Life ... Stop and Smell the Roses.

I know ... I've been MIA! I had to "stop and smell the roses." Otherwise, I had to catch up on life. My life.

I have so much to blog about that I can't even begin to put it all in one blog, but I've taken pictures, and wrote things down ... and now I'm ready to start uploading. Yes, I'll be backdating .. but this is my blog and so be it. So when you, that are on feeds, get posts dated from the past 6 weeks, it's just me playing catch up.

I've had Kelcie for the last 24 hours ... and mixed with my kiddo's, it was a wild twenty-four! When Juli came and picked her up this evening ... we did a little Mother/Daughter shoot, set up my Alien Bee's and a backdrop in the living room and got some great pictures!

What can I say .... I just love my girls!

Say Cheese!

When all the kids were here Sunday ... we played Photographer and did family shots for Juli and a few for Joey and Mariah.  Josh and his family had already left and Jared and Elissa opted out since I do a full blown shoot every time I get my hands on them.  So we set up a backdrop in my living room and pulled out my hot pink and lime green "alien bees" strobe lights and said CHEESE!  It almost looked like a Disco!

Here's Juli and Derek in the "love pose."  We kicked the kids out of the way and snatched a few of just these two.  Did I ever tell you all that Derek is over a foot taller than Juli  ... and she is tiptoeing on a stool since he's so tall.

Love bird city here.  Mariah has Joey caught!  These two love having their pictures taken ... and I love taking them.  I catch them every chance I get too!  They're my practice targets!

This one was Mariah's idea.  I love it!  Wonder what she'll say when I tell her to do this at their wedding this coming July when I take their pictures! ????

This one was my idea.  I love this picture of them ... and for all of you that heard the ring story ...  here it is!

I'll try to post the gallery link to all of when I get them edited!

Enjoy!

A Storybook Wedding

Once upon a time there was a fair maiden named Juli Beth and she was beautiful and so happy. She gathered her closest friends and dressed them in the finest Chocolate and Lime garments that she could find .... and they set off for a wedding on a warm August day.



Together, they marched down the aisle towards the tall man that she had chosen to marry, and they prayed, and they gave their blessings to the man as he stood at the altar holding his small son.

The Bride walked towards him holding the hand of her small daughter, who was dressed like her Mother, in a beautiful white "mermaid" dress. Together they had dreamed of this day for so long, and they knew that he would make them happy, and their families would become one.

As the Groom kissed the Bride, everyone in the Kingdom rang their bells and wished the couple a joyous and bliss filled life.

Then suddenly, as they were pronounced man and wife, the church came to life and music filled the air. The Bride and the Groom broke out in a dance, ... and they danced and they twirled ... and together they skipped down the aisle to the tune of "Walking on Sunshine." ... and the crowd cheered, and laughter broke out, and God beamed down at the couple that he had blessed ... and he gave a nod that all would be well in their life.

The Mother of the Bride (that would be "Me") who stood at the arm of the Groom, winked up at the Heavens and said a small prayer to her God, "that he had answered her prayers and sent a man to make her Daughter happy, and that the wedding was over and they both had survived, and her Daughter would be allowed to live, and she wouldn't have to kill her or pull her hair out or do her bodily harm."

... and she heard her God chuckle and he whispered so that only she could hear .... "it's time to start over and do this again, because Joey and Mariah are getting married next July 18th!" ... and the Mother of the Bride fanned herself and slowly fainted away! (God has a great sense of humor doesn't he?)

The End.

(by the way, I was blessed to be the Mother of the Bride and the portrait photographer at my daughter's wedding .... so let's hear some cheers for these gorgeous pictures!!! My daughter in law and my daughter in law to be filled in for me when I had to be in a picture .... I loved it!)

~ Spoof ~

You know, there are times that someone needs to literally kick my butt and twist my head in circles to knock some sense into me .... like the other day when I picked a skinny young cat up on the road.

This cat appeared homeless. He/She was standing on the side of the road meowing for all he was worth. Marlboro Man said he was just hitch-hiking and I was the sucker that stopped!

So I put the cat in my van ... took it out to daycare with me to pick up the kids and tried to pull a slick one. I nonchalantly said, "there's a kitten at the door meowing." Every adult in the building sighed and said, "that's just wonderful .... another cat dumped off here." I felt the heat crawling up my neck, so I put the cat back in my van and pretended that I was going to find it a home. I wasn't about to confess that I dumped the cat at the door just about three minutes before!

So the cat takes a ride with me and the kids to a Nursing Home several miles away so I can check on a IV that I had to pull for pharmacy. Being the good nurturing Mother that I am ... I'm thinking that dang cat is starving and needs something to eat. I grabbed a little container of ice cream and thought it would eat it. Well, it did! The whole container! The whole container of Chocolate Ice Cream.

When we got home, Mr. Marlboro Man was none too happy with me. His first statement brought reality schreeching home .... "if you put that cat outside, the dogs will kill it instantly, and you can't keep it in here, so what'ya going to do with it?"

I'll tell you what I did with it .... for three days I've cleaned up liquid cat poop (thanks to the chocolate ice cream) on the enclosed back porch and listened to it cry and claw at the door to get in. Never again will I bring home a homeless cat.

This morning "Spoof" got a new home ... Juli came over and I sweet talked her into taking the sweet little kitty home to Kelcie. When she said that she'd take it ... I cut holes in a big cracker box, put the cute little thing in there and taped it shut. I put the box in Juli's arms and shoved her out the back door and locked it behind her! (Not really, but I wanted to.)

Spoof is now Sassy ... and Sassy is now loved! Thank you Lord for bringing Juli here this morning!

Late Night Visitors

This woman and her child comes knocking on my door frequently. And frequently, it's late night. This woman is a "night owl" too. Tonight she came ready for some Mommy & Kelcie pictures. Kelcie didn't cooperate as well as we'd have liked her too ..... she's at the stage where she wants to pose and do the "Cheesy Smile" thing.

This late night visitor, my daughter Juli, and I were talking and laughing about an incident that happened this fall. She had come to the city and met up with me for lunch, and to give me Kelcie for about an hour, because she had an Doctor's appointment.

Kelcie and I were going to meet Juli at Kohl's. I got there first, probably about three minutes before Juli, and decided to go on in and wait for her at the door. Juli walked in just a few minutes after I did, and I said to her, "Where's Kelcie?" It took Juli a long few seconds to sort it all out. Then she said, "You have her Mom!" At that moment, I realized I'd left her in the car. Juli and I both ran out to my car, and Kelcie was sound asleep in her carseat.

Juli was even parked next to me and didn't see her either. That was very scary for both of us. When I look back on this .... it's hard to believe that I really did that, and it made me realize that accidents happen this way and it could have been a bad outcome! Months down the road we can chuckle just a little bit ... but from now on, I'm writing myself a note .... that is if Juli ever lets me take her again.

Be Blessed Everyone.

True Love

It really is true love. Love between a Mother and her Daughter. My Daughter and her Daughter. I was there to witness it. From the very beginning, from the very first moment that my Daughter became a Mother. It was love at first sight, and an instantaneous overwhelming rush of emotions, that rose up and tickled my heart, as I experienced this miracle happen.
Three years later, that love has grown into a bond that will be forever. My daughter is a single Mother now. It's just her and Kelcie everyday. It's hard some days, but that love is always there. I see it in the smiles, and hear it in the laughter.

This Christmas morning, my daughter woke alone with her daughter. It was just the two of them. She wanted her to be in her own home, with her own Christmas tree, and start their own traditions. She wanted Kelcie to open her presents in her own home.

My daughter is smart and beautiful. She's strong, and she'll make it just fine as a single Mom raising her daughter. She's an awesome Mother to Kelcie, and she's my best friend.

As her Mother, I worried about her because she didn't have a present to open on Christmas morning from her daughter. Kelcie's Daddy didn't take her shopping to buy a present for her Mommy. In fact, he didn't want her on Christmas, and this saddened me to look at this beautiful little three year old girl and think how could he not want to be with her. It saddened my daughter as well. But she's strong, and she made Christmas beautiful for her Daughter.

Santa was told that Kelcie needed to get her Mommy a present, and he helped her. It was wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with the most beautiful yellow ribbons, and held the most precious gift in a rainbow of color. Colors that Kelcie's Mommy knew exactly what they stood for. Godly colors held together by a silver circle for her to wear. A circle, that is never-ending.

White for forgiveness and pink for Love. Gold for glory and yellow for Heaven above. Green is for eternal life and Blue for the baptism of being born again anew, and red for the Blood of Christ that washed away the sin (black).
It's sealed with a kiss ..... a kiss that says, "I love you Mommy!" ... and she does. She has a wonderful Mommy, and she has a Mommy that loves her from the deepest center of her soul. It's true love!

Be Blessed Everyone .... remember those Mommy kisses you had when you were little, and remember now to give them, no matter how big your little ones may be!

My Best Friend

My beautiful daughter Juli, was in the city for a Orthodontist appointment today. She got her braces off after two long years. .... and her teeth are so beautiful. Snow white and so even.

We met at Salad World and celebrated with lunch. We sat there laughing and taking pictures of her smiling on our cell phones. This picture doesn't do her justice since we were sticking the camera phone up to her mouth. She had a couple hours to kill before going back to get a retainer glued to the back of her teeth, so she ran around with me while I worked.

I tell you .... I love that girl so much, and it's pretty amazing to have both a twenty five year old daughter and a three year old daughter. How lucky can one Momma be? It's great to spend time with Juli alone and have some Mom/Daughter moments. We talked about her divorce and her being a single Mother to Kelcie, her burdens and her happiness. I had three wonderful hours with her today, that I don't think I will ever forget. Although I feel that way every time Juli and I get together without our kids. She's my daughter, but she's also my very best friend.

She read this prayer at one of the places I had to go today while she was waiting for me and made a copy of it. As serious as she was, she was also laughing, and said, "Mom, pray this prayer for me." NOW!

Power of a Praying Parent:

Lord, I pray that unless your plan is for her to remain single, You will send the perfect marriage partner for my child. Send the right husband at the perfect time, and give her a clear leading from You as to who it is.

Amen.

I prayed that prayer for her, and I will again tonight when I go to bed and pray for my children as I do every night. .... and even though you're not her Mother, I'm asking everyone that reads here to say a little booster prayer for God to hurry up, because this girl is impatient, and I don't want her to make a mistake and jump into a relationship that isn't meant to be.

If you're praying for her, you might add that she likes the cowboy type, and he needs to have a pickup truck, preferably four-wheel drive for muddin', and wear wrangler jeans, .... and the jeans must fit good too! He will also need to be a better fisherman than she is!

If you're praying for me, please ask that he's honest, good to her, will love Kelcie and that he has a good job. My only other request is that he lives close around here and he won't move my best friend far away!

Be Blessed Everyone ~

Kelcie and her Mama

Kelcie and her Mama came out to the farm this evening to take pictures. Kelcie being the Diva Princess that she is, wore THE dress. The itchy dress that little girls wear to get their picture taken in. This is the third little girl to wear this dress in less than 48 hours. A little girl named Lorien also wore it yesterday morning. Just pictures of Kelcie Jo ... and her Mama Juli.

I'm a lucky Grandma to have a little princess like this!

Be Blessed,

Tan

Sisters ...

Megan Grace and Juli Beth

They are sisters ... Juli is 23 years older than Megan. Juli has never had a sister before. She says Meg feels like her niece instead. I don't think Meg knows what a sister is since she's only two years old. These two beautiful ladies are my only daughters and I love them equally the same. They are so lucky .... they are Sisters!

Juli Beth

Happy Birthday Juli Beth ... you're 25!

Today is my daughter's birthday. It doesn't seem like twenty-five years has gone by since she was born. 1982, now it's 2007! All the years in between have just flown by and now she's all grown up and has her own little girl.
I can remember the night she was born like it was yesterday. I'm sure most Mother's can do the same thing. There is something about being a Mother that never lets you forget every single detail of your children's birth.

I didn't go into labor or my water didn't break in the middle of the night ... I simply went for my weekly Tuesday appointment and he said, "you're in labor, go on over to the hospital" ... I did and 4 hours later my first daughter was born! I was so moved and so full of emotion and so full of love for her.

She had a complete full head of hair .... jet black! Her hair was so thick and wavy that she looked like a little Indian papoose! If I hadn't watched her be born ... I would swear that she wasn't mine!

I can close my eyes and see every detail of her life at every stage and every age. Juli was good child and now she's a good woman and a good friend to me. I'm proud to be her Mother and I'm proud to say that the I love the woman she has become!

I do have to say ... Juli wasn't a good baby .... she was a beautiful baby, but she was a turd! She had colic and screamed every single day of her life for the first four months. It's kind of funny because I'm sitting here smiling thinking that she kind of was a screamer for the next 25 years .... or is that a girl thing? HAPPY BIRTHDAY JB! YOUR MOM LOVES YOU ...

Be Blessed,
Tan