Posting at SHINE

After almost 3 years of posting to this blog I've decided I am going to simplify my life and put all posts (for all my children!) on my "photography blog": SHINE!
I hope to see you there!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Starfish . . .

We found a starfish at the beach today and Tia wanted to touch it. She was so interested in it and kept going back to it when we threw it back in the water. When I got home and looked at this photo of her holding it I was reminded of the starfish story often used about adoption.
One morning after a particularly fearsome storm, a man arose early and decided to go for a walk along the sea. As he neared the beach, the early riser saw an old man in the distance slowly, yet purposely, ambling down the shoreline. As he watched, the old man stopped, picked something up, and tossed it into the ocean. Then, the old man slowly straightened himself up, walked several more feet, stooped down, and once again picked up something, which he tossed into the sea. Intrigued, the early riser moved closer. As he drew near, he realized suddenly what the old man was doing. Littered all down the shoreline, as far as the eye could see, were thousands upon thousands of starfish cast out from the ocean by the fury of the now-passed storm. As the early riser watched, the old man bent down, gently picked up a small, helpless starfish, and tossed it back into the ocean. He repeated the same process every few feet. After a minute or two, the early riser approached the old man. "Good morning, sir" he said. "I couldn't help notice what you're doing. I commend you for what you're trying to do, but the storm has washed up thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly save them all! What possible difference do you hope to accomplish?"

The old man paused for a long time, pondering the early riser's question. Finally, without saying a word, he bent down, picked up a starfish, and tossed it far into the ocean. "It made a difference to that one," he said.


Monday, September 29, 2008

playing in the pool

Image hosted @ bighugelabs.com

ok, seriously does anyone know how I can get this mosaic to the correct size?? HELP!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

pigtails

Soooooooooooo do I give in and cut her bangs? or do I just keep trying to get those wisps to stay in the pigtails? (or clippy or barrette . . .) a few friends are saying CUT! but I am not a bangs type (for my girls anyway). any opinions?

Monday, September 22, 2008

a few photos

I've just started an online photography class through this site (the next class has not been announced yet) just to teach me to get my camera off the automatic setting.(So far this class has been exactly what I need!) Hopefully my photos will soon improve - the models I photograph are already perfect however :)There is something amazing about the relationship between these two. Words cannot express what it does to this Mommy's heart to see my oldest son's sensitive heart towards his baby sister. so very sweet :)
She loves to climb!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A Lot of Love, a little food . . . .

This is our super classy growth chart! all our kids have their own marks on this doorway. Yesterday., 6 months to the day that we arrived home from China, Tia backed herself up and wanted me to measure her. I snapped a photo so you could see how much she has grown!(the kids add their own marks, they think its okay to write on this wall :)
Tia has grown 3 inches taller and gained 5.5 pounds since the day we met her! Oh MY! at this rate she will move out of the bottom 5th percentile in no time! 6 months ago I never would have imagined someday one of Tia's nicknames would be "The Chubster"!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Tia's first baseball game

Saturday was opening day for the Stealers! Matt coaches Jonah's Under 14's and Elijah's t-ball so we were at the ball fields from 8:30 am until about noon. We spend a lot of the time there in the summer. Tia loved it! She spent her day hanging out near the dugout, distracting her Dad and her brother, playing with Elijah and Isabella, picking flowers - and flirting with one of the dads. She fell asleep in the car on the way home and took a 2 hour nap! YEAH BASEBALL SEASON!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Making Daddy's Birthday Cake

Seriously, licking the beaters is a requirement for childhood! Tia loved 'em!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

6 months ago today we met her Royal Highness. . .

I cannot believe it has been 6 months already!
Life has changed . . . we play with this a lot . . .

We eat an awful lot of this . . .

we cook lots of thesewe fill lots of thesewe read these - lots
we've grown out of lots of these :(

Monday, September 1, 2008

oh those eyes :)

they truly are the window to her soul!


Proverbs 25:11 NIV
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11