Just the Three of Us...at the ZOO!

I told Sam today that just the three of us (Mommy, Sam and Mommy's zoom lens) would be going to the ZOO today!  This first pic is his response! 

 I LOVE HAVING A ZOOM LENS!  It creates such a unique perspective!

Virus Shmirus

I borrowed a computer to let my beloved readers know that some virus decided to attack my computer while I was worshiping Jesus on Sunday morning.  Isn't that just like the enemy? 

So, despite our anti-virus software, something snuck in.   The ol' computer is in the computer hospital and will hopefully come back restored with nothing lost.

I'm praying towards that end, anyway!

But, OH MY GOODNESS, THIS WEATHER JUST MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER, doesn't it now, sugar?

Yep, I couldn't agree more.

Oh, and here is my tip of the day:  Kroger has their Kroger brand spices on sale...almost all of them are reduced big time!  I stocked up, baby!

Soccer Fest/Mania/5 Hour Event!

Soccer Fest 2010.  When you are there for 5 hours and decide the best thing to do is take 202 pictures of your kids playing the game.  Could there be anything more fun?  I think not.

Above:  I think this was Sam's 6th goal of the day...he got things figured out!
Below:  I would be perfectly happy if his front teeth never came in.  Have you ever seen anything more irresistible in your life?

 Sometimes it is fun to see other bloggy friends!  Hey Heather!  I bet I know where that pic of AK is going to end up!

 There is a story behind these white shoes.  Any parent in their right frame of mind wouldn't let a kid get white soccer shoes...knowing what they will look like after just one game!  But, Sam insisted.  It was as if his heart had been set on them his whole life.  (Plus he didn't want to look the same as his brother.)

 I have a lot of pics with his tongue hanging out while he is running.  Pretty cute.

 Sam loves to give his Dad a high five after he makes a goal!

 Hey, wait a minute!  This is soccer not tackle football.  I think Sam was a little surprised by that one!

 I guess I better add a pic of Eli!  He did great...aggressive as always.

 And it wouldn't be a soccer day without some entertainment from the frogs.  Cade was stashing them in his pocket...I think he had about 15 at one time hidden in there!

We later watched the HOGS with our awesome friends and ate some super duper yummy game food...7 layer mexican dip, potato casserole, salad, ribs, chicken, and DQ ice cream cake.  The good food made the loss a little bit better to handle. 

While Attached To My Motor...

All hope is lost.  I don't think I'll ever get to walk/jog again by myself.  Ever. 

You see, I started taking our 70 pound lap dog, Savannah, a few weeks ago with me.  And now she is addicted.  All I have to do is grab my ipod and she is running around in circles and doing the beg stance on her hind legs.  Which is really quite funny on a 70 pound dog.

So, she is now dubbed my motor.  Cause, for goodness sakes, I can't go at the pace I want.  I have to go at hers.  Which is remarkably fast.  For me, anyway.

And leaving her behind seems to be out of the question.  Because I have a heart and can't turn down such a sweet face.  So, since we both need exercise, I guess I have a new walking/jogging buddy.

Don't kid yourself, she isn't in it all for the exercise.  She enjoys sniffing up all the horse manure that was left behind from the fair parade.  She enjoys meeting new people and sniffing on other dogs.  And she loves to say "squirrel" and yank my arm socket out of place.

So, here are two corny spiritual things I learned today:
1.  The tiniest piece of gravel that somehow sneaks its way into your shoe really is a nuisance.  (Translation:  even the tiniest sin in my life is going to disrupt the flow and pace that God and I are on in this adventure of knowing Him.)

2.  The most beautiful flower can appear in the most random and barren piece of land.  (Translation:  "don't think that I am not creating something beautiful out of you even though you feel like you are in the desert.")

It's Friday, ya'll!

{What??? Spell checker doesn't think "ya'll" is a word???   We all know the posting software wasn't created in the south, now, don't we, sweet thangs!?}

Is He Really Good?

That theme has been on my heart the past few days.  I am struggling once again with circumstances that don't seem to point to a good God.  How could He {fill in the blank} if He is good?

If we could just get this matter settled, wouldn't everything in life fall in place?  I have no problem with God being all powerful and strong.  I just can't seem to wrap my brain around the "why" of things.

Praying that He might show me His goodness in a fresh way, I was hit upside the head with an idea I have never thought about before.  It seems odd that I never have had this thought, because it makes total sense. 

What if we, as mere earthly spectators, never saw the other side of Calvary?  What if we, as mere humans, never knew of the resurrection of Christ after his death?  What if we only knew of his death?

Who would God be to us in that moment?

He would be a God who either wasn't good enough to keep His one and only Son away from death or He would be a God who wasn't powerful enough to keep His one and only Son away from death.

Since I don't seem to have a problem with His power, I am going to camp out on the issue of His goodness for a minute.  If we had no idea that Christ had indeed risen again, our beliefs about God would drastically be different. 

What kind of Father allows His only Son to die the most excruciating and humiliating death possible?  (Especially if He has the power to keep it from happening.)  It would have to be one that is twisted and cruel.  It would be a Father that is anything but good. 

If all we can see is the death of Jesus, then we would assume that God has a dark side and we would want nothing at all to do with Him.

What is it in your life that makes you think God has a dark side?

Could it just simply be that we aren't to Resurrection Sunday yet?  What if we just don't have the full picture of love and redemption for our circumstances?

I want to be the kind of girl who believes God even though I can't fathom how on earth He is redeeming a situation.  Or restoring it.  Or bringing it back to life. 

I want to be the kind of girl who believes Him to be good even when my circumstances shout that He has gone to the dark side.

God knew from the onset that the death and resurrection of His One and Only Son would be the best thing for all.  It would provide a way for us, mere humans, to be in right relationship with God the Father again.  Sending His Son to the cross would not only save us from the pit of hell, but would put His unconditional love for us on display.

But what about Jesus?  Was it good for Him?  Philippians 2:8-11 would say that He received a reward for His obedience to the Father.  "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  THEREFORE, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father."

What about God?  Was it good for Him?  Yes.  He gets glory out of the whole thing.

The circumstances that taunt us with thoughts of God being anything but good....

will indeed work together for good for those who love Him.

We just have to realize that the therefore is on its way!

The Wedding Coordinator

Let me introduce you to my wedding photography gopher/assistant/second shooter/navigator/doctor/joke teller/people manager and friend: Michelle.

Here we are...about to brave the 100 degree fall heat in order to go capture a beautiful and I mean beautiful wedding. (Hence my slicked back ugly hair do of the day...didn't want to be thinking about sweaty hair running down my back all day long.)

I am no fool when it comes to choosing someone to assist me on these big days! And this weekend, I realized just how much God graced me with her presence. You see, she is so good at what she does that even the preacher man was asking her where the rings were.

No, 'keeper of rings' is not even in her job description.

But, she is so 'in the know' that people just assume she knows it all.

Which she probably does.

You see, this past weekend, she was promoted to the wedding coordinator.

Here are just a few of the ways that Michelle proved invaluable:
*keeping my equipment safe and accessible
*ensuring that the wedding party is where they are supposed to be for pictures
*swapping out my sopping wet shoes for a fresh pair after I stepped in Sophie (the dog's) bowl of water (even tho she despises touching other's shoes and feet)
*getting the scoop on family dynamics
*making sure I stay hydrated
*making sure I take the shots on my list
*becoming a second shooter during the ceremony
*keeping the guests laughing
*noticing stray hairs and other details while I am shooting
*being my prayer warrior during the days leading up to the wedding
*coming to my rescue when someone says something that I don't know how to respond to
*reading my maps so that we can actually arrive at the correct destination
*keeping me smiling whereas I might be starting to fall apart if left to myself
and
*making a day that could be quite stressful a rather fun experience

Is she underpaid? Totally!!! Is she invaluable? Yes!!!

You can see some pictures from the Bridwell/Johnson wedding at
http://www.luluphotog.com

It is a slideshow...there are directions below the slideshow to tell you how to view it in full screen. The very last picture is Michelle's. As always, she was able to provide a different, unique, and beautiful perspective on things.

The Kid Party and the Many Expressions of Sam!

Sam has been anticipating his birthday for months. It was such a joy to finally be able to tell him it is here! We invited his friends...some he has had his whole life and others that he has made in the past month at school...and met at the park for pizza and cake. "Fumbles" the stuffed monkey made an appearance because he might as well be part of the family. Sam asked that a pink balloon be at the party so I agreed...as long as it was mixed with an array of other colors.

It is fun to see the third born have something be all about him. We love you Sam!

And Then He Was 5.

This will be a picture post. Because if I start typing, I will have to start wiping away the tears. And I don't have time for that, because I have to prepare to party! Happy 5th Sam!