Friday in Florida!

We were able to stay with Sam's Uncle Roger and Aunt Carol that live about half a hour from the airport so we were at their house Wednesday night and Thursday night! We had such a good time! You can't help but love those two! They are hilarious, so sweet and very hospitable and you can't help but feel loved to death when you are there.

Friday morning, before we headed out to drive to Fort Lauderdale for the wedding rehearsal, Uncle Roger sent us down his zip line that was over two football fields long. Let me tell you, it was a rush! He prepped us on what the landing was going to be like but I still wasn't prepared for the swoosh of a 3 foot sink in when you hit those mattresses! It was a thrill enough for me to be shaking when I got off and on man did I want to go again! It was totally awesome!

The ride back up the hill wasn't so bad! :D Uncle Roger said we could take it out and we SO should have!

We spent a few hours on the road in our nice 2010 rental jeep! :D (Not bad, I know. I SO wanted to just keep on a driving and drive it right on back home!!!) I spent a hour or so at the wedding rehearsal and then we drove around and walked the nearby Hollywood Beach after the moon came up, before heading to where the Bride had us staying. It was beautiful and not at all cold like I expected it to be with the breeze coming off the water! It was absolutely perfectly amazing weather for January! Jealousy tried to arise quite often for all the people that live there! :P The moon was so big and bright that night it nearly looked like the sun. Breathless. It certainly dampened our excitement for the 3 night stay on the beach we had coming up and tried not to think about how we had to go back home so soon! I missed the boys but I dreamed of them coming down to be with us instead of us going back to be with them! :D

1st Day in Florida! {Disney World}

So Sam and I were able to spend a week in Florida from Jan 27th to Feb. 3rd while my family and Sam's mom took care of the boys for us! We missed the horrible ice storm I was overjoyed to have missed actually! I will take beautiful beaches and the breezy ocean view balcony anytime over freezing cold weather that is dreary, darkish and wet! I heard it left our house without power for 4 days, (we would have been in trouble if we had've been here since EVERYTHING is electric in our house. Burr is all I can say.) We were able to celebrate my birthday there on the 1st! :D The whole reason we were able to go was because I had a wedding to shoot on Saturday which was of course one of the highlights of the trip!

So our first day in the beautiful state (Sam and I contemplated in the plane why we don't live there...*sigh* lol) was spent at Disney World and it was a gorgeous day for it! Sam had never gone to Disney and the last time I went I was 5 so we had a blast tromping around like kids eating soft pretzels (ah) and kickin' it with Buzz. :D hee hee

I did get enough happy birthday wishes from people to last a lifetime! The crazy ol' disney birthday pin I wore around made every worker there we saw send me wishes and I even danced it out for a group of them who had to go and sing for me! Okay so I enjoyed it a little bit! Fine...more than a little bit! :D

The nighttime parade and fireworks were THE bomb of the day! The fireworks made you get goosebumps! Beauuuuutiful!

Friday morning when we woke up...we were sore in places I didn't know I could be sore. I have no idea how many miles we walked but for some reason all our weekly work outs did not help the long fun filled day we had! :)

A Day Of "Baby Events"!

A beautiful day to play outside!

Our FIRST haircuts! :D

We LOVE bananas! Mommy thinks we are cute lil' monkeys!

To The Park With Mommy!

It has been so beautiful outside this last week here that we have been "muchly" enjoying the nearly daily outings to the park or outside at home to play and the boys L-O-V-E it! :D It sure beats cabin fever. One thing that is bad about winter time I have to big time admit that!

There has been a lot going on this last week or so! I should say a lot "starting" into our weekly schedule! We are going twice a week to the gym now which I am very dedicated too since I am taking zumba and kickboxing classes those two nights and I LOVE it and wouldn't miss them for lame excuses like I have often been coming up with when I didn't feel like going just to run on the treadmill or lift weights! :D It is SO much stinkin' fun and golly when that hour is up you are complete jello and I have been WAY beyond sore all week but it still somehow feels so good at the same time! Not to mention I am learning some groovy choreography in zumba and in kickboxing well...I am getting that power jab down so you watch out! :P Some gals in our Sunday school class got together today for a "playdate" for all the kids at the church nursery and it was a good lil' get-a-way for not just the kids but as girls too! It was quite fun actually! This Monday we are starting a "stay-at-home mom club" where we are going to try to get together with our kids once a week and do something fun like go to the zoo, or park, etc. I am SO looking forward to that. CERTAINLY need a break up from the grind of the house 24-7! Then of course we have our trip to Florida coming up this next week and the week after! :D MUCHLY excited, pumped, ecstatic about the vacation/photography trip! :D A week of complete fun in Florida just me and my man...can't get much better than that!

I Wanna Be Just Like You...

Daddy is our hero around here. Through all the wonderful times AND the mistakes he has made he will always and forever be our Superman! :D

X's & O's

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug

He calls me dad and I call him bub

With his faded ol' pillow and bear named pooh

He snuggles up close and says, "I wanna be like you"

I tuck him in bed and I kiss him good-night

Trippin' over his toys as I turn out the light

And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see

He's got a father in God 'cause he sees Jesus in me.

Lord I wanna be just like you

'Cause he wants to be just like me

I wanna be a holy example for his innocent eyes to see.

I wanna be a living Bible, Lord

That my little boy can read.

I wanna be just like you

'Cause he wants to be like me.

Got to admit I got so far to go

Made so many mistakes and I'm sure that you know

Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try

With all the pressures in life I just can't get it all right.

But I'm trying so hard to learn from the best

Being patient and kind, filled with your tenderness

'Cause I know that he'll learn from the things that he sees

And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me.

Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall

But it's only 'cause I'm learning from the best Father of them all.

Boy's 1st Year Pictures

Many more on my photography blog!

Shepherd Photography

Living My Todays

I need to live today as much as I can to the glory of God. I must spend time with the Lord today, so I can firmly grasp His will. I gotta make the best use of my time, as I know how today and let all these feelings and wonderings of "is that all I am to do today" fall on the Lord. It is a burden I have (As I wrote in my previous post.) and the Lord says to cast my cares upon Him. My heavenly Father knows what I need. He knows my hearts longings. He knows my deepest wonderings. I have gotta let go of the "what next" and "what-ifs" and keep on focusing on His kingdom and His righteousness and trust in His promises that all these things will be added unto me. I can't grow weary I don't care how many months or years or...whatever...it feels like I have been doing mundane life.

I am so ready to get out of these pits and do something greater for God. I am sick of wrestling with the crappy ol' devil! I am ready to sore on my every day with a feeling of purpose. A feeling of I am a beautiful, unique and a one of a kinda human being who should have no fear of what other people think of me or of what I do! After all GOD is the one who made me the way I am and leads ME in MY life! They can take it up with Him if they think I am breaking one of their godly rules or straying out of that 'perfect' yet SO imperfect rulebook of laws!

I want to be way abnormal for Christ!

Free!

Crazy!

Completely wild for Him here on earth! :D

I want to make Him laugh at me with joy! Smile down upon my life! :)

YES! I want to stick out like a sore thumb for God!

I want to make myself a huge standout that all these "godly" people frown, shake and scratch their heads at, yet they really want to be like! Bring God glory! Attract people to Him!!! It isn't about how godly you try to be with your rules of life! It is what God tells you personally to do to shine for Him and to attract people of this world!!!

BRING IT ON GOD!!!!!