Country Barbie

Arlington National Cemetery

JumpRope

Infectious Laughter

Dark Hallow Falls

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Campground Entertainment

Washington DC

Crawfish Boil

BE HAPPY

Fellowship on the 4th

A Work in Progress

Many artists use their talents to create their masterpieces. When you look at the work of a famous artist, you only see their best work. You don't see the many hours of work and preparation that came before that piece. You see the completed product but not the work in progress. You see the perfected end result. Christ is the ultimate creative genius and we are His masterpiece. Do you allow Christ to fashion you into the masterpiece He desires for you, or do you end up a less than perfect finished product. Gods word says in Joshua 24:15 choose you this day whom ye will serve. Serve, by its very definition means to submit, to be of use in achieving or satisfying. If you are completely serving Christ, if you are glorying him, you will submit and you will be used by him to achieve and satisfy his purpose.

Standing OUT

When I was a girl in school, I wanted so badly to be popular. Back then, that meant being cool and being a part of the “in” crowd. The popular kids seemed to have everything I didn’t. Everybody liked them, they had plenty of money, and they never seemed to have any trouble getting whatever they wanted. Well, the truth is, I wasn’t willing to be popular. I didn’t want to be like everyone else; I just wanted to be liked! I am still the same nerdy soul in this adult body wanting the attention and adoration of others. I’ve learned through the years how shallow that popularity is. I’ve gone on to accept the skin I’m in, along with the imperfections. Instead of hating the system, I’ve learned how to make it work for me. Am I popular today…honestly I doubt it? What I do know is that if you will be sincere and original, they can’t forget you and in some social circles, that’s not the popular way to be. So, I find myself surrounded by people who will lift you up when you’ve fallen, people who will be honest no matter how hard the truth is, and people that spread joy, peace, and happiness wherever they go, those are the people that I want to invest my time with! I’m drawn to those people, because that’s the kind of person I hope that I am!

NERD - Never Ending Radical Diva

One day in Jr. High, I remember standing in the line in the cafeteria when some kid called me a nerd. It was meant to be an insult, but I was so naïve, I thought it meant I was smart. I stood there glad that someone else had realized I was intelligent. I was born geeky. I had crooked teeth and big glasses. I liked books, not boys! I was clumsy, dorky, and artistic; not popular, poised, or athletic! I had a quirkiness about me that made others shy away from being my friend. I didn’t fit the mold of the perfect little girl! I loved to learn. I embraced homework as a challenge to prove to others just how smart I was (little did I know, they could actually care less, until they needed answers for their homework). As an adult, I still have a love for learning. I spend countless hours reading online, watching how to videos, and making lists. My favorite aisle in the department store is the office supplies. I’m still as much a nerd today as I was in Jr High. I’ve simply learned who I can share it with and who will judge me for it. I choose to invest my time in relationships that appreciate my nerdiness, and I dial it down in those situations where I have to tolerate those that just don’t get it. Being a nerd is all about being who you are! To me, being a nerd means I’m a Never Ending Radical Diva!

Sundays

I’ve always considered myself a spontaneous individual. Often, I dread the mundane nature of routine. I attribute this to my quirky creative side. The funny thing is, I like crisp clean lines when decorating or scrapbooking. I guess it all comes down to balance. That’s why I love Sundays! Before I got married, I had only been to church every once in a while. As an adult, I didn’t go to church at all until about a week before I got married. My life is still chaotic and I often fly by the seat of my pants. doing things in the spur of the moment is just how I roll. Who needs a plan? That’s my usual theory. But there is never a doubt as to where I will be on Sunday! Sundays are the Lord’s Day. As a single woman, I never thought in a million years that I would be the wife of a pastor. Sundays are a great example of everything that is right with my life. Sundays are spent at church. Sundays are days that I can refuel and recharge for the week ahead. Sundays bring balance, they complete me!

Stroke of Creative Genius

I may not be a typical mom, all soft, cuddly, and nurturing; but I do have some good qualities. I pride myself in my creativity and my smarts. One thing you kids have benefitted from is definitely my craftiness. This photo of y’all taken at Halloween as a movie combo was a stroke of genius! One afternoon just prior to the holiday, you all wanted to go trick or treating in town, but you didn’t have costumes. Well, you know me…a store bought costume was out of the question. So, in a span of about 45 minutes, I got busy getting creative and these costumes were a result of my efforts. Dakota’s was made with a box, some white freezer paper, red paint, hand cut letters and real popcorn on top. Macy’s costume was made with a brown pillowcase, some silver ribbon, and letters cut from copy paper and then taped to the front. Mason’s was a cup of Coca-Cola. I used a five gallon bucket with the bottom cut out, a printed Coca-Cola picture, and a pair of suspenders (to hold the bucket onto his body). I used a pieces of PVC pipe with a red marker stripe for a straw. Not bad for a last minute costume idea. It was a big hit with everyone who saw it!

I'm not that mom...

I’m not that mom that sat rocking my newborn to sleep because I was too exhausted and I wanted the crying to stop.
I’m not that mom who kissed boo-boo’s because I get the heebie-jeebies’ when I see an open wound.
I’m not that mom who calmly cleans up the spilled milk or the bowl of cereal because I don’t like messes.
I’m not that mom who played and splashed the bath water in the tub because I was usually working at bedtime.
I’m not that mom who read stories and tucked them in at bedtime because I didn’t think to do it.
I’m not that mom that responds softly after being ignored several times because I can’t tolerate rudeness or disrespect.
I’m not that mom who slaves over a hot stove to cook homemade dinners every night because dad is better at it.
I’m not that mom who does the chores like laundry and dishes because I want my kids to know how to do it for themselves.
I’m not that mom who shops for the coolest, latest, and greatest whatever it is because I don’t think it’s a necessity for kids.
I’m not that mom that will shut up and leave you alone because solitude leads to bitterness and trouble.

But, I AM that mom that

Prays that you know God
Creates memories w/you
gives you opportunities 
is proud of you
enjoys traveling with you 
supports your efforts
tries to laugh with you 
yells loudly from the stands
helps you succeed 
disciplines you
becomes a bear when others hurts you 
defends you
hopes you choose right over wrong 
photographs everything
worries that I’m a good enough mom 
stalks your online activity
will embarrass you 
couldn’t live without you

All because I LOVE YOU!

US Map Wall Art

I had so many pictures of the kids around the house, that I felt like I needed to add something a little different. One thing we always seem to talk about with new people we meet are the places we've traveled. I have thousands of pictures from each of the places we have visited, so I decided I would print some and hang them on my wall. My OCD forced me to pull them together in some common way and thus the idea of the USA Map was born. My first step was to print a poster size map on my home printer. I used that map to trace my outline onto a piece of wood. Once I had the outline traced, I used a jigsaw (yes, this was my first attempt at power tools) to cut along the outline. The next step was to sand some of the rough edges. *tip - I used youtube and found an instructional video to prepare myself for the use of the jigsaw. Next, I painted the wood with black chalkboard paint. I balanced it on 2 or 3 drinking cups so that the surfaced was raised and I could paint the edges at the same time. Once the paint was dry, I cut each of the states one at a time from my formerly printed map. I traced each one (immediately after I cut it) with a white paint marker. After that, I used different color chalks to shade in each of the states that we have been to. I used picture hangers on the back of the map and hung it on the wall. Then, I purchased varying size frames to fill the area surrounding the map. Once I got the frames home, I took the inserts out and used painters tape to position them on the wall until I was satisfied with the placement. This helped to insure that my last step would require little effort and I wouldn't have tons of unused prints because I would change my mind about the sizes if I didn't yet have a frame. Lastly, I ordered prints in the sizes of my frames on the wall, and placed them in the frames after they arrived in the mail. I have received so many compliments on this little project and it took about 4 hours of my time, plus time waiting for photos to arrive. Not only does it allow us a stroll down our vacation memory lane, but it is a great conversation piece allowing us to share our stories.

Almost a decade of experience

With almost a decade of professional shooting behind me, I've decided to finally sell my work online. Visit my website here. I chose the name Pixarazzi because it is the smashing together of pixels and paparazzi. Photography has always been a passion of mine. I can't remember a time that I was taking pictures of something, but thank heavens, my skill has improved. Pictures can tell a story that sometimes words just can't express and sometimes a picture needs an explanation. I think that is why scrapbooking is also so appealing to me. I feel creativity is the gift I've been given from above. I'm trying to use this gift in a way that will bless my family and perhaps others along the way. I would love to be able to take my family to Disney World in the summer of 2014! Shooting pictures is my focused effort to do just that. Stop by the sight, leave some feedback, or view and purchase pictures, you'll be glad you did.

WHERE DO YOU DUMP YOUR GARBAGE?

Sometimes life has a way of weighing you down...in one sense it is a good way to stay grounded. But for a person that likes to fly, that's like having a broken wing. I'm usually the person that can find the silver lining in any cloud, the one that doesn't mind the storm, because I know that when it blows over, everything will be refreshed on the other side.

Here lately though, it seems as if I've taken on the roll of a garbage truck. I'm drving around and without realizing it, I've lifted the trash from the lives of others and now the truck is full and I can't find my way to the landfill. I know that sooner or later I'm going to run out of gas and I don't want to be stuck holding this rubble. I don't want to dump it in some place that isn't built to accept it; I know that just creates a bigger mess in the long run. I guess I'm hoping that a rescue truck will come along and ease my load, either by filling my tank back up and providing me with directions, or by hauling me and my load to the landfill.

I guess I'm lacking direction right now. Perhaps I've been relying on the wrong map. Sometimes I feel like I'm reading the right map, but somehow I'm doing it all wrong. It's kind of like having a GPS and putting in the zip code incorrectly. Now I'm way off course, and I lack the resources to get back on track.

This is when I realize I can't do it on my own. I have to rely on someone else to assist me. I need someone else to help me find my way. It's hard for someone like me, so independent, to admit that I need help because it's beyond my control.

It's hard to become the needy one when you've only ever been the strong one. The one that does the jobs that no one else wants to, like picking up the trash in other peoples lives. I don't mean physical rubbish, but rather the worries and struggles and pain that they are suffering from. I have to allow someone to pick up my load and haul it away for me. Maybe it's not my job to carry it all the way to the landfill, but just to be there to get it out of the hands of those that can no longer carry it themselves.

Photo credit belongs to this site http://re3org.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-alabama-waste-disposal-adventure_11.html