Happy Birthday Tilly!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TILLY!!!

We hope you have a great day!!!

We love you!!!

forever grateful

I have tremendous respect for our men and women who have and are currently serving in our Armed Forces!!! Thank you for the sacrifices that you have made so I can enjoy all of the freedoms our blessed country offers! Thank you seems so insignificant when some have given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, but THANK YOU!!! On behalf of my family, we thank you for your service to us and this country! God Bless America and may God bless you!!

for you dad!

So I was going through and editing my song on my playlist and ran across The Old Rugged Cross by none other than The Statler Brothers. I don't expect many of you to know who they are, but in my family every long car ride (or short for that matter), every trip, every opportunity to listen to some "good 'ol gospel" included The Statler Brothers. And, as is typical, I really didn't care for them (putting it mildly) as a kid, but I must admit I'm not so put off by them now - not that I have their cd's laying around. But, well this is for my dad! Thanks for making us listen to The Statler Brothers and all of the other bluegrass gospel albums on our many adventures to and fro the great west!

In case you are unfamiliar with this wonderful old hymn (one of my favorites - brings me to tears just about everytime I hear it) - here they are:

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain

I've been tagged. . . six quirks

Well, I don't know if these are really "quirks", but Jenny tagged me and this is the best I could come up with. I'm sure some of you could help me uncover my true quirkiness, but we will leave it at these. Here are the rules -

* Link the person who tagged you.
* Mention the rules in your blog.
* Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
* Tag six bloggers by linking them. (They shall be "it")

Here goes . . .

1) I absolutely CANNOT stand anything that is artificial grape!!! Whether it is lollipops, chapstick, stickers, I don't care what it is but that odor really makes me ill!!! Ellie knows not to grab any purple candies. YUCK!!!

2) I'm not a big fan of others cooking my eggs - especially at a restaurant!!! It drives my husband crazy, but if I do order eggs they have to be "scrambled dry and hard!!!" No watery eggs for me. . . the idea makes me want to vomit right now!!!

3) If Jenny can use this, then so will I - heights!!! Totally afraid of them! Ask any of my family members that were with me as we entered The Empire State Building!!! If you aren't afraid of heights you don't understand the irrational rationale of one who is!

4) My beverage of choice is . . . WATER! I don't really drink anything other than water - an occasional lemonade. . . but that is pretty rare. I just like water.

5) 100% Pure Maple Syrup!!! Is there anything other than that to use on waffles or pancakes??? Again, this kinda drives Flav crazy, but I won't eat waffles or pancakes or french toast without the Grade A, Dark Amber, 100% Maple Syrup! Just love the stuff!!!

6) Again, I'm right there with Jenny - I totally love my computer and anything having to do with the Internet. I was actually called a Geek the other day and took that as a compliment. I'd never been called a geek before (if you saw my grades you'd totally understand why!) But I guess I am a bit of a techno-geek. If my dad got a new electronic device I was usually the one to hook it up. I could spend hours on the computer doing just about anything.

I don't know how quirky that makes me . . . but those are the best I could think of.
So, now it is your turn - Kelli I, Tracy, Ashley, Laura, Wendy, and Kelli E.

new subjects!!!

Well, I coerced my parents and grandma (didn't really take much coercing) to meet me at Bridgeport (yet again! I need to find a few new locations) for a little shoot. I needed some pictures of them with Ellie for her Master's Kids book to go along with the letters that they wrote to her - so sweet! Anyways, I wanted the pictures to go alongside the letters - so off we went! Fortunately I didn't really intend on taking pics of Lily - cause she was in NO MOOD to sit for the camera - oh what a feisty one she is. . . I'm chalkin' that up to the Irish blood!!! :o) just kidding grandma!!!

Here are a few from today - I know that I'm going to get a call or comment from my mom about how she doesn't like how she looks in some of the pictures . . . but, I think she looks great!!! And, well, it's my blog and I get to post the pics . . . so. . . hmmmm!!!

Did I mention that my grandma is 95 1/2!!!
Isn't she beautiful!!! I can hear her now refuting such a statement!

The two Ellen's!

My mom is going to hate this, but . . . if you know my mom -
she is always laughing . . . so it is perfect!

hide and seek!
Where are Ellie and Papa???

help!

How do I get rid of the border around the previous header? But, I don't want to get rid of borders altogether! Is there a way to remove the header border without losing the borders around my pictures in my blog????

at the pool with our friends

I think I will be using "pool fun" or some variation in a number of my blog titles . . . that is all we are doing lately and I know that it is going to become much more frequent! Again, sorry to my friends who have not seen anything close to warm!

Our friends came over to our pool today and what fun we had!!! Drake, Addison, Ellie and Lily had a blast . . . again, Lily "thinks" she can swim . . . so, she is really trying to keep up! Here are a few pics. As an aside, Drake has to be one of the cutest and sweetest boys in the world (Parker, my nephew, is, of course, at the top of that list:o) !!! In fact, he is betrothed to a number of girls - two of which are my daughter and my niece, Alyssa. I'm not really picky, I just want him in our family! We will see what God has planned!!!

Baby Knox ~ aren't those eyes amazing!?!?!

such a boy! gotta show the muscles!

sweet Addy

ready to swim!

their beautiful mommy and my dear friend!

silly kiddos!

thought provoking question

Our pastor posed a question this morning and I have been thinking about it . . .
thought I'd share it with you . . .

What am I willing to believe the Lord for -
that when it happens He will get ALL the Glory?

day at the pool

We have it real rough here in beautiful So. Cal ~ we have had to spend the last two days in the pool!!! It has been near or over 100 degrees (sorry to those of you who are just now hitting the 50's). On Friday we were at the pool twice . . . most of these pics are from our afternoon visit. Enjoy and stay cool!

this is for Lynn - this is the only good pic I got of Ewan

I love the wispy hair! And I love this girl!!!

Ok, is there a cuter little boy out there???? Totally a rhetorical question!!! Isn't he the cutest thing!

Reagan and Tilly! Reggy (as Lily calls her) is pretty sure that she can swim - she saw her sister, brother, and cousins swimming, so why can't she?

sweet cousins!

yes, the eyelashes are real. . . and they are longer in person!!!!

This may not look like anything to you. . .but, this is my sweet Ellie girl swimming - head in the water, body horizontal, and using BIG arms!!! If you have been privy to our past swimming experiences you will appreciate this!!! This is huge! I am so proud of my girl!

my swimmer!

photoshop question

Anyone know of a really good PSE6 tutorial? I am generally pretty good at figuring out a new program, but this one totally has me! I need some basic help - I don't really understand the whole layer thing - not really sure why I should use them, what their purpose is . . . all of those questions! Email me if you have other ideas.

Thanks

fun pics from the week

Here are a few more pics from my shoot with the steele girls and then from a day at the pool with Tate and Ewan (although I didn't get a good picture of Ewan - next time)

I liked the darkness of this . . . am I crazy?

we came around the corner and Sydney was just sitting there looking at the ducks

i thought this was kinda cool

playing with the color

totally love this one! top 5!

such a sweet face!

love feet and hands!

I think this is my absolute favorite from the day! At least top 5!

gotta love the shoes!

what is better than a boy in a pool?

don't you just love that red hair!?!?!

how cute is she????

and this one?

I am partial to back views - I love how Sydney's hair is blowing in the breeze.