Walking Through Life One Step at a Time

Walking Through Life One Step at a Time

Monday, December 31, 2012

A Kodak Moment....

Happy New Year, Faithful Readers...all 10 of you!  I have officially been blogging a year and I must say I did better at it then I thought I would.  You see...I like to start projects, but usually struggle in finishing them. 

You all know how I feel about resolutions.  I just set myself up for failure when I make resolutions, therefore I don't.  I certainly have things I want to work on this next year, but I would rather take life one day at a time.  I always get nervous for new years to start.  2012 has been a good year for us and I always wonder what the next year will bring.  Will it be better?  Worse?  Hmmm....we shall see.  Whatever the new year brings, I know I am thankful to be healthy and alive to experience it.

I thought I would end this year's posts with my favorite pictures from each month.  Looking back on these photos brings back so many memories.  That's why I'm such a picture taker...how in the world would you remember an entire year without pictures? 

So enjoy these monthly pictures...I hope they make you think back on your year as well.  Our family is not perfect and our lives are not perfect, but we do enjoy life.  I hope you plan on doing the same in 2013!


January: This picture makes me laugh.  Emily and I were so leary of who was in that costume.  YIKES!
 


February: Celebrating with my dear friend, Beth, on the arrival of her miracle, Delaney Jane.

 
March: Brad Paisley with the girls.  A fab night almost ruined by tornados.  Glad we got to rock our cowboy boots!



April: Easter with my family and the large snake that decided to move into our front porch.

May: Field Day with my sweethearts.  Loved watching them "play" their hearts out!

June: Our anniversary trip to Kauai.  This picture represents my happiest place...any beach...any where.


July: So many pictures to choose from this month, but this little man stole my heart on this trip. So blessed to have him as my nephew.


August: I love this picture of my birthday night.  It reminds me that I love to meet new people...I think our funny glasses connected us. ;)


September: Our last official lake/pool day of the season.  So many great memories spent by the water this past summer.


October: My parents first time at Disney World!  Priceless family time.


November: Well...kind of October...but this was close to November 1st.  Loved my boys' costumes this year!


December: Sheesh.  I don't even know how to describe how much I love this picture.  I won't try.  Thank you Leah Price Photography for capturing the love between Noah and I. 


 
 
So from my family to yours, Happy New Year!  Enjoy every season, every month, every week, every day....and for goodness sake...take pictures!!!  I'm so glad I captured these moments!
 
 
 
 
 
Bring on 2013!  



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

6 Years Ago....

My darling Noah,

6 years ago today we waited with expectation for you.  Nervousness....anxiety....impatience....as you waited and waited...and waited to come.  You were not early, nor were you on time.  You came late...you came when you wanted to...when doctors forced you to.  I'm convinced you were doing it on purpose already to your "I hate being late" mother. :)  A sign of things to come.....



5 years ago today we celebrated your first birthday.  Slews of people came to celebrate with you.  It was Western theme...you were our little cowboy.  You made a mess of your cake...threw it at your party guests....laughing the whole time.  A sign of things to come....

4 years ago today you turned two!  Boy, was it a circus!  We worked so hard to transform our basement into the perfect circus for our boy.  Bouncy houses, games and pinattas....you shot people with the ping-pong gun.  A sign of things to come....

3 years ago today we watched you turn 3!  You wanted a shark themed birthday.  We "Shark-Taled" it up.  You wanted a cookie cake...we got the biggest one they made.  We bought you underwear and made you giggle.  You threw your new underwear at your friends.  A sign of things to come...

2 years ago you were our Superhero!  You turned 4 along with Captain America, the Hulk, and Iron Man.  You begged for bounce house...we obliged.  You wanted me to make your cupcakes...I did....and they rocked (if I do say so myself).  You got in trouble for climbing on top of the bounce house.  A sign of things to come.

1 year ago Chuck E. Cheese was no longer avoidable.  It was your 5th birthday and we entered the 7th layer of hell on a Friday night at CEC.  You wore a shirt that lit up to music...it was rad.  You played with every single one of your friends and tried to make them all feel included.  I cheated in the ticket blaster and got in trouble with the waitress.  A sign of things to come....wait....

And this year, on your 6th birthday, you made an ultra-fabulous gingerbread house at school yesterday.  Your teacher is amazed with how smart you are.  You are a reading machine.  You are the class clown (as I witnessed this week in your room).  The girls giggle at everything you say.  You "forget" to eat lunch because you talk too much.  A sign of things to come.

And on this day, my heart literally bursts with love for you.  I don't know how to love you more, but everyday I do.  4 days ago, kids your age lost their lives in a senseless tragedy.  They will never have another birthday.  So even though every birthday in the past is memorable, this one....even more so.  Enjoy every moment, Noah.  The times we drive you crazy....the times when rules get on your nerves...the times when your feelings get hurt...the times you laugh so hard you can barely breathe.  Enjoy them.  Celebrate them.  Embrace the things to come.

Today...I celebrate YOU.  You are my greatest joy.  You are my biggest adventure.  You are the best thing I have ever done.  I can't wait to see what is to come.

No....I love you more,
Mom




Sunday, December 16, 2012

What I do Know....

I consider myself a writer.  I have no published books and no one knows my name as an author, but writing is definitely one of my top forms of self expression.  I know it's time to write another post when my fingers are almost itching to get to a computer. 

In light of what happened in CT on Friday, I realized how many things I do not know.  How many things I do not have answers for now and will never have answers for until I am with Jesus for eternity.  I know God will probably wait as long as He can to call me home because He just isn't ready to deal with my rapid fire questioning.  And who knows...maybe He will just bless us all with ultimate knowledge upon arrival so He doesn't have to answer a million questions.  Can't you just see Jesus saying.."Now Amanda...you know there are no stupid questions but I really need to get back to the business of being God"...;)

In this post, I thought I would just write some things that I do know.  Remember, you may not always agree with the things I say and that's ok.  I can certainly respect you for your opinions and beliefs and I know my friends do the same for me.

So in regards to what happened on Friday, here's what I know....


1. I know God is in control.  Our generation is not the first to experience evil.  God didn't take a snack break at 9:00 on Friday morning and return for the angels to fill Him in on what happened.  These things happen because we live in a sin filled world with sin filled people...myself included.

2. I know that regardless of what the news said about the gunman being "Brilliant", "Remote"  "had a personality disorder", etc....let's just get down to business and be honest.  This guy is a total jerk-wad.  Plain and simple.  (I could have used a more grown up word than jerk-wad, but didn't want to offend.)  However, once I've said that in anger, I have to think a little more maturely.  Had he not killed himself, perhaps one day he would have come to know Jesus.  Perhaps he would have asked for forgiveness.  Would Jesus have forgiven him?  Could I forgive him if my child had been one of his victims?  Whew....on this rainy Sunday, that's a tough pill for me to swallow.  Honestly, I know God would have...not sure I could. 

3. I know that what happened at that school is every teacher/school administrator's worst nightmare.  I am on the safety committee at my school and we have a plan.  Every school has a plan.  Plans just don't always work in situations like this.  I have probably run through in my mind what "I would have done" a thousand times this weekend.  And I honestly get nauseated every time I try to run through it.  I've been in lockdowns before...real ones.  Sitting there in a dark corner of your classroom with 20 kids, not knowing what's going on in the halls of your school, doing everything you can to reassure the worried little faces you see, pretending it's just a drill.  Your heart pounds out of your chest.  Your mother's instinct takes over and you go into protective mode.  What those teachers did?  Not surprising at all.  That's part of our job.  Those kids in my classroom are MY kids from 8-3.  I wouldn't let anyone hurt Noah and I'm certainly not going to allow anyone to hurt my other 19 babies. 

***Some of you are still worried because I said I'm on the school safety committee..I know it.*** ;)

4. I know that when I look at the pictures of these victims, I know without a shadow of a doubt that it could have been me.  It could have been any of us. And it could happen again.  We like to build our lives with false security.  We like to think we are safe.  And we should be able to think that.  We shouldn't have to worry when we drop our kids off at school, or go to the mall, or go to the movies.  But I do know we are not guaranteed tomorrow.  Plain and simple.  Whether it be an illness, a car accident, or a horrific event that we happen to be a part of...LIFE IS FRAGILE.  It is fleeting....it is fast. 

5.  I know that relationships are important.  In my life, relationships are a top priority.  Matt and I were talking last night that if it had been my school on Friday, and I hadn't made it out...what would I have wanted to make sure of?  My immediate answer was "that the people I love knew that I loved them."  Did I say it?  Did I show it?  It's what matters most to me.

So in all of the things that I don't know (which outweighs what I do know by a lot), these are just some things that I do know.  I also know no one likes a blog without pictures (fact) so I'll leave you with a couple.....



My Love Bugs.....

Keepin' It Real...Christmas Card Photo Prep...right after N smacked me in the face with that hideous hat. :)