Wordless Wednesday

Her sweet little heart.

Every night, before bed, we pray with Charlotte... she clasps her little hands, squeezes her little eyes shut, says "Dear Jesus" - then we pray, and at the end she says "aaaaaaaa-men."

Tonight, I turned off the lights, said "ok, time to pray sweet pea!"

She clasped her little hands, squeezed her little eyes shut, and the proceeded to say the following - with absolutely ZERO leading or prompting by me.

"Dear sheeesus, tank you momma tank you daddy tank you kitty aaaaa-men."

I got so excited and gave her a huge hug and told her she was so sweet...

... at which point she pushed me away.

She clasped her little hands again, squeezed her little eyes shut, and then said - once again, zero leading or prompting...

"Dear sheeesus, tank you Keees tank you Mir tank you Pessley. aaaaaaaaa-men."

We'd spent the day at the zoo with Chris, Miranda & Prestley.

It was all I could do to put her to bed after that, without crawling into her crib with her and never letting her go. (BTW, I've crawled in with her before... it's not all that comfy). I ran out to tell Jason about it, then I had to call up Miranda and tell her about it, and now - as I type it out, I'm getting misty eyed again.

I don't know exactly what "it" is that she "gets" now... but she "gets" something.

Gratitude? Love of friends?

All I know is she's 20 months old and I swear, I love her more and more everyday.

Motherhood is the strangest phenomenon. And better than any drug out there.

My sweet friend, Amber... her son passed away this morning.

In his final weeks, when asked what he wanted for his birthday - he asked for money. His mom asked what he wanted to do with it, and he said he wanted her to use it to pay bills - since she hadn't been working in order to be with him until the end. She instead gave it to his favorite charity for feeding hungry children. Is the average 16 year old so in tune with the needs of others? I don't believe that I was at that age.

Andrew was an amazing young man, who led a life that was an amazing testimony to God's goodness and was vocal about his faith. He was also incredibly funny... one of my favorite stories from Amber is when she tells you about Andrew locking her out of the car, and not letting her back in until she danced for him in the parking lot.

I can't even pretend to imagine the journey of grief that they're beginning, but I pray that Amber and her family will feel held by the prayers of her friends.

My Special Place
My special place can be described as paradise where there is always a gentle breeze. I picture myself on a beach of soft golden sand. Seated in a laid back chair, I listen to the waves crash on shore. I look up at the always purple,discolored sky, as the sun is frozen in mid-set. The occasional seagull flies by gracefully. I sip my tangy drink as I lay, eyes closed.

No one knows about my sanctum. My place of peace and tranquility. That way it is better kept the way I like like it: deserted. I feel at home here, with my worries left behind in the "other" world. The world I call reality. It feels great to be alone. To rest and recharge my mind and body to go back to the conflict inhabited world. To think, to come to a place of such elegance, all I have to do is close my eyes. All I have to do is dream. To think once more of the crystal blue waters and the occasional dolphin. Yet, it is all secret. All mine. A secret to be kept from those who pollute my thoughts in the real world. In reality.

This is my special place. My one spot. It's my dreams. To think such a perfect place exists, to think nothing is wrong with the world. For now, I must stick with the place I have created 'til one day, when all is well, and such a place is not required. A place where even that little sand crab walks by, but doesn't nip your toes. Where even the lowest of animals, including I, feel important and at home.

My special paradise home.

Andrew Kippley

Andrew Michael Kippley

9/14/1993-9/25/2009

Edited to add the link...

if you're so inclined, a donation can be made to Feed My Starving Children (fmsc.org) in Andrew's name.

FMSC is a a Christian 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. A single meal costs only 17 cents to produce, and 94 percent of total donations goes directly toward the food program.

8 years ago today....

First day of school! (Wordless Wednesday)

Holiday Mini-Session info

**disclaimer: the formatting in the text below is WHACK, yo. Blogger's givin' me an attitude lately. I did the best I could. :o)

I've had lots of people ask me about doing holiday mini-sessions, so here are the details.

Weekend Option:

Sat. October 24th 9a-12p.
St. Andrews UMC - Plano
30 mins, 10-15 digital images on a CD.

For photos only, $50 session fee. For photos + cards, $35 session fee.

Card Prices, sold in pkgs of 24.
5x7 flat (2 sided) - $35 first pkg, $25 each addn'l pkg
5x7 folded (front, back, inside spread) - $45 first pkg, $35 each addn'l pkg.

Previous clients may use images from previous sessions.

Weekday Option:

Wed. October 21st 9a-12p.

Dallas Arboretum

For photos only, $50 session fee. For photos + cards, $35 session fee.

Card Prices, sold in pkgs of 24.
5x7 flat (2 sided) - $35 first pkg, $25 each addn'l pkg
5x7 folded (front, back, inside spread) - $45 first pkg, $35 each addn'l pkg.

Previous clients may use images from previous sessions.

Cards are completely customizable. I have 8 different basic layouts to choose from, and 11 different "definitions" that you can use. We can also change colors, if desired.

Half of session fee required within 5 days of booking, to hold spot.

To book spot, please email me at allison4403 at verizon dot net.

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone....

I wish I had an eyeglass case like Charlotte's...

Friends that pray...

My sweet friend Amber (see a link to her blog, in my friends) has a sweet son, Andrew - who is 15. Andrew's been battling cancer for a while, and it's reached the point where his family just wants him to be at peace - and pain free.

I can't imagine losing a child. Please pray they feel God's arms around them and for the comfort and strength they need....

This is something Andrew wrote in June. So wise for such a young age....

Through dying eyes, its a new world i see.
The colors are so much brighter.
The little things grow bigger day by day
And burdens grow even lighter.

As times grow shorter, you'd think i'd grow sadder
But it makes me cherish everything more.
And with each passing day, its easier to say
Live this one like never before.

And as sadness looms, i grow in faith.
As i trust in God for safety
this situation is our of my hands.
And i know that he will guide me

At a passing glance, there's nothing to me.
but there's more than meets the eye.
I see the world in a much different view
Than the average person passing by

And i wish everyone could see
the world through the eye of a dying man
because maybe, just maybe
people would live and see the world like i can.

Sweet Taylor's birth...

Can I just tell you how much I *LOVE* doing births? Such a sweet, overwhelming moment where God's love for us is undeniable. What a true miracle babies are.

Taylor's mom was so awesome... she went drug free and was SO strong! The new dad was a fantastic labor partner and so attentive. Taylor's a lucky, lucky girl

Wordless Wednesday

Fun with babies. On the surface of the sun.

It was so incredibly hot. These sessions were at 8am and 9am, and by the end of it... I was a puddle on the floor.

But super pretty babies are SO worth it!

Some dreams are just too weird not to share.

I just woke up from a nap, and it's all pretty vivid - so I thought I'd share.

**If you or one of your relatives is in it, I don't know what that means.

It started that I had to go to a work meeting at the club house of an apartment complex. I was supposed to meet my friend/boss Tiffany there, who was excited to tell me about how they were renting out the bathroom of their house. To get into the clubhouse, you had to have a clicker. To get the clicker, you had to give them your drivers license. This is where it gets super weird.

I forgot my license when I left, so I went back to get it.

Lady at the front desk says "oh, then you didn't have your departing session?"

Me: "Um, guess not?"

She takes me into this room where all of the walls were holograms of waterfalls. This lady with long hair and a long floral skirt comes out and says "ready?"

Me: "Um, I guess?"

She then starts doing an african style dance, stomping and raising her arms - screaming to the skies "God of the trees! God of the trees!"

Me: "Ooooookay."

Then the door opens and a little person walks in - it's a man, and he's wearing a shiny, light grey suit. With tennis shoes. All of the sudden I realize I'm carrying in a ton of used diapers and snotty kleenex and I ask him where the trash is so I can dump it. He has me sit on one end of a traditional therapists couch, he sits on the other, kicks his shoes off - and has us both prop our feet up in the middle. So we're facing each other, reclining. Then he pulls out a remote control and my end of the couch gets higher and higher and higher, while his gets lower and lower until he slides off. He says, "that good?"

Me: "ummmmmmmmm...."

Then crazy dancing lady comes back in "God of the trees! God of the trees!"

At this point I think, okay... I'm done. I slide off the couch, which is still way up in the air, and when I hit the ground I realize a couple of my friends are sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the floor. It's Nicole, Raelynn, Brenda and Erin. They all look so bored they can barely stand it. Then Jason busts in the door and says "okay, it's time for all of you to get out of here".

I was so relieved.

Then, all of the sudden, I was standing in the front yard between my real house and my neighbors real house, only they were both two stories. I went into my neighbors house, and went upstairs and the whole McLuckie family was up there. Amy, Matt, Kate, Emma and the twins, Cooper & Wyatt. I'm gushing over the babies and think "I need to go back downstairs for my drivers license." I step onto the first step and the whole staircase crumbles. I turn to the McLuckies and say "don't let the babies near that, it's dangerous".

Then I'm in the front yard again, and a guy comes by on one of those trike things (the motorcycles with the two big back wheels). Our houses are suddenly super close together, so he won't fit - but he drives through anyhow. His right tire drills through the foundation on my neighbors house, leaving a gaping hole at the bottom.

I start running after him saying "hey you! Come back here! You can't just leave it like that!"

Then Charlotte started crying in the monitor and I woke up.

Weird.

Just a boring old girls only day....

Miranda, Prestley, Charlotte & I went on a road trip yesterday to meet up with a friend from High School - Misty - who was in town for the holiday. So much fun!

We started the day with lunch at the tea room (Yum!). I didn't get any pictures, I was too busy trying to keep Charlotte from "helping" Misty stir her iced tea, and making sure she didn't eat the rinds of her oranges.

Then we went to Misty's parents house to swim. As we pulled up, someone was backing out of the driveway so Miranda was going to park on the street, in the grass. Trouble was, she didn't see the ginormous crater in the ground and in we went. From the passenger side, it felt like we were about to tip over. I didn't get a picture of it at its worst because I was too busy laughing my head off and kind of freaking out - but here's a shot of it being pulled out. The babies were saying "uh oh!" in the backseat. Then we taught them to say "crash."

Right before we went swimming... that's Prestley, Morgan (Misty's little one) and of course, the President of the Elmo/Ernie fan club. I love the little expressions on their faces. They remind me of the "see no evil" monkeys... only there would be no way I could get them to do those particular gestures. It was near impossible to get them to just sit here.

This is the only picture I got all day of Morgan smiling. She just wouldn't for me! But Prestley must've told a pretty funny joke here...

This picture of Prestley cracks me up... she's so "old" for her age.

Charlotte ate lots of her snacks. And most of Prestley and Morgan's, also.

Don't you hate it when your belly button itches?

Charlotte was so into Misty's Izoo app, that makes animal sounds.

Playing with silhouettes... Prestley was blowing someone a kiss, but I don't remember who.

After we said our goodbyes to Misty and made it back up to our part of Texas, we stopped and ate at Estabans. Live band and mexican food! Awesome way to do dinner, even if it's 100+ degrees outside. I ordered Charlotte the quesadillas, but I should've just gotten her a big bowl of sour cream, she was eating it by the handful.

Then we had ice cream by the fountain! In triple digit weather, ice cream melts REALLY fast... Charlotte had it all over her, because well... that's how she rolls. Messy. Prestley is MUCH cleaner. Which when you look at Miranda and I - apples don't fall far from their trees.

Mmmmmmm. Birthday cake ice cream.

Mmmmmmm. Cookies & Cream for me, please!

She's so messy that I couldn't even let her hold her own cup. I didn't trust her not to dump it on her head.

By now, it's around 8pm - past both girls bedtime - but we were breaking all the rules, so we went to the park! It might have actually only been 90ish by this point.

Such a fun day!