Update...

Last Saturday was fun, we met Paris (my new friend and photography teacher) at the Botanical Gardens for her Portrait class. Joseph did some modeling for her, Kelsie came along and did some as well. She took some pictures of us, I got to see them last night and they all turned out great. She is making me a disc so as soon as I receive it I will post some.

Everything went great with the drama Sunday night...will post pictures Monday. It was a very moving experience. Tasha did an awesome job with her role as Mary.

This week has been busy as well...Donald working crazy shifts, Joseph's spring break is over...but he made a decision after much prayer about his career path and he has chosen to go into Dentistry with the specialization in Orthodontics. He has already made an appointment with his new advisor in April. We are so proud of him! He seems to be more focused and less frustrated this week which gives us back our happy, goofy and sweet boy! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful son, who loves the Lord, is talented in so many areas, has a sweet and tender heart!

I met Joseph out on Morris Avenue Tuesday to finish up a role of slide film for my class (it was the perfect cloudy 8 day!); but his allergies were kicking and he just could not handle it. We actually had to call Walter (our eye MD) and get some steroid eye drops for him. So Wednesday Donald and he came back over and I took the shots that day and they so turned out!!! I have them on slides so I've got to get them transferred to a disc and I will post some here and on my photography website.

As far as today and this weekend, tonight I am hoping for a quiet evening...maybe a little house cleaning and lounging around with my boys! Saturday I am shooting the Harrison Family (a great family we met through James and Emily). Then Saturday night some girlfriend time with Amber, Susan and Shannon...dinner for sure and you never know what else may happen...LOL! Looking forward to Sunday and a wonderful day in the house of the Lord! I just so love our church family!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Toodles!

Busy Weekend

I am so excited this Sunday is the Easter Drama that my SS class is putting on it is called "Through Mary's Eyes" written by a fellow church member. Tasha "Mary" is telling the story as it is acted out along with some other monologue... We have dress rehearsal Saturday night and Joseph is going to take some pictures, so I will post some of them as soon as I can.

Joseph has his first modeling gig tomorrow for the B'ham School of Photography, I am stoked about that as well...can't wait to see the pictures!

Donald is still working long hours, but he is getting to turkey hunt today and Saturday. He really enjoys the hunt, me I am to impatient to sit that still for hours. He tells me turkeys have very good vision and can see the slightest movement, not sure how he sits that still either...

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Ciao!

What is your choice??

LET IT REALLY SINK IN - THEN CHOOSE

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood
and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him
how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be
twins!"

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the
employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.


Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and
asked him, "I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"


He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two
choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can
choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood."

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I
can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept
their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I
choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away
all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to
situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's
your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry
to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him
when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious
accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be
twins...Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through
his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my
soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground,
I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I
could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

He continued, "..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me
into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and
nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'.
I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said
John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The
doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took
a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on
me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his
amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the
choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.


Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Pictures from N2 Tournament in Cullman

Joseph and Zac


This is Bradley

Josh Piper

SnapDragon??

Does anyone else feel like this on Monday's??? It was a busy weekend. It started Saturday with a trip to Dothan to play paintball in a 5 man tournament and then drive back home in the same day! With the time change we got home around 2:45 Sunday morning. Sorry to say we were slackers for the AM services, but there for the PM service at church. Reflections did the drama Call Out to Jesus by Third Day and did an awesome job!!

Blessings!!

Interesting Sunday

Joseph and three of his friends, Zac, Josh and Brad played in a Paintball Tournament yesterday in Cullman. I have been to buy paintball stuff, but never to a field to watch them play. It is very interesting to say the least. Some of these guys go at it like they are really in combat. Some are just there for fun. Our group Last Minute Militia played 5 games and they won 3 out of the 5, but the points were not enough to carry them into the finals. Joseph and Josh took pictures and finally at the last game I was brave enough to get out on the field at take some pictures. Will post some soon, did not take my digital so I've got to get them developed.

We maybe heading down to Dothan for a 5 man tourney on Saturday!

Ciao