women's Shelter in some form, as we adopted a family for the holidays, and it was such a great experience purchasing and collecting all the items on their wish list. Niles, Reese and I took them to the dropoff, along with $175 in gift cards for the family!! It makes me cry every time I think about it. <br />6. Find some way to do something for the troops. (Niles is making fun of me, but we watched Lions for Lambs tonight, and I'm all inspired to do something important and encouraging. Currently doing research, but again, all suggestions are welcome!)<br />7. GO TO SOME CONCERTS. My friend Sarah and I have talking about this for some time as we have similar music tastes. This is something I always think about, but just get caught up in the rut of Grapevine, Chilis and Sonic (sigh) and forget all about it. But I truly love music and I hate that there is sooo much out there I don't know about. =(<br /><br />Okay, so, it's almost 1:00 am, and considering I just got over being grossly ill, I should head to bed. <br /><br />peace out.lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-25570757875638380682009-01-01T18:31:00.002-07:002009-01-01T18:33:16.964-07:00Me and Edward CullenHe's sooo dreamy. =)<br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=e1bd57d911139321bd.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/e1bd57d911139321bd.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-25567619916016723212009-01-01T13:22:00.004-07:002009-01-01T18:31:26.064-07:00Books I Read in 2008A Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing - Melissa Bank (you know... i may have read this last year...)<br />Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Bilbert<br />The Last Lecture - Jerry Pausch (FAN FREAKING TASTIC)<br />Stori Telling - yes, i believe you know her... <br />A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khalid Hussein<br />Chris Farley Show - colaboration (this was actually a great read, but very very sad)<br />Freedom From Fear - Neil Anderson & Rich Miller<br />Twilight - Stephenie Meyer<br />New Moon - Stephenie Meyer<br />Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer<br />Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer<br />Skinny Bitch<br />Marilyn Monroe - Barbara Leaming<br />Midnight Sun - Stephenie Meyer <br /><br /><br />Books I got halfway through, which is tragic, but I just was not interested. Seriously. <br />The Shack - ugh, i don't remember<br />Marley & Me - John Grogan (I always want to say Josh Groban)<br />Atonement - Ian McEwan (I still may try to suffer through this one... but I just can't care enough about it)lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-70481449949368116102008-12-31T13:59:00.002-07:002008-12-31T15:22:40.240-07:00Goodbye 08! Thank GOD.So, we are saying Good Bye to '08... <br />Let me rephrase, Good FREAKING Bye '08. <br />What an exhausting year!! BUT, amidst the grievances that can be attributed to this year, there are also some great things and experiences, as with every year. <br />Probably one of my favorite things I did this year happened only a mere three weeks ago when I ran the White Rock half-marathon! Sadly, I have no photos yet... but I will post when I do. I am mostly proud because I literally trained MAYBE once a week and really did not run at all for two weeks before the race! I have no idea why. I think I have been a bit lethargic lately. Anyway, I finished the race in 2:28! Which basically comes down to a 11:22 minute mile. I'm pretty happy with that considering my training could barely be considered training, at any stretch of the imagination. <br /><br />Well, since my other big, exciting news is that I have a suh-weet iPhone now, I finally am able to take pictures and, drum roll, POST THEM TO MY BLOG!! TA-DAH!! <br /><br />So, before I get to posting, here is a Christmas breakdown - <br />Reese got a mountain of Princess clothing, Princess, slippers, Princess wands, crowns, earrings, jewels, etc. Pretty much just take a consensus of every item you own, attach a Princess theme to it, and Reese probably got one for Christmas. You think I'm kidding. <br />Niles got me a $100 gift certificate to Luke's Locker so I can get some really serious running shoes! I'm so excited. Plus, he is paying for me to go back to boot camp. That means, I will have to stop being lazy, and start getting some muscle back on this body!! I'm also super excited about it. I need to start 2009 off on an inspiring note, and boot camp is the perfect way to do that, as I already know well. <br /><br />So, now that the year is coming to a close, it is funny to look back on how differently this year is ending than how it began. Completely different in nearly every single way. I really do love change, even as it intimidates me and I can get a bit anxious about the "unknown"... But I don't like to stay stagnant for too long, and if 2009 continues along the pace that the second half of 08 did, than it is going to be a fast-moving year!! I am truly excited about the coming year, and I am very excited about all the possibilities on the horizon. SO... going out with Reesey's best friend today was the perfect way to close out the year. <br /><br />Presenting, more of the Reese and Emma Show (via Central Market & iPhone)<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_0336.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_0336.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_0335.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_0335.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_0332.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_0332.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />And here are some pics from our day at the library. Reese loves the computers because they have "Reesey Games" and she can sit there for hours. <br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_0299.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_0299.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_0301.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_0301.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Tonight we are off to hang out with some friends and Reesey's boyfriends (there are so many!) so it will be a nice way to say goodbye to 2008, BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY MISS Niles!! It is back to our usual routine of not spending New Years Eve together! =) <br /><br />CHEERS TO EVERYONE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-61267910350393669682008-11-13T21:52:00.002-07:002008-11-13T22:10:06.516-07:00Girls and BoysThis morning, after my long blog episode below, I watched as my two favorite people displayed two similar and yet distinct characteristics of women/girls and men/boys. Very interesting...<br /><br />Niles, my nearly 28-year-old husband of 6 years is sick. But apparently so sick that it has reduced him to an infantile state. Apparently it is normal for adult men to regress substantially when inflicted by a sore throat and "sore skin" (niles' words). =) <br /><br />Reese was happy as a clam when she woke up this morning. Smiling and content, she walked over to the kitchen table and started coloring while I made her breakfast: blueberry waffles and strawberries. As soon as I brought her food over, on her pretty pink plate with her pink plastic flamingo fork, she immediately stopped coloring, pulled her security blankie near and pushed away her plate of food. Bewildered and a bit frustrated I must admit, I chose to ignore the sudden moodswing and continue on with the rest of our morning routine. <br /><br />Not content with that small display of discontent, Reese hopped down from her booster seat at the table and walked over to Niles, lying desperately on the couch. She stood there staring at him for a few minutes, with a mixture of emotions on her face, and without warning put her tiny hands on each cheek and burst into tears. <br /><br />Eventually she made her way back to her plate of carbs and sugary syrup and went right back to smiling. <br /><br />I tell you, this is not too different from an average evening between Niles and I.lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-79062617156567669642008-11-13T05:06:00.002-07:002008-11-13T05:24:40.133-07:00Emphatic ConfidenceI know all my posts lately have been either serious or boring, so you'll have to forgive me. I don't have enough brainpower lately to be humorous or creative, unless it pertains to event-planning. =) <br /><br />But I just had to write about this... I am reading My Utmost for His Highest, which has quickly become one of my favorite books (devo) of all time. I have gone back to it sporadically over the years, but I think this year has been the most consistent. It is full of so much wisdom and depth. Sometimes a little too much depth, and I don't quite grasp it, but most of the time it offers me some revelation that I have desperately needed. <br /><br />I have been feeling a little burnt out lately. It seems as though most of my life now is CARES, which is awesome because I love it, but it is so easy to forget about life outside of our community. It's like I forget about my whole world, and all I can focus on are giveaways, donations, details and whether residents will attend and whether they will have a good time... I completely lose my bearings and friends turn into babysitters. =) I feel heavily convicted about it all at the moment because I can see that I've gotten out of balance. Thank God that He cares enough about me and loves me enough to reveal to me when I'm not giving enough to my relationships and my family. <br /><br />Anyways, back to my devotion this morning... <br />Since I have been feeling all this heavy stuff, it was so fantastic to read these crucial points in today's Utmost:<br />"We have to <span style="font-style:italic;">battle through our moods</span> into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus, to get out of the hole-and-corner business of our experience into abandoned devotion to Him. <br />"... our faith must be built in strong emphatic confidence in Him"<br />"He is made unto us 'wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption'. How can we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God?!"<br />"All our fears are wicked, and we fear because we will not nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear?"<br /><br />Seriously! How can I act as if I'm going to go each day and make <span style="font-style:italic;">such a sacrifice </span>for God by believing Him and loving Him. ?! God has given me the greatest gift anyone can ever receive... He sees me as righteous and sanctified, faultless because of the gift of Jesus. If I do fear or doubt (which I do very often) it is absolutely because I have not nourished myself in my faith - in my God-given freedom!! <br /><br />Anyways, I'm not great at writing articulately about things that move my spirit, but maybe you get something out of this that I didn't, or maybe you'll just have to read it yourself, because doesnt everyone own this book?!?! All I know is that I got a good kick in the butt this morning.lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-59366614121546447132008-10-18T09:04:00.003-06:002008-10-18T09:52:18.921-06:007th WeddingOkay, kids... Last weekend was my seventh wedding to bridesmaid. <br />It was probably one of, if not THE best dress I have ever worn in a wedding, which was awesome. But can I say, no matter how much I love a bridesmaid dress, <span style="font-style:italic;">IT WILL NEVER BE WORN AGAIN</span>! It just will not happen. <br /><br />The wedding was my friend Brie's. She married her boyfriend of 4 years, John, and they are absolutely perfect together. She looked more beautiful than I have ever seen her. Briezer is so funny, so true to herself, and completely without an ounce of pretension. She is such a blast to be around and I felt so honored to be in her wedding, considering that just 3 years ago we had never hung out before, even though I have known her for years. CHEERS TO BRIE!!<br /><br />REHEARSAL DINNER<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_04972.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_04972.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_04982.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_04982.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=MEANDAMES-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/MEANDAMES-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />GETTING HER SCRAPBOOK WE GAVE HER<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=BRIEGETTINGHERSCRAPBOOK.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/BRIEGETTINGHERSCRAPBOOK.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Mere, Amy and Becca<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=AMYMEREANDBECCA.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/AMYMEREANDBECCA.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=BECCAANDMERE.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/BECCAANDMERE.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />BEFORE THE WEDDING<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=gettingready2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/gettingready2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=gettingready3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/gettingready3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=l_bef85b7c7f344ba2be00ab7165862299.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/l_bef85b7c7f344ba2be00ab7165862299.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=l_ac5a0b76091b4ed3b2145e9b6feab8a4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/l_ac5a0b76091b4ed3b2145e9b6feab8a4.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=girlsonthecouch.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/girlsonthecouch.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=meamymere-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/meamymere-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_3819.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_3819.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Me and Mere<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=meandmere.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/meandmere.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />With Brie's nephew, Little Vincent<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=girlswithVincent.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/girlswithVincent.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />The Wedding and Reception!<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=thekiss.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/thekiss.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=happycouple.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/happycouple.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=walkingin.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/walkingin.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=thegirls.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/thegirls.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=eating.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/eating.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_3888.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_3888.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=IMG_05592.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/IMG_05592.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=l_359fb87b0b9343e8b32fee6443f8e45d.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/l_359fb87b0b9343e8b32fee6443f8e45d.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=l_7ce565a2ef854cc88b8ef1e1ec880f1f.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/l_7ce565a2ef854cc88b8ef1e1ec880f1f.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=l_ab7aeace2e264120b7ed21c98fe236a1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/l_ab7aeace2e264120b7ed21c98fe236a1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><br />And for those of you who know to ask... the flowers were beautiful! =)lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-1192992145813115702008-10-15T21:20:00.002-06:002008-10-15T21:23:16.036-06:00My Husband is so smart.You should go read his blog...<br />Blog Action Day!<br />I had no idea what the whole Blog Action Day thing was, but Niles informed me that you are supposed to take one day to write all about one particular topic... for whatever reason. <br />Anyways, today's topic was poverty, and my brilliant husband wrote a great blog. <br />Check it out!!!<br /><a href="http://www.7zeroes.com">www.7zeroes.com</a>lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-38389857954875787612008-10-09T22:26:00.000-06:002008-10-09T22:27:40.339-06:00There's an Election going on?!<object width="400" height="302"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1926280&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /> <embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1926280&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="302"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/1926280?pg=embed&sec=1926280">Election</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/Amir?pg=embed&sec=1926280">Amir</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com?pg=embed&sec=1926280">Vimeo</a>.lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-39305657492454000522008-10-04T07:49:00.002-06:002008-10-04T08:05:02.660-06:00In Every Season, You Are Still GodIf you don't already love Hillsong and immediately buy every CD that comes out, please at least buy their latest, This Is Our God. So far, this is absolutely my favorite. It is so powerful and everytime I listen, I feel the presence of God so strongly, and feel so refreshed and touched by God. <br />"Desert Song" is currently my favorite. The part in italics towards the bottom is such a great reminder to me that I have nothing to fear, nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be depressed about, because ultimately God is God, and no matter what is going on around me or even IN me, He never changes, He never fails. No matter what mistakes I make, nothing can or will ever separate me from Him!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">DESERT SONG</span><br /><br />This is my prayer in the desert<br />When all that's within me feels dry<br />This is my prayer in my hunger and need<br />My God is the God who provides<br /><br />This is my prayer in the fire<br />In weakness or trial or pain<br />There is a faith proved<br />Of more worth than gold<br />So refine me Lord through the flame<br /><br />I will bring praise<br />I will bring praise<br />No weapon formed against me shall remain<br />I will rejoice<br />I will declare<br />God is my victory and He is here<br /><br />This is my prayer in the battle<br />When triumph is still on its way<br />I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ<br />So firm on His promise I'll stand<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">ALL OF MY LIFE<br />IN EVERY SEASON<br />YOU ARE STILL GOD<br />I HAVE A REASON TO SING<br />I HAVE A REASON TO WORSHIP!!!</span><br /><br />This is my prayer in the harvest<br />When favor and providence flow<br />I know I'm filled to be emptied again<br />The seed I've received I will sowlindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-62209555855380762372008-09-23T19:20:00.000-06:002008-09-23T19:21:23.674-06:00So, Reese has been on a big sticker frenzy lately. She loves them, and they keep her occupied for quite some time, which is fantiastic. <br>So, at Target this morning, I saw they had a bunch of stickers on sale for 42 cents. (Seriously, 42 cents? why 42?)<br>Anyways, I grabbed some fish, some Tinkerbells, and some cute bunnies. <br><br>Only later when we were at home and Reese was sticking Bunny stickers all over Niles did we realize what those cute bunnies were communicating to our sweet girl. <br>Here's a small sample for you:<br><br><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczcyLnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvaTE5OS90eGxpbmRzMTAxOS9yYW5kb20lMjB3ZWIlMjBwaG90b3MvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9eW91cnVnbHlzbWFsbC5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/random%20web%20photos/youruglysmall.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br><br><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczcyLnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvaTE5OS90eGxpbmRzMTAxOS9yYW5kb20lMjB3ZWIlMjBwaG90b3MvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9bm90bGlzdGVuaW5nc3RpY2tlci1zbWFsbC5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/random%20web%20photos/notlisteningsticker-small.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br><br><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczcyLnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvaTE5OS90eGxpbmRzMTAxOS9yYW5kb20lMjB3ZWIlMjBwaG90b3MvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9aGljcmFtaXRzdGlja2VyLXNtYWxsLmpwZw==" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/random%20web%20photos/hicramitsticker-small.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br><br>"Hi. Cram It." ???? Who the heck writes these things?!<br><br>So Niles kept me fully entertained reading off each sticker as Reese stuck them onto his arm. Here's a few of my favorites:<br><br>"look how nice I am not laughing at you"<br><br>(picture bunny holding a guitar) "I know it's loud. I just don't care" ?!?!?!?! <br><br>And my personal favorite:<br>"I have a dream, and in it something eats you."<br><br><br>And to think, someone is actually making money off of these. <br>Ahh, the American dream. =)lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-69214713978084754942008-09-23T11:50:00.003-06:002008-09-23T12:19:07.645-06:00VentageSo something has been called to my attention. <br />I already sensed it as I wrote my blog on Sunday...<br /><br />I mainly use this blog as a place to vent my frustrations, vent my feelings about life, child-rearing, everything... But I also probably spend too much time whining aobut my full schedule and how I never get to "rest", and not nearly enough time talking about the fullness of my life, and how much I ENJOY my daughter. <br /><br />Let me put this in no uncertain terms... Having Reese is the most fulfilling, wonderful experience I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I love every little thing about that little girl. I love her crazy hair that I cannot fix smoothly to save my life. I love how she sings songs to herself, makes up music on her own, I love watching her do her puzzles, struggling to put each little piece exactly in its place. I love watching her color, concentrating so hard on holding that marker, pressing it so firmly onto the paper that I'm scared she is going to push the marker part out the other end! I love how she "works on her house", tearing her playhouse apart and pounding on it with her plastic hammer. I love how she wants to have books in her bed with her when she goes down for her nap. I love B!! I love that she always wants to wear dresses, and dancing shoes... And I love her so much, that I cry as I write this because any difficult days, any temper tantrums, any days where I have raised my voice at her when maybe I shouldn't have because I was that frustrated, any time where she has flat out ignored everything I am saying and completely disregards me, pale in comparison to the joy that she has brought to my life. <br /><br />I say this so that when I have a second child, I can reassure myself, that while the "baby days" are difficult, the joys to come and the experience of loving a child and being loved by a child is immeasurable and incomprehensible. It so far surpasses my highest expectations of being a mom. <br /><br />I had a very difficult first couple months being a mom, and a difficult time during the 7 month old to 9 month old phase, as well. But I can barely even remember that now. It all goes so fast. And the difficult days end - every 24 hours! Because even one day in a child's life changes them it seems. I remember looking at my friend's 2 year olds when Reese was only 1, and thinking, there is NO way Reese will be there in a year!<br /><br />ALL THIS TO SAY, for all you moms out there having any difficulties, having tough days, days where you need help (!), days where you feel totally alone in this whole thing (despite your husband's best attempts!), days where you feel like your life is completely ripped out of your hands... IT GETS BETTER!! AND BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER!!! Trust me. <br /><br />The other day Reese came up to me on the couch, standing next to me while I sat, and she put her arm around my neck, stared smiling at me for a bit, and just leaned over and kissed my head. If that doesn't rock your world, than I don't know what could. <br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=100_1269.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/100_1269.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=100_1267.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/100_1267.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591001.post-82538414289521080352008-09-21T10:33:00.001-06:002008-09-21T10:37:50.327-06:00Getting Lola in on the Photo Booth ActionFirst, just us...<br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=Photo112.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/Photo112.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=Photo126.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/Photo126.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />At this point, Lola is not too happy with me... <br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=Photo128.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/Photo128.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=Photo127.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/Photo127.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/?action=view¤t=Photo131.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/txlinds1019/Photo131.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>lindsayloohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185903545862713811noreply@blogger.com0